It’s June 1948, and Charlotte Mason’s father is tentatively backing the family’s Oldsmobile into the driveway of a small two-story home in northeastern Georgia. Only five minutes ago, almost 8-year-old Charlotte was excited to move into their new house, but now she’s not so sure when she sees how quiet and lonely it appears. Sent to help move boxes to her room, it’s not long before she proves to be “too much of an obstacle,” and is forced to sit on the porch with nothing to do. This is when, as if from nowhere, the cutest boy she has ever seen appears in the front yard of the house directly across the street. Jumping up, she rushes over to meet him. “Hi! My name’s Charley,” she says, because only special people get to call her Charley. She soon learns the boy’s name is Frankie, that he’s the same age as her, and what’s more, he’s wearing a baseball mitt. Pointing to the New York Yankees baseball cap on her head, Charley grins. “Well? What are we waiting for?” she shouts excitedly. “Let’s go play!” It turns out that Frankie is amazing. Every throw and catch he makes is perfect, and because he thinks Charley is talented “for a girl,” he’s sure his friends would welcome her to join their team. Suddenly, Charley hears an unfamiliar voice calling her name. “Charlotte! Charlotte! Charlotte! Where are you? Charlotte!” A pretty blonde girl runs through the open backyard gate, and with fear and worry crawling all over her face, she stops short before screaming in outrage. Inspired by the movie, The Sandlot, and the novel, Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm, The Last Summer is also based on Jacquelyn Eubanks’s personal fantasy of being a different person in another time period. Who is this mysterious blonde girl, and why is she so incensed? As the novel fast-forwards to 1955, it’s guaranteed readers aged 12-16 who enjoy novels with a theme of first love, enjoy baseball/softball, and are interested in 1950s America will keep turning the pages to find out. “I want my readers to know that with confidence and inner strength, they can accomplish anything,” says the 14-year-old author. “I would also like them to understand the importance of not conforming to societal pressures and staying true to themselves, and to realize the value of true friendship and faith.” Nostalgic, romantic, and sweet, The Last Summer is the sort of story that will stay with readers for a long time.
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