For almost as long as they can remember, Jake and Lily have shared a "special sense". But their bond seems to be weakening as, at age 11, Jake starts spending more time with new friends than with Lily; upset and rejected, Lily has no one to confide in except her grandfather. Lily tries to find out who she is without her brother, but it's hard work. Her feeling of abandonment is as sharply felt as Jake's need to test his independence. Spinelli celebrates each child's individualism and growing self-awareness.

Author Biography

Jerry Spinelli received the Newbery Medal for Maniac Magee and a Newbery Honor for Wringer. His other books include Smiles to Go, Loser, Space Station Seventh Grade, Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?, Dump Days, and Stargirl. His novels are recognized for their humor and poignancy, and his characters and situations are often drawn from his real-life experience as a father of six children. Jerry lives with his wife, Eileen, also a writer, in Wayne, Pennsylvania.