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The Great Good Summer
Ivy and Paul hatch a secret plan to find Ivy’s missing mom and say good-bye to the space shuttle in this heartfelt and “engaging debut novel” ( School Library Journal , starred review) reminiscent of Each Little Bird that Sings and Because of Winn-Dixie .
Ivy Green’s mama has gone off with a charismatic preacher called Hallelujah Dave to The Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida. At least that’s where Ivy and her dad think Mama is. But since the church has no website or phone number and Mama left no forwarding address, Ivy’s not entirely sure. She does know she’s missing Mama. And she’s starting to get just a little worried about her, too.
Paul Dobbs, one of Ivy’s schoolmates, is also having a crummy summer. Paul has always wanted to be an astronaut, and now that NASA’s space shuttle program has been scrapped, it looks like his dream will never get off the ground.
Although Ivy and Paul are an unlikely pair, it turns out they are the perfect allies for a runaway road trip to Florida—to look for Mama, to kiss the Space Shuttle good-bye, and maybe, just maybe , regain their faith in the things in life that are most important.
Ivy Green’s mama has gone off with a charismatic preacher called Hallelujah Dave to The Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida. At least that’s where Ivy and her dad think Mama is. But since the church has no website or phone number and Mama left no forwarding address, Ivy’s not entirely sure. She does know she’s missing Mama. And she’s starting to get just a little worried about her, too.
Paul Dobbs, one of Ivy’s schoolmates, is also having a crummy summer. Paul has always wanted to be an astronaut, and now that NASA’s space shuttle program has been scrapped, it looks like his dream will never get off the ground.
Although Ivy and Paul are an unlikely pair, it turns out they are the perfect allies for a runaway road trip to Florida—to look for Mama, to kiss the Space Shuttle good-bye, and maybe, just maybe , regain their faith in the things in life that are most important.
240 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2015
4 people are currently reading
881 people want to read
About the author
Liz Garton Scanlon
43 books193 followersLiz Garton Scanlon is the author of numerous beloved books for young people, including the highly-acclaimed, Caldecott-honored picture book All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, two novels for middle grade readers, and an upcoming chapter book series. Her many other picture books include the ones she's co-authored with Audrey Vernick, like Bob, Not Bob and World's Best Class Plant. Ms. Scanlon is also a poet, a teacher and a frequent & popular presenter at schools, libraries and conferences. She serves on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Austin, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
May 9, 2015
This is a book of friendship and all kinds of faith. There is loss and betrayal, but there is also discovery about self, others, parents, and the universe. I'm not the only one who feels like it is a cross between Because of Winn Dixie and Missing May. Ivy Blank Green, a church-going God-believing girl without a middle name is a character I won't forget anytime soon. The same is true for Paul Dobbs, her space-obsessed, scientific, non-God-believing friend and accomplice in the adventure of a summer/lifetime.
Columbus friends, who wants to borrow the ARC next?
Columbus friends, who wants to borrow the ARC next?
March 8, 2018
I read this book in a single day (between checking people in for early voting). It was downright cute and SO relatable. All the characters had a flare, and the main ones were endearing. Ivy's babysitting was soooo me and Paul was like ... super epic considering he was trying to go pagan. Even though they're both 12-year-olds, they collide with the weightier side of life and turn it into an adventure. The themes of family, faith, and friendship (and their many iterations) were very well done. A fun little adventure with a much deeper meaning. The cherry on top was that the fire that kicks off the spiral of events in the fictional town ... was actually MY fire. The fire that ripped through my backyard and turned my life upside down. Which is perfect because it kept coming to mind as I read, so no one's taking that jawdropping factor away!
I read this hoping it would work for a young book club I'm hoping to start and my only concerns are these: some words like crap and using God's name in vain (although it's reprimanded a few times) and some mature themes as the main girl wonders about her mom's morality, faces some seedy characters, and has a few shouting matches before patching up. I'd say ages 11+
I read this hoping it would work for a young book club I'm hoping to start and my only concerns are these: some words like crap and using God's name in vain (although it's reprimanded a few times) and some mature themes as the main girl wonders about her mom's morality, faces some seedy characters, and has a few shouting matches before patching up. I'd say ages 11+
October 2, 2017
An entire book populated with people making idiotic decisions in the name of God because they are too blinded by their own faith to stop and think about stuff on their own for more than a millisecond.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...
June 3, 2017
I wanted to like this book. The description, or at least the part about Paul and the retired space shuttles, hit me right in the nostalgia, and I had to read it. I remember being Paul's age and watching the final shuttle flight lift off via NASA's live stream, then sketching designs for its replacement in case NASA needed any.
Anycase, there didn't end up being as much space stuff as I would've hoped. However, there were some other things I ended up liking - and quite a few I had issues with.
Pros: The first quarter was good - not great, but good. The book dealt with issues of faith in a very respectful and realistic way (this coming from a Christian reviewer), and it even addressed a couple of issues I've had with some churches over the years in the scenes involving Ivy's church, such as the idea of "no secrets" among members of the congregation. In a lot of the story, the theme of the shuttle and of space travel intertwines nicely with the faith-based themes of the story. Even though the main character is a christian, the story doesn't feel like formulaic Christian fiction, and Ivy never forces her religion on Paul or the reader. Some of the side characters are well done. Ivy and Paul's relationship never turns into anything romantic, thankfully.
