Description

About the Author

Valerie Hobbs is the recipient of the 1999 PEN/Norma Klein Award, a biennial prize that recognizes "an emerging voice of literary merit among American writers of children's fiction." She is the author of young adult and middle-grade novels including Sheep, Defiance, and Anything but Ordinary. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she has taught academic writing. Valerie lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband.

Praise for The Last Best Days of Summer…

“Lucy's story will encourage young readers to find courage for adventure.” –The Topeka Capital-Journal

“Like the final stretch of freedom before school begins, there's something quietly magical--and bittersweet--about Hobbs's (Anything but Ordinary) latest novel. Hidden beneath the ordinary anxieties of a 12-year-old starting middle school (Will she be popular? Will her clothes be the right style?), lies a tearjerker that is both insightful and penetrating.” –Starred, Publishers Weekly

“This is a touching book that makes the reader think about problems outside of themselves.” –Library Media Connection

"The story’s finely tuned realism is refreshing, particularly in Lucy’s yearning for social acceptance and in the fully drawn and wholly memorable characters." –Starred, Booklist

“Engaging and thoughtful.” –Kirkus Reviews

“This thoughtful coming-of-age novel tells the story of Lucy and her summer before entering junior high . . . . There is also a satisfying open-endedness that leaves readers with a sense of hope, despite the knowledge that challenges still exist.” –School Library Journal