Half Moon Summer

Though they became instant pals as infants born on the same day in Half Moon Bay, Calif., 12-year-olds Drew and Mia haven’t seen each other since Mia moved to Sacramento. But now, 12 years later, she’s spending the summer with her Gram in Half Moon Bay while her father tends to a sick relative in Alaska. Since Drew’s best friend recently moved away, and Mia doesn’t know any other kids in town, the pair quickly fall into a routine of running each morning with Drew’s father. As the summer unfurls, the duo bond over familial conflicts: Drew has been struggling to accept his father’s amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis, while Mia worries about her family’s financial and housing-related troubles. Together, they begin preparing for the town’s half-marathon, and while it initially feels as if they’re “running away from what scares us,” they find that their training helps them make the most of every day in the face of uncertain futures. Via distinct dual perspectives that alternate between Drew’s POV, told in compassionate prose, and Mia’s, conveyed in rhythmic verse, Vickers (Like Magic) vividly captures one emotionally turbulent summer filled with a friendship’s mutual trust and support. Characters cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. (June)