Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

The paperback edition of the bestselling middle grade novel about a spunky girl born without arms and a boy with Tourette syndrome navigating the challenges of middle school, disability, and friendship - all while solving a mystery in a western theme park. Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she'll have to answer the question over and over again.

Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It's hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven's about to discover she can do it all...even without arms.

'Aven is a perky, hilarious, and inspiring protagonist whose attitude and humor will linger even after the last page has turned.' - School Library Journal (Starred review)WINNER of the William Allen White Children's Book Award for Grades 3-5 WINNER of the 2020 March Book Madness Middle Grade. SHORTLISTED for The Reading the West Book AwardsNOMINATED for the Minnesota Youth Reading Awards -2021 Maud Hart Lovelace award NOMINATED for the 2021 Colorado Children's Book Award for the Junior Book category