The story begins when a scientist is working on an intelligent robot for humanitarian purposes, who discovers the company he works for is intends to use the robots for military purposes. The scientist steals one of the robots which ends up being lost and broken, then is fixed by a lonely 11-year-old boy. A robot boy and a human boy team up to save their respective parents, who are being held captive by the organization that funded the robot's creator. The two become friends and embark on adventures while being pursued by the authorities.

Ryden Malby has planned her academic life since she was in high-school to get a college scholarship; now she has just graduated in English and in her master plan she expects to get a job as assistant editor in the publishing house Happerman & Browning, in Los Angeles. Her platonic best friend is Adam Davis that has a crush on her and is frequently close to her. However, her arrogant classmate Jessica Bard gets the position and Ryden is forced to return home in the suburb to live with her optimistic father Walter that wants to do everything by himself; her careful mother Carmella that administrates the short resources of her family; her eccentric grandmother Maureen; and her weird little brother Hunter that wishes to race in a boxcar derby. Ryden unsuccessfully seeks a job position and feels frustrated but is emotionally supported by Adam. When Walter accidentally runs over the cat of his next-door neighbor David Santiago with Ryden's car...

One year after losing their son David, Eve Goode and her husband Raymond Goode adopt the orphan Ethan...