Summer and July

by Paul Mosier (Author)

Summer and July
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
From the critically acclaimed author of Train I Ride and Echo's Sister comes a moving story of friendship between two girls looking for some happiness in a world that can be a little cruel. Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead, Ali Standish, and Erin Entrada Kelly.Twelve-year-old Juillet is preparing for the worst summer ever. She and her mom are staying in the seaside neighborhood of Ocean Park, California, for a month, where her mom will be working at the local hospital and Juillet will be on her own, like always.Her dad is off in Europe with his new girlfriend, and her best friend, Fern . . . well, Juiller isn't allowed to talk to Fern anymore. Fern took the blame for Juillet's goth-girl clothes and "not-real" fears, like sharks and rip currents and the number three.Then Juillet meets Summer, a local surfer girl who knows the coolest people and places around town. With free-spirited and adventurous Summer, Juillet begins to come out of her shell and face the things weighing her down. But when Summer reveals her own painful secret, it's Juillet's turn to be the strong and supportive friend.
Select format:
Hardcover
$16.99

Publishers Weekly

Capturing the urgency and intensity of middle-school friendships, Mosier's (Echo's Sister) affecting third novel is a summer romance of sorts, with a golden-haired surfer girl named Summer at its center. The narrator, 12-year-old Michigan mall rat Juillet, channels frustration about her parents' recent divorce through goth makeup and a collection of phobias. Her overworked ER doctor mother thinks a monthlong trip to California will reinvigorate her daughter, even though she herself spends most of the trip working. Summer is quick to make Juillet her bestie, and the two slowly open up about recent traumas in their respective lives. If Mosier's take on Santa Monica surf culture reads as over-the-top at times, what he gets right is more important: the thin, confusing line between best buddy and queer crush; the simultaneous need for independence and parental presence; and the ways that adolescent identity is a dance between frustration and buoyancy that can reveal itself in friendship. Ages 8-12. Agent: Wendy Schmalz, Wendy Schmalz Agency. (June)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6--Midwesterner Julliet is spending the month of July in Santa Monica. Her name means July in French, which is ironic because Julliet is not feeling this month. Mom challenges Julliet to get more exercise and fresh air, to confront her fears, and to go outside her comfort zone. It's hard without Dad, who left with a younger woman, and her best friend Fern, with whom Julliet spent most of her free time, dressed like goths at the mall, talking about the end of the world, and honing her many fears. Summer, who quickly befriends Julliet, introduces her to beach and surf culture, christening her "Betty" (surf lingo for an attractive beach babe). Summer's optimistic company enables Betty to confront her many fears. Summer's patient teaching helps Betty learn to take care of the beach, to bravely skateboard the boardwalk, and to catch a wave. Summer's thoughtful prodding allows Betty to confront her losses and the darkness Fern represents. Betty adds "help Summer like she has helped me" to her growing list of goals as their closeness evolves into something more. Mosier transforms Julliet's initially unconvincing goth disaffection into an authentic, grounded presence through thoughtful descriptions and transformative experiences. VERDICT This beachy bildungsroman grows into its substance but rings a bit hollow in the end. Purchase where stories of friendship and transformation are popular.--Jamie Winchell, Percy Julian M.S., IL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Hilarious, tender and wise, Summer and July is a story about facing our fears and learning to embrace the world. Do not miss this luminous gem of a novel."—Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winning author of The One and Only Ivan
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062849366
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication date
June 09, 2020
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV039020 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Adolescence
JUV013020 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Marriage & Divorce
JUV032060 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Water Sports
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Mothers and daughters
Self-actualization (Psychology)
Santa Monica (Calif.)
Surfing
Goth culture (Subculture)

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!