Sam Makes a Splash (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #1)
by Nicole Melleby (Author)
From an acclaimed author comes a cheerful, uplifting story of family and belonging, the first in a series perfect for fans of the Vanderbeekers and the Penderwicks.
If you want to get to know eleven-year-old Samantha Ali-O'Connor, you need to know three things:
One, she isn't the only one of her siblings who is adopted, but she is the only one whose name isn't inspired by the ocean.
Two, she and Harbor always compete with each other to be the best Oldest Sibling--and just about everything else.
And three, she is determined to prove she's a real Ali-O'Connor by taking over the family business, repairing and chartering boats.
Except there's a Capital-P Problem: Her mothers have been Serious Whispering about selling the business before summer's end! Sam needs to come up with a plan, quick, before Harbor finds out. And before Sam loses her chance to inherit the business and be an Ali-O'Connor forever.
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In this joyful series opener set on an idyllic New Jersey lagoon, 11-year-old Samantha Ali-O'Connor vows to save her Mom's struggling boat charter and repair business as a way to "solidify her place" in her bustling adoptive family. Alongside 11-year-old Harbor, nine-year-old Marina (who's also adopted), seven-year-old twins Cordelia and Lir, Mom, and schoolteacher Mama, Sam is both the most recent addition to the Ali-O'Connor household and the only member who can't swim, which, despite her moms' assurances, distresses her. Accidentally overhearing her parents discussing their strained finances, Sam realizes that her dream of taking over the family company is in jeopardy, and she launches a secret campaign to attract business before summer's end. But Sam quickly discovers that she needs help, and she turns to four-months-older Harbor, with whom she shares an intense rivalry, as well as the Badger brothers, who spend summers across the lagoon. Moments of madcap humor and familial warmth characterize this emotionally generous summer tale from Melleby (Camp QUILTBAG), which showcases the author's command of fully realized characterization and distinct relationship dynamics. Most characters read as white; the twins share Mama's Syrian genes. Publishing simultaneously: Marina in the Middle (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #2). Ages 8-12. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (May)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
JUV013090 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Alternative Family
JUV060000 - Juvenile Fiction | LGBT
JUV041020 - Juvenile Fiction | Transportation | Boats, Ships, & Underwater Craft
Boats and boating
Foster parents
Sibling rivalry
Lesbian mothers
