Meg isn't thrilled when she gets stuck sharing a bedroom with her older sister Molly. The two of them couldn't be more different, and it's hard for...
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Aug 26, 2007
laaaaames
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I haven't read this book since I was eleven or twelve, but I bought a used copy because I have such extremely fond memories of it. My copy has new cover art, so I got all nostalgic seeing the thumbnail of the old cover here.
It's funny how much of this book I remembered vividly and how much I'd forgotten all together. It's a beautiful story, though, through and through, the kind that makes me happy to be alive.
I recall relating to Meg so much as a kid, so I was surprised t More...
It's funny how much of this book I remembered vividly and how much I'd forgotten all together. It's a beautiful story, though, through and through, the kind that makes me happy to be alive.
I recall relating to Meg so much as a kid, so I was surprised t More...
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Mar 11, 2009
Lizzie
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A gift from Amy! Thank you Amy! I finished reading this at 2:30am this morning when I couldn't sleep.
I almost didn't want to read this because it is like a little dandelion poof of a book, it is so super small I was like, I'll blink and I'll miss it! What if I hurt it! I'd never read it before because as a kid I was snotty about the kill-me-now melodramas of Lurlene McDaniel and ilk. (Please see Somewhere Between YA Lit and Death.) However, this meant I overlooked a lot.
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I almost didn't want to read this because it is like a little dandelion poof of a book, it is so super small I was like, I'll blink and I'll miss it! What if I hurt it! I'd never read it before because as a kid I was snotty about the kill-me-now melodramas of Lurlene McDaniel and ilk. (Please see Somewhere Between YA Lit and Death.) However, this meant I overlooked a lot.
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Dec 16, 2009
Maggie
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My favorite teen lit of all time. Equally good reading as an adult. Haunting and beautiful, a story of ambiguous grief and unexpected friendship.
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Dec 12, 2008
Sofia
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A Summer To Die is a book about two sisters loving each other, going through adventures, illnesses, and good times together. Molly, the weak but older sister was always in bed, while Meg was active and a strong girl. The differences between the girls, made them each unique, and joyful. Their mutual generosity helped their home be a peaceful and enjoyable place. Lois Lowry is a great author who really nails the point of the story and makes you imagine every sentences of this book. Her v
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Dec 19, 2011
Sarah
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 17, 2009
Heidi
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I have two sisters and we all read this book. I think having sisters really brings this book to a new level. My sisters and I don't always get along, xpecially when we all lived in the same house. However, when something happens to a sister, we are excited or sad depending on the situation. I have read this book again and again because it reminds me that even though I might not like my sister today, I still love her. This book has made me cry on multiple occastions. Once, I picked it up and star
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Aug 28, 2011
Carolyn
rated it:
for Wide Reading Project for CI546:
review: I hadn't read this since I was a kid. It's so incredibly sad. But the writing is beautiful and, oddly enough, there's lots of stuff in here that really connects with who I am as an adult (I spend hours both in the darkroom and making quilts!).
There are some beautiful, albeit unusual, friendships in this book, particularly that of Meg and Will Banks. The descriptions of the countryside as it changes through the season are quite More...
review: I hadn't read this since I was a kid. It's so incredibly sad. But the writing is beautiful and, oddly enough, there's lots of stuff in here that really connects with who I am as an adult (I spend hours both in the darkroom and making quilts!).
There are some beautiful, albeit unusual, friendships in this book, particularly that of Meg and Will Banks. The descriptions of the countryside as it changes through the season are quite More...
Nov 27, 2009
SallySnowtiger
rated it:
A Summer to Die
Realistic Fiction
Grade 7-9
The photograph on the cover is of a faceless girl, faceless because she is photographed from the neck down, seated and holding a fragile looking flower in her hand. I think the cover is quite symbolic of the story that deals with the fragility of life. The illustrator, Jenni Oliver, uses simple black and white ink illustrations at the beginning of every chapter. All of the illustrations depict scenes from a home, such as a loaf of More...
Realistic Fiction
Grade 7-9
The photograph on the cover is of a faceless girl, faceless because she is photographed from the neck down, seated and holding a fragile looking flower in her hand. I think the cover is quite symbolic of the story that deals with the fragility of life. The illustrator, Jenni Oliver, uses simple black and white ink illustrations at the beginning of every chapter. All of the illustrations depict scenes from a home, such as a loaf of More...
Oct 30, 2009
Allie
rated it: 
Genre/Category: death/sibling relationships/coming of age/birth
read for "oral author report: Lowry"
Summary: Meg and Molly are sisters and they couldn't be more different. Meg likes to spend time by herself, enjoys arts, and can be terribly messy. Molly is the popular, beautiful cheerleader who gets everyone's attention. It becomes even harder for these two opposite sisters to get along when they move to a small country house with only one bedroom for them to share.
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read for "oral author report: Lowry"
Summary: Meg and Molly are sisters and they couldn't be more different. Meg likes to spend time by herself, enjoys arts, and can be terribly messy. Molly is the popular, beautiful cheerleader who gets everyone's attention. It becomes even harder for these two opposite sisters to get along when they move to a small country house with only one bedroom for them to share.
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May 28, 2009
Anna
rated it:
This book is "unofficial" because I read it many times as a child, though haven't seen it in probably ten years. What I can't believe is that it's actually out of print! Fortunately there are enough copies of this wonderful book floating around to make it easily findable.
I just learned that A Summer to Die was actually Lois Lowry's first young adult novel, written in the 1970s, well before the Anastasia books and Number the Stars and The Giver and basically being one of the More...
I just learned that A Summer to Die was actually Lois Lowry's first young adult novel, written in the 1970s, well before the Anastasia books and Number the Stars and The Giver and basically being one of the More...
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Apr 12, 2009
Claudia
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 24, 2010
Rachel
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This book is of Meg and her journey through the ups and downs of her sister's illness. The story takes place in the Oregon countryside where Meg's father has relocated the family of four so he can finish writing his book. Molly is Meg's older sister and completely opposite. Molly is beautiful, popular, and outgoing. Meg on the other hand is still going through her awkward stage, but a very talented young girl. This story captures the real emotions of what Meg and her family is going through as t
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Jul 23, 2009
Sophie
rated it:
I first encountered this book when my library was weeding its children's paperback collection. I grabbed several out of the pile destined for the recycling bin, including this one. I knew Lowry's work, but I didn't know this was her first novel, or how good it would end up being.
I loved it. It was beautifully written from start to finish. The setting was rich with detail and made me want to move to the New England countryside and start my own garden. It was a bit slow to get going, b More...
I loved it. It was beautifully written from start to finish. The setting was rich with detail and made me want to move to the New England countryside and start my own garden. It was a bit slow to get going, b More...
Mar 12, 2011
Jackson
rated it:
I picked this book up a week or so ago, thinking it was a totally different book I read as a kid. Turns out I'd never read this one.
I think it dealt with loss from a kid's point of view really well and would be a great book to give a kid dealing with a loss or sickness of a loved one.
As someone who gets uncomfortable about anything to do with the subject of childbearing, I got a little squeamish in a part of the book which graphically dealt with this subject, but from an ob More...
I think it dealt with loss from a kid's point of view really well and would be a great book to give a kid dealing with a loss or sickness of a loved one.
As someone who gets uncomfortable about anything to do with the subject of childbearing, I got a little squeamish in a part of the book which graphically dealt with this subject, but from an ob More...
Oct 28, 2011
Theresa
rated it:
This was a well-composed, powerful book.
When I heard Lois Lowry speak recently, I found out this was the book that began her career in children's literature. So I decided to read it.
Meg lives in the beautiful shadow of Molly. Molly is everything Meg feels she is not. The sister, mom, and dad have moved to the country so dad can finish writing a book while on sabbatical. Here, Meg gets sick and Molly comes into her own. She finds that the things that make her not li More...
When I heard Lois Lowry speak recently, I found out this was the book that began her career in children's literature. So I decided to read it.
Meg lives in the beautiful shadow of Molly. Molly is everything Meg feels she is not. The sister, mom, and dad have moved to the country so dad can finish writing a book while on sabbatical. Here, Meg gets sick and Molly comes into her own. She finds that the things that make her not li More...
Apr 06, 2011
icybytes
rated it:
I've read a few of Lois Lowry's books, and I found each of them good, so I decided to give 'A Summer to Die' a try. And I'm glad I did. This heartbreaking, touching tale is more than a little autobiographical, for not only does it feature a bit of Lowry's childhood but it also tells the story of how she copes for her 15-year-old sister's death when she was young. Written in Meg's perspective (and a little bit of Lowry's when she was young), this story is about two sisters aged 13 (Meg) and 15 (M
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Apr 22, 2011
Tanya
rated it:
Loved the book. Hated the title. For most of the book, the little sister doesn't know her big sister is terminally ill. But of course the reader gets hints along the way--LIKE THE TITLE! I guess the publisher thought middle-grade readers wouldn't pick up on the subtle storytelling and therefore had to make it abundantly clear that someone dies in the end.
Gentle, realistic telling of a turning point in a family's life. Some details might seem a bit dated to today's young readers--a l More...
