Twelve-year-old David takes his basketball along on summer vacation, hoping to find a court and some friends at the beach community. Whatever happens, he knows that he can count on Max, his grandfather, for good times and lots of laughs. He finds much more. Unexpectedly, David and Max, along with David's new friend Candy, become caught up in a search for a man Max thought had died in the Holocaust. Slowly, David learns about Max's terrible years during World War II, information that Max had never intended to tell. As he comes to terms with Max's horrific memories, David grows to understand more about the meaning of honesty—and about himself.