BOOK REVIEW: Stained Glass Summer by Mindy Hardwick

BLURB FROM BACK OF THE BOOK: 

Twelve-year-old Jasmine adores her photographer Father and wants to be an artist just like him. But when Dad abandons the family, Jasmine is sent to spend the summer with her Uncle on a Pacific Northwest Island. Soon, Jasmine is learning stained glass from island glass artist, Opal, and thinking she might just be developing a crush on island boy, Cole. But, it's not until Jasmine finds herself mentoring another young artist that she can truly let go of her Father and call herself an artist by her own terms.



REVIEW BY: Angel, age 9 years, 10 months

SPOILER ALERT:

This book is about a girl named Jasmine who is 12 years old. Jasmine wants to be just like her dad, who is an artist. Jasmine loves art and far her 12th birthday, her dad gives her an art ring. Jasmine's dad tells her that it is a powerful ring. When Jasmine was at school, her dad leaves to go to Africa, so her mother rearranges the house. Jasmine's uncle who lives on an island comes to visit and Jasmine tells him she wants to visit him for the summer. Her mother gives her permission, so Jasmine sets off for an adventurous summer. She meets a nice girl named Opal who owns her owns store. Opal introduces her to her son, Cole. Jasmine develops a crush on Cole. Then Jasmine meets Sammy who is a 5-year old girl that is a bossy brat, but Jasmine still likes her. Jasmine has not heard from her father even though he has returned home to Chicago. During the summer, Jasmine learns to be an artist without any help from her father.

My favorite part was when Sammy was building a castle with rocks and the waves were getting too high. Since the waves were getting too high, Sammy and Jasmine had to move the castle somewhere else. The girls started putting rocks in the their pockets and then Cole joins them and Sammy adds rocks to his pockets. Cole pretends that the rocks were making him fall down so he dropped to his knees. It was funny because I can imagine Sammy doing that to Cole. I think that anyone that likes funny, sad and romantic children's books then this would be a good fit for them. I think that this book is best for 4th-9th graders and I give it 5 out of 5 stars.