Cons: Ivy and Paul's characters, as well as their relationship, seem to change constantly to fit the needs of the plot. Both of Ivy's parents feel wrong to me - her dad seems rather lax for someone who already had a member of the family run away, and her mother, who's supposed to be all smart and organized and on top of things, runs off with a con artist without her phone or medication, then stays in the hospital because she's too embarrassed to return home, even though her medication is at home. The story never touches on "stranger danger," even though Ivy is traveling alone with a boy her age, and they literally follow a creepy dude on the bus into a prison. And when they finally find Ivy's mother, they immediately turn around and go to Cape Canaveral, even though that isn't nearly as important as getting Ivy's mother back home and re-united with her dad, who never appears at the end of the story. I'm not entirely sure why the dad couldn't just come get the kids and the mom in Tallahassee, or why Ivy would ever trust her mother after she basically ditched everything and ran off. Overall the ending felt a bit cheesy and tacked-on.
Anycase, there didn't end up being as much space stuff as I would've hoped. However, there were some other things I ended up liking - and quite a few I had issues with.
Pros: The first quarter was good - not great, but good. The book dealt with issues of faith in a very respectful and realistic way (this coming from a Christian reviewer), and it even addressed a couple of issues I've had with some churches over the years in the scenes involving Ivy's church, such as the idea of "no secrets" among members of the congregation. In a lot of the story, the theme of the shuttle and of space travel intertwines nicely with the faith-based themes of the story. Even though the main character is a christian, the story doesn't feel like formulaic Christian fiction, and Ivy never forces her religion on Paul or the reader. Some of the side characters are well done. Ivy and Paul's relationship never turns into anything romantic, thankfully.
Cons: Ivy and Paul's characters, as well as their relationship, seem to change constantly to fit the needs of the plot. Both of Ivy's parents feel wrong to me - her dad seems rather lax for someone who already had a member of the family run away, and her mother, who's supposed to be all smart and organized and on top of things, runs off with a con artist without her phone or medication, then stays in the hospital because she's too embarrassed to return home, even though her medication is at home. The story never touches on "stranger danger," even though Ivy is traveling alone with a boy her age, and they literally follow a creepy dude on the bus into a prison. And when they finally find Ivy's mother, they immediately turn around and go to Cape Canaveral, even though that isn't nearly as important as getting Ivy's mother back home and re-united with her dad, who never appears at the end of the story. I'm not entirely sure why the dad couldn't just come get the kids and the mom in Tallahassee, or why Ivy would ever trust her mother after she basically ditched everything and ran off. Overall the ending felt a bit cheesy and tacked-on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 21, 2015PAUL DOBBS IS MY MIDDLE GRADE BOYFRIEND.
Give this kid 15 years, and he'll totally be my type. He wants to be an astronaut, he flies paper airplanes, he's super into science, and the way his face lights up when he visits the Kennedy Space Center is super super nerdy and cute!
But actually, The Great Good Summer is told from the point of view of Ivy Green from Loomer, TX, whose mom has had a crisis of faith and runs off to Florida with a preacher named Hallelujah Dave to find it again. Ivy and Paul, a friend from school who's also having a sucky summer because NASA closed their shuttle program, inspire each other to uh, run away together and find Ivy's mom, and with a lot of luck they actually manage it. (And you know what else is in Florida? Kennedy Space Center.) I was a bit confused by the denouement, though--I wasn't expecting for them to find her mom a little over halfway in the book, but I liked and respected that Ivy got to confront her mom, on the page, for running away and letting the readers see the fall-out. Because there's a lot of hurt involved when you up and leave your family.
Scanlon also manages to straddle the very fine line (imo) of having her main characters be deeply religious but not be overly preachy. Ivy's faith is presented to us as a part of her character and identity, and she gets along just fine with Paul-Dobbs-the-science-guy. Just wait til they're older, they'll have adorable caramel-coloured-haired babies together with airplane mobiles and all will be grand.
Give this kid 15 years, and he'll totally be my type. He wants to be an astronaut, he flies paper airplanes, he's super into science, and the way his face lights up when he visits the Kennedy Space Center is super super nerdy and cute!
But actually, The Great Good Summer is told from the point of view of Ivy Green from Loomer, TX, whose mom has had a crisis of faith and runs off to Florida with a preacher named Hallelujah Dave to find it again. Ivy and Paul, a friend from school who's also having a sucky summer because NASA closed their shuttle program, inspire each other to uh, run away together and find Ivy's mom, and with a lot of luck they actually manage it. (And you know what else is in Florida? Kennedy Space Center.) I was a bit confused by the denouement, though--I wasn't expecting for them to find her mom a little over halfway in the book, but I liked and respected that Ivy got to confront her mom, on the page, for running away and letting the readers see the fall-out. Because there's a lot of hurt involved when you up and leave your family.
Scanlon also manages to straddle the very fine line (imo) of having her main characters be deeply religious but not be overly preachy. Ivy's faith is presented to us as a part of her character and identity, and she gets along just fine with Paul-Dobbs-the-science-guy. Just wait til they're older, they'll have adorable caramel-coloured-haired babies together with airplane mobiles and all will be grand.
March 10, 2015
Some intense themes, but Scanlon handled them beautifully.
