Caterpillar Summer

Reader’s Review

A sweet story of a girl who takes incredibly good care of her younger brother with special needs, but realizes that it’s ok to let others take care of him and enjoy being a child when she lives with her grandparents for a summer. While the relationship between the siblings and their grandparents is lovely to read,  and the descriptions of life on the island are beautiful, there are some things to be careful of, namely the relationship between their mother and grandfather. A long lasting arguments prevents their mother from spending time with her father, and much of the book is about reuniting the two.

To look out for

• Islamic Values: The children’s mother is so caught up in her work that she neglects her duties towards her children, leaving her daughter to take care of her brother. Cat and Chicken call their grandparents by their first name. The kids realize that the big argument between their mom and grandfather started when she wanted to elope with their dad who was African American, and when she had a baby before she was married.
• Romance: Cat initially comes in conflict with one of the boys on the island but eventually becomes friends with him, and talks about looking forward to seeing him in the future.