Ten-year-old Bud Caldwell leads the life of an orphaned young boy living in the 1930s near Chicago, Illinois. The story begins when he is still six years old, lives at home with his mother, and struggles with not knowing his father. Bud's mom and he have an enjoyable life together, spending time doing things like reading from his favorite book, 20,000 Leaks Under the Sea, also known as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. Finding his mother dead, after a few days of her being "sick" changes Bud's life forever, however, as he is sent to an orphanage, which he calls "The Home." It is here that he meets Bugs, his best friend.

Bud has a difficult time making sense of the sudden change of direction in his life, so he finds childish ways to get through these unexpected changes. One coping method he invents is...