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Summer Secret
A new girl, Kristin, comes to town, and a group of three friends quickly becomes four. Kristin is immediately confronted by the church bully, Greta, and has to learn how to deal with harassment in a Christian manner. But, there's a bigger secret lurking in this little town church. A secret between Ellie and Alma that has lasted over 50 years. What could it be? See how the girls, and adults, learn how to extend forgiveness and understanding to their friends as well as their enemies.
164 pages, Paperback
First published December 13, 2008
About the author
Rene' Morris
1 book2 followersI am the author of The Sonshine Girls and my first book, Summer Secret released on December 13th. I am also a mom to six kids and have been married for over 18 years. "
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 12, 2008
As a 56-year-old male, I'm not really part of the actual target audience for this book, and for the projected series it kicks off, which is aimed primarily at girls in their early teens (if I were, and had tastes more typical for that age group, I might have given it more stars); and would probably not have been naturally drawn to it as reading material, if the author hadn't graciously sent me a review copy. That said, though, I did rather like it; I found the four girls at the center of the book likable and engaging enough to wish them well, and I became interested in seeing how the events of the plot would unfold. The fact that I raised three girls may have made me more empathetic to the characters; then too, as a young teen boy, I was part of the minority who didn't mind reading about female characters --of course, I'd read pretty much anything! (This book reminded me in some ways of the old Donna Parker series books, a couple of which I'd read when I was around Kristen and her friends' age; it's also been compared to Ann M. Martin's Babysitter's Club series, though I never read any of those books myself.) But while a criticism I made of the Donna Parker books, even back then, was that they studiously ignored any and all serious issues, this book (as might be expected from a Christian author writing for a Christian press) does address the most serious issue of life --human relationship/response to God.
Morris' prose style is simple and direct (that, and the relatively short length of the book, which is designed to accommodate readers who might not all have long attention spans, makes for a quick read), and in the best Realist tradition, she finds her subject matter in the drama of daily life; her plot strands develop gradually from what starts, in the first few chapters, as simply a sketched slice of middle class, small-town life. Her characters are basically good kids, neither troubled teens nor plaster saints; the religious content of the story arises naturally out of their association with their church. For the most part, her dialogue comes across as realistic (though I'm not sure a 13-year-old would use "decades" in normal speech). In common with most books aimed at teen readers rather than adults, there is a certain lack of deep analysis of character, relationships, etc.; but this isn't necessarily a flaw from the vantage point of the targeted readers. I wouldn't really characterize Greta Hansley as a "bully" --I reserve that term for those who engage in actual physical abuse of others-- but she's a good example of another all-too-common type: the arrogant, self-absorbed snob who sees wealth and social position as a license to belittle most of the rest of the human race; Morris clearly nails the mentality of cliques of girls like this (and makes it clear that churches aren't exempt from them).
My main real criticism of the book is that the titular secret behind the rift between Kristen and Greta's grandmothers is introduced too abruptly, and would probably not become an object of church-wide curiosity so quickly, nor be such a strong object of curiosity to the four girls --most 13-year-olds tend not to care much about events from as far back as 1959! And it seems improbable that someone wouldn't remember the public version of those events, in a small community little affected by geographic mobility. But this is a nit-picking criticism for a book I think most teen readers would find a rewarding affirmation of female bonding and friendship, with Christian moral content. I plan to recommend it to my grandneice!
Morris' prose style is simple and direct (that, and the relatively short length of the book, which is designed to accommodate readers who might not all have long attention spans, makes for a quick read), and in the best Realist tradition, she finds her subject matter in the drama of daily life; her plot strands develop gradually from what starts, in the first few chapters, as simply a sketched slice of middle class, small-town life. Her characters are basically good kids, neither troubled teens nor plaster saints; the religious content of the story arises naturally out of their association with their church. For the most part, her dialogue comes across as realistic (though I'm not sure a 13-year-old would use "decades" in normal speech). In common with most books aimed at teen readers rather than adults, there is a certain lack of deep analysis of character, relationships, etc.; but this isn't necessarily a flaw from the vantage point of the targeted readers. I wouldn't really characterize Greta Hansley as a "bully" --I reserve that term for those who engage in actual physical abuse of others-- but she's a good example of another all-too-common type: the arrogant, self-absorbed snob who sees wealth and social position as a license to belittle most of the rest of the human race; Morris clearly nails the mentality of cliques of girls like this (and makes it clear that churches aren't exempt from them).
