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BOOK SYNOPSIS
"A rip-roaring adventure, but more importantly, a kids’ power ballad to the importance of being yourself." - Gordon Korman, New York Times-bestselling author
An eerie middle grade mystery debut that follows a young girl who returns home to find the people of her little town, including her best friend, chillingly changed after the arrival of the prim and proper Gingham family...
When 12-year-old Joni Bird returns home from summer camp, it’s clear something strange is afoot in Olive Springs. May, her usually head-banging best friend, now wears her hair in a tight bun and calls playing the drums “unladylike.” The ice cream shop only serves vanilla ice cream. The women and girls of the neighborhood all sport big pearl earrings and crisp cotton dresses.
At the heart of it all? The creepy new family in the neighborhood with their soulless, carnival smiles and retro fashion sense: the Ginghams. Everyone they invite to their Thursday night book club re-emerges as dead-eyed, smiling, Gingham-approved "model citizens," all thanks to Mr. Gingham’s lifestyle guide, The Pillars of Perfection - and something even more sinister hidden behind his basement door.
Through quick thinking and cunning, Joni and her friend Tyler set out to fight not only to get their friend May back, but to save their whole town from forever falling under the Ginghams' control.
RECOMMENDED FOR: Middle School
OUR BOOKS ARE LISTED BY AGE GROUP to indicate that the content is engaging and appropriate for those selected ages. PLEASE NOTE: They may not be the appropriate reading level for every individual at those ages or may extend beyond the brackets (which will be noted in the description below each book).
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publish Date: July 28, 2026
Pages: 240
Dimensions: Hardcover: 8.6 X 5.7 X 0.8 inches | 0.7 pounds / Spanish Version: 8.25 X 5.4 X 0.6 inches | 0.9 pounds
Language: English
Type: Hardcover or Paperback
Condition: NEW
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