The Summer Before Boys

The Summer Before Boys

A
LSO
BY
N
ORA
R
ALEIGH
B
ASKIN

Anything But Typical
The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah

SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used
fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination,
and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 by Nora Raleigh Baskin
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
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IMON
& S
CHUSTER
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OOKS FOR
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OUNG
R
EADERS
is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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Book design by Chloë Foglia
The text for this book is set in Horley.
Manufactured in the United States of America
0411 FFG
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Baskin, Nora Raleigh.
The summer before boys / Nora Raleigh Baskin.
p. cm.
Audience: Ages 9–12.
Summary: Twelve-year-old best friends and relatives, Julia and Eliza
are happy to spend the summer together while Julia's mother is serving in
the National Guard in Iraq but when they meet a neighborhood boy,
their close relationship begins to change.
ISBN 978-1-4169-8673-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4424-2383-1 (eBook)
1. Preteens—Juvenile fiction. 2. Girls—Juvenile fiction.
3. Families of military personnel—Juvenile fiction.
4. Friendship—Juvenile fiction. 5. Dating (Social customs)—Juvenile
fiction. [1. Best friends—Fiction. 2. Friendship—Fiction. 3. Families
of military personnel—Fiction. 4. Interpersonal relations—Fiction.
5. Conduct of life—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.B29233Su 2011
813.6—dc22
[[Fic]]
2010045688

To the women
of the United States Armed Forces,
and to their children

Acknowledgments

summer 2004

one

two

three

four

five

six

seven

eight

nine

ten

eleven

twelve

thirteen

fourteen

fifteen

sixteen

seventeen

eighteen

nineteen

twenty

twenty-one

twenty-two

twenty-three

twenty-four

twenty-five

twenty-six

twenty-seven

twenty-eight

twenty-nine

thirty

thirty-one

thirty-two

thirty-three

thirty-four

thirty-five

fall 2004

thirty-six

thirty-seven

thirty-eight

thirty-nine

forty

forty-one

forty-two

winter 2005

forty-three

There are many people I would like to thank deeply:

Alexandra Cooper, my editor extraordinaire.

Nancy Gallt, my wonderful agent.

And, of course: Will the real Julia (Sandler) and Eliza (Sandler) please stand up? I not only stole their names but some of their childhood imagination, and it belongs to them.

Lee Blake, for giving me free access to the hotel for a day, a wonderful lunch, and all that time on the phone discussing the details.

Janet Yusko, for reminding me about our very own make-believe world of Lester and Lynette (where did we ever get those names?)

Cindy Rider, who allowed me the most magical summer at Mohonk Mountain House
before boys
and a friendship I will never forget.

Charity Tahmaseb, fellow author and friend, for answering my nonstop questions about the military and about women serving in particular.

Fran Arrowsmith, nurse practitioner, civilian and military, and long-time friend.

Once again, to Tony Abbott and Elise Broach, who listen so patiently (while we eat long breakfasts at the Bluebird) and offer the best writing (and life) advice a friend could ever ask for.

And for anyone wishing more information or to help women veterans please contact:

http://www.homesforthebrave.org
.

The Summer Before Boys

“War is not healthy for children and other living things.”

—Lorraine Schneider, 1966

 

summer
2004