Summer of the Gypsy Moths - by Sara Pennypacker (Paperback)

About the Book

From the "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Clementine" comes a poignant middle-grade novel about two foster children who must find a way to work together in order to survive.

Book Synopsis

From Clementine author Sara Pennypacker, this is a poignant middle-grade novel about two foster children who must find a way to work together in order to survive.

Eleven-year-old Stella misses her (unreliable) mom, but she loves it at great-aunt Louise's house. Louise lives on Cape Cod, where Stella hopes her mom will someday come and settle down. The only problem? Angel, the foster kid Louise has taken in. The two girls live together but there's no way they'll ever be friends.

Then Louise suddenly passes away one morning--and Stella and Angel decide not to tell anyone. Now they have to depend on each other for survival. Now they are forced to trust each other with the biggest secret ever.

With great empathy and humor, Sara Pennypacker tells the story of two very different girls who unexpectedly become each other's true family.

From the Back Cover

Secrets and Survival

Stella loves living with Great-aunt Louise in herbig old house on Cape Cod for many reasons, but mostly because Louise likes routines, somethingStella appreciates since her mom is kind of unreliable.So while Mom "finds herself," Stella fantasizes thatsomeday she'll come back to the Cape and settle down.The only obstacle to her plan? Angel, the foster kidLouise has taken in. Angel couldn't be less like hername--she's tough and prickly, and the girls hardlyspeak to each other.

But when tragedy strikes, Stella and Angel must relyon each other to survive, and they learn that they arestronger together than they could have imagined. Andthey discover the one thing they do have in common: dreams of finally belonging to a real family.

Review Quotes

"Give this to readers of Cleary and Blume and cross your fingers for more." - Kirkus Reviews(starred review)
Praise for Talented Clementine: "Libraries will need multiple copies of this one, because early chapter-book readers will jump at the chance to spend another eventful week with Clementine." - School Library Journal (starred review)
Praise for Clementine: "A delightful addition to any beginning chapter-book collection." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"Along with humorous bits, Pennypacker seamlessly weaves into the narrative common third-grade themes...Fans of Judy Moody will welcome this portrait of another funny, independent third-grader." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Pennypacker once again demonstrates her keen insights into the third-grade mind with Clementine's priceless observations of the world around her." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Praise for Clementine's Letter: "This may be the best entry so far in the series, as Pennypacker develops her ingenious but impulsive character...And Frazee's line drawings go a little further this time in showing Clementine's highly charged emotions and her capacity for creating chaos in her surroundings." - The Horn Book
"For Stella and for Angel, a terrible secret lies hidden beneath the pumpkin patch. But a more terrible secret lies hidden in the deeper depths of their hearts--the secret that must not be uttered: They may be absolutely and completely alone. Their journey in this grace-filled novel is a journey toward making that deeper secret a lie. Beneath the comedy and the suspense and the horror and the wit of this remarkable read lies the deepest secret of all: that we can learn to love each other. Read this: you'll laugh, you'll cry--you'll grow." - Gary Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award Finalist
★ "A suspenseful, surprising novel of friendship and family from the creator of the popular Clementine series." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Pennypacker is a Beverly Cleary-caliber girl-whisperer; she can weave a yarn both funny and touching, with all the beloved, timeworn themes at the ready: friendship, family, loyalty, loss and independence." - New York Times Book Review
★ "Beautifully evoked, the novel's Cape Cod setting plays a focal role in this richly layered tale of loss, resiliency, and belonging." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Pennypacker's marvelously tactile writing animates Stella's narration and brings both engaging, resilient, and resourceful characters to life." - School Library Journal
"Sara Pennypacker, author of the beloved Clementine series for younger readers, tells the story of two opposites who must find a way to work together to survive. While the situation may be extreme, young readers will relate to the challenges of having to work with people completely different from you." - Brightly