Every year before Christmas, Baudette, Minnesota, the Walley Capital of the World, hosts an ice-fishing tournament called the Ice Queen. To win the coveted title of Ice Queen, the walleye must beat the state record of 18.6 pounds, held by resident Augustus Moss for sixty-one years. The first-place prize for catching the largest walleye is $10,000, but the $20,000 grand prize consumes everyone, including fourteen-year-old Josey and her ten-year-old, video-game obsessed brother Mason. The thousands of anglers who descend on Baudette generate money for the local businesses, especially Baxter's Bait shop, a town landmark. The week of the Ice Queen contest, Josey and Mason learn the heartbreaking news that their family's debt will mean the closing of the bait shop, unless they can repay it. The kids feel their only option is to win the contest, but first they must locate the Lost City, and their only lead is the recluse, Winnie Moss, the granddaughter of Augustus Moss"--Back cover.
