Sand Dollar Summer

Post date: Jun 12, 2014 3:20:03 AM

Sand Dollar Summer by first time novelist Kimberly K. Jones.

The small words on the cover say "Don't ever doubt that a mere second can change your life forever." Twelve year old Lise lives with her energetic, get-things-done mother that goes to great lengths to make a good living and be there for her kids. Moving often is a way of life for Lise because her mother is always taking better and better jobs. Lise also has a little brother named Free that is super intelligent but hasn't uttered a word in his life. Life is actually pretty good for Lise until the day her mother is involved in a car accident. Her mother has many broken bones and will be rehabilitating for a while. So, for the summer their mother takes them to live on the coast in Maine in the town she grew up in but Lise and Free have never visited. Life has changed in so many ways. Lise lives and learns so much in so many ways.

Sometimes I read a book and I can't really explain why I like it so much. This book is one of those. It might be because it spoke to me on so many levels from my experiences growing up to my experiences now. It is a longer read, so I would recommend it to 4th or 5th graders (or older). It would also make a great family read-aloud, especially for the family that is going through major life changes. It would provide opportunities for discussion and/or reflection.