Ali Standish is spot on in this middle grade novel. Georgia’s dad is two different people - one before alcoholism took ahold of his life and one after. When Georgia’s mom sends her to her Aunt Marigold’s for the summer, Georgia learns how to use the different aspects of her own personality to confront her dad and his alcoholism. Standish does an extraordinary job of writing about alcoholism, the different personalities it brings out and the broken promises that result.

A great read for kids in the summer! Georgia is sent to live with her great-aunt in the country during her summer weeks. She knows her father - who she calls "Shadow Man" is getting worse and she learns that he's suffering from alcoholism. Georgia finds a magical lake and a mysterious girl, then later a boy, who make wishes together on the lake. When a scary wish comes true, Georgia has to decide what to do - and which friend she should listen to in order to save herself and her family. Ali Standish knows how to write middle grade characters so well, they come alive on the page! A must read for summer!

I loved this book about a young girl dealing with her father’s alcoholism. It was a little bit of magic mixed with a lot of reality as we watched Georgia grow over the summer when “The Shadow Man” hits his peak and the family is forced to confront the problem head on. Georgia is sent to Marigold’s farm for the summer to get away from her father and escape chaos. I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Georgia and Aunt Marigold. The author made clear the message that alcoholism is a disease and that someone can’t be helped until they are ready. My heart hurt for Georgia and her mother, but I love how Aunt Marigold needed Georgia as much as she Georgia needed her. This book releases at the end of May.

Loved this story about Georgia who is sent to live with an aunt over the summer as her mom is coming to terms with Georgia’s dad’s alcoholism. . As Georgia finds her way around her aunt’s property, she finds some friends who make her summer more bearable , but who are these friends ?

I found this book to be very enchanting as I experienced this magical island that Georgia had discovered. As Georgia embarks on a summer spent with her great aunt in the country, during a time where her mother needed to spend her time focusing on her studies as well as keeping Georgia away from a father dealing with alcoholism, Georgia learns so much about things/people that are out of our control. Addiction is a disease that is not focused on as much as I feel like it should be in middle grade novels. Between 5th through 8th grade, students are experiencing more and more that we as adults should not be placing on kids. I know magical realism is not necessarily a genre that most people enjoy, But I found for the point of the story the magical elements brought the plot together. A big reason I give this 4 stars is due to the length. Middle grade strident struggle with over 300 pages. Overall though, it’s definitely going to be a book I purchase for my middle school classroom library for how Georgia and her Mother’s lives are altered by her Father’s drinking. I think reading the child’s perspective and the mothers perspective is a great opportunity for students who are experiencing the same life as Georgia.

Very believable, realistic characters. I appreciate the age appropriate way the author handled the father's aloholism and I like that the mother was going back to school, that's something you don't see often.

This was a really interesting story from the perspective of how the main character is dealing with living with great-aunt while her mother tries to help her father and the magical realism of the setting and the siblings that she meets in the woods behind her great-aunt's house. I liked the balance of realistic fiction with the touch of magic and seeing how it played out.

I'd rate this one 3.5 stars. The beginning felt a little long and the end felt a little rushed. I feel like we only got a small amount of closure on the "magic" of the lake, like Georgia gathered her thoughts about it a little too quickly, considering how much it meant to her.

Will purchase for my middle school library.

If you liked August Isle, you will love Ali Standish's new novel, The Mending Summer. The summer is not starting off like Georgia had hoped. Instead of heading to summer camp, she is heading to the country house to spend time with her great aunt Marigold to avoid being in her home while her parents are fighting. There Georgia finds a magic lake and makes a mysterious new friend. At first, Georgia is able to escape her troubles when the magic lake makes her wishes come true. As the days go on, however, Georgia realizes that the magic of the lake may not be enough to change her reality. Ali Standish weaves together a beautiful story of friendship and magic, heartbreak and healing.

Georgia spends the summer with her Great Aunt in the country instead of going to camp with her friends. Initially, Georgia is unhappy with the arrangement, but after exploring her aunt's farm, Georgia discovers a magical lake and a new friend. Angela and Georgia take turns making wishes come true with the magic of the mysterious lake, but when another kid shows up, the magic of the lake is threatened.

Georgia learns to make the best of the situation at hand and to be honest with those around her -- especially her mom.

A heartfelt story that brings a truthfulness and reality to light in a way that middle grade readers can understand and empathize with, and maybe even see a piece of themselves.

Thank you to the author and publisher for a link to this eARC.

