The Last Best Days of Summer

by Valerie Hobbs

For twelve-year-old Lucy Crandall, the last week of August is the most perfect time in the world. It's the week she gets to spend with Grams at the lake house, canoeing, baking cookies, and glazing pots in Grams's potting shed. Grams has a way of making Lucy feel centered, like one of the pots on her kick wheel―perfect, steady, and completely at peace. But this summer, Grams doesn't seem to be exactly the person she once was. And as the week turns into a roller coaster of surprises―some good, some awful―Lucy can't help but Will things ever be centered again?

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published April 22, 2010

About the author

Valerie Hobbs is the author of many award winning novels for young adults including Sonnys War, Tender, and How Far Would You Have Gotten If I Hadnt Called You Back, for which she was designated a Flying Start author by Publishers Weekly in 1996. Hobbs was the winner of the 1999 PEN/Norma Klein award for an emerging voice of literary merit among American writers of childrens fiction and the Arizona Library Association Young Adult Author of the Year in 2003. Defiance, her most recent middle-grade novel, was given the 2006 most distinguished fiction award by the Childrens Literature Council of Southern California and has been nominated for twelve state awards. "

Reviews

[Erika Rohlfes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book “Last Best Days of Summer,” is about Lucy’s summer before middle school. Lucy has this whole summer planned with her best friend, Megan,and her awesome Grandma. This plan backfires when she gets a job to hang out with a “special boy” with a Down syndrome, named Eddie. Eddie is a kind and sweet person to Lucy. Lucy does not see this in him, she is embarrassed to be seen with him. Over the last 2 weeks of school, Lucy always goes to her Grandma’s house. Over the last week of summer Eddie takes a trip all by himself to 10 bus stations to get to Lucy’s Grandma’s house, and Lucy’s becomes great friends with Eddie over the course of the week.
I recommend “Last Best Days of Summer to 4 - 7th graders to read. It is a very interesting book that allowed me to never want to put the book down. I was always excited to find out what was going to happen next. This book definitely made me a little bit emotional at some parts because they are so unexpected. The writing is very much so effective as it is powerful because it was a page turner. I really have nothing to critique about this book, it was one of my favorites. In my opinion, Valerie Hobbs did a wonderful job explaining all the details from the book.It made me think about my writing in class, while helping me.

[Leigh Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about growing up, growing old, and growing different. I have to admit I was a little leery about how the author could bring together a middle school girl who wants to be popular, a grandmother with the beginning stages of Alzheimer's, and a boy with Downs Syndrome. But Hobbs creates a beautiful story connecting the lives of these three characters through a lesson about centering - that place to go to when you want to do the right thing.

[Devansh Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet book about growing up and discovering oneself by realizing you aren't the center of the universe. At 12 there the child/adult conflict begins (internal and external - and 12 isn't a hard fast age, but a good average). You are Old Enough to be treated like you are grown (I certainly was convinced) but not really ready to let go of the perks of being a child.

There was a bit much - both a special needs boy AND a grandmother who is aging. What saved it for me was Lucy's need to hear what her grandmother was going through AND her grandmother's willingness to talk about it. Possibly it was the grandmother's way of realizing what was happening and being willing to make some choices - hard ones - before it was too late.

[Selena Ramsingh · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is total crap. By chapter 4 the whole thing got confusing. It states that Lucy and Megan are going to a party and there is a band playing etc. moments later in chapter 5 they are talking with someone and dancing in the middle. Like i didn't understand im too confused to even finish the book

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hobbs writes wonderful books about life. This is the second one I have read of hers and loved it.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a middle-grade fiction that I picked up because the main character, a 12-year-old girl, has a neighbour boy with Down syndrome that she plays with once in a while as a summer job. There are other main plot points, too - the main character visits her Gram and has to grapple with the fact that her beloved, artistic grandmother is slowly losing her mind. This story features such ordinary characters but the author makes it so relatable.

It really was cathartic for me to read this. As someone who grew up with a boy with Down syndrome who was very attached to me, whose name was coincidentally the same as the boy in the book. I, like Lucy, got tired of having to be that person who had to be patient and kind. And now I have a daughter with Down syndrome and I see the parent's and adults' point of view. The tears flowed.

[Twyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part was when Lucy got to enjoy the last few days of her summer with her grandmother before she sold the house. My least favorite part was when Lucy's grandmother started to lose her memory and had to sell her cabin.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book started off slow, and took a while to really get me into it. I liked the relationship between Lucy and her grandmother in this book, and the character development in Lucy.

[Foleyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story about differences, fitting in, and the special relationship with a grandparent.

