The Stars of Whistling Ridge: An Enchanting Middle Grade Tale About Magic, Family, and Finding Where You Belong for Kids (Ages 8-12)

This enchanting story about magic, family, and the meaning of home from the award-winning author of Where the Watermelons Grow is perfect for fans of Corey Ann Haydu and Natalie Lloyd.

Ivy Mae Bloom is almost thirteen years old, her name is almost a complete sentence, and her family’s RV is almost a home. That’s one too many “almosts” for Ivy. She desperately wants a place to put down roots, but it’s her mama’s job as a fallen star to tend the magic underpinning the world—a job that’s kept Ivy’s family living on the road since before Ivy was born.

After Ivy steals Mama's entire supply of wish jars in the hopes of finding a place to call home, disaster strands her family in Whistling Ridge, North Carolina, with Mama's star sisters. Ivy falls for Whistling Ridge immediately—she just needs to convince her parents to stay.

But something is draining the magic from the town, and the star sisters can't pinpoint it. Ivy and her new friends find a clue in Whistling Ridge's history that might explain the mysterious threat...but if Whistling Ridge’s magic is fixed, Mama will need to move on. Ivy is faced with an impossible decision: How can she help the star sisters lift the curse if it means losing her best chance at a forever home?

• A Heartfelt Coming of Age Story: Ivy is on the cusp of thirteen and just wants a place to belong. But her wish for a forever home might have terrible consequences for the people she loves.
• Three Unforgettable Sisters: Follow the Bloom sisters—almost-thirteen-year-old Ivy, anxious and musical Elena, and eight-year-old science prodigy Sophie—as they navigate life on the road and a town full of secrets.
• A Fallen Star and a Mysterious Curse: When a magical drain threatens Whistling Ridge and her star-aunt, Ivy must uncover a hundred-year-old secret to save them all.
• An Enchanting Appalachian Mountains Setting: From apple orchards filled with smoky secrets to a town steeped in history and magic, Whistling Ridge is a place you won’t want to leave.

Cindy Baldwin is the award-winning author of Where the Watermelons Grow, Beginners Welcome, and The Stars of Whistling Ridge. She is a disabled activist, cofounder of Middle Grade at Heart, and We Need Diverse Books mentor. She lives just outside Portland, Oregon, with her husband and daughter. To learn more about Cindy, visit cindybaldwinbooks.com.