Aspiring reporter Kit Kittredge can't resist bringing home strays, whether it's Grace, an abandoned basset hound, or Will and Countee, a pair of young hobos willing to trade work for meals. Bright, inquisitive and generous, Kit is a natural born leader. But her happy childhood is abruptly interrupted when her father loses his car dealership and must leave Cincinnati to look for work. Kit and her mother Margaret are left to manage on their own, growing vegetables, selling eggs and even taking in an assortment of boarders including an itinerant magician, a vivacious dance instructor on the prowl for a husband and a zany mobile librarian. When a crime spree sweeps Cincinnati, all signs point to the local 'hobo jungle, ' where Will and Countee live with a group of their impoverished companions. Kit, who always has her antennae out for a good news story, convinces her new friends to take her to see the hobo camp for herself and writes an article that creates a sympathetic portrait of the camp's residents. But when Kit's mother and their boarders become the latest victims in a string of robberies, Kit's loyalties are tested. Will is accused of the crimes and, with all of their savings gone, the Kittredges face losing their house to foreclosure. Determined to recover the stolen money and believing Will is innocent, Kit recruits her friends Ruthie and Stirling to help her track down the real culprit. Together they uncover a plot that goes far beyond Cincinnati!

At the height of the Great Depression in Cincinnati, Kit, a spunky 10 year old with ambitions of being a great reporter, faces hardship, prejudice, and theft. With her dad losing his job and facing foreclosure, he looks for work in Chicago. Kit and her mother take in a curious lot of boarders to make ends meet including a magician, a mobile librarian, a dance instructor, and an uptight woman and her son, Sterling. Kit moves into her tree house where she pledges faithfulness to her friends and types her stories. Along the way, Kit and her friends Ruthie and Sterling befriend two hobos, a young teen name Will and 5-year-old Countee. Trying to add to the family’s income, Kit writes stories about life in the hobo camps from a kid’s perspective. When thefts occur in the neighborhood and a lockbox with the household’s money and jewelry is stolen, almost everyone suspects Will. It’s up to Kit and her friends to investigate and find the real culprit. This story is based on the American Girl series by Valerie Tripp. The casting and acting are topnotch and stays true to the books’ storyline. Kit embodies characteristics that parents desire for their girls; determination, compassion, integrity, and intelligence. Highly recommended. Girls ages 8-12. ( )

The Great Depression hits home for 9 year old Kit Kittredge when her dad loses his business and leaves to find work. In order to keep their home, Kit and her mother must take in boarders = paying houseguests who turn out to be full of fascinating stories. When mother's lockbox containing all their money is stolen, Kit's new hobo friend Will is the prime suspect. Kit refuses to believe that Will would steal and her efforts to sniff out the real story get her and her friends into big trouble. 1 hr. 40 min. Rated G