For thirteen-year-old Jessie Silva, life on Bayberry Island is at its best in the summertime. That's when the seasonal renters return to spend their vacations on the island, bringing with them Jessie's best friend, Amanda. This year, though, change has come to Bayberry. For one thing, there's a new girl among the summer visitors-a snotty New Yorker named Susan-and she's driving a wedge between Jessie and Amanda. For another, there are rumors of coyotes roaming the tiny island, and the locals are talking about taking up arms to stop the animals from spreading. Jessie knows the rumors are true. She's seen the coyotes, and she knows they have a den and four little pups. She's been visiting the den in secret, watching the pups play and letting them come close to her. The coyotes have been the only bright spot in her long, lonesome summer. But can she save her new friends from the islanders who want to see them gone at any cost?