Books like 'The Best Worst Summer'
Readers who enjoyed The Best Worst Summer by Elizabeth Eulberg also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical realistic historical-fiction friendship children season-summer family
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The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsClover's mom says it isn't safe to cross the fence that segregates their African-American side of town from the white side where Anna lives. But the two girls strike up a friendship, and get around the grown-ups' rules by sitting on top of the fence together. With the addition of a brand-new author's note, this special edition celebrates the tenth anniversary of this classic book...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer audiobook black-mc -
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI couldn't play on the same playground as the white kids.I couldn't go to their schools.I couldn't drink from their water fountains.There were so many things I couldn't do. In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak...Categorized as:
historical-fiction children family realistic friendship children-books social-commentary historical -
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn #ownvoices novel in verse about an Indian American girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia.Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic family friendship children middle-grade fiction young-adult -
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA debut about three women whose lives are bound together by a long-lost letter, a mother’s love, and a secret network of women fighting for the right to choose—inspired by true stories.2017: When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession, she is determined to find the intended recipient... -
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Born to Trouble: All she wanted was a better life by Rita Bradshaw
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA compelling saga guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings.Born into the worst of families in Sunderland's filthy, crime-ridden East End, Pearl Croft's childhood is miserable. Shortly after her violent, drunken father is killed in a fight, Pearl's elder brothers are sent to prison leaving her, still a child herself, to care for her baby brothers... -
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall invites readers to peek through windows that shine like real glass on this lavish book’s cover, and explore the dollhouse-like world of a beloved farmhouse where twelve children were born and raised.Over a hill, at the end of a road, by a glittering stream that twists and turns stands a farmhouse...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction realistic children children-books fiction historical multigenerational -
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTwo boys—one black, one white—are best friends in the segregated 1960s South in this picture book about friends sticking together through thick and thin.John Henry swims better than anyone I know. He crawls like a catfish, blows bubbles like a swamp monster, but he doesn’t swim in the town pool with me. He’s not allowed. Joe and John Henry are a lot alike... -
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAfter being initiated into a neighbor's family by a solemn backyard ceremony, a young Russian American girl and her African American brothers' determine to buy their gramma Eula a beautiful Easter hat. But their good intentions are misunderstood, until they discover just the right way to pay for the hat that Eula's had her eye on. A loving family story woven from the author's childhood...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic book children-books classics -
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThis 25th anniversary edition of a beloved and bestselling classic about family and tradition includes fifteen pages of bonus material.“We will make a quilt to help us always remember home,” Anna’s mother said. “It will be like having the family in backhome Russia dance around us at night.” And so it was... -
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Arthur Pober
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFollowing Sterling's spectacularly successful launch of its children's classic novels (240,000 books in print to date),comes a dazzling new series: Classic Starts. The stories are abridged; the quality is complete. Classic Starts treats the world's beloved tales (and children) with the respect they deserve--all at an incomparable price... -
Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA loud clap of thunder booms, and rattles the windows of Grandma's old farmhouse. "This is Thunder Cake baking weather," calls Grandma, as she and her granddaughter hurry to gather the ingredients around the farm. A real Thunder Cake must reach the oven before the storm arrives. But the list of ingredients is long and not easy to find . . -
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBy the author-and-illustrator team of the bestselling The LibraryLydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds, plenty of stationery, and a passion for gardening to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, brightening the bakery and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer book children-books -
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA lavish new picture book from Caldecott-winner Sophie Blackall that will transport readers to the seaside in timeless, nautical splendor!Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer action-adventure book -
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsAn international bestseller: Grace learns that she can be anything she wants...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book children-books -
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The Liverpool Matchgirl by Lyn Andrews
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTHE LIVERPOOL MATCHGIRL is a nostalgic and poignant saga of Liverpool in the years before the First World War from bestselling author Lyn Andrews, not to be missed by readers of Donna Douglas and Dilly Court. Liverpool, 1901. The Tempest family is all but destitute, barely able to put food on the table... -
New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsElla Mae is used to wearing her cousin's hand-me-down shoes—but when her latest pair is already too tight, she's thrilled at the chance to get new shoes.But at the shoe store, Ella Mae and her mother have to wait until there are no white customers to serve first...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic friendship children family historical children-books fiction -
Eleven by Tom Rogers
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAlex Douglas always wanted to be a hero. But nothing heroic ever happened to Alex. Nothing, that is, until his eleventh birthday. When Alex rescues a stray dog as a birthday gift to himself, he doesn't think his life can get much better. Radar, his new dog, pretty much feels the same way. But this day has bigger things in store for both of them. This is a story about bullies and heroes...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic action-adventure animals book -
A Daughter’s Return by Josephine Cox
