CHECKING ON THE MOON (Laurel-Leaf Books)

Cab Jones has never met her grandmother or been to the town where she lives. But when Cab's mother and new stepfather takes off to Europe for the summer, Cab and her older brother find themselves stuck in Washco, Pennsylvania. The streets are dirty and drab, and Cab is afraid she'll never make friends.But Cab's summer job waitressing in her grandmother's restaurant--EATS--proves to be a great way to meet people, including her new friend, Tracy. Slowly Cab comes to love the neighborhood and the restaurant's colorful coffee drinkers.Then the even fabric of summer in Washco is ripped apart when terrible crimes are committed against the residents. Cab and Tracy join a crusade to restore safety to the streets of the place that has become home to Cab. But by summer's end Cab finds the future has another home in store for her.