A Little Bit of Spectacular - Tapa dura

Praise for The Hidden Summer

"A serene, thoughtful mix of family difficulties and summer magic." - The Horn Book

"The girls are sympathetic, credible characters, and readers will enjoy their successful execution of a common childhood fantasy." - Publishers Weekly

"Phillips' prose is both fluid and plainspoken, evocative in a way easily accessible to preteen readers." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Readers will be gratified that Nell's resolve and courage in ultimately standing up for herself result in a hopeful conclusion." - School Library Journal

An authentic coming-of-age story about finding magic in the every day—perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead, Joan Bauer, and Wendy Mass.

Olivia and her mom have just moved in with her grandmother, and Olivia has exactly zero friends at her new school.  But after a strange message on the bathroom wall of a café catches her eye, Olivia decides that Birmingham, Alabama, may be a little more interesting than it seems.  So begins a search for answers that takes her all over the city.  Luckily, her mission isn’t solitary for long, thanks to her newfound friendship with Amelia, a girl just odd enough to be intriguing.

What the girls discover isn’t the earth-shattering revelation they were hoping for, but it may be just as compelling.  After all, sometimes the journey really is more important than the destination.  Especially when it leads you back home.