Someone Like Summer

by M.E. Kerr

Book Overview

Annabel first sees him playing soccer near her house. His name is Esteban-she sees it on the back of his team shirt. He notices her, smiles, then looks back over his shoulder at her again. It is the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061141011
• ISBN13: 9780061141010
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: Harper Teen
• Length: 263 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.9" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

In an age when questions of illegal immigration and exploitation of workers increasingly threaten to divide American society, M. E. Kerr presents a story of young interracial love that could be found anywhere in the country, not just in the resort town of Seaview, NY. All of the characters are here: the overt racist, protected by a successful position in the community; the young intellectual trapped between what he knows and who he loves; the businessman using illegal immigrants to his advantage, while convincing himself that he is doing them a favor; the immigrants themselves, some legal, some not, trying to build a life within a new culture, but also trying to retain their own heritage; and the young lovers, one hoping to improve himself, but constrained by the fact that he is in the U.S. illegally, and one too naïve to understand that love simply cannot conquer all. Yes, they are all here--and Kerr doesn't shy away from the ups or the downs. Kerr specifically showcases the complexities of prejudice in the character of Annabel's father, Kenneth Brown. Although he constantly belittles the Hispanic population, referring to people as "muchachos" and refusing to learn the names of his workers, simply referring to everyone as "Pedro" or "Jose," he seems to truly believe he is open-minded and forward thinking, simply because he is willing to hire Hispanic workers. The fact that he pays them less than half what he would pay an American worker doesn't register as racist whatsoever: "It's a darn good deal for them .... Most of them don't speak English, and some don't even have papers. I don't ask questions. I give them steady work. They learn on the job some of them, and they can earn as high as three hundred a week" (p. 12). Annabel, meanwhile, even though she is in love with a man from Colombia, remains in denial about her father's racism, defending him directly to Esteban: "My father sometimes uses that language ... but he doesn't mean to offend anyone. He's just from the old school. They don't know how offensive it is" (p. 165). Kenneth Brown knows better; Annabel Brown knows better; we all know better. And, as Kerr points out, we are all capable of racism and denial, regardless of our race. Esteban frequently makes excuses for his sister, who hates Annabel and calls her names solely because Annabel is white: "Stop throwing yourself at my brother, Flour Face" (p. 7). When it comes to prejudice and hatred, it seems, unfortunately, that there is enough to go around for everyone. In addition to putting a spotlight on the many problems we must face regarding immigration, Kerr does an excellent job of introducing the names of many giants of literature--Hemingway, e.e. cummings, Poe--and other artistic greats into the storyline. Kerr drops tidbits of information into the dialogue, providing just enough trivia to whet one's interest in these various artists, thus encouraging readers to hit the library and look for details beyond the SOMEONE LIKE SUMMER

How Does She Do It?

Throughout her legendary career, M.E. Kerr has demonstrated an uncanny knack for writing exactly the right book at exactly the right time. GENTLEHANDS made the atrocities of the Holocaust vivid for late twentieth-century American kids. NIGHT KITES was the very first novel from a mainstream publisher to feature a gay man with AIDS. LINGER provided a stunning (and rare) fictional depiction of the first Iraq war. Now we have SOMEONE LIKE SUMMER, a romance between a Long Island girl and an illegal immigrant from Colombia. Considering how long it can take to write a book, not to mention the lengthy publication process that follows, how amazing that this book is being published at exactly the right time -- as our country is embroiled in a controversial battle over immigration. Ms. Kerr has done it again! The book is timely and topical but -- even better than that -- it's a great love story. The romance between its multifaceted protagonists, Annabelle and Esteban, is emotionally-involving and heartbreaking, as both teens battle family and community resistance to their relationship. The dialogue is fast-paced and often humorous. This book reads like a dream. Buy a copy of SOMEONE LIKE SUMMER and throw it in your beach bag; it's the perfect "beach book" for Summer 2007. When the season's over, shake the sand from its pages, and place it on your bookshelf. Sometime in the dark days of winter, you'll want to read it again -- and you'll be instantly transported to a time of barefoot walks on the shore, foggy afternoons in the sand dunes, and warm romantic nights, as you experience this perfect summertime romance again.