[Tara Dominey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe because I'm 'older' or because of everything going on in my life this book hit harder but it was deep for a children's book!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

All summer long, Lucy Crandall has hung around the pool with her best friend, trying to learn how to be popular, and has been paid to spend time with Eddie, the boy with Down syndrome who lives in her neighborhood. Finally, though, the last week of August is here, and Lucy is ready to make her yearly trip to her grandmother's cabin, the most-anticipated event of the entire summer. This year's visit is different, however, because Grams now requires neighbors to look in on her, and she is beginning to forget important things, sometimes including who and where she is. The situation only worsens when Eddie, realizing Lucy has lost an important bracelet at his house, runs off to find her at the lake.

Lucy is a sympathetic character, and I especially like that she can be cruel and make stupid mistakes that hurt other people. I also enjoyed the chapters from Eddie's point of view, that really humanized him, and showed what I thought was a very realistic portrayal of a kid with his special needs. While the scenes with Lucy and her grandmother were well-written, what stood out for me more were the descriptions of Eddie riding the bus, and trying to make his way through a world he hasn't had much chance to explore.

Overall, I felt a bit like the book tried to cover too much. Between Lucy's coming of age, Eddie's disability, and Grams's impending Alzheimer's, there were a lot of "issues" at play, and at times, I kind of lost track of where the story was trying to take me. But it was an enjoyable realistic fiction book, and I'm glad to have picked it up.

[Becca Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember all too clearly my summers with my Grandma and how she too was the most important person in my life for the longest time. But as much as I wanted to LOVE this book, I only sort of loved it. While I understand the need to have both Eddie and Gram with disabilities for the story line, it seemed at times like there was one too many issues going on for poor Lucy (she was expected to grow up fast) to deal with. Both characters helped Lucy grow and learn to deal with situations. They are just both such poignant and important disabilities, I don’t feel either one got the attention it deserved. I loved Eddie as a character and I loved Gram – How could you not? Both characters showed Lucy’s growth- Gram as her coach/ confidant and also her problems signifying the end of Lucy’s childhood and Eddie for Lucy to realize what a true friend is. Both were also needed to shape the end of results of the book (which is fantastic!). Eddie’s character is developed beautifully – making you smile several times during the book at his interpretations. So while I really enjoyed the book, something, I just can’t place it, kept me from LOVING this book. I do think that it is an encouraging and delightful coming of age story.

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having spent the summer helping with a 13 year old Down's syndrome boy, Eddie, who worships her, 12 year old, Lucy is looking forward to spending the last week of summer as she always does - at the lake with her Gram. She's aware that her mother wasn't keen on her going, as her gram has become older and sometimes forgetful, but Lucy is determined to have a wonderful time with her, and to keep an eye in her. She knows she can talk to Gram about anything, and is certain that she will give her the advice she needs about how to be popular in junior high school.
But things are different this year, and although they have their special times, Lucy becomes troubled by times when her Gram seems lost, acting unpredictably and even dangerously, and when an uninvited visitor shows up by surprise, Lucy is certain her week is ruined.
This book is beautiful because of the relationship between Lucy and her gram, but also because of how Lucy grows to be more compassionate towards Eddie and is able to stand against social norms even when her popularity may be hurt. It also shows a somewhat typical strained mother-daughter relationship, and deals with the onset of Alzheimer's sensitively.

[Sydney Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because it shows the reality of growing up and the changes of life all around us. This story would be great for upper elementary aged girls. The author did a great job connecting the lives of different people, such as her neighbor, Eddie, who has Down’s Syndrome. As 12-year-old Lucy spends the last week of her summer at the lake with her grandmother, she realizes her grandmother is not the person she once was and she actually becomes really concerned about the changes around her. I really enjoyed this book because this is something that many girls can relate to as they are growing up, including popularity when starting middle school. This book did make me feel pretty emotional at some points, but I really liked how some things were brought to light that can be very easily over looked. I know it is important to not judge a book by the cover, but the cover of this book really caught my eye which somewhat influenced why I chose this book.

[Gin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-developed and likeable characters drive this third-person narrative of Lucy - a 12 year old girl, Eddie - her 12 year old friend with Down's Syndrome, and Lucy's beloved Grams. The story takes place between Lucy's neighborhood and her grandmother's cabin, where she always spends the last week of her summer vacation. There are elements of gentle suspense to propel the reader - what will happen to Eddie when he decides to go on an adventure by himself and what is wrong with Grams, she seems forgetful and distracted during Lucy's visit? Poetic/lyrical/descriptive language and authentic dialogue are used to convey subtle lessons about the joys and pains of relationships and of growing up/growing older. Eddies Down's Syndrome and Gram's loss of memory are both handled realistically and gracefully.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a pretty good middle-grade realistic fiction book. 12-year-old Lucy is about to enter 7th grade and she's concerned about whether or not she'll be popular. At the end of the summer, she goes to visit her grandmother for a week in her lakeside cabin. Grandma's having a tough time remembering things lately, and this is causing stress for Lucy. On top of all that, Lucy's neighbor, Eddy (who has Down's Syndrome) misses her and somehow manages to get on a Greyhound bus and show up at Grandma's cabin.

