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Eleven-year-old Megan is stuck in Vermont for the summer with no Internet, no cell phone and no best friend. Without Lucy to laugh with, the summer is shaping up to be pretty miserable. So when Megan gets lost, she decides to hike to Massachusetts where Lucy is spending her summer.
Life on the Appalachian Trail isn’t easy. Megan faces everything from wild animals and raging rivers to no bathrooms!
Along the way, Megan comes to surprising realizations about who she’s been in the past and who she wants to be in the future. The journey changes to a heroic quest to prove herself to Lucy, her family, and the world.
Fun illustrations throughout
by Heather Palisi
“Kids will relish seeing one of their own reach her surprising goal.”
---The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Megan’s narrative is funny, fresh, and charming, illustrated with the occasional stick-figure drawing. Calling to mind Marissa Moss’s Amelia series, Megan’s physical journey leads to great self-knowledge and appreciation of others.”
---Booklist
“Her quest proves more difficult than she imagined.... As she and her dog cover the 30 miles, she analyzes her relationships, especially the tattered one with Lucy whose mother has Hodgkin’s cancer.... Megan’s voice is believable and honest, and her journey is both a physical and emotional success.”
---School Library Journal
“Jane Kelley uses the light touch of humor to let in the sunlight. Bravo!”
---Sid Fleischman, Newbery Medal winner
“Nature Girl is a tale of survival and self discovery, a laugh-out-loud modern day My Side of the Mountain.”
---Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series
“A wonderfully funny, fresh, and utterly believable new voice!”
---Jennifer L. Holm, Newbery Honor winner
Cover art by Heather Palisi