Peachaloo in Bloom

Optimistic 12-year-old Peachaloo Piccolozampa, who has “uneven legs,” is enjoying summer break with her town historian grandmother in rural Appalachian Fourwords, Pa., when she learns that the beloved local swimming hole and woods are to be torn down and replaced with a golf course. She also finds that a wasp’s sting has endowed her with the power, dubbed Extra Wasp Perception, to discern the truth behind peoples’ lies. As Peachaloo participates in various seasonal activities—including garneringa starring role in Fourwords’s annual pageant celebrating a thwarted historical bank robbery—she and her feisty grandmother face off against scheming newcomer Major Gasbag, whose plot to construct an opulent resort contradicts the wishes of the enigmatic organization that previously owned the property. But the signed testament to that deal is missing, so Peachaloo uses her EWP to crack the case. Rambling omniscient narration from an observant, good-humored townsperson imparts a cozy atmosphere, as well as occasionally and straightforwardly detailing ableist commentary from Peachaloo’s peers. Loose blackline illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Raschka depict the eclectic small-town cast with fluid forms; the protagonists’ skin tones echo the white of the page. Ages 10–up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Book Group. (July)