Nine-year-old Raea can’t read. She doesn’t like it, won’t do it, and feels that she simply can’t. Desperate to help, Raea’s mom bribes her with a challenge: if she reads 100 books, she can get a pet. Raea cheats by memorizing 100 picture books and successfully adopts a kitten from the local animal shelter.

 

Raea and her new best friend, Pumpkin, embark on imaginative and fantastic adventures that soothe the pain Raea feels at school, where she struggles with her learning disabilities. She invents clever ways to skip school to be with Pumpkin until her ruse is discovered. When she finally confesses to her special ed teacher that “reading is impossible,” it leads to a life-changing visit to the optometrist, where Raea is diagnosed with a vision problem.

 

With her new glasses, Raea discovers the exciting world of sight and a new hobby—drawing Pumpkin. Despite this, reading remains a challenge. As she progresses to middle school, Raea faces ridicule for not being able to read chapter books like her peers. Pumpkin’s unconditional love helps her endure this tough time, filled with spontaneous dance parties, treehouse building, and one crazy catnip Christmas.

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High school brings even greater challenges with demanding classes and social pressure. It seems Raea will never catch up or fit in. Discovering she has dyslexia leads her to a new low. However, with Pumpkin's unwavering belief in her, Raea finds the strength to achieve the impossible. She becomes an author and illustrator, inspiring other kids to read, with Pumpkin always by her side.

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