Natalie Kim is the new girl in Hickory Hollow. Her parents took over the local candy store after her Grandma Bernie passed away. But Natalie isn't too happy about the move. She misses her old home. She misses her old friends. Worst of all, she misses Grandma Bernie. Natalie feels lost in her new town. But that is nothing new. As her twin brother Josh often reminds her, Natalie is terrible with directions.
Natalie joins her school's orienteering club hoping to make new friends and get to know her way around Hickory Hollow. But the Shellbark Forest that surrounds the town seems to have a mind of its own, and soon, Natalie finds herself lost and alone. Does she have what it takes to find her way back home?
Welcome to Hickory Hollow! The town may be tiny, but it is a special place for the people who live there. There is always fun and adventure to be had in Hickory Hollow. It's a great place to be a curious kid! There are important discoveries to be made, secret riddles to be solved, unexplained mysteries to be discovered, and even hidden treasures to be found. But watch out! Sometimes, the town seems to have a mind of its own.