Summer of L.U.C.K.

Summer of L.U.C.K. #1

by Laura Segal Stegman

Stuttering Darby is never perfect enough for her mother. Justin's been silent since his dad died. Naz is struggling to learn English. But after they meet at summer camp, mysterious calliope music from an abandoned warehouse grants them power to communicate without words. When they sneak inside, the dark, empty space bursts into a magical carnival. They're greeted by the ghost of Leroy Usher, who asks for their help convincing his family to restore the carnival to its former glory. In return, he promises to teach the kids how to find their voices.

As Darby, Justin, and Naz are swept off on a series of midnight adventures via Mr. Usher's carnival rides, they discover they're capable of more than they ever imagined. With each challenge, their confidence in communicating – and in themselves – grows. Meanwhile, they scheme to persuade the Usher family to revive the carnival. But when Darby’s bunkmates trick her into starring in the camp talent show, her budding confidence falters. Can she risk being less than perfect by performing in the show and speaking up to Mr. Usher's resistant son? If not, she'll put the carnival in danger and sabotage her most important quest: to believe in herself, stutter and all.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Audiobook, Summer

Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2020

About the author

Laura Segal Stegman is the author of Summer of L.U.C.K., Ready or Not, and The Chambered Nautilus, a middle-grade trilogy from Young Dragons Press, each of which has earned Five-Star Readers' Favorite Awards. She has been featured at NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English), Orange County Children’s Book Festival, SCBWI-SoCal’s Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day, San Diego Writers Festival, OC Book Fair, and LitFest in the Dena, and she shares her author journey with students at virtual and in-person school visits. She also serves as a judge for Society of Young Inklings, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and other writer competitions. She owns Laura Segal Stegman Public Relations, LLC, whose wide-ranging client list includes businesses and arts organizations. Her PR Tips for Authors workshop, a step-by-step guide to building a digital author media kit, has been presented by The Writing Barn, SCBWI, and elsewhere. Non-fiction writing credits include collaboration on the travel book Only in New York as well as feature stories and guest posts that have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Westways, and School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox, among others.

L.A. Parent Magazine lauded Summer of L.U.C.K. as a "good read," and Readers' Favorite praised it as "a tale that not only incorporates magic, carnivals, friendship, and fun but also manages to thread the plotline with pearls of wisdom about life, bullying, self-worth, and self-esteem." Ready or Not, according to middle grade/YA author Frank Morelli, “is filled with twists, turns, magic, time travel, and a healthy dose of courage from its deeply authentic cast of characters.” Greg Pattridge, reviewer for Always in the Middle, called The Chambered Nautilus, "a tale full of adventure, magic, and the power of never giving up."

Based in Los Angeles, Stegman is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UC Irvine with a B.A. in Drama. She loves reading, Dodgers baseball, New York City, classical music, and theater. www.LauraStegman.com

Reviews

[Pine Reads Review]

“Far away, inside a seemingly abandoned warehouse near Michigan’s Camp Inch, a dusty carousel calliope creaked slowly back to life.”

Darby has a stutter and is under constant scrutiny from her mother because of it. Justin hasn’t spoken since his father’s death. Naz is just trying to adapt to his new life in the U.S. after moving from Morocco. After discovering the remnants of a haunted carnival near their summer camp, these three young heroes are brought together for the adventure of a lifetime. Recruited by the ghost of Leroy Usher, the carnival’s former owner, they must convince his family to reopen the once lively fairground so that he may pass on. Connected by strange calliope music, sudden telepathy, and the unbreakable bond of friendship, Darby, Justin, and Naz embark on a journey unlike any other, and may just help one another grow along the way.

From debut author Laura Segal Stegman comes Summer of L.U.C.K., a magical middle-grade adventure about the power of self-acceptance. As a tight-knit trio of youngsters, Darby, Justin, and Naz are the best friends everyone hopes for and the heroes anyone can root for. Their genuine support of one another in times of both joy and trouble cements their developing friendship as the story’s heartfelt core. With a rustic sleep-away camp and a magical carnival in play, Stegman deploys a charming, nostalgic tone through these two quintessential childhood settings, making Summer of L.U.C.K. a light, fun-filled read sprinkled with whimsy, humor, and heart.

