Why I Loved: The Summer I Saved the World... in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz

Hello everybody, and welcome to another installment in my series of "Why I Loved" posts! Along with the fun of summertime, there comes a gigantic amount of stories to add to out reading lists. So with that being said, today I'm going to be sharing with you a cute and fun read that's perfect if you're in need of a happy summertime story. And that book is The Summer I Saved the World... in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz.

Now the funny thing about this book is that I read it for the first time back in January. No kidding! I read it then even though it was a LONG time away from the peak of summer. But to celebrate the season I gave it a second read, and it is just awesome. That's the word I'd use if I was told to describe it in one word: Awesome.

But there's so many others you can use: Cute, sweet, light-hearted, happy, joyful... That list goes on and on.

Alright enough chit-chat from me, let's get into the review!

What's The Story?

Thirteen-year-old Nina Ross is feeling lost as summer break begins to approach her. Her beloved grandmother passed away last year, her brother always seems to be busy, and her friend Jorie seems to be focused on other things. However Nina's not sure what "her thing" is. But she has a plan on how to change things, by doing an anonymous good deed a day for the 65 days of her summer break. While her deeds start as very small tasks around her neighborhood, she begins to wonder on how doing good actually makes a difference. And along the way, she discovers over the summer how even her neighborhood and family have many surprises.

Why I Loved This Story!

If you're looking for something that puts a big smile on your face, this is the book for you. Normally I read a lot of YA, but I decided to give this one a shot because every reader needs some good middle grade in their lives. So let's jump right into it!

First off, I dare you not to have fall in love with Nina Ross. You can try all you want, but it's virtually impossible! She was just such an interesting character and I loved to read about her as she carried on her plans for the summer. She was sweet, helpful and overall just a fun main character.

All of the other characters we come across were also well-written and fun to read about. Let me tell you about a couple of them... Let's see, we've got Eli, the boy next door whose cuteness Nina never really came to realize until now. Then there's his younger brother Thomas, who is helpful to Nina just the most adorable little boy you'll read about. And also there's also all of the neighbors around the cul-de-sac, who all can get pretty funny. Especially Mrs. Chung, but if you want to know more about her you're gonna have to read the book for yourself.

The overall concept is definitely a fun one! It's such an interesting plan for the summer and was what drew me into the book in the first place. Basically what happens is that every day for sixty-five days, Nina has to do a good deed around her neighborhood. But she does all of them anonymously and doesn't disclose that she is the one doing all of them, which leads to some confusions from neighbors. I found myself fully submerged into the story, seeing how she could complete her list and make it all the way up to sixty-five good things. And also there's the fact that it's so playfully written, that makes you enjoy it so much more.

In Conclusion...

Definitely a "yes" on this one! It's cute, funny at times and just a perfect one to include in your summer reads. Do give this one a try, I'm promising you that it's worth it!