Audiobook Sample
The First Magnificent Summer
Judy Blume meets Barbara Dee in this tender and empowering middle-grade novel. Twelve-year-old Victoria Reeves is all set for her “First Magnificent Summer with Dad,” even though it’s been more than two years since she last saw him. She’s ready to impress him with her wit, her maturity, and her smarts–at least until he shows up for the long road trip to Ohio with his new family, The Replacements, in tow.
But that’s not the only unpleasant surprise in store for Victoria. There are some smaller disappointments, like being forced to eat bologna even though it’s her least favorite food in the world. And then there’s having to sleep outside in a tent while The Replacements rest comfortably inside the family RV. But the worst thing Victoria grapples with is when she begins to suspect that part of the reason Dad always treats her as “less than” is for one simple reason: she’s female.
As Victoria captures every moment of her less than magnificent summer in her journal, she discovers that the odds are stacked against her in the contest-no-one-knows-is-a-contest: Not only does her wit begin to crumble around Dad’s multiple shaming jabs, but she gets her first period. And when Dad does the worst thing yet, she realizes she has a decision to make: will she let a man define her?
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Praise for “The First Magnificent Summer”
“Toalson’s healing love song to those who are growing up (or grew up) with imperfect parents, reminding us that their imperfection isn’t your imperfection; that you’re perfect just the way you are.”
—Kathleen March, Anderson’s Bookshop (Downer’s Grove, IL)
“Toalson handles difficult, complex subjects with nuance and care, never losing sight of who her readers are, and striking the delicate balance between honesty and hope.”
—Jordan Leigh Zwick, The Book Seller (Grass Valley, CA)
Magnificent Media
PLAYLIST OF VICTORIA’S FAVORITE SONGS
BOOK COVER ANIMATION
VIDEOS
10 things I wish they told me about anxiety when I was a kid
Growing up as a kid with anxiety before there was a wider understanding of it was confusing and scary. In addition to writing my anxiety into my stories, I’ve come up with other strategies to help me manage my anxiety. I made this video for my past self and for your present you.
#OnlyInOhio
In THE FIRST MAGNIFICENT SUMMER, Victoria roadtrips from Texas to Ohio. When I shared this true tidbit from my life in schools I visited, a strange thing happened. In this video, I talk about what I learned from students’ bizarre questions, and I join the trend such as you do when you’re “so old.”
Tips to get started with journaling
Journaling has tons of benefits, but getting started can be difficult. In this video, Rachel shares some of the surprising ways journaling can improve your life, along with tips to get you started.
How to Be Your Magnificent Self
When people in our lives make us feel not so magnificent, how do you rediscover and be your magnificent self?
