Umbrella+Summer+17

By: Jordan It's okay to have uneasiness towards something. It's acceptable to be upset, and when you are upset, it is okay to cry as well. There is just some people that worry a bit to much or way to much. Maybe it is because a close friend moved away, or one of your favorite relatives passed away from a dreadful illness. Those things happen, and those people don't always know how to act or when to know when their relative are in a better place. Everything that happens, good or bad you always have some one to depend on, yourself. In the novel __Umbrella Summer__ by Lisa Graff, a girl named **“Annie Richards learns to close her** **umbrella of sadness and step back into the sunshine.”** It takes a lot for Annie to find out who she really is and make the best with everything that she has.
 * __Umbrella Summer__**

First of all, **Annie Richards has a lot going on in her life** given the fact that her brother died from getting hit in the heart by a hockey stick, and at a time like this she couldn't be more melancholy. Her brother has stuck by Annie's side like a real brother ever since the two were born and everything going on has made an impact on Annie's life. None of what is going on right now should not be happening. Every hing even at her own house. time some one started to give Annie that dead brother that she dreads, is because she is too careful about everything. L know exactly how Annie feels right now. For example I have divorced parents, they have been divorced for almost four years. You would feel that you would cry every day from the day my mom moved out. It turns out it's not so bad, I still get to talk to them every day, I get to be with them each for half the week. Sometimes I cry, sometimes you just need to and that's okay. I also have a friend that moved to Wyoming last year. I'm not going to see her until 7th grade. Its okay to be upset about that too. But Annie Richards doesn't not how to feel, she wants to remember instead of having his room locked up and completely free of dust and all of Jared's personality, his mess in his room, that's gone too.

Just as important, **Annie Richards is too careful about everything, and it is starting to get a bit out of hand.** She is losing everