This easy-to-read novel is intended for readers 8-12 years old. The plot senters on the trials of Melissa, a spirited 12-year-old, an only child, and half orphan. Melissa, a native of New York City, suddenly finds herelf packed off to move in with her aunt in Campbell's Corners, which to Melissa seems like a dot in the middle of nowhare on the map of Ontario. Not only does Melissa have to deal with the unusual news that her father has left without a word of explanation and the realization that Aunt Katherine doesn't want her, but she also has diffiuclty adjusting to life in a country school among children suspicious of strangers, especially one as independent as Melissa. Characters are interesting in a plot that has a touch of mystery.