Summer Lifeguards

March 1, 2021

Gr 3-6-"What matters to you?" When their teacher assigns this question, Jenna, Selena, Piper, and Ziggy already know the answer. Swim team! Fame! A house! A normal parent! Yet when a hurricane threatens their Cape Cod community, the girls put their wants aside and take action by caring for horses, volunteering at shelters, housing evacuees, and delivering food to the elderly. As a result of working through a crisis, the girls realize that maybe what they thought mattered actually doesn't at all. Selena's family is Ecuadorian (clich�d Spanish expressions such as D�os mio are used repeatedly), and the rest of the main characters are white. A minor character, Samantha, who is Somalian and Israeli, speaks with a generic British accent and has "learning differences." Another minor character, Franny, is autistic, which Jenna mistakes for a competitive spirit. Franny's parents speak for her almost entirely; the character says just one word. The title is misleading; though the girls are inspired by lifeguards, they do not become lifeguards in this book. Although there are some suspenseful moments, the story remains upbeat throughout. All damage is minor, and no one is hurt. Jenna, Selena, Piper, and Ziggy are all likable, independent characters who have an infectious, can-do attitude. VERDICT A feel-good series opener that could have mass appeal in spite of its flaws.-Rebecca Fitzgerald, Harrison P.L., NY

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2021
Four seventh graders get lessons in community spirit when a hurricane hits their Cape Cod town. Narrators Jenna, Selena, Piper, and Ziggy start their school year assigned to write "a paper about what matters to us in life." Meanwhile, as a hurricane heads their way, Jenna frets about beating Franny, her swim team rival, at an upcoming meet; Selena tries a homemade beauty treatment that goes badly awry; Piper worries about the safety of her grandma and the horses they care for; and Ziggy has concerns because her "hippie" mom is a conspiracy theorist who refuses to take the storm warnings seriously. Still, as the storm causes dramatic flooding and evacuations, all four girls pitch in to help and, in the aftermath, are left with both themes for their school assignment and inspiring glimpses of the good work done by the local lifeguard crew. In a largely White cast, the representation of characters with various underrepresented identities--from Ecuadorian American Selena to biracial Israeli and Somali Samantha, who has "dyslexia and other learning differences," and autistic Franny--unfortunately misfires. The book broaches identity-related subjects, but they are not developed with tact or insight. Selena's concerns about color-blind casting in the school play, Samantha's self-identifying as "a mutt," a character's misleading comment about racial diversity in Israel, and the objectifying portrayal of Franny's autism are missed opportunities for depth. An uplifting story marred by clumsy efforts to inject diverse representation. (Fiction. 9-11)

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August 20, 2021
Grades 3-6 This story, set in Cape Cod, begins on best friends Jenna, Selena, Piper, and Ziggy's first day of seventh grade and follows the girls over the next two weeks, which takes them on a journey of self-discovery, enlightening perspective, tough decision-making, and adventure. Each chapter is written from the point of view of one of the girls, allowing readers to easily relate to one or all of them: Piper, who loves horses; Jenna, a competitive swimmer; Selena, who is into theater; and meditative Ziggy, the activist. Danger enters the picture in the form of a hurricane, and weathering it brings a new friend into their circle and new ideas for their English assignment to write a thesis on "what matters most to them in life." As the story progresses, the friends become more accepting of personal differences and appreciative of their tight bond. This series-starter is a satisfying, character-driven summer read for middle-schoolers that evokes the classic Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books.

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