Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice.
Exposition (Initial Situation)
There Once Was a Poor Boy Named Tom
Before Tom was ever born, there was Bert Breen, who builds a nice barn up on a hill and is more than happy to live out his life away from most people. The word "hermit" might come to mind. Plus, he's very secretive about his money and doesn't keep it in a bank, even though everyone knows he must have money because how else would he buy up property in the area? When he dies, his widow continues to live on the property, but she keeps up the secret game where the money is concerned.
Among the few people the Breens interacted with were the Hannaberrys. Chick Hannaberry, Tom's grandfather, was a careless good-timer who left the task of scraping money together largely to his daughters, including Polly Ann, Tom's mother. Polly Ann marries Nob Dolan, who owned a small farm, but he too began leaving all the work to Polly Ann, and then he disappeared altogether after five years of marriage. Men aren't really looking so great at the exposition stage of the story. Polly Ann works tirelessly at hard manual labor to provide for her three children. This makes a strong impression on Tom. And that right there's the setup for his big dreams.
Rising Action (Conflict, Complication)
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho
Tom wants to build a better life for his family. He talks to Birdy Morris about it and he gets the idea that he'll need a better barn to create the life he wants. For example, the Breen barn. That's where the title comes in. Birdy takes Tom up to see the Breen barn, where the Widow Breen reads cards to tell him his future. She says that Tom will quit school, get some money, and later on, get a whole bunch more money. Sounds like a good future.
Tom wants to speed up the process, so he quits school, gets a job as mill hand, and saves everything he can from his modest salary. He spends money only to help Polly Ann with family expenses, to buy supplies to fix up their house, and to purchase Christmas gifts. No candy bars and comic books for this kid. Meanwhile, he keeps an eye on the Breen property, and when the Widow Breen dies, Tom plans to buy it from the county—until Mr. Armond buys it first. But Tom makes Mr. Armond an offer, and he accepts. Woohoo!
But the work isn't done yet. Birdy and Tom work through the spring and summer to take the barn down, move the lumber, and rebuild it on the Dolan property. Tom still has his job at the mill, which means they have to do the barn work in the evening and on Sundays. Sheesh—that sure puts nine-to-fivers to shame. But diligent little Tom is ready and willing to go hardcore for the sake of his dream (with a little encouragement from Birdy).
Climax (Crisis, Turning Point)
Barn-Raising and Treasure-Hunting
Once Tom and Birdy get the barn taken apart and moved and lay the foundation at the Dolan place, it's time for a barn-raising. That means a big party and also a lot of work: at least eighteen men and hundreds and hundreds of sandwiches. But the barn-raising goes off without a hitch. Tom decides that all the excitement from the barn-raising creates the perfect cover for him and Polly Ann to go up to the Breen place and get Bert's money, which Tom has figured out is hidden under the part of the barn floor that he hasn't moved yet. They sneak out at night, taking back trails so that they won't attract attention, especially from the Flanchers. Tension builds as they creep through the darkness and begin taking up the floorboards. Once they get the chests to the wagon, Tom sees a wagon coming up the road toward him. It's the Flanchers! But Tom and Polly Ann get away safely with more money than the family has ever had.
Falling Action
Mo' Money, Fewer Problems
They take the chests to Billy-Bob's and count it: more than $9,000. Billy-Bob meets Tom at the bank the next day to set up a savings account, and also suggests that he set one up for Birdy, since he's been so much help. Tom spends some of the money to finish his barn, and then Tom and Birdy take care of the last piece of business on the Breen property: they burn the old house down and fill in the hole where Bert had hidden his chests of money.
Time to plan for the future. Tom tells Mr. Hook he plans to go into farming. Mr. Hook helps him find a team of horses to buy, and Tom also buys a new wagon, both of which he'll need to take his next steps toward building a paying farm. Oh, and the Flanchers are arrested for trespassing and assault after a fight broke out on the Breen property right after Tom and Polly Ann dug up the chests. Tom doesn't have to worry about them or the possibility of revenge anymore. Whew.
Resolution (Denouement)
Tom Buys the Farm
Don't panic. Tom doesn't die. (Get it? "Buying the farm" is a euphemism for dying.) In the novel's conclusion, Tom goes back to Mr. Armond's to pay the remaining $25 he owes on the barn. Tom drives up in his spiffy new wagon and suit, and Mr. Armond hardly recognizes him or his mother. Polly Ann gets a real thrill going up to the place with her successful son, a total change from the times she had to go up there to sell berries for her father. When Tom arrives back home, he admires his barn and realizes he has attained the dream that once seemed so farfetched.