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Three Bird Summer
An introspective boy and an adventurous girl uncover a poignant family mystery during a summer on the shores of Three Bird Lake.
For as long as he can remember, Adam and his parents have spent their summers at his grandmother’s rustic cabin on Three Bird Lake. But this year will be different. There will be no rowdy cousins running around tormenting Adam. There will be no Uncle John or Aunt Jean. And there'll be no Dad to fight with Mom. This year, the lake will belong just to Adam.
But then Adam meets Alice, the girl next door, who seems to want to become friends. Alice looks just like the aloof, popular girls back home—what could he and she possibly have in common?
Turns out, Alice isn't like the girls back home. She's frank, funny, and eager for adventure. And when Adam's grandma starts to leave strange notes in his room—notes that hint at a hidden treasure somewhere at the lake and a love from long ago—Alice is the one person he can rely on to help solve the mysteries of Three Bird Lake.
For as long as he can remember, Adam and his parents have spent their summers at his grandmother’s rustic cabin on Three Bird Lake. But this year will be different. There will be no rowdy cousins running around tormenting Adam. There will be no Uncle John or Aunt Jean. And there'll be no Dad to fight with Mom. This year, the lake will belong just to Adam.
But then Adam meets Alice, the girl next door, who seems to want to become friends. Alice looks just like the aloof, popular girls back home—what could he and she possibly have in common?
Turns out, Alice isn't like the girls back home. She's frank, funny, and eager for adventure. And when Adam's grandma starts to leave strange notes in his room—notes that hint at a hidden treasure somewhere at the lake and a love from long ago—Alice is the one person he can rely on to help solve the mysteries of Three Bird Lake.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published May 13, 2014
15 people are currently reading
692 people want to read
About the author
Sara St. Antoine
13 books23 followersSara St. Antoine is an award-winning author and freelance writer. A graduate of Williams College, Sara holds a master's degree from the Yale School of the Environment. Her debut novel, Three Bird Summer, was selected as a Boston Globe Best Book of the Year and an ALSC Notable Children's Book for middle grade readers. She also edits the Stories from Where We Live anthology series, which celebrates place-based literature from different regions of North America. Originally from Michigan, Sara now lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two teenage daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
May 29, 2014
Sometimes a perfect book comes along at just the right time. Even if it's not the best written or particularly profound. Three Bird Summer was that book for me this week.
It's one of those quiet stories where nothing much happens. Adam, a quiet 14-year old with a profound distrust of girls, is vacationing with his newly divorced mother at his grandmother's lake cabin in Minnesota. He meets Alice, who is a science geek in a popular girl's body with a secret or two of her own. They work on uncovering a small mystery, but the focus of the book is on the atmosphere of the nature surrounding the lake, the cabin, and the contemplative drowsiness of summer.
There's no precociousness here. Adam is sweet but not cutesy. His inner monologue is believable and not at all dramatic. I really felt his embarrassment when he started finding love notes from his grandma in his room. He's a capable kid with no fanfare or self-consciousness. Alice is like that too. Outgoing and sporty without becoming a stereotype, she's a genuinely cool kid. Their friendship is seamless, and it seems like it's a slice of life of two kids instead of a book imagined and written and edited by an entirely removed person. There is something so organic in this story that is made even better by the theme of nature throughout.
I was having an especially stressful week, the kind where everything went wrong all at once. But it was soothing to know that there are these two fumbling kids enjoying a slow summer and solving a feel-good family mystery. And for that I thank you, Sara St. Antoine.
It's one of those quiet stories where nothing much happens. Adam, a quiet 14-year old with a profound distrust of girls, is vacationing with his newly divorced mother at his grandmother's lake cabin in Minnesota. He meets Alice, who is a science geek in a popular girl's body with a secret or two of her own. They work on uncovering a small mystery, but the focus of the book is on the atmosphere of the nature surrounding the lake, the cabin, and the contemplative drowsiness of summer.
