I haven't been to the city pool since I was pre-teenage years, but this picture book does a great job of capturing various feelings of the experience. It almost seems possible to feel the bright sun beating down, the hot concrete of the pool's surroundings underfoot, the icy cold water and slick tiles near the bottom, the crisp sting of chlorine.

The gouache (and colored pencil, I think) illustrations are charming and showcase bodies of all sizes, shades, and ages, with watery textures like ripples, splashes, and shadows left as the barest suggestion. The latter especially feel like kids' drawings in the best way, capturing energy and fun that something more realistic may miss out on.

"Bowl of city people soup" kinda icked me out though, sorry!

I've been following Heidi Moreno's art for years. She's the perfect artist to illustrate a newish holiday picture book like this that could otherwise be gimmicky, the charm of her illustration style filling every page to bursting with genuine Summerween spirit.

This was fine. I adored the first book in the Little Ghost series and found it so wholesome and heartwarming. This one was still cute but had a feel of making something just to make a Summerween book, which is what I’d been afraid would happen.

While not the best writing (something a lot of young adult is guilty of), this makes a great summer read that's easy to get through. The mystery components are done really well for this age range, I think, and had me wanting to keep reading one more chapter to see what the heck was going on and who/how people were involved in the events.

I used to read these Fear Street books as an adolescent and teen so picking one up again in my 40s was such a hit of nostalgia. I'll definitely be picking up more of them, especially since Stine has written several set in summer!