Breeze Chadwick's family knows what it's like to be broke. Since she was born, they have been evicted from an apartment, and lived in their car for too many nights to count. When her father inherits the estate of his estranged Uncle Alex, he presses Breeze and her brother, Bryce, into service for the summer. Together they work to get an old house and a large tract of old-growth forest near the town of Grimmwick, Minnesota, ready to sell. While working on the property, Breeze encounters Puck, an impish girl in the woods who has been using her powers of illusion to undermine their work. After Breeze sees through the tricks, Puck reveals the secrets of the forest and shows her the danger of her father's plans. Soon, Breeze must decide-does she help her father realize his dream of a big payday and financial security for his entire family, or does she work with Puck to save the forest, upon which everything else depends?