âAn excellent addition to middle grade collections.â âSchool Library Journal (starred review)
After being shipped off to stay with her aunt and uncle in Nowheresville, Pennsylvania, city girl Effie Starr Zook stumbles upon a mystery that leads her to an old family feud in this âaccessible and excitingâ (School Library Journal, starred review).
A rich girl from New York City, Effie Starr Zook isnât afraid of much. When her parents go on a dangerous round-the-world adventure in a solar airplane, sheâs packed off to her aunt and uncleâs farm for the summer. Expecting boredom, she runs smack dab into a family secret. Why does the neighbor kid want to avoid her? What are her aunt and uncle so worried about? And what does âbad bloodâ mean, anyway?
Effieâs got a brand-new bicycle, time on her hands, and an unlimited capacity for asking questions. With these, she sets out to uncover whatever it is the grownups are hiding. Along the way, sheâll contend with crackpot politics, serve coffee in a bookstore cafĂ©, and learn more than she bargained for about her famous great-grandfather, the inventor of the barf bag. Fast-paced and funny, this is a story about having the courage to find out who you really are. Look out, worldâwhen Effie Starr Zook has questions, she wonât take no for an answer!