by Alex Hill
First published 2002
Jake Semple has burned bridges at every school he's attended, literally and figuratively. After getting kicked out of his latest middle school in Traybridge, North Carolina, only one option remains: a homeschool program run by the wildly artistic Applewhite family. Every Applewhite lives and breathes creativity, except for E.D., a practical girl who craves structure in her chaotic household. When Jake arrives, the family pairs him with E.D. for their experimental cooperative learning approach. The two immediately clash, united only in their struggle to navigate the family's unpredictable ways. Everything changes when the Applewhites decide to stage a local production of The Sound of Music, with family members handling every aspect from direction to costumes. Through this theatrical adventure, both Jake and E.D. discover strengths they never knew they possessed.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, whimsical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: North Carolina, Traybridge
224 pages · Library Binding · HarperCollins