Hurwitz, Michele Weber. The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2014. 978-0-385-37106-3. 264p. $16.99. Gr. 5-8.

Nina Ross is a bored thirteen year-old.  It’s summer, a time most teenagers yearn for, but with her parents working all the time, her brother ignoring her most of the time, and the death of her grandmother the past year, Nina isn’t having the time of her life.  That is until Nina sees her neighbor, Mrs. Chung, struggling with her flowers and decides to help out.  Without ever letting Mrs. Chung know, Nina plants the flowers and realizes that one act of kindness can change a person’s day.  Nina’s summer quickly goes from boring to purposeful as she decides to complete one random act of kindness for her neighbors each day for the entire summer; 65 kind acts for the 65 days of summer.  This seems like an easy task until Nina’s know-it-all neighbor, Mrs. Millman, begins to stakeout the neighborhood for the “vandal” doing good deeds.  Nina’s new stealth in completing her tasks allows her to learn more about her neighborhood, brother, and friends, which leads Nina to grow herself.  This is a great read for middle school girls trying to figure out where they belong and who they want to be.

I picked up The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days because the title was intriguing.  As I began reading the novel, I was quickly caught up with Nina and her neighbors.  I enjoyed learning about each household as Nina developed her own self and identity.   My biggest issue with the novel is the front cover.  The girl on the cover looks to be to be in her 20s, not a 13 year-old.  This at times distracted from the fact that Nina is only a middle-schooler, not a teenager.  Besides this fact, this novel is endearing and a great book to have to help students realize that kindness goes a long way.

Realistic Fiction    Erin Parkinson, Lincoln JSHS, Ellwood City