WAIT TILL SEPTEMBER

Eleven and twelve year old summertime adventures in Ontario's Muskoka country have a serious lightheartedness to them as the friendship between shy Brenda and forthright Shelley ripens to their mutual benefit. Up for a visit with her young aunt and uncle who run a small lake resort, introspective Brenda is hard put to let herself enjoy life and people as she wishes she could. Help from her elders alternately brings encouragement and chagrin. Then Brenda takes seriously to boating to overcome physical fear and gets a further fresh insight to life through the eyes of orphaned Shelley who comes to stay with them. The girls doings' exploit their surroundings to advantage and despite the tendency of an episodic narrative to proffer a wee bit too much advice about emotional stability- the story has vigour and a charm to a climax that sees Shelley adopted by Brenda's parents.