Season of Change

August 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-The final installment in the series is a wholesome read tackling the issues of a blended family. Just as stepsisters Diana and Stephanie are beginning to understand each other, their parents are having marital issues. The girls are dropped off at Diana's grandparents' for a long weekend while Norm and Lynn secretly attend a marriage counseling retreat. The weekend is going great until Diana, an animal lover, hits a deer while driving and Stephanie's mom suddenly arrives to pick her up. Separated, the girls discover that they need and rely on each other and quickly reunite. This realization cements their dedication to keep their family together, whatever the means. Diana's grandparents provide the model of a solid, loving partnership, which contrasts with Norm and Lynn's newer, still-developing marriage. The setting of one weekend is too short to see real character development, but readers do see the girls learn some lessons and grow in that respect.-Tiffany O'Leary, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2013
Grades 5-8 Diana and Stephanie, reluctant stepsisters, have just started to enjoy their new family when the adults in the family admit they are having marital problems. Lynn and Norm decide to go on a couple's retreat and leave the girls with Lynn's parents for the weekend. Once there, a mix-up leaves Stephanie stranded at a party, and Diana must break a few rules to rescue her. Told in alternating chapters, the simple story makes the teens seem younger than they are. But fans of the series (Summer of the Wolves, 2012) will appreciate this further look into the girls' lives, and even those new to the books can dive right in. Kids with their own step-, half-, or even full-sibling issues will take to this.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)