After he gets a flat tire within walking distance of what appears to be his hometown exactly as it was when he was a boy, Martin Sloane runs into his childhood self, who suffers a leg injury on a merry-go-round.
While walking home from school, a young boy experiences many scary things, both imaginary and real, and looks forward to being safe and snug at home with his parents.
After learning that she is not the biological daughter of boring Mr. and Mrs. Drudger, Fern embarks on magical adventures with her real father and finally finds "a place that feels like home.".