Overview
A summer story of friendship filled to the brim with integrity, heart, and strength of character all set in the whimsically authentic setting of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Growing up is never easy, especially when parents let you down. But Delsie and Ronan soon realize that they have all the love they need in the people around them, all they need to do is open their hearts in acceptance, both of others and of themselves.
| Author | Lynda Mulally Hunt |
| Genre | Juvenile Contemporary Fiction |
| Publisher | Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguins Random House |
| Publication Year | 2019 |
| Pages | 288 |
| Grade Range | 5th to 7th |
| Lexile | HL560L |
PG Content
- A fight breaks out between boys as one tries to stpp the other from pulling off the leg of a horseshoe crab on the beach, resulting in a bloody nose. The scuffle is quickly broken up.
- The main character, Delsie, discovers the reason mother has never been a part of her life is because of drug addiction.
- Delsie fears her friend may be in danger during a storm and a neighbor has a panic attack about the weather even though no one is injured.
- Delsie fears a shark attack while swimming when she sees a fin in the water near her, but it turns out to be a harmless sunfish of gigantic proportions.
- Minor verbal bullying occurs between tween girls
Themes
- Friendship
- Family
- Change
- Growing up
- Acceptance
- Loss
- Healing
- Dealing with anger
- Understanding emotions
- Parental abandonment
- Standing up to bullies
- Making smart choices
- Neighborly love
Positive Messages
- The rewards of being true to yourself far outweigh the hardships
- Past mistakes don’t have to define you
- Healthy, loving families come in all shapes and sizes
- Anger isn’t an excuse for harmful behavior
- Open your heart only to those who are trustworthy
- Forgiveness helps the forgiver more than the forgiven
- Showing kindness to others will earn you kindness in return
- There is more to a person than meets the eye at first glance, take a closer look if you want to understand
- Choose friends who will lift you up, not hold you down
- A strong community is one where neighbors look out for the interests of all the others, not just their own
- Good people are all around, all you have to do is discover them
- Change is hard, but lean on the people who love you and you will come out thriving
Favorite Quotes
“You can either stay here while they throw shovelfuls of sand on you or just climb out. Your choice not theirs. Then I head toward the stairs, not even loking back at Brandy or Tressa. And it feels really good to step away from the shovels of sand they’ve been throwing on me for weeks and finally climb out of the hole.” (Lynda Hunt as Delsie)
“But there is something you must remember about those feelings deep down inside. They come from your soul, and they’re a precious thing. They should be saved for the ones who’ll be cradling them like a new baby. You don’t hand them off to just anyone. The ones that love you protect your feelings because they’ve been given a piece of you. Others may toss them around for just the same reason.” (Lynda Hunt as Grammy)
Publisher’s Summary
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Fish in a Tree comes a compelling story about perspective and learning to love the family you have. Delsie loves tracking the weather–lately, though, it seems the squalls are in her own life. She’s always lived with her kindhearted Grammy, but now she’s looking at their life with new eyes and wishing she could have a “regular family.” Delsie observes other changes in the air, too–the most painful being a friend who’s outgrown her. Luckily, she has neighbors with strong shoulders to support her, and Ronan, a new friend who is caring and courageous but also troubled by the losses he’s endured. As Ronan and Delsie traipse around Cape Cod on their adventures, they both learn what it means to be angry versus sad, broken versus whole, and abandoned versus loved. And that, together, they can weather any storm.
Available Formats
- Digital Download for Bookshare Members