Half Moon Summer by Elaine Vickers

Abstract

Reviewed by: Half Moon Summer by Elaine Vickers Kara Forde Vickers, Elaine Half Moon Summer; illus. by Chloe Zola. Peachtree, 2023 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781682635391 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781682635544 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 5-7 As summer vacation rounds the corner in Half Moon Bay, CA, Drew is dreading the expanse of time without his best friend Isaac, who recently moved away. Things begin to turn around when Drew’s dad gifts him a new pair of Nike running shoes and they start to run together, even though Drew has a sinking feeling about his dad’s new clumsiness and his parents’ secret conversations. Meanwhile, Mia is not at all happy to be in Half Moon Bay for the summer—instead of working on building their house in Sacramento, Mia’s dad heads to Alaska to care for his sick mother, while Mia and the rest of the family spend the summer with her maternal grandmother. When Mia’s and Drew’s paths converge, they begin to run together daily with the goal of participating in a half marathon at the end of the summer. At the event, Mia intends to confront the wealthy real estate developer who has put her family’s dream of living in their own home in jeopardy. An inviting preface foreshadows the main characters’ friendship with the story of Drew and Mia’s “Birth Day,” as the two shared a bassinet after they were born on the same day at the same hospital. Vickers deftly distinguishes between the alternating perspectives by composing Drew’s point of view in prose and Mia’s chapters in verse. Both main characters seem uncommonly self-reflective for almost-thirteen-year-olds, yet their perceptiveness and the parallels between their concerns about family finances and [End Page 342] relationships greatly enhance the emotional appeal of this story. News of a serious diagnosis for Drew’s dad highlights a tender theme of courage in face of the precariousness of life, evoking a deep gratitude for every precious moment spent with loved ones. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois