A Girl Named Summer (Wildfire) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Mother, does Michael have to wear that towel all the time?..." (more)
Key Phrases: Ann Logan, Girl Xamed Summer, Pizza Paddle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Faced with a boring summer, Summer is ecstatic when she meets Dave at a bingo parlor. The snake in the grass is Ann, who schemes to take him away and who corners Summer into lying about her athletic prowess. Trapped, she has to train for a 10K race. Not unexpectedly, she comes to love running for its own sake, wins the race, and regains Dave from Ann's clutches. Nothing extra here, just the standard wish fulfillment, but the eccentric Grandpa is fun, and the running angle isn't bad.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7^-9. A popular adult romance novelist tries her hand at writing for young adults. In this undemanding but engaging result, Summer falls in love with a boy she meets at a church hall where her grandfather plays bingo. Garwood uses lots of dialogue to keep things moving as the conflict develops. When David meets an attractive new girl, Summer becomes insecure and invents a lie about being a long-distance runner. Predictably, the lie leads to trouble: David registers himself and Summer for a six-mile charity race. The plot, which is filled with typical teenage circumstances, verges on the preposterous, but it is saved by Garwood's portrayal of the characters' caring relationships and the fact that she doesn't let Summer take the easy way out. Shelley Townsend-Hudson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (March 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059033770X
• ISBN-13: 978-0590337700
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #605,181 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant,easy read, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Girl Named Summer (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a pretty good book. It's nice and relaxing to read. I got hooked on it. How many of us have met girls almost exactly like Ann Logan? David was kind of gullible and indecisive,though, switching from Summer to Ann and back again. It showed what a mess lies can get you into . It was a little childish,but I enjoyed reading it. It related to my life. "A Girl Named Summer" would probably be best for girls ages 12-15.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Change From Julie's Norm, May 27, 2000

By	Kelly (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Girl Named Summer (Mass Market Paperback)

I am absolutley obsessed with Julie Garwood's books, and it did not phase he at all tht this book was aimed toward younger readers. Infact, it just displayed Ms. Garwood's talent for writing. She really knows how to write any knid of book, and I am not at all dissapointed with this offering. It was actually nice for me to read a book that was directed at my own age. My mom was telling me "Finally, a book for your own age!" (I'm only thirteen). There are many reasons why I loved this book. 1) I really identified with Summer. She is really a normal teen, and it is nice to read about people like yourself. Unlike Julie's historical characters, you know what Summer is going through because you have experienced it firsthand in your own time. 2) She really explained the joys of running well. I myself am a runner, and she really depicted it well. 3) I was glued to my seat from the first page on. Like I have said before, I knew what the characters were going through.

So, if you are a dedicated Garwood fan, or a young adult, this is a great, quick read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good, quick read, January 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Girl Named Summer (Mass Market Paperback)

Ok, so it's not a historical romance geared towards adults they way her other novels are. Who cares? I like that Garwood has branched out into another genre, contemporary young adult fiction, and I think she could have success in the genre--as long as she doesn't stop writing her historicals! I enjoyed it very much, as did my other Garwood-fan friends. I hope she writes more.