Dedicated in Memory of Burlington - born Gretchen Sutter Mack 1922 - 2002.
Summary:
"Ever since her dad died, 11-year-old Jerry Blum and her mom have bounced around dead-end towns, staying in a series of rundown motels where her mother picks up housekeeping work and Jerry can get around in her wheelchair. But the Slumbering Giant motel is different. Lights blink on and off in the surrounding trees, a mysterious radio station plays only at midnight, and people disappear into the woods, never to been seen again. Not to mention that Jerry's mom keeps vanishing to do 'special work' that she refuses to discuss. When her mother doesn't come home one morning, Jerry springs into action. Luckily, she's not alone. Paul, a pocket-size imaginary dragon, and Chapel, a new friend with a penchant for the supernatural, join Jerry's search for her missing mom. But along the way Jerry discovers her mother's terrible secret: she's not a housekeeper at all; in fact, she's been defending the town from demons that have been haunting it for generations. Armed with nothing but a Ren Faire sword and a backpack, Jerry and her friends venture into the forbidden woods to save Jerry's mother. But the 'demons' hiding there aren't what they seem, and Jerry must unravel the truth behind the town's legend, or risk losing what's left of her family"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.