When a bad stomachache sends Mallory to the hospital during a winter reunion with neighbor Mary Ann and their summer camp bunkmates, she is sad that her friends seem to be having great fun without her.

"Family reunions mean lots of hugging, handshaking, and hair tousling. And Russell's relatives? Well, they are more... enthusiastic than most. BIGGER than most. BRAWNIER than most. They're wrestlers! Skinny and scrawny Russell will have to meet, greet, and defeat this clan with some spectacular moves of his own!"--

"At a family reunion, dozens of 'beastie' cousins spend the day running wild, playing in the creek, filling up on food, and making mischief."

Hattie learns to establish her boundaries with confidence and without hurting the feelings of her overly affectionate relatives.