My main real criticism of the book is that the titular secret behind the rift between Kristen and Greta's grandmothers is introduced too abruptly, and would probably not become an object of church-wide curiosity so quickly, nor be such a strong object of curiosity to the four girls --most 13-year-olds tend not to care much about events from as far back as 1959! And it seems improbable that someone wouldn't remember the public version of those events, in a small community little affected by geographic mobility. But this is a nit-picking criticism for a book I think most teen readers would find a rewarding affirmation of female bonding and friendship, with Christian moral content. I plan to recommend it to my grandneice!
December 15, 2008
This book is perfect for any pre-teen/teenaged girl in your life.
When Kristen moves to small town Texas, she thinks she's going to be all alone, until she stumbles across three girls. Organized Charli, Creative Jessica, and Girlie-girl Anna have been friends forever, and adding Kristen to their group seemed to just round them out. The girls form a fast friendship based around the church summer camp. Trying to get to camp is hilarious, especially with the constant challenges by town snob, Greta Hansley. Of course, the real fun begins when camp begins. There is a secret in the town, a secret that spans decades, and the girls are traveling down the road of investigation to find out exactly what happened so, so long ago. Through all of this, the girls are faced with their own personal struggles with acceptance, God, Faith, and friendship.
Ms. Morris shows young girls that by putting thier faith in God, anything can happen. This is a truly fun book, and I'd recommend it to anyone with a young girl, or boy, on their list.
When Kristen moves to small town Texas, she thinks she's going to be all alone, until she stumbles across three girls. Organized Charli, Creative Jessica, and Girlie-girl Anna have been friends forever, and adding Kristen to their group seemed to just round them out. The girls form a fast friendship based around the church summer camp. Trying to get to camp is hilarious, especially with the constant challenges by town snob, Greta Hansley. Of course, the real fun begins when camp begins. There is a secret in the town, a secret that spans decades, and the girls are traveling down the road of investigation to find out exactly what happened so, so long ago. Through all of this, the girls are faced with their own personal struggles with acceptance, God, Faith, and friendship.
Ms. Morris shows young girls that by putting thier faith in God, anything can happen. This is a truly fun book, and I'd recommend it to anyone with a young girl, or boy, on their list.
April 12, 2009
SONSHINE GIRLS - Book # 1 SUMMER SECRET by Author Rene' Morris.
Summer Secret is the first in a series of books that showcase four young girls as they share their summer before entering Junior High School in the fall.
Charli, Anna, Jessica, and Kristen set up fundraisers to earn money for church camp; they have sleepovers, and deal with the awkwardness of being thirteen. The church bully continues her reign of being rude and hurtful to the girls. Anna tries to “make-over” her friends and this causes tension throughout the book. The girls also learn how to deal with everyday issues and respond in a Christian manner.
Rene’ Morris’s debut novel of using Christian principles to deal with issues faced by young girls will have fans waiting anxiously for the next adventure of the Sonshine Girls. Ms. Morris is definitely a new, Christian author on the rise. If you’re looking for a new series for your daughter, this is it. The Sonshine Girls is similar to The Babysitter’s Club but with a Christian attitude.
Summer Secret is the first in a series of books that showcase four young girls as they share their summer before entering Junior High School in the fall.
Charli, Anna, Jessica, and Kristen set up fundraisers to earn money for church camp; they have sleepovers, and deal with the awkwardness of being thirteen. The church bully continues her reign of being rude and hurtful to the girls. Anna tries to “make-over” her friends and this causes tension throughout the book. The girls also learn how to deal with everyday issues and respond in a Christian manner.
Rene’ Morris’s debut novel of using Christian principles to deal with issues faced by young girls will have fans waiting anxiously for the next adventure of the Sonshine Girls. Ms. Morris is definitely a new, Christian author on the rise. If you’re looking for a new series for your daughter, this is it. The Sonshine Girls is similar to The Babysitter’s Club but with a Christian attitude.
December 20, 2008
This is the first wonderful Christian fiction book in the Sonshine Girls series which is geared to tweeners and young teens. Issues that are raised include friendship, bullying, forgiveness, Chrisianity, cliques and peer pressure. There are four main characters that make up the Sonshine Girls. As I read, I could closely identify with Kristin and Charli. The author has done a fantastic job of capturing the moodiness and general camaraderie that girls often demonstrate. In the back are tips for dealing with bullies which could be helpful someone who is being bullied. The book moves right along and is a very enjoyable read.
March 3, 2009
Summer Secret by Rene' Morris is a great tween book. First in the series of the Sonshine Girls, Kristin is the new girl in town. She becomes friends with a trio of girls. The story develops with a brother researching religion, girls getting involved in church, and dealing with a snobby, bullying situation. Using adult guidance, the girls learn to handle the bully in a Christian way. Along the path, they also find the answers to a big 'Summer Secret' from the past. I may have left the book sit on my stand a month, but once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed Summer Secret until the end!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews