Seth Overton and his cat, Monster, are not thrilled by the prospect of being strangers in a whole new kind of world when they move from Oceanview to Sierra. Even worse, Seth will be the new principal's kid in a small mountain town. And to top it all off, he's sure it's some kind of bad joke when a neighbor asks him to haul a big box of pine cones to Sierra and deliver them to some girl there. The surprise is that Sarah Rudeen, the girl who needs pine cones, turns out to be anything but a joke. Seth, Sarah, and her dog, Shashi, become a solid team as they design and construct an elaborate tree house for Monster-big enough for them to enjoy, too. Seth's harassment as the new principal's kid surfaces when he is targeted for "special attention" by a teacher who goes only by the name "Laney", and who hates all administrators. As Halloween approaches, some of Laney's followers plan to vandalize the tree house, knowing it will earn them better grades from Laney. When Seth hears of the planned attack, he decides he has to fight his own battle without help from his dad or the local police.Only two very unique kids with two very unusual animals could ever come up with the totally original defense plan that ultimately makes life safe for Seth in his new school. And only a girl like Sarah could turn a pine cone delivery into the beginning of a business partnership and the start of a solid friendship. This story of how a new principal and his family start their adjustment to a new school and town was obviously written by someone who has spent time on 'the other side of the desk.' It is surprisingly perceptive of the pressures put on teachers and their kids, both by themselves and others. School Library Journal The convincing characterizations will probably have readers on finishing the book say, "I'd like my dad to be like that," and "That's the kind of boyfriend (girlfriend) I'd like to have. High/Low Report