Books with title Cicada Summer

For rookie park ranger, Matt Holmes, life couldn’t be better. He’s met the woman of his dreams, lives in picturesque Thunderbird Falls, and spends his days working in nature’s majesty. But Matt’s picture-perfect life is about to take a turn for the surreal when his investigation into a string of accidental deaths reveals terrifying similarities with a series of fatalities seventeen years prior, including the drowning of his mother.Pagan ceremonies, unexplained occult rites, and a mysterious preacher are just a few of the difficulties Matt, girlfriend Colleen, and fellow ranger Andy Zimmerman must face as they uncover the source of an evil which has fed on the town of Thunderbird Falls for generations. The only question remaining. Can they stop it?

Andrea Beaty's first novel has been called "compelling fiction that will be a hit with young readers" ( Horn Book magazine). Since her brother died, Lily has pretended to be brain damaged, and no one knows her secret. That is, until a troubled girl named Tinny refuses to leave her alone. But Tinny's meddling soon gets Lily into a jam that threatens their safety.

In this moving, witty novel, author Maureen Leurck explores the intricacies and joys of renovation and rediscovery—as one woman’s improvement project promises to transform much more than a home . . . People keep a house alive, not the other way around. Alex Proctor has seen the truth of this in every empty, rundown property she’s bought and renovated since her divorce almost three years ago. She’s also experienced the thrill of making each one into a home. Her newest project is a dilapidated, century-old house just a few blocks from Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. Time and neglect, along with rats and raccoons, have ravaged it inside and out. Only Alex can see the beauty of what it once was and might become again. In just a few weeks—by the time the cicadas make their scheduled reappearance after seventeen years underground—the house should be ready to sell. In the meantime, there are construction disasters, and surprises, to contend with. Amid overgrown grounds and rooms brimming with debris, Alex finds treasures—pocket doors, hardwood floors hidden beneath layers of linoleum and grime—and carved initials that reveal a long-ago love story involving Alex’s elderly neighbor, Elsie, and another cicada summer. At the same time, Alex finds herself searching for a way to reconcile her new life with lingering feelings for her ex-husband. For so long she felt sure that moving on was the only option, but maybe this house, and everything she’s learning in it, could give Alex room for a second chance . . .“A captivating novel about the power of redemption.”—Jen Lancaster, New York Times bestselling author

In this moving, witty novel, author Maureen Leurck explores the intricacies and joys of renovation and rediscovery—as one woman’s improvement project promises to transform much more than a home . . . People keep a house alive, not the other way around. Alex Proctor has seen the truth of this in every empty, rundown property she’s bought and renovated since her divorce almost three years ago. She’s also experienced the thrill of making each one into a home. Her newest project is a dilapidated, century-old house just a few blocks from Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. Time and neglect, along with rats and raccoons, have ravaged it inside and out. Only Alex can see the beauty of what it once was and might become again. In just a few weeks—by the time the cicadas make their scheduled reappearance after seventeen years underground—the house should be ready to sell. In the meantime, there are construction disasters, and surprises, to contend with. Amid overgrown grounds and rooms brimming with debris, Alex finds treasures—pocket doors, hardwood floors hidden beneath layers of linoleum and grime—and carved initials that reveal a long-ago love story involving Alex’s elderly neighbor, Elsie, and another cicada summer. At the same time, Alex finds herself searching for a way to reconcile her new life with lingering feelings for her ex-husband. For so long she felt sure that moving on was the only option, but maybe this house, and everything she’s learning in it, could give Alex room for a second chance . . .“A captivating novel about the power of redemption.” —Jen Lancaster, New York Times bestselling author

From a debut novelist, a heroine who will make you laugh, and will break your heart. Eleven-year-old Lily has a passion for Nancy Drew stories and a secret she is keeping from those she loves. When summer brings lying, stealing, sneaky Tinny Bridges to town, Lily must be on her guard with this perceptive newcomer, or risk having her secret revealed. But Tinny won’t leave Lily alone. She takes candy from the general store and blames Lily. She tries to steal Lily’s friends and even her father’s affection. Then Tinny goes missing, and only watchful, mystery-loving Lily has any idea what happened to her. But for Lily, finding Tinny means confronting her hidden past. Funny, poignant, and peopled with memorable characters, this first novel announces a writer of great warmth and talen

Something flickered at the top of the stairs. Eloise heard a voice call, I'm coming!, and a girl in a pale dress and a big sunhat came running, her fingertips slipping down the curve of the slim iron railing.Eloise went cold all over. She couldn't move, or breathe; her mouth was dry.At the bottom of the steps, the girl in the pale dress faltered, then stopped. For a fraction of a second she stood motionless, as if she were listening. Then all at once she turned and stared straight at Eloise.And suddenly the foyer was empty. The ghostly girl was gone.When Eloise's get-rich-quick dad moves them back to his home town to turn the derelict family mansion into a convention centre, Eloise feels an immediate bond with the old house. She begins spending all her time there, ignoring her strange grandmother and avoiding the friendly boy next door. Then Eloise meets a 'ghost girl' who may or may not be from the house's past, and events take a strange - and ultimately dangerous - turn. Beautifully written, poignant and gripping, this is a charming and atmospheric story of personal growth, overcoming grief and the true nature of friendship and family.'A deserted house, a grieving girl; the perfect ingredients to take you on a journey between reality and fantasy. Cicada Summer makes you believe that anything is possible. My skin prickled, my pulse raced and I couldn't put the book down until I'd finished.' - Glenda Millard'A treasure of a story, a story to slip into your pocket like a feather or a perfectly round stone - for keeps. Reminiscent of the old-fashioned storytelling I loved as a child, like Tom's Midnight Garden, but with a contemporary flavour.' - Penni Russon

