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The Summer of Moonlight Secrets
At The Meriwether, Florida's famous antebellum hotel off of Hope Springs, nothing is quite as it seems. Secret staircases give way to servants' quarters and Prohibition-era speakeasies make for the perfect hide-and-seek spot. Allie Jo Jackson knows every nook and cranny of The Meriwether - she's lived there her whole life - and nothing surprises her, until the first time she spots the enigmatic and beautiful Tara emerging from the springs. Tara's shimmery skin, long flowing hair, and strange penchant for late moonlight swims disguise a mysterious secret - and once Allie Jo and her friend Chase discover Tara's secret, nothing will ever be the same.
273 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
October 19, 2012
In "The Summer of Moonlight Secrets," by Danette Haworth, Allie Jo Jackson lives at the Meriwether Hotel in Hope Springs and there are many secrets there. There are secret staircases going up to the nanny quarters, and Allie Jo goes there every day. But the biggest secret Allie Jo and her friend Chase has to keep is Tara, the mysterious girl who hides from people. She is shy and she is keeping something from them. In the story, Allie Jo and Chase bond with Tara, and they become best friends! Once she feels comfortable with them, she finally decides to tell them her secret. She is hiding from somebody and Allie Jo and Chase take turns to help Tara. They sneak around providing her food and clothes. But they have to be careful because their parents don't know. Sophie, one of their other friends, doesn't know about Tara either. So it can be tricky for Tara to act "normal." Read to find out more!
I think this book was very inspiring. Throughout the book, the friendship between the three grows more and more. They become very close and in the end, they are like brothers and sisters. This story is really good for people who like books that are inspiring and touching. If you like a good friendship, then this book is for you. I gave this book three stars because when you scrolled to the stars to click on it, there were phrases such as I liked it, I loved it, and It was ok. I based it on how I liked it. It wasn't as mind blowing as some other books I've read in my life. Therefore, that was the reason why I gave it three stars. There is no other sequel to this, but I wish there was because I really enjoyed this book. I hope you would enjoy it just as much!
I think this book was very inspiring. Throughout the book, the friendship between the three grows more and more. They become very close and in the end, they are like brothers and sisters. This story is really good for people who like books that are inspiring and touching. If you like a good friendship, then this book is for you. I gave this book three stars because when you scrolled to the stars to click on it, there were phrases such as I liked it, I loved it, and It was ok. I based it on how I liked it. It wasn't as mind blowing as some other books I've read in my life. Therefore, that was the reason why I gave it three stars. There is no other sequel to this, but I wish there was because I really enjoyed this book. I hope you would enjoy it just as much!
August 6, 2013
Once again, Haworth delivers a well-written, engaging novel for middle graders (and we adults who love middle grade literature!). The story unfolds smoothly from three points of view: 11-year-old Allie, 13-year-old Chase, and 16-year-old Tara. Each character grapples with secrets and everyday problems. Allie is bullied by a group of mean girls who make fun of her for living in a hotel. They call her poor, but the cool old hotel she lives in with her parents, who run the place, is a rich experience. Chase struggles to hide the fact that his mother left him and his travel-writer dad. Tara's secret has her hiding from a creepy guy with a dubious claim. When Allie and Chase learn Tara's secret, they have to decide whether or not they believe her and how they should help her, but they don't agree.
The setting is magical: the old hotel has secret passages and is situated by some Florida springs. The writing contains several lovely, subtle metaphors. Haworth handles the 3 points of view (2 in first-person, 1 in third) and tenses (mainly present tense with some reflections written in past) expertly. The dialogue is realistic as well, and the final chapter is especially satisfying in the way it gently reflects the book's opening. The story does include an innocent first kiss between two young teens.
The setting is magical: the old hotel has secret passages and is situated by some Florida springs. The writing contains several lovely, subtle metaphors. Haworth handles the 3 points of view (2 in first-person, 1 in third) and tenses (mainly present tense with some reflections written in past) expertly. The dialogue is realistic as well, and the final chapter is especially satisfying in the way it gently reflects the book's opening. The story does include an innocent first kiss between two young teens.
March 25, 2020
I think this book is very good i recommend it to people who like adventurous books
July 5, 2010
Danette Haworth wrote a very sweet book that alternates between three different POV's. I would recommend to anyone who wants to relive the innocence of youth, believing in the unbelievable, and the bittersweetness of first love.