There's no precociousness here. Adam is sweet but not cutesy. His inner monologue is believable and not at all dramatic. I really felt his embarrassment when he started finding love notes from his grandma in his room. He's a capable kid with no fanfare or self-consciousness. Alice is like that too. Outgoing and sporty without becoming a stereotype, she's a genuinely cool kid. Their friendship is seamless, and it seems like it's a slice of life of two kids instead of a book imagined and written and edited by an entirely removed person. There is something so organic in this story that is made even better by the theme of nature throughout.
I was having an especially stressful week, the kind where everything went wrong all at once. But it was soothing to know that there are these two fumbling kids enjoying a slow summer and solving a feel-good family mystery. And for that I thank you, Sara St. Antoine.
June 8, 2014
Sara St Antoine takes us on a lovely quiet journey to a cabin by a lake in Northern Minnesota where the natural world is described so vividly and with such loving attention that it becomes another character in the story. At first it appears that this world of long days, tall pines, and an ever-changing lake that is home to loons, beaver, and mink will be Adam, the 12 year old protagonist's, primary company--and he likes it that way. Separated from the usual gang of cousins and uncles who have shared his summers at the lake in the past by his parents' divorce, Adam anticipates a long summer on his own with deep enthusiasm. One senses that he needs a break from the bewildering social challenges of near adolescence and a balm from the wounds of his parents' divorce. He receives the news that a girl his age, Alice, will be staying in a neighboring cabin for the summer with dread.
And then, despite Adam's best efforts at isolation, he finds himself building a friendship with Alice. The friendship, really, is the story, and it is developed by St. Antoine, with warmth, humor, and never an off-chord emotionally. Adam emerges from his emotional retreat with Alice who teases him at just right the times, listens to him with the total focus he has clearly been missing, and adventures with him as a co-conspirator.
The book is written for middle school children, but there is a sweetness and truth to both the portrayal of Nature and to the exploration of aging, parental relationships, and a totally compelling friendship that left me excited to return to it each evening for a week until I had finished it. The next day, I offered it to my 9 year old daughter who spent a day and a half sleeping, eating and reading Three Bird Summer. She adored it as well--she loved the feeling of the long summer in the cabin by the lake and she loved the friendship between Adam and Alice--as she put it: it was sweet and real and romantic without any of the yucky kissy stuff.
A lovely book to share between parents and children as both will enjoy it and it provides a starting point for any manner of conversation about social dynamics at school, friendships, romance, parental relationships, aging, and divorce.
A perfect summer novel.
And then, despite Adam's best efforts at isolation, he finds himself building a friendship with Alice. The friendship, really, is the story, and it is developed by St. Antoine, with warmth, humor, and never an off-chord emotionally. Adam emerges from his emotional retreat with Alice who teases him at just right the times, listens to him with the total focus he has clearly been missing, and adventures with him as a co-conspirator.
The book is written for middle school children, but there is a sweetness and truth to both the portrayal of Nature and to the exploration of aging, parental relationships, and a totally compelling friendship that left me excited to return to it each evening for a week until I had finished it. The next day, I offered it to my 9 year old daughter who spent a day and a half sleeping, eating and reading Three Bird Summer. She adored it as well--she loved the feeling of the long summer in the cabin by the lake and she loved the friendship between Adam and Alice--as she put it: it was sweet and real and romantic without any of the yucky kissy stuff.
A lovely book to share between parents and children as both will enjoy it and it provides a starting point for any manner of conversation about social dynamics at school, friendships, romance, parental relationships, aging, and divorce.
A perfect summer novel.
May 20, 2019
This book was fine, but I feel like the story never expanded to a high climax. The characters didn't grow as much as I thought they would. (I would give it a 2.5 stars actually) Overall, it was a good book that shows a fun summer adventure with mystery. I think the theme of this book is don't judge people based on some of the things they do. Adam thought that Alice was one of those popular girls just because she had blond hair, and he saw her at a fancy country club playing tennis. As the story goes on, Adam learns that Alice is funny, sweet, and actually is made fun of at school. Watching their friendship grow was cool. I think Adam and Alice can be very relatable to many people. The mystery side of the book was kind of confusing to me, but I did read those parts really fast.
