SOLVED. YA Fantasy? Read in 2016-2021. Set in an old village, the protag is a girl with an orange scarf who goes with a group that encounters cave people. Spoiler. [s]

[layla!!✿]

i read this book in elementary school. the plot is really scattered in my memory but i’ll try my best. the protag is a woman who wears an orange shawl or scarf or something. she visits the village museum and learns about a dude who invented the hot air balloon and then went missing or died i dont remember. she finds her neighbor which is an old guy with a purple door and is digging in the ground and finds ancient scrolls. she, the old guy, and some other ppl end up finding a cave and they get attacked by cave people with poisonous weapons. one guy was hiding wedged between some rocks to spy on the cave people and he drew inscriptions on the rock. he ended up getting kidnapped. the village was in a competition to win a trophy so they looked down upon the old guy with the purple door because his door wasnt basic and the same as everyone elses. in the end, everyone had differently colored doors and i dont remember if they actually won the trophy or not.

[Becca]

Sounds like The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall

[Genesistrine]

Definitely The Gammage Cup.

[layla!!✿]

TYSM

[Kris]

Glad you found your book, luv.

The Gammage Cup (book 1) of The Minnipins series by Carol Kendall - Becca's find.