Of course I’m not going to go,” I said immediately, folding the letter up. The summer had been planned out already, after all. The calendar was all filled in. Their lives were very similar, even though some weren’t married and had been through different experiences in life, the moment we encounter them they all have some sort of relationship with a man and they all sounded like the exact same guy. But wait. Bug Juice is a movie that’s set at camp. How was it filmed at their house?” I’d never seen my dad’s first movie—it was adapted from a play, but the movie was changed a lot so that the characters were teenagers, and since it was PG-13, I was not allowed to see it. He’d shown me some clips of my mom from the movie, dressed in shorts and a polo shirt, herding campers into a cabin, but apparently I wasn’t going to be allowed to see the whole thing until I was thirteen. I adored this. It has all the things I love about Matson’s work, but for a younger audience. The summer days are vivid, and the friendships are sweet. I love books about cousins, because my cousins are my best friends. This group of cousins was no exceptions, all precocious and likable and just so fully kids. It was a delight to spend time with them, and I could read a book about ever summer they’ve spent together. It’s this beautiful story about 11 year old Ryanna who lost her mom when she was 3 and is estranged from her moms family. She gets invited to stay at the grandparents old campgrounds on the park in PA and there she discovers she has many aunts, uncles, and cousins who she didn’t know beautiful. It was lovely seeing her forge these close relationships with her family and learn more about her Mom through her stay.

I rubbed the spot on his head he liked and glanced over at the framed photo on my nightstand—it was where I kept the last picture I had of my mother and me. We were in New York City, posed next to a serious-looking stone lion, both of us laughing so hard, our eyes were closed. I traced my finger over the glass, looking at my mother’s bright blond hair, how her hand was holding tight to mine. After learning that her grandparents want her to come spend the summer with them, Ryanna is initially hesitant and tells her father and Ginger, “‘The summer’s already started. We have a whole plan in place.’” (Chapter one) Despite her hesitance, what ultimately helps Ryanna decide she wants to go meet her mother’s family and spend the summer getting to know them? In your opinion, what are the greatest things she can gain from this opportunity? Maeve married Gordon Snell, writer and editor of children's books. When they were struggling financially, Light a Penny Candle was published, which made her an overnight success. Many of her books, such as Echoes, are set in the past in Ireland. Some of her later novels, such as Evening Class, take place in more modern times. Her books often deal with people who are young, fall in love, have families, and deal with relationship or family problems. The main characters are people whom readers can empathise with.I was just talking to Ryanna about the… conversation,” my dad said to Ginger, widening his eyes at her. Scream Awards 2008 Nominees". movieguys.org. October 15, 2008. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014 . Retrieved July 7, 2013.

Okay,” I said, starting to get worried I was in trouble. But we’d already gotten my report card, which was fine except for the PE grade. “Is everything okay with Ginger?” Every summer the four Ryan children play in the ruins of Fernscourt, the once-grand house on the bank of the river. Johnston, Rich (June 11, 2010). "SCOOP! Summer Glau Plays A LARPer In Joe Lynch's Knights Of Badassdom". Bleedingcool.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013 . Retrieved July 7, 2013.I’d been deep into a mystery—my favorite type of book to read. My current favorite series was Miss Terry’s Case Files, where the heroine, Terry Turner, is a seventh-grade detective who people hire to get to the bottom of things. Whenever I was reading those books, I couldn’t help wishing that I, too, lived in a small town in Vermont with lots of mysteries. Stupid Los Angeles had a lot of private detectives already, so nobody needed to turn to middle schoolers to solve their crimes. Goldman, Eric (February 8, 2007). "Serenity Comes to Sarah Connor". IGN. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008 . Retrieved July 7, 2013. When I was younger we use to go to the beach often my step moms family had a family cabin on the puget sound and some of my favorite memories of hot days, gooey s’mores and endless card games come from those times. One strong memory in particular was all the summer reading and talks of books with my step moms, mom. She is a retired elementary school librarian and very much so fueled my fire for reading at a young age. Design Your Own Treasure Map: At the conclusion of The Firefly Summer, Ryanna finally puts together the clues that lead her to her mother’s buried treasure. Consider the items her mother has buried: Why do they have enough significance to her to be left as a treasure? Next, think about the things you hold most dear. After taking time to reflect, make a list of treasures you’d hide to preserve or protect them.