I always enjoy unlikely friendships in young adult books, so this was an interesting enough read for me!

I finally got into this book this spring and it was not at all what I was expecting!! The characters were so fun. I really enjoyed it and will recommend to young readers in the future.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this title. Unfortunately, I was unable to get into it. I will not be posting a negative review on Goodreads.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

In 1968, Joyce Ann must grapple with her older brother MIA in Vietnam Nam, her older sister preferring her pet guinea pig over time spent together and a long summer ahead with nothing much to do. In response, she decides to move to the roof and set up camp, in the process finding another roof-dweller also dealing with a brother who went to Vietnam Nam but is not coming home. While the narrator may seem too knowledgeable for adult readers, middle graders will enjoy this historical fiction and the world it opens up for them. The story resolves nicely and Joyce is back in her own room again in time for school to start. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

It was only after reading this book that I realised it's inspired by the author's own childhood - I love that! This was a gorgeous little story, full of very big dreams. When I read the premise, I thought I'd be in for a strange little funny book, and it was that, but it was also very emotionally heartfelt, and bittersweet. I did not expect to cry! But cry I did! I think this is a beautiful book, for young readers and even older readers, it's a beautiful exploration of family, childhood and loss. I'd recommend it!

Thank you very much for allowing me to read this title; I am trying to read as widely as possible ahead of the Carnegie/Greenaway nominations and awards for 2018 and your help is much appreciated.
As a Carnegie/Greenaway judge, I'm not allowed to comment about my opinions on specific titles so I can't offer an individual review on any title as I stated on my profile.
Netgalley now requires a star rating so I am giving all titles 5 stars so as not to disadvantage any title but this does not imply any recommendation of the book above any other.

Okay, I am starting to feel old. We now have more "historical fiction" that takes place in my lifetime. As a result I find myself being more picky about the accuracy. I was having trouble getting into this book as it was. The book starts out with Joyce wanting to move up to the roof. There she can escape the sadness of her brother Bud being MIA in the Vietnam War, his sister's weird obsession with UFOs and her guinea pig Jelly Bean, and her parents' fighting. Soon she meets another boy Brian whose brother has died in the war and who is fixing up an old truck in his honor before he moves to Arizona. Okay - on the surface not bad but then the issues creep in. She is looking for Orion in the night sky? Nope, Orion is a winter constellation. They sell tickets for the UFO scheme - first it's $1.00 each, then they are made for 50 cents but then again at times it seems like a dollar and then once it even seems like 25 cents. When they talk about the total it was mentioned as being over $30 but when they go to divide it among 4 people they each only get a little over $2??? But the kicker was when mom brought out her portable cd player. In the late 60s??? Nope. Now, I know I read an ARC so maybe this issue got resolved?

Trip down memory lane for those of us old enough to experienced the 60's and Veit Nam, but I'm not sure todays kids are going to get all the references unless a grandparent is around to explain them to them. Not a bad story, just one I think might lose the kids reading it...

This is one that will appeal to both kids and adults. My granddaughter and I read the book together, while she enjoyed the character in the book, I was able to remember my life in that time period. This is the first time I had heard of this author but I certainly will look for her other works.

This book. No. Seriously. You don’t understand. THIS BOOK. This book will break your heart in the best way possible. It’s so cute and sad and sweet and wonderful and amazing. Just read it, okay? If you’re someone who lives to read, head to the bookstore immediately and pick up Jelly Bean Summer. Trust us.

Jelly Bean Summer is a must-read for middle grade readers who connect with deep, meaningful stories. It's a little bittersweet, but totally heartwarming and it just FEELS like Summer.

I wasn't overly fond of this one. While there were elements I liked, over all I found it a bit unfocused .Too many elements working into a somewhat scattered plot. If the characters had been stronger it might have worked out better, but most of them were fairly one dimensional. The thing that I liked best was the end. Not everything works out. Yes, Bud comes home but he's not the same person. Yes, the oy is able to fix the truck. But he still has to leave. It's not happy ever after.

Another middle grade war book today - this time we are in the US in the 60s. It's summer and everything at Joyce's house is weird because her brother is MIA in Vietnam.

Magnin has done a wonderful job of writing from a child's point of view. I found the voice of the narrator really authentic - Joyce feels naive, and young, and hopeful all at once. It also manages to capture that frustration of feeling like the 'grown-ups' aren't telling you everything, and the tension of wanting to know, but also wanting to stay carefree. I think my favourite thing about this book was how personal Joyce's narration was - it often feels like she is writing a journal, or confessing to a friend.

