The Best Worst Summer

by Elizabeth Eulberg

A middle grade story about two summers - three decades apart - and the box of secrets linking them together.

This is going to be the worst summer ever for Peyton. Her family just moved, and she had to leave her best friend behind. She's lonely. She's bored. Until . . . she comes across a box buried in her backyard, with a message: I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Things are about to get interesting.

Back in 1989, it's going to be the best summer ever for Melissa and Jessica. They have two whole months to goof around and explore, and they're even going to bury a time capsule! But when one girl's family secret starts to unravel, it's clear things may not go exactly as planned.

In alternating chapters, from Peyton in present day to Melissa three decades earlier (a time with no cell phones, no social media, and camera film that took days to develop, but also a whole lot of freedom), a story of a mystery that two sets of characters will never forget.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Friendship, Mystery, Adoption, Childrens

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

The short and sweet version:
Elizabeth Eulberg was born and raised in Wisconsin before heading off to college at Syracuse University and making a career in the New York City book biz. Now a full-time writer, she is the international bestselling author of over a dozen novels, including The Lonely Hearts Club, Prom & Prejudice, Take a Bow, and Better Off Friends, along with the middle-grade series The Great Shelby Holmes and Scared Silly. She now lives in London where she spends her free time aimlessly wandering around historic streets and eating all the scones. ALL OF THEM.

To check out the long version, head over to my webpage: http://www.elizabetheulberg.com/bio/

Also, I'm not checking e-mails on my Goodreads, see my website for information on contacting me! http://www.elizabetheulberg.com/faq/

Happy reading!

Reviews

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was INCREDIBLE. I was expecting a fun summer friendship story, with one timeline being in the 80s(yes!). I got all of that, plus some serious issues/themes that hit me hard with how much I related to them. This alternates chapters between Peyton’s POV in the current time, & Mel’s POV in 1989. 2 different summers, 2 different friendships. I related to Mel. The things with her dad..I dealt with with my stepdad. We had to move at almost the end of my 7th grade year to get away from him. Plus, the not having a lot of money issues. I think the author portrayed Mel’s situation realistically, & very honestly. It’s a horrible thing to deal with, especially as a kid, & she definitely hit the nail on the head describing not only the dad, but the mom, & Mel & everything she feels & how it affects her in many different ways. On a happier note lol, I also related to her & her friend Jess so much with The Babysitter’s Club references, making mixed tapes from recording the radio onto a cassette tape(kids today do NOT know the struggle), & of COURSE New Kids on the Block. Like Mel, all my friends were in love with Joey, but I was like Jess in here-team Jordan. Lol Other songs & groups/singers mentioned as well, & all brought back such great memories of the music. I also related to Peyton with the moving in middle school. I grew up at the beach, & went to school with the same kids/friends all my life until almost going to the 8th grade. Everything I dealt with up to that point at home, plus other stuff, & then moving hours away leaving everything-made me ANGRY. It’s hard to do that, especially in middle school. I loved her new friendship she makes with Lucas. He is SUCH a great kid. I loved their dynamic together. I loved the mystery of the time capsule that brought them together, & them trying to find out who the two girls from the past are. It was also interesting to see how much better this town seemed to be in 1989, before all the super stores & online shopping, etc. made so many small businesses close. Crazy. I also found it interesting that each girl thought their summer was going to be one way(one thought the best, one thought the worst), & the opposite was the case for both. The ending was amazing, & gave me all the book hugging feels. I picked this up, & got even more out of this than I was planning. I wish I had this book to read when I was in middle school. Highly recommend. Beautiful cover by Dana SanMar too.💜

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up

This ended up being a lot sadder than I was expecting for a summery read so I was a little taken aback by that. I’ve read several books and novellas by this author before, but this was my first middle grade by her. She did an excellent job capturing the voice of a middle grader and I loved all the 80s references.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dare anyone reading this book who grew up in the 80s & 90s not to absolutely LOVE it. As we flop back and forth between present day and that time period, we see so many similarities in the two featured friendships - but couldn't help but extra love the NKOTB & Baby-Sitter's Club references, or shoutouts to cassette mixtapes!

This. Book. Is. AWESOME!

"So here we are. Your family, phones away, ready to hear what you have to say."