Alli Jo lives in the Meriwhether Hotel where her parents work. She has her own duties around the hotel which is steeped in mystery and hidden passages. She is somewhat of an outcast (they've dubbed her "hotel rat") from the rest of the kids who live in the area. Her only friend Melissa has gone on vacation with her family leaving Alli Jo completely alone and friendless....until Chase and Sophie arrive....along with a very mysterious young girl (Tara)who she finds hiding in a closet in one of the old rooms.
It doesn't take them long to figure out that there is something "odd" about Tara. She speaks funny and shows up most times in soaking wet clothes. All she tells them is that something happened and she had to run away from home.
Through their friendship over the summer, they learn to believe in the impossible when they find out who...or what Tara really is.
There is one other person who knows her true identity....and unfortunately, he's closing in fast.
I really liked this book. I had won the ARC from a contest on goodreads. I thought I knew exactly what Tara was from the summary....boy was I wrong. As I said before, I would recommend this book to everyone.
Alli Jo lives in the Meriwhether Hotel where her parents work. She has her own duties around the hotel which is steeped in mystery and hidden passages. She is somewhat of an outcast (they've dubbed her "hotel rat") from the rest of the kids who live in the area. Her only friend Melissa has gone on vacation with her family leaving Alli Jo completely alone and friendless....until Chase and Sophie arrive....along with a very mysterious young girl (Tara)who she finds hiding in a closet in one of the old rooms.
It doesn't take them long to figure out that there is something "odd" about Tara. She speaks funny and shows up most times in soaking wet clothes. All she tells them is that something happened and she had to run away from home.
Through their friendship over the summer, they learn to believe in the impossible when they find out who...or what Tara really is.
There is one other person who knows her true identity....and unfortunately, he's closing in fast.
I really liked this book. I had won the ARC from a contest on goodreads. I thought I knew exactly what Tara was from the summary....boy was I wrong. As I said before, I would recommend this book to everyone.
August 21, 2021
It takes quite a while for The Summer of Moonlight Secrets to take off with an actual plot. The pace is overly slow and the events taking place are boring. There are awkward transitions into scenes that are meaningless and which feel out of place, and I noticed mistake after mistake as far as the use of past and present tense go.
The characters add nothing to a story that is dragging. The mystery is not only easy to solve, but nothing is done about it until the last few chapters. Can't recommend this read.
The characters add nothing to a story that is dragging. The mystery is not only easy to solve, but nothing is done about it until the last few chapters. Can't recommend this read.
June 24, 2010
A delightful book with a mystery, an old hotel (loved the setting!) and a girl with a secret . . . I want to be Allie Joe's best friend and Tara's best friend and swim with manatees!
September 20, 2011
Loving old historic houses--or even better, ABANDONED old houses, I loved using historic Floridian hotels as the inspiration for the once grand Meriwether, the hotel in which the story takes place. Florida bubbles over with natural springs, which lure flocks of manatees each winter. But its summer now, and it's not a manatee who visits.
Allie Jo lives at the hotel and makes friends with Chase, a guest. Together they discover living in the abandoned upper floors, an enigmatic teenage runaway with a mystery of her own.
Allie Jo lives at the hotel and makes friends with Chase, a guest. Together they discover living in the abandoned upper floors, an enigmatic teenage runaway with a mystery of her own.
October 30, 2010
This was a good book. 100%. If there is something wrong with this book it is beyond my mind.
I love this in depth plot with old fashioned characters, strange surprises and funny dialogue--it is everything a book should be.
I love this in depth plot with old fashioned characters, strange surprises and funny dialogue--it is everything a book should be.
August 14, 2011
This is a review from my 10 yo daughter:
''Loved the story, loved the ending!!!''
''Loved the story, loved the ending!!!''
August 15, 2019
I can see why kids would pick this up and read it. There's a mysterious girl sneaking around an old hotel situated on a spring in Florida. Turns out she's a selkie and a man stole her seal skin while she was swimming. Now she is stuck on land and doesn't know what to do with herself so she wanders around the hotel property. Allie Jo is the daughter of the hotel managers and lives at the hotel. Chase is a summer guest hanging out with his journalist father. Tara is the selkie. It's a simple plot and characters are 2D making it an easy read.
Standing back and looking at this book from a critical vantage, it doesn't come close to reaching my literary expectations. The plot is not well-crafted. Things happen, but it's all random. Individually, no scene is necessary to the whole story. The kids wander around aimlessly, going into secret passages, taking a few night swims, eating blueberry pancakes, but nothing is cohesive. In my opinion, the book needed to be edited down to a K-3 book. The writing just doesn't reach the threshold of middle grade standards.
Standing back and looking at this book from a critical vantage, it doesn't come close to reaching my literary expectations. The plot is not well-crafted. Things happen, but it's all random. Individually, no scene is necessary to the whole story. The kids wander around aimlessly, going into secret passages, taking a few night swims, eating blueberry pancakes, but nothing is cohesive. In my opinion, the book needed to be edited down to a K-3 book. The writing just doesn't reach the threshold of middle grade standards.
July 24, 2018
Cute story.
March 28, 2021
Pros: It's for middle grades and it DOESN'T have a moral/affirmation hitting you over the head (a la A Monster Calls). The values in it are all good: be yourself! be loyal and thoughtful! sometimes the right thing to do is not The Right Thing To Do. But it's not a Teaching Tale, and is much better for it.
I like all the characters, even their flaws. I rooted for Chase and Sophie, and I was really hoping for Allie Jo to have some sort of sexual awakening (she was enraptured by Tara, and went on and on how beautiful she was...alas, it turned out not to be that sort of book). The setting was great, and Allie Jo's fondness for her home was sweet.
Cons: There's just...something missing. I wanted more about Tara. She was such a weird, unintuitive character. She longed to eat fish...but also, somehow, liked blueberry pancakes with syrup? She seemed very happy in the pool outside, but let herself be stuck all alone in a hotel room. She was like a blank slate upon which Allie Jo could project all her ideas and wishes and needs. Except we find out, in short bursts, she isn't a blank slate at all. She has her own thoughts and desires and needs. And what was all that empathy about? I know whales are highly emotionally connected to other whales, are seals as well? Is that why she felt human emotions so powerfully, or is it just a quality the author wanted her to have so that the author could examine the emotions of children just entering puberty?
So many questions! This book feels like something the author wrote out fully, but then it was edited down in an unskillful way such that important ideas ended up unresolved.
I like all the characters, even their flaws. I rooted for Chase and Sophie, and I was really hoping for Allie Jo to have some sort of sexual awakening (she was enraptured by Tara, and went on and on how beautiful she was...alas, it turned out not to be that sort of book). The setting was great, and Allie Jo's fondness for her home was sweet.
Cons: There's just...something missing. I wanted more about Tara. She was such a weird, unintuitive character. She longed to eat fish...but also, somehow, liked blueberry pancakes with syrup? She seemed very happy in the pool outside, but let herself be stuck all alone in a hotel room. She was like a blank slate upon which Allie Jo could project all her ideas and wishes and needs. Except we find out, in short bursts, she isn't a blank slate at all. She has her own thoughts and desires and needs. And what was all that empathy about? I know whales are highly emotionally connected to other whales, are seals as well? Is that why she felt human emotions so powerfully, or is it just a quality the author wanted her to have so that the author could examine the emotions of children just entering puberty?
So many questions! This book feels like something the author wrote out fully, but then it was edited down in an unskillful way such that important ideas ended up unresolved.
October 2, 2014
Good story....not as gripping for me as I would like but still a very good book for young readers. I absolutely was thrilled to see a fantasy book for kids that was not about vampires, werewolves, fairys or mermaids. I love storys about all those things, very much. But the creature this author chose to write about is not one I have read many stories about and it was a very nice change.
Little bit of suspense, particularly in the last few chapters. This book is written much like James Patterson has written many of his books for young readers, with a chapter by one character and then one by another, this particular book is written specifically from two of main characters, Allie Joe and Chase. There is another chapter written either by Tara who would be the main character or a narrator type person I think.
The setting of the story in the hotel is great, really interesting and Allie Jo sounds like someone I would like to know better, her life sounds like an adventure.
Little bit of suspense, particularly in the last few chapters. This book is written much like James Patterson has written many of his books for young readers, with a chapter by one character and then one by another, this particular book is written specifically from two of main characters, Allie Joe and Chase. There is another chapter written either by Tara who would be the main character or a narrator type person I think.