Trigger Warnings: parental emotional abuse, death of a loved one (off-page), bullying

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank the author and publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!

[J. Dorner · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways, I enjoyed this book; but because of my own life experience, my enjoyment was depleted.

Three children (all who have trouble related to vocalization) become friends at summer camp, help a ghost to unify his broken family, and grow as people.
In the year 1999, three city kids are lured away from summer camp, multiple times, to an abandoned building in the woods that is filled with music, games, and candy.
(Same story. Same kids.)

The book is interesting within its genre because the odds are that the reader will be able to relate to at least one main character.
I got a copy of this book when I interviewed the author about writing a debut book. This review is honest and unbiased, all opinions are my own.

I would not recommend this book to school libraries. I feel that a parent or guardian should read it first, then have a long discussion with their child about not following random music, going off alone into the woods at night, taking food from strangers, breaking into abandoned buildings, talking to strangers (including ghosts), and wandering off without telling an adult where you're going. Once those warnings are drilled into their heads, then carry on with reading this book and enjoying the happy magic of a world where breaking all of those rules goes perfectly fine.

I don't read a lot of middle-grade novels. I do like books about self-acceptance, especially as it relates to vocalization. But I don't encounter many books where horrific-sounding situations all turn out to be peachy fine. Darby sometimes bugged me because I felt she had "poor little rich-girl" problems, which I tend to find annoying. I nearly didn't finish reading this book. My spouse kept taking it away from me because it triggered me too much. The reason I finally did finish this book was because I talked to a teammate (Dena) who assured me that the children would all live happily ever after. (I honestly thought someone was going to die, possibly be eaten.)

I don't think I'll read the next books in the series. I'm sure they'll be just as good as this one, but it isn't my cup of tea.
The book has a happily-ever-after. It's a good story of friendship. (It isn't meant to be scary or haunting, but for me it was absolutely edge-of-my-seat panic-induced terrifying.) It's not predictable. It is a bit spiritual and meaningful. In some ways, it's fun and entertaining. Chapter 13 had a tear-jerker moment.

It might be a diverse book. Naz is from Morocco. Darby has a stutter, and her mother tells her she'll never get anywhere if she doesn't overcome it. (I love that I read this book after Biden became President. I want to shove that in the mother's face. Though eventually, the mother becomes a sympathetic character. But still, she never taught her daughter not to wander off alone in the woods in the middle of the night and not to take candy from strangers, so I'm gonna keep judging her harshly because she's fictional and I can.) Visually, Katie Usher and Darby have reddish-brown curly hair. Geoff Usher (and possibly Chad Usher) and Justin have sandy hair. Geoff Usher and Naz have olive skin and blue eyes. Mrs. Usher had dark skin and was born in India. Chad Usher has dark skin. Leroy Usher has wavy black hair and blue eyes. The Usher family has a totem pole (so someone is a Native American from a tribe of the Northwest Coast of the United States or Canada - though they live near Chicago).

Chad and Katie have names with initials that could also be used in the word LUCK. Their brother, Geoff, does not.

There are minor characters in the book, such as a set of twin girls. One twin, Jessica, grows as a character and a person, but her sister does not.

An excerpt that caught my attention:
~No one listens, so what's the point? Eventually, it was natural to simply remain silent all the time.~
Justin thinks that, and it's the reasoning he used when he decided to stop speaking after his father's death.


I learned about calliope music from looking it up because of this book. I had also never heard of Johnny Rebeck before. (It's a song.) I've never heard of Jack Sprat before. I learned that headlamps are another word for headlights.

The book cover is okay (the one with the orange building, neon Ferris wheel, and silhouettes of three children), but I wish it showed the trolley so I'd have a better idea of what that looked like. The title makes sense, and L.U.C.K. is used many times in the book. The book is well-edited.

The book's life lessons are about believing in yourself and seeing things from the point of view of others. The main setting is Camp Inch, which seems like a very expensive camp with absolutely no security and minimum supervision for the young children. The magic of the book reminded me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (but without a parent accompanying their child), or Mary Poppins (but without the parents having ever met Mary), and Hansel and Gretel (but thankfully without the cannibal witch).

