Bat Summer

Twelve-year-old Terence faces some tough choices. His best friend, Tom, has gone away to camp, and the summer seems to stretch endlessly in front of him. What should he do? Hang out with a creep like Rico, an overgrown, hormonally challenged kid whose idea of fun is calling the lifeguard Boobacious? Or try to make friends with the old chess player (nicknamed "The Pervert" by Rico) who hangs out in the park? Terence finds that he keeps thinking about a weird but oddly compelling girl who goes around wearing a blue cape and hangs by her feet like a bat from the jungle gym. But ever present in his consciousness is the thought: "What would Tom think?" Bat Summer is a beautifully written and engaging novel about a boy caught between two possible ways to be and the people who embody these choices. By the end of the story, he has thrown off his fear of being "uncool," been true to himself, and befriended a person who needs and values him for who he is.