Sam Makes a Splash (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #1)

In this joyful series opener set on an idyllic New Jersey lagoon, 11-year-old Samantha Ali-O’Connor vows to save her Mom’s struggling boat charter and repair business as a way to “solidify her place” in her bustling adoptive family. Alongside 11-year-old Harbor, nine-year-old Marina (who’s also adopted), seven-year-old twins Cordelia and Lir, Mom, and schoolteacher Mama, Sam is both the most recent addition to the Ali-O’Connor household and the only member who can’t swim, which, despite her moms’ assurances, distresses her. Accidentally overhearing her parents discussing their strained finances, Sam realizes that her dream of taking over the family company is in jeopardy, and she launches a secret campaign to attract business before summer’s end. But Sam quickly discovers that she needs help, and she turns to four-months-older Harbor, with whom she shares an intense rivalry, as well as the Badger brothers, who spend summers across the lagoon. Moments of madcap humor and familial warmth characterize this emotionally generous summer tale from Melleby (Camp QUILTBAG), which showcases the author’s command of fully realized characterization and distinct relationship dynamics. Most characters read as white; the twins share Mama’s Syrian genes. Publishing simultaneously: Marina in the Middle (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #2). Ages 8–12. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (May)