If the children had proper supervision, a camp counselor going with them perhaps, or an older sibling who knew what was going on, I would give the book five stars. If any of the adults at Camp Inch had at least noticed three children under their charge going missing (it happens several times) and searched for them, I'd give the book four stars (five stars if the kids got a lecture about not being lured off into the forest by music, candy, rides and games in an abandoned building, why trespassing is illegal, how dangerous walking by a highway can be - especially at night, that an adult should always know where you are... ). As it is, I worried my head off for these three fictional children, and that the dangers are never addressed bothers me enough that I'm giving it only three stars. The writing is excellent, the characters are well-developed, the plot is interesting-- it's just the things that didn't go wrong and could have (the real "luck" of the story, in my opinion, is that no children were seriously injured in the woods at night, not kidnapped while so near a highway alone, not arrested for trespassing or breaking and entering, and that interacting with a stranger didn't have tragic results).

[Namrata Ganti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer of L.U.C.K. is a wonderful story that focuses on three children and their problems. Darby speaks with a stutter and has a low self-esteem. Naz moves to America from Morocco and is trying to learn to speak English and mingle with children his age while dealing with missing his father. Justin is dealing with the loss of his father and his inability to voice his feelings or talk about his situation.

The three of them meet at summer camp, brought together by mysterious music that only the three of them seem to hear. On investigating, they end up at the adjoining property which used to be a carnival. The author brings to us a mix of magic and delight in this book as the children meet with the ghost of Mr. Leroy Usher, the owner of the carnival. Spurred into trying to save him and reunite him with his wife, the children are forced to confront their problems and try to come out of them, try to move forward and grow. 

This is a story with a strong message which is woven very well into the story. The focus is on self-discovery and healing as well as forging friendships and creating bonds. A story of learning, the author brings to us a delightful set of characters who overcome their fears and inhibitions to help a whole lot of people including themselves! The story also pushes the reader to imagine a world of magic and all possibilities as anything can happen if you just believe.

This book is a great read not just for children, but for adults too! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I hope everyone else does too!

[Colette Sewall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The summer of L.U.C.K is a sweet, lovely story about three middle-graders struggling to find their voices. One child stutters, one is learning English, and another remains silent from grief. Soon after the three meet at a summer camp, they all hear a musical call from an abandoned magical carnival. When the former owner (who happens to be a kindly ghost) asks for a favor, the three children must work together by facing their fears. Along with the children, a parallel story runs through the pages featuring three adults learning to understand each other and listen to their hearts.

I thoroughly enjoyed the sprinkling of love and magic in this charming story about family, friendships, and heartwarming reconciliations!

[Kasey Giard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I liked the summer camp elements and the fact that it's told from three different points of view. The characters' journeys were really cool-- they grew a lot through the book-- and I liked the whole mystery of the carnival and the family that used to run it.

I think readers who enjoyed Foreverland by Nicole Kear or The Girls of Firefly Cabin will like this one, too.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Frank Morelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully-written tale of challenge, loss, coming-of-age, and coming to grips with the tools one needs to move forward. Laura Stegman weaves all of this into a classic, middle grade mystery with twists and turns and enough clever magic to keep you turning those pages more quickly than you ever thought possible.

[Maggie Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tale is filled with magic, adventure, humor and a large dose of learning to love oneself just the way you are. The blend of fantasy and mystery is what will keep you turning the pages, while rooting for each character to overcome their fears and realize they are capable of much more than they imagined will keep you reading to the end.

The summer camp at the center of the story brought back good memories of my own childhood where summer camp (Girl Scout Camp for me) always provided opportunities to explore new places and have adventures I never had at home. Camp in itself can seem magical to many children. In this book that “letting go” at camp sets these three children up for a truly fantastical encounter with a magical carnival next door.

Both the fantasy world and the summer camp world are described in such a way that I could see the sites, taste the food, and be awed by the adventure along with the children. Combined with an impossible mystery and a life-or-death problem to solve, the children barely have time to consider their own problems while helping someone else.

In the process, each child realizes they are much more brave and more capable than they realized when they first arrived at camp. That new confidence will shape not only their life at camp but give them tools to have more enduring relationships back home.

