Struggling with her unconventional home life and growing distance from a friend, a young meteorology enthusiast leans on the support of her Cape Cod neighbors and bonds with a tragedy-marked newcomer who helps her redefine her perspectives on family. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

Delsie loves tracking the weather, living with her grandmother, and the support of friends and neighbors, but misses having a "regular family," especially after her best friend outgrows her. - (Baker & Taylor)

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Fish in a Tree comes a compelling story about perspective and learning to love the family you have.

Delsie loves tracking the weather--lately, though, it seems the squalls are in her own life. She's always lived with her kindhearted Grammy, but now she's looking at their life with new eyes and wishing she could have a "regular family." Delsie observes other changes in the air, too--the most painful being a friend who's outgrown her. Luckily, she has neighbors with strong shoulders to support her, and Ronan, a new friend who is caring and courageous but also troubled by the losses he's endured. As Ronan and Delsie traipse around Cape Cod on their adventures, they both learn what it means to be angry versus sad, broken versus whole, and abandoned versus loved. And that, together, they can weather any storm. - (Penguin Putnam)

Lynda Mullaly Hunt is the author of New York Times bestseller Fish in a Tree and Bank Street Best Book One for the Murphys. She's a former teacher, and holds writers retreats for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, impetuous beagle, and beagle-loathing cat. - (Penguin Putnam)

Booklist Reviews

It's a summer of change for Delsie when a longtime friend is drawn away into the orbit of a mean girl. Raised by her grandmother alone since her grandfather's death, Delsie lives in a small, tight-knit neighborhood on Cape Cod, where Grammy cleans guest cottages to support them. When someone asks Delsie what it's like to be an orphan, her apparent abandonment by her parents seems to matter as never before. On the other hand, a new kid with a chip on his shoulder gradually opens up to become a new friend she can count on. The first-person narrative clearly shows Delsie's heightened emotional state as she grapples with increasing doubts. But with Grammy's love and homespun wisdom, other supportive adults around her, and a reliable new friend, Delsie ultimately finds all she needs to become more self-assured. In addition to telling Delsie's story in an involving way, Hunt vividly portrays the underlying us-and-them mentality shared by locals in a seaside community that relies on outside visitors. As sweet and summery as lemonade. Grades 4-6. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Delsie's summer friend Brandy starts hanging out with mean-girl Tressa, while Delsie befriends newcomer Ronan. Delsie, who lives on Cape Cod with her grandmother, also begins to push for details about the mother who abandoned her. Delsie is an engaging protagonist; Hunt's depiction of class conflict is matter of fact; the writing is vivid and child-friendly; and the plot is strong, with a satisfyingly imperfect resolution. Copyright 2019 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Delsie, who lives with her grandmother on Cape Cod, is excited for the return of her summer friend, Brandy, whose family stays at the hotel where Grandma works. However, this year brings changes: Brandy starts hanging out with mean-girl Tressa, while Delsie befriends newcomer Ronan. Delsie, who has a passion for weather phenomena and going barefoot, teaches Ronan about clamming, crab cakes, and other joys of Cape life; their slow-build friendship is realistic and enjoyable. At the same time, she begins to push her grandmother for details about the mother who abandoned Delsie years ago. Delsie is an engaging protagonist, simultaneously stubborn and uncertain, independent-minded without forced quirkiness. Hunt's depiction of class conflict in a vacation destination is matter of fact, with money woes serving not as plot points but as part of the setting (a friend's family is temporarily evicted so their landlord can rent to visitors). The writing is vivid and child-friendly ("telling Ronan to stay away from a dare is like telling a seagull to stay away from a French fry"), and although the narrative metaphors may be a bit excessive (a production of Annie and a beached seal calf both connect to Delsie's missing mother), the plot is strong overall, with a satisfyingly imperfect resolution to the many conflicts. sarah rettger Copyright 2019 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

"The ones that love you protect your feelings because they've been given a piece of you. Others may toss them around for just the same reason." It's the summer that Delsie hears that hard lesson from her grandmother and comes to fully understand what it means. Her best off-Cape friend has returned for the season, but now Brandy, once her soul mate, is wearing makeup and has brought along a mean, snobby friend, Tressa, who's put off by Delsie's dirty, bare feet and near-poverty. Ronan is new to the Cape, too, and at first he's a hard boy to get to know. But Delsie, stunned by Brandy's betrayal, perseveres, realizing that he's just as lonely as she is and that his mother is gone, having sent him away, just as hers is—heartbreakingly lost to alcohol and drugs. A richly embroidered cast of characters, a thoughtful exploration of how real friends treat one another, and the true meaning of family all combine to make this a thoroughly satisfying coming-of-age tale. Cape Cod is nicely depicted—not the Cape of tourists but the one of year-round residents—as is the sometimes-sharp contrast between residents and summer people. The book adheres to the white default; one of Delsie's neighbors hails from St. Croix and wears her hair in an Afro. Hunt (Fish in a Tree, 2017, etc.) has crafted another gentle, moving tale of love and loss: the value of the one and the importance of getting over the other. (Fiction. 10-12) Copyright Kirkus 2019 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Endearingly blunt, stubborn Delsie lives year-round on Cape Cod, where she watches game shows with her Grammy and eagerly consults her weather station. This summer, though, the storm that's brewing has nothing to do with the weather. Her friend Brandy has begun wearing makeup and made a new friend who doesn't hide her disdain for Delsie. In addition, everything about the island begins to remind her of the mother who abandoned her when she was little. Delsie finds strength and solace in her neighbors' kindness and a surprising connection with a new kid, Ronan, who is struggling with his own loss. In kid-friendly prose, Hunt (Fish in a Tree) balances Delsie's unfettered sense of adventure with her tweenlike insecurities. Socioeconomic disparity between Delsie and her wealthier friends is handled in a matter-of-fact way—it's apparent, but the author doesn't linger on it. The book's coming-of-age lessons about acceptance and friendship, though relevant, can feel didactic; Delsie makes some rather sudden revelations about what's really important in life. Still, her sweet desire for a family and her unexpected realization that she's had one all along make this story well worth reading. Ages 10–up. (May)

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 3–6—Limned in northeastern sea salt and Adirondack chairs, Hunt's latest offering explores those frustrating preteen years when friends become enemies and family is at once embarrassing and desired. Delsie, obsessed with the weather, lives with her grandmother on the coast, and summers on the coast are always special. But this summer feels different; her best friend seems distant and a new kid in town, Ronan, is confusingly magnetic. Underscoring all of these mixed emotions is Delsie's hurt and turmoil over being abandoned by her mother. Sometimes it feels like her efforts in life amount to "shouting at the rain" or punching a tornado. When push comes to shove, Delsie must decide whether she will embrace the family she's built in her small seaside town. Hunt creates a realistic sketch of small-town life and the agonies of growing up in an imperfect family. VERDICT While the cast lacks racial diversity, the thematic elements of tweenage angst are timeless and relatable.—Amanda C. Buschmann, Carroll Elementary School, Houston