In this authentic and heartfelt middle-grade novel, Maple uses her artwork to help sort through sibling relationships, school drama, and her parents' increasingly fraught marriage.

Ten-year-old Maple can't wait for summer: No more math! Adventures with her friends! Best of all, she and Dad are finally going to build a real treehouse. Or are they? Lately Dad has been quick to storm off when he argues with Mom, which happens more and more. Maple seeks refuge in her sketchbook, filling it with comics and other drawings and posing the questions she can't bring herself to ask anywhere else. She imagines "Dadlandia," a place that Dad whooshes off to when he's gone. Maple confides in her favorite tree--her namesake--that she wishes Dad would come home for good. But eventually, Maple will need to step outside her imagination and confront what's happening for real. For that, she will need support from friends and family--and strength and courage from within. Celebrated author Jo Knowles delivers complex characters and emotions with care, while illustrator Glynnis Fawkes's powerful illustrations perfectly capture Maple's creative spirit, her struggles, and her capacity for hope.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 05/27/2025
ISBN: 9781536231274
Pages: 304
Weight: 1.25lbs

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2025