Against the backdrop of the great Bristol Bay salmon fishery, thirteen-year-old Zoey Morley struggles with her parents' divorce, her mom's bush-pilot boyfriend, and the pangs of growing up during her summer in the "real" Alaska. Author Annie Boochever tells a compelling tale of a divided family living a remote lifestyle where getting along as a team is a matter of survival. Zoey learns to trust the artist inside her and finds she and her new friend Thomas have something in common. Readers will live the lessons learned and taught by this young girl who finds that hard work, compassion, and the ability to see things in her own special way lead her toward happiness in a place that at first seems just too far away. The Bristol Bay Fishery is arguably the world's greatest salmon fishery. Supports Common Core; Alaska's fourth grade curriculum includes a social studies unit on Alaska. Teachers will like the fact that "Bristol Bay Summer" includes a map of Western Alaska and a glossary of colloquial expressions and fishing terms. Offers a rare glimpse into an Alaskan fishing village's way of life.

This is a booming category: "PW" What's on Indie Booksellers' Minds? By Judith Rosen, Jul 12, 2013 said: Middle-grade fiction for ages 8 to 12--or chapter books, as the category is also called--can be a store's bread-and-butter. "Middle-grade fiction is one of our top-performing categories across the whole company," says Waesch of Joseph-Beth. For many booksellers, that's not a hardship: it's one of their favorite sections. Margaret Brennan Neville, at The King's English Bookshop/Salt Lake City. "This is the stage when a reader is truly born." "Middle grade is for everyone who loves a good story, from early readers to adults," said Cathy Berner. Nonfiction for this age group is shelved separately by category, such as history, biography, and animals. Last year middle-grade sales increased 5%-7% at Blue Willow/Houston, and Berner expects strong continued growth.

Julie Shimada of Maria's Bookshop in Durango, CO saw middle-grade sales increase 10% last year.