Skate Tate has a good life. She has close friends, a loving family, and
her beloved Great Uncle Mort (GUM for short) who lives every day as if
it were an adventure. Skate would like things to stay just the way they
are. But life doesn't work that way. For one thing, Skate has to figure
out the strange new world of Biddle Middle, where eighth graders rule
the roost, old friendships start to change, and a lowly sixth-grader has
to struggle to make a place for herself. But other, more painful
changes, are also in store for the Tates, and the story of how this
close-knit family responds to sudden tragedy will move and delight
listeners everywhere. Told with her trademark wit and wisdom, filled
with big laughs and unexpected tears, Paula Danziger's newest novel is
one of her finest achievements.