The Ginghams by Kemper, T. C.

An eerie middle grade mystery debut that follows a young girl who returns home to find the people of her little town, including her best friend, chillingly changed after the arrival of the prim and proper Gingham family.

"A rip-roaring adventure, but more importantly, a kids' power ballad to the importance of being yourself." --Gordon Korman, New York Times-bestselling author

When 12-year-old Joni Bird returns home from summer camp, it's clear something strange is afoot in Olive Springs. May, her usually head-banging best friend, now wears her hair in a tight bun and calls playing the drums "unladylike." The ice cream shop only serves vanilla ice cream. The women and girls of the neighborhood all sport big pearl earrings and crisp cotton dresses.

At the heart of it all? The creepy new family in the neighborhood with their soulless, carnival smiles and retro fashion sense: the Ginghams. Everyone they invite to their Thursday night book club re-emerges as dead-eyed, smiling, Gingham-approved "model citizens," all thanks to Mr. Gingham's lifestyle guide, The Pillars of Perfection--and something even more sinister hidden behind his basement door.

Through quick thinking and cunning, Joni and her friend Tyler set out to fight not only to get their friend May back, but to save their whole town from forever falling under the Ginghams' control.

Author: T. C. Kemper
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Published: 07/28/2026
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.40w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781250404152
Audience: Ages 9-12

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/27/2026
Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2026
School Library Journal 06/01/2026 pg. 83
Booklist 06/01/2026

About the Author
T.C. Kemper is an American author of sparky kidlit and speculative fiction. When she's not sipping peppermint tea sweetened with local honey or hiking woodland trails with her family and rescue pup, she's likely lost in a beautifully crafted story. The Ginghams is her debut novel.