The setting of the story in the hotel is great, really interesting and Allie Jo sounds like someone I would like to know better, her life sounds like an adventure.
May 22, 2018
Read 3 times. I really enjoy this middle grade book. It's fun, summery and lighthearted. I love the characters Allie Jo and Chase. They are such deep, heartfelt characters that I think readers can really relate to. Tara is such a sweet, rich character and I love her. The other supporting characters, Sophie, the parents and the hotel employees are not just useless characters either. They add something to the story. I think the reason I come back to this book every once in a while is because of the setting. Its gorgeous. If I could go to a hotel like the Merriweather, it would be a dream! I love the character's adventures there, and I think the setting is so unique and wonderful and really ties the story together.
October 5, 2011
This book was about a girl who lives in a historical hotel, a boy who stays there while he and his father are on a trip and a mystertious girl who can't go home becasue of a man who is searching for her so he can put her on TV and become rich and famous. It is set in the 1980's, but it wasn't so time-specific. I really liked this book I thought it was interesting and original. I was expecting the character to be a mermaid like most authors would probably have her be, but instead this author was more creative. I also liked the end which I usually hate about most books. I would recomend this book to a friend.
June 20, 2010
A surprisingly good, very sweet story, told in alternating chapters by Allie Joe, who lives at the Meriwether Hotel and knows all its secrets; Chase, visiting for the summer with his father, a writer; and Tara, who climbs out of the water one night, fully clothed. All three are lonely in their own way, and they discover each other and unexpected friendship. Nothing is really fixed at the end, which is a pleasant way for the story to end.
July 30, 2012
Danette Haworth is one of my new favorite authors. If I were a kid again, she would be my new Judy Blume.
I absolutely loved this book for its folklore-esque style. Each chapter alternates between Allie Jo, Chase and an italicized mystery observer. I really loved how the POV of this book added to the story itself.
As I was reading this book, I really wanted to be a kid in a big, abandoned place with secret passages. This book is full of adventure, intrigue and fun!
I absolutely loved this book for its folklore-esque style. Each chapter alternates between Allie Jo, Chase and an italicized mystery observer. I really loved how the POV of this book added to the story itself.
As I was reading this book, I really wanted to be a kid in a big, abandoned place with secret passages. This book is full of adventure, intrigue and fun!
July 4, 2011
the summer of moonlight secrets was an amazing book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! from fun to terror this book is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i reccomend that you read this book! mt favorite part was the end it went from calm to a little scary. the end of the book was about... oh wait i don't want to spoil it for you
November 27, 2012
This book was great.not only did it tell the story but it told the story from different points of view.this is a book any one might be interested in.If I were you I would go to your library and check this book out.the main charcters are Chase,Allyjo and Tara.The setting was a hotel that Allyjo lived in.
Danette Haworth is a great author.i can't wait to see if she wrote any other books.
Danette Haworth is a great author.i can't wait to see if she wrote any other books.
Currently reading
May 23, 2011I am in the middle of this book and so far it is great. Its about a girl that lives at a hotel with her mom and dad and she meets this boy named Chase, and a girl that doesn't tell anyone her name or where she came from. If you want to know more about this girl read the book.
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September 21, 2011Loved the setting and the mystery involving the Selkie girl. A good recommendation for kids figuring out the whole "mean girls" thing, plus an innocent love interest from a boy's POV. Completely enjoyed reading this one.
August 6, 2010
A really sweet coming-of-age story about friendship. Danette Haworth did a beautiful job with this one!
July 2, 2010
This was such a cute book. I really loved it. Kids at a summer resort become friends, one lives there while the others are on vacation. One has a special secret! Check it out.
July 28, 2014
What a good book!
September 27, 2010
Is this really a fantasy book? That's the big question. Read it for yourself and decide.
December 5, 2010
This was really good book! I expected most things that happened in this book so nothing was that big of a shock to me but it was still good
February 2, 2011
Well constructed. Well told. Well edited. Nicely done.
April 19, 2012
I really liked how the author described everything and made it all so real. I also like how the author put the poor girl, show offy girl and her group of friends, and the cute boy.
February 21, 2014
PG for some violence.
So cute.
So cute.
January 21, 2012
It is a wonderful, fast paced mystery with twists and turns of all sorts and suspense around every corner! A great book for mystery fans of all kinds!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews