I have always liked family G rated movies. Usually, there is a simple message for the younger audience, and in this we find Kit learning compassion, equality, sharing , and other admirable social skills. Even our villains are almost caricatures of people and give the false impression that thieves and villains are really not all that.... bad.

Kit is a reporter want to be, the time is 1934, and Cincinnati OH is having a horrible time like the rest of America dealing with the depression. There is prejudice and scapegoating of poor and homeless people, the Hobos. When Kit's father loses his job and moves to Chicago to find work, they make the house available to boarders to help pay the rent. ( Thank goodness they don't have the modern day zoning laws Americans have to contend with today ).

Someone however is stealing and robbing the homes and when Kit's house is targeted the movie spins off into a Nancy Drew type mystery to find the thieves. So with friends in tow, a secret club in a tree house, and other friends including the Hobo's,  Kit is off to solve the mystery and save the families home from foreclosure.

Abigail

Breslin

as Kit almost carries the movie on her own.

Stany Tucci

delivers a good supporting role and character as well Julia

Ormond

as Kit's mother. Max

Thieriot

as Will shepherd has that "aw shucks" boy next door character about him you want to believe he is as good as his

charater

. ( You'll remember him from his role in Jumper this year and Pacifier a few years ago. ) So if Abigail

Breslin

as Kit is the All American Girl,  Max

Thieriot

is getting typed here as the All American Guy.

Sorry to say the slapstick Miss Bond played by Joan

Cusack

was a real disappointment and the rest of the cast is there for something to do and a paycheck. My guess is this was put together on a pretty low budget and very few sets. I liked the fact they try to hide this pretty well with a few scenes away from the 3 main locations ( Home, Hobo camp, and the newspaper) with a few shots of cars and buses. Not a lot of special effects needed here, but the movie delivers more than a kid's G movie. I'd recommend it as a solid B movie and even A- for a family outing.