Caterpillar Summer

by Gillian McDunn

Cat knows her younger brother, Chicken, better than anybody. She knows that he loves sharks. That he does not like loud noises, tags in his shirt, or being called Henry. Ever since Daddy died, Mom has had to work extra hard to keep their family afloat. Cat is proud to be the glue that holds their family together. But sometimes, even the strongest glue struggles to hold . . .

When a summer trip doesn’t go according to plan, Cat and Chicken must spend three weeks with grandparents they’ve never met, in a place called Gingerbread Island. At first, she is wary of these strangers . . . How could they ever know Chicken like she does? But a life on the island is comfortable, simpler, and Cat feels more like a kid than she has in a while. As she gets to know her grandparents, one thing is bothering Cat: Why haven’t they been a part of her life before now?