A Summer of Sundays

Eland (Scones and Sensibility) crafts a graceful, leisurely paced story about 11-year-old Sunday Fowler, who yearns to stand out in her large family. Eclipsed by her two glamorous older sisters and three ebullient younger brothers, the often forgotten Sunday tries to make her mark the summer her contractor father and family move to a small town to renovate a library. The family's unwieldy but realistic dynamics are tinged with humor, even as Sunday's insecurities ramp up: her family forgets her at a rest stop, and she's iced out when her siblings choose rooms in their new house. When Sunday, a voracious reader, finds an anonymous manuscript in the library basement, she and her new friend Jude set out to locate the author. Eland crafts a memorable cast of small-town child and adult characters and effectively integrates their story lines. While the novel can be a bit slow, readers' affection for Sunday won't waver as this independent protagonist finds a way to balance her desire to be noticed with a growing maturity. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (July)