• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 3 to 7

A living legend roosting in the backyard. An unmissable game. A hair-raising mystery. A road trip full of adventure and danger. And all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation.

Melanie “Mel” Roberts and Ray Halfmoon may be from different Indigenous Nations, but the friends have become like siblings since the Robertses moved in with the Halfmoons. And they soon welcome a distinguished guest: Great-grandfather Bat, whose wing is injured, has taken refuge in their old oak tree.

A rematch of the legendary Great Ball Game is coming up, with Bat as the star player. Grampa Charlie Halfmoon offers to drive Bat from Chicago down to the traditional playing field outside Macon, Georgia, and Mel and Ray are determined to help out.

Together, they all set off on a road trip—facing adventure, danger, and a hair-raising mystery—on the way to the historic game.

With loving care and boisterous humor, acclaimed author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee) tells a modern folklore story about friendship, embracing the unexpected, and all the overlapping circles that connect us throughout Creation. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Brian Young, and Elana K. Arnold!

Cynthia Leitich Smith is the bestselling, acclaimed author of books for all ages, including Rain Is Not My Indian Name, Indian Shoes, Jingle Dancer, On a Wing and a Tear, Sisters of the Neversea, the Blue Stars series, Harvest House, and Hearts Unbroken, which won the American Indian Youth Literature Award. Cynthia is also the anthologist of Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids and was named the NSK Neustadt Laureate. She is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children's Books, and served as the Katherine Paterson Endowed Chair on the faculty of the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Denton and Austin, Texas.

Cynthia Leitich Smith's profile page

A unique and noteworthy tale that weaves together past and present with humor through stellar, multilayered writing. — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Combining humor, suspense, and a quiet reverence for one’s ancestry, Smith examines how the power of community can affect emotional and physical healing, and the strength it takes to do both. — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The book isn’t an “age-old traditional story” but pays tribute to Muscogee storytelling...this is an adventure story at its heart. Hand to fans of Kate DiCamillo or Katherine Applegate.
— School Library Journal

Incorporating exceptional Native American representation throughout, Leitich Smith (Muscogee) also provides a glossary and a meaningful author’s note that speaks to certain Indigenous beliefs, storytelling traditions, and history. Similar in spirit to Nic Stone’s Clean Getaway (2020), this book will appeal to fans of road-trip novels and character driven stories. — Booklist (starred review)

This charming road trip adventure highlights the simple joys of youth, connection with family, community, nature, and friends both Animal and human. — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Smith has crafted a narrative that explores intergenerational grief and other difficult subjects yet is still jampacked with joy and humor. — Horn Book Magazine