Girl Pick: The Summer of May

The Summer of May
Cecilia Galante
Aladdin
2011
252 pages

Twelve year old May (Maeve--except that she hates that name) is in trouble. She has been acting up, fighting with friends, talking back to teachers and her dad, and now she's finally gone too far! May has painted graffiti on the wall of her English teacher's classroom. Her punishment is to attend summer school and repeat English--with that very same teacher.
May hates Movado the Avocado--what she secretly calls Ms. Movado behind her back--and simply won't put up with her every day of the summer.

Since her mother left, May has been in trouble and her grades have slipped, her father works too much and her grandmother s depressed and rarely leaves the bedroom. When May has a huge fight with her best friend Olive, May soon discovers she has no one else to turn to.

Days spent in English class drag on at first, but then May begins to realize that even teachers are human. As she gets closer to Ms. Movado, May begins to realize her own behavior needs to change.

Readers won't see the shocking ending until it's upon them. Deftly told, believable characters, and tween angst abound.

Highly recommended grades 5-8.
FTC Required Disclaimer:I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.