Edie, a young Aboriginal girl, and Anglo-Australian Maggie live in a small country town and are best friends. Maggie is good at school, but Edie always struggles. No matter how hard she studies, she can only scrape a pass. And although the girls promised each other that together they would change the world, Maggie suddenly gets the chance to leave school and earn money. It is the biggest challenge yet to their friendship. Edie's mother has left her and her younger brother Matty in the care of their grandmother and grandfather-Auntie and Pop. They are good substitute parents: tough and wise, but loving. So far Edie has escaped the big black government cars that have come for many of the indigenous children in the town, but in Paper Bags and Dreams, the cars finally catch up with her. It is only Edie's strength and willingness to defend the parenting she has been given that saves the family from being torn apart.