The Callahan Cousins: Summer Begins (No. 1) [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Doyle Carey (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Callahan Cousins

Four girl cousins spend summer vacation together with their grandmother on Gull Island.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-In this first book in the series, the 12-year-old Callahan cousins all converge on their beloved grandmother for a summer of excitement. The gang consists of cheerful, upbeat, Kate; worldly, eccentric Neeve; ambitious, enthusiastic Hillary; and helpful, intellectual Phoebe. The 10-week visit gives the girls a great view of lovely Gull Island, where their family has been involved in a long-standing feud with the Bicket family. Hillary decides to continue the feud that had died down over the years, which results in a scary trip in a leaking boat. In the end, she is the one who actually brings about peace between the two families. This accessible, contemporary story features fun-loving cousins and their wise, thoughtful grandmother as they learn a great deal about their family and themselves. A good choice for fans of the "American Girls" series (Pleasant Co.).-Andrea Tarr, Corona Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Think of it as "chicklit lite" as a quartet of 12-year-old cousins spend a summer with Grandma Gee on Gull Island off the New England coast. Neeve is the sophisticated one, Phoebe is bookish, Kate is a craft maven, but the first book in the Callahan Cousins series is told from the point-of-view of athletic Hillary, whose parents are getting divorced. Grandma's huge house has been in the family for generations, and there's never a lack of money. An old feud with another island family moves Hillary to learn to sail, motivate her cousins, and eventually, of course, "do the right thing" and get past her parents' separation. Feelings are described in diminutives ("a tiny bit upset"), there are a couple of cute boys, and the local culture includes lots of shopping and ice cream. Familiar series fare; unfortunately, the small typeface might turn off some readers. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316736902
• ISBN-13: 978-0316736909
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,110,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars avidreader, June 27, 2005

By 

avidreader "Leanne" (Dana Point, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Callahan Cousins: Summer Begins (No. 1) (Hardcover)

I was so glad to stumble upon this book at my local bookstore, as I am always looking for new books for my nine year old daughter. I am pretty tired of all those extremely raunchy books that they are marketing to her age group, and was thrilled to find an alternative! This book is fun, refreshing, wholesome without being preachy, and really taps into that tween age group so well. It made me want to be a kid again, and I particularly loved all the small details about things like penny candy and stressing about boys that seemed so real. The author must have children this age, because she really nails it.
Another thing I appreciated, as did my daughter, is that the central character, (Hillary) is dealing with the impending divorce of her parents. It was great for my daughter to read about the very real emotions that she is going through, because she could totally relate.
I will definitely recommend this book to my friends and their children.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A slice of paradise, strength of character and self- discovery, November 20, 2005

By 

Paula R. Hornbostel (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Callahan Cousins: Summer Begins (No. 1) (Hardcover)

A mother of three girls, I picked up this book to glance at it and could not put it down. Fun and beautifully written, the book has momentum, suspense and great characters. Each of the four cousins is instantly loveable, different and poignant in her own way, each offering a potential role model for her reader. By simply opening the book one gets a taste of a rich and wholesome world filled with home-baked pies, sage advice and young excitement. Depicting the special relationship between cousins and with their grandmother, Summer Begins is a slice of paradise, if not problem-free, marked by remarkable family values, strength of character and the adventures of self-discovery. I loved this book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fast-paced story warm with family interactions and discovery, July 6, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Callahan Cousins: Summer Begins (No. 1) (Hardcover)

Perfect for summer leisure reading is this spirited adventure of the twelve-year-old Callahan cousins who anticipate fun at their grandmother's seaside estate for the whole summer without parents in Callahan Cousins: Summer Begins. Add a mystery revolving around legend and an old rivalry on the island and you have a fast-paced story warm with family interactions and discovery.