Tom, a city-boy, goes to stay with his Auntie and Uncle on their farm while his parents go for a sponsored bike-ride around
Europe (the book is American; you can tell by the language and settings) but isn't happy about it.
However his relatives are thrilled there will be another little boy in the house as their sons had already grown up and moved.
His auntie is a brilliant cook but Tom is not much of a person who enjoys eating so, like many other stories, food is NOT a highlight for him. Neither is the tree by his bedroom window because he is afraid of heights: he doesn't even use the tree....until that night....
This is such a sad, moving story but also a joyful, funny story and I love it because of this - when I saw the title I didn't expect much of the book but after reading the blurb got more interested.
I love the character of
Hazeline who is engaged to her boyfriend but he won't marry her until she loses at least 20 POUNDS (Hazeline is quite chubby); all the times Micky and Hazeline are mentioned are funny - especially the pond scene =D