Caterpillar Summer

Summary:

“Cat and her brother Chicken have always had a very special bond–Cat is one of the few people who can keep Chicken happy. When he has a “meltdown” she’s the one who scratches his back and reads his favorite story. She’s the one who knows what Chicken needs. Since their mom has had to work double-hard to keep their family afloat after their father passed away, Cat has been the glue holding her family together. 

But even the strongest glue sometimes struggles to hold. When a summer trip doesn’t go according to plan, Cat and Chicken end up spending three weeks with grandparents they never knew. For the first time in years, Cat has the opportunity to be a kid again, and the journey she takes shows that even the most broken or strained relationships can be healed if people take the time to walk in one another’s shoes.” (Taken from Publisher’s Website)

Review:

This was such a powerful story of family relationships and how anger can linger for years and affect more relationships if not acknowledged and discussed. I can’t imagine what Cat felt like when her mother drops her and her brother off at their grandparents home for three weeks. They never met before and now have to learn to live with them.

What happens next allows Cat to spend time being a kid, while her grandmother takes care of her brother, who needs a little extra attention. And allows Cat to learn about what happened between her mother and her parents before she was born. There are so many children who must grow up quickly – whether it’s taking care of younger siblings, translating conversations for their parents, or dealing with heartache and loss at an early age. I think so many of them will see themselves in Cat – always having to be good, going above and beyond and trying not to expect too much.

I really enjoyed Gillian’s writing style – her characters were well developed and their backstories came to the fore front as you learned more about them. I loved the island setting and can imagine reading this over the summer and just feeling the heat of the sand on the beach, the cool ice cream, and the rain on the pier. This was a beautifully written story and one that I think so many children will relate to.

Final Thoughts:

In Caterpillar Summer, Cat learns how to be a kid again, to stand up for what she believes and that even grown-ups need a little push when apologizing.

Important Info:

Title: Caterpillar Summer
Author: Gillian McDunn
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Publication Date: April 2, 2019
Page Number: 304 pgs.