The author of the Summer novel and journal, Clare Hutton, did an interview with American Girl all about Summer:
What was it like creating Summer?
It was really fun! Like Summer, two of my favorite things are baking and animals, so doing research for this book was a total pleasure. I’ve now learned (among other things) the proper way to introduce a dog and a cat, hand signals for dog training, and several recipes for baked treats for cats and dogs! It was also fascinating to become acquainted with a world I hadn’t known much about—kids’ business fairs. These fairs are held all over the country and, by participating in them, young aspiring entrepreneurs have fun learning how to market and sell goods and services they’ve developed.
What would you like readers to know about Summer?
Summer adores animals, and she cares a lot about the people in her life. But people—and pets—don’t always get along. Relationships take work, and that isn’t always easy. Summer makes mistakes (especially as she learns to live with a cat) or loses her temper (particularly with her big sister, Holly). While Summer’s not perfect, she is willing to admit when she’s wrong, talk about her feelings, and do what it takes to get a friendship back on track. I hope that girls will recognize their own relationships in the ones that Summer values and realize that they too can resolve conflicts just as she does.
What is your favorite part of Summer's story?
I love Summer’s strong connection to animals. In addition to having pets of her own, she runs a dog-walking business and volunteers at the local animal shelter. Not only does she look out for the well-being of all the animals in her care, she has a lot of fun with them, too. I loved bringing the animal characters to life, from Crescent’s progress with training, to the different dog antics at the park, to writing about Fettuccine’s mischief. All of those encounters allowed me to show elements of Summer’s personality, too.
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