August 6, 2015
Beautiful! The Goodreads review of this book compared it to Deborah Wiles' Each Little Bird That Sings and Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie, and I would agree. The humor, the spunky protagonist,the charm of the South, the spiritual aspects, the unlikely friendship, and the tug at the heartstrings, etc., all remind me of Wiles' and DiCamillo's work. It's a classic journey story, so I will be adding it to my JOURNEY unit text set.
Whenever authors handle the subject of God in middle grade and young adult lit, I get a little nervous because I want them to handle it well. I don't want faith in God to be made fun of or put down; however, I'm okay with characters questioning or doubting God and spiritual beliefs - that's just part of the process! Scanlon handles this subject beautifully. Ivy's friend, Paul, is a scientist (he loves space and dreams of becoming an astronaut) and quite possibly an atheist, and Ivy believes in God (even though she has to work through the mistakes her mama makes as a result of her religious upbringing and beliefs). Both Paul's and Ivy's stances are honored and even compared - they both question and are sometimes disappointed in what they put their faith in, they both find a way back to it, they both fight for what they believe in, and they both appreciate each other's passions. Perfect. I also loved the "if" and "then" discussion and will be using it in a future blog post!
"Looking up at the sky and wondering is what science people like Paul do. And it's what God people like Mama do too. If that's not the craziest thing."
Whenever authors handle the subject of God in middle grade and young adult lit, I get a little nervous because I want them to handle it well. I don't want faith in God to be made fun of or put down; however, I'm okay with characters questioning or doubting God and spiritual beliefs - that's just part of the process! Scanlon handles this subject beautifully. Ivy's friend, Paul, is a scientist (he loves space and dreams of becoming an astronaut) and quite possibly an atheist, and Ivy believes in God (even though she has to work through the mistakes her mama makes as a result of her religious upbringing and beliefs). Both Paul's and Ivy's stances are honored and even compared - they both question and are sometimes disappointed in what they put their faith in, they both find a way back to it, they both fight for what they believe in, and they both appreciate each other's passions. Perfect. I also loved the "if" and "then" discussion and will be using it in a future blog post!
"Looking up at the sky and wondering is what science people like Paul do. And it's what God people like Mama do too. If that's not the craziest thing."
July 6, 2015
Ivy is not having a good summer. Her mom has run off to Florida with Hallelujah Dave and Ivy has no idea how to contact her. It is just her and her dad trying to hold down the fort. Paul isn't having the greatest summer either. Paul loves space and is sad that the space shuttle program is being shut down. So the two concoct a plan to run away to Florida and find Ivy's mom and go to the Kennedy Space Center. Of course, all doesn't go according to plan, but they do eventually reach their goals.
This is one of those books that made me smile while reading it. Not because it was funny or really all that light of a read, but because it was just so entertaining. I loved Ivy and Paul. They are very different and don't see things the same way, yet they got along great and made a wonderful team. I enjoyed the fact that while Ivy and her family are religious their religion didn't define who they were or make them see the world in a negative light. She had no problems being friends with Paul who wasn't sure he believed in God and was a firm believer in science. It is how I expect most people actually are despite the extreme rhetoric you see on the news today. Their road trip was interesting and just scary enough to discourage kids from trying it. I was also happy that once Ivy found her mom things weren't all happy-happy. There are consequences when you run off and abandon your family and this book deals with them. A wonderful middle grade read.
This is one of those books that made me smile while reading it. Not because it was funny or really all that light of a read, but because it was just so entertaining. I loved Ivy and Paul. They are very different and don't see things the same way, yet they got along great and made a wonderful team. I enjoyed the fact that while Ivy and her family are religious their religion didn't define who they were or make them see the world in a negative light. She had no problems being friends with Paul who wasn't sure he believed in God and was a firm believer in science. It is how I expect most people actually are despite the extreme rhetoric you see on the news today. Their road trip was interesting and just scary enough to discourage kids from trying it. I was also happy that once Ivy found her mom things weren't all happy-happy. There are consequences when you run off and abandon your family and this book deals with them. A wonderful middle grade read.
May 22, 2015
I am waffling between 2 and 3 stars on this one. There are parts of the story that are well done and others I didn't think worked as well. I thought the religion/science dichotomy was appropriately toned for the age level (8-12). However, I did regularly question the age of the main characters. At times to me they seemed to read a lot younger than 12, and at times a wee bit older- maybe 13/14. I really wasn't sure how old they were (12) until it was mentioned by a character near the middle-end of the book.
One of the biggest reasons I am waffling on the rating is my former 12 year old self would not have liked this book. As a preteen, I would have put it down probably after the first chapter, if not the first line, and never come back to it. I wouldn't have been able to relate at all to Ivy then (and could only a little as a more compassionate and tolerant adult). Also I had a pretty strong aversion to anything to do with any religion at that age.
So for every reader her book and book its reader, yadda yadda- this will be great for some kids, just not preteen-me.
Tl;dr:
adult me: okay
Preteen me: NOPE.
One of the biggest reasons I am waffling on the rating is my former 12 year old self would not have liked this book. As a preteen, I would have put it down probably after the first chapter, if not the first line, and never come back to it. I wouldn't have been able to relate at all to Ivy then (and could only a little as a more compassionate and tolerant adult). Also I had a pretty strong aversion to anything to do with any religion at that age.
So for every reader her book and book its reader, yadda yadda- this will be great for some kids, just not preteen-me.
Tl;dr:
adult me: okay
Preteen me: NOPE.
