When white, twelve-year-old Mavis’s mother is accused of embezzlement, the rest of the family makes an abrupt transition from a life of luxury to small-town living. Upon returning to their upscale Chicago home after a vacation, the family finds that the FBI is already there—and Mom is already in hiding. With their bank accounts frozen, Mavis’s father takes his kids to live with his estranged sister just south of Somewhere, Illinois. Vacillating among disbelief, anger, and grief, and hoping to help alleviate their dire financial situation, Mavis finds a babysitting gig with a neighbor friend. Meanwhile, her sister has been dismissed from her dream internship due to her mom’s notoriety, and her brother is coping by throwing himself into a new relationship. When Mavis begins receiving postcards from her mom from various tropical locations, she keeps them a secret. While she initially believes her mom has left the country, she soon suspects that the postcards are a red herring, and that her mother may be nearer to her than she thought. Though it stretches credibility at times, this absorbing story is firmly centered on Mavis’s emotional response and perspective. She and her family have satisfying arcs as they adjust to their new life circumstances. Privileged, wealthy Mavis and her brother and sister are far more than stereotypes, and Mavis’s judgmental views of small-town folks rapidly evolve as she settles into her new community. (Ages 8-12)

STARRED REVIEW! "Precise, subtle details and complete emotional honesty bring these characters to life from the first page."—Kirkus Reviews starred review

"A charming entry in the crowded middle grade contemporary field."—School Library Journal

The unforgettable tale of a girl, her maybe-criminal mom, her babysitting business, and her pet pineapple.

When FBI agents swarm twelve-year-old Mavis Callahan's downtown Chicago home, her mom goes on the run. With the family’s house and bank accounts seized, Mavis’s dad takes her and her siblings to seek refuge with his sister just south of rural Somewhere, Illinois—a far cry from the big city lifestyle Mavis is used to. As Mavis grapples with her sudden turn in fortune, she learns to make new friends and starts a babysitting business to bring in some much-needed cash for the family. But she can’t help but wonder—is her mom truly guilty? And if not, why has she gone into hiding, contacting Mavis only through a series of postcards from exotic locales? Mavis isn’t sure if she’s ready for the truth, but she’ll do anything to find it.