Summer of the Gypsy Moths

From Clementine author Sara Pennypacker, this is a poignant middle-grade novel about two foster children who must find a way to work together in order to survive.

Eleven-year-old Stella misses her (unreliable) mom, but she loves it at great-aunt Louise’s house. Louise lives on Cape Cod, where Stella hopes her mom will someday come and settle down. The only problem? Angel, the foster kid Louise has taken in. The two girls live together but there’s no way they’ll ever be friends.

Then Louise suddenly passes away one morning—and Stella and Angel decide not to tell anyone. Now they have to depend on each other for survival. Now they are forced to trust each other with the biggest secret ever.

With great empathy and humor, Sara Pennypacker tells the story of two very different girls who unexpectedly become each other’s true family.

What does it take for two girls to keep the biggest secret on Cape Cod?

• An Unlikely Friendship: Stella is a rule-follower and Angel is a cactus-prickly rebel. When they’re left alone, these two opposites must become a team—or risk losing everything.
• A Heartbreaking Secret: After their great-aunt Louise suddenly passes away, the girls decide not to tell anyone. They’ll run her summer cottage business themselves to avoid being sent back into the foster care system.
• Found Family: With no adults to rely on, Stella and Angel must learn to depend on each other, discovering that family isn’t just about who you’re related to, but who you show up for.
• A Moving Coming of Age Story: A funny and poignant middle grade novel about navigating grief, learning to trust, and finding your own place in the world, one secret at a time.