Ratchet loves her selfish mother but receives little in return. Without warning or luggage of any sort, Ratchet's mother ships her to Maine to spend the summer with two elderly relatives. Tilly and Penpen are un-identical twins who are tremendously eccentric; they are also kind and generous. A laugh-aloud, farcical story evolves from this unlikely premise. Winner of the 2003 National Book Award for Children's Literature. 208 pages