This image is the cover for the book Summer of Courage

Summer of Courage

" ... an upbeat, positive story ... wise, hopeful ... with a subtle simplicity sure to touch hearts."
—School Library Journal

"An enjoyable adventure of discovery ... "
—Midwest Book Review

Mom called this my Summer of Courage. She said that when you need courage the most is when you realize what's happened in your life and you decide to get up the next morning anyway.

When 10-year-old Andy goes to Grandma's house for the summer, all he can think about is how much he misses his dad in heaven and his best friend Anthony, who moved away.

In a summer filled with family, fishing, and friendship, Andy discovers what happens when you mix rotten apples with a little bit of faith.

I closed my eyes and prayed for God to send me a sign. Any sign he was listening. He sent me perch, Mrs. Sackets, and crow's nest.

Includes crow's nest recipe, gin rummy rules, and discussion guide.

This story, originally published in hardcover as Perch, Mrs. Sackets, and Crow's Nest, has won multiple awards, including:

Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Gold
IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Silver
IPPY Silver
Mom's Choice Awards Silver
Children's Crown Award Finalist
NAPPA Honors Book
Foreword Book of the Year Awards Finalist
Midwest Book Awards Finalist

Karen Pavlicin

Karen Pavlicin is an award-winning writer of several books. She grew up in rural upstate New York, where the story in Summer of Courage (Perch, Mrs. Sackets, and Crow's Nest) takes place, and now lives in Minnesota with her family. They have an apple tree in their backyard and a cow dung clock in their kitchen.

About this book, Karen says, “One day I was thinking about my childhood and remembered our summertime ritual of cutting up those tiny, hard apples on Grandma’s porch. For the first time, I realized it wasn’t about the apples. Grandma was a smart woman—she kept her family all coming back to her porch every summer. At the same time, my son and I were beginning a new phase of our lives and I thought he could use a story about those apples. That’s when I created Andy and his summer of courage.”

Elva Rosa