The Summer We Found the Baby
Amy Hest
Who doesn’t remember Summer days and summer vacations, especially when something special may occur one day. Amy Hest has written such a story for young readers or whomever maybe interested in reading this book. Amy has in a way wrote a book about friendship in many forms. ‘The 
Summer We Found the Baby’ is the story of Julie, Martha, and Bruno while they enjoying their summer vacation at Belle Beach during the era of World War II and everyone was striving to do their part for the war effort. There were many projects that were being performed for the soldiers as well as living and remembering the various memories of loved ones overseas and those who were rehabilitating somewhere.
Amy Hest has written a novel that is full of emotions. Dealing with the various kinds of relationships a person may have at certain parts of their lives. Life is an adventure during the summer . There are times you are not sure what to do, especially when you or others find a baby somehow or somewhere. This is a book that is quite the read and fast paced.
The mechanical aspects of the book were well done . From the short chapters that were perfect for beginning novel readers. The small illustrations at the beginning of each chapter that sort of gave a hint to what the chapter is about. The cover art is well done that shows how perfect a summer day at the beach can be. The white sand and the blue water that makes the reader want to go on vacation to the beach somewhere. This is also a cover that will draw the reader into the story to see how things work out.
‘The Summer We Found the Baby’
is a good novel for an upper elementary class to use as a literature/language arts class along with a mini-lesson in history about World War II and the Homefront activities and compare these activities to various activities today
Summary
Set during World War II, this poignant, briskly paced historical novel relays the events of one extraordinary summer from three engaging points of view.
On the morning of the dedication of the new children’s library in Belle Beach, Long Island, eleven-year-old Julie Sweet and her six-year-old sister, Martha, find a baby in a basket on the library steps. At the same time, twelve-year-old Bruno Ben-Eli is on his way to the train station to catch the 9:15 train into New York City.
He is on an important errand for his brother, who is a soldier overseas in World War II. But when Bruno spies Julie, the same Julie who hasn’t spoken to him for sixteen days, heading away from the library with a baby in her arms, he has to follow her. Holy everything, he thinks. Julie Sweet is a kidnapper.
Of course, the truth is much more complicated than the children know in this heartwarming and beautifully textured family story by award-winning author Amy Hest. Told in three distinct voices, each with a different take on events, the novel captures the moments and emotions of a life-changing summer — a summer in which a baby gives a family hope and brings a community together.
2020
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6007-9
Candlewick Press
181 pages
Children’s book author Amy Hest
was born in New York City and grew up on Long Island. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a children’s librarian in the New York Public Library system and in the children’s book publishing industry.
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Jo D.
This looks like a very interesting book!