July 28, 2015
Loved it! Another great book by one of my favorite authors from the city I live in, Austin, Texas. It is a story that is touching and sad at times. It is about friendship, forgiveness, and family. Two kids go an adventure when ivy, the main characters mom disappears. They travel on a bus to find her mom, who followed a televangelist to Florida. Paul, the other character has a dream of being an astronaut , so while in Florida they visit NASA and while Paul is heart broken to find out the space shuttle program ended, he realizes he can still explore his interest in Space travel. Ivy , ends up on a quite an adventure to find her mom, but once reunited learns a big lesson about forgiveness and love of ones family! A great book for elementary age kids. It is a unique book and not just the same book you always see on the market. It will probably win an award perhaps the newberry or book of the year!
November 28, 2014
This book is a story of faith and friendship. When Ivy Greene’s mother hits the road with a traveling preacher of questionable motives, Ivy is left to wonder what it means to be good, to be faithful and to be left behind. As she begins a summer of soul searching she forms a tentative friendship with a highly intelligent classmate, Paul Dobbs. Paul is also disillusioned this summer, having found out that the Space Shuttle program has been scrapped. The two teens hop a greyhound bus in search of spaceships and missing persons and finds much more on the way.
Appropriate for grades 5 and up.
This review is based on an ARC from the publisher.
Appropriate for grades 5 and up.
This review is based on an ARC from the publisher.
July 18, 2015
The Great Good Summer is a book you do not want to miss. Liz Garton Scalon has written a truly beautiful book about family and the south of Texas. Her word choice is perfect. I should know because I am a native Mississippian. Click on the title above to read the first page of this wonderful story. I recommend heading down to the nearest book store or library and dive right in. Believe me, you will not be able to put this one down. Thank you Liz!
July 23, 2015
Very strong voice - Ivy reminds me a little bit of Mo LoBeau - and a masterful handling of a girl questioning her faith after her mother leaves to follow a preacher to Florida. I wasn't altogether satisfied with the ending (which might be a statement about faith?), and I had trouble with the ages of the main characters - sometimes they seemed younger than 12, sometimes older. (Possibly this means that they are very well-written tween characters???!)
August 22, 2016
"Maybe sometimes the wrong things have to happen so the right things can."
I hereby resolve to add more so-called middle-grade and young adult books to my reading list on a regular basis. Such a refreshing antidote to often pretentious and seldom reader-friendly literary books. Any book, like this one, that brings a tears of joy and hope deserves more than being pigeon-holed into a reader category that is not consider worthy of adults (pure hogwash!).
I hereby resolve to add more so-called middle-grade and young adult books to my reading list on a regular basis. Such a refreshing antidote to often pretentious and seldom reader-friendly literary books. Any book, like this one, that brings a tears of joy and hope deserves more than being pigeon-holed into a reader category that is not consider worthy of adults (pure hogwash!).
May 31, 2015
The specifics of this story are appealingly distinct from anything else I've read, yet there is a universality to the story that makes the character and her struggles familiar and likable. Ivy's emotional explorations are intense and painful at times, but her drive to find herself is as a intense as her desire to find her mother. Readers will root for her every step of the way.
June 8, 2015
Gorgeous writing, touching story.
June 19, 2015
Very similar to Because of Winn-Dixie, but without the beautiful writing.
September 4, 2023
WARNING: CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS
Christian Review:
This book was really cute and pretty good. The storyline and characters were all well put together and it's the type of book you feel like you really know them.
However.
The faith content was there... In its own way. The protagonist, Ivy, expressed that she has a belief in God and she goes to church every Sunday. But it wasn't sincere, really. I will say that when the other main character, Paul, was trying to say God is fake, Ivy did tell him that God is real and claimed her belief in Him. But it almost felt like the author jus threw mentions of God in the book and it wasn't really "Christian" fiction. Almost.
Another thing that kinda irked me was that whenever a preacher or someone who lives for God came up, it almost seemed like they were being made fun of. Granted, one of the preachers wasn't a good guy anyway and her "mama" did some not so good things as well. But the preacher of Ivy's church, Pastor Lou, always kinda seemed like he was being spoken of in a humorous way. Always talking about his "big booming preacher voice" and stereotyping people. Maybe he wasn't supposed to be a good guy anyway, but in my experience good preachers aren't like that.
Also, the ending was jus kinda unsatisfying? I'm just saying, the blurb implied that they were gonna get their faith back in the end, but nothing really seemed to change that much. Ivy just seemed kinda mad at God because her "mama" ran away to get closer to Him, and in the end I will say she's not really mad anymore, but she still doesn't really seem any closer to Him. Also, I was really looking forward to Paul coming to salvation or at least starting to consider that God is real and good. But in the end he was still just a science believing kid. I don't think there was one implication of him finding his faith.
Lastly, the "romance." I don't know if you could really even call it that, but still. The Ivy and Paul ship is kinda cute, I've gotta say. But still, like, they're literally twelve. Her saying his face was "kinda-cute" was like ehh ok fine. But then at the end when they held hands just seemed a little much for Christian fiction in my opinion.
I know it seems like I'm complaining a lot, but I've gotta be honest, I did like the story and characters and everything a lot. I almost gave it four stars, and I think I would even say it gets 3.5. There were just some things in it I would have left out. But overall, yeah, it was a good book.
Christian Review:
This book was really cute and pretty good. The storyline and characters were all well put together and it's the type of book you feel like you really know them.
