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The Summer I Saved the World…in 65 Days

Nina Ross’s beloved grandma died last year, her lawyer parents work all the time, her brother’s busy with his friends and his job at the pool, and her best friend Jorie is into clothes, makeup, and boys. Plus, the people in her neighborhood seem distant and detached from each other. While 13-year old Nina doesn’t know what her “thing” is yet, it’s definitely not shopping and makeup. And it’s not boys either. Though, has Eli, the boy next door, always been so cute?

The summer before freshman year in high school, Nina hatches a plan. Things need to change. There are 65 days of summer vacation. Every day, she’ll anonymously do one small but remarkable good thing for someone in her family or neighborhood to find out if doing good really does any good.

While the reactions aren’t at all what she imagines and the neighborhood gets turned upside down as a result, Nina discovers that people are full of surprises and secrets, and little gestures can have an unexpected impact. In this bighearted, sweetly romantic novel, Nina’s plan might not turn out exactly as she envisioned. It might turn out even better.

Touching on universal feelings of loss, jealousy, love, and the gratification that comes from doing the right thing, the story should give hope to those who think one person can’t possibly make a difference.
Publishers Weekly
Teens will easily ally with Nina and be charmed by the humor and beautifully defined characters. The unpredictable domino effect of Nina’s good deeds is a joy to behold. [An] unabashedly feel-good story.
Kirkus Reviews
Insightful writing, realistic dialogue infused with humor, and a sweet romantic element add depth. Tween readers will identify with Nina and may be inspired to emulate her list of good things with their own.
Booklist
Hurwitz is an author who can explore a familiar experience in ways that give it fresh energy and unusual nuance; her writing is impressively perceptive even as it’s engaging and accessible.
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review

Awards

Books-A-Million (BAM) nationwide summer book club 2018
Nominated for Florida’s Sunshine State Young Readers Award (SSYRA) 2017
Nominated for Nebraska’s Young Adult Golden Sower Award 2017
Nominated for Pennsylvania’s Young Reader’s Choice Award 2016
Young Critics’ Favorite Books, Perrot Memorial Library, CT 2014-2015
Kiss the Book’s Top 50 books for secondary 2015

Interviews

Nerdy Book Club
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Cynsations
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Unleashing Readers
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