"An excellent addition to middle grade collections." --School 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 "accessible and
exciting" (School Library Journal, starred review).
A rich girl from New York City, Effie Starr Zook isn't afraid of much.
When her parents go on a dangerous round-the-world adventure in a solar
airplane, she's packed off to her aunt and uncle's 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 "bad blood" mean, anyway?
Effie's 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, she'll contend
with crackpot politics, serve coffee in a bookstore café, 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, world--when Effie
Starr Zook has questions, she won't take no for an answer!