Derrick finally feels like he's getting the hang of Middle School. He's in a band with his best friends and his dogs Bennie and Max are getting along. Even his Dead Max comics and advice columns are a hit, until Max's cat-hating ways start raising hackles with his cat-loving readers. Then when Derrick's cartoons protesting racism backfire, the Muslim kids turn against him and the paper is in danger of being shut down, along with Derrick's cartooning career. Is Derrick a racist bully or trying to help some friends fight hatred? Luckily, Dead Max and some fishy characters are on the case, sleuthing out the real culprit and reuniting the students of Zachary Taylor Middle School with some long, lost friends.