by Jill McCorkle (Author)
Ferris Beach is a place where excitement and magic coexist. Or so Mary Katherine "Katie" Burns, the only child of middle-aged Fred and Cleva Burns, believes. Shy and self-conscious, she daydreams about Ferris Beach, where her beautiful cousin, Angela, leads a romantic, mysterious life.
It is the early 1970s, and when the land across the road from the Burns's historic house is sold to developers, Misty Rhodes-also from Ferris Beach-and her flamboyant parents move into the nearest newly built split-level. In contrast to Katie's composed, reserved, practical mother, Misty and her mother are everything Katie wants to be: daring, outrageous, fun. The two girls become inseparable, sharing every secret, every dream-until one fateful Fourth of July, when their lives change in a way they could never have imagined. In this classic McCorkle novel, the author's shrewd grasp of human nature creates characters that resonate with truth and emotion, and a story perfect for mothers and daughters to share and cherish. Front Jacket
Whimsically entertaining and dramatically compelling.
--The Boston Globe
Kate Burns has heard of the magic of Ferris Beach all her life. Kate needs to believe in a little wonder. Shy and self-conscious, she lives with her distant, demanding mother and eccentric father.
Then Misty moves to town, from Ferris Beach, no less. She is everything Kate wants to be: daring, outrageous, and fun. The two girls grow up together, sharing secrets about everything--until one fateful Fourth of July when their lives change forever. . . .
"One of the best in the new generation of Southern writers . . . McCorkle hits all the right notes."
--Atlanta Journal & Constitution
Author Biography
Jill McCorkle published her first two novels on the same day in 1984. Of these novels, the New York Times Book Review said: "one suspects the author of The Cheer Leader is a born novelist. With July 7th, she is also a full grown one." Since then she has published five other novels--most recently, Hieroglyphics-- and four collections of short stories. Five of her books have been named New York Times notable books and four of her stories have appeared in Best American Short Stories. McCorkle has received the New England Booksellers Award, the John Dos Passos Prize for Excellence in Literature, the North Carolina Award for Literature and the Thomas Wolfe Prize; she was recently inducted into the NC Literary Hall of Fame. McCorkle has taught at Harvard, Brandeis and NC State where she remains affiliated with the MFA Program in creative writing and she is core faculty in the Bennington Writing Seminars.
Number of Pages: 352
Dimensions: 1 x 8.2 x 5.5 IN
Publication Date: September 22, 2009
Accelerated Reader:
Quiz Name: Ferris Beach
Interest Level: Upper Grades, 9-12
Reading Level: 6.2
Point Value: 19
