Emilia wakes up with hot breath on her face and a sharp knee poking her from behind. She wishes she had a bed of her own. From the back seat of their old car, she looks out at the neighborhood and dreams of living on a tree‑lined street in a big house with a swimming pool.

Maizy has never been to Last Chance, Minnesota… until now. Her mom says they’ll only stay for a couple of weeks, just long enough for her grandfather to get better. But plans don’t always go the way you expect. As Maizy spends more time in Last Chance—and at the Golden Palace, the restaurant her family has owned for generations—she starts to uncover all kinds of surprises.

Pia is a soft-spoken middle schooler whose life is turned upside down after the loss of her younger...