Some younger children may initially find some difficulty tracking this multiple point-of-view book. Each child has their own point-of-view, as do their parents. That said, I believe the adventure and pathos will carry the reader forward and they will fall into the rhythm of the story and pull together those threads.

Almost all children have felt left out, bullied, or teased at some point in their life. They yearn to escape to a place where their differences disappear and they fit in easily. Summer of L.U.C.K. will provide a bit of that escape, along with an adventure into figuring out how to become the person you want to be.

The ending has the children promising to get back together at next year’s summer camp. I’m looking forward to reading that story and seeing what new magical and real-world adventure will bring them together the next time. I would recommended this book to children aged 10-13, though some precocious nine year-olds who are reading beyond their age may enjoy it as well.

I shared the story with my eleven-year-old niece. She loved the fantasy and definitely identified with not fitting in easily with others. The fact she wants to read the next book is a great endorsement, as she's not a big reader and keeping her attention is difficult.

[Noël · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great inspiration for kids to take that small courageous step forward to make a huge impact in their own lives and that of others! All done within the setting and timeframe of summer camp, so many characters have an amazing arc by the end.

The three main characters are relatable, each in their own way, as they deal with the complexities of relationships with their parents. Very clever to have their struggles translate into a physical speech impediment: stuttering, a vow of silence and learning to speak a second language. And then with the three adult siblings how this translated into the inability to communicate with each other.

To be honest, I thought I was headed into an MG horror when the kids were lured to an abandoned building by carnival music. SO glad the ghost was kind and only inspired the kids to do good for themselves and others.

[Lindsay Flanagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend Laura Segal Stegman's Summer of L.U.C.K. series! This middle-grade series brings together three kids who all have trouble speaking for various reasons, but during summer camp, they find not only kindred spirits in each other but also learn to embrace their own unique voices... all while trying to save a carnival.

[Jennie Englund · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A summer almost too amazing to be true.”

Laura Segal Stegman’s middle-grade SUMMER OF L.U.C.K. spins like cotton candy across six weeks at Camp Inch, where Darby, Justin, and Naz find they have more in common than their voices. Like The Chronicles of Narnia, the three slip into a secret world—a carnival run by Mr. Leroy Usher.

“No one can hear us,” he says, which is true, as well, in the kids’ real world; each has a language barrier preventing them from being understood. Darby’s impediment, Justin’s lost vocals, and Naz’ English acquisition alienate them back home. But, at midnight, lured by carousel calliope, the kids leave behind their parents’ criticism and expectations, their grief and isolation, to explore the realm between real life and magic. The cafeteria, crafts room, and letters from home are woven with visits to the ghostly Carnival King, who also lives between two worlds—and needs their help with his own less-than-ideal family.

I love Stegman’s descriptions. Taking the “Unconventional Flight” ride, the visitors pass “a Fedora-topped dragonfly [and] butterflies, their long black antenna curving above building dark eyes.. their painted wings aloft.” Words flow like the chocolate river in Willy Wonka.
L.U.C.K. lifts readers to the highest point of a Ferris wheel: to the power of strength in numbers, strength in self, the wonder of childhood, and the abundance of gifts that come from being open to adventure.

A gem to read. And to share.

[M. K. French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darby stutters and can’t please her mother. Justin hasn’t spoken since his father died. Naz is struggling to learn English. The three children don’t believe in themselves and stumble across a magical carnival. The ghost of Leroy Usher is haunting it and needs their help to convince his family in restoring the carnival in its entirety. In return, he might be able to help them find their voices.

We meet the three children as they prepare to attend Camp Inch. Darby’s mother is highly critical and doesn’t realize that her constant reminders for breathing exercises and stress on communication skills to be successful actually intimidates Darby and makes her stutter worse. Justin doesn’t speak if he can avoid it and essentially isn’t stressed to. Newly arrived in Milwaukee from Morocco, Naz trips over some of the names and words and stresses in sentences. It doesn’t help that Wisconsin has tons of place names that are based on Native American tribes, so it would be even more difficult for him because they don’t always follow the same rules of English words that he learned so far. They literally crash into each other at camp and are the only ones hearing the calliope music from the carnival, so when they’re able to hear each others’ thoughts, I’m not surprised. They have a similar underlying problem in that they can’t speak well with others, as well as poor self-esteem. It doesn’t help that there are some children present at the camp only too willing to prey on them.