However.
The faith content was there... In its own way. The protagonist, Ivy, expressed that she has a belief in God and she goes to church every Sunday. But it wasn't sincere, really. I will say that when the other main character, Paul, was trying to say God is fake, Ivy did tell him that God is real and claimed her belief in Him. But it almost felt like the author jus threw mentions of God in the book and it wasn't really "Christian" fiction. Almost.
Another thing that kinda irked me was that whenever a preacher or someone who lives for God came up, it almost seemed like they were being made fun of. Granted, one of the preachers wasn't a good guy anyway and her "mama" did some not so good things as well. But the preacher of Ivy's church, Pastor Lou, always kinda seemed like he was being spoken of in a humorous way. Always talking about his "big booming preacher voice" and stereotyping people. Maybe he wasn't supposed to be a good guy anyway, but in my experience good preachers aren't like that.
Also, the ending was jus kinda unsatisfying? I'm just saying, the blurb implied that they were gonna get their faith back in the end, but nothing really seemed to change that much. Ivy just seemed kinda mad at God because her "mama" ran away to get closer to Him, and in the end I will say she's not really mad anymore, but she still doesn't really seem any closer to Him. Also, I was really looking forward to Paul coming to salvation or at least starting to consider that God is real and good. But in the end he was still just a science believing kid. I don't think there was one implication of him finding his faith.
Lastly, the "romance." I don't know if you could really even call it that, but still. The Ivy and Paul ship is kinda cute, I've gotta say. But still, like, they're literally twelve. Her saying his face was "kinda-cute" was like ehh ok fine. But then at the end when they held hands just seemed a little much for Christian fiction in my opinion.
I know it seems like I'm complaining a lot, but I've gotta be honest, I did like the story and characters and everything a lot. I almost gave it four stars, and I think I would even say it gets 3.5. There were just some things in it I would have left out. But overall, yeah, it was a good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2015
I'm still thinking about this. When I was reading it, I found it very hard to put down. I wanted to find out what happened, but more importantly I wanted to know what Ivy and Paul thought. It covers a lot of things that kids wonder about but that not a lot of books talk about.
Kids think about things. They think about God and religion and wonder and the world. And when things are difficult, they question their faith, regardless of what it is that they have faith in: their parents, their hopes and dreams, their own place in the world and yes, sometimes their religion. The lives of children are one continual effort to make sense of the world. It is a rare and special thing to see this reflected on the pages of a book. These days so many authors sell their readers short, but Scanlon does not. She does not condescend, she does not oversimplify, she does not skirt the tough stuff. She gives kids credit for being thinkers and dreamers, hopers and wishers, complex inquisitive people and I applaud her for it.
With that intro, you might expect something serious, dull and plodding, but The Great Good Summer is none of these things. It’s a story of friendship, determination and a road trip meant to reclaim a bit of hope. Ivy has been raised as an upstanding member of the Baptist Church. Her Mama and Daddy have always been there for her. But this summer, after a rash of wildfires, her mama was just not herself. And one day she just up and took off with a preacher called Hallelujah Dave of the Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida. Ivy and her Daddy have to muddle along without her. But like most kids, Ivy wants more of an explanation than she’s been given. And she wants her mama back. During the summer, she meets Paul, a science club kid at the park where he and his friends fly model planes. Unlike Ivy, Paul doesn’t believe in God. His faith is in science and the stars, the sense that there is something bigger than our small world: the universe.
The Great Good Summer manages to talk about serious issues without being heavy or serious itself. It does not attempt to declare either Ivy or Paul as morally right. Rather it gently shows the ways such different beliefs can still have common ground. This is a very special book and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Age Recommendation: Grades 4+. Although this book tackles some difficult questions, it’s done in a way that will be accessible even to middle grades readers. The friendship between Ivy and Paul is just that, a friendship and does not progress to anything that would make it better suited to older readers.
Read my full review on my blog: http://bit.ly/1HvY4kO
Kids think about things. They think about God and religion and wonder and the world. And when things are difficult, they question their faith, regardless of what it is that they have faith in: their parents, their hopes and dreams, their own place in the world and yes, sometimes their religion. The lives of children are one continual effort to make sense of the world. It is a rare and special thing to see this reflected on the pages of a book. These days so many authors sell their readers short, but Scanlon does not. She does not condescend, she does not oversimplify, she does not skirt the tough stuff. She gives kids credit for being thinkers and dreamers, hopers and wishers, complex inquisitive people and I applaud her for it.
With that intro, you might expect something serious, dull and plodding, but The Great Good Summer is none of these things. It’s a story of friendship, determination and a road trip meant to reclaim a bit of hope. Ivy has been raised as an upstanding member of the Baptist Church. Her Mama and Daddy have always been there for her. But this summer, after a rash of wildfires, her mama was just not herself. And one day she just up and took off with a preacher called Hallelujah Dave of the Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida. Ivy and her Daddy have to muddle along without her. But like most kids, Ivy wants more of an explanation than she’s been given. And she wants her mama back. During the summer, she meets Paul, a science club kid at the park where he and his friends fly model planes. Unlike Ivy, Paul doesn’t believe in God. His faith is in science and the stars, the sense that there is something bigger than our small world: the universe.
