When the leaves begin to turn and the backyard fills with color, Emma, Jake, and Troubles know one thing for certain: fall has finally arrived. The trees glow in shades of gold, orange, and red, the wind sends leaves dancing across the grass, and the whole yard seems to whisper that something special is about to happen.

It begins as an ordinary leaf-raking day. Dad brings out the rakes, Mom carries the yard bags, Jake declares that he was "born for leaf day," and Troubles does what he does best-charges joyfully into every leaf pile the family works so hard to build. But beneath the biggest leaf pile of all, hidden near the roots of the old oak tree, Emma discovers a small wooden box. Inside are a note, a silver key, and a clue that sends the whole family on an autumn treasure hunt through the yard.

Soon they are searching under benches, inside an old watering can, near the rain barrel, in the treehouse, by the bird feeder, and back again to the oak where the first mystery began. With every clue, Emma and Jake uncover more than tokens and hidden notes. They uncover the memory of an old backyard game once played years earlier, one that connects their family's present-day leaf day with the autumn adventures of the past.

With Troubles leading the way in his own enthusiastic style, the Treehouse Club follows the trail to one final hidden box and discovers a treasure far better than anything made of jewels. They find proof that stories can live in a yard, inside a treehouse, beneath a leaf pile, and in the traditions families choose to keep alive.

Troubles and the Big Leaf Pile Mystery is a warm, funny, and cozy fall story about family, curiosity, changing seasons, and the kind of treasure that turns into a story you never forget.