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up as a fluffy lunch time read but Wow good character development and great story. Peyton was forced to move to a small MN town leaving behind all she loves. When she discovers a time capsule from 1989 in her backyard. She is off on an adventure trying to figure out what happened to Mel and Jess. Maybe a Bluestem?

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and publisher for sharing an early copy with #bookexpedition.

The perfect blend of historical and contemporary fiction, The Best Worst Summer tells the stories of Melissa and Jessica (in 1989) and Peyton, whose family just moved and had to leave her best friend and soccer community behind.

Peyton is B-O-R-E-D and lonely until she comes across a time capsule buried in her backyard with the message: I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.

This. Changes. Everything!

Told in alternating chapters between Peyton’s present day timeline and Melissa’s decades earlier setting, the memorable characters’ stories intertwine well. While the theme of the book is friendship, there’s also the riveting mystery of the time capsule to solve and the opportunity for readers to discuss family dynamics.

As an extra bonus, this 46 year old reader LOVED the throwback to the 80s. Plenty of NKOTB references and mentions of mix tapes, home telephone lines, cameras with film, and the absence of social media. A great way for readers to gain insight on what their parents’ lives may have been like.

A terrific summer read for middle grade readers-out now!

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Cute summer book!

[Emily Masters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sold on this book for about the first third, but it quickly grew on me and had great pacing, conflict, and resolution towards the end.

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Worst Summer is a charming, engaging middle grade novel that manages to blend historical and contemporary fiction. Friendship is the book’s central theme, but it also features good disability representation, realistic family dynamics, the struggles of moving from one city to another, and a riveting mystery for readers to watch the characters resolve. Set in summer, this book is an excellent summer reading pick!

Read my full review on my blog.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. All the references to 1989 brought back so many happy memories. The friendships both in the past and in the present were meaningful and also showed how complicated friendships can be.

[Laurie Hnatiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher Bloomsbury Children's Books for a digital ARC of this title to read.

Peyton is having the worst summer. Her family moved from Minneapolis to Lake Springs because her mother got a job at the university. Nobody talked to Peyton about it, they just moved, and Peyton feels that her life has been affected the most. Her older brother plays video games, so what does it matter where he sits to play. Her dad can work online, and although he is at home, he's always working, and her mother starting a new job is never at home. Peyton had to give up soccer camp and her best friend, Lily. Her father gives her a list of chores to complete when Peyton complains she has nothing to do because she doesn't know anyone. All of this changes when she finds what appears to be a time capsule box when Peyton is weeding in the backyard.
The time capsule has a code on it, half of a Best Friends Forever heart necklace, a mixed cassette tape and an apology. Now Peyton has something to solve - who were these best friends, and where are they now? In alternating chapters, we relive the summer of Melissa and Jessica and see how the objects in the box come to be part of the capsule. In the present-day chapters, we see how Peyton is slowly adjusting to life in Lake Springs, including meeting and befriending Lucas, who happens to be in a wheelchair and helps Peyton figure out who the two friends are and where they are today.

It's rare to see a character strong enough to stand up for another in a mean girl situation, modelling for readers a possible solution should they find themselves in a similar circumstance. When Peyton was at her mom's colleague's house, one girl was making fun of Lucas, and Peyton finds herself having to decide whether she wanted to stay with these girls. We also get a glimpse of the loneliness that Jessica experiences, being adopted and the only Korean girl in their small town. When Jessica shares some of this with Melissa, she realizes that she needs to be more attentive and look for those signs when Jessica may be having a hard time. These topics are not always present in middle-grade books, and it was wonderful seeing them discussed.

This story delicately intertwines the friendship of Melissa and Jessica with Peyton and Lily. Despite being so far apart in time, both sets of best friends are experiencing the difficulty of losing their best friend. I see many middle-grade kids relating to this story in numerous ways, including moving, friendship issues, adoption, class and sadly, domestic abuse for some. This 240-page middle-grade book explores many relevant middle-grade themes that I think are perfect for a summer or even back-to-school read.

