I really enjoyed this story about family and forgiveness. Cat is always taking care of her younger brother Chicken, for their mom and it’s not easy. Chicken is autistic and that make him a bit more challenging for most people. He gets upset easily and has a tendency to run off in public places. But his sister Cat is the most responsible older sister, and she does a great job looking out for him. The only problem is, she is always responsible for him. I really fell in love with Caterpillar!
When plans change unexpectedly the two siblings end up at their grandparents for a few weeks during summer break in North Carolina. This sounds great, but they’ve never even met them before. At first it’s uncomfortable and awkward, but over time a relationship is formed and the kids fall in love with the island and their newly discovered grandparents. Cat even gets to be a kid again, as she learn to fish with her grandpa for a fishing contest coming up.
I loved this book! Such a feel good middle grade story! I highly recommend it!
Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books and NetGalley for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Interest Level: 3-6

How would you feel if you were a fifth grader (soon to be sixth grader) and you basically had to be a parent to your younger brother? This is the life Cat leads. She loves her little brother, Chicken, but she has to walk him home from school (which was difficult because Chicken liked to run and hide), she had to fix his dinner, and get him to bed. Their dad passed away a few years ago from cancer and their mom writes children's books and is always working. Cat can't go with her friends after school to the ice cream shop because Chicken would mess things up and she doesn't even get to have her own bedroom because Chicken has to be in the room with her. Summer is here now and she is so excited that her and Chicken get to stay with her best friend, who recently moved to Georgia, for three weeks while her mom teaches a class at the local college. When they get to Atlanta they find out some upsetting news - Rishi and his family had to fly to India because his grandmother had a stroke and they have to go take care of her. Cat and Chicken get the surprise of their life when they find out they are staying for three weeks with grandparents they didn't even know they have on an island off of the North Carolina coast. When they arrive they find a very happy and loving grandmother and a very reserved and standoffish grandfather. Chicken falls immediately in love with his new grandmother and the island but Cat is more reluctant, especially when their grandfather seems like he doesn't even want them there. Will Cat have to watch Chicken and his every single move for the next three weeks? Will she unravel the mystery of why they never knew about their mom's parents? Will Cat be lonely for the next three weeks or is there a chance she will make a friend and actually be a kid? And why does she enter a fishing contest when she has never been fishing? Do not miss this incredible book to find out all these answers and so much more!!

Caterpillar Summer is one of my favorite books of 2019! The love in this book between the different family members will make your heart just overflow with joy, the sadness of losing a parent will tear your heart out, and the friendships will mend your heart again. If you have read some of my post then you know that I am a pretty slow reader but I devoured this book in just a couple of days! I could not put it down!! This is a must read!!!

This was such a powerful story of family relationships and how anger can linger for years and affect more relationships if not acknowledged and discussed. I can't imagine what Cat felt like when her mother drops her and her brother off at their grandparents' home for three weeks. They never met before and now have to learn to live with them.

What happens next allows Cat to spend time being a kid, while her grandmother takes care of her brother, who needs a little extra attention. And allows Cat to learn about what happened between her mother and her parents before she was born. There are so many children who must grow up quickly - whether it's taking care of younger siblings, translating conversations for their parents, or dealing with heartache and loss at an early age. I think so many of them will see themselves in Cat - always having to be good, going above and beyond and trying not to expect too much.

I really enjoyed Gillian's writing style - her characters were well developed and their backstories came to the forefront as you learned more about them. I loved the island setting and can imagine reading this over the summer and just feeling the heat of the sand on the beach, the cool ice cream, and the rain on the pier. This was a beautifully written story and one that I think so many children will relate to.

This book touched my heart and my mind! I was so sad to see it end and I hope that the author decides to write another story about Cat, Chicken, and their family (such as their grandparents making a trip to the West Coast)!! I can't wait to get this book into the hands of my middle schoolers who loved The Penderwicks, The Vanderbeekers, and The Forget-Me-Not-Summer series!

Kids who take on adult responsibilities and the weight of the world and their loved ones on their shoulders are, if you haven't noticed, kind of my weak spot. Cat was exactly the type of character that I find oh so easy to fall in love with, and even easier to cheer for. This was a wonderful story about family and love, heartache and mending fences. Oh, and fishing, too! Highly recommended.

Cat and her younger brother Henry (know as Chicken) have a great life in their San Francisco neighborhood with their artist/professor mother, but are looking forward to spending the summer with family friends who have moved while their mother is teaching a class. When the friends suddenly have to go care for a grandmother in India, Cat and Chicken end up with grandparents they never knew who live on Gingerbread Island near Florida. Their mother has to work so hard because their father passed away from cancer four years ago, and since then it has been up to Cat to care for her younger brother, who seems to be on the autism spectrum and can have problems with impulsivity and sensitivity to loud or confusing situations. Cat has not told her mother that Chicken has started to run away from her when they are at home, because she hasn't wanted to worry her mother, but she is very concerned living so close to the ocean. Her grandmother, Lily, is delighted to have the children, but their grandfather, Macon, is a bit more reserved in his emotions. Cat settles in well, making a fast friend in Harriet and an enemy in John Henry, who challenges her to take up fishing for a local contest. Cat's mother was very good at fishing, and Cat hopes her mother will instruct her on her weekend visits, which end up being infrequent. She starts to investigate the schism between her mother and grandfather, and schemes to bring them closer together so that she and Chicken can spend more summers on Gringerbread Island. Free from caring for Chicken all the time, Cat is able to ride bikes, get ice cream, and fish with Harriet, and she begins to realize, especially reading her mother's picture books that revolve around two characters modeled off her and her brother, that she has had to bear too much responsibility for her brother.

Strengths: I really liked the portrayal of a tween who is given too much responsibility for a sibling. Cat loves Chicken, but is tired of sacrificing her own plans in order to take care of him. The way that the family has dealt with the dad is realistic and not overly sad. The tie-in with the picture books is amusing. The relationship between the grandparents and mother is explained just enough, and I liked that the father's reluctance was more about his future plans for his daughter than the fact that the relationship was a mixed race one, which would seem somewhat dated, although this was set in the South. This was generally an enjoyable summer romp with some more serious issues explored.
Weaknesses: This was a gentle book where not a lot happened, and was a little predictable with the root of John Henry's bullying behavior (abusive older brothers) and the child-missing-during-storm scene.
What I really think: This felt a bit like an older, more leisurely book that would have been wildly popular when I was a child. I can see it being read aloud in a lot of classrooms. I am debating purchase, because I have a lot of summer-on-the-beach/lake books that I enjoy but which don't circulate a lot. If this one has teachers and librarians pushing it, readers will pick it up.

What I Liked
This is a beautiful, moving book that is so sweet and touching it will have you reaching for the tissues multiple times. Cat is so relatable because she's strong and independent, but so utterly devoted to her brother, Chicken, that she is losing what it means to be herself. When they unexpectedly have to spend a few weeks with the grandparents they'd never met, she's constantly worrying about Chicken. But bit by bit, she learns to be her own person apart from him, and learns that he can be his own person, too.

What I Would Have Liked to See
Nothing different! The story was so satisfying, I couldn't ask for anything better!

My Favorite!
Chicken's shark obsession! Especially with the cookiecutter shark.

TL;DR
Sweet MG contemporary about making friends, sibling love, losing family, and finding them again. Warning: do not read this book without tissues handy!

CATERPILLAR SUMMER by Gillian McDunn tells the sweet story of Cat and her younger brother Chicken during an unexpected visit to Gingerbread Island (where they meet their grandparents for the very first time). McDunn thoughtfully explores Cat’s love for her family, all the effort she puts into keeping her brother happy, and how her actions impact her own happiness. Relationships are the heart of this story—how expectations and assumptions can cloud us from seeing who someone is and what someone needs—and how to accept and forgive.

Cat is a lovable character, a kind, honest, and determined girl, who grows throughout the book as she develops relationships with her grandparents (her interactions with her Macon are some of my very favorite!) and a new friend, even though it means less time with Chicken.

Additionally, the book is so much fun! From bike rides to sunrise walks along the beach, from miniature golf to fishing contests, CATERPILLAR SUMMER is the perfect summer read.