Loon Cove Summer

Against a mellow summer backdrop, Galanti (Unicorn Island) follows a grieving tween’s attempts to move forward after loss. On the coast of Maine, 13-year-old Sarah helps her father run Loon Cove, a lakeside campground. Six months after her mother’s death and with her best friend away for most of the summer, Sarah decides to devote herself to the loons she loves, volunteering at a nearby bird rehabilitation center. Her plans shift when she meets Theo, one of the seasonal campers, after a loon is injured on the lake. Together with Theo’s aunt Maggie—a researcher studying the area’s declining loon population—the youths rescue the bird, forming an unexpected connection in the process. As Sarah grows closer to Maggie, she finds herself conflicted about opening up emotionally, often turning to her mother’s diary for comfort and guidance. When complications arise at home, Sarah increasingly leans on Theo for support, a link that slowly deepens into a tentative romance. Measured prose conveys emotional complexity with a lighthearted touch, allowing space for sorrow and joy to coexist and offering a nuanced portrayal of a girl contending with grief. It’s a tender and uplifting story about healing through caring for the natural world. Ages 8–up. (Self-published)