Indies Introduce

Middle Grade

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  Caterpillar Summer, Gillian McDunn
  Bloomsbury Children's Books, 9781681197432, April 2, 2019 (Middle Grade)
  

   

  “You’ll root for Cat with all your heart as she navigates a summer with grandparents she’s only just met and a special-needs brother to protect and care for. Tears and cheers for a lovely story with a young heroine learning what she needs.”

  Alicia Michielli, Talking Leaves...Books (Buffalo, NY)
  
  

   

  “This is a charming story of family figuring things out in the long wake of grief after losing their beloved father. When mother must show up for writing seminars she has committed to and the favorite family friends who were going to take care of Caterpillar and Chicken are unexpectedly unavailable, Mom sends them off to grandparents they have never met—barely heard of! Lily takes both of the children under her wing in ways they both need—she’s a natural. But Macon is awkwardly feeling his way. And Cat has a dickens of a time trusting either of them—after all, why did Mom stay away for so long and never tell them about these grandparents? A new friend and learning to fish help melt the ice, and a family is finally reunited. The additional layer of Mom being a children’s book maker with characters who (just happen!) to share her children’s nicknames adds a touch of insider whimsy! I loved this book!”

  Christy McDanold, Secret Garden Bookshop (Seattle, WA)
  

   

  “Each page radiates warmth, through summertime, familial love, reconciliation, and blooming new relationships. Cat’s story draws you in and invites you to stay. Both relaxing and compelling, Caterpillar Summer is a masterpiece in gentle sincerity.”

  Heather Smith, Linden Tree Children’s Books (Los Altos, CA)