Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin), a girl growing up in Depression-era Cincinnati, has a nose for news and a knack for picking up strays. When a crime spree hits the Ohio city, all evidence points to the local hobo community, particularly Kit's friend Will. She recruits her friends Ruthie and Stirling to sniff out the real thief, but the children uncover a plot that reaches far beyond Cincinnati.