Two years after her parents' surprising and painful split, twelve-year-old Jo and her mom find themselves on the 100-mile hike on the Superior Hiking Trail along Lake Superior's north shore--a journey that Jo had always looked forward to hiking with her dad. It's not a situation that either of them ever predicted they'd find themselves in, yet here they are in the wilderness with their entire lives stuffed into a pair of thirty-pound packs.

Along the trail, they'll suffer through endless aches and pains, scorching heat, and crippling self-doubt. They'll encounter bears, moose, and other wildlife and meet and collect an assortment of unlikely friends. Day after day, Jo will battle the incessant thoughts that come in and out of her head. But as one obstacle after the next continue to test her strength and ultimate survival, Jo will have to confront her greatest fears head on and learn how to be alone.

What begins as a journey to prove to her father that she and her mom can make it on their own turns into a quest to rediscover their strength, build resilience, and prove that they can survive--both for themselves and for each other.

*A MIBA Bestseller!

Wild meets Gilmore Girls on the trail in this indie bestselling story of resilience and the healing and restorative power of the nature from bestselling author Erin Soderberg Downing

A fun, heartfelt tale of adventure, family, and determination that will make you just keep reading. -- Dan Gemeinhart, award-winning author of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

Two years after her parents' surprising and painful split, twelve-year-old Jo and her mom find themselves on the 100-mile hike on the Superior Hiking Trail along Lake Superior's north shore--a journey that Jo had always looked forward to hiking with her dad. It's not a situation that either of them ever predicted they'd find themselves in, yet here they are in the wilderness with their entire lives stuffed into a pair of thirty-pound packs.

Along the trail, they'll suffer through endless aches and pains, scorching heat, and crippling self-doubt. They'll encounter bears, moose, and other wildlife and meet and collect an assortment of unlikely friends. Day after day, Jo will battle the incessant thoughts that come in and out of her head. But as one obstacle after the next continue to test her strength and ultimate survival, Jo will have to confront her greatest fears head on and learn how to be alone.

What begins as a journey to prove to her father that she and her mom can make it on their own turns into a quest to rediscover their strength, build resilience, and prove that they can survive--both for themselves and for each other.

A MIBA bestseller

2024-2025 Nebraska Golden Sower Award Nominee

2024-2025 South Carolina Book Award Nominee

2023 Northeastern Minnesota Book Award Winner

From bestselling author, Erin Soderberg Downing, Controlled Burn is a story that blends family, friendship, fire, and the rocky path toward healing our deepest fears.

Twelve-year-old Maia's parents say she's lucky she noticed something as early as she did. Lucky to have smelled the smoke, lucky to have pulled her sister, Amelia, out of their burning house. But is it really lucky when Amelia's stuck in the hospital, covered in burns? And is it lucky when Maia knows it was her candle, left unattended, that started the fire in the first place?

When she's sent to spend the summer with her grandparents in Northern Minnesota while her sister heals, Maia discovers that her anxieties and demons are intent on following her wherever she goes...unless she can figure out how to overcome them. But what if she can't? Maia barely knows her grandparents, she desperately misses her sister and home, and she's not thrilled to be spending the summer with Grandpa Howard on his daily motorcycle rides out to the middle of the woods, where he spends all day keeping watch for forest fires. There are no kids her age in Gram and Pop's small town at the end of the road--just the chatty nine-year-old neighbor who is intent on getting his Bear Scout badge at all costs, and a friendly, stray dog who's been lurking around.

But Maia will soon learn that nature is a powerful teacher, and sometimes our greatest strengths show themselves when we have to be there for someone else. As she begins to figure out how to face her guilt and paralyzing fears, she'll discover there's a fine line between fear and adventure. And when danger strikes again, Maia must summon all her bravery and overcome her self-doubt if she wants to save those she loves most.

Sweet summer has taken a rotten turn . . .

After a tough year, Lucy, Freddy, and Herb Peach are ready for vacation. Lucy wants to read all of the books on the summer reading list. Freddy wants to work on his art projects (when he isn't stuck in summer school). Herb wants to swim every day.

Then their dad makes a big announcement: one of the inventions their mom came up with before she passed away has sold, and now they're millionaires!

But Dad has bigger plans than blowing the cash on fun stuff or investing it. He's bought a used food truck. The Peaches are going to spend the summer traveling the country selling pies. It will be the Great Peach Experiment--a summer of bonding while living out one of Mom's dreams. Summer plans, sunk. And there's one more issue Dad's neglected: none of them knows how to bake. . . .

A perfect blend of humor, heart, and family antics, When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie is a delectable treat to be gobbled down or savored slowly. (Slice of pie on the side, optional, but highly recommended.)

