Illustrated by Sydney Smith

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Kim Fitzgerald-Trout took to driving with ease–as most children would if their parents would ever let them try. She had to. After all, she and her siblings live in a car.

Meet the Fitzgerald-Trouts, a band of four loosely related children living together in a lush tropical island. They take care of themselves. They sleep in their car, bathe in the ocean, eat fish they catch and fruit they pick, and can drive anywhere they need to go–to the school, the laundromat, or the drive-in. If they put their minds to it, the Fitzgerald-Trouts can do anything. Even, they hope, find a real home.

Award-winning poet and screenwriter Esta Spalding’s exciting middle grade debut establishes a marvelous place where children fend for themselves, and adults only seem to ruin everything. This extraordinary world is brought to vibrant life by Sydney Smith, the celebrated artist behind Sidewalk Flowers.

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"These kids are witty, full of heart and genuinely fun to read about."
The New York Times Book Review
"Have you ever wanted to live on an island filled with selfish grownups and blood-sucking iguanas hiding in a dark and mysterious forest? Me neither. But the brave and inventive Fitzgerald-Trouts have such fascinating lives that I just might reconsider--as soon as I read this glorious book again, at least twice. I salute thee, Fitzgerald-Trouts!"

Lemony Snicket, author of the bestselling series A Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions
"Spalding's playful tone takes the edge off the neglectful parents and dire circumstances, largely thanks to the plucky, self-reliant kids who know (rightly) they are better off on their own."
Booklist
"A touch of Everything on a Waffle weirdness; a touch of The Willoughbys sendup; and a warm, genial, wholly original voice."
Horn Book
"The Boxcar Children meet Dahl in a Hawaii-like setting here and it's all sorts of fun, with just enough snarkiness to add edge to the charm and wonder. A clever but subtle twist at the end adds even more amusement, and the overall effect is as pleasing as a tropical breeze."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Readers will root for the spunky youngsters [and] relate to the kids' simple desires for a normal life, complete with goldfish in bowls and room to sleep."
School Library Journal

On Sale: May 10, 2016
Page Count: 256 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780316298599

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Esta Spalding

About the Author

Esta Spalding grew up on a tropical island where she never wore shoes. She has since lived all over the world. When she’s not writing, she kayaks, bakes, and assembles whale skeletons with her husband, a marine biologist.

Learn more about this author