Midwest Book Review May 2001
Highly recommended reading for boys and girls ages 8 to 12.

Book Description
In OONAWASSEE SUMMER, Addie and Tanner (two twelve-year-old cousins) are spending the summer with their grandma and great-uncle on the banks of the Oonawassee River in Southern Florida. That is where they engage in exploration, discovery, and find intrigue and adventure. Although the river is fictional, Melissa Forney's fun and engaging novel is enhanced with a wealth of factual information about jon boats, river otters, cypress trees, herons, alligators, cast nets, and other fascinating details of life in southern Florida.

Card catalog description
Twelve-year-old cousins Addie and Tanner spend an adventure-filled summer at Gram and Great-Uncle Henry's cottage on the banks of Florida's alligator-infested Oonawassee River.

From the Publisher
Explore cypress swamps and alligator-infested waters with Addie and Tanner, 12-year-old cousins spending their first adventure-filled summer in Florida with their beloved Gram and Great-Uncle Henry. The children – using their new-found knowledge, confidence in each other and undying love for their older mentors – encounter the greatest challenge of their young lives. Oonawassee Summer is richly woven with memorable characters, image-evoking details, suspense, danger, love and laughter. Readers will carry it with them long after they've turned the last page.

From the Author
In OONAWASSEE SUMMER, I have tried to recapture the beauty and magic of a childhood spent climbing giant oak trees, going crabbing, and exploring the Florida backwoods. In the story of Addie and Tanner, I have tried to recreate the mysteries discovered by children everywhere who love nature, excitement, and adventure. My hope is that OONAWASSEE SUMMER will pull children outdoors, away from their television sets and video games, and back into the arms of trees waiting to be climbed and streams waiting to be crossed. -- Melissa Forney

About the Author
Author and educational writing consultant, Melissa Forney, traveled back to her childhood to create the memorable places and faces of OONAWASSEE SUMMER. Melissa grew up in the jungles of Panama, where her father was a lock-master on the Panama Canal. But, it was Florida that captured her heart. The author spent almost every childhood summer visiting relatives in Florida. There, she roamed free -- climbing trees, playing with cousins and listening to tales the "old timers" told at star-lit summer get-togethers. Melissa combines those memories, 20 years of teaching experience and her credentials as an educational writing consultant to weave the story told in Oonawassee Summer. Melissa has two adult children. Her husband, Rick, is also her business partner. The couple lives in DeLand, Florida. Illustrator Gregg Scott traveled to Florida where he, his wife and two young children explored the waterways and rural towns of Melissa's youth to capture the scenes described in OONAWASSEE SUMMER. Gregg, and his family, life on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State.

Excerpted from Oonawassee Summer : Something Is Lurking Beneath the Surface by Melissa Forney, Gregg Scott. Copyright © 2000. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The sound woke Addie from a deep sleep. It began as a low growl and grew into a hideous shriek. Startled, Addie sat straight up, clutching the sheets for protection. Cold fear made her arms feel icy, in spite of the hot, humid night air. The growl started again, low and dreadful. As the noise grew louder, so did Addie’s own cry of fear. The sound of her own voice was terrifying. Too scared to move, she searched the room with her eyes, but the darkness made it impossible to see. What could be making that terrible noise? Where am I? Addie wondered. A circle of yellow light beamed down the hall, followed by shuffling. The shuffling sounded familiar. "Addie? Is that you?" She heard the comforting voice of her grandmother. Of course! For a few seconds Addie had forgotten she was visiting Gram in Florida. Still, she was too shaken to answer. "What in the world is it?" Gram called. "Did I hear you cry out?" The yellow light reached Addie’s open door, and suddenly Gram was sitting on Addie’s bed, her arms around the frightened girl. "The power must have gone off during the storm," explained Gram. "I tried the hall light and it’s out. What’s wrong, Honey? Did you have a bad dream?" "I...I heard something outside my window. Gram, it was...horrible." "Oh, it must be the storm, Adelaide. Here on the river we hear all kinds of sounds in this kind of weather. It could be the wind, one of the boats banging into the dock, or the loudest thunder you ever did hear." As if on cue, a flash of lightning lit up the room, followed by an enormous clap of thunder. Addie snuggled closer to Gram, burying her head in the old woman’s lap. Rain pounded the shutters and beat against the window panes. "You’d think we’d have better weather for my granddaughter’s first visit to the Oonawassee. Now, don’t you worry. Nothing to be scared of. Probably just the howling wind." "No! It was...well...it wasn’t anything like that," stammered Addie. "Something or someone was out there." "I certainly hope not," replied Gram, laughing. "We don’t open the bait shop until 6:00 a.m. and it’s only 4:15." Before Addie could say another word, Gram walked to the window shining her yellow flashlight beam out into the night. "I can’t see a thing but this storm. Now don’t you worry, Addie," she continued. "You must try to get some sleep. I know you’re tired after your trip." Gram tucked the covers around her, smoothing Addie’s hair back from her face. "I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I know my way around this house by heart and I have an extra flashlight in my room. I’ll leave this one for you. That way, you’ll have a light until the power comes on. It won’t bother your Uncle Henry. He can sleep through anything. She placed the flashlight on the quilt next to her granddaughter. "Thanks, Gram," said Addie, through a huge yawn. Already she felt safe. Gram always had a way of making things seem better. "Maybe it was just the storm." "Maybe it was Uncle Henry’s snoring. He’d scare anybody," giggled Gram. Addie was glad to have a grandmother who giggled. All right then," Gram said. "See you in the morning. I’ll fix your breakfast when you wake up." Wrapping her bathrobe around her, Gram shuffled back down the hall. "’Night, Addie dear." Addie yawned again and pulled the flashlight right beside her. "’Night, Gram."

ANNOTATION

Twelve-year-old cousins Addie and Tanner spend an adventure-filled summer at Gram and Great-Uncle Henry's cottage on the banks of Florida's alligator-infested Oonawassee River.

FROM THE CRITICS

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