Eleven-year-old Tim looks forward to time with Granddad. Tim and his mother have lived with his grandparents in their Wisconsin home, so he’s always been close to his grandfather. Recently Tim and his mom moved to Minneapolis with his new stepfather. Now that his mother and Paul are married, Tim is making the best of the changes, but he loves to go “home.” He’s overheard the whispers about Granddad, and he’s overheard the word Alzheimer’s. Tim refuses to believe that Granddad’s forgetfulness is symptomatic of something serious until they go fishing, or try to. The two move into increasing danger, one step at a time, and then very swiftly. Along with developing one of her trademark fast-paced short novels featuring genuine dialogue and people about whom readers care, Bauer pictures the realistic denial and grief associated with Tim’s anguish. (Ages 9-12)

Tim is distressed to learn that his mom, new stepfather, and grandmother are sure Granddad has Alzheimer's disease. Refusing to accept the possibility that they may be right, Tim persuades Granddad to run away with him on a fishing trip, convinced this will prove that Granddad is still capable of taking care of himself. But on the way to the lake, Granddad keeps forgetting things: their equipment, the soft drinks, even how to make change at the roadside store. When Granddad can't get them out of a dangerous situation on the water but instead makes the problem worse, Tim finally realizes his grandfather has changed . . . but his awareness may have come too late. Well-developed characters and page-turning suspense ensure that this riveting yet poignant novel will hold readers captive.