The Oerken Tree - Book I in The Whole Creation Groans Series

According to legend, and Montgomery s history of North Carolina, a family mysteriously disappeared a hundred fifty years ago from a farm just down the road from the Jones s Caleb, Josie, and Matt. Caleb thinks it s awesome, Josie thinks it s a little spooky, and Matt thinks it's not as important as getting a burger at Jackie s grill. Caleb investigates and discovers something about the farm. It wasn t easy, but he persuades Josie and Matt to accompany him to the old site and check it out. Alas, they're not the only ones there. The notorious Bruce Malroye, leader of the tri-tilde gang and master mind of stupendous pranks, is already there. With a little help from an eccentric old man in a car from the fifties, they discover the incredible and are soon making their way across a starry universe to a planet in a galaxy not yet discovered. Turns out the fate of the cosmos may be in their hands.