Rating: 
Summary: A Rare Friendship of Love, Humor, and Happiness
Review: "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart." So very true this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt is many times. In this novel, An American Summer, Christy despite the trials and tributes throughout the novel, learns this through his friendship with Kathryn. Many friendships are based on love, humor, and happiness, but none as strong as the rare friendship of 14-year old Christy Bannister and "iron-lung ridden" Kathryn Slade. This read is a fast-paced page turner that draws you into the plot with each word.Christy Bannister, a 14-year old boy, has just moved to Baltimore, with his family, because of his dad's job. He's having a hard time making friends when he meets Miss Kathryn Slade. Kathryn is a nice young woman who is stuck in an iron lung for the rest of her life due to getting polio when she was a teenager. Kathryn makes the best of her disibility while enjoying her pool and teaching Christy how to be a "helluva" swimmer. Kathryn and Christy grow very close and Kathryn helps Christy work through his family problems and problems at home. From Kathryn, Christy learns the meaning of life with her positive attitude. Christy has returned the favor, without even realizing it, for taking the time to be Kathryn's friend. The end of this novel is a tear-jerker that will leave you with so much to think about. Through this novel, you will be drawn into the plot and have learned how important life is. Friendship is so powerful and influencing. Frank Deford pulls you into his book and you grow to love the characters. You will be wanting to read page after page of this novel looking forward to the new adventures of the characters. In the end, there are many lessons to be learned, but most of all the lesson that you must look beyond what a person looks like on the outside and focus on the personality on the inside. Even if someone is different, they can be the person with the most awesome outlook on life. Despite an illness or deformity, a person can still be an all-around great person with the most positive attitude in the world. This book is great for mature junior-high students and high school students. There are many issues in this book that a young teenager can relate to but it would also be an enjoyable read for an adult to, because of the lesson of an outlook on life. Overall, I thought this book was a very good and I recommend it to all for a great read.
Rating:
Summary: A Rare Friendship of Love, Humor, and Happiness
Review: "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart." So very true this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt is many times. In this novel, An American Summer, Christy despite the trials and tributes throughout the novel, learns this through his friendship with Kathryn. Many friendships are based on love, humor, and happiness, but none as strong as the rare friendship of 14-year old Christy Bannister and "iron-lung ridden" Kathryn Slade. This read is a fast-paced page turner that draws you into the plot with each word. Christy Bannister, a 14-year old boy, has just moved to Baltimore, with his family, because of his dad's job. He's having a hard time making friends when he meets Miss Kathryn Slade. Kathryn is a nice young woman who is stuck in an iron lung for the rest of her life due to getting polio when she was a teenager. Kathryn makes the best of her disibility while enjoying her pool and teaching Christy how to be a "helluva" swimmer. Kathryn and Christy grow very close and Kathryn helps Christy work through his family problems and problems at home. From Kathryn, Christy learns the meaning of life with her positive attitude. Christy has returned the favor, without even realizing it, for taking the time to be Kathryn's friend. The end of this novel is a tear-jerker that will leave you with so much to think about. Through this novel, you will be drawn into the plot and have learned how important life is. Friendship is so powerful and influencing. Frank Deford pulls you into his book and you grow to love the characters. You will be wanting to read page after page of this novel looking forward to the new adventures of the characters. In the end, there are many lessons to be learned, but most of all the lesson that you must look beyond what a person looks like on the outside and focus on the personality on the inside. Even if someone is different, they can be the person with the most awesome outlook on life. Despite an illness or deformity, a person can still be an all-around great person with the most positive attitude in the world. This book is great for mature junior-high students and high school students. There are many issues in this book that a young teenager can relate to but it would also be an enjoyable read for an adult to, because of the lesson of an outlook on life. Overall, I thought this book was a very good and I recommend it to all for a great read.
Rating:
Summary: A Rare Friendship of Love, Humor, and Happiness
Review: "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart." So very true this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt is many times. In this novel, An American Summer, Christy despite the trials and tributes throughout the novel, learns this through his friendship with Kathryn. Many friendships are based on love, humor, and happiness, but none as strong as the rare friendship of 14-year old Christy Bannister and "iron-lung ridden" Kathryn Slade. This read is a fast-paced page turner that draws you into the plot with each word. Christy Bannister, a 14-year old boy, has just moved to Baltimore, with his family, because of his dad's job. He's having a hard time making friends when he meets Miss Kathryn Slade. Kathryn is a nice young woman who is stuck in an iron lung for the rest of her life due to getting polio when she was a teenager. Kathryn makes the best of her disibility while enjoying her pool and teaching Christy how to be a "helluva" swimmer. Kathryn and Christy grow very close and Kathryn helps Christy work through his family problems and problems at home. From Kathryn, Christy learns the meaning of life with her positive attitude. Christy has returned the favor, without even realizing it, for taking the time to be Kathryn's friend. The end of this novel is a tear-jerker that will leave you with so much to think about. Through this novel, you will be drawn into the plot and have learned how important life is. Friendship is so powerful and influencing. Frank Deford pulls you into his book and you grow to love the characters. You will be wanting to read page after page of this novel looking forward to the new adventures of the characters. In the end, there are many lessons to be learned, but most of all the lesson that you must look beyond what a person looks like on the outside and focus on the personality on the inside. Even if someone is different, they can be the person with the most awesome outlook on life. Despite an illness or deformity, a person can still be an all-around great person with the most positive attitude in the world. This book is great for mature junior-high students and high school students. There are many issues in this book that a young teenager can relate to but it would also be an enjoyable read for an adult to, because of the lesson of an outlook on life. Overall, I thought this book was a very good and I recommend it to all for a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: stays with you
Review: I read this book over 6 months ago, and it still grabs me as one of the best books I've read in the past 10 years. It's easy to fall in love with the characters, and you just don't want it to end. I don't reread books very often, but I'm planning to buy this book and read it again next summer.
Rating:
Summary: stays with you
Review: I read this book over 6 months ago, and it still grabs me as one of the best books I've read in the past 10 years. It's easy to fall in love with the characters, and you just don't want it to end. I don't reread books very often, but I'm planning to buy this book and read it again next summer.
Rating:
Summary: Great Americana novel
Review: Just finished this book and I couldn't put it down, the narraration thru the 14 year old was just so great. The setting of Baltimore during the fifties was also superb, I was really able to feel how the author was conveying life in the fifties with the fear of polio and the communist bashing and what-not. It really made me feel like a WASP living among the manors of Baltimore. A heart wrenching story with two awesome characters that I will no doubt read again very soon.
Rating:
Summary: Tears of joy and sadness
Review: Many years have passed since I read a book that brought tears to my eyes. This is the one that did it!
Rating:
Summary: Essence of the 50s
Review: This book took me back to the fiftys in a big way. It captures the small town flavor of even the large cities and the wonderful innocence of growing up then.
Rating:
Summary: Best Read in A Long Time
Review: This great book took me back to the 50's. The plot dealt not only with friendship but family relationships, growing-up, lonliness, and trustworthy sacred relationships. This is the way I remember the 50's. An enjoyable read. It left me feeling good and humbled.
Rating:
Summary: Best Read in A Long Time
Review: This great book took me back to the 50's. The plot dealt not only with friendship but family relationships, growing-up, lonliness, and trustworthy sacred relationships. This is the way I remember the 50's. An enjoyable read. It left me feeling good and humbled.
| 
