First published 1960
Jane Moffat feels invisible sandwiched between her older and younger siblings. She decides to reinvent herself as the mysterious "Middle Moffat" to escape her boring position in the family. But Jane quickly discovers that standing out brings unexpected responsibilities. She must secretly care for Cranbury's oldest resident so he can reach his hundredth birthday. The girls' basketball team needs her help to win their championship. Meanwhile, she navigates the complicated world of friendship, losing and finding her best friend along the way. Most challenging of all, Jane becomes the only person in town brave enough to confront Wallie Bangs, the terrifying mechanical wizard who frightens everyone else. Between managing her unruly hair and keeping her stockings up, Jane finds herself juggling the needs of her entire community. Her quest to become mysterious transforms her into something better: the one person Cranbury can count on when things go wrong.
Genres: fiction, family-life, coming-of-age
Vibes: emotional, intimate, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Cranbury
Period: 20th-century
328 pages · Hardcover · The Bodley Head