Bob Harley is a typical 1950's suburban teenage boy when his father's job is transferred to Holland and Bob's family moves to Europe. He finds himself in a strange new world when he is sent to boarding school in Ireland, where his mother grew up. Bob is at first confused by the English spoken by the people around him. Accustomed to comfort, his new school has bad food and no heat. Even worse, the teachers use a bamboo cane on students as punishment. One of them even seems so nuts that the other boys say he's a Martian. Bob only wants to go home.

Then Bob falls in with a group of friends who prod him out of some of his misery. He discovers the teacher he finds the most frightening (the one assigned to cane the boys) is the one he likes the best. He and his friends create hilarity with their suspenseful pranks and, inspired by the Goons comedy radio show, they commit acts of theater which culminate in Bob bringing American rock and roll to the other boys for the very first time.