A Season for Fireflies

Gr 7 Up—Penny Berne's life seems idyllic. At home, she is the daughter of a successful inventor and event planner. At school, she is surrounded by a close-knit group of drama department friends. She is even cast as the lead in the school play opposite her close friend, for whom she harbors romantic feelings. However, Penny's life is far from ideal. Her mother has a mental illness and struggles with addiction. In an attempt to hide her problems at home, Penny quits the school play and develops an icy indifference toward her friends. For a year, the teen leads a very different life than she did sophomore year—when she wasn't consumed with her mother's problems. When disaster and lightning strike, the past year is completely wiped from her memory, and Penny must figure out who she really is. This book starts slowly, but it picks up after a few chapters, becoming a more engaging read. Descriptions of Penny's mother's mental illness and addiction are vague enough for sensitive and middle school readers. Maizel adeptly weaves facts about lightning strike victims into the story. They are absolutely fascinating and are well placed within the narrative.