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  • How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles book cover
  • How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles book cover
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How to Ruin a Summer Vacation

by Simone Elkeles

A summer away from the familiar

$13.79 USD
$22.99 USD $13.79 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

A summer away from the familiar

Sixteen-year-old Amy Nelson expects a trip to Israel with her estranged father to bring fashion and independence; instead, she discovers that a moshav is a rural community, not a shopping destination. The visit also brings her face to face with relatives she has never known and the frustrations of sharing a crowded home without her usual comforts. The setup places a strained father-daughter relationship alongside Amy’s first encounter with her Israeli family and the gap between her expectations and the realities of the trip.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Teens and young adults interested in family relationships and a summer-abroad setting.
  • Readers looking for young adult fiction set in Israel.
  • Readers interested in stories about meeting unfamiliar relatives and adjusting to a different way of life.

Themes

Estranged parent-child relationshipsFamily discoveryCultural expectationsAdjusting to unfamiliar surroundings

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

How To Ruin a Summer Vacation Moshav? What's a moshav? Is it "shopping mall" in Hebrew? I mean, from what Jessica was telling me, Israeli stores have the latest fashions from Europe. That black dress Jessica has is really awesome. I know I'd be selling out if I go to a mall with Ron (my biological father), but I keep thinking about all the great stuff I could bring back home. Unfortunately for 16-year-old Amy Nelson, "moshav" is not Hebrew for "shopping mall." Not even close. Think goats, not Gucci. Going to Israel with her estranged Israeli father is the last thing Amy wants to do this summer. She's got a serious grudge against her dad for showing up so rarely in her life. Now he's dragging her to a war zone to meet a family she's never known, where she'll probably be drafted into the army. At the very least, she'll be stuck in a house with no AC and only one bathroom for seven people all summer--no best friend, no boyfriend, no shopping, no cell phone... Goodbye pride--hello Israel.
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