June 1992. Ten-year-old Sarah Lewis can't wait for summer: twilight swims, endless bike rides, and days spent traipsing around the woods of her grandparents' home. But when Sarah discovers two wrought-iron gates in the middle of the woods ? gates attached to nothing and guarding nowhere ? she is convinced that they lead to the fabled lands of Avalon, a kingdom of her own imagination, ruled by nine terrible queens.

Will Sarah find the courage to open the iron gates and find out if Avalon is real, or will she give in to fear and the intimidation of a neighborhood bully who has a painful secret of his own?

Before summer's end, Sarah must come to terms with the uncertainty of growing up, and find a way to say goodbye to the people and places she's come to love.