"If I were in charge of the world I would ask this be required reading. " ~Jocelyn

It's summertime, and thirteen-year-old Nina Ross is feeling kind of lost. Her beloved grandma died last year; her parents work all the time; her brother's busy; and her best friend is into clothes, makeup, and boys. While Nina doesn't know what "her thing" is yet, it's definitely not shopping and makeup. And it's not boys, either. Though . . . has Eli, the boy next door, always been so cute?

This summer, Nina decides to change things. She hatches a plan. There are sixty-five days of summer. Every day, she'll anonymously do one small but remarkable good thing for someone in her neighborhood, and find out: does doing good actually make a difference? Along the way, she discovers that her neighborhood, and her family, are full of surprises and secrets.

In this bighearted, sweetly romantic novel, things may not turn out exactly as Nina expects. They might be better.

Jocelyn says:

"Things happen when they're meant to happen, and the sooner people realize that the more content they'll be." ~ One of Nina's beloved grandmother's Simple Truths.

"It is very often the ordinary things that go unnoticed that end up making a difference. As you embark upon your high school careers, be unnoticed, but be remarkable."
~ Mr. Potello, Nina's 8th grade History teacher, on the last day of school.

"Those two ideas form a very simple but rather thrilling idea for Nina. There are 65 days of summer.  Nina will do some secret good thing for each day of summer vacation. 65.  

Get up. Do something. Step up. Now. 

There are 8 houses in her cul de sac, including the families of two other 14-year-olds she has known since she moved there in elementary school.  A whole life of mostly unnoticed details is going on in each house.

What a great read for those looking to do some good in the world—and realizing that doing good in the world can mean the world just outside your mind, as close as your family and neighbors. Factor in Nina's first kiss and the gentle, thoughtful way she starts to separate herself from a longtime friend going in a different direction. It adds up to a stellar read for girls trying to figure out life after middle school.
I absolutely LOVE this book. LOVE LOVE LOVE

If I were in charge of the world, I would ask this be required reading. Seriously!"