Shark Summer

In Shark Summer, we meet Gayle, who has moved to Martha's Vineyard from Boston so that her mother can open an ice cream store. She had been the star of her local soft ball team, until a bad play caused her to be injured and fighting with new friend, Lex. It's summer, and with her arm in a cast and at odds with her softball team, Gayle is not in a good mood.
When a Hollywood film crew arrives on Martha’s Vineyard with a mechanical shark and a youth film contest boasting a huge cash prize, Gayle sees a chance to earn money to help her mom with bills and turn a bad softball season into a great summer.
Gayle teams up with new friends Elijah and Maddie to make a documentary about the island’s own phantom shark and win the film prize show more money. But the friends are about to discover what happens when you turn your camera toward troubled history lurking below the surface. Filmmaking, sharks, friend drama, and financial woes are all wrapped in a graphic novel format for middle grades to younger YA readers.
This will be on my “solid recommendation” list for middle grade readers! show less

Drama on Martha's Vinyard, where a small group of kids decide to make a movie about a ghostly legend in order to win a film festival. Set against the backdrop of a major motion picture shooting a shark film, three unlikely allies become friends and uncover buried secrets about a murderous cult and a phantom shark. Also, friendship fights with the local rich kid, bullying, baseball (?) or softball, poverty, a dream of an ice cream store. Lots going on, ambiguous relationships and gender identities round it out.

This was fun. The art style fits perfectly for this story.