THE SUMMER OF BAD IDEAS

In this funny, big-hearted, contemporary middle grade friendship story for fans of Wendy Mass and Linda Urban, two mismatched cousins from estranged branches of a family spend an adventure-filled summer together in Florida, completing a list of “Good Ideas for Summertime” written by their eccentric late grandmother.

Edie has always been a rule follower. But when she finds herself stuck in small-town Florida for a summer with her impossibly cool cousin, Rae, she decides it is time for a gutsier Edie, a more adventurous Edie, a wish-upon-a-shooting-star-and-make-your-own-wish-come-true Edie.

Together, the cousins set out to complete a mysterious list of "Good Ideas for Summertime" that their eccentric late grandmother wrote back when she was their age. But good ideas? Most of them seem like bad ideas. Reckless. Foolish. Ridiculous. Edie knows that many of the things she is planning to do violate her mother's strict rules – gloriously so. Still, by accomplishing everything on the list, maybe she can become the effortlessly brave adventurer she dreams of being, just like her daring cousin and bold grandmother.

For this one summer at least, Edie knows that bad ideas are the best shot she has at becoming who she wants to be.

Kiera Stewart's debut, the quirky tween novel Fetching (Disney-Hyperion, 2011), was praised by Booklist for its "multidimensional and real" characters, and by Kirkus for its "warm and charmingly self-deprecating narrative voice." Kiera also has a second novel for tweens, How to Break a Heart, recently released. Before she found her way to writing fiction, she worked in publicity for several television networks. Kiera lives and writes in Northern California.