Velocity is a summer adventure story about a wild nine-year-old boy named Dean Farley. He risks his own life to learn the difference between being brave and taking a dare. Dean Farley's father worked six days a week and didn't have much time to teach his son about life in the South in the 1950s and how to grow up there. It was during a time when most children, especially boys, were free to roam around on their own once they were old enough. Dean was able to learn about life through the "school of hard knocks" because he was able to go out and see the world on his own. Not surprisingly, problems come at him faster than he can learn the skills he needs to deal with them. Because of how he learned about the real world, he now has to deal with a tough situation. The bully puts him in a situation where he has no good choices and then taunts him into doing something dangerous to prove himself. Dean makes a choice that could cost him his life because he wants to prove to everyone that he is brave and not a coward. Along the way, the story shows a variety of good, bad, and strange people. It shows how important decisions are that kids have to make at a very young age.