Tree, a six-foot-three-inch twelve-year-old, copes with his parents' recent divorce and his failure as an athlete by helping his grandfather, a Vietnam vet and recent amputee, and Sophie, a new girl at school.

Winner of the Newbery Honor Medal

When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who raised her move from Brooklyn to small-town Wisconsin to take over the local diner, Hope's not sure what to expect. But what they find is that the owner, G. T., isn't quite ready to give up yet—in fact, he's decided to run for mayor against a corrupt candidate. And as Hope starts to make her place at the diner, she also finds herself caught up in G. T.'s campaign—particularly...

The residents of Culpepper, despite their grand aspirations, have made little progress toward achieving their goals, but unexpected events and surprises put the ambitions of the residents of Culpepper to the test.