The Summer of Falling Stars comes out soon. Stay tuned!

As the summer of 1979 begins, 12-year-old Riley Shrader wishes upon a star for an extraordinary summer.

To start with, Paige, the cutest girl in his class, might go to the Sunflower Festival with him! They’ll go on all the carnival rides, and maybe she’ll even let him, gulp, kiss her on the Ferris wheel!

He and his best friend, Kendall, will have so much fun riding their bikes all over town, swimming at the dam, and camping out under the stars. They may even see a meteor shower.

And best of all, he will perform in a play at the community theater. He may even get a leading role!

But he is also having some doubts. His grandfather taught him about body positivity — “love the skin you’re in,” he said. But as his body develops, Riley doesn't love it. He is the shortest kid in class, and he gets bullied all the time. Kendall has to rescue him — “knock their blocks off.” Will Kendall get tired of it and go hang out with his fellow jocks instead of him? And is he “macho” enough for a girl to like him?

Mama is acting weird: laying down rules, running to his aunt for advice, driving erratically and losing things around the house. She doesn’t like the idea of him being in a play. She’s afraid the “fairies” will take him away. She makes him go to a camp that teaches boys to become confident men. There, he finds his arch-nemesis, the boy who has bullied him for years. Great.

Meanwhile, who is this mysterious man who suddenly shows up everywhere in town? He seems to be keeping a sharp eye on Riley. The guys say he killed someone. Mama seems to know him. What is their connection?

Over the summer, Riley has lots of adventures. His wish comes true — he does have an extraordinary summer. He discovers secrets about his hometown, his mother, his friends, and himself.