I like the way the book gives a young reader some exposure to war and its consequences - there is some discussion about death, and the fact that soldiers might be expected to kill, and a character whose brother had been killed - but without being too confronting, or, I guess, scary. I don't have a lot of experience with middle grade readers (apart from having been one myself quite some time ago!), but this felt like a good way to introduce and start to explore some of these issues.

As well as the exploration of these themes giving the reader a lot to think about, the story itself was a lot of fun. I love a kid scheme/project - those crazy plans that an adult would never even think of, but kids are convinced just couldn't go wrong.

Overall it's a fun summer read (with a gorgeous cover!) - I gave it three stars.

Jelly Bean Summer by Joyce Magnin is out now from Sourcebooks. I received an e-book of Jelly Bean Summer in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't really like this historical fiction piece about a teen age girl trying to cope with life in the late 1960s. I didn't like the fact that there so many deaths in the book (a brother, a mother, a guinea pig, plus a brother who is missing in the war). I also thought there were a lot of historical cultural references that would either blow past kids or send them to youtube or google to try to figure out what the author was talking about.

Joyce Anne is an eleven-year-old girl who shares a bedroom with her older sister Elaine and Elaine's pet guinea pig, Jelly Bean. Her older brother is missing in the Vietnam War. Her missing brother causes a lot of tension in her house. Elaine constantly claims to see UFOs in the sky. One day, Joyce gets sick of hearing about her sister's UFO sightings and she decides to move to the roof. She brings a tent up along with some books and binoculars to keep an eye on the neighbours. As she watches the other houses, she sees a teenage boy standing on another roof, also looking through binoculars. They write on papers and hold them up to each other to communicate. When Joyce goes over to meet the boy, Brian, she learns that his brother died in the war. His mother also died long ago so he just lives with his father. But his father doesn't want to take care of him anymore. He thinks Brian would be better off living with his aunt in Arizona. Brian is currently working on a car so that he can drive it to Arizona, but he needs money to finish the job. Joyce has the idea to create a miniature UFO and sell tickets for people to see it. The problem is that Joyce will need her sister's help to build it. Can they put aside their differences to help the cute boy from down the street?

I liked the way this story demonstrated the effects of the Vietnam war on the families of the soldiers. It changed the way that Brian's family and Joyce's family lived. It also gave Joyce and Brian something in common (both having brothers who fought in the war), despite their age difference.

I didn't feel a strong connection with the characters. They all seemed a little one-dimensional, including Joyce who is the main character and the narrator. She has a one-track mind, and only focuses on helping Brian get his car working.

I also struggled with the title of the book. I don't think it is descriptive of what actually happens. Jelly Bean, the guinea pig, is only a small part of the story. I think the title could have told more about the plot of the novel.

This review will be posted on my blog on May 12, 2017.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have read several of Joyce Magnin's adult fiction books but this was my first juvenile fiction. This was set in one of my favorite time periods. It took me back to my own childhood and a time when things were much simpler than today. Joyce Ann's family is much like my own--hard-working and doing what needs to be done to get by. They are struggling with their son Bud being MIA in Vietnam and it has impacted the whole family. Elaine, the middle child, is portrayed as being self-centered. I think this book accurately reflects the animosity between siblings in our everyday lives as well. It was tragic when Jelly Bean was "murdered" but the ending brought a smile and warm feeling inside. I will definitely be recommending this book to juvenile readers!

The book Jelly Bean Summer os about a girl names Joyce Anne.

Joy decides to move to the roof go her home to getaway from her annoying older sister and her guinea pig. Soon Joyce meets a new friend on the roof and starts to have some fun.

This book was so good that I read it at any chance I got..... during recess,In the car ;-)

My favorite character in this book was Joyce Anne because she never held her feelings in; she was basically very open.

I would and have recommended this book to anyone who loves drama and laughter in their stories. I rate this book a 5 Star read!

I was really hoping my daughter at least one of my daughters would get into this book. They are 11 and 12 and finding things they will devour is difficult. Sorry to say this book didnt help my goal

Jelly Bean Summer is a glimpse into family life in the 1960s. The characters, their interactions with each other, and their emotions all ring true. It reminded me, so many times, of my own childhood and that of my children.