In Cicada Summers, author Jordan Smith Graffis brings readers an emotional, heart-wrenching coming-of-age narrative that ultimately stands as an ode to motherhood. Adults can learn a lot from children—actually, they have a lot to relearn. The narrator, a mother in her sixties, is writing a compilation of her greatest achievements—and failures—for her son, Billy Rubin, who is himself about to become a parent. She wants Billy to be prepared for the changes this gift will bring, and she wants him to know how much he taught her, and in turn, how much his child will teach him. At the beginning of each chapter, Billy’s childhood adventures and antics are presented to the reader as illustrations of what’s truly important in life; she wants Billy to feel like he’s reading a children’s book about his youth. These lessons parents experience are actually repeats of ones thought to be previously mastered during childhood, like the importance of sharing, how to love unconditionally, and that the future is full of possibility. There is value in learning—re-learning—these important lessons, whether the knowledge contained therein is to be passed down to loved ones or not.

Something flickered at the top of the stairs. Eloise heard a voice call, I'm coming!, and a girl in a pale dress and a big sunhat came running, her fingertips slipping down the curve of the slim iron railing.Eloise went cold all over. She couldn't move, or breathe; her mouth was dry.At the bottom of the steps, the girl in the pale dress faltered, then stopped. For a fraction of a second she stood motionless, as if she were listening. Then all at once she turned and stared straight at Eloise.And suddenly the foyer was empty. The ghostly girl was gone.When Eloise's get-rich-quick dad moves them back to his home town to turn the derelict family mansion into a convention centre, Eloise feels an immediate bond with the old house. She begins spending all her time there, ignoring her strange grandmother and avoiding the friendly boy next door. Then Eloise meets a 'ghost girl' who may or may not be from the house's past, and events take a strange - and ultimately dangerous - turn. Beautifully written, poignant and gripping, this is a charming and atmospheric story of personal growth, overcoming grief and the true nature of friendship and family.'A deserted house, a grieving girl; the perfect ingredients to take you on a journey between reality and fantasy. Cicada Summer makes you believe that anything is possible. My skin prickled, my pulse raced and I couldn't put the book down until I'd finished.' - Glenda Millard'A treasure of a story, a story to slip into your pocket like a feather or a perfectly round stone - for keeps. Reminiscent of the old-fashioned storytelling I loved as a child, like Tom's Midnight Garden, but with a contemporary flavour.' - Penni Russon

In Cicada Summers, author Jordan Smith Graffis brings readers an emotional, heart-wrenching coming-of-age narrative that ultimately stands as an ode to motherhood. Adults can learn a lot from children—actually, they have a lot to relearn. The narrator, a mother in her sixties, is writing a compilation of her greatest achievements—and failures—for her son, Billy Rubin, who is himself about to become a parent. She wants Billy to be prepared for the changes this gift will bring, and she wants him to know how much he taught her, and in turn, how much his child will teach him. At the beginning of each chapter, Billy’s childhood adventures and antics are presented to the reader as illustrations of what’s truly important in life; she wants Billy to feel like he’s reading a children’s book about his youth. These lessons parents experience are actually repeats of ones thought to be previously mastered during childhood, like the importance of sharing, how to love unconditionally, and that the future is full of possibility. There is value in learning—re-learning—these important lessons, whether the knowledge contained therein is to be passed down to loved ones or not.

For rookie park ranger, Matt Holmes, life couldn’t be better. He’s met the woman of his dreams, lives in picturesque Thunderbird Falls, and spends his days working in nature’s majesty. But Matt’s picture-perfect life is about to take a turn for the surreal when his investigation into a string of accidental deaths reveals terrifying similarities with a series of fatalities seventeen years prior, including the drowning of his mother. Pagan ceremonies, unexplained occult rites, and a mysterious preacher are just a few of the difficulties Matt, girlfriend Colleen, and fellow ranger Andy Zimmerman must face as they uncover the source of an evil which has fed on the town of Thunderbird Falls for generations. The only question remaining. Can they stop it?

From a debut novelist, a heroine who will make you laugh, and will break your heart.Eleven-year-old Lily has a passion for Nancy Drew stories and a secret she is keeping from those she loves. When summer brings lying, stealing, sneaky Tinny Bridges to town, Lily must be on her guard with this perceptive newcomer, or risk having her secret revealed. But Tinny won’t leave Lily alone. She takes candy from the general store and blames Lily. She tries to steal Lily’s friends and even her father’s affection. Then Tinny goes missing, and only watchful, mystery-loving Lily has any idea what happened to her. But for Lily, finding Tinny means confronting her hidden past.Funny, poignant, and peopled with memorable characters, this first novel announces a writer of great warmth and talent.

Eloise doesn't speak, but can she see into the past? This exciting and atmospheric mystery from the author of the Chanters of Tremaris series explores themes of family, friendship, and grief. Something flickered at the top of the stairs. Eloise heard a voice call, I'm coming!, and a girl in a pale dress and a big sunhat came running, her fingertips slipping down the curve of the slim iron railing. Eloise went cold all over. She couldn't move, or breathe; her mouth was dry. At the bottom of the steps, the girl in the pale dress faltered, then stopped. For a fraction of a second she stood motionless, as if she were listening. Then all at once she turned and stared straight at Eloise. And suddenly the foyer was empty. The ghostly girl was gone.When Eloise's get-rich-quick dad moves them back to his home town to turn the derelict family mansion into a convention center, Eloise feels an immediate bond with the old house. She begins spending all her time there, ignoring her strange grandmother and avoiding the friendly boy next door. Then Eloise meets a "ghost girl" who may or may not be from the house's past, and events take a strange—and ultimately dangerous—turn. Beautifully written, poignant, and gripping, this is a charming and atmospheric story of personal growth, overcoming grief, and the true nature of friendship and family.