The Great Good Summer manages to talk about serious issues without being heavy or serious itself. It does not attempt to declare either Ivy or Paul as morally right. Rather it gently shows the ways such different beliefs can still have common ground. This is a very special book and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Age Recommendation: Grades 4+. Although this book tackles some difficult questions, it’s done in a way that will be accessible even to middle grades readers. The friendship between Ivy and Paul is just that, a friendship and does not progress to anything that would make it better suited to older readers.
Read my full review on my blog: http://bit.ly/1HvY4kO
August 20, 2015
In Garton Scanlon's first novel, for middle-graders, Ivy Green (no middle name, explain her parents, "to make room for God") is spending her 12th summer in the (fictional) small town of Loomer, TX by babysitting the toddlers of an interesting Buddhist and part-time novelist, while longing for a dog and musing on the month-long disappearance of her mother. In grief about the destruction by wildfires of the church her evangelical father had preached in when she was a child, Ivy's mama has run off to the Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida with a preacher named Hallelujah Dave. Ivy's dad won't engage on the topic much, leaving Ivy filled with questions and a percolating frustration. Her babysitting activities link her up with science-minded Paul Dobbins, who is grieving the dissolution of the Space Shuttle program. Paul proves a steadfast, genial companion, and hatches a scheme for the two to run away themselves to find Ivy's mama. Thus begins a bus-riding adventure tinged with danger, fatigue, and plenty of beautifully composed internal and interpersonal debates about the oft-commensurate roles of religion and science in human nature.
The Great Good Summer is set firmly in place and time, and the southern dialogue and philosophical topics give it an appealingly nostalgic tone. Garton Scanlon was a poet-in-residence at the Michener Center for the Arts at UT Austin before turning her considerable talents to children's writing, and it shows. Not every writer of juvenile fiction has both the lyricism to appeal to literary adults and the sensitivity required to tackle spirituality as a main theme. Liz Garton Scanlon is the real deal. Already taking the picture book world by storm with such marvels as "All the World," with this new gem she has proven her mettle in writing for the early-reader set. Luckily for us, she is steadily publishing to critical acclaim, with no signs of slowing. We have much great good to look forward to from this thoughtful contemporary voice!
The Great Good Summer is set firmly in place and time, and the southern dialogue and philosophical topics give it an appealingly nostalgic tone. Garton Scanlon was a poet-in-residence at the Michener Center for the Arts at UT Austin before turning her considerable talents to children's writing, and it shows. Not every writer of juvenile fiction has both the lyricism to appeal to literary adults and the sensitivity required to tackle spirituality as a main theme. Liz Garton Scanlon is the real deal. Already taking the picture book world by storm with such marvels as "All the World," with this new gem she has proven her mettle in writing for the early-reader set. Luckily for us, she is steadily publishing to critical acclaim, with no signs of slowing. We have much great good to look forward to from this thoughtful contemporary voice!
November 27, 2018
I had no idea what to expect from this book. What I can say after reading it is that if you like Kate DiCamillo, you will like this one. The voice of the narrator has the same kind of honest, Southern introspection that you find in Because of Winn Dixie and Raymie Nightingale. I love those characters because they have important things to say about life. Scanlon, like Dicamillo takes great effort to develop the characters with lots of details and keep them consistent.
Ivy's life is put into an egg scrambler when her perfect mom just up and follows Hallelujah Dave to the Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida. Since no one, especially her dad, is doing anything about it, Ivy's friend, Paul, hatches a plan to take a bus from Texas to Florida to find her. And good golly, what do you know, they actually go through with it. Their journey takes them to a prison, then hospital, and finally to the Kennedy Space Center so Paul can see the space shuttle before it's retired.
Pure fun from beginning to end.
.
Ivy's life is put into an egg scrambler when her perfect mom just up and follows Hallelujah Dave to the Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida. Since no one, especially her dad, is doing anything about it, Ivy's friend, Paul, hatches a plan to take a bus from Texas to Florida to find her. And good golly, what do you know, they actually go through with it. Their journey takes them to a prison, then hospital, and finally to the Kennedy Space Center so Paul can see the space shuttle before it's retired.
Pure fun from beginning to end.
.
June 25, 2015
What a lovely book! It's always a bit scary reading a book a friend has written. I always want to like it, but...you just never know. I know Liz is a wonderful poet and picture book writer, but this is her first novel, and to top it all off, it's a southern road-trip novel--two genres I'm NOT immediately drawn to. And it's a beautiful book, so there you go.
I am not completely wild about the title, cover illustration, or back jacket copy, to be perfectly honest. So when I started this book, I worried that it might be too full of abstract ideas, ruminations on life, and overall sweetness. Luckily, I was wrong. Liz has built a world that feels as concrete as the dying geraniums on my deck right now, as close as the Coke Zero by my mousepad. Ivy is kind and full of faith, yes, but she's also a bit short-tempered and tired of being patient. I love that about her! She tells people off, gets her feelings hurt, and judges what her mother has done--as well she should!
I fell in love with Ivy and Paul, and I wanted so badly for things to work out perfectly for Ivy. And they do work out, not in a perfect, unrealistic, could only happen in a novel kind of way, but in a real life, dying geraniums and Coke Zero and life is still pretty good kind of way.
To top it all off, I was a Spacecoast baby, and my dad was an engineer at NASA most of his adult life, so the Space Shuttle subplot was a sweet spot for me.
