On the Road to Happy
Sale price
$1797
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2026

On the Road to Happy

Written by Goldy Moldavsky

A girl plans to escape a summer camp but finds unexpected surprises pulling her back.

3.9 Goodreads · 26 ratings
272 pages· ~740L
$18.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Gigi's summer at a Jewish bungalow colony feels alienating, with her mom in Brooklyn and her dad's language skills failing to bridge their gap. Planning to run away, Gigi is drawn back by quirky camp mysteries—boys doing flips, fish with mustaches, and the allure of a secret treehouse. As she navigates feeling out of place, will Gigi uncover the hidden magic of the colony and find where she truly belongs?

From the publisher

From New York Times bestselling author comes a must-read middle-grade novel for fans of The Vanderbeekers on the Road, The Firefly Summer, and To Night Owl From Dogfish. This big-hearted story follows a girl who might just be in for a life-changing summer. . . if she doesn’t run away first.Gigi and her older sister, Yasmin, are spending the summer at a Jewish bungalow colony in upstate New York, thanks to their dad, who will be the handyman there. Sure, there will be day camp to go to, and the forest to explore, and maybe new friends to make. But Gigi doesn’t feel she fits in. Despite the fact that she’s Jewish too, she can’t help but feel that her Judaism is totally different from the other kids’. It doesn’t help that Mom isn’t around to talk to–she’s back in Brooklyn working. Yasmin has her own friends, and even though her dad speaks five languages, he and Gigi never seem to be speaking the same one.There’s only one thing Gigi can do–escape. So, she hatches a plan to run away. But unexpected surprises keep drawing her back. Like, why do the boys at the camp keep doing flips? What kind of lake has fish with mustaches? Can Gigi sneakily use her dad’s tools to build a secret treehouse? Try as she might, Gigi can’t figure out why everyone else loves this place so much. Will she eventually find her way back home, or will she–just maybe–discover something special hidden within the colony?

At a glance
Format
Hardcover
Pages
272
Reading age
8–12
Audience
Middle Grade
Lexile
~740L
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The fine print

Book details

Reading levels
ATOS
~4.7
F&P level
~R
Publication
Published
May 5, 2026
Edition
Language
English
Type
Chapter Book
Identifiers
ISBN
9780063372252

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