After his village is wiped out by an invading Nazi army twelve-year-old Ivan is orphaned and send to a prison camp. The inventive lad escapes and is adopted by Captain Kholin, whose intention is to send the boy away to school. But Ivan is determined to help the Russian army and so he starts spying on the German forces. Because of his tender years he manages to pass freely back and forth behind enemy lines — at least for awhile.