There was always something exceptional and different about ten-year-old Reuben Otis O'Brien, but no one, including Reuben Otis himself, can figure out quite what it is. All that he knows is that he can smell something very strange that no one else can, and sometimes it makes him sick.
The Boy Who Could Smell Warming is the story of Reuben Otis's quest to discover his special ability and its purpose. Since, as he describes himself, Reuben Otis is a "nerd in a cool guy's body," he does his own scientific investigation and finds out that he possesses a very unusual superpower which is vital for the whole world and will make him a true superhero. As he starts to use his superpower with the help of his family and two neighborhood friends, he learns he can change things vital to his hometown and to the entire planet. This gives Reuben Otis a newfound pride and a whole new direction to his life.