I felt bad for Leroy Usher’s children, too. They’re caught between the ideals they were raised in and the Real World that values money, so his children argue about selling the carnival to the summer camp for a modest fee vs a development company that will build condos. It’s obvious what Leroy would have wanted, and over time they’re able to reconcile their differences and speak to each other and work through their memories. The three children also work through their grief and difficulties as they try to help all of the Ushers; unknowingly, the adult Usher children each interact with our three preteens. The advice and discussions they have with the kids also helps them work through their own dilemmas.

This is a fun story for middle-grade readers, without being so unrealistic for adults to read as well. The messages within the book to believe in yourself and to keep working for your goals are all worthy ones, and especially in this time. I appreciate the message without it coming from a pandemic or apocalyptic book, and the bright descriptions of summer in the middle of a dreary winter’s day was also greatly appreciated! I really enjoyed this book and shared it with my daughter as well.

[Dai Guerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts and Themes: I think that this book is great for middle grade readers ages 10+. The fantasy elements to this story were really great and I loved the message that it taught in the end. I think this is a great book for young readers to read on their own or for a parent to read with their child. I also liked that this is a story that adults could enjoy and find things to take away as well.

I really enjoyed that this story teaches kids to embrace themselves and their differences. I like that it also shows the positive effect that friendship can have on someone and how your friends are there to support you when things are hard. I liked that the three children each had something different that they had to overcome yet these things brought them together.

Characters: There are three main characters, Darby, Justin, and Naz. You are also introduced to Mr. Usher and his children throughout the story. I really liked how Mr. Usher was introduced to the story and how these children build a relationship with him. I liked how the friendship between the children and Mr. Usher is developed and how he is used as a way to support them.

I also really liked the interactions that the children have with others at their camp. I thought it was great to see them overcome their challenges not just with each other but with other children. I liked that we got to see two settings in this story and not just the portion with Mr. Usher.

Writing Style: This story is told in third person and gives you three different main view points along with side viewpoints as well. It also goes back and forth from the present times and showing you some of the past with Mr. Usher’s children. I thought that it was great to see each of the children’s perspectives and see how different they were from each other yet how similar they were. I did find the pieces with the adults to be a little distracting from the rest of the story and could see children not being intrigued by those portions. I think that there isn’t too much of it though which was a plus for me and the parts that the adults interact with the children make the story come together.

[sskacan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely book! So well written, the narrative is great with very sweet moments that make you smile and teary eye all at once! Although this targets YA, this old-is adult enjoyed every minute and can't wait to learn what happens next with these three characters. We need a sequel! I think all of us could learn a lesson or two about friendship and communication from Darby, Naz and Justin.

[Cheryl Schuermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Stegman’s Summer of L.U.C.K. is a fun, engaging story about two boys and a girl who meet at summer camp. The trio quickly discovers they can hear each other’s thoughts, as well as mysterious calliope music coming from an abandoned warehouse near the camp. They are drawn to the warehouse where they develop a sweet friendship with Leroy Usher, the previous owner of a carnival. The kids soon find out he is really a ghost who needs their help as he shares his magical carnival and his heart. Through the strength of their friendship and encouragement from Mr. Usher, the kids face their own fears, develop confidence, and turn their energy toward helping others.

Middle grade students will love this delightful multi-layer story of friendship and family, summer camp life and magical adventures! Looking forward to the next book in the series!

[bjneary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to #BookJunkies, @Laura Stegman, @maestraw for recommending Summer of L.U.C.K by debut author, Laura Segal Stegman. Oh did I love this book and I know middle grade students will absolutely enjoy Darby, Naz, and Justin as they become friends, allies, and sleuths at summer camp. The fantasy/magic elements were mesmerizing and sucked me in. It seems only Darby, Naz and Justin hear the music playing, they are transported in flying carnival rides, and best yet, they can send each other mind messages! And the mystery of who Leroy Usher is and what he wants from the children spur them to become their best selves. Laura Stegman has crafted a superior debut novel that had me turning the pages, falling in love with these kids, and best of all, finding out there will be another book of their adventures, I am so excited and can’t wait. Highly recommended!

