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The Hot & Cold Summer

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Poor Rory and Derek. just as the boys are looking forward to their best summer ever, they're ordered to play host to a girl, named Bolivia, visiting nearby. "You'll love her," parents and neighbors insist -- but the ten-year-old best friends know better. After all, nobody consulted them about making their twosome a threesome. So the boys unleash Rory's clever schemes to avoid meeting or speaking with their unwanted guest.
Sometimes, though, how you react to a new situation isn't quite the way you thought you were going to. Rory and Derek discover this -- and learn a few things about their own friendship, too -- during what turns out to be a most unpredictable summer.
With her unerring ability to humorously evoke children's concerns and quandaries, Johanna Hurwitz has created yet another story sure to be popular with young readers.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

14 people are currently reading
317 people want to read

About the author

Johanna Hurwitz

115 books67 followers
Johanna Hurwitz is an American author of more than sixty children's books. She has sold millions of books in many different languages.

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5 stars
94 (27%)
4 stars
113 (32%)
3 stars
103 (30%)
2 stars
24 (6%)
1 star
9 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Lydia Byers.
5 reviews1 follower
July 31, 2019
I read this as a kid and enjoyed it, so I read it aloud to the kids and we all enjoyed it. We laughed a lot. I want to warn the kids, "Don't be like Rory and make yourself miserable by deciding ahead of time to hate something."
Profile Image for Somaia.
17 reviews1 follower
October 5, 2018
I do remember that!!
And i used it in an SAT essay before i think
Profile Image for Sarah.
263 reviews14 followers
December 20, 2022
A story I loved when I was a kid, so I wanted to reread it for nostalgia-sake. A sweet story.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
37 reviews
January 8, 2023
Reread this story from many years ago! A great reminder of years gone by and being a kid.
14 reviews18 followers
April 24, 2014
Derek and Roy have been best friends since as long as they could remember. But, can their friendships overcome anything? School is out and summer has begun for Derek and Roy. They decided to spend all summer together having fun and enjoying each others company, but not all goes as planned when a new member tries to join the best friends club. Bolivia, the new girl who is visiting the next door neighbors all summer becomes a threat to Roy as Derek becomes very close to her. Will Roy be able to become friends with this stranger or will he be replaced? I really like this book because It reminds me of my best friend in elementary and my childhood. I also like this book because it expresses many emotions which i can relate to at some points. I think that this book is a very nice to pass the time.
35 reviews
May 31, 2012
This is a childhood book I wanted to read again. I love it! It's so cute and a quick read at my age. It was nice to go back and read what I thought was so good back then. Its a story about 2 best friends who don't want to be friends with the neighbors niece, most of all because she's a GIRL! They do what they can to avoid her but it's impossible. Finally, they break down and end up being really great friends with her. In the end, they talk about missing her.
Profile Image for Lisa.
110 reviews1 follower
February 6, 2014
Once I got into this book I enjoyed it; however, it took me awhile to fully become interested in it. I picked the book because of the title because I thought it was interesting. This book is a good book for kids to read about friendships and not judging someone because they are different than you.
Profile Image for Monique.
1,099 reviews23 followers
December 5, 2012
Loved the development in this book! My favorite character was Bolivia even though Rory and (what was his name??) came close. Just also reminded me about how great summer vacation is too!:) Great read.
Profile Image for Shannon.
236 reviews56 followers
Read
March 19, 2015
I just saw this book show up while browsing my kid's "Kindle Freetime" library options. I suddenly remembered reading it as a kid.

Haven't checked yet, but I'm pretty sure this is the book where they overflow the dishwasher and bubbles go everywhere, and make snowballs out of ice cream.
1 review
Read
March 2, 2016
this was a great book my friend read it and i told her if it was nice and she said it was so i gave it a try and i ended up liking it more than my friend.and i liked it so much that i finish it a lot faster than i thought
Profile Image for Meredith.
57 reviews7 followers
September 23, 2007
I L-O-V-E-D this book when I was younger and read it multiple times. What's better than a middle school love triangle?
Profile Image for George Orwell.
36 reviews1 follower
March 25, 2009
snowball fights i nthe summer with ice cream sound fun, sticky, and delicious!
Profile Image for Najae.
33 reviews
January 20, 2010
this book was good. we read the book and it showed how some people can be so judgemental
Profile Image for Megan.
15 reviews3 followers
December 15, 2010
AWESOME book! just finished it. I thought it was great!
Profile Image for Mardi.
15 reviews2 followers
October 15, 2011
This was my favorite book in grade school.
Profile Image for Payton.
411 reviews5 followers
October 1, 2013
Rory thinks Bolivia is going to ruin their summer.He starts hanging out with Bolivia and become friends.I thought the book sounded fun since it had ice cream fights.
Profile Image for Priya Shah.
21 reviews2 followers
October 8, 2013
The second I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down
Profile Image for Nastya Nikitina.
75 reviews
April 28, 2016
One of my favorite childhood books. I felt like I lacked books with amazing lead females and this was one with an unforgettable girl.
446 reviews
July 6, 2016
I remember this book from when I was a kid, and I waited to read it out loud until my son was the same age as the characters, summer after fourth grade. It held up, I still like it.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

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