The perfect guide against bullying. There are unusual, unpronounceable, and unbearable first names - and then there’s the name Ismael. Ismael thinks it’s the worst. However, he has learned how to respond to mockery and attacks: by disappearing! This changes abruptly when James Scoobie joins the class. Unlike Ismael, he is afraid of no one. He has his own weapon against class bullies: language. To hone this skill, he starts a debate club. But Ismael is terrified of speaking in public. If it weren't for his quirky debate teammates, it would probably remain that way. But because they passionately advocate for him, nothing will soon stand in the way of Ismael's verbal uprising.