November 21, 2018
A quiet book about a 12 year old boy from Wilmette who is spending the summer with his newly divorced mother and his irascible and sometimes confused Grandmother on a Minnesota lake. Though he dreaded some of his cousins’ rough and tumble play in past summers, he is lonely until he meets the new neighbor girl. But is she a “flip flop girl” like the popular girls at home, or is she as genuine and nice as she seeems. And why is his Grandmother leaving weird notes to a mysterious G in his miror? Contemplative and quiet, would be best for that quiet, shy kid who likes a more gentle read. Grades 4-6.
June 7, 2019
This was great up until the very end where two TWELVE YEAR OLDS kissed. WHY authors feel the need to shoehorn in romance I have genuinely no idea but I hate it.
Other than that, this felt like a summer on a lake - dreamy and a little bit too hot, but with enough thunderstorms to keep it cool.
Other than that, this felt like a summer on a lake - dreamy and a little bit too hot, but with enough thunderstorms to keep it cool.
May 24, 2024
This is a wholesome and poignant, "summers on the lake" read, with an emotional resonance beyond that of its target middle-grade audience. Adam has to deal with relatable changing family dynamics, and Alice brings joy into his life and the page. The pacing is more introspective than action-packed, and there is a quality of nostalgia and timelessness, as hinted at by the cover, that could make this a great parent/guardian-and-child readalong.
January 23, 2014
shelfnotes.com
Dear Reader,
This was a Netgalley offering which I selected because I thought it looked like it had promise as a good, relatable YA novel. And it was! Ultimately a very cute story about coming of age. It was a quick, summery sort of read. I think I would have enjoyed it more were I a pre-teen, but it definitely had its merits, and brought me back to those idyllic, endless summer days of my adolescence.
The book's title is very apt: while it ostensibly refers to eponymous Three Bird Lake, where twelve-year-old Adam spends the summer before eighth grade, it also of course speaks of the three females with whom Adam interacts during this life-changing summer. Used to a cabin filled with relatives and particularly rambunctious teenage boy cousins, this quiet summer is entirely new to Adam. His parents have recently separated, which means that he is to spend his vacation with only his mother and his grandmother. The third female doesn't come along right away, but she is perhaps the most life-altering: Alice, who becomes Adam's best friend and begrudged love interest as the season runs its course.
At first, I had a difficult time liking the main character, largely because he felt very distant and emotionless. He lumped all girls his age into one enigmatic group that he would never figure out, and left it at that. Meanwhile, while he didn't exactly sound lonely, he didn't seem to have many friends to speak of, either. So I was a little lost from the start. However, I got the feeling over the book, as the reader became more and more familiar with Adam, that he was in fact a bit autistic. I think he had to categorize people in order to deal with them, and I could see him begin to discern people from groups as he got to know his new friend, and even his mother and grandmother, better.
There were some cute touches in the book; the friendship that develops between Adam and Alice is endearing. While it's sometimes difficult to understand Alice's point of view, as the book focuses solely on Adam, you can begin to see why their relationship works as well as it does. It's not just because they were thrown together as the only kids their own age in a remote lake setting.
I also enjoyed the way Adam began to know and understand his grandmother throughout the summer. It seems he begins to see her as a separate and whole person, which is a true milestone of maturation. At the same time, as he starts to recognize her personality and her frailties, he also learns more about who he is and what he is capable of. While I thought it a bit weird that the kid couldn't paddle a canoe by himself at first, I think maybe that was more a prejudice of my own than poor writing: I grew up going canoeing with my family, and therefore feel like I always knew how to paddle. But it was another metaphor for Adam's developing independence and his growth into an adult. I think there were many things in this book which were well-written. I enjoyed all of the subtle metaphors and the rather odd but strong personalities. One of my favorite touches was the carved animals on the mantelpiece in the cabin, which perhaps made me relate to Adam even more: it was also his favorite!
