Joseph Gribble lives in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, on Rainey Street. He lives next door to his best friend, Bobby Hill, and two huoses down from Connie, a Laotian girl who is Bobby's girlfriend and Joseph's friend. His mother is Nancy Hicks Gribble. His adopted father is Dale Gribble, but little do Dale and Joseph know that John Redcorn, a Native American man who also lives in Arlen, is Joseph's biological father. Dale and Joseph repeatedly misunderstand or remain obtuse when situations obviously show that Nancy is cheating on Dale with John Redcorn or that he is Joseph's biological father. After going to summer camp, Joseph becomes considerably taller than all fo the other kids and starts to go through puberty. He is somewhat girl-crazy.