Gnome Is Where Your Heart Is

About this book

Lemon Peabody is certain that aliens visited Grandpa Walt thirty years ago, but she's running out of time to prove it before he forgets his best story. This humorous and tenderhearted story about family, friendship, and always believing in yourself is for fans of Greg van Eekhout, Stuart Gibbs, and Hour of the Bees.Lemon Peabody loves spending time with Grandpa Walt. Even though he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and moved to an assisted living facility, he's still the same funny, loving grandpa he's always been. One of Grandpa's claims to fame is his story about meeting an alien years ago--and that it looked like a garden gnome. Ever since, it's been something of a town-wide joke, and the cause of a rift between Grandpa and Lemon's dad. Lemon is determined to find those extraterrestrial gnomes and vindicate Grandpa Walt--while Grandpa can still remember it.Late one night, after seeing the flash of a spaceship during a storm, Lemon enlists the help of two friends to find out what might have crashed in the woods. But then the aliens find her, and nothing goes the way she expected. Lemon is sure she can convince the aliens to fix Grandpa Walt's memory and bring back the grandpa she misses so much for good. But the aliens are dealing with problems of their own. With a little creativity and compassion, maybe they can all help one another.Casey Lyall's lively, voice-driven novel bursts with heart and humor. With family and friendship--and aliens!--at its core, Gnome Is Where Your Heart Is will captivate readers of Rebecca Stead's and Wendy Mass's Bob, Greg van Eekhout's Weird Kid, and Adam Rex's The True Meaning of Smekday.Proving her grandpa's story is real means everything to Lemon, but this summer adventure is about more than just aliens-- A Grandfather and Granddaughter Story: Lemon is determined to prove Grandpa Walt's wild alien story is true, even as his Alzheimer's makes him start to forget it--and her. Dealing with Alzheimer's: A tenderhearted and honest look at loving someone through memory loss, perfect for starting important conversations with young readers. Found Family: With the help of her pragmatic best friend Marlo and the super-smart Rachel, Lemon forms a team ready to take on anything--from spaceship crashes to grumpy parents. Healing Family Relationships: More than just a search for aliens, this is a quest to mend the painful rift between Lemon's dad and her grandpa before it's too late.