FIRST LINE: There were so many things I thought would happen that summer.
PICTURE BOOK PAIRINGS: Evelyn del Rey Is Moving Away,
The Big Bad Wolf in My House, Ten Beautiful Things and In A Jar
SIMILAR TITLES: We Dream of Space, A Home for Goddesses and Dogs The Next Great Paulie Fink, and Red White and Whole
OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR: Past Perfect Life, Lonely Hearts Series and The Great Shelby Holmes Series

SUBJECT HEADINGS/TAGS: Juvenile Fiction, Family, Friendship, Domestic Abuse, Historical

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This middle grade novel is a 3.5 for me, and I loved the plot. Moving back and forth in time from present day to 1989, the book explores friendship and secrets as well as missed signals that lead to heartbreak. In present day, sixth grader Peyton is not exactly thrilled with her family's move from Minneapolis to Lake Springs, Minnesota. Not only does she not expect to enjoy small-town living after life in the big city, but she will be hours away from her best friend, Lily, and their soccer team. She's desperate to keep the friendship alive, but distance presents all sorts of challenges. When her father suggests that she do some yardwork, she stumbles upon a box buried there. It's filled with all sorts of memorabilia, and Peyton decides to figure out what its contents mean and crack the code in a message in the box. She meets Lucas, a friendly local boy, when she visits the library to use its cassette player. Together, they decide to figure out the identity of the two girls who must have buried the box. In 1989, two best friends--Melissa and Jess--are excited about spending their free time together during the summer. They take photos, make a mix tape, and place some favorite objects in a time capsule to be buried in Melissa's yard. While Melissa worries that Jess is drifting away from her and finding new friends, that isn't the case. It's Melissa who starts keeping secrets from her friend about what's going on at home now that her father is unemployed. The tension builds slowly as readers learn that the man doesn't like loud noises and Melissa feels comfortable inviting Jess over only when he's away. The hints about his explosive nature and violence are more than enough to let readers know that things are very wrong in that household. When things escalate to a tipping point, Melissa needs to leave town unexpectedly. Now, thirty years later, Peyton and Lucas eventually figure out the owners of the time capsule and work to reunite the friends. Not only does this story show that friends, true friends, deserve second chances, but it also demonstrates how friendships can change. There is a subplot involving Peyton's family and how they're all disengaged with one another, so wound up in jobs and their online lives that they don't spend much quality time together. It is a certainty that many readers will root for all four of these friends and enjoy the slang and popular culture references to a very different time when cell phones and personal computers were not in existence.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This MG novel will bring back so many memories for moms and dad from that long ago year when they were 12. It will also help middle schoolers recognize themselves and give them comfort, as they read about changing friendships, changing interests, disabilities, kids feeling alone when mom and dad work constantly, divorce and battered families. Written in alternating chapters from Peyton in present day and Melissa 30 years earlier, you’ll read about the time there were no cell phones, no social media, no zoom calls. It’s a time when there were cassette tapes, walkmans, cameras with film and even home telephones!

Peyton knows this will be the worst summer ever. Her mom has suddenly accepted a job in a small town four hours away from her beloved Minneapolis (without asking Peyton and her brother their opinion) and announces they’re moving. This means she’s leaving her best friend, her soccer buddies and skipping soccer camp. Life begins to seem a little bit better when she digs up an old shoebox in her garden full of 80s memorabilia and as a result ends up making her first friend in her new town.

Best friends, Melissa and Jessica, know it’s going to be their best summer ever. They’ll be buying magazines filled with pictures of their heroes, The New Kids on the Block, swimming, eating the best ice cream, devouring the best burgers and fries and having piano concerts in Melissa’s living room. They also decide to memorialize their summer by filling a memory box and burying it in Melissa’s backyard.

I loved how the two sets of characters were interwoven throughout the story. They visited the same burger place, the amazing ice cream parlor and were even waited on by the same kind woman when they ordered their burgers and fries. And of course, the memory box tied it all together. And to make it easier to remember whose story from which era we are reading, each chapter is differentiated by the design on the edges of the pages.

This book is out now and is a perfect addition to your middle graders (grades 4-7) summer reading list.

[Maren · Rating 3 out of 5]

11-year-old Peyton is used to having awesome summers with her best friend Lily, but this summer her parents are moving her family four hours away from Lily to Lake Springs, a small town that doesn't remotely resemble Peyton's life in Minneapolis. Peyton is bored, sad, and feeling left out of Lily's life back home. Until she uncovers a time capsule buried in her new backyard...

