On the Road to Happy

by Goldy Moldavsky

From New York Times bestselling author comes a must-read middle-grade novel for fans of The Vanderbeekers on the Road, The Firefly Summer, and To Night Owl From Dogfish. This big-hearted story follows a girl who might just be in for a life-changing summer. . . if she doesn’t run away first.

Gigi and her older sister, Yasmin, are spending the summer at a Jewish bungalow colony in upstate New York, thanks to their dad, who will be the handyman there. Sure, there will be day camp to go to, and the forest to explore, and maybe new friends to make. But Gigi doesn’t feel she fits in. Despite the fact that she’s Jewish too, she can’t help but feel that her Judaism is totally different from the other kids’. It doesn’t help that Mom isn’t around to talk to—she’s back in Brooklyn working. Yasmin has her own friends, and even though her dad speaks five languages, he and Gigi never seem to be speaking the same one.

There’s only one thing Gigi can do—escape. So, she hatches a plan to run away. But unexpected surprises keep drawing her back. Like, why do the boys at the camp keep doing flips? What kind of lake has fish with mustaches? Can Gigi sneakily use her dad’s tools to build a secret treehouse?

Try as she might, Gigi can’t figure out why everyone else loves this place so much. Will she eventually find her way back home, or will she—just maybe—discover something special hidden within the colony?

Genres: Middle Grade

272 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 5, 2026

About the author

Goldy Moldavsky was born in Lima, Peru, and grew up in Brooklyn, where she still lives. Her novels include the New York Times bestseller, KILL THE BOY BAND, the Publishers Weekly bestseller, THE MARY SHELLEY CLUB, and the upcoming OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS, and BUBBLEGUM SHOES. You can find her on X and Instagram @goldywrites.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story!

The main characters were realistic and relatable, the problems were the same. I loved the way Gigi found unexpected happiness through making new friends and trying things in a new way.
Gigi is on a mission to runaway back to her home. Her father transported her and her sister to a summer camp that she is not interested in.
She goes about the process very logically. First she needs to take the time to plan her actions. She begins by writing the process down in a journal, and making a list of all the prep she needs to do before running away. Along the way, she finds unexpected friends and new experiences.

This is the perfect middle-grade book to start the summer with! Grab it for your kiddo!

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gigi and her older sister are spending the summer at a Jewish family camp in the Catskills, where their father is working as a handyman. When I read this summary, I assumed it would take place in the 1960s (like Dirty Dancing). It did not. It took place in 1997. While it would be helpful to have a basic understanding of Orthodox Judaism, it is not essential. The basic story of friendship, fitting in, and finding your place in your family transcends any religion. This is a perfect summer reading book. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss

[Laurel Zeisler · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book. I enjoyed going to camp with Gigi while she had her adventures. This is a good story about friendship in the summertime. Some parts were predictable, but that was okay.

[Liza Wiemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

FRTC - Will be reviewing this fabulous book for the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, great characters and plot

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got an early copy for review, which I'll share when it's public. For now, I'll just say this book is a delight!