The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty 

• Genre: Fiction; young adult romance
• Originally Published: 2009 
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile HL600L; grades 7-12 
• Structure/Length: 46 chapters; approximately 276 pages; approximately 6 hours on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The protagonist, Isabel “Belly” Conklin, spends every summer at Cousins Beach with her mother, brother, her mother's best friend Susannah Fisher, and Susannah’s two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. The central conflict revolves around Belly's coming of age, her evolving relationships with the Fisher brothers, and the complexities of love and friendship as she navigates the transition from childhood to adulthood. 
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Romantic relationships and teenage crushes; emotional turmoil; family dynamics and loss; profanity, crass language, and slurs; use of cigarettes, alcohol (including underage use), and marijuana; cancer

Jenny Han, Author 

• Bio: Born 1980; American author known for her young adult and children’s novels; often explores themes of romance, friendship, and the transition from adolescence to adulthood
• Other Works: Burn for Burn trilogy (co-authored with Siobhan Vivian; 2013-2015); To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2014); P.S. I Still Love You (2015); Always and Forever, Lara Jean (2017)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Challenges of Growing Up
• The Power of First Love
• The Inevitability of Change

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the social and cultural contexts regarding adulthood and the nature of change, both of which serve as important backdrops for Belly’s coming-of-age.
• Discuss paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Challenges of Growing Up, The Power of First Love, and The Inevitability of Change.
• Choose a scene from The Summer I Turned Pretty and represent its tone, mood, themes, and characterization in a screenplay-style adaptation.
• Analyze and evaluate plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the symbolism of the ocean, the role of Laurel Dunne, and other topics.