Gossamer Summer
Atheneum Books, Simon & Schuster, 2023. Cover art by Ji-Hyuk Kim.
It all started when Jojo saw a fairy but said she didn’t. After all, fairies aren’t real—and if they were, they wouldn’t look like that! No, Jojo did not see a small, green, muddy . . . person. Her sisters have no problem believing, though. They beg Jojo to finish the story she started telling long ago, but Jojo doesn’t feel like it, not since the death of their beloved grandma.
Instead, the sisters decide to make fairy gardens, hoping to entice the new kid across the street to come play. Their plan works, but it also catches the attention of the muddy fairies that Jojo invented. Stories can’t actually come to life, though—can they?
Soon the sisters and their new friend, Theo, are on an adventure to save the fairies from a flock
of terrifying birds made out of bones. But they’ll have to tap into a different kind of magic to make everything right again: the magic of sharing stories . . . and letting go.
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Praise for Gossamer Summer:
★ “The writing is a complete delight of originality and specificity…. Reliably funny, never once twee, clever in the way of kids and fairies, and authentically moving.” —Horn Book Review (starred)
“A heartwarming fantasy exploring grief, friendship, and fairies.” —Kirkus Review
“An omniscient narrator sets a playful tone and brisk pace in this humorous, E. Nesbit–feeling fantasy…” —Publisher’s Weekly
Reviews from Authors
“Gossamer Summer is backyard magic of the very best kind.” —William Alexander, National Book Award-winning author of Goblin Secrets
“Delightfully funny and oh so heartwarming! An enchanting story about the power of imagination and the magic of love.” —Jennifer Ziegler, author of Worser
“With a huge heart and a gentle hand, H.M. Bouwman weaves a story about the aftermath of loss, the value of sisterhood, and the power of storytelling to heal wounds great and small. A beautiful book, filled with magic and love.” —Anne Ursu, National Book Award-nominee author of The Real Boy
“Stories can be funny, frightening, adventurous…and healing. Gossamer Summer is all of those things and more.” —Debbi Michiko Florence, author of Keep It Together, Keiko Carter
“What a special and delightfully different little book—I loved it!” —Lisa McMann, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Unwanteds series
“This is a novel to simply revel in. Read it outside. On the lawn. With a piece of butterscotch candy.” —Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor Award-winning author of The Wednesday Wars
“A beautiful exploration of grief and the healing power of imagination.” —Jenn Reese, author of A Game of Fox and Squirrels