Parents' Guide to

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots

By Abby Aldrich, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Summer read with a bit of depth and country charm.

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Kids say (2 ):

Jenna's passion for her ideals makes her easy to relate to. The same goes when she thinks she has it all figured out but discovers otherwise. It's the kind of summer education we wish all lovably know-it-all teens had. She's also facing fears on a few fronts -- the fear of rock climbing and the emotional fear that if she takes her mother's phone calls she'll know for sure that her parents are separating.

Along with quite a bit of character growth are some quirky touches, like when Jenna finds an out-of-print outdoor manual in a used bookstore and realizes she can apply the author's straight-forward lessons to the people of Stillwater, not just the nature. It all adds a little more depth to what, at first glance, looks like a simple, fun summer read.

Book Details

  • Author: Abby McDonald
  • Genre: Friendship
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Candlewick Press
  • Publication date: April 16, 2010
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
  • Number of pages: 304
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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