Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie opens with Scott Hudson, the novel’s protagonist, heading home with his three best friends, Patrick, Kyle, and Mitch, after spending the last day of summer playing basketball. The four boys, who will be starting high school the next day, discuss what high school may be like: Patrick sees it as an adventure, Kyle believes it will be boring just like middle school, Mitch is looking forward to meeting girls, while Scott is worried that the classes will be difficult. Scott alludes to The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas in his farewell, “All for one and one for all” (4), but the allusion falls flat because he is the only one who has read the book.

When Scott reaches home, Mom and Dad are acting strangely, but he believes that they are stressed because his brother Bobby flunked out of high school. He reassures them that he will be fine because he is nothing like Bobby, who is tall, strong, handsome, and good with tools. By contrast, Scott is smaller, not at all good with tools, and loves to read. Before going to sleep, Scott reads a book he’s picked up from the flea market, Field Guide to North American Game Fish, and though he tries to call Bobby to get advice about high school, there is no answer.