I think this is a good YA novel. It deals with some issues and gives a great example of growing up. While it was a bit on the light side for me, I can understand that is because I lean much more towards "adult" fiction. Like I said before -- if I were twelve, I think I really would have gotten something out of this book.
Yours,
Arianna
Dear Reader,
This was a Netgalley offering which I selected because I thought it looked like it had promise as a good, relatable YA novel. And it was! Ultimately a very cute story about coming of age. It was a quick, summery sort of read. I think I would have enjoyed it more were I a pre-teen, but it definitely had its merits, and brought me back to those idyllic, endless summer days of my adolescence.
The book's title is very apt: while it ostensibly refers to eponymous Three Bird Lake, where twelve-year-old Adam spends the summer before eighth grade, it also of course speaks of the three females with whom Adam interacts during this life-changing summer. Used to a cabin filled with relatives and particularly rambunctious teenage boy cousins, this quiet summer is entirely new to Adam. His parents have recently separated, which means that he is to spend his vacation with only his mother and his grandmother. The third female doesn't come along right away, but she is perhaps the most life-altering: Alice, who becomes Adam's best friend and begrudged love interest as the season runs its course.
At first, I had a difficult time liking the main character, largely because he felt very distant and emotionless. He lumped all girls his age into one enigmatic group that he would never figure out, and left it at that. Meanwhile, while he didn't exactly sound lonely, he didn't seem to have many friends to speak of, either. So I was a little lost from the start. However, I got the feeling over the book, as the reader became more and more familiar with Adam, that he was in fact a bit autistic. I think he had to categorize people in order to deal with them, and I could see him begin to discern people from groups as he got to know his new friend, and even his mother and grandmother, better.
There were some cute touches in the book; the friendship that develops between Adam and Alice is endearing. While it's sometimes difficult to understand Alice's point of view, as the book focuses solely on Adam, you can begin to see why their relationship works as well as it does. It's not just because they were thrown together as the only kids their own age in a remote lake setting.
I also enjoyed the way Adam began to know and understand his grandmother throughout the summer. It seems he begins to see her as a separate and whole person, which is a true milestone of maturation. At the same time, as he starts to recognize her personality and her frailties, he also learns more about who he is and what he is capable of. While I thought it a bit weird that the kid couldn't paddle a canoe by himself at first, I think maybe that was more a prejudice of my own than poor writing: I grew up going canoeing with my family, and therefore feel like I always knew how to paddle. But it was another metaphor for Adam's developing independence and his growth into an adult. I think there were many things in this book which were well-written. I enjoyed all of the subtle metaphors and the rather odd but strong personalities. One of my favorite touches was the carved animals on the mantelpiece in the cabin, which perhaps made me relate to Adam even more: it was also his favorite!
I think this is a good YA novel. It deals with some issues and gives a great example of growing up. While it was a bit on the light side for me, I can understand that is because I lean much more towards "adult" fiction. Like I said before -- if I were twelve, I think I really would have gotten something out of this book.
Yours,
Arianna
January 20, 2015
This book has been awarded the Book of the Year 2014 by me!
Who doesn't love summer, when the days melt together and you have nothing but time. It's even better at your grandmothers cabin! Adam is doing just that. But when he learns that he will e forces to commune with a girl his age, his summer starts to sound like a nightmare come true.
This book took one entire day out of my life, and I don't care one bit. I started reading it at 9:00, and finished at 4:30. And it was amazing!
Adam is perhaps the most relatable character I have read about in years. He isn't extremely shy, but he doesn't go out there and "test the waters", quite like myself. I also loved Alice, just because she wasn't the stereotypical "I am a girl but I am so strong and independant", which seems like most girls characters are these days. But she isn't a damsel in distress either. She's a perfect balance.
