A DAY AT THE BEACH

A DAY AT THE BEACH by Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge

A Day at the Beach is exactly what you would expect. Each "chapter" is dedicated to a different kid or teen and what's going on during their day visit to the beach and sometimes into their lives outside of the beach. The fun element of this is that usually different kids' paths cross as they interact with each other or with adults around them. Because of this, you deal with kids from all walks of life. For example, there's one family there whose dad is dealing with cancer. Formerly a very physically strong individual, he leans on his son to get into the water and ends up riding around on his son's back as he swims through the waves. Another follows the story of a kid who loses his brand new prototype I-phone his dad got him for losing weight (Dad works for the company.) The kid is in a panic hunting for it throughout the day. Others include a foster family, a rescued dog, girls meeting up with cute guys that turn out to be jerks, a famous popstar just wanting some time off, a wealthy girl interacting with a girl pulling food out of the trash can, a dad verbally abusing his child, a boy who loses his swim trunks and the girl he has a crush on helping him recover them, etc. Some of the stories are a lot of fun to read. Some deal with rough situations. You know... Just a typical day at the beach.

HEADS UP- A few things to be aware of:

-a smidgen of profanity, God's name used in vain a handful of times, and also a reference to "hooking up." No details given.

-One family has recently gone through a divorce. Mom's new friend is a woman.

-One story contains a negative view on faith and the church

-Small evolution reference