Underdog city
(Book)

Mortimer Bray is not okay. After his own much-loved dog dies, he can't bring himself to carry on with his dog-walking business. There's a strange girl who's moved into the house next door, and suddenly there's a buzzing feeling of anxiety in Mortimer's head and heart when he's faced with something new. His neighborhood, Townsend Heights, used to feel like the most comfortable place in the world. But lately, it seems like everyone is arguing, and there's uncertainty around every corner. The neighborhood's only vacant lot is somehow behind it all. If he can unearth the lot's secret history, he just might stop the Heights from unraveling completely.