(2) 4-6 "It's been a pretty lousy year and a half since the Accident, and the Universe owes me one." Hercules Beal is still hurting from the loss of his parents two years before when his teacher, Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer (from The Wednesday Wars, rev. 7/07), throws him a lifeline. For his Classical Mythology Application Project, he's assigned the twelve Labors of Hercules. He must learn the myths and consider how each of Hercules's labors connects to his own life. When the sixth grader vanquishes a pack of feral "demon cats," he realizes he has performed a labor akin to Hercules's defeat of the Nemean Lion. Bravely pulling a woman from a house about to be washed out to sea is like Hercules's catching the Boar of Erymanthus. And dealing with grief is like Hercules's forcing the carnivorous birds near the town of Stymphalus out of their hiding places into the open. Although readers might wish Hercules had a couple fewer labors, Schmidt's narrative keeps readers engaged with action, humor, and frequently interspersed 150-word journal-style reflections. He also has Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer teach a valuable life lesson: "You know, Beal, you've been fighting a whole lot of monsters this year, monsters much more real than any the mythical Hercules fought...But you haven't crumbled, have you? And you haven't disappeared. You're still here."

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) 4-6 Delsie's summer friend Brandy starts hanging out with mean-girl Tressa, while Delsie befriends newcomer Ronan. Delsie, who lives on Cape Cod with her grandmother, also begins to push for details about the mother who abandoned her. Delsie is an engaging protagonist; Hunt's depiction of class conflict is matter of fact; the writing is vivid and child-friendly; and the plot is strong, with a satisfyingly imperfect resolution.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Owen struggles to decide whether breaking his promise of silence to his best friend is worse than allowing Sean to endure sexual abuse. Owen is driven to act when he realizes Sean is contemplating suicide. The aftermath--legal, societal, and emotional--of the revelation is described with sensitivity and heart. Information about organizations supporting sexual abuse victims and young people considering suicide is appended.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim. Back for a third summer with their aunt on Cape Cod (The Brightest Stars of Summer; The Forget-Me-Not Summer), sisters Marigold, Zinnia, and Lily immerse themselves in preparations for the town's tricentennial. Their activity-filled days have the girls exploring their own talents, dealing with budding romantic relationships, and struggling to get along and support one another. A welcome addition to this family-focused series.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim. Sisters Marigold, Zinnia, and Lily (The Forget-Me-Not Summer) head to Cape Cod again to stay with their aunt. After being cut from a Hollywood blockbuster, Marigold has vowed to become ordinary; aspiring writer Zinnie, in need of material, reads Marigold's diary and writes about the transformation. The ensuing fight threatens to ruin their idyllic summer. An easy recommendation for fans of family stories.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bistra Masseva. Every spring, Dario and his mother move to Cape Cod so his mother can work. And every spring, a right whale and her calf migrate north. Dario's loneliness is assuaged by the calf, which seems to respond to the Brazilian boy's actions. Infused with blues and greens, the illustrations nicely capture Dario's feelings and the seaside setting. A note about right whales is appended.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) YA After Lorna is swept into the ocean off Cape Cod during a storm, her best friends--Jackie, boyfriend Finn, and Lucas--are shattered. Narrator Jackie's grief is initially well developed, as is the mystery surrounding the tragedy. However, after a mid-point twist, this uneven story devolves into soap-opera territory. Wittlinger's affectionate, vivid portrayal of the Provincetown community is the book's highlight.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) 4-6 Lester and George, sixth-grade dog owners, devise an experiment based on scientist Rupert Sheldrake's (real-life) book Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home. Their growing friendship helps both boys cope with losses. Banks brilliantly evokes boytalk and boythink; a level of scientific richness is added through George's correspondence with Sheldrake on such topics as animal intuition and the challenges of data collection.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2015