Together with a new friend, Lucas, Peyton sets out to discover more about the archived relationship between two girls who lived in Lake Springs in 1989, while learning about the importance of friendships both old and new and near and far.

Elizabeth Eulberg has a good sense of what is appealing to her audience, primarily the younger readers of middle grade realistic fiction. She strikes a delicate balance between just the right amounts of adventure and mystery, while also staying true to the emotions of her characters as they encounter challenges that are new to them. Peyton's reactions to the changing world around her seem authentic to that of a real 11-year-old.

I am not certain that the world set in 1989 will be attractive to this age group, necessarily, but I admit that that could entirely be my own bias (perhaps I'm grappling with that era being considered ancient in current pop culture). The insertion of '80s slang seemed excessive at times, verging on the edge of annoying.

There's a nice effort to write in diverse characters and experiences while acknowledging that this area of the world, especially in the 1980s, was unlikely to be very diverse. Some more difficult themes, particularly domestic violence, are handled honestly but not in a way that will make readers feel too uncomfortable. It will spark conversations for some, while others will move on quickly.

The story wraps up nicely, but it takes a while to get there. I can see The Best Worst Summer resonating with readers who have experienced or are experiencing similar changes in their lives, but it won't be a favorite for casual readers of realistic fiction.

[Carin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peyton's family has moved from Minneapolis to a small town four hours away, which means she's had to leave her best friend Lily. She doesn't know anyone and she has nothing to do. While weeding in the backyard (that's how bored she is), she digs up a shoebox full of stuff. And finds that a couple of eleven-year-old girls, just like her and Lily, made a time capsule in 1989! There's a mysterious note written in code, a couple of weird rectangles she can't figure out (a mix tape and a disc film cartridge), half a best friends necklace, and a note with an abject apology that it seems like never got to its intended.
At the library, where her father has tracked down a cassette player, Peyton meets Lucas, who joins in her quest to figure out who the two girls were, and track them down to return their stuff.

Back in 1989, Melissa and Jessica are determined to have the best summer ever! They're eating hamburgers and gushing over New Kids on the Block. But one of them has a family secret that will ruin everything.

Will Peyton and Lucas be able to puzzle out the mystery of that summer over 30 years ago? What happened to Melissa and Jessica? And can Peyton and Lily keep their own friendship from falling apart? This is a cute middle grade book with a lot of energy and fun, but with more serious themes at its heart.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books through NetGalley.
A trip down memory lane and a touching look at today. What more could you ask for in a novel told in two time frames. Peyton's family has moved to a small town for her mom's career. She's feeling particularly lonely as both of her parents are working long hours to settle in and her brother is happily playing with his virtual friends. The story really starts when she digs up a shoebox as she's weeding the garden. It turns out to be a time capsule from 1989. Readers then see a scene change and the next chapter jumps back to Melissa and Jessica during the summer of '89. Two friends who are excited to spend the summer together. From here, Eulberg tells the intertwined stories in alternating chapters. Peyton meets a new friend, Lucas, and they work together to solve the mystery of Melissa and Jessica while readers see it all happen in real time.
Tender look at how young teens cope with life circumstances now and how they managed then. The story flows smoothly and readers will connect with at least one of the characters' lives. The underlying message to fight for friendships even when they evolve is an important one to learn at the middle grade age.

[Lisa McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Worst Summer by Elizabeth Eulberg is a fun, engaging mystery that centers around friendship and family troubles. Peyton recently moved to a new town, far from her best friend Lily. While bored and lonely, she weeds the garden in the backyard finding a box filled with mementos from a summer back in 1989--a time capsule. In the box, there is a cryptic message "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me". Peyton is determined to track down the buriers of the box and solve the mystery of the cryptic message.

