The Hot and Cold Summer

Rory Dunn and Derek Curry are next-door best friends who have their summer all worked out, until they hear that their neighbor Mrs. Golding's great-niece is coming to stay. Bolivia is ten, her parents are archaeologists working in Turkey, and the boys agree on one thing before she even arrives: they will ignore her completely. That plan proves much harder than expected. Bolivia turns out to be lively, bold and impossible to overlook, and she arrives with a parrot named Lucette who quickly causes a commotion. Over cookouts, movie outings and plenty of squabbles, the boys' friendship gets tested in ways neither of them saw coming. This light, funny neighborhood story suits young middle-grade readers who enjoy realistic stories about friendship.