Manatee Summer follows two young boys, Peter and Tommy, as they seek to spend their last summer before middle school filling up their Discovery Journal, a list of local wildlife that they see in nature. On one of their adventures, they find an injured manatee and begin fighting to protect the endangered manatees from threats they face.

I was initially drawn to this book by the cover, which is gorgeous! But, the book was a little flat for me. I realize I am not the intended audience for this book, so please take my review with a grain of salt. Some of the dialogue felt very unnatural and at times unrealistic to me. Other than that, I can't exactly pinpoint what was wrong with the book other than I was simply losing interest. It took me nearly two months to read, and it is just a short middle grade. I just found myself picking up other books instead.

I did enjoy that this book dealt with some important and serious topics like dealing with a family member with Alzheimer's and overall how to deal with unexpected and unwanted change in your life. I thought Peter's emotional growth throughout the story was one of the book's high points.

I do feel this book would be great to be used in a school setting along with instruction on environmental issues like conservation, endangered species, hurricanes, as well as issues like activism and how to get involved in helping out with causes that students care about.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's - Quill Tree Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Sweet, emotional, and evocative story about friendship, family, and what we do when we think we can’t.

I love manatees. So, this book spoke to me on so many levels. Like Peter manatees fill me with such personal peace. Their size and calm demeanor just do something to center a person. Especially when the whole world seems to be spinning out of control around you.

This is going to be a great summer possibly one of the best Peter and Timmy are so close to finishing their Discovery Journal and they are going to be starting middle school together in the fall. What could go wrong? Yet in a world that is already changing and full of unknowns when you add in a beloved family member going through dementia, your best friend surprising you by telling you that they are moving and trying to be the best care giver you can possibly be everything seems to unmoor. Yet in all the chaos a story that Peter’s grandfather tells him about a time he encountered a manatee as a child causes the discovery of an injured one by their house to launch Peter’s summer in an unexpected direction.

This is a beautiful tale that truly highlights all the changes a kid goes through and how one summer really can change your entire life. I truly appreciate that by the end of the book Peter can embrace his allergies and acknowledge what they truly are. So many times, we see young men being taught that embracing emotion is not something that they should be doing. Throughout this whole book though Peter learns that emotions and change while hard need to be dealt with. In order to grown, be a true friend, or even truly acknowledge how you are feeling you will have to face tough things in life and while you may not respond in the moment in the best way, how you deal with the aftermath is truly what helps you become a better person.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children’s books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I was drawn to “Manatee Summer” by the stunning cover by Paddy Donnelly. Then I read the preview of the book and knew I needed to request to read it.

“Manatee Summer” is a middle graded debut novel by Evan Griffith. This is the story of Peter, who is working through big emotions around his parents divorce, his grandfather’s Alzheimer’s, his best friend moving, a neighborhood adult bully, and preparations for entering middle school. Peter and his best friend Tommy discover an injured manatee in a canal by their homes. Together they start researching and working to protect this manatee and others.

This is a book that I could not put down once I started reading it. I would love to use it as a springboard in my 3rd grade classroom to further students' learning around manatees, hurricanes, environmental protection, and Florida. I would recommend it starting at 3rd grade. Thank you for a lovely, captivating story!

My kids (ages 8 and 9) and myself really enjoyed this book. We love nature and making discoveries so we really related to that part of the book. This is such a well written book. We learned a lot about the animals that live near Peter, Manatees especially. I loved that the story included a grandfather with Dementia/Alzheimers since so many kids can relate to having a family member with Dementia/Alzheimers. This is such a great book for ages 8+ and one even adults will enjoy. I hope it gets turned into an audiobook, as well!

Manatee Summer
by Evan Griffith
HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books
Pub Date: Jun 28

What a moving middle grade novel! Peter and Tommy, his best friend, spend their last summer before middle school cataloging local Florida wildlife.

They discover a manatee in a canal that may have been hit by a speedboat piloted by Peter's neighbor, which propels the boy to become a manatee activist.

He also helps care for his grandfather, who suffers from Alzheimer's. It's a summer of change and growth and after Tommy moves away, Peter finds himself reflective as he struggles to learn more about himself as well as the world. Poignant, heart-tugging and healing.

Thanks to the author, HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

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#HarperCollinsChildrensBooks #QuillTreeBooks #manateeactivist #Alzheimers #FloridaManatees #MGContemporaryNovel #bookstagramcommunity

Wonderful book showing compassion and caring when a young manatee activist, Peter, wants to inspire others to work together to save manatees from injury and harm after finding one injured in a nearby canal. Peter enlists the help of his best friend, Tommy, the Manatee Society, and even Papa (his grandfather) who has Alzheimer’s has some ideas. Peter wants people to realize they can find “respect and joy” from being a manatee caretaker.

I liked this book a lot. I have a soft spot for manatees as they are one of my favorite animals. It reminded me a bit of Hoot/Fluch/Scat/Chomped/Slither the Carl Hiassen mysteries. I loved the relationship with the grandpa. This is one I will be giving to fans of Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise Its great for kids who really like contemporary fiction.

Charming middle grade novel with an eco-bent. There are shades of Where the Red Fern Grows and Summer of Monkeys here (albeit vastly updated). Rising sixth grader Peter faces a summer of painful growth as he confronts a number of challenges including caring for his ailing grandfather (who has Alzheimer's), the unexpected loss of his best friend (who moves away), and an ongoing battle with an offensive neighbor who may or may not have struck a manatee with his speedboat. While there were times Peter seemed atypically immature, he absolutely blossoms over the course of the book and the final chapter is one I will be reflecting on for a long time.