The general basis of the story is about bullying.
Most pupils think that their nightmare ends when they leave school, but that is not the case, as bullying continues through adulthood and is prevalent in nearly all walks of life. The story is of a young boy Oliver Moon, and his best friend, a little Jewish boy Rueben Milhouse, (Milly).
Oliver lives in a small town called Wychwood, approx. Six miles from the sea on the east coast of England. He lives with his mom in a two bedroom terraced house, with a large garden and a substantial sized shed, which was always locked and Oliver was never allowed to enter.
But unknown to Oliver, held an incredible secret which would change his life forever. His father Marcus, left the family home when Oliver was three years old, promising to return as soon as he could. Oliver's mom is finding life increasingly difficult without Marcus, as Oliver often hears his mom sobbing her heart out at night. Oliver decides it's now time to look for his father, for the sake of his mom, little did he realise his father had anticipated this and left behind something special for his son on his long, and dangerous journey around the world.