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The Summer of Skinny Dipping 1 Edition
Contributor(s): Howells, Amanda
ISBN: 1402238622     ISBN-13: 9781402238628
Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc
    OUR PRICE: $8.99  
Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats
Published: June 2010
Qty:
Annotation: While spending the summer in the Hamptons, 16-year-old Mia is disappointed that her cousin Corinne has grown so distant, but when she meets the irresistible and adventurous boy next door, everything changes for the better. Original.
Additional Information
Library of Congress Subjects:
- Cousins; Fiction.
- Family problems; Fiction.
- Love; Fiction.
BISAC Categories:
- Juvenile Fiction | Love & Romance
- Juvenile Fiction | Family
Dewey: [Fic]
LCCN: 2009049926
Lexile Measure: 740
Academic/Grade Level: Grade 10-12, Age 15-18
Book type: Juvenile Fiction
Physical Information: 8.00" H x 5.50" W x 0.75" (0.86 lbs) 295 pages
Accelerated Reader Info
Quiz #: 138439
Reading Level: 4.9   Interest Level: Upper Grades   Point Value: 12.0
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.

Contributor Bio(s): >AMANDA HOWELLS grew up on a small bay on the Atlantic Ocean and spent summer weekends in the Hamptons while a college student in New York City, where she studied creative writing. She has published many stories for teen and adult readers and now lives in the pacific Northwest.

Reviewed by Publishers Weekly Reviews (PW Reviews 2010 June #3)

This sweet though sometimes rambling story about family, love, and loss is narrated by 16-year-old Mia, who is spending the summer with her family at her relatives' beach house in the Hamptons, where everyone "looked so happy, so glowing and perfect." Though she and her cousin Corinne had once been close, Corinne is now more interested in drinking, drugs, and socializing with the popular crowd. Self-conscious about her comparatively voluptuous body and displaced among her cousins and their wealthy friends, Mia struggles to keep up while staying true to herself. At a summer bash, Mia meets Simon, whose family is renting a nearby mansion. Like Mia, Simon doesn't fit in; Corinne warns he is just "LC. Lower class." At first they meet in secret, taking long walks on the beach, during which Simon encourages Mia join him for late-night skinny dipping. As she and Simon grow closer, Mia emerges from her shell. And when tragedy strikes, she is changed forever. First-time novelist Howells's teen and adult characters are well-developed, and Mia's growth and new perspective on her own good fortune are satisfying. Ages 14–up. (June)

[Page ]. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Reviewed by School Library Journal Reviews (SLJ Reviews 2010 May)

Gr 9 Up—"I was being strong. Even though I felt weak." Grounded, logical Mia is trying to cope with a summer that hasn't been what she expected. Her vacation in New York's tony Hamptons with her extended family was supposed to be about spending time with her firecracker cousin Corinne and her sympathetic aunt as relief from her mother's criticism and her parents' fights about money and status. But quickly the bubble bursts: her aunt is tense and preoccupied while jaded Corinne is more interested in drinking and her cool friends. Adrift, Mia can't help wanting to be part of Corinne's circle, even though she doesn't like these girls. Struggling to remain true to herself, she strikes up a friendship with Simon, the boy next door. Through late-night walks on the beach, the teens become more than friends. A skinny dip after a storm brutally ends Mia's summer—but not the growth she's achieved. Tailor-made for Sarah Dessen's fans, this novel mingles family drama and teen relationships. Over the course of the summer, Mia comes of age as she questions who she is and what she wants from the people in her life. Amid a cast of well-developed characters, her stumbles and achievements keep readers rooting for her. With a lyrical yet straightforward voice and a layered plot, this novel will live on for more than a summer.—Melissa Rabey, Frederick County Public Libraries, Frederick, MD

[Page 116]. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.