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155th out of 1,863 books
—
4,995 voters
A Summer to Die
by
Lois Lowry
Thirteen-year-old Meg envies her sister's beauty and popularity. Her feelings don't make it any easier for her to cope with Molly's strange illness and eventual death.
Mass Market Paperback, 120 pages
Published
December 1st 1983
by Laurel Leaf
(first published January 1st 1977)
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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 to find myself relating 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 to find myself relating t...more
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, especially 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 occasions. Once, I picked it up and star...more
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.
The handling of these exp...more
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.
The handling of these exp...more
My favorite teen lit of all time. Equally good reading as an adult. Haunting and beautiful, a story of ambiguous grief and unexpected friendship.
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 vivid writ...more
Dec 19, 2011
Sarah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Connie. Please finish so we can discuss.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A Summer to Die was one of my favorite books when I was in junior high. I would no sooner return it to my school's library then I would check it out again. It was the book that introduced me to Emily Dickinson's poetry, and Fringed Gentian remains one of my favorite poems. It is the story of a family with two girls, Molly and Meg--sisters--one of whom is diagnosed with leukemia. To me, the book, then and now, was less about the specific tragedy that is cancer, and more about all tragedies, and t...more
Sep 11, 2012
Jennifer Prescott
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Any children in 7th Grade or so, with Teacher or Parent to help with questions.
Recommended to Jennifer by:
Mrs. Saunders- My 7th Grade English Teacher
I read this when I was in school, and again just recently. I am always so sad for all the sisters go through. Having lost (and saved) far too many to Cancer, so I can completely relate!
I suggest all kids (EVEN THE BOYS!!) read it around 7th grade age, and have a teacher or attentive parent they can ask questions of. It's a hard read...even harder on me than "Old Yeller" and "Where the Red Fern Grows"! I believe that children in this day and age NEED to know how to read BOTH critically (work, re...more
I suggest all kids (EVEN THE BOYS!!) read it around 7th grade age, and have a teacher or attentive parent they can ask questions of. It's a hard read...even harder on me than "Old Yeller" and "Where the Red Fern Grows"! I believe that children in this day and age NEED to know how to read BOTH critically (work, re...more
A Summer to Die tells the story of two sisters, Molly and Meg. The pair are opposites--Molly is pretty, neat and kind, while Meg is loud, messy and creative. Although they are close in age, most of the time they do not get along. Each sees in the other someone that they wish they could be. When the family move to the country so that the girls' father can work on his book, the pair find themselves sharing a room, much to their irritation. Meg also notices that her sister is becoming increasingly...more
Before Lois Lowry wrote two Newbery-winning novels, she wrote a wonderful series about a girl named Anastasia Krupnik. I loved Anastasia before Number the Stars was published and honored, but had never ventured backward into Lowry's bibliography. Then one Saturday last spring, I was exploring Wahiawa and found A Summer to Die in the Goodwill store for ninety-nine cents. It went into the trunk of my car for those times when I needed something to read but didn't have any of my current books with m...more
I read this book not really knowing what to expect. I knew it would be a coming of age novel that dealt with the issue of loss from the view of a young girl, but I was surprised to see that there were several other very well developed characters who the reader could bond with even though they were not the protagonists. Meg, whose view point the story is told from, has to deal with those trivial teen years whilst having just moved to a new house as she comes to terms with her older sister, whom s...more
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 lyrical. And it's interes...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 lyrical. And it's interes...more
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 bread and teapot or a be...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 bread and teapot or a be...more
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.
Meg quickly adapts to country...more
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.
Meg quickly adapts to country...more
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 most important writer...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 most important writer...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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...more
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, but once the...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, but once the...more
It tells the story of 13 year old Meg and her older sister, Molly. Meg is jealous of her sister because of all the things that Molly has. Molly is on the cheerleading team, blond, and has a boyfriend that she is totally in love with. Meg doesn't have any of that. She wants friends and attention from her parents but it does not happen. One night, Meg wakes up and finds out that Molly has a nosebleed so bad her parents takes her to the hospital. With anyone hardly home, Meg goes and hangs out with...more
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 like Molly are also her strength...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 like Molly are also her strength...more
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...more
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 landlord who...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 landlord who...more
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 anyone's writing but I...more
I'm glad Lois Lowry has some best selling books because I feel bad saying bad about anyone's writing but I...more
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.
Why I picked it up: an old favorite and sometimes I just feel like revisiting it
Meg’s family moves out to the country for a year so her father can work on his book. Meg has to share a room with her older sister, Molly, which is okay most of the time as the sisters do get along, but also causes some tensions. Molly is beautiful and Meg would rather view the world through her camera. Then Molly gets sick.
This is a heartbreaking, beautiful book and has long been one of my favorites. I first read it...more
Meg’s family moves out to the country for a year so her father can work on his book. Meg has to share a room with her older sister, Molly, which is okay most of the time as the sisters do get along, but also causes some tensions. Molly is beautiful and Meg would rather view the world through her camera. Then Molly gets sick.
This is a heartbreaking, beautiful book and has long been one of my favorites. I first read it...more
This book is wonderful. The copy I own was my older sister's first, and she read it at least twice. I borrowed it from her and have read it three times since. It's such a beautiful story, well-written (of course) with sympathetic characters. I love Meg, and even though Molly annoys me at first, she's a well-developed character and has many redeeming qualities. I enjoy the relationship between the sisters, the plot device of moving the family into the country that creates the initial conflict, an...more
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.
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...more
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...more
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 when I read it. It al...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 when I read it. It al...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| What's The Name o...: SOLVED - Young girl with dying older sister, creates dark room and presses flowers [s] | 4 | 40 | Feb 09, 2013 12:26pm |
Taken from Lowry's website:
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always...more
More about Lois Lowry...
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always...more
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I hope you don't mind me commenting on your review. I loved this book when I was young, and I just re-read it last week. Like you, I found myself...more
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