summer, survival, and roadkill

The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson (Juvenile Fiction)

If you're looking for a summer vacation that involves going to a camp that's no longer in use and in danger of being turned into condos, meeting family members you never knew existed, and looking for treasure, look no further! This was just the summer vacation I needed in February! Ryanna's maternal grandparents reach out to her at the beginning of the summer and invite her to join them at their camp, which hasn't been used as a camp since the 1990s. Ryanna is excited to learn more about her mom, who passed away when she was a toddler, so she agrees. She has no idea her mother's siblings and their children all meet at this camp every summer for family time, relaxation, and fun. Nor does she realize that the camp is in danger of being turned into condos! She also stumbles upon a fun treasure hunt her mom created when she was Ryanna's age that helps Ryanna feel closer to her mom. It's a light read full of mystery, adventure, and connection. 

How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd (Juvenile Fiction)

You won't be able to put this Hatchet readalike down! Raymond's mom and dad are constantly leaving him alone. Once, they left him alone so long, he was placed in a group home, which was a horrible experience. When his mom and dad leave him alone this time, he vows he is NOT going back to the group home. So he sets up camp with his dog, Rosie behind his middle school. He forages food from the dumpster, learns different tricks to stay warm, alive, and fed from a Boy Scouts book, and makes friends who will eventually help him understand he is loved, wanted, and worthy of a safe place to call home. Along the way, Raymond befriends a wild coyote, two stellar kids, and an older man who rescues Rosie during a moment of peril. This book will stir up tremendous empathy in the reader, and you won't be able to rest until you know Raymond and Rosie are safe. 

The Decomposition of Jack by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb (Juvenile Fiction)

Jack's mom is a roadkill scientist (probably not her official job title). Her job is all about scraping animals off the road, taking them home to her roadkill garden, and documenting all the exciting things that happen during their decay. Because Jack helps his mom with her research, he knows a lot about his mom's job and uses many, many metaphors of the different stages of decomposition to ponder the feelings he has about his mom and dad's divorce and middle school drama. Jack's internal dialogue with himself about all his angst is really beautiful. He takes all that beautiful language and turns it into something special when he gives his earth science report on cougars. Cougars you ask?? Yes, cougars! Jack's world centers around his mom's job, so it's no wonder he becomes so entranced by a cougar spotting in the backyard of his Tennessee home. A LIVE cougar spotting. This beautifully written book has both unusual themes (roadkill and cougars) and relatable themes (divorce, fitting in, friendship, self-confidence, etc.). Included in the back is bonus information about both roadkill and cougars.