Unlucky Charm Summer

By Alyssa Wilkinson

"Family secrets and circus chaos abound in the delightful mystery novel Unlucky Charm Summer." - Foreword Reviews

For fans of Katherine Rundell's lyrical prose and Sheila Turnage's southern charm, this historical mystery in a colorful circus is sure to delight.

By 1968, Duke Foster had been passed from one crummy foster family to another for eleven and a half years. Since the day she was dumped on the steps of Merciful Heart Children's home in Brooklyn, she's had almost nothing but bad luck. She's a pest. A nuisance. Unlovable.

But an apartment fire leads Duke to discover that not only does she have parents (the wonderful kind who would never leave their baby on a doorstep and have somehow vanished into thin air), but that she also has a sister. A twin sister. One who was adopted by a family in low-country coastal Georgia, and share's Duke's love of Nancy Drew novels.

As their paths cross, Duke and Daisy embark on a quest of their own to find their biological parents. At the heart of the search is an extravagant circus bursting with dark secrets. The performers and animals all join the growing list of mysteries to be solved. Add in a bully, a cat with very fuzzy ears, and a southern hurricane, and the twins have a summer brimming with adventure.

But just as quickly as they unravel the mystery of their past, someone else is trying to bury the remaining clues. Finding their biological parents and the truth about their family could prove to be the most dangerous adventure yet.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1953743595
• ISBN13: 9781953743596
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Chicken Scratch Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 8 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 9