So, even if the elements of a religious girl, a southern setting, and a mother who's run off with Hallelujah Dave don't hook you immediately, as they don't me, give this book a try. I'm betting you'll be so drawn in to Ivy and her humor and honesty that you won't be able to put it down after the first chapter.
I am not completely wild about the title, cover illustration, or back jacket copy, to be perfectly honest. So when I started this book, I worried that it might be too full of abstract ideas, ruminations on life, and overall sweetness. Luckily, I was wrong. Liz has built a world that feels as concrete as the dying geraniums on my deck right now, as close as the Coke Zero by my mousepad. Ivy is kind and full of faith, yes, but she's also a bit short-tempered and tired of being patient. I love that about her! She tells people off, gets her feelings hurt, and judges what her mother has done--as well she should!
I fell in love with Ivy and Paul, and I wanted so badly for things to work out perfectly for Ivy. And they do work out, not in a perfect, unrealistic, could only happen in a novel kind of way, but in a real life, dying geraniums and Coke Zero and life is still pretty good kind of way.
To top it all off, I was a Spacecoast baby, and my dad was an engineer at NASA most of his adult life, so the Space Shuttle subplot was a sweet spot for me.
So, even if the elements of a religious girl, a southern setting, and a mother who's run off with Hallelujah Dave don't hook you immediately, as they don't me, give this book a try. I'm betting you'll be so drawn in to Ivy and her humor and honesty that you won't be able to put it down after the first chapter.
June 10, 2015
I was kind of on the fence about this book all the way through hoping that it wouldn’t make people of faith seem stupid or try to convince readers that God is not real. That was not at all the case.
Ivy’s mom runs off to join a church in Florida & leaves Ivy & her daddy to fend for themselves. This leaves Ivy questioning God and the faithfulness of her parents. Her friend Paul convinces her that they need to go find her mother and have an adventure along the way.
In the end, Ivy learns a lot about faithfulness, God, friendship and herself.
Genre: Realistic
AR level: none yet
Grade appropriate: 4th and up
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5-- I ended up loving this little book. Ivy learns so much about herself and her inner strength and also comes to a peace with the mystery of God.
Creativity: 5/5--
Characters: 5/5-- Ivy and Paul! Love them!
Engrossing: 5/5-- Walked around the house reading and trying to do other things. It doesn’t work well...
Writing: 5/5--
Appeal to kids: 5/5-- Easy to read. Perfect for fans of Absolutely Almost and Because of Winn-Dixie.
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5-- Quick read.
CONTENT:
Language: mild-- “Oh my God” twice. Ivy gets scolded for it.
Sexuality: none
Violence: none
Drugs/Alcohol: none
There is a lot of questioning of faith, but that’s a product of maturing in faith. Ivy comes to decide that God’s ways are unknowable. “God is really more like space. Big, wild, mysterious space.” Ivy’s good friend is basically an atheist and the woman she babysits for is a buddhist. The topic is skirted so often because so many people have different takes on faith. Scanlon handled this beautifully!
Ivy’s mom runs off to join a church in Florida & leaves Ivy & her daddy to fend for themselves. This leaves Ivy questioning God and the faithfulness of her parents. Her friend Paul convinces her that they need to go find her mother and have an adventure along the way.
In the end, Ivy learns a lot about faithfulness, God, friendship and herself.
Genre: Realistic
AR level: none yet
Grade appropriate: 4th and up
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5-- I ended up loving this little book. Ivy learns so much about herself and her inner strength and also comes to a peace with the mystery of God.
Creativity: 5/5--
Characters: 5/5-- Ivy and Paul! Love them!
Engrossing: 5/5-- Walked around the house reading and trying to do other things. It doesn’t work well...
Writing: 5/5--
Appeal to kids: 5/5-- Easy to read. Perfect for fans of Absolutely Almost and Because of Winn-Dixie.
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5-- Quick read.
CONTENT:
Language: mild-- “Oh my God” twice. Ivy gets scolded for it.
Sexuality: none
Violence: none
Drugs/Alcohol: none
There is a lot of questioning of faith, but that’s a product of maturing in faith. Ivy comes to decide that God’s ways are unknowable. “God is really more like space. Big, wild, mysterious space.” Ivy’s good friend is basically an atheist and the woman she babysits for is a buddhist. The topic is skirted so often because so many people have different takes on faith. Scanlon handled this beautifully!
August 3, 2015
Ivy's mother has run off with a preacher who goes by the name of Hallelujah Dave to a church known as The Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida. After weeks of no phone calls and with just a postcard's worth of info to work from, Ivy and her friend/emerging crush, Paul, set off on a Greyhound bus to find her mother and bring her home.
Though they encounter a few setbacks on the way, Ivy and Paul succeed in their mission of locating Ivy's mother only to find her in a hospital and not acting the part of a grown up. What follows is a road trip to Cape Canaveral for Paul's benefit and coming to terms with what's been done and what will be once everyone gets back home.
This was just such a strange premise for me, and the conclusion wasn't all that satisfying. I struggled with the characterization because there were times where the kids felt older than their years and younger than their years.
I didn't know what to do with Ivy's mother at all. I really wanted to understand her motivations and actions and basing everything relating to her on religion just didn't give me a three-dimensional character. I think readers were cheated by not including a scene where Ivy's mother and father reunite.
Fans of other middle grade fiction told with a southern voice might like this, grades 5-8.
