Sandy Asher

As a child, I always felt that the two halves of the book were very different, and now I know it's because two different novellas were grafted together. The first half is the same as "Summer Smith Begins" and it's about a girl in an overwhelmingly white and Christian town who advocates changing the boring Christmas program that is a tradition in her school. The second half is a more contemplative exploration of the main character's fight with her best friend, conflict with her mother, and first kiss with a boy. I remember this book was first time I learned about "menopause" and "WASPs." I loved it as a kid and I think it holds up well.

Edit: In 2019, my brother had the job of suggesting which books at the library should be de-accessioned. He came home and mentioned one of the books he had recommended to remove was an interesting but very dated book about a girl who tries to get Chanukah celebrated at her school as well as Christmas. When I promptly reeled off the title, author, and full plot description, he reconsidered. The librarian ultimately decided to keep it because it must be a classic.… (more)