This book has an interesting moral that is mostly focused upon before the ending climax. In my own interpretation, it goes something like this: Not every popular person is a heartless phony. That actually sounds really stupid now that I write it. But it's true. Adam immediently thought Alice would not be friends with him because she looked like the popular girls from his school. But wasn't the case.
The thing the truly shines with this book is the setting, Three Bird Lake. It's enchanting and beautifully described. It really does make you want to travel there.
This author understanding friend-making perfectly. It's true that the first meet is always painfully awkward.
This book was just about perfect. The romance was a touch more than a normal middle-grade novel, but I part those parts were really cute. (The last page—*shivers*)
Alternate rating: A+
November 25, 2014
I give this a high 3, almost a 4. Delightful prose and a fresh and unexpected story. Kind of reminded me of the Penderwick Sisters books. Wholesome and uplifting although the main character is definitely a struggling adolescent boy. There were some good messages in this book about not being quick to judge. I enjoyed this one.
August 1, 2024
A gently evocative book that reminds you of lazy summer vacations when the whole summer stretched out before you. Great for middle readers not yet ready for romance but still interested in boy/girl friendships. Also, a compelling mystery that didn't resolve as I expected--I love it when that happens! Well done. Great on a second read, too
November 12, 2014
It had potential but just wasn't there. The writing was a bit blah and I didn't find the main character to be realistic to a typical 12-year-old. It just felt a bit forced and not all I was hoping it would be.
September 30, 2014
Sweet book that both boys and girls will read. Has a little mystery and a lot of nature. Easy reading.
February 11, 2025
A friend let us borrow this book and my children and I found it special and sweet. I would describe it as a gentle adventure, like a little summer getaway from our winter blues.
June 6, 2019
Adult rating: 3 stars
Kid rating: 3 stars
Summer vacation has begun, and Adam is returning to his grandmother's cabin on Three Bird Lake. This is the first summer since his parent's divorce, so his father and cousins won't be there. He doesn't get girls and he's not thrilled about meeting the new girl, Alice, his grandmother keeps telling him about. What ends up being the most difficult part of his summer is his grandmother's confusion. She keeps leaving love notes in Adam's room addressed to someone she calls "G."
As the summer moves forward, he and Alice inevitably run into each other on the lake. She isn't like all the strange popular girls back at his school and a friendship develops. Adam tells her about the mysterious notes his grandmother writes and a treasure map he found in her file drawer. They decide the two are related and set out in search of a treasure.
This book will bring back memories for anyone who spends their summers at a lake house. Canoeing, swimming, hiking, exploring. Good times. Unfortunately, I don't see this book having much audience. I don't have boys who look for books like this and girls usually want books with girl main characters. There is a hint of young romance. It's clear by the end that Adam and Alice like one another as more than just friends. Girls may like this if they give it a chance, but Adam is more mature than a typical middle school boy. Boys his age don't care two hoots about loons.
Kid rating: 3 stars
Summer vacation has begun, and Adam is returning to his grandmother's cabin on Three Bird Lake. This is the first summer since his parent's divorce, so his father and cousins won't be there. He doesn't get girls and he's not thrilled about meeting the new girl, Alice, his grandmother keeps telling him about. What ends up being the most difficult part of his summer is his grandmother's confusion. She keeps leaving love notes in Adam's room addressed to someone she calls "G."
As the summer moves forward, he and Alice inevitably run into each other on the lake. She isn't like all the strange popular girls back at his school and a friendship develops. Adam tells her about the mysterious notes his grandmother writes and a treasure map he found in her file drawer. They decide the two are related and set out in search of a treasure.
This book will bring back memories for anyone who spends their summers at a lake house. Canoeing, swimming, hiking, exploring. Good times. Unfortunately, I don't see this book having much audience. I don't have boys who look for books like this and girls usually want books with girl main characters. There is a hint of young romance. It's clear by the end that Adam and Alice like one another as more than just friends. Girls may like this if they give it a chance, but Adam is more mature than a typical middle school boy. Boys his age don't care two hoots about loons.
