A moving summer road-trip story for fans of Crenshaw and The Someday Birds.

WRONG WAY SUMMER
by Heidi Lang
Abrams Amulet, April 2020

Claire used to love her dad’s fantastical stories, especially tales about her absent mom—who could be off with the circus or stolen by the troll king, depending on the day. But now that she’s 12, Claire thinks she’s old enough to know the truth. When her dad sells the house and moves her and her brother into a converted van, she’s tired of the tall tales and refuses to pretend it’s all some grand adventure, despite how enthusiastically her little brother embraces this newest fantasy. Claire is faced with a choice: Will she play along with the stories her dad is spinning for her little brother, or will she force her family to face reality once and for all? Equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking, WRONG WAY SUMMER is a road-trip journey and coming-of-age story about one girl’s struggle to understand when a lie is really a lie and when it’s something more: hope.

Heidi Lang is the author of Rules of the Ruff and the coauthor of A Dash of Dragon and A Hint of Hydra as well as a former professional dog walker. She lives in Richland, Washington.