A humorous and heartbreaking novel about growing up in a large family. Now in paperback! Yes, there really is a Normal, Illinois. Charles Harrisong should know; he was born there. But life in Normal is difficult for Charles because his family isn't normal at all. They're poor, for one thing. They stand out, which is the worst thing. After an ugly incident at school, Charles and his family leave Normal in the middle of the night and begin an adventure that takes them to a shipwrecked houseboat that just might be their new home. And Charles begins a personal journey within his own heart—one that will ultimately deliver him both from and to himself.