I really connected to Peyton and Lily's struggling friendship when Peyton moved away and I got sucked into solving the mystery of what happened that summer in 1989 that tore apart Jess and Melissa's friendship. I also loved returning back to 1989, the snippets of songs and turns of phrase brought back many memories (although young readers will not get those references). Finally, I loved that Peyton's new friend, Lucas, is in a wheel chair but it's not the main focus of the book or even his character personality. It's just a small part of who he is.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific, feel-good story about friendship-new ones, old ones, those that are lost and those that are found. Melissa and Jessica lost theirs back in 1989 and new friends Peyton and Lucas help them find it again, thanks to an untimely move to a new town and the discovery of a time capsule. Diversity in main characters in personality, race, gender, and so much more will allow readers to make personal connections to at least one and ELA teachers to encourage comparisons. Frequent references to the culture of the 80s may yield the streaming of some great music and videos and give adult readers of middle grade realistic fiction some heavy sighs of remembrance. Excellent choice for libraries of those in grades 4-6, especially those with a strong readership in books by Nancy Cavanaugh, Barbara O’Connor, Joan Bauer and other writers of wonderful sad-happy heart-warmers. No warning flags raised in areas of profanity, violence or sexual content. More specific diversity notes: an Asian MC, one character who uses a wheel-chair and brief mention of a same sex couple. Thanks for the print ARC, Bloomsbury Kids.

[Hope Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peyton was planning the best summer ever with her best friend Lily, when her parents dropped the news that they would be moving four hours away to accommodate her mother's incredible new job offer. As her parents try to sell Peyton on how great the move will be for their family, ("more family time!" "a house with a yard instead of an apartment!" "the job your mother's always wanted!") Peyton is still miserable. As she is doing a yard work chore one day, she discovers a time capsule buried in 1989. As she begins to piece together the story of the two girls who buried the time capsule, she meets Lucas, a boy her age who helps her solve the mystery of what happened to the two girls and their friendship.

Told from Peyton's story in modern time, and Melissa and Jessica's story from 1989, the parallels of the best friends being separated are drawn. This is a very sweet story of friendship, dealing with unexpected changes in that friendship, moving on, and that the true bonds of friendship can last through both time and changes. There is plenty of diversity in this book and would be a good addition to an upper elementary/middle school collection.

[Yannick Henkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peyton, an eleven-year old, is convinced she experiences the worst summer because her family just moved to a new place. However, things become interesting when she discovers a burried treasure in her backyard, which contains an apology that might stem from a broken friendship. Peyton is interested in the meaning of the time capsula that is found in the treasure. That capsule allows switching back from the present to the summer of 1989, when two girls, Melissa and Jessica, plan their best summer. Melissa's mom's secrets become revealed and Melissa's and Jessica's lives are completely changed, until Peyton finds the capsule.

I really liked this book because I can relate to it easily. Topics that are covered are friendship, family and the problem of moving from one city to another. The book builds its mystery with the time capsule, and switches back to 1989 and forth to the present. The book was easy to read and got me hooked. I would totally recommend it.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good book with a really great premise. It had a few flaws. I don't read blurbs and summaries if I can help to be really surprised by a story line. The intro to this book did not give me enough details early on. I discovered the one main characters' age on page 34. I needed to know that sooner. The story follows 2 timelines--1989 and now. I also needed the summary to figure that out because the author did not put dates in the book early enough. I honestly had more trouble with the now part. I had a lot of fun following the mystery of the time capsule. The story is entertaining with good action. Not knowing the Beatles was a bit over the top. Some bands are classic for all times. And there was a problem with claiming an 11 being a regional soccer champ. Regionals begins at 13/14. Really fun book to read--with just some minor issues.

[Caity · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does such a great job in showing the importance of the work that goes into being a good friend. The characters were well done and the struggles they faced in trying to be a good friend under different difficult circumstances was so well written. The characters dealt with bulling, secrets, and long distance and how this affected their friendships. I also enjoyed how the flashback scenes were done. They were filled with fun 80s references that really captured the feeling of that time period and how different it was while also showing the things that don’t change. It was so cool seeing the details like the same great burgers still being served. The mystery element was really done and I was impressed with the ways they used the clues they had and help of the community to find the truth of what happened. All around it was a well written book.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was a fun summer read!! Peyton is upset about her family's move from Minneapolis to a small town four hours away and the effect that will have on her friendships. While digging in the backyard, she unearths a box left behind by the previous occupant. Told in alternating chapters between Peyton in the current day solving the mystery of the box and Melissa in 1989, who buried the box, we learn a lot about both of them and how their family life impacts their friendships. This is a great one for readers who enjoy books about friendship issues and also anyone who was a teen or tween in 1989. (New Kids on the Block, anyone?) Recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss

