About this item

Neurodivergent Maudie is ready to spend an amazing summer with her dad, but will she find the courage to tell him a terrible secret about life with her mom and new stepdad? This contemporary novel by the award-winning author of The Someday Birds is a must-read for fans of Leslie Connor and Ali Standish.Maudie always looks forward to the summers she spends in California with her dad. But this year, she must keep a troubling secret about her home life - one that her mom warned her never to tell. Maudie wants to confide in her dad about her stepdad's anger, but she's scared.When a wildfire strikes, Maudie and her dad are forced to evacuate to the beach town where he grew up. It's another turbulent wave of change. But now, every morning, from their camper, Maudie can see surfers bobbing in the water.



About the Author

Sally J. Pla

Sally J. Pla's books have been translated into different languages, garnered starred reviews, appeared on many "best of" and state lists, and picked up a few awards. But the best thing they've done has been to connect her to readers like you. Sally believes in the beauty inside every kid, in the beauty of different brains, and in stories where young readers can see themselves, sometimes for the first time. She is neurodivergent, and all her books feature characters whose brains work a bit differently. She also runs A Novel Mind () , a resource exploring mental health and neurodiversity representation in children's books. It's been called "a goldmine" of information for educators and parents. Sally's books include:THE SOMEDAY BIRDS: Choice Finalist, Junior Library Guild Selection, Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award Winner, starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, many state award nominee lists, international recognition. BENJI, THE BAD DAY, & ME: San Diego Book Award for Best Children's Book, Amazon "Teacher's Pick," Shelf Awareness star, a CBBC selection. STANLEY WILL PROBABLY BE FINE: Bank Street, Kirkus, and NYPL Best Book of the year. A JLG gold standard selection. THE FIRE, THE WATER, AND MAUDIE MCGINN, a Publishers Weekly starred review. Newly published and garnering strong reviews. One educator called it "a beautiful book by a beautiful human. " Sally lives with her family in Southern California. For more, visit



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