At a glance
Gone-Away Lake
Classic Children's Adventure
Gone-Away Lake
Book 1 of the Gone-Away Lake series
272 pages · First published 2000
When eleven-year-old Portia Blake and her younger brother visit their cousins in the country for the summer, Portia expects familiar adventures with her nature-loving cousin Julian. Instead, the two discover a mysterious swamp surrounded by deserted Victorian summer houses, remnants of a once-fashionable lakeside resort. To their delight, the forgotten community isn't entirely abandoned: two eccentric elderly siblings, Aunt Minnehaha and Uncle Pin, have returned to the homes they loved as children. As Portia and Julian explore overgrown gardens, uncover stories from the past, and create a secret clubhouse, their friendship with the older residents turns an ordinary summer into an unforgettable adventure. But the vanished lake conceals real dangers, and their discoveries may even change their family's future. Rich with nostalgia, gentle humor, and the wonder of finding extraordinary places close to home, this Newbery Honor-winning classic will appeal to children and adults who love secret places, summer adventures, old houses, and friendships across generations.
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Jump to the pours ↓Riverbank Picnic Punch + Village Garden Gin and Tonic
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No surprises at chapter twelve
Content notes
Children explore abandoned buildings and a hazardous swamp, sometimes without adult supervision. A six-year-old becomes trapped in a quicksand-like bog and is in serious danger before being rescued. Brief fears that deserted houses may be haunted and rumors that an elderly woman is a witch; no genuine supernatural activity is established. Mild expressions such as "heck" and "gosh," along with a dated expression carrying racist associations. An elderly character smokes a tobacco pipe.
Alcohol-Free Pour
Riverbank Picnic Punch
Apple, cucumber, and mint make a refreshing picnic companion for the long summer afternoons Portia and Julian spend exploring the woods and discovering Gone-Away.
What you'll need
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.How to mix it
- Gently muddle cucumber and mint with apple juice. Add ice, top with soda water, and stir.
- Garnish: Cucumber ribbon and mint sprig.
- Glassware: Highball glass.
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Highball glass ↗Muddler ↗Cocktail Pour · 21+
Village Garden Gin and Tonic
For adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.
Fresh cucumber and mint evoke Aunt Minnehaha's flourishing gardens and the forgotten lakeside village where Portia and Julian discover an extraordinary summer adventure.
What you'll need
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Alcohol-shopping links are not shown on children's or young-adult book pages.
How to mix it
- Fill a highball glass with ice. Add gin, cucumber, and mint, top with tonic water, and stir gently.
- Garnish: Cucumber ribbon and mint sprig.
- Glassware: Highball glass.
Shop glassware & tools
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