[Roslyn Muir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer of LUCK is an unusual book as it tackles some big themes. The main characters all have a difficult background, and at first it inhibits their ability to trust and connect. But what unfolds is an enchanting story that pulled me back to the adventures of summer camp and the spooky stories around the campfire. I could just hear the calliope music as I read this engaging book. This book is well-written and has a lot of heart. I enjoyed the paranormal aspects and the friendships that were created as a result of their adventure. Recommended!

[Kristiana Y. Sfirlea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, uplifting story! I enjoyed the camp/carnival setting and the main characters. The diverse and non-cliquey friendships were wonderful as well. And of course I love that it takes place in my beloved Mitten, Michigan!

I'm glad I picked up this book. It's been a safe place to escape during some stressful health challenges. The themes of overcoming fears, having compassion, and thinking of others make Summer of L.U.C.K. a worthy read!

[Jennifer Guyor Jowett · Rating 4 out of 5]

With hints of both magic and the mysterious, Laura Stegman weaves a story that brings the lives of Naz, Darby, and Justin together. With the help of a ghostly carnival owner and an abandoned warehouse, the three main characters realize their voices (one lost to grief, one to a stutter, and one to a struggle with a new language). Through their bravery and friendship, they overcome obstacles and bring people together.

[Stephenie Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sweet middle-grade story. Laura Segal Stegman does an amazing job making you immediately care about her characters in this fun summer camp story with a paranormal twist. I was so happy to hear that there's a sequel coming out.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet and magical middle grade novel about three kids who befriend each other at summer camp and discover a mysterious carnival. The story is engaging and the characters are wonderful. The book also explores important themes related to courage, self-acceptance, and friendship.

[Ronel Janse van Vuuren]

This would have been the April 2022 book club selection, but neither I nor the other moderators could get an eBook copy (physical copies are way too expensive right now with the pandemic).

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked:
The author jumps right into the key conflicts starting on page one. Darby is afraid to speak due to her stuttering. Her mother is overly critical with unreasonable expectations and Darby feels like there’s no way to please her. Naz’s father is still living in Morocco, while he’s with his mother who’s pursuing her career as an opera singer. Naz wants his family back together. Justin is dealing with the death of his father and he hasn’t spoken a word in over a month. All three kids are hoping their time at Camp Inch will bring them relief and solace from their troubled lives at home.
The acronym L.U.C.K. refers to the ghost of a man and the name of his former carnival ride business bordering Camp Inch. The music from a calliope draws Darby to an abandoned warehouse neighboring Camp Inch where she first meets the specter. She later returns with Justin and Naz and they hear Leroy Usher’s tale. The ghost needs help with his three estranged children and bringing life back to his carnival and calliope warehouse. In return, Mr. Usher says he can help Darby, Justin, and Naz even though they may not know it yet.
The author infuses tastes of magic throughout an otherwise realistic fiction story. Magic surrounds Leroy Usher although I don’t get the impression that he actually wields it. He accompanies Darby, Justin, and Naz on mystical journeys that show them situations they need to see. Carnival mirrors display images from today and the past that transmit emotional messages to the viewers. Notes from Leroy mysteriously pop up around the camp to motivate the three kids and let them know when they need to sneak away and visit him. Naz holds a paperweight from Mr. Usher that includes an unfinished orange line around its base. The line gets longer as the kids make progress and it acts as a countdown clock to the book’s climax.
What didn’t work as well:
Overall, the problems faced by Darby, Justin, and Naz don’t escalate into the bigger issues I expected. They learn to deal with them and make significant progress due to the magical assistance of Leroy Usher. Their stories aren’t overly intense. However, Leroy’s conflict concerning the future of L.U.C.K. drives the plot and readers will anticipate the climax when prospects for the old warehouse are revealed.
The Final Verdict:
The first half of the book doesn’t knock my socks off with drama but the second half develops into a passionate rollercoaster of feelings. The plot offers surprises as Darby, Justin, and Naz take control of their lives in ways they never imagined possible. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot.

