Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  Vic has been going to camp at Meadow Wood for many years, but this year feels different.  After discovering a secret about her mom, she’s pretty sure her parents are trying to get her and her younger brother out of the house so they can plan their breakup.  Angry and not really in the mood for camp activities, Vic gets pulled into camp life nonetheless.  She finds herself bonding with some unexpected allies, including Chieko, a moody counselor with attitude; Earl, the camp owner’s 67-year-old husband and his new garden; Vera, a precocious younger camper she mentors; and Angel, a boy that she meets when she helps Earl out at the farmer’s market on Saturday mornings.  Each of these people offers their own helpful insights and wisdom, and Vic ends the summer feeling stronger and happier than she ever thought would be possible.  384 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  I always enjoy a good camp story, and this one is chock full of interesting characters–even though there are a lot of people in this story, I had no trouble telling them apart, because their personalities shone through immediately.  With family issues, friendship issues, a crush, and a few trips to the emergency room, this book has everything to make it a satisfying summer read.

Cons:  Vic’s friend Jamie is referenced a few times: Vic’s mom called her a bad influence even though she’s a quiet bookworm; she had a crush that got her into trouble; she’s doing community service at the library.  I kept waiting to find out the full story, but it never came.  Quite by accident while writing this review, I discovered the book with Jamie’s story, A Kind of Paradise.  Still, if one hasn’t read this book (like me), you’ll be left with some questions when you get to the last page.

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Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Summary:  Adam and his parents are on their way home from Disney World, when they’re involved in a terrible car accident.  Adam wakes up in the hospital, where he learns that his parents are missing and presumed dead.  His last memory before the crash is of a huge creature in the road.  This memory haunts him day and night, and continues to plague him when he goes to live with his quirky Uncle John.  His Internet research makes him think he saw a sasquatch from the Florida swamps.  Unable to face getting back to regular life, Adam runs away to find a man who also claims to have seen Bigfoot.  Stanley has lost his wife and daughter to his Bigfoot obsession.  He gives Adam some advice, but acts crazy enough that Adam sneaks off to search on his own.  He ends up lost deep in the swamps…and what he finds there will change his life.  Includes an author’s note about his own close encounter with something mysterious in the swamps.  224 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This book will sell itself from the cover and title alone.  It’s also a good survival story with plenty of suspense.  The author’s note will have kids buzzing about whether or not Bigfoot is real.

Cons:  The story dragged a little when Adam first headed into the swamp.  And for a relatively pampered suburban kid, he seemed to figure out how to survive on his own pretty quickly.

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Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (Released July 7)

Summary:  When Molly’s friend Olivia gets dress coded, costing the entire eighth grade the chance for a camping trip, Molly wants a chance to tell the world what really happened.  Having observed the incident, she feels qualified to set the record straight, and decides to start a podcast about her middle school’s dress code.  Before long, other girls start to come forward with stories of their experiences getting dress coded, and word of her podcast starts to spread.  As eighth grade graduation approaches, the dress coding stories pile up, and the administration stonewalls the kids, they decide it’s time for some more drastic action to bring attention to their cause.  320 pages; grades 6-8.

Pros:  The portrayal of middle school is spot on in this breezy but empowering story of kids determined to be heard.  The girls take the spotlight, but they have plenty of cool boys standing with them.  Lots of other middle school topics are touched upon, including vaping, bullying, and family issues.  This will be an easy sell to middle schoolers.

Cons:  Although I’ve seen this recommended for fifth grade, I think kids will appreciate it more (and parents may object less) if they’re experienced middle schoolers.

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Published by Sourcebooks Young Readers

Summary:  Samantha is not excited to be starting her summer taking a road trip with her grandmother, Gram’s friend Mimi, and Mimi’s grandson Brandon.  Coming off of a tough sixth grade year, Sam is intimidated by Brandon’s coolness and certain that he finds her a complete dork.  Sam’s high-powered mother is concerned about the newly-widowed Gram, but when they visit her in Florida, they discover she’s trying all kinds of new things, including competing in a karaoke contest.  Mom gets called home for business, leaving Sam to watch over Gram and keep a record of the trip in her new journal.  The four have a series of mishaps, including getting stuck in a ditch on a remote back road, being forced to sleep in a leaky cabin in a rainstorm, and trips to both urgent care and the emergency room.  But when the trip ends, Sam has made some interesting discoveries about herself that may help her in seventh grade and decides she wouldn’t have traded the trip for anything.  304 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  This will definitely get on my “recommendations for summer reading” list.  Why not?  It takes place over summer vacation, it’s about a road trip, it’s written in a fun-to-read journal format, and it has a hint of romance with nothing objectionable for readers as young as 8 or 9.  

Cons:  Gram and Mimi checked all the boxes for stereotypical Florida Golden Girl retirees.

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Published by HarperCollins (Published May 5)

Summary:  Bob, the stray dog who befriended Ivan and Ruby in The One and Only Ivan has his own story to tell now that he’s been adopted by Julia and her family.  For the first time in his life, he has two meals a day, a comfortable bed, and people who love him.  But Bob has been through enough to be wary about getting too attached, refusing to do what he’s supposed to at obedience training.  He’s still close to Ivan and Ruby, often visiting them in their new zoo home, and happens to be there one day when a tornado strikes, followed by a hurricane.  After flying for the first time during the tornado, Bob gets to work in a series of harrowing rescues, both at the zoo and the animal shelter down the street.  The life-threatening situations help Bob to realize what is important to him and to learn the value of his friends and family.  352 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  It doesn’t much matter what I say here, this book will be a runaway bestseller as the many fans of The One and Only Ivan (soon to be a major motion picture) wil clamor to find out what happened to Ivan, Ruby, Bob, and the rest.  Those fans won’t be disappointed, and will enjoy getting to know the funny, feisty Bob a bit better.  The short chapters, action, and humorous narration will hook Ivan’s old friends and new readers alike.

Cons:  While the second half of the book (once the weather hit) had plenty of action, I found the first part a little meandering.  Not quite Newbery caliber, in my opinion, but then again, I’m an iconoclast who prefers Applegate’s Wishtree to the award-winning The One and Only Ivan. 

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