Though they encounter a few setbacks on the way, Ivy and Paul succeed in their mission of locating Ivy's mother only to find her in a hospital and not acting the part of a grown up. What follows is a road trip to Cape Canaveral for Paul's benefit and coming to terms with what's been done and what will be once everyone gets back home.
This was just such a strange premise for me, and the conclusion wasn't all that satisfying. I struggled with the characterization because there were times where the kids felt older than their years and younger than their years.
I didn't know what to do with Ivy's mother at all. I really wanted to understand her motivations and actions and basing everything relating to her on religion just didn't give me a three-dimensional character. I think readers were cheated by not including a scene where Ivy's mother and father reunite.
Fans of other middle grade fiction told with a southern voice might like this, grades 5-8.
December 19, 2017
This is a delightful YA book. Living in a small town has good things, and some rather annoying things as well. Mainly, it seems that everyone knows that Ivy Green's mother up and ran away with a traveling preacher who blew into town and whisked away Diane Green, who was a loving family member who also was a solid, pillar of the community.
Hallelujah Dave hails from the Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida. When an area near Loomer, Texas was burned to the ground Ivy's mother questioned why and thought perhaps Hallelujah Dave might have the answer.
Knowing that Ivy's father also misses her, she tries not to show her emotions. But, she is sad and she is mad. Finding a friend in Paul Dobbs, who is known as a science geek, they bond, and since Paul longs to visit the space center now that the space shuttle program is shut down, he plans a way that Ivy can find her mother, and he can visit the museum.
As the pool together money, they board a bus that will eventually take them to Florida.
While this book certainly isn't a page turner, it is charming.
Three and 1/2 stars for this poignant tale of things and people lost, then found.
Hallelujah Dave hails from the Great Good Bible Church of Panhandle Florida. When an area near Loomer, Texas was burned to the ground Ivy's mother questioned why and thought perhaps Hallelujah Dave might have the answer.
Knowing that Ivy's father also misses her, she tries not to show her emotions. But, she is sad and she is mad. Finding a friend in Paul Dobbs, who is known as a science geek, they bond, and since Paul longs to visit the space center now that the space shuttle program is shut down, he plans a way that Ivy can find her mother, and he can visit the museum.
As the pool together money, they board a bus that will eventually take them to Florida.
While this book certainly isn't a page turner, it is charming.
Three and 1/2 stars for this poignant tale of things and people lost, then found.
March 5, 2017
Scanlon, Liz Garton The Great Good Summer, 213 pgs. Beach Lane Books, 2015. $7.99. Language: G; Mature Content: PG; Violence: G;
Ivy Green of Loomer, Texas has no idea she is about to embark on the greatest summer adventure of her life. All she knows is that her mother had a breakdown and ran off with a so-called preacher, her father is doing his best to pretend it didn’t happen and that everything is fine, and Ivy just wants her family back. A new friend comes into her life and together they take matters into their own hands.
The Great Good Summer is an adventure story perfect for older elementary or jr high students. The characters explore their spirituality, loyalty, family relationships and pursuing dreams.
EL, MS- ADVISABLE. J. Hafen
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
Ivy Green of Loomer, Texas has no idea she is about to embark on the greatest summer adventure of her life. All she knows is that her mother had a breakdown and ran off with a so-called preacher, her father is doing his best to pretend it didn’t happen and that everything is fine, and Ivy just wants her family back. A new friend comes into her life and together they take matters into their own hands.
The Great Good Summer is an adventure story perfect for older elementary or jr high students. The characters explore their spirituality, loyalty, family relationships and pursuing dreams.
EL, MS- ADVISABLE. J. Hafen
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
March 13, 2017
Another heart-warming story about dealing with tough family situations, about finding a true friend, the one friend who tells us that all is going to be okay and who is willing to do whatever it takes to help us find happiness. The story reminded me so much of Winn Dixie for some reason even though there no dog was involved.
Favorite quotes:
"Maybe sometimes the wrong things have to happen so the right things can."
"... sometimes when you're looking up in wonder at the great-good heavens above, you are so full up with mystery and surprise that it feels nice to hold on to something that you really know."
Favorite quotes:
"Maybe sometimes the wrong things have to happen so the right things can."
"... sometimes when you're looking up in wonder at the great-good heavens above, you are so full up with mystery and surprise that it feels nice to hold on to something that you really know."
April 20, 2016
I enjoyed The Great Good Summer by Liz Garton Scanlon. It's a wonderful read that engages the reader to want to find out what exactly happened to Ivy's mom. The main character is spunky and needs answers to her questions. Ivy also becomes friendly with Paul and she realizes that things are not always the way they appear and that regardless of who you are, you each have individual dreams and goals and sometimes the best way to reach them is by working together.
October 10, 2016
I really enjoyed this story because the action was realistic and enjoyable. I enjoyed Ivy's study of her family and her determination to get her mother back home. I enjoyed how the kids worked out how they were going to make their adventure work. Most of the time the story is fairly realistic though several things are a little stretch, but it doubt that kids will question them much. Enjoyable read, and I believe that this book will find a home in my middle school.
January 15, 2016
Twelve-year-old Ivy Green's summer is off to a rough start; her mom has run off from Texas to follow a charming preacher to a new church in Florida. Ivy teams up with science geek classmate Paul Dobbs who promises to help bring her mom back home, but also hopes to get a glimpse of the space shuttle in Cape Canaveral. Reviewer 10
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