When Fred Townsend and his family move to Lakeside, Illinois, Fred is inducted into a game of capture the flag that has split the entire town in two. But this isn’t a normal game. It’s been going on for decades and has been passed down from generation to generation. It has its own history, laws, and institutions, with elaborate castle-like bases, dreary prisons, kid-run saloons, and even a council of home-schooled kids that preside over the rules of the game. But for Fred, and all of Lakeside’s kids, this unending war is not just about winning-it’s also about learning how you want to fit into the world, the power of friendship, and making sure this summer is one they will never forget.