Gentle, realistic telling of a turning point in a family's life. Some details might seem a bit dated to today's young readers--a l More...
May 24, 2010
Bobby
rated it: 
This book is about a teenage girl (Meg) and her sister Molly. It is told from the point of view of Meg and focuses on the summer that her sister Molly dies of Lukemia. Meg's an artist while her sister is the beautiful popular cheerleader. Molly starts slowly getting sick until she dies. Meg struggles but has her parents, her friend Will and her friends Ben and Maria to help get her through.
I'm glad Lois Lowry has some best selling books because I feel bad saying bad about anyon More...
I'm glad Lois Lowry has some best selling books because I feel bad saying bad about anyon More...
Jun 17, 2008
Amber
rated it:
Ah, the period of time as a child that I read every book about eating disorders, cancer, and any other scary and/or terminal disease out there. Was it a desire for more drama, even the tragic kind, or the seeds of future hypochondria? Either way, this book was quite satisfying at that age-- although it made me forever paranoid about nose bleeds.
Dec 17, 2009
erin
rated it:
This book swept through my 5th grade class, all of the girls waiting for their turn to read it. I still remember exactly where it was shelved in the school library. At the start of the second to last chapter, I cried so hard that the words all blurred together on the page. This book was made for pre-teen pre-angst.
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Feb 18, 2010
Tiffany
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This was Lois Lowry' first young adult novel and was awarded an IRA Children's Book Award and the California Young Reader Medal. This book is about 2 sisters who spend several months in the country so her dad can finish writing a book in peace. Meg is the younger sister, Molly the older, and I can't quite remember Meg's age. At times,she seems older, as she makes her own dark room and is a great photographer, but then throughout the book, while her sister is repeatedly in the hospital for weeks
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Nov 24, 2009
Violet
rated it:
Meg is green with envy of her fifteen year old sister Molly, who has the qualities she wishes she had, beuty and popularity. When their family moves to a small house in New England their bickering increases and Molly's health takes a turn for the worse.Soon Molly is starting to visit the hospital frequently while her attitude changes drastically. After Meg awakens to find her sister drenched in blood she is sent to the hospital for a long period of time, leaving Meg's questions about her sister
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Jun 03, 2011
Momo
rated it:
Me encanta este libro, es un poco triste pero me parece precioso, me encanta la sensación que tengo cuando lo leo. Además tiene historia: era de una amiga cuando lo leí y después al buscarlo estaba descatalogado y no lo he podido encontrar por ningún lado. Después de años buscándolo resulta que esta en la biblioteca de mi ciudad así que ahora lo tengo fotocopiado.
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I love this book, is a bit sad but I think it is beautiful, I love the feeling I have w More...
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I love this book, is a bit sad but I think it is beautiful, I love the feeling I have w More...
Jun 15, 2007
Ruth
rated it:
This book has stuck with me for so long, and I remember reading it in my mom's car, with The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" in the background. The title eluded me until I was hunting around on here, and I am glad to have finally figured it out!
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Sep 09, 2009
Jennybug
rated it:
I actually really liked this book. This would be a good book for a Junior High student. I think that Lois Lory is a very good writer, and writes about topics that are interesting for both juvenile readers and adults. I really liked how this book was told through the eyes of a 13 year old girl.
**Quotes**
Pg 136 "Time goes on, and your life is still there, and you have to live it. After a while you remember the good things more than the bad. Then, gradually, the em More...
**Quotes**
Pg 136 "Time goes on, and your life is still there, and you have to live it. After a while you remember the good things more than the bad. Then, gradually, the em More...
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Aug 26, 2009
Torie
rated it:
Another book that Leilani found when she looked for "Death" in the Juvenile Subjects card catalog when she was a kid (see Backyard Dancer post "Bring On the Card Catalog!") I never read this one as a kid but I loved Lois Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik books. A Summer To Die has a similar precocious preteen narrator dealing with a much more tragic and traumatic situation than any I remember encountered by Anastasia. Meg's summer is full of death, guilt, birth, and revelations that
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Aug 31, 2007
Mayra
rated it:
This was the first book that made me cry! I can remember being on my bed crying my little 11yr old eyes out and loving every minute of it. This is a book that everyone should read, especially if you have a sister!
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Jun 23, 2007
Katrina
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This is a beautiful story about sisters. I recommend it to anyone that has a sister or best friend that they feel that close to...it's beautifully written; a short read that leaves an impact.
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Dec 17, 2009
Megan
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This is a very well-written book in which a girl deals with her sister's fatal illness and eventual death. Lowry handles a delicate situation deftly and thoughtfully. Highly recommended.
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