Polynomial is a twelve year old boy with an eight year old sister named Omni. They are from an easy and friendly town in Heidelberg, Germany. Polynomial and Omni are fun-loving, beyond average intelligent kids who are homeschooled, until a sudden family mishap... their parents are kidnapped. Displaced for a few days at a shelter, they assume that family in Munich will take them in, but they are wrong. They are surprised to learn that an uncle that they are unfamiliar with has committed to taking them. The only thing they know is that this uncle lives in America and is married to a Black woman, but they have no clue as to what kind of city - Chicago is.

Initially excited by the beauty and vastness of Chicago, Polynomial learns very quickly that he may not like the city. And to make matters worse, their uncle lives in a very questionable neighborhood - a foreign world to Polynomial and Omni.

Polynomial has found nothing with which to encourage him in wanting to stay in Chicago, until one day he meets a unique African-American boy by the name of Magnetic. Magnetic takes on the appearance of an ordinary Black kid from the inner-city, but Polynomial soon learns that this isn't the case with Magnetic. Magnetic is the first kid Polynomial's age to ever challenge his intellect and morality. And when he realizes that Polynomial is in possession of something very special to him, he will secretly send Polynomial on a blind adventure that is sure to get his attention.