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFlorence Stanville is a woman with a past. When she moves to Guisethorpe on the east coast of England, the townsfolk are intrigued by the glamorous and mysterious stranger. Florence doesn’t care about the gossips – she’s drawn to the peaceful seaside town by the pull of her childhood, when she lived for a brief but happy time with her beloved late mother... -
Then There Were Five by Elizabeth Enright
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsWith Father in Washington and Cuffy, their housekeeper, away visiting a sick cousin, almost anything might happen to the Melendy kids left behind at the Four-Story Mistake. In the Melendy family, adventures are inevitable: Mr...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer 20th-century action-adventure -
Gabrielle by Marie Laberge
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsQuébec, 1930. Gabrielle est mariée avec Edward depuis bientôt dix ans. Entre la maison de l’île d’Orléans et celle de la Grande-Allée, elle mène une vie bien remplie, entourée de ses cinq enfants. De toute évidence, il s’agit d’un mariage heureux. Mais cette chose qui devrait être si simple fait pourtant froncer bien des sourcils dans l’entourage de Gabrielle... -
Christmas Oranges by Linda Bethers, Ben Sowards
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe illustrated edition of the timeless, classic...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction realistic book children-books christian fiction historical -
Sapphire Battersea by Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHetty Feather is a Foundling Hospital girl and was given her name when she was left there as a baby. When she is reunited with her mother, she hopes her beautiful new name, Sapphire Battersea, will also mean a new life! But things don't always go as planned.…Follow the twists and turns of Hetty's adventure as she goes out to work as a maid for a wealthy man...Categorized as:
children friendship historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book drama female-mc -
Peek-A-Boo!: 9 by Janet Ahlberg, Allan Ahlberg
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe classic children's game book, now in a delightful miniature edition. Busy scenes of family activity alternate with pages featuring a die-cut hole and a cheerful baby overlooking the familiar chaos. Full-color illustrations throughout...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction book children-books classics female-author fiction -
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom the nationally bestselling author of the “powerful, heartbreaking” (Shelf Awareness) The Stationery Shop, a heartfelt, epic new novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown... -
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A Durable Fire by Stephanie Keating
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the first years of Kenyan independence, three young women return to the East African highlands where they shared a carefree childhood. Hannah is struggling to preserve her heritage at Langani Farm, where a series of unexplained and violent attacks threaten her security and recent marriage... -
Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA window into a child's experience of the Great Migration from the award-winning creators of Before She Was Harriet and Finding Langston . Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North-- one she can't begin to imagine...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family children realistic children-books historical fiction poc-mc -
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Mary Ellen gets bored with her reading, Grandpa knows a hunt for a bee tree is just what she needs. Half the town joins the exciting chase, but it's not until everyone returns home that Mary Ellen makes a discovery of her own: Sometimes, even the sweetest of things must be worked for...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer action-adventure animals -
Blood Sisters by Barbara Keating, Stephanie Keating
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsKenya 1957. During their childhood years in the Kenya Highlands three girls from vastly different backgrounds become blood sisters, promising that nothing will ever destroy the bond between them. But the legacy of the Mau Mau rebellion, and the tensions and upheavals of newly independent Kenya, tear their childhood dreams apart... -
That Book Woman by Heather Henson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCal is not the readin' type. Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he'd rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book learning. Nope. Cal does not want to sit stoney-still reading some chicken scratch. But that Book Woman keeps coming just the same. She comes in the rain. She comes in the snow...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book children-books -
Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis exciting pioneering story, based on actual events, introduces readers to a fascinating chapter in American history, when FDR set up a New Deal colony in Alaska to give loans and land to families struggling during the Great Depression. Terpsichore can’t wait to follow in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s footsteps . . . now she just has to convince her mom...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family children friendship realistic middle-grade fiction children-books -
I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 by Lauren Tarshis
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEleven-year-old Dexter has always wanted to see a tornado. So when he gets the incredible opportunity to go storm chasing with the famous Dr. Norman Rays, he has to say yes! Dr. Rays is the host of Tornado Mysteries, the show that Dex and his older brother, Jeremy, watched every night until Jeremy joined the U.S. Navy SEALs and left Joplin...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic action-adventure audiobook book -
An Irish Country Wedding by Patrick Taylor, John Keating
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn Irish Country Wedding is another heart-warming addition to New York Times bestselling author Patrick Taylor's Irish Country series.Love is in the air in the colourful Ulster village of Ballybucklebo, where Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly has finally proposed to the darling of his youth, Kitty O'Hallorhan... -
Queenie by Jacqueline Wilson, Finty Williams
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt’s 1953, the year Elizabeth is to be crowned Queen of England. Elsie Kettle can't wait to go to London to see the celebrations on Coronation Day. Elsie lives with her Nan—her mum works as a showgirl, so she's not around very often. Spirited and imaginative, but often lonely, Elsie longs for a best friend... -
Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M.M. Blume
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsEleven-year-old Cornelia is the daughter of two world-famous pianists—a legacy that should feel fabulous, but instead feels just plain lonely. She surrounds herself with dictionaries and other books to isolate herself from the outside world...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic action-adventure animals book -
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Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown by Maud Hart Lovelace
