Cady and the Search for Family

Cady's mother disappeared when Cady was only six.  Now about to turn fourteen, Cady aches for her mother to be with her.  In an attempt to curb her granddaughter's angry outbursts, Grandma Winnie takes Cady on a road trip throughout Wisconsin and Michigan.  "We'll repeat the trip your mother took when she was your age and maybe you'll learn more about her," Grandma tells Cady.  Adding to Cady's stress is the deadline for her essay entry in Barnesville's centennial celebration.  Through missing her mother and trying to find her, Cady is learning to see herself.  Accompanying her on her adventures are her best friend Irish, her "crush" John Ray Chicaug, and an ever-present blue jay.