Veda Stamps

Summer Stevenson is an 11-year-old who is dealing with a lot at once: her mother's military deployment, making new friends in a new town (again, because her parents' military jobs force them to move around a lot), and looking different because of her multiracial heritage. On top of all of this, she is struggling to realize her dream of being a competitive swimmer when she doesn't really know how to swim. This story really brought me back to my 11-year-old self, when fitting in was everything but harder than anything. Summer's voice--her nightmares about losing her parents, her self-consciousness, her determination to find the strength she needed within her--was so believable and sweet, I rooted for her the entire story. And her grandmother is a hoot. A great read!… (altro)