"Dear Mr. Franklin, " "First of all, let me just say that this Assignment is Stupid. You are Dead. Why am I writing a letter to Some dead guy I've never even met?" This is the start to a most unlikely pen pal relationship between thirteen-year-old Franklin Isaac Saturday (Ike) and Benjamin Franklin. Before the fateful extra credit assignment that started it all, Ike's life was pretty normal. He was avoiding the popularity contests of middle school, crushing hard on Clare Wanzandae and trying not roll his eyes at his stepfather, Dirk-the-Jerk's lame jokes. But all that changes when, in a successful effort to make Claire Wanzandae laugh, Ike mails his homework assignment to Ben Franklin and he writes back. Soon, things go awry.

After Ike has an embarrassing moment of epic proportions in front of Claire involving a playground, non-alcoholic beer, and "a lot" of kettle corn, Ike decides he needs a fresh start. He gets to thinking, if letters can get to 1700s Philadelphia, other things probably could too like say, maybe a thirteen-year-old boy from 2015.