{ "item_title" : "Summer and July", "item_author" : [" Paul Mosier "], "item_description" : "From the critically acclaimed author of Train I Ride and Echo's Sister comes a moving story of friendship between two girls looking for some happiness in a world that can be a little cruel. Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead, Ali Standish, and Erin Entrada Kelly.Twelve-year-old Juillet is preparing for the worst summer ever. She and her mom are staying in the seaside neighborhood of Ocean Park, California, for a month, where her mom will be working at the local hospital and Juillet will be on her own, like always.Her dad is off in Europe with his new girlfriend, and her best friend, Fern . . . well, Juiller isn't allowed to talk to Fern anymore. Fern took the blame for Juillet's goth-girl clothes and not-real fears, like sharks and rip currents and the number three.Then Juillet meets Summer, a local surfer girl who knows the coolest people and places around town. With free-spirited and adventurous Summer, Juillet begins to come out of her shell and face the things weighing her down. But when Summer reveals her own painful secret, it's Juillet's turn to be the strong and supportive friend.Named one of Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year What happens when the girl who's afraid of everything becomes the one who has to be brave for someone else?Coming of Age Story: For Juillet, one summer in a new town means facing her fears of sharks, rip currents, and the number three--and discovering a strength she never knew she had.Summer Beach Read: Set against the backdrop of Ocean Park, California, this novel is filled with sun, sand, and the challenges of learning to ride the waves, both in the ocean and in life.Opposites Attract Friendship: Juillet is a goth girl who prefers the indoors; Summer is a local surfer who lives for the sun. Together, they form a bond that helps them both heal from their secret heartaches.Heartfelt and Emotional: A touching story that explores the pain of family secrets and absent parents, and the incredible power of a friend who truly understands.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers3.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/0/06/284/936/0062849360_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "16.99", "online_price" : "16.99", "our_price" : "16.99", "club_price" : "16.99", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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Summer and July

Paul Mosier’s Summer and July is an ode to that one summer when everything changes. 

Combat-boot-wearing, goth-dressing Juillet is furious that her dad has left her mom for a younger woman. Juillet’s mother, a physician, seldom has enough time for her daughter, but this summer they are heading from Michigan to California for a change of scene. 

Ocean Park is a friendly, funky beach town near everything Juillet fears most: deep, dark oceans, man-eating sharks and the threat of towering tsunamis. As it happens, Juillet is afraid of just about everything. Five different psychologists have told her that she hides behind her fears to avoid her feelings about her parents’ divorce.

Soon after settling in, Juillet meets Summer, a free-spirited surfer who seems like everything Juillet is not. The girls become fast friends, and Summer eases Juillet past each of her phobias, helping her take baby steps into shallow water, then boogie board near the shore, then finally surf her first wave. Though Summer is perpetually upbeat, she also has a secret sadness, which she shares with Juillet as the two become close.

Summer and July reads like a classic coming-of-age story in the best way, as each girl confronts challenges and emerges from her summer transformed. Juillet and Summer’s deepening affection for each other is poignant and sure to resonate. Mosier’s pacing is languid, but like the pull of the tide, readers will be drawn in and swept away from safe and shallow shores. Fortunately, this book trusts that its readers are strong swimmers, ready for what the world has to offer.