October 10, 2023
The book Three Bird Summer is written by Sara St.Antoine and is about a boy named Adam. Spending his summer in a house on a lake called Three Bird Lake with his mom and grandma. He spent most of the summers growing up going to the cabin for as long as he can remember. But this time was different. Adam usually went with some aunts, uncles, and his dad; this time it was just him, his mom and grandma this time. He mainly used this alone time to reflect on everything going on in his life from his parents recent divorce, to his grandma who has started to forget everything. During the summer he finds strange notes that are being hidden for him to find from his grandma. He ends up meeting a girl named Alice. She helps him figure out what the notes mean, and become best friends throughout their journey.
I feel that the author did a great job with writing this book. Even though it isn’t as action packed as most of the books that I have read, it was still a very interesting and enjoyable read. She included many key details early on that lead to me making my own inferences and not wanting to put the book down. Reading this book has also taught me to appreciate what I have. With both of my grandparents still in good health who are able to do things like this with me. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to be in suspense while reading a good adventure full book.
I feel that the author did a great job with writing this book. Even though it isn’t as action packed as most of the books that I have read, it was still a very interesting and enjoyable read. She included many key details early on that lead to me making my own inferences and not wanting to put the book down. Reading this book has also taught me to appreciate what I have. With both of my grandparents still in good health who are able to do things like this with me. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to be in suspense while reading a good adventure full book.
August 1, 2018
This book was just okay. The story was slow (I don't mind slow stories...), and just a little too unmemorable. There are a lot of Summer-At-the-Lake-Where-a-Boy-Meets-A-Girl-and-Has-An-Adventure books, and I didn't really feel like this one stood above any others.
The characters were okay. I felt like Adam's stereotype of girls was a very 12-year-old boy thing to do. Alice managed to both fit and break that stereotype. I was also glad (after reading in the first chapter that Adam's parents had recently been divorced) that this book wasn't about him trying to cope with that. The divorce was almost never mentioned.
I was glad that the book was more about the friendship between Adam and Alice than any romance. Up until the end at least. The author just had to put in a kiss. I wasn't sold on that ending at all.
All in all, the story was okay. It just didn't really stand above any other books of this type.
Swearing: None? (I'm not 100%....memorability factor coming into place here...)
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Religious/spiritual/magical content: None
The characters were okay. I felt like Adam's stereotype of girls was a very 12-year-old boy thing to do. Alice managed to both fit and break that stereotype. I was also glad (after reading in the first chapter that Adam's parents had recently been divorced) that this book wasn't about him trying to cope with that. The divorce was almost never mentioned.
I was glad that the book was more about the friendship between Adam and Alice than any romance. Up until the end at least. The author just had to put in a kiss. I wasn't sold on that ending at all.
All in all, the story was okay. It just didn't really stand above any other books of this type.
Swearing: None? (I'm not 100%....memorability factor coming into place here...)
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Religious/spiritual/magical content: None
May 9, 2022
This quiet middle grade chapter book takes place in my former home state of Minnesota. Twelve year old Adam and his newly divorced mother will spend the summer with his grandmother at a cabin on a lake, as they have every summer of his life.
Unlike other summers, his dad and cousins will not be there. Adam looks forward to having the lake and the summer to himself. Then he meets Alice, whose family is staying in the cottage next door. Despite his suspicion of girls, Adam develops a friendship with Alice, who is unlike girls he remembers from home. Together they try to solve a family mystery, and try to understand Adam's grandmother, who seems to be struggling with memory loss.
The pace of the story is leisurely. The descriptions of the lake, trees, animals, and insects of northern Minnesota reflect the author's love for this setting.
Although the main character is a boy, the style of writing will more likely appeal to girls.