[Ute Limacher-Riebold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer of L.U.C.K. is a story about three children who struggle with problems related to vocalization, and who become friends at summer camp. Darby speaks with a stutter and has low self-esteem. Naz moves to America from Morocco with his mother, and is learning to speak English. Justin is dealing with the loss of his father and his inability to voice his feelings or talk about his situation. With their difficult background, they are at first inhibited by their ability to trust and connect, but with the story unfolding and all three going on a joined adventure where they experience a combination of magic and mysterious, they all find their voices

The book is interesting for children who experience similar challenges and who are familiar with the summer camps US style.
Since the first pages the mystery of a music that only the protagonists can hear, sparks the reader’s curiosity: what does this mean, where will this lead them? They follow the music call from an abandoned magical carnival. When a former owner, who happens to be a kindly ghost, asks for a favour, the three children go on an adventure, facing their fears.
The message of this story is very strong. It focuses on self-discovery, acceptance and healing, on creating bonds and friendships, kindness, helping others and seeing things from other people’s point of view.
The protagonists overcome their fears whilst helping others, including themselves, and gain confidence that will allow them to endure the relationships and situations in the “real world” and back home. This all is wrapped in a world of magic, where everything is possible if you just believe.

The multiple changes of point of views in the first chapters can be difficult to follow for younger readers, but once they get used to it, they will adjust to the rhythm of the story and understand how these threads were necessary to get a deeper understanding of the characters.
The characters are diverse in their appearance and provenience, and other languages are used here and there, which I personally liked as it allows English language learners to relate to at least one of the characters.
The story is situated in the US and readers who don’t know what calliope music is, or who Johnny Rebeck or Jack Sprat are, need to look them up to understand their meaning.
This book is interesting for children to read independently, but I can also imagine that parents may want to read it with their children, talk about what happens in the chapters, anticipate the plot and discuss the choices the main characters make.
And, like the author promises in the final note: “keep an eye out for its sequel, coming soon”.

[Niket Setia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Segal Stegman is a Los Angeles-based arts publicist and author whose middle grade debut novel, Summer of L.U.C.K., was published by Young Dragons Press.

The main protagonist of the story is a about 11-year-old boy stuttering Darby thinks she needs to be flawless, exactly like her mother expects. However, going to camp for the summer offers a brief respite. There, she makes friends with ten-year-old Naz, who is having trouble learning English and twelve-year-old Justin, who hasn't spoken a word since his father passed away. The theee sneaks inside the adjoining ware house to find out why they can converse verbally without using words thanks to enigmatic calliope music. The ghost of Leroy Usher, the Carnival King, welcomes them after the abandoned building transforma into a full-scale carnival with magical rides. Usher can't rest until his property brings joy to children once more. He solicita their assistance in persuading his estranged sons and daughter to bring the carnival back to its former splendour before the summer is out. Mr. Usher agrees to teach Darby, Justin, and Naz how to discover their voices in exchange. Turn the pages to know the story in detail. The author has written this book in just 228 pages which I read in just one seating. Overall a perfect read. The writing style alongwith the narration is absolutely gripping and smoothly maintained. The cover is beautiful with an absolute perfect title. Highly recommended to each and everyone reading this review. I would definitely love to read more books by the author.

[Julie Ditton · Rating 5 out of 5]

"All that we give comes back to benefit ourselves."

This debut children's novel is about three youngsters who are each literally struggling to "find their own voice". Darby stutters and all of her mother's misguided efforts to help her stop feel less like love and more like the bullying she receives from other kids. Justine has been unable to talk about his father's death and in his despair, has given up talking all together. Naz has recently moved to America and is having difficulty learning English.

When they get to summer camp, they each realize that the strange calliope music that others don't seem to hear, can also be heard by these other two kids. Even stranger is the fact that they can hear the thoughts of these strangers. The three children soon become friends and discover an abandoned carnival haunted by a ghost in need of some help. Leroy Usher, Carnival King (L.U.C.K.) can not rest. It was his fondest wish that the carnival be sold to the camp next door so that the land would be filled with happy children. His children, however are not all in agreement , and the property sale, like Leroy, is in limbo. Leroy assures them that "All that we give comes back to benefit ourselves." During the summer and their attempts to help Leroy, they learn things about themselves as well. Friendship, magic and the ghost help each of them grow.

