cover image A Summer Like Turnips

A Summer Like Turnips

Louann Gaeddert. Henry Holt & Company, $13.95 (71pp) ISBN 978-0-8050-0839-5

The summer was to have been as sweet and smooth as a milkshake, but when Bruce Hardy arrives in California to visit his grandfather, he discovers that he has to adjust his expectations. ``Gramps,'' who recently lost his wife, is still grieving and can't offer Bruce the good times they've enjoyed in past summers. Instead, Bruce has to help his grandfather out of his depression, while at the same time experiencing his own grief over his beloved dog's death. While it seems odd that Bruce barely misses his grandmother, the novel is still convincing. Subplots involving Bruce's ambition to become a swimmer and his friendship with another youngster keep the story well-balanced thematically. In all, this is a sensitive novel for middle-grade readers. Ages 9-12. (May)