The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun
by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Intermediate, Middle School    Scholastic    224 pp.
6/25    9781546115380    $19.99
e-book ed.  9781546115397    $19.99

It’s the summer before middle school, and all Esme Sun, twelve, wants is to have fun at Deep Woods Pool. Her vacation is off to a rocky start, however, after she mistakenly embarrasses new girl Kaya, who is Black, by assuming she needs rescuing from the pool. She also wavers in connecting with her white “cool girl” swim team teammate, Tegan, who is becoming more interested in boys and fashion. On the plus side, practice pays off when Esme, who often feels outshined by her sisters’ music, math, and technology talents, becomes one of the fastest swimmers. As summer progresses, she grows closer to Kaya and helps improve her flip turns. When the team starts winning, Esme’s mom makes dismissive remarks about Kaya and pushes Esme to be the best, forcing the tween to choose: individual success or camaraderie and good sportsmanship? Shang’s (Bubble Trouble, rev. 7/23) realistic slice-of-life story, centering a Chinese American family, captures the joy and rush of summertime and does a great job of portraying pre-adolescent awkwardness alongside more serious topics such as racism, colorism, divorce, and negative parental pressure. A refreshing, nuanced tale about the importance of being kind, supportive, and yourself.

From the September/October 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.