The Firefly Summer

By: Morgan Matson

Narrated by: Mia Jenness

The Penderwicks meets The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street in New York Times best-selling author Morgan Matson’s middle-grade debut about a young girl who gets to know her mom’s side of the family and hunts for hidden treasure over the course of one chaotic summer.

For as long as Ryanna Stuart can remember, her summers have been spent with her father and his new wife. Just the three of them, structured, planned, and quiet. But this summer is different. This summer, she’s received a letter from her grandparents—grandparents neither she nor her dad have spoken to since her mom’s death—inviting her to stay with them at an old summer camp in the Poconos.

Ryanna accepts. She wants to learn about her mom. She wants to uncover the mystery of why her father hasn’t spoken to her grandparents all these years. She’s even looking forward to a quiet summer by the lake. But what she finds are relatives...so many relatives! Aunts and uncles and cousins upon cousins—a motley, rambunctious crew of kids and eccentric, unconventional adults. People who have memories of her mom from when she was Ryanna’s age, clues to her past like a treasure map. Ryanna even finds an actual, real-life treasure map!

Over the course of one unforgettable summer—filled with s’mores and swimming, adventure and fun, and even a decades-old mystery to solve—Ryanna discovers a whole new side of herself and that, sometimes, the last place you expected to be is the place where you really belong.

©2023 Morgan Matson (P)2023 Audible, Inc.

Left me wanting more

What a fun coming of age story! It’s full of heart and laughter and an exciting adventure full of twist and love.

Good mystery

Liked the story and I did not like how it was just a little bit slow

My eleven year old daughter loved it it was rlly good

I rlly liked the ending and the suspense but it was also rlly heartfelt it was a amazing book I really recommend it

The perfect summer read

Loved everything about this and never wanted it to end. Such a sweet middle grade story. Even my kids were sad when it ended.

The details how they explained the story

It definitely was a long book for a fifth grader, but the book was just insanely good