There's a lot going on in this book, but I think that middle school age kids would enjoy it. A lot of my 5th grade students last year liked fiction books that deal with the stresses of middle school. So this would be a good book for the classroom library.

[carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended Ages: grades 5-8

For twelve-year-old Lucy Crandall, the last week of August is the most perfect time in the world. It’s the week she gets to spend with Grams at the lake house, canoeing, baking cookies, and glazing pots in Grams’s potting shed. Grams has a way of making Lucy feel centered, like one of the pots on her kick wheel—perfect, steady, and completely at peace. But this summer, Grams doesn’t seem to be exactly the person she once was. And as the week turns into a roller coaster of surprises—some good, some awful—Lucy can’t help but wonder: Will things ever be centered again?

[Kathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, but kids aren't going to read this without a lot of "selling" to that special reader. Author of Defiance.Lucy is 12 and has always spent the last week of August in heaven-so to speak. She visits Grams at the cabin in Crescent Lake. However, this year there are a lot of surprises. Grams is slipping. Eddie the Downs boy that she cares for in the summer becomes a friend. he travel on his own to return her bracelet. As for her best friend Megan who is obsessed with being popular, well, she learns to redefine the meaning of that word.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character, as expected, learns that she really doesn't want to be popular. Her relationship with her grandma and Eddie, the boy with down syndrome, allows her to see that. Both the grandmother's Alzheimer's and Eddie's Down Syndrome seem a little too much for one book. I think readers could have done without the focus on Eddie's point of view in the first half of the book. The main character's relationship with her grandmother was a bit more interesting. This book deserves an average rating.

[Erin Sterling · Rating 3 out of 5]

12-year-old Lucy's favorite part of summer is spending a week with her artsy grandma (without her parents to bug her) at a lake cabin. Unfortunately, there are a few hiccups in this year's plans: first, her grandma is more forgetful than usual, and then her neighbor who has Down's Syndrome makes his way to the cabin without his mother's permission. A tender book about growing up, friendship, and Alzheimer's.

[Becky Barrier Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book four stars because of its particularly sensitive and realistic portrayal of Lucy's relationship with her grandmother, Luz, who is beginning to fall into senility. Lucy's mixed emotions about her relationship with her Down's Syndrome neighbor, Eddie, add another interesting dimension to her life as she's transitioning from a young girl to a teenager. Not a Newbery, but a good story for 4th and 5th grade girls.

[Mr. Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. Reminded me a bit of a poor man's Rules. I liked how it showed a boy with Down Syndrome in good light and it also realistically portrayed the difficulties a tween might have balancing her good heart with normal pangs to be popular - leading up to some difficult choices.

To me, the book dragged in the second half a bit. I did like it; though it seems to me one of those books adults might like better than children.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tear jerker, coming of age story. I suppose that life is complex. Lucy has to deal with her feelings about her caregiver role with a young neighbor with Down's Syndrome (annoyance and embarrassment) and the fact that her grandmother shows signs of alzheimer's. The two threads come together and resolve in a fairly predictable way. It is a tear jerker.

[Sherrie Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiet stories don't get enough attention and this one really should. It's a sweet story about growing up, making good choices and deciding who you are and who you want to be. Some people have called it a tear-jerker. I did not cry, but I did enjoy the beautiful language and the very real characters in this delightful book.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about twelve-year-old Lucy, who is dealing with her friend who wants to be popular, a neighbor boy with special needs, and a grandmother who is losing her memory. There are a lot of issues in this book, but Lucy's character is well-developed and realistically flawed. She wavers between listening to Megan's rules for being popular and being herself.

[StorySnoops · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Best Days of Summer is a discussion-worthy coming of age story about a relatable tween girl who struggles with growing up while her grandmother struggles with growing older. Like many tween girls, Lucy is very concerned about... (click for full review http://www.storysnoops.com/detail.php...)

[Malia C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book was a little confusing. There was not a lot of background on the characters and I felt like the author didn't explain very well. Other than that, the plot was very interesting and I could follow it pretty well. The characters were very realistic and I could relate to them. Because of all of this, I rated this book 3 stars.

[Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

A student read and recommended this book to me and I'm very glad that she did. It has some very weighty issues: finding your niche in middle school, what it means to be popular, disability (Down's Syndrome), and a grandparent in the early stages of Alzheimer's.
I will definitely find a spot in my classroom library for this book.

[Richelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a real personal connection to this book. It took me by surprise because I'd never heard of it before and wasn't expecting much, but it was very well written, had a quick pace and a nice message. There may have been some tears. Okay, there were tears.