James Norry is a 7 year old boy who is afraid because his parents decided to send him to live with another family to learn a trade. When he was 4, his mother told him that when he turned 7 he would go live with another family for his education. Now at 7, James is walking to his new family, the Greco family, who are bakers and will teach him the trade of being a baker, though he is afraid after hearing friends talk about being treated like servants in their new homes. His new family will teach him new skills and values as a baker.