Prolific children's book author Candice Ransom uses a touch of magic to shape Juneberry Blue, the charming tale of Andie Jennings's 11th summer in her small town of Morning Glory, Va.
Andie and her family live in her grandmother NeeNee's apartment, above their diner, Unlucky in Love. First-born daughters in Andie's family possess a gift that reveals itself in their 11th year on Midsummer's Day, "when the veil between worlds... is thin." On "Test Day," the daughters of the family "create a new recipe that would change people's lives." NeeNee is preparing Andie, but the girl seems to be undergoing a different sort of test: she is seeing a ghostly white cat and hearing the hoofbeats of unseen horses. The only person she confides in is best friend Tanner, who lives near the now-defunct Juneberry Blue soda factory with his great-uncle Orwell. Ransom ratchets up the suspense as the best friends unwind the mystery of the hauntings and attempt to thwart a greedy businessman who takes a sudden interest in Juneberry Blue.
Though times have been hard since the soda factory closed, Ransom (the Time Spies series) paints an affectionate picture of the tight-knit group that the town's remaining eight residents have become. Ransom movingly depicts the relationship between Andie and NeeNee and builds warm bonds between Andie and her sister as well as with pleasingly analytical Tanner. While Andie's relationships with her parents seem a bit outlined, Juneberry Blue, with its sprinkles of magic, mystery, and a small town to envy, is a terrific summer escape for middle-graders. --Jennifer M. Brown, reviewer