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Named to the Iowa Children's Choice List
Named to the Minnesota Maude Hart Lovelace List

School's out soon, and the Peaches are looking forward to some quiet, especially now that the family's B&B (aka the Peach Pit) is finally running smoothly. But quiet and normal aren't really the Peach way. When a massive Festival of Ships sails into their town, of course the Peaches have to dive in head-first.

Ships of all kinds start rolling in: pirate ships, tall sailboats, tug boats, snazzy speed boats. And the highlight of the whole show: The WORLD'S LARGEST RUBBER DUCK. Suddenly the Peachtree B&B is sold out, and the Peaches are cooking up other tasty solutions.

But then the World's Largest Rubber Duck goes missing! Stolen? Sunk? Airlifted by aliens? The hunt is on for the famous icon, and the Peaches are leading the search. Using all their skills--on land and water--they are determined to find the missing duck and bring it back to its home in the harbor.

The fourth book in the Great Peach Experiment series, Duck, Duck, Peach serves up a major mystery along with more challenges, humor, and family mis-adventures.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

To make the most of his family's recent good-luck streak, ten-year-old Freddy Peach has been entering his family in a bunch of sweepstakes, with prizes spanning from a year's supply of yogurt to lifetime free coffee to a cookie-of-the-month subscription. He doesn't really expect to win, though. But then he does! The prize is a free family trip to the Ice Hotel in Sweden!

Since the Peaches are now the proud owners of their own bed-and-breakfast, they decide that they really can't pass up on the opportunity. It's research, after all. They can find out more about what it takes to operate a successful hotel from one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world.

But what the Peaches don't know is that they aren't the only winners. Five families from five frozen locations have been brought together to compete for the honor of being the frozen best. They'll face-off in a series of challenges from dog sled racing to ice carving to an ice-cold cookout. But when the going gets tough, the Peaches have always come together in the past. Why should this time be any different?

The third book in the Great Peach Experiment series, Frozen Peaches is a sweet treat, mixing humor, adventure, heart, and warmth (despite the cold) into another great book readers will be eager to devour.

Much to their surprise, the Peaches had a great summer running their food truck business selling their pies across the Mid-West, but they're happy to be back home in Duluth, Minnesota. That is until Great Aunt Lucinda decides to gift them her historic mansion. But there are conditions: they're to turn it into a cozy and welcoming bed-and-breakfast, and they only have until Thanksgiving to do prove they can make the business work. It looks like it's a new chapter of The Great Peach Experiment.

But as the Peaches roll up their sleeves, they quickly realize the house is more of a pit than a welcoming escape. As the family juggles builders, possible hauntings, doggie obedience training, a treasure hunt, and more, they soon realize there are wonderful secrets hidden within the house's walls, if only they can take the time to see them.

Interspersed with sketches, recipes, lists, and more, The Peach Pit is a delicious sequel to When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie, combining humor, heartache, a little mystery, and a lot of love, to build another incredible read.

The third book in The Great Peach Experiment, great for fans of The Penderwicks and The Vanderbeekers.

Cashing in on his family's recent good-luck streak, ten-year-old Freddy Peach has been entering his family in a bunch of sweepstakes, but he doesn't really expect to win. And then he does--a free family trip to the Ice Hotel in Sweden!

Since the Peaches are now the proud owners of their own bed-and-breakfast, they decide they can't pass up on the opportunity. It's research. They'll learn more about what it takes to operate a successful hotel from one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world.

But what the Peaches don't know is that five families from five frozen locations have been brought together to compete for the honor of frozen best. They'll face-off in a series of challenges from dog sled racing to ice carving to an ice-cold cook out. But when the going gets tough, the Peaches have always come together in the past? Why should this time be any different?

The third book in the Great Peach Experiment series, Frozen Peaches is a sweet treat, mixing humor, adventure, warmth (despite the cold) and a lot of heart to make another great book readers will be delighted to devour.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Twelve-year-old Maia's parents say she's lucky she noticed something as early as she did. Lucky to have smelled the smoke, lucky to have pulled her sister, Amelia, out of their burning house. But is it really lucky when Amelia's stuck in the hospital, covered in burns? And is it lucky when Maia knows it was her candle, left unattended, that started the fire in the first place?

When she's sent to spend the summer with her grandparents in Northern Minnesota while her sister heals, Maia discovers that her anxieties and demons are intent on following her wherever she goes...unless she can figure out how to overcome them. But what if she can't? Maia barely knows her grandparents, she desperately misses her sister and home, and she's not thrilled to be spending the summer with Grandpa Howard on his daily motorcycle rides out to the middle of the woods, where he spends all day keeping watch for forest fires. There are no kids her age in Gram and Pop's small town at the end of the road--just the chatty nine-year-old neighbor who is intent on getting his Bear Scout badge at all costs, and a friendly, stray dog who's been lurking around.

