Luke is the coolest sixth grader at Benjamin Wright Middle School. Then his dad dies unexpectedly, leaving the family in debt and turning his world upside down.

Forced to move with his family to Grandma's house on Blackbeard Creek in the marsh, Luke must adjust to a strange, new life on the Georgia coast. In addition to the stress of being the new kid in school, Luke finds himself constantly teased and bullied by his mean cousin Buck.

Just when he thinks life can't get much worse, Luke almost drowns in the tidal creek, while mullet jumping on a cold, moonless night. Then, after getting into a fight with Buck on the school bus, their principal takes the two boys to his primitive island for the weekend to work out their issues.

Unfortunately, the boys and their principal get kidnapped for ransom by wild-hog-poaching pirates.

Knowing their families have no money to pay any amount of ransom, Luke and Buck declare a truce in order to escape Pirates Island and save themselves and their principal.