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Water Balloon

Marley and her best friends, Leah and Jane, have a long-standing tradition of surprise water-balloon attacks — one surprise attack allowed per year.  They also love to play Monopoly, using their own, revised rules.  It’s this long-term, BFF friendship that’s at stake when Marley’s parents split up.  Her life crumbles as she is to spend the summer at her Dad’s; Dad has arranged for her to spend the summer babysitting bratty twins.  Marley loses her entire support group when her best friends dump her for their thespian friends.

Author Audrey Vernick manages to add plenty of humor and tender moments to keep the dismal storyline going.  As can be predicted, Marley and her father bond by the end of the summer, with Dad saying, “We’ve been helping each other get through a really difficult time. I’m not sure you realize that you’ve been helping me a lot too….I never pictured there being any genuine up-side to being in this situation, but I think it’ll give us a chance to get to know each other in a different way, a meaningful one.”

This proves to be true.  Marley and her father’s relationship is strengthened because of the divorce.  A budding romance with her neighbor, Jack, and “taming the twins” also give Marley inner strength.