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Umbrella Summer
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Umbrella Summer (2009) (edit title/settings)

by Lisa Graff (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

Annie Richards knows there are a million things to look out for—bicycle accidents, food poisoning, chicken pox, smallpox, typhoid fever, runaway zoo animals, and poison oak. That's why being careful is so important, even if it does mean giving up some of her favorite things, like bike races... read more

Summary edit see section history

Ever since her brother died, Annie Richards is always making sure to be careful. Whether it's wearing a bike helmet in the car, wearing about 10 bandages at one time or even wearing a bike helmet while you're walking to your friends house down the street. Each day she finds something new to... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Ever since her brother died, Annie Richards is always making sure to be careful. Whether it's wearing a bike helmet in the car, wearing about 10 bandages at one time or even wearing a bike helmet while you're walking to your friends house down the street. Each day she finds something new to worry about! Her parents are no help, when she talks about Jared her mom shuts down the conversation. Her dad has just plain shut down. Anew neighbor, Mrs. Finch (who has had a loss of her own) teaches Annie to "close her umbrella," which means don't get caught up in worrying so much and put your umbrella down and let the sun shine. Annie learns to do this with the help of her friends and teaches her parents to as well.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Annie Emily Richards (aka Annie Z): Annie is the main character and is always afraid she's going to catch a disease, since her brother died of a rare heart condition.
  • Mrs. Finch: She moves in the "haunted house" next door. Annie becomes friends with her.
  • Rebecca Young: Annie Richard's best friend. She has a hampster named Fuzzby.
  • Mrs. Richards: Annie's mother. She is trying to deal with Jared's death as well but she won't (or can't) talk about him. She has also locked up his room. When she gets upset she cleans.
  • Mr. Richards: Annie's father. He also has trouble dealing with Jared's death. He is in a daze, always forgetting things, not really noticing Annie.
  • Tommy Lippowitz: Jared's best friend. They always used to have their birthday party together since they are only 2 days apart. Works at his dad's store.
  • Mrs. Harper: Mrs. Harper is Annie's neighbor and Sunbird Scout troop leader.
  • Doug Zimmerman: He used to be friends with Annie then started hanging out with another boy instead. The other boy moved and now he wants to be friends again but Annie thinks he's annoying and his games are too dangerous.
  • Sue Beth: She is a sunbird
  • Jared Richards: Annie's brother, died from an aortic dissection after getting hit by a hockey puck "last February".
  • Mr. Lippowitz: Tommy's dad. Owns the general store downtown.
  • Nathan Finch: Mrs. Finch's deceased husband (cancer). He was a scientist and photographer.
  • Dr. Young: Rebecca's dad. Loves words. Annie goes to him for advice on her "illnesses."
Show all 13 characters
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “I thinks it's time for us to both close our umbrellas of sadness and step into the sunshine.”
    Annie and Mrs. Finch
  • “I wished there was a way to keep that in a bottle, that one moment of wonderful perfect, so I could open it up whenever I needed a good whiff.”
  • “<Radiant, it means> emanating great joy, love, or health...I'm not sure I'm radiant yet, but maybe one day I will be.”
    Annie
  • “Not all words are helpful you know”
    Dr. Young
  • “It's easier to be worried than sad, at least I think it it. So you use worrying as a kind of protection.”
    Mrs. Finch
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • If you’re too busy worrying about not getting wet, or just thinking about something else entirely, you may not even notice that it’s stopped raining. So there you are, with your umbrella still open above you, and there’s no more rain at all. You may not be getting wet, but you’re missing the sunshine.”
    Highlighted by 58 Kindle customers
  • I wished there was a way to keep that in a bottle, that one moment of wonderful perfect, so I could open it up whenever I needed to get a good whiff.
    Highlighted by 40 Kindle customers
  • Maybe it only took one person to open an umbrella and stick it up in the air to block out the rain, but it took a whole lot of people to close it.
    Highlighted by 39 Kindle customers
  • I knew that once my umbrella was all the way closed, I was going to keep it like that for a long time.
    Highlighted by 28 Kindle customers
  • the sun is starting to shine again. It’s coming out slowly, but it’s coming. And if you keep up your umbrella, then you’re not ever going to see it.”
    Highlighted by 27 Kindle customers
  • “Annie, I think it’s time for you to close your umbrella.”
    Highlighted by 26 Kindle customers
  • But there was a lot of other dangerous stuff that most people didn’t even think to worry about.
    Highlighted by 18 Kindle customers
  • It was still early morning, with the sunlight just thinking about edging its way into the sky,
    Highlighted by 15 Kindle customers
  • Because last February when Jared got hit with a hockey puck playing out on Cedar Lake, Mom took him to the hospital, and the doctor said he just had chest pain from where the puck had hit him, and Mom believed it. And then two days later, Jared died.
    Highlighted by 15 Kindle customers
  • “It’s easier to be worried than to be sad. At least I think it is. So you use worrying as a sort of protection.”
    Highlighted by 14 Kindle customers
Show all 15 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

Around Annie Richards town.
  • Mrs. Finch's House: A house that Rebecca and Annie think is haunted. Mrs. Finch, an old lady buys it.
  • Jared's Room: Annie and her mom learn to let go of Jared.

Organizations edit see section history

  • Junior Sunbirds: This group is directed by Mrs.Harper. Annie is a member.

First Sentence edit see section history

If you started to squeeze your brakes right in the middle of heading down Maple Hill, just as you were passing old Mr. Normore's mailbox, you could coast into the bike rack in front of Lippy's Market without amking a single tire squeak.

Table of Contents edit see section history

1-24

Glossary edit see section history

  • Aortic Dissection: Tear in the lining of the aorta (a major artery), usually found in older people. 80% mortality rate.
  • Radiant: Emanating great joy, love, or health.
  • Despondent: In low spirits because of loss of hope or courage.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Lisa Graff (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Country: United States of America
Publication Date: June 2, 2009
ISBN: 0061431877
Page Count: 235

Awards edit see section history

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

This book is a great book for a lot of people, but it has some sadness because of death. It also talks about diseases, but nothing gory.

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
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