Summary: Living with his great grandmother is rural Florida, ten-year-old Ben looks forward to the Fourth of July celebrations, but the day becomes complicated by the presence of a new neighbor boy, a stray puppy, and local wildfires.

Personal reaction: This was a good book for young children who can relate to the modern dilemmas of peer-acceptance and pressure. I feel the novel accurately depicted childhood motivations with the desire to be "included". If I were to have a child, I would encourage them to read this book as a medium for life lessons, rather than a casual read.

Classroom extension: I would encourage my students to engage in open dialogue about how we try to impress our friends to be accepted. What is the right and wrong way to impress someone? ( )