Summer on the Moon

When his estranged great-grandfather offers to buy Socko's mom a suburban house--if they become his caretakers--she jumps at the chance to escape the impoverished inner city. Socko mourns leaving his best friend behind and struggles to adjust to the strange new situation. Although the story is slow, it provides an interesting examination of the limits of helping others.

A fast-moving, absorbing novel that has real-world relevance. With the recent economic collapse as a backdrop, both the housing crisis and unemployment are major plot points. The book also touches on many enduring hot-button issues—including gangs, vandalism, and homelessness. Readers will sympathize with and relate to the well-developed, complex characters—whether it’s Socko, heartbroken at leaving his best friend behind in the inner city, or Socko’s new neighbor Livvie, who discovers her family is on the verge of bankruptcy. Adrian Fogelin shows that a true community is based not on physical proximity to friends and neighbors but on the willingness to be friendly and neighborly. The many examples of community spirit—Socko’s mom helping a girl in an abusive relationship, Socko’s great-grandfather finding a man a job, and Socko befriending a Livvie—are touching and inspiring. Presents a surprising and thought-provoking contrast between the city and suburbs. While Socko expects the suburbs to be surrounded by nature, he’s disappointed to discover the vast wasteland of his unfinished development. And though the suburbs are much safer, away from gang violence of Socko’s old neighborhood, they’re also isolating, with few people nearby.