Molehill starts with M. And mischief starts with Molehills.
The Molehills will be arriving on bookshelves this summer in “The Mountain of Dempsey Molehill.” But just who is the Molehill family?
Get a sneak peek of who you’ll meet between the book covers.

Dempsey Molehill
Dempsey is smack dab in the middle of five children. As much as he wants to be considered one of the “older kids” with his older brother, Brom, and older sister, Tilly, he has a knack for getting into mischief with younger siblings Penn and Bandi.
Dempsey shares the story of a year in his family’s life when his dad runs for mayor. Try as they might to stay on their best behavior, the Molehill gang can’t help causing chaos.
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Penn Molehill
Penn is Dempsey’s younger brother and the fourth of the Molehill children. He’s a bit shy, and sometimes Dempsey thinks he’s a pest, but he’s always ready to follow his big brother’s lead … even when it leads to a backyard snowmageddon or scandalizing the elderly women of the Pickettstown Rosary Society. As sweet as Penn can be, he shouldn’t be underestimated. Sometimes nice guys really do win.
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Bandi Molehill
Her birth certificate says Bandi. Her mom says her name was meant to be Brandi, but her dad jokes it was supposed to be Bandit … which is more accurate. At six years old, Bandi is a wildcat of a kindergartner. No pair of shoes will stay on her feet. No brush will make it through her tangles. And no one better mess with the light of her life: her cranky one-eared cat, Scrap. Bandi’s love for animals and disregard for rules has a way of getting her into scrapes — and Dempsey usually has to get her out of them.
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Tilly Molehill
As the second-oldest Molehill sibling, Tilly is straight-laced and responsible … and exasperated with the younger trio’s knack for trouble. Dempsey thinks she’s just boring “Frilly Tilly” now that she’s in high school (after all, who wants a big sister who cares about cooking and boys instead of fun and games?), but even the most reliable Molehills have a trick or two up their sleeves now and then.
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Brom Molehill
The eldest Molehill sibling is practically a grownup — at nineteen years old, he still lives at home, but he can’t be bothered with wrangling the rest of the gang.
Between shifts at the local hardware store, Brom is left in charge of the siblings. His only rules are don’t break any bones or commit any crimes. But his babysitting style has a way of leaving the door open for a lot of havoc…
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Harwood Molehill
Harwood Molehill is the father of the five Molehill kids. He’s a gentle, fair-minded person who can’t stand to see anyone’s individuality be crushed. When neighborhood friend Bo Jasper isn’t allowed to paint his house green, Harwood decides to run for mayor against longtime Mayor Jim Picketts. But his fight to change the rules so Bo can get his green house is an uphill battle … especially when his family can’t seem to stay out of the newspaper for their hijinks.
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Susan Molehill
Dempsey’s mom is the glue that keeps the Molehill household together. She’s Harwood’s number one supporter on the campaign trail and works hard to put the best Molehill foot forward.
Susan has her work cut out for her with this group, but she loves her family and will stand by them through any situation.
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“The Mountain of Dempsey Molehill” is a middle grade novel about a big family, major mischief, and standing up for each other. If Jeanne Birdsall’s “The Penderwicks” children were raised by Richard Peck’s Grandma Dowdel (“A Long Way from Chicago”), you’d get the Molehill kids.
[Big thanks to Hannah Jones Illustration for the character illustrations. Watch for more updates on “The Mountain of Dempsey Molehill,” including a cover release in the coming months!]