Welcome to a new adventure in the Neck, a beautiful place where animals and humans live together in harmony—most of the time. In this book, a young boy named Eli builds a log fort with his dad, but it’s not long before mischievous squirrels Chatter, Whistle, and Squeak move in and take over. As the nuts, acorns, and pinecones pile up inside, Eli realizes he’s going to have to get creative to get them out. Will his plan work, or will the squirrels win?

Diane Davies, award-winning author of Life in the Neck: New Friends and Jeannie Ann’s Grandma Has Breast Cancer, lives in the Neck, right next to the animals making their home there. You’ll find her in one of the Neck’s two houses with her husband, Papa Butch, and right next door to her granddaughter Elsie, grandson Eli, and their mom and dad. The whole family enjoys their life on the St. Croix River.

Margarita Sikorskaia was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and grew up a free-spirited tomboy, climbing trees, zooming on a bike, getting dirty, and getting into trouble. But most of all she could sit quietly and draw for hours. Margarita came to the United States in 1990 having trained in art at the Hertzen Pedagogical University of St. Petersburg, and settled in Minneapolis. A prolific and passionate artist, she has exhibited her paintings throughout the country. Margarita turned her attention to illustration in 2009, and takes much pride and pleasure in bringing children’s stories to life.