Summer of the Gypsy Moths

                                                                           
Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker (Author of the Clementine Series)

Published by Balzer + Bray

2012

Ages 8-12

Shelf: Middle Grade 

Opening Line:  "The earth spins at a thousand miles an hour."

Favorite Quotes: 

"I like to imagine the ties between us as strands of spider silk:  practically invisible, maybe, but strong as steel."

"I stayed cool.  Those icebergs, floating silent and steady, ignoring the fierce storms raging around them."

"Being an iceberg takes a lot of effort."

"Your heart is like every other muscle Stella, you have to stretch it out when it cramps up."

Blurb:  It is the start of another summer season on Cape Cod.   At a glance, Stella appears to be your typical eleven-year old, who enjoys reading on the beach.  No one would ever suspect the secret Stella is hiding.  Stella has been living here with her great-aunt Louise, ever since her mom decided to go out and "find herself."   Although Stella fantasizes her mom will soon return to the Cape, she enjoys living with Louise, and really appreciates the routines that Louise has put into place.  The only potential glitch in her plan:  Angel.  Angel is the foster child Louise has taken in.  Stella and Louise are like oil and water, and hardly ever speak to one another.  But when tragedy strikes, Stella and Angel must rely on each other.   Will Stella and Angel discover a common thread between them?

Within its pages:
Connections. Throughout the story, Stella likens herself to an iceberg - standing still and firm in the fierce storms around her.  A fairly accurate metaphor for her life.  Although Stella's situation is obviously extreme, she teaches us about courage, as well as  how to cope with loss, changing expectations, and the tricky and rewarding process of making and keeping connections.

The heart of this novel lies in the friendship that grows between Stella, the planner, and Angel, the free spirit.  There is an unspoken bond that develops between these two young girls that's heart-warming and endearing.  Pennypacker teaches us that sometimes hope lies in the most unexpected places, and that the deep connections we form with others can be life-changing. 

Shelf  it!

Summer of the Gypsy Moths surprised us in the most delicious way! The simplicity and heart in this story was very captivating.  At first, we found the premise a bit disturbing and seemingly unrealistic.  We definitely had mixed feelings in the beginning (You will too).  Despite this, the resilience of the characters, as well as the blossoming friendship, was strong enough that we just couldn't abandon the book.  We were pleasantly surprised by its poignancy, humor, beauty and, most of all, with the way its story gripped our hearts and still hasn’t let go.  The element of suspense kept us on the edge of our seats as well.  Just go "Shelf It" and read it while listening to some Fado music (Angel sings it throughout the book) and find out just what we're talking about!

Half a Chance

Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord
2014
Published by Scholastic Press
Ages: 8+
Shelf: Middle Grade

Opening Line: "Lucy, we're going to love this place!"

Favorite Quotes:

"Even half a chance beats none."

"If you can get people to care about the little things, they'll care about the big things, too."

"Last times and first times shouldn't matter more than all the middle times, but somehow, they do."

"People will think what they think! Don't ever choose those people who don't matter over the ones who do."

"Sometimes people are like shooting photos. It takes a bunch of misses before something good happens."

Blurb:
It's the beginning of summer break and Lucy has just moved to an old house by a lake in New Hampshire.  As soon as they arrive, her father, a prominent photographer, heads out to Arizona to work on a photo project.  Left behind with her mother and a temperamental dog, Lucy deals with the nerves of being in a brand new place with no friends and the prospect of a lonely school year.  When she finds out that her father is running a photography contest for kids, Lucy decides to participate anonymously.  She meets Nate, a boy her age who spends every summer in one of the other cottages by the lake. Together they embark on a journey to discover friendship and loss behind the lens of Lucy's camera.  Will her photographs live up to her father's expectations?

Within its pages:
We loved the clever way the chapters are organized in Half a Chance.  The photography contest Lucy and Nate are trying to win is a photo scavenger hunt; where they are given the title of an image and it's up to them to interpret the kind of photo that would match the name.  What would you photograph to represent Journey, Left Behind,  or Wonder?  
As they look for those photos, the author titles each chapter with the name of one of the scavenger hunt challenges, and then perfectly develops the story to match the images being captured. 

Shelf it
Half a Chance feels like the kind of book you want to take with you on a camping trip and read while sitting on a dock, with your toes barely touching the water.  Cynthia Lord paces the book beautifully  and gives us a story about friendship and self-discovery, with a subplot about dealing with a relative suffering from dementia.  Great summer read and a perfect match for bookies who can't stop taking photos (even selfies)!