Unlike other summers, his dad and cousins will not be there. Adam looks forward to having the lake and the summer to himself. Then he meets Alice, whose family is staying in the cottage next door. Despite his suspicion of girls, Adam develops a friendship with Alice, who is unlike girls he remembers from home. Together they try to solve a family mystery, and try to understand Adam's grandmother, who seems to be struggling with memory loss.
The pace of the story is leisurely. The descriptions of the lake, trees, animals, and insects of northern Minnesota reflect the author's love for this setting.
Although the main character is a boy, the style of writing will more likely appeal to girls.
December 11, 2018
I couldn't really get into this story even though I really want to. This story was the kind of summer that one would dream of to spend during vacation.
When the blurb said that there was mystery involved, I was expecting more. But it all went pretty much downhill from there. Even from the every beginning.
The one thing that I really can't take was when Alice and Adam had a little brawl when he thought that she was one of the popular girls. So, who cares if she likes to play tennis or dress like them? It's her choice anyway and I suppose that he's way overthinking stuff.
This was a short book and I'm glad that I'm done with it. I'm just so ready to put it pass me now and move on.
When the blurb said that there was mystery involved, I was expecting more. But it all went pretty much downhill from there. Even from the every beginning.
The one thing that I really can't take was when Alice and Adam had a little brawl when he thought that she was one of the popular girls. So, who cares if she likes to play tennis or dress like them? It's her choice anyway and I suppose that he's way overthinking stuff.
This was a short book and I'm glad that I'm done with it. I'm just so ready to put it pass me now and move on.
February 3, 2018
Simple but masterfully written, this is s lovely middle grade novel: a story that is a little bit coming of age, a little bit mystery, and the teeniest, tiniest bit of a romance.
The younger characters felt like real twelve years, not miniature adults or exaggerated goof-balls. Best of all, the setting was an amazing lake surrounded by beautiful woods- the perfect summer escape for kids and grownups alike (just like this book.)
The younger characters felt like real twelve years, not miniature adults or exaggerated goof-balls. Best of all, the setting was an amazing lake surrounded by beautiful woods- the perfect summer escape for kids and grownups alike (just like this book.)
September 8, 2017
I love this book! Sara St. Antoine does a great job at balancing first and third person dialogue:) I love the setting, and hits very close to home with his grandma's fading mind. Definitely recommend it!!!!! ❤️
February 13, 2020
Fabulous and sweet
Great characters. Beautiful wildlife descriptions. Intricate mystery. A book for boys and girls alike. A book about changing family relationships and friendships when you least expect them.
Great characters. Beautiful wildlife descriptions. Intricate mystery. A book for boys and girls alike. A book about changing family relationships and friendships when you least expect them.
August 25, 2023
Adam, a 12 year old introvert , who does not like to be around girls, returns to his grandma’s northern Minnesota cabin. He has some adventures with a neighbor girl named Alice. A perfect portrait of growing up, facing the world, and unlearning prejudices.
July 9, 2025
This looked like a fun adventure story for my 10yo, but it is more of a middle school drama (boys/girls, popular kids, divorce, aging grandparent). It was well written, but not for the audience I expected.
May 11, 2017
i liked it all, except the last sentience/scene. the great descriptions of wildlife and the joy of being outdoors so meaningful. but 12 is too young to be thinking about kissing! (old fuddy dud)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2019
A lovely book: quiet and yet compelling, evocative and authentic. Such good writing. I like the main character; I want to know what happens in his life this three bird summer.
April 1, 2019
Every once in awhile I need me some kid lit and this did not disappoint.
July 1, 2019
The perfect summer at the cabin book. Readers will want to jump in the lake and take a swim, a paddle or try their hand at the water games that the characters play.
August 11, 2020
Beautiful! 🌲🐾🛶☀️ I would have enjoyed this book for the descriptions of the lake alone, but the story and characters were endearing. By the end, I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. 💙
October 6, 2020
I loved the friendship between Adam and Alice, the inter-generational connections, and the mystery. This book was thoroughly enjoyable!
May 1, 2022
Sweet middle grade or late-elem book about summer friendships and adventures.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews