Ava, Ellie, and Griffin may want to think twice about what they wish for. Curious to learn more about the Dust Bowl, they get caught up in the difficulties of the era from the opening line of the story. Miss Snoddy is not spared from a 'rolling blizzard' of dust either, and an injury makes it impossible to return home. After they join the caravan of Oakies traveling to California in search of a better life, a second, more serious problem, threatens to leave them stranded in the Dirty Thirties forever. It takes 'man's best friend' to find a solution. Bank robbers, jalopies, mulligan stew, and families struggling with the Dust Bowl make this an American adventure the friends and their teacher will never forget.