Tom Barnhill and Jake Dixon are in the seventh grade and best friends. It doesn't matter to them that they are of different races, but it does matter to some football-playing bullies in their local village. This tale of two boys and their large families living, working, and playing together on Orchard Hill Farm is set in the 1930s.
When a blizzard snows the valley of Maple Grove in, schools are closed for a week. Everything comes to a halt, so there is nothing to do but go sledding. A week of fun for everyone! But then things get strange. Little things go missing--a baseball glove, a favorite scarf lying on the table on the back porch, even one of Mama's chocolate chess pies. The next thing you know, the sheriff's car is in the driveway. There is an escaped convict, and he could be headed their way. Is this where all the missing items are? You have to read it to find out!
