The First Magnificent Summer

R.L. Toalson's The First Magnificent Summer is a warm, funny journal story for 11 year olds about a girl counting down the hours until she sees her dad again.

What happens

Victoria is twelve (and this summer she's Victoria, not Tori). She hasn't seen Dad in over two years. Now he's driving her, her brother Jack and her little sister Maggie from Texas to Ohio for thirty whole days.

She has a plan, of course. It's called The No-Fail Plan to Win Dad Back. Dazzle him with how funny she is. Show him how grown-up she is. SMILE, because Dad never liked a pouty kid.

Then he pulls up outside Memaw's house. And there's a red-haired woman in the front seat, a little girl in the back and a baby seat.

The whole book is her journal, with dated entries, lists and the odd poem. So you're right inside her head the entire time. She's clever and nosy and very funny about it (her brother's trumpet practice gets its own sound effects). She's also a big worrier. When her mum forgets to ring, Victoria's thoughts spiral from a late phone call to a car crash in a few lines, and it feels completely real.

Memaw is a joy. She hands over six spare notebooks, tells the kids that anyone who makes them feel bad is "an ignorant nitwit", and very clearly can't stand Dad.

It's worth saying that this one sits right at the top of the shelf, and here's why. Victoria's body is changing and the book is open about it. A first period, a training bra and a very embarrassing packet of "Womanhood Supplies" all come up plainly. Her parents' divorce is on the page too. Dad had another daughter with his girlfriend before he left, and one old journal entry from that time says she sort of wished she could die.

For a child who isn't ready for any of that, it might be better saved for later. For a reader who's curious about growing up, or who knows what it's like to miss a parent who isn't around much, it could feel like being properly understood.

What to read next

If they'd like another girl with a plan to get her father back, try Raymie Nightingale. Raymie's dad has run off with a dental hygienist, and she's sure winning a Little Miss contest will bring him home. She's taking baton lessons too (Victoria would approve), and it's a gentler read.