I read Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff. The book is about a girl whose brother died and is really cautious. The girl’s name is Annie and her brother’s name is Jared. She has to find her way back to not being so cautious. On the way she also has some trouble with a friend named Rebecca. I think that the book takes place around now because she has messages on a phone. I think this book takes place more in the countryside because they are taking their bikes around and they aren’t that old. Maybe twelve or eleven. Also Rebecca has a back yard.

Annie Richards is very cautious, sad, and creative. She is cautious because after Jared died she wanted to make sure that she didn’t either. At one part she started sweating and thought that she was sick. She is sad because whenever Jared is not around at a family event it reminds her of old times and gets sad. She is creative because in the book it said before her brother died she loved making obstacle courses and the doing them. You have to be creative to make a good obstacle course.

I think that one important part in this book is when Annie spits out some stuff about her brother and how he is more important than a hamster. I think this is important because it shows that it is hard for her to think about her brother. Another important part of the book is when she gets told to close her umbrella. She got told to close her umbrella because when Jared died she got really cautious. Closing your umbrella is basically saying to Annie that she should stop being so cautious. When she told Annie to open her umbrella they were talking about Annie’s brothers birthday. I think that this is important because if she was not told to open her umbrella she would not have tried and let go a little. One more important part of the book is when Tommy, Jared’s friend, is talking and being nice to Annie. This is important because he also feels her pain about Jared dying.

I like this book for a lot of reasons. One is that the book is sad. I like books that are a little sad because it gives the book a nice plot to reflect on. The second reason is that I liked how she had a little problem with her friend. I like this because it makes the book more interesting when the book already is interesting. I would recommend this book because it always has something new to make it interesting. For example when she was just riding her bike and then a kid came and scared her. You did not see it coming, and it made it a lot more interesting. I think that this book is unique because does not remind me of any book or movie. Another reason why this book is unique is that in this book she has many problems not just one. I would give this book a four star rating because it was really good and I really liked it. I would not give it five because it wouldn’t have the same reaction if you read it again.  

In this book the main character is a girl named Nikki. The main plot in this book is that sometimes the main character makes bad decisions and then needs to fix them. Also after she made the bad decision she has a hard time fixing it. For example at a sleepover she got dared to do something that was crazy and she actually did it. In this book it takes place in probably 2017. I think that it takes place in 2017 because she has a portable  phone. She maybe lives in the suburbs because a girl that Nikki is not friends with has a back yard.

The main character is sometimes very unmotivated, busy, and concerned.

Nikki is unmotivated a lot because she makes a problem and then tries to fix and it does not work and she gets really unmotivated and does not want to try again. For example Nikki tries to get a job working at the school and does not get it. After that she just gave up. Luckily her friends made her go back. Nikki is also busy because she is always dealing with a problem or an activity. In the book she has a problem with the girl she does not like and then that got her into a busy job. Nikki is concerned a lot because she is trying to fix one of her problems and she does not know what is going to happen.

In the book I found it interesting that she thought all the exercises she had to do for PE were not what they were supposed to be. For example she thought a curl up was curling her hair. Something that is important to the story is that her friends are really supportive. That is important because if her friends were not supportive she would not fix her problems because she would just give up. In the book it is also important that Nikki has an arch-nemesis. I think this is really important because if she didn’t she probably would not have as many problems. Also almost every problem she has her arch-nemesis is in it.

I enjoyed this book so, so much. In almost every chapter something makes me laugh hysterically. In one chapter she told a man she was going to the bathroom and then came back quickly because she really did not have to go. When she came back, he wondered why she was back so quickly when she said she was going to the bathroom. Another funny thing is that in one of the chapters a cat attacked her. You did not see it coming at all. Also in the book the main character Nikki is a lot like Greg in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I think this because they are both getting themselves into big problems. In Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Greg and his brother don’t always get along. In Dork Diaries it is the same but Nikki has a little sister. I would really recommend this book because it is so funny and there is always something happening. If I had to rate this book I would give it five stars because I would love to read it again.