At The Meriwether, Florida's famous antebellum hotel off of Hope Springs, nothing is quite as it seems. Secret staircases give way to servants' quarters and Prohibition-era speakeasies make for the perfect hide-and-seek spot. Allie Jo Jackson knows every nook and cranny of The Meriwether—she's lived there her whole life—and nothing surprises her, until the first time she spots the enigmatic and beautiful Tara emerging from the springs. Tara's shimmery skin, long flowing hair, and strange penchant for late moonlight swims disguise a mysterious secret—and once Allie Jo and her friend Chase discover Tara's secret, nothing will ever be the same.
From the celebrated author of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning comes another magical summer tale full of memorable characters and a one-of-a-kind setting.
School Library Journal
Gr 5–8—Allie Jo Jackson, 13, lives with her parents in the famous, fading Meriwether hotel, near Hope Springs, FL. She is ready for a less-than-stellar summer when Chase arrives with his travel-writer dad and proceeds to break his arm while skateboarding down a hotel hall. He is soon followed by sweet Sophie and a beautiful mystery girl, Tara, whose gleaming hair, shining skin, startling good looks, and penchant for midnight swims start the others wondering about her identity. The old hotel, with its grand staircase, long halls, crumbling upper floors, secret passages, and abandoned speakeasy, is just as much a character in the book as the young teenagers, all of whom face personal problems. The cast also includes a group of mean girls who taunt Allie Jo, calling her hotel rat, and a creepy man who insists that Tara is his runaway niece. Described in chapters that are alternately narrated by Allie Jo, Chase, and Tara, the summer flows along, filled with ordinary activities like card games and polishing the hotel's brass fittings. Then Allie Jo and Chase discover Tara's identity, but are not sure whether to believe her strange story. There is a touch of summer magic and a dollop of mystery in this compelling story.—Kathryn Kosiorek, formerly at Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH
Categories:
- Children's Books
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Fantasy & Magic
- General
- Fantasy & Magic
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
Publisher : Walker Childrens
Author : Haworth, Danette
Language : English
Published :2010-05-25
Number Of Pages : 240
Binding : hardcover
ISBN-10 : 080279520X
ISBN-13 : 9780802795205
Item weight : 0.7 lb
Dimensions : 1.1 in x 5.1 in x 7.8 in
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