The Forget-Me-Not Summer (Silver Sisters Series #1)

by Leila Howland

Overview

“The real-life dynamics between the sisters is humorous and touching. . . . This heartwarming story is hard to put down.” —School Library Journal

Twelve-year-old Marigold Silver is hoping to get her first kiss from her big crush this summer—and get her acting career rolling in Los Angeles. But her plan comes crashing down when her parents send her to Cape Cod along with her sisters, Zinnia and little Lily, to visit their Aunt Sunny. Now these LA girls are stuck in a small town in Massachusetts, and they have to adjust to things like sharing a room and living without a TV. There isn’t even cellphone service!

With the help of Aunt Sunny’s cheery disposition and her yummy brownies, though, the girls are won over—and before they know it, they’re cracking lobster shells at clambakes, making new friends, and even organizing a local talent show. But after a Hollywood celebrity arrives in town, Marigold is soon going to face a tough decision . . .

Full of moments both humorous and reflective, The Forget-Me-Not Summer is about three girls facing their fears, adjusting to change, and learning how to band together as the strongest version of themselves: sisters.

“Reminiscent of the Penderwicks series . . . a book that might well become a favorite.” —Booklist (starred review)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062318718
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/22/2023
Series:	Leila Howland's Silver Sisters Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	346
Lexile:	790L (what's this?)
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Leila Howland was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. A graduate of Georgetown University, Leila spent five years acting in New York, where she was a company member of the award-winning Flea Theater in Tribeca. The Forget-Me-Not Summer is her middle grade debut. She has also written two YA novels: Nantucket Blue, for which she was named a Publishers Weekly "Flying Start," and Nantucket Red. Leila now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, baby boy, and two dogs.

Editorial Reviews

THE FORGET-ME-NOT SUMMER brims with hilarity and sisterly hijinks.” — Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author

“Howland gives more nuance than is often seen in middle-grade fiction. Reminiscent of the Penderwicks series. Readers will be drawn in, and once inside, they will find a book that might well become a favorite.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Perfect for middle grades and a clean read for all ages, this summer-vacation novel is a breath of realistic fresh air and a welcome addition to any school or public library.” — 5Q, 4P review, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“The real-life dynamics between the sisters [are] humorous and touching. This heartwarming story is hard to put down. — School Library Journal

“Well-told with engaging characters.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Howland gives more nuance than is often seen in middle-grade fiction. Reminiscent of the Penderwicks series. Readers will be drawn in, and once inside, they will find a book that might well become a favorite.

Booklist (starred review)

THE FORGET-ME-NOT SUMMER brims with hilarity and sisterly hijinks.

Rita Williams-Garcia

Perfect for middle grades and a clean read for all ages, this summer-vacation novel is a breath of realistic fresh air and a welcome addition to any school or public library.

4P review 5Q

03/01/2015
Gr 5–7—Marigold, Zinnie, and Lily Silver live in Los Angeles with their screenwriter dad and editor mom. When both parents get out-of-town jobs, the girls are unwillingly shipped to the coastal town of Pruet, MA, to stay with their Aunt Sunny. Twelve-year-old Marigold is livid. She has just gotten an agent for her budding acting career plus an opportunity to audition for her favorite book-turned-movie, Nite Sprites. Spunky Aunt Sunny merrily greets the trio with the distressing news that there is no cell phone reception, no TV, and a slow internet connection. But the house is inviting, Aunt Sunny cooks delicious pancakes, and the girls are allowed to go to the beach by themselves. The sisters excitedly learn that Philip Rathbone, the producer of Nite Sprites, has a Pruet summer home. A community talent show seems like just the thing to catch his eye, so Zinnie goes about writing an original play that will spotlight Marigold's acting ability. The producer turns up to judge the show, along with catty teenage megastar Amanda Mills, forcing Marigold to make a crucial choice. Should she stay loyal to the family and town she has learned to love or turn her back in order to impress the Hollywood glitterati? The cozy, connected characters and activities of Pruet, complete with clambakes, amateur talent shows, and first kisses, are the perfect antidote for a girl caught up in the empty allures of technology and stardom. Zinnie also makes self-discoveries—she may not have the traditional beauty and acting talent of Marigold, but she is creative and resilient. The real-life dynamics between the sisters is humorous and touching. VERDICT This heartwarming story is hard to put down.—Diane McCabe, John Muir Elementary, Santa Monica, CA

School Library Journal

2015-02-23
When job opportunities prevent their parents from staying in Los Angeles for the summer, Zinnia, Marigold, and Lily are sent, unhappily, across the country to great-aunt Sunny's. Twelve-year-old Marigold aspires to a career in acting: she already has a bit television role and an agent. Eleven-year-old "Zinnie," the middle sister, lives in Marigold's shadow, wanting to be just like her. Lily, at 5, is cared for by a nanny. The culture shock of small coastal Pruet, Massachusetts—no television, no cellphone coverage, sharing one bedroom—lessens as the girls settle into its charm and ease, making friends, going to clambakes and dances, and even putting on a talent show. Beginning with its cover, the novel has an old-fashioned sweetness—a sweetness that avoids cloying by the quality of Howland's writing and her character development, especially of Zinnie. For although Zinnie's and Marigold's voices alternate, this is more the middle sister's story. Marigold grows, learning the shallowness of her favorite actress and the importance of family, but Zinnie is the one who steps out of the shadow of her sister, takes a risk, and discovers her own dream to follow. An old-fashioned story well-told, with engaging characters—a beach read for preteens that is as comfortable as the old tennis shoes worn on the Massachusetts shore. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews