Summer break was supposed to mean long days at the river—not sitting on the porch in a cast while things between her parents grow worse.

But that’s the summer stretching ahead of 13-year-old Freddie Williams.

When a strange neighbor named Gilbert appears and begins leading Freddie and her friends
Sadie and Jimbo toward a place called Lantern Hollow, the trio stumbles into a quiet mystery filled with small wonders and unexpected kindness.

The deeper they follow its clues, the more Freddie begins to understand that Lantern Hollow may hold more than secrets—it may be preparing her for something much bigger than she ever imagined.

“I really loved the book; it was very easy to stay engaged.”

—Reese Miller, 13

“I liked the book a lot!”

—Emma Norris, 13

“It was a joy to dive into Freddie’s life and see the story/mystery unfold as she learned about Gilbert and how the “power of helping” can transform a life.”

—Carmen Frantom,
Rankin County School District Elementary Instructional Data Specialist/Elementary Mentor Program Coordinator and previous Language Arts Curriculum Specialist