But Maia will soon learn that nature is a powerful teacher, and sometimes our greatest strengths show themselves when we have to be there for someone else. As she begins to figure out how to face her guilt and paralyzing fears, she'll discover there's a fine line between fear and adventure. And when danger strikes again, Maia must summon all her bravery and overcome her self-doubt if she wants to save those she loves most.

Sweet summer has taken a rotten turn . . .

After a tough year, Lucy, Freddy, and Herb Peach are ready for vacation. Lucy wants to read all of the books on the summer reading list. Freddy wants to work on his art projects (when he isn't stuck in summer school). Herb wants to swim every day.

Then their dad makes a big announcement: one of the inventions their mom came up with before she passed away has sold, and now they're millionaires!

But Dad has bigger plans than blowing the cash on fun stuff or investing it. He's bought a used food truck. The Peaches are going to spend the summer traveling the country selling pies. It will be the Great Peach Experiment--a summer of bonding while living out one of Mom's dreams. Summer plans, sunk. And there's one more issue Dad's neglected: none of them knows how to bake. . . .

A perfect blend of humor, heart, and family antics, When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie is a delectable treat to be gobbled down or savored slowly. (Slice of pie on the side, optional, but highly recommended.)

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Named to the Iowa Children's Choice List
Named to the Minnesota Maude Hart Lovelace List

Much to their surprise, the Peaches had a great summer running their food truck business selling their pies across the Mid-West, but they're happy to be back home in Duluth, Minnesota, where they can settle back into a routine just in time for the new school year.

That is until Great Aunt Lucinda drops a big surprise on them: She wants to gift them her historic mansion. But there are conditions: they're to turn it into a cozy and welcoming bed-and-breakfast, something the Peach kids' mom always dreamed of before she passed away. And they only have until Thanksgiving to do the renovations and prove they can make the business work. It looks like it's a new chapter of The Great Peach Experiment.

But as the Peaches roll up their sleeves, they quickly realize the house is more of a pit than a welcoming escape. And as the family juggles builders, possible hauntings, doggie obedience training, a treasure hunt, and the demands and worries of work and school, they soon realize that there are wonderful secrets hidden within the house's walls, if only they can take the time to see them.

Interspersed with sketches, recipes, lists, and more, The Peach Pit is a delicious sequel to When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie, combining humor, heartache, a little mystery, and a lot of love, to build another incredible read.

School's out soon, and the Peaches are looking forward to some quiet, especially now that the family's B&B (aka the Peach Pit) is finally running smoothly. But quiet and normal aren't really the Peach way. When a massive Festival of Ships sails into their town, of course the Peaches have to dive in head-first.

Ships of all kinds start rolling in: pirate ships, tall sailboats, tug boats, snazzy speed boats. And the highlight of the whole show: The WORLD'S LARGEST RUBBER DUCK. Suddenly the Peachtree B&B is sold out, and the Peaches are cooking up other tasty solutions.

But then the World's Largest Rubber Duck goes missing! Stolen? Sunk? Airlifted by aliens? The hunt is on for the famous icon, and the Peaches are leading the search. Using all their skills--on land and water--they are determined to find the missing duck and bring it back to its home in the harbor.

The fourth book in the Great Peach Experiment series, Duck, Duck, Peach serves up a major mystery along with more challenges, humor, and family mis-adventures.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Get ready for a smart, fun, sharply written, page-turning heart-clencher of a story. I would follow Avery and Jax anywhere. And I will read everything Erin writes. - Natalie Lloyd, bestselling author of Hummingbird and The Witching Wind

In this alternating narrative by bestselling author Erin Soderberg Downing, a decades-old family secret is buried within the sand, water, and woods... waiting for cousins Avery and Jax to find it and uncover the truth.

Avery is a firecracker. In a crayon box of colors, she's the shocking pink and laser lemon, when all she wants is to be a quiet tan or soft cornflower blue. Her cousin, Jax, is a wall flower, because sometimes it's better to stay quiet when the alternative is to be told that you're doing or saying everything wrong. They seem to be the only ones who don't know what happened years ago when their family shattered and went off in different directions.

When their beloved Aunt Robbie summons the large, estranged family together for a gathering at their broken-down family cabin on Crooked Lake, instead of getting the answer, Aunt Robbie delivers some devastating news. Avery and Jax learn that by the end of the summer, the island that's been a part of their family for generations is going up for sale.

Forced to stay on the island with their estranged family to get it into shape to sell, Avery and Jax begin to dig through the history of the long-abandoned house and its contents... including a sprinkling of diary pages that were hidden around the island decades ago, the summer their family was torn apart.

In this alternating narrative by bestselling author Erin Soderberg Downing, two cousins are finally beginning to understand the joy of family--however cracked and imperfect theirs might be. But if they have any chance of gluing their broken family back together, they'll have to first figure out what happened then.