Mady McKeon, a 10-year-old girl living in a farm town, is deeply affected by the death of a schoolteacher and her grandfather. Her father sells part of the family farm to the Air Force. The Air Force starts building a missile base. Mady watches a TV show that describes the devastation of missile attacks during World War II, and she runs away from home. Her parents reconcile and find her, and the entire town is brought together.