[Zan Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is going to be the worst summer ever for Peyton. Her family just moved, and she had to leave her best friend behind. She's lonely and bored until she comes across a box buried in her backyard, with a message: "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." Back in 1989, Melissa and Jessica have two whole months to goof around and explore, and they're even going to bury a time capsule! But when one girl's family secret starts to unravel, it's clear things may not go exactly as planned. In alternating chapters, from Peyton in present day to Melissa three decades earlier (a time with no cell phones, no social media, and camera film that took days to develop, but also a whole lot of freedom), Eulberg tells the story of a mystery that two sets of memorable characters will never forget.

[Charelle Shipman-Edmondson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story about friendship, children solving a mystery, acceptance, and some very memorable characters. Two sets of kids from two different times' stories were told in a very creative and distinctive way. It was a past and present book, that took you back and forth, almost like 2-stories in one, and of course it all worked out in the end between ALL THE CHARACTERS involved in the story.

Sometimes what you think is the WORSE thing in the world...turns out to be the BEST thing in the world.

I would definitely recommend this for a pre-teen child who loves reading about friendships and mystery.

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

11 year-old Peyton has moved from Minneapolis with her family to a small town for her mother's new job. Peyton is missing her best friend Lily until she finds a shoe box buried in the back yard. It seems to be filled with mementos of two friends Melissa and Jess from 1989. The chapters start to alternate between Peyton and her new friend Lucas as they try to find out mystery surrounding Melissa and Jess, and the other chapters focus on Melissa and Jess's friendship during the summer of 1989 and how the box ended up being buried. This book is a nice twist on the theme of enduring and ending friendships. Perfect for 10-12 year-olds who like realistic fiction stories about best friends.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun MG novel in two time periods. The 1989 section, though I loved the time period, felt very forced in its 1989 references. I don't remember kids actually talking and acting that way. A bit, yes, but this felt over the top for effect. I think the storyline unfolded very well, but I was surprised at how dark some of the themes got later on the 1989 side. The book felt so fluffy and fun for the bulk of it, then it took a turn. That made it way more interesting, actually; it was just a surprise. I would recommend this book to readers who would like a look into that time period and who like friendship stories.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good summer read told in two time periods. I liked all 4 protagonists. I did feel the book tried too hard to be inclusive, with no purpose. I also didn’t like the way 2 of the MC had outbursts at their parents with no consequences and the timing was just because they were needed to resolve issues between the kid and the parent. Also, my pet peeve in so many juvenile fiction books I’ve read that were published this year - there were grammatical errors!! It’s distracting to the flow of the story.

[Hannah Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. I really enjoyed both timelines and how they connected and flowed so well. It was also cool to see the side characters from 1989 show up in present day. I also love the irony of Peyton thinking it was her worst summer, but Mel thinking it was her best when it turned out to be the complete opposite. I like how the author dealt with Mel’s home life in an upfront way that wasn’t too graphic for the intended audience. Mostly I love that Lucas and Peyton (OTH fans anybody?) were able to bring two best friends back together after such heartbreaking circumstances!

[Melinda Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peyton discovers a box buried in her back yard. Dreading it might be a dead pet she was surprised to find a time capsule. Filled with random artifacts from 1989 Peyton finds a picture of two girls who appear to be best friends. Along with her new friend Lucas they decide to make it their mission to find the girls who filled this box. It appears something bad has happened that broke up their friendship. Can they figure it out using the clues in the time capsule? Read to find out in this fun mystery.

[Wisty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good middle grade, but I read this specifically to support dear Elizabeth Eulberg, whose YA books have treated me very well. And if this is what younger kids are reading these days, then there's hope for the future!

This really was splendid. YA can be so romance-heavy sometimes that friendship and family disappear, but middle grade isn't so romantic so it allows for the space to explore those other kinds of relationships and I love it. Loved the switches between the present day and the 80s, loved the resolution, and definitely shed a tear or two. Go Eulberg!!