"The Cactus that Saved Ashleyville" is the first book in the Rosemary and Friends series, a group of chapter books aimed at early to middle elementary readers. "The Cactus" tells the story of Eduardo "Lito" Sanchez, who's 9 and in the fourth grade at Thomas Jefferson Elementary in Ashleyville, a small American town.

Eduardo (Eddie to his classmates) has a tough job on his hands: He's about to get rid of his old name and start using his new nickname, Lito, which is short for Nopalito, a nickname his mother gave him. She gave him this name because Eduardo loves to eat his mother's nopalitos, a dish prepared from the pads of the prickly pear cactus (nopales).

But Lito has other problems too. His father has lost his job at the food plant. His teacher has assigned the task of coming up with ideas to save the food plant and the town.

Will Lito's idea save the town? Will people accept him as Lito?