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A Day at the Beach

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Look Both Ways meets Seedfolks in this masterful novel from two titans of kid lit that follows a diverse cast of young people whose lives intersect in surprising and hilarious ways over the course of a summer day.

Here's what's so cool about the beach. Kids are everywhere! Kids you know, kids you want to know. Wandering from one blanket to another, from one family to another. Somebody's mom reads a fat summer novel. Somebody's dad snores with an iPad on his chest. Babies cry. Girls laugh. Frisbee players whoop! Kites in the perfect blue sky.

Some kids bodysurf. Some don't even like the water. They build sand cities for their friends and sand jails for the grown-ups, and when the tide comes in everything gets washed away.

There's the other world, where all kids hear is tomorrow, next week, next year. And then there's the beach, where everything is right now!

Why can't every day be a day at the beach?

From two-time Newbery honoree Gary D. Schmidt and two-time PEN Award winner Ron Koertge comes a moving and often laugh-out-loud funny middle grade novel about family, friendship, and belonging, told by a group of kids spending a day at the beach. Thoughtful vignettes brilliantly weave together an irresistible tale of tween conflict and connections.

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    • Kirkus

      February 1, 2025
      Two veteran novelists chronicle life-altering moments and meetings for an ensemble cast of young visitors to a New Jersey beach. Twenty-eight named children and two dogs may seem like a lot, but each one is so individually distinct that readers should have little trouble keeping them straight. The entries are arranged from dawn to dark, with Ma Van As' grayscale art, which is reminiscent of animated features, offering occasional views of people lounging on blankets and similar emblematic beach scenes as visual breaks. The co-authors relate the incidents in an understated way that infuses even the seemingly minor or common ones with special "kid magic." An impromptu group pretends that a stray dog can talk, for example. Events take a dramatic turn when a father yelling at his small son draws a flash mob of young people who circle him and stare silently until he stops. Meanwhile, in a lighter vein, Octavio's secret crush offers help (along with some gentle mockery) when he loses his trunks, and Leslie forgets to be bored when an elderly beachcomber teaches her how to look closely at a wondrous queen conch shell. Young people take steps toward promising futures by laughing together, dealing with anxieties, and showing insight or compassion; their stories are individually entertaining and uplifting, with a cumulative effect. Names, references to food and homelands, and illustrations cue ethnic and racial diversity in the cast. A sandy slice-of-life treat, rich in feeling and insight from dawn to dark.(Fiction. 9-13)

      COPYRIGHT(2025) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Booklist

      March 1, 2025
      Grades 4-8 A day at Rockcastle Beach unfolds through the POVs of over two dozen characters while the tide rushes in and out and families and friends pass the hours. Heart-wrenching and robust characterizations and propulsive pacing make this episodic novel feel interwoven but not contrived. From spoiled kids losing their phones to abandoned dogs under the bridge to losing your shorts in front of your crush, the array of stories asks the reader to laugh, worry, and love while also providing a realized community that invites them in. Schmidt's usual tugging of the heartstrings resonates in quiet chapters of loneliness and hunger. The interplay between the two authors allows the story to feel cohesive while every POV switch still feels like a fresh start. While the book concludes with a happy, community-centric ending, it's not a pat ending that ties every single thread together. Some friends are those you see on the beach for just a second and never see again, and the inclusion of such moments makes this a nice addition to realistic fiction shelves.

      COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      April 1, 2025

      Gr 5 Up-Schmidt's latest takes readers through a single day at a popular beach boardwalk following numerous characters and their perspectives. Readers hear about concurrent events through multiple lenses as each chapter highlights a new person and their experiences. Although there is some crossover of characters, most only get one chapter. Themes of family, coming of age, death, cancer, body image, and more are discussed through the windows into the culturally diverse group of characters' lives. Readers will not be bored as the story shifts from character to character. The scenes and interactions will be relatable to middle grade readers. Although there is no central story to follow, tweens will enjoy seeing how the characters' paths cross throughout the day. VERDICT This multi-viewpoint narrative highlighting tween interactions among family and friends will be enjoyed by many readers.-Anna Kambach

      Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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