Georgia’s family is struggling since The Shadow Man came to stay. That’s what she calls her dad when he’s been drinking, and he doesn’t sound or act like the person she adores. Her mom returned to school to get her degree in biology, so there wasn’t money to send Georgia to summer camp. But when The Shadow Man goes too far one day, Georgia is sent to Great Aunt Marigold’s place in the country during the summer weekdays while her mom is busy with school. Georgia isn’t excited about living in a quiet house with no TV where there’s nothing to do until she meets a new friend while out exploring the woods. Georgia and Angela quickly become summer sisters and discover the magical lake where they meet is separate from the world they live in. Some wishes can come true in this special place, and Georgia wishes for her family to be like it used to be. But the more complicated things get at home, the more Georgia sees that it’s important to be careful what you wish for.

I thought the author dealt with the topic of alcoholism very well. Georgia adored her dad and turned him into The Shadow Man to deal with her conflicting feelings about him. Her relationship with her mom becomes closer as the story progresses, and I love the way she connects to Aunt Marigold and helps her come to terms with her past. I enjoyed seeing Georgia appreciate the country lifestyle and help out with chores. The magic of the island and the kid’s reactions to it was a unique element to the story, and it gave Georgia important perspective on her life.

I would recommend this book for strong readers in Gr. 5-7 who enjoy realistic fiction with a touch of magic. I’m not personally a fan of these types of stories, and the length of 368 pages will keep me from purchasing it for my collection unless a patron asks for it.

A lovely middle-grades story. Readers dealing with the loss, or potential loss, of a loved one to addiction will surely find a meaningful connection to the protagonist.

Georgia's family is falling apart. Her father, a jazz pianist, has started drinking more and more and her mother is becoming cold and distant because of it. When Georgia finds out she'll be spending most of the summer at her great-aunt Marigold's house in the country, she is less than thrilled. But then she stumbles upon a magical lake in the forest and makes a new friend. Maybe life will be ok after all? This is a beautiful middle grade story about the bonds of family, the impact of alcoholism, courage, and friendship.

Ali Standish is one of the best authors out there right now! Her books are real and raw. Anytime I see her name on a book, I know that I am in for a wonderful treat.

This was exactly what I got with Ali Standish's new book, The Mending Summer. It was just brilliant, from cover-to-cover. Throughout the book, Standish claims that some summers are meant to break your heart. But, I am here to say that some books are meant to break your heart. The Mending Summer is one of just those types of books.

In the story, you will meet Georgia. Georgia and her family are going through a really hard time. Her daddy is lost in the world of his alcohol addiction. To try to ease things, Georgia's parents send her to live with her aunt. There she gets lost in the magical world of the island that exists on the little lake by her aunt's farm.

Truly a “mending” book- a journey of a girl who needs to come to terms with her father’s drinking and the impact it has on her family. Meanwhile, she spends time with her great-aunt, where she has plenty of her own growing and realizing to do. A poignant, beautiful story.

Children who are living with an adult who struggles with addiction will find some solace is being able to watch how Georgia handles the situation and perhaps gain some wisdom as well.

Georgia realizes over the summer that you can’t run away from your fears and sorrows. She stays with her great aunt during the week while mom studies. Her dad’s drinking is getting out of hand. As the summer passes, Georgia makes friends and they learn some secrets about a pond. Georgia learns that change doesn’t happen by wishing. She must stand up for herself by being brave and be the change her life needs.

I was hooked with the first line: Some summers are just meant to break your heart. I just knew that this story was not about first crush/love but about something deeper, more sorrowful. Gs Georgia's parents are at a low level in their marriage. Her mother is working on her biology degree and her father works at an office during the day and at night, as a musician. Georgia witnesses her father becoming two different men. His drinking changes him to "Shadow Man", Georgia's name for his other-self Georgia's mother sends her to live with Marigold, her great aunt during the summer weekdays instead of her usual camp that Georgia attends.

Georgia is lonely. Marigold is lonely. Georgia meets a young girl while out exploring. She and Angela become summer friends. They find a magical lake and learn they can have their wishes come true. It's all so wonderful at first but as we all know, magic has a dark side. Georgia comes to understand that wishes can't heal her broken family.

The author masters the topic of alcoholism with thoughtfulness and grace. Beautifully written, I found myself not only affected by Georgia's confusion and sadness about her father but also felt sorrow that Georgia seemed to be so close to her father but not with her mother. I wanted to know more about the why of that.
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