Eleven-year-old Lizabeth “Liza” Gordon is used to moving house; as her grandmother says, her dad “was bitten by the gobug when he was young.” This time, Liza’s dad aims to start a family gelato business in Greenblossom, South Carolina, that he’ll call Gordon’s Gelato. Liza and her older brothers, Pete and Brad, are going to help run the shop. Liza doesn’t want to leave her friends, but when they prove to not care about her, she says good riddance to the Richmond, Virginia, area and heads to her new home. It’s worse than she imagined: The new residence is a “rundown, bi-level style house,” her room is “puss yellow with prune-purple trim,” and she’s starting school with only six weeks left before summer vacation. Stepping into her new life, she has to figure out how to work in a gelato shop, determine whether her new friends actually like her, and plan for her 12th birthday. Liza’s dad becomes a contestant on a reality show, competing for a grand prize of $1 million, which makes things a lot more complicated for Liza, but if her dad wins, her whole life could change. The novel’s fun and engaging lead character makes the book a captivating read. The supporting characters, from Liza’s eccentric dad to the boy who helps out in the gelato shop, feel well rounded and unique. Liza is easy to root for, especially when everything keeps going wrong for her. Her creative and disgusting gelato flavors, nicknamed “Gordon’s Gaggers,” are a funny element that adds to the overall charm of the story.