Let the vacation reading begin! A favorite from my reading pile so far, Umbrella Summer had me hooked from the beginning. Annie’s brother Jared died in a sudden and rather freakish accident involving a hockey puck, and her way of coping is to become extremely (and I mean extremely!) careful about everything in life. From constantly thinking she has some sort of rare tropical disease to not riding her bike down hills, Annie is not living life to the fullest anymore. Along her journey as a character, she meets an unlikely friend who helps her heal and deal with both death and life. This would be a wonderful character change readaloud for older grades, but for those of you out there that love a deep realistic fiction that makes you cry (but good tears mixed in with the painful ones), this book is for you.
And just wait until you find out the meaning of the ‘umbrella summer.’
I’ve read so many great reviews about this book in the blogosphere, and I ordered a copy for the Learning Hub that will arrive in January. But January is so far away and last Friday, I spied it in the new book section of the middle school library. I checked it out and headed straight to Starbucks to read it. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more–-a novel about 3 kids and one adult, all living separate lives but all seeking something and suffering some measure of loneliness. They come together coincidentally at the Sleepy Time Motel, and each of them winds up taking away a bit of the other’s loneliness. The book was just magical, and so beautifully crafted that it’s screaming to be read by as many 5th graders or middle schoolers as possible. I truly felt like I knew each of the characters and didn’t want the book to end.
An added bonus is this really cool book trailer (I love that people are making book trailers now and not just movie trailers). I read on one blog that after you read the book, you will agree that the trailer captures the essence of the story perfectly. So true. Watching it now makes me want to read the book all over again. I miss Aggie, Kirby, Loretta and Willow already.
How have I missed this book over the years?! Somehow I stopped at Patricia’s book, Sarah Plain and Tall, but that was a huge mistake on my part. Baby is filled with emotions, family, loss and healing, and I simply loved it. Taking place on a small island, Baby tells the story of what happens when a family finds a baby in a basket in their driveway, complete with a note inside asking for them to take care of her for a while. Each character deals with the new arrival in a different way, yet they all weave together so nicely, and, as a reader, you feel for them and with them as they journey through some heartache and lots of love. I also loved the little touches of whimsy in this book, like the fact that the dad always tap dances on the table. A great realistic fiction read.
What a fabulous book! I loved every minute of it, and our 5th grade teachers are finding that kids are loving it as well as a readaloud (5th grade and up seem most appropriate for this book). Sahara is in special ed at her school and has certain behaviors that worry her teachers. No one knows that inside of her is an amazing writer. No one, that is, until her new teacher, Ms. Pointy, shows up and rocks everyone’s world. Amazing characters, great story and a teacher that is one we all need in our lives, you simply can’t miss Sahara Special.
Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff (same author as The Thing About Georgie, another great book)
