Midsummer Sisters
by Niki Smith
Graphix (Scholastic), 2026. 270 pages.
Review written July 11, 2026, from a library book.
This graphic novel makes you feel the summer breezes at the beach.
Quinn and Kenzie have been stepsisters pretty much as long as they can remember. But the book starts when their parents are fighting, and together they’re trying to block out the noise. The next day their Gramma (technically, Kenzie’s grandmother) comes to take them to the Outer Banks, so their parents can have some time alone and work things out.
Quinn and Kenzie are in middle school or upper elementary (not entirely clear which), and Quinn’s more upset to leave her friends behind than Kenzie is. Gramma is a veterinarian who keeps an eye on the local herd of wild horses that inhabit the islands, so the girls are excited to go kayaking in the nearby waters and spot the horses – and a newborn foal.
So this graphic novel is about summer fun – and the pictures make you feel like you’re there. But there’s an undercurrent of what are the girls going to do if their parents split up?
This is a lovely story and a quick read – with horses!
Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/midsummer_sisters.html
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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
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