If your child is sensitive to triggers, you will want to know that the book includes bullying and grief for a recently departed family member. But both issues are handled vey well. I loved this book and will immediately be diving into the sequel.

[Readers Choice · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝑻𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆: Summer of L.U.C.K.: all things are possible
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Laura Segal Stegman

𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘:
"Summer of L.U.C.K.: all things are possible" penned by the author Laura Segal Stegman is an interesting read. The story features three children: Darby, Justin and Naz. Darby believes that her mother doesn't like her because of her stutter. She wishes her mother to be an understanding person like her father. Justin has been silent since his dad's death. Naz is struggling to learn English.

The three kids met at Michigan's Camp Inch. They heard calliope music and followed the sound to know where it was coming from. They reached a warehouse. An abandoned building soon burst into a carnival with rides. The ghost of Leroy Usher, Carnival King, wants the kids to help turn this abandoned place back into the carnival. He wants his place to bring joy to children.

Read this gripping story to find out will kids be able to help Leroy Usher's ghost? What would Leroy do in return for the kids? It's a well written book by the author. Kids would be delighted to read this book.

Middle grade readers who love reading contemporary middle-grade fantasy stories should get their hands on this one. It's a gripping story. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I am definitely interested in reading more books by the author in the near future.

𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 5/5

[Victoria Pannell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer of L.U.C.K. by Laura Segal Stegman is a delightful read for all ages. The story instantly captivated me with the author’s writing style and how it seamlessly blended real life and fantasy at a summer camp for boys and girls, the perfect setting to showcase the diverse personalities and interactions typical of middle-grade characters. Readers of every background will find something to love in the story’s characters and relate to their challenges. Stegman vividly describes the magic of summer with a girl who stutters, a boy who misses his dad and struggles with English, and a boy who is grieving the loss of his father. You share in the mysterious and magical bond the three friends form, which makes their camp experience unique. Excitement, suspense, and heart-tugging moments fill the story as the friends discover that life can be complicated, and sometimes helping themselves also helps others.

This feel-good story celebrates friendship, acceptance, and personal growth. It’s a perfect book for the classroom to use in discussions about acceptance. The vocabulary is rich. And it’s an excellent tool to inspire young writers’ imaginations. As a former schoolteacher, I highly recommend Summer of L.U.C.K., it’s a valuable addition to any classroom library.

[Toi Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and nostalgic read, reminiscent of films like The Goonies and other childhood stories like Pipi Longstockings. The mysterious magic in the story allows the children to go on adventures that help them in many ways beyond just providing a thrill. The overall message of the book is a positive one and I appreciate the approach to diversity and inclusivity presented.

I would say the main reason I didn't give this book a higher rating is the lack of concern portrayed for the characters who go missing for hours at a time without any adults seeming to be aware. I remember being a kid and going off without my parents knowing and when I returned there was usually someone upset about the lack of safety in my choice to go exploring without letting anyone know where I was. Even the few times my sister snuck out without our parents knowing, she was smart enough to have a backup plan in case something happened, but that concept just doesn't appear in this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this and would definitely read more if there are ever more books in a series.

Recommended to fans of coming-of-age adventures and magic.

[Sherrill Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readers of all ages will appreciate the author's skills of worldbuilding and description. I was transported to my childhood, filled with summer camps, cookouts, and carnivals. I could taste the cotton candy in this story as three kids--a girl and two boys--become friends in need of courage to solve their unique problems. Enter the spirit of Mr. Usher, the late carnival owner in need of a most unusual kind of help, who teaches the three that all things are possible if you help yourself and others: "All that we give comes back to benefit ourselves." This book will fill you up in the sweetest ways.

[Gina Schaarschmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised. It was a cute, feel good fantasy that takes place at a summer camp. It's a little heavy handed on the "message," especially at the beginning with the parents being a bit one dimensional and the inner thoughts of the characters over used, but it settled down later (either that or I got used to it).

At any rate, it was a fun, enjoyable middle grade read. It would be great for primary kids who need something more challenging than short chapter books.