I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A wonderful read for middle school-aged kids about remembering the past, learning new things, and moving on. Lovely story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson.

An unexpected invitation for Rayna to spend the summer in the Poconos with the maternal grandparents and cousins she has never met leads to uncovering a family mystery.

Morgan Matson books are almost always wins for me, so it’s not surprise that I adored this. This follows Ryanna, an only child who is invited to spend the summer with her late mom’s family at the summer camp they once owned and operated. While there, she meets a wide cast of cousins, aunts and uncles, and a few friends, and even ends up on a treasure hunt. This all comes to together in a fun and totally heartwarming plot to save the camp.

I adored this. It has all the things I love about Matson’s work, but for a younger audience. The summer days are vivid, and the friendships are sweet. I love books about cousins, because my cousins are my best friends. This group of cousins was no exceptions, all precocious and likable and just so fully kids. It was a delight to spend time with them, and I could read a book about ever summer they’ve spent together.

Ultimately, this gets a 4.5/5. I wish the adults acted more like adults sometimes, but that ruins all the fun! This book is a must for all middle school libraries, and should be on lots of summer reading lists.

A book perfect for the adventurer in your classroom. This one has a new place, unfamiliar faces, and a treasure map. Ryan receives an invite to spend the summer with her mother's family. Her dad begrudgingly lets her go, even with their rough history together after Ryanna's mother passed. She almost quits camp life the very first day, but after a talk with her grandmother she gives it a second chance. Ryanna soon finds herself adjusted to camp life and on a treasure hunt of a lifetime!

The Firefly Summer is a summer-infused middle grade book about family, summer camps, and learning more about a deceased parent. Only child Ryanna Stuart is thrown into a chaotic family summer where she has freedom to explore and learn about the mother she lost at age three. While this middle grade book could’ve been way shorter, it wins by highlighting the value of family (with some sweet family moments) and providing ultimate summer vibes.

Ryanna is struggling. She has just found out that her mom's family--the same mom that died when she was just a few years old--has an old camp on the east coast and they want her there for the summer. Ryanna barely even knew she had family on her mom's side. But now she's spending the whole summer with them, following in the footsteps of a mystery left by her mother when she was nearly the same age Ryanna is now. And it might be her last chance, because the summer camp is supposed to be bulldozed in the fall.

Thoroughly enjoyable, funny, touching, and intriguing. A safe buy for any library.

The Firefly Summer is such a feel good novel! Fans of middle grade books will love this one. It centers around family and discovering yourself and where you fit in. There is also a mystery aspect too. I highly recommend The Firefly Summer. I am looking forward to reading more by Morgan Matson.

Ryanna Stuart has not seen her mother's parents since she was three when, following the death of her mother, an argument caused her father and maternal grandparents to cut contact. Therefore, it comes as a surprise years later when she receives an invitation to spend the summer at her grandparents' camp. Although initially reluctant, Ryanna accepts the invitation and arrives to discover that, in addition to her grandparents, she has a large, quirky family that she has never met. Despite a rough start with her newly discovered family, Ryanna begins to find her place as she tries to learn more about her mother while also working with her cousins to try to save the family camp.

The Firefly Summer is a heartwarming story of family, friendship, and self-discovery. I enjoyed the camp-themed setting and the fun, quirky Van Camp family. I hope that we will see Ryanna and the Van Camp family in future books!

This is a good book about finding lost family and connecting with a dead mother.
I liked Ryanna, I thought she was not very open minded at first about going to stay with her grandparents for the summer, but I get that uprooting your plans is challenging.
I liked that she found a map her mother had left her and it helped her connect with her and with her family.
There are a lot of characters, but they really bring a liveliness to the book.
I felt like I was there and making discoveries with Ryanna.
This will be a good summer read that I know my middle graders will like.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The Firefly Summer is Morgan Matson's latest book. Ryanna's mom died when she was little. Since then, her screenwriter father has remarried. When her mother died, her grandparents and dad had a falling out and haven't spoken. That is, until now. Her grandparents have invited Ryanna to spend the summer with them. Since Ryanna wants to learn more about her mom, she accepts.

While Ryanna is there, she realizes that she has a lot of cousins, aunts, and uncles. She gets to spend time at the camp that her grandparents own and her mom grew up at. She finds out that the camp is scheduled to be demolished at the end of the summer. With the help of her cousins, she tries to figure out how to stop that. To help, she finds a map that her mom has left behind. She thinks that if she finds the treasure, she will be able to help her grandparents and the camp.

I adored Ryanna. She was a character that you couldn't help but root for. I thought the plot was unique and interesting. The only issue was trying to keep track of all of the characters.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.