A gift to young readers, providing reassurance and a tangible thread of optimism.
Jasmine and her brother Frankie deal with the real world as seen through the eyes of these inquisitive pre-teen siblings. With a hard-working Mama and a less than compassionate Stepdaddy to guide them, Jasmine and Frankie tackle questions and dilemmas common to youth. The energetic story starts with Jasmine helping her mom with a cleaning job, working for a kind family whose lifestyle couldn’t be more different from her own. As the day wears on, Jasmine reflects on her own situation, deciding that God is unkind to her but not to others. Her faith is shaken, but the day isn’t done. Adventures with Frankie abound as the two run an important errand and have a few mishaps along the way. As the kids get sidetracked, opportunities to learn about nature and the very nature of God present themselves. With an open-ended conclusion, middle-grade readers are sure to learn a few important lessons from Jasmine and her reassuring older brother.
The thoughtful youths come in contact with a wide variety of people and personalities including a kindly bus driver, a homeless man with a winning smile, and their own belligerent stepfather, offering them a chance to connect with people that have contrasting circumstances while learning about themselves in the process. Though these auxiliary characters lack depth, their basic characterizations are easy to grasp, helping young readers learn from different cultures, races and ways of life in a way that is entertaining and enlightening. Another purposeful choice is the modestly expanded vocabulary. Using terms like otoscope and including reasonably familiar phrases in Spanish encourages young readers to expand their minds in a way that feels elevated, yet attainable. By adding her own attractive illustrations, the author furnishes a welcome visual component that breaks up the prose into manageable sections. Reading this charming book will not only be heartening, but will be effortlessly educational. Perfect for middle-grade readers looking for a story they can see themselves in, Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy doesn’t shy away from topics that are practical, probable and realistic. Jasmine and Frankie battle snakes, stepdads, and stereotypes with open-minded curiosity and personal investment. Wrapped in a whimsical package, Edwina Louise Dorch’s book is a gift to young readers, providing reassurance and a tangible thread of optimism for them to hold on to despite any setbacks.