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBetsy, Tacy, and Tib are twelve—old enough to do lots of things...even go downtown on their own. There they see their first horseless carriage, discover the joys of the public library, and see a real play at the Opera House. They even find themselves acting in one! Best of all, they help a lonely new friend feel at home in Deep Valley—the most wonderful place in the world to grow up...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic 20th-century book children-books -
A Dublin Student Doctor by Patrick Taylor
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPatrick Taylor's devoted readers know Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly as a pugnacious general practitioner in the quaint Irish village of Ballybucklebo. Now Taylor turns back the clock to give us a portrait of the young Fingal--and show us the pivotal events that shaped the man he would become...Categorized as:
family friendship historical-fiction realistic action-adventure adult audiobook book -
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsBetsy, Tacy, and Tib can't wait to be ten. After all, getting two numbers in your age is the beginning of growing up—exciting things are bound to happen. And they do! The girls fall in love with the King of Spain, perform in the School Entertainment, and for the first time, go all the way over the Big Hill to Little Syria by themselves...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer 20th-century audiobook -
LOS PREHISTORRATONES 10: ¡LLUEVEN MALAS NOTICIAS, STILTONUT! by Geronimo Stilton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGeronimo Stiltonoot and The Stone Gazette are in the running for the Stone Age Ratitzer: the award for the best prehistoric journalism! But their main competition is Sally Rockmousen, the ruthless host of Gossip Radio -- and she'll stop at nothing to win...Categorized as:
children friendship historical-fiction action-adventure animals book children-books fiction -
Saddle The Wind by Jess Foley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLet much loved author Jess Foley sweep you away with this beautifully breathtaking saga of one woman's search for love and fulfilment. Fans of Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Katie Flynn will absolutely love this... -
Song of the Sea (American Dreams) by Jean Ferris
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRaider is almost killed boarding the LIGHTNING to save Rosie from the cruel Captain Lawrence, who has kidnapped, tormented and imprisoned her. Rosie nurses his wounds and tries to forget his surprising kiss, while she prays for his life.and for her own strength to resist him. For she knows there's no room in his life for love...Categorized as:
children friendship historical-fiction action-adventure book fiction historical womens-fiction -
In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA novel in verse about a young Taiwanese immigrant to America who is confronted by the stark difference between dreams and reality.Anna can’t wait to move to the beautiful country—the Chinese name for America. Although she’s only ever known life in Taiwan, she can’t help but brag about the move to her family and friends.But the beautiful country isn’t anything like Anna pictured...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic children family season-summer middle-grade fiction audiobook -
Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOne day, Kamala and Maya had an idea. A big idea: they would turn their empty apartment courtyard into a playground!This is the uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood... -
Fields of Home by Marita Conlon-McKenna
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe final book in the Children of the Famine trilogy, set during the Irish famine. Michael is a stable-boy at the Big House, learning about horses, while Eily struggles to survive in her cottage on a scrap of land and Peggy still works in America...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction book children-books female-author fiction historical -
The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt is the early 1970s. Twelve-year-old Joan is sure that she is going to be miserable when her family moves from Connecticut to California. Then she meets a most unusual girl. Sarah prefers to be called "Fox" and lives with her author dad in a rundown house in the middle of the woods...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer 20th-century action-adventure -
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One-Handed Catch by Mary Jane Auch
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsNot even losing his hand can keep Norm from trying out for the baseball teamWhat would life be like with only one hand? That's exactly what eleven-year-old Norm finds out when he loses his left hand in an accident at his family's store. It's July 4, 1946. World War II has ended, and life is getting back to normal... -
Return to Gone-Away by Elizabeth Enright
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA wish come true. That's what Portia thinks when her parents buy Villa Caprice, a tumbledown Victorian house along the swampy edge of Gone-Away Lake. A new house is always full of surprises, but Porcia is completely unprepared for the extraordinary things that happen when her family moves into a new old house...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer action-adventure audiobook -
I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980 by Lauren Tarshis, Lauren Tarhis
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt was one the most beautiful mountains in America, Mt. St. Helens, in Washington State. But what many didn't know was that this peaceful mountain had an explosive past. For more than a century, it had been quiet. But below ground, pressure had been building, and soon, "Kaboom!" Mt. St. Helens would erupt with terrifying fury...Categorized as:
children friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer action-adventure audiobook book -
The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook by Joyce Lankester Brisley
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe stories of Milly-Molly-Mandy and her family and friends have charmed generations of children since they first appeared in 1925. This collection of twenty-one classic tales about this resourceful and thoughtful little girl reflect with accuracy the dilemmas and challenges of a child's world...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction realistic 20th-century action-adventure anthologies -
Emerald Star by Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA fantastic new adventure for brave, feisty Hetty Feather - one of Jacqueline Wilson's most well-loved characters.Since leaving the Foundling Hospital, Hetty has seen her fair share of drama, excitement, tragedy and loss. After the death of her beloved mama, she sets off to find a real home at last – starting with the search for her father... -
Diamond by Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe fantastic new novel from bestselling author Jacqueline Wilson, starring Diamond, the little circus acrobat who first appeared in the hugely popular Hetty Feather books: Hetty Feather, Sapphire Battersea and Emerald Star.Diamond wasn’t always a star. Born to penniless parents who longed for a strong, healthy son, she was a dainty, delicate daughter - and a bitter disappointment...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction action-adventure book children-books fiction historical
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