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim. Californian sisters Marigold (twelve), Zinnia (eleven), and Lily (five) spend three weeks on Cape Cod with their great-aunt while their parents travel for work. They worry that a summer with no TV or cell signal will be awful but instead find their own fun, grow closer, and each discover who they are. A sunny choice for fans of The Penderwicks and other family stories.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) YA Burgeoning astronomer Sarah, sixteen, decides it's time to stop observing the world and start living in it. She uses her summer on Cape Cod to experiment: what would happen if she acts like her popular sister, Scarlett? Sarah lands hot college boy Andrew, but a lie might make their romance doomed from the start. A solid summer romance perfect for beach reading.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) YA Clare's mother sends her to Cape Cod to spend two weeks with her biological father, Richard, whom she hasn't seen since she was three. While slowly getting to know each other, father and daughter monitor the island's endangered turtles. Though hampered by flat dialogue, this contemplative story features realistic family dynamics and highlights its setting's natural beauty.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(2) 4-6 In late 1960s Cape Cod, Naomi "Chirp" Orenstein's mother has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and sinks into a severe depression, ultimately committing suicide. It's an overwhelmingly sad story, but the sadness never feels gratuitous, only immutable. Ehrlich's characters are all fully developed, most of all Chirp's best friend Joey, who has his own issues at home. Chirp's poignant earnestness is heartrending.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(4) YA This Evercrossed sequel finds Ivy, fallen angel Tristan (in the body of suspected murderer Luke), evil demon Gregory (in the body of Ivy's best friend Beth), et al., on Cape Cod continuing to solve mysteries and/or seek revenge. Like the previous book, this volume's plausibility is low and its melodrama high. Some satisfying sleuthing and a cliffhanger ending will keep fans engaged.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) YA When the attentions of a secret admirer take on a darker tone and a classmate disappears, psychic Clarity finds herself in another suspenseful mystery. The Cape Cod high school setting and subplots involving friendship and romance keep the story grounded. Returning characters from and plot references to the first title (Clarity) provide context, but this second installment is an engaging stand-alone read.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(2) 4-6 Stella's great-aunt Louise tends vacation cottages on Cape Cod. When her mother takes off (again), Stella ends up there, as does foster kid Angel. After Louise dies unexpectedly, the girls bury the body in the backyard and take over managing the cottages. Stella and Angel are equally annoying and endearing, and readers will cheer them on to the fully predictable and satisfying ending.

Reviewer: Nina Lindsay | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2012

(4) YA Ivy, Will, Beth, and company are on Cape Cod for the summer. Ivy's still mourning Tristan--while trying to forget the horrors inflicted by Gregory--when she meets mysterious amnesia patient Guy. Her friends don't trust him, but Ivy suspects he's Tristan back from the dead. The melodrama runs high, but Chandler offers some surprises--including a promising series-extending twist ending.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA The Fern family lives on Cape Cod and runs a home-based business: psychic readings. Daughter Clare, a psychic herself, is drawn into a murder investigation that implicates her brother (who also has supernatural powers). Her need to exonerate him--and her attraction to the detective's son--propels readers despite Clare's too-old-sounding voice and some clichéd plot elements.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(2) YA Liz can't figure out why her "forever-best friend" Kate is avoiding her. Slowly and skillfully, through prose poems, Kate's secret is revealed: Liz's brother raped her. When Liz confronts him, he denies it. Who is she to believe? By giving Liz a voice that's expressive yet down-to-earth, Marcus keeps the drama from skittering into Lifetime TV territory and avoids a quick-fix ending.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011

(4) YA Picking up where Wish I Might ended, Willa awaits the summer's-end return of her boyfriend, JFK. Wedding planning, a creative book-lending scheme, issues with friends and her recently discovered half-brother, and a new romance amount to plenty of drama for the introspective teen to gush about. Willa's passion and spunk will continue to please fans in this predictable installment.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) YA Willa Havisham (The Wedding Planner's Daughter) is growing up. During a summer of change and discovery, she meets her long-lost brother and searches for a father who may still be alive. Willa's initial worry eventually gives way to a heightened sense of gratitude. Small, convoluted details in the plot detract from the main sequence of events.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen