My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer

April 16, 2012
Set against the backdrop of the legalization of civil unions for gay couples in Vermont in 2000, Gennari’s debut novel spends the summer with 12-year-old June Farrell, an accomplished pie maker who is still getting used to living with her mother’s partner, Eva. “I understood that Mom went out on dates with women, and sometimes I met them. But no one lasted. Not until Eva.” June’s uneasiness is compounded when her mother and Eva announce that they are planning a civil union ceremony, just as a local antigay “Take Back Vermont” campaign is gaining traction, testing June’s friendships and emotions. Readers won’t have to look hard to find metaphors that allude to June’s turmoil—the churning waters of Lake Champlain, a burnt-pie smell that “seemed to linger for days”—and Gennari doesn’t gloss over June’s discomfort with her mother’s relationship, her unpleasantness toward Eva, or her desire for a father. It’s a realistic account of a family coming together under stress, as June finds inner strength that brings her several triumphs and helps her stand up for her family. Ages 9–12. Agent: Alison Picard.

March 1, 2012
The summer of 2000 should be an idyllic one for June, spending it alongside Vermont's Lake Champlain, but her mother has decided to wed her partner, Eva, under the state's newly enacted civil-union law. The 12-year-old doesn't mind much that her mother, MJ, is a lesbian, but she preferred life with just the two of them. Besides that, Eva isn't subtle about her relationship with MJ, and that's attracted negative attention from some local people opposed to the new statute. They begin boycotting the family business, a marina that also sells the pies June and her mom love to bake. To protect her from public interest, MJ tells June she can't enter a pie in the local fair, a competition the girl has eagerly awaited. Although her best friend, Luke, and the town librarian provide emotional support, June remains conflicted over her mother's relationship and local reaction to it. Unfortunately, debut author Gennari portrays those opposed to the civil-union law as a group of misanthropic cardboard characters disrupting the library and offering inappropriate, unwelcome advice to June. This black-vs.-white depiction of a polarizing topic pitches the story to the choir rather than providing a complex and emotionally satisfying exploration. A dramatic, somewhat unlikely climax brings a ready resolution to most of her issues. A one-sided exploration of a timely and important subject falls short, failing to plumb the potential depth of the issue. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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July 1, 2012

Gr 4-8-Twelve-year-old June has led a carefree life with her mom in a small Vermont town on Lake Champlain. They run a small boating shop, selling supplies and homemade snacks, and June spends much of her time there or on the lake with her friend Luke. She also practices her baking in preparation for the Champlain Valley Fair pie competition. But when her mom decides to marry her girlfriend, June is suddenly faced with the harsh backlash against Vermont's civil union law that affects her family, friendships, and sense of safety. Suddenly, life is less carefree, and when people begin to boycott the shop, the future becomes uncertain. With the support of Luke, his father, and the town's librarian, June finds the courage to stand up for her family against prejudice. Although her relationship with her mom's partner is sometimes challenging, she also begins to accept the woman as a member of the family and to work with her to create a happy home life. This strong, vibrant novel looks at a complicated issue without didacticism or platitudes, but with the level of complexity it deserves, staying true to the heart of the protagonist.-Sharon McKellar, Oakland Public Library, CA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2012
Grades 4-7 To 12-year-old June, summer means swimming in the lake, finding the first wild blueberries, and baking the best pie in the Champlain Valley Fair competition. On the other hand, she hasn't warmed up to Eva, who plans to marry her mother, and some of their neighbors have begun protesting Vermont's new civil union law in hurtful ways. When they post signs, hurl slurs against gays and lesbians, and boycott her mother's small store, June finds herself drawn into the controversy. In addition to defending her family, she works through the question of her own sexual orientation that summer. June is portrayed as a sympathetic character who wants to stay on the sidelines of political issues, but, when she becomes involved, says and does all the right things, even saving a bigoted man's young son from drowning. While this relatively short chapter book tackles too many issues and ties them up too neatly in the happy ending, the first-person narrative is quite readable, and the book will find an audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2012
Twelve-year-old June's mother plans to marry her girlfriend, Eva, inciting a boycott of their marina shop near Lake Champlain. At first June resists a relationship with Eva and hides from the controversy, but when she enters the local pie contest she finds the courage to stand up for herself. Focusing on the importance of family, Gennari explores a tough topic with a light touch.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)