Three Day Summer

It’s 1969, and like the rest of Bethel, N.Y., 17-year-old Cora Fletcher, a volunteer candy striper at the Woodstock festival, is preparing for the hundreds of thousands of young people descending on the area for what promises to be one of the greatest music events of all time. Michael is an eager concertgoer who drops acid and ends up in the medical tent, where he meets Cora. In short chapters full of vivid historical detail, Tash (The Mapmaker and the Ghost) takes readers through each of the major acts at Woodstock (the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, among others), plus all of the drugs, mud, and shed inhibitions. As Cora and Michael meander (and sometimes stumble) through the chaos, they evoke the spirit of the festival in their awe for the music, adding their own dash of romance to the free love around them. The narrative loses its way a bit as Tash throws a wrench into Michael and Cora’s budding romance, but the author’s love for the era and this defining musical moment shines through. Ages 12–up. Agent: Victoria Marini, Gelfman Schneider. (May)