It is Depression-era Michigan, and 10-year-old Bud is setting out to find the man he believes to be his father. Bud may be a motherless boy, but he's got a few things going for him. He has a suitcase full of special things. He's the author of "Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself." And although his mama never told him who his father was, she left some clues. Once he decides to hit the road, nothing can stop him.