May 6, 2025 by Simon Spotlight
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Julie is an only child who has an enormous crush. It's on James, a boy she's seen in Atlantic Harbor, where her family owns a summer home. She has been preparing her "Love Plan" all year so that she can finally get him to talk to her, and then see that the two are perfect together. She has a list, a flow chart, and even a scheme; Operation Cell Phone. Her plan runs into a snag when her mother invites Sophie to come with them to the beach. Sophie is quite understanding when Julie admits that she and James aren't really dating, and is on board with most of Julie's plan. It's not long after they arrive at Atlantic Harbor that they spot James, who is cuter than ever, and his friends on the beach. Sophie has recently moved from California, where she was dating a boy named Steven, but Julie thinks that it would be better if Sophie changed her crush to one of James' friends, Liam, who is very nice. Sophie doesn't exactly like that plan, but tries to humor Julie. None of Julie's plans seem to go smoothly, mainly because James is kind of a jerk, but Liam seems nice. It's three weeks filled with some babysitting, frolics on the beach, and even some vintage clothing, as Julie doesn't have any luck with James, and the girls squabble a bit over romantic machinations. Sophie's sister has told her that if she has to change her style or interests to get a boy to like her, she might not have the right guy in her sights. It takes a while for Julie to see this, but by the end of vacation, both she and Sophie have boys who are interested in them.
Strengths: Plans. Schemes. Flow charts. I would have adored this when I was in middle school. This read a lot like vintage Ellen Conford romances, but with some nice advice that updates the way that tweens should be thinking about romance. Haven't we all wished to take three weeks at the sea shore in the summer at a cozy cottage? To hang out on the beach? Even the little bit of babysitting will resonate with young readers. The best part was how Julie and Sophie interact. They're friendly, but not really friends, but are so understanding of each other's moods and changes of heart. Of course they fight. But they also make up and don't hold grudges. Sophie is definitely more level headed, and tries to steer Julie towards better decisions, but Julie has that misguided laser focus that is so common among middle school students. The parents are around, but aren't intrusive, and there's plenty of opportunity for the girls to wander around on their own. This is a quick read with realistic, relatable problems that will be very popular.
Weaknesses: Julie follows a relationship blog and takes some of their personality quizzes there. I'm not sure that tweens (or anyone) read blogs much anymore, but at least she isn't reading a magazine. Whatever technology is portrayed can change quickly; who knows, for example, what will happen with TikTok! (Writing this the day after it was shut down for a bit in January!)
What I really think: This is similar to the Simon Spotlight Crush books that still ciruclate in my library despite the cheesy covers. I will definitely purchase the prebinds of whatever titles come out in this new Spotlight Sprinkles series for the many fans of the Scholastic WISH books.
Weaknesses: Julie follows a relationship blog and takes some of their personality quizzes there. I'm not sure that tweens (or anyone) read blogs much anymore, but at least she isn't reading a magazine. Whatever technology is portrayed can change quickly; who knows, for example, what will happen with TikTok! (Writing this the day after it was shut down for a bit in January!)
What I really think: This is similar to the Simon Spotlight Crush books that still ciruclate in my library despite the cheesy covers. I will definitely purchase the prebinds of whatever titles come out in this new Spotlight Sprinkles series for the many fans of the Scholastic WISH books.
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