Chapters 5 and 6 Summary

Chapter 5: The weather turns unusually warm, which puts everyone in a good mood. Mr. Lenox works on his yard outside, and he has a funny habit of talking to his plants. Hillary and Sara-Kate observe this behavior and share a laugh. Over the course of the days and weeks, Hillary and Sara-Kate develop a friendship. Sara-Kate shows Hillary where the worst poison ivy is in the yard, and how to avoid it. Mrs. Lenox still doesn't understand why Hillary insists on associating with weird Sara-Kate, but she lets the girls be. Hillary comes to regard Sara-Kate as less and less ugly and strange, though her personality is still abrasive. In particular, Sara-Kate snaps when asked anything about her mother, lashing out in anger or changing the subject.

The elves have apparently started a network of roads, but Sara-Kate explains that road-making...