Eddie Badger is retarded-ask anyone. His classmates, teachers, and the school system all agree. Even his parents think he's a little slow. His speech is heavy and his vocabulary limited. While his peers go on to high school, he stagnates in an elementary school special education program, frustrated and angry.

Two things change Eddie's life. First, the high school begins its own special education program. Second, and more importantly, the school hires Janet P. Welch.

A young, idealistic teacher, Welch quickly realizes Eddie is far from being "a bit slow." A bout of meningitis as an infant left him with an untreated hearing disability. Together, Welch and Eddie work tirelessly to bring his education up to the level of his peers. Their attempt to assimilate Eddie into regular classes is blocked at almost every turn by an egotistical school superintendent more interested in his career than a student's future, but the two persevere, battling the stigma of Eddie's "retard" label.

An inspirational story of one young man's determination to succeed in spite of those around him, Eddie is a reminder of the impact a misdiagnosis of mental retardation can have on a child.