Three starred reviews!
âHeartfelt and hilarious, witty and wise, with indelible characters and laugh-out-loud humor. A fantastic read for any season of the year.â âStuart Gibbs, New York Times bestselling author
In New York Times bestselling author Morgan Matsonâs middle grade debut âbrimming with heart, summer nostalgia, and a bit of mysteryâ (Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author), a young girl gets to know her momâs side of the family and hunts for hidden treasure over the course of one chaotic summer.
For as long as Ryanna Stuart can remember, her summers have been spent with her father and his new wife. Just the three of them, structured, planned, and quiet. But this summer is different. This summer, sheâs received a letter from her grandparentsâgrandparents neither she nor her dad have spoken to since her momâs deathâinviting her to stay with them at an old summer camp in the Poconos.
Ryanna accepts. She wants to learn about her mom. She wants to uncover the mystery of why her father hasnât spoken to her grandparents all these years. Sheâs even looking forward to a quiet summer by the lake. But what she finds are relativesâŚso many relatives! Aunts and uncles and cousins upon cousinsâa motley, rambunctious crew of kids and eccentric, unconventional adults. People who have memories of her mom from when she was Ryannaâs age, clues to her past like a treasure map. Ryanna even finds an actual, real-life treasure map!
Over the course of one unforgettable summerâfilled with sâmores and swimming, adventure and fun, and even a decades-old mystery to solveâRyanna discovers a whole new side of herself and that, sometimes, the last place you expected to be is the place where you really belong.