Auden has always been a model student, focusing on academics to please her demanding mother. When her happy-go-lucky, globe-trotting older brother sends her a picture frame that reads, "THE BEST OF TIMES," Auden realizes she has nothing to put in it. So she decides to spend her summer with her father and stepmother in the beach-resort town of Colby. There she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and fellow insomniac. With Eli as her guide (and maybe more), Auden explores the town's nocturnal world, determined to live the carefree teenage life she's missed out on-even if just for one summer.
Topics Stepmothers. Divorce. Bitterness. Cocktail parties. Being the center of attention. Competition. Growing up too quickly. Social ineptitude. All-night diners. Newborn babies. Heartbreakers. Being judgmental. Colicky babies. Selfishness. Pick-up lines. Beach parties. Hooking up. Regret. Jealousy. Business problems. Family time. Eavesdropping. Getting a job. Joke gifts. Gender stereotypes. Meeting guys. Shopping. Clothes. Convenience stores. Bicycles. Jump parks. Names. Mothers. Passive-aggressiveness. Snacks. Death. Grief. Living on a late-night schedule. Childhood. Bowling. Food fights. Defying expectations. Kisses. Swaddling. Running away from problems. Paper routes. Failure. Responsibility. Guilt. Learning to ride a bike. Prom night. Taking a risk. Getting stood up. Rejection. Dorm rooms. Finding someone to love.
SRC Level 4.300000
SRC Points 23.000000
Lexile 750L
Trim Size 5 1/2" x 8 1/4"
JLG Span Spring
Language English
Publication date 2009-05-31
JLG Release Date Jul 2009
Minimum grade 9
Maximum grade 12
Reading level High
Format Print
Young Adult (Grades 9 & Up)
Young Adult
Young Adult (Grades 9 & Up)
For Grades 9 & Up
Your older teen readers will appreciate the 12 selections in this category, a diverse mix of fiction and nonfiction covering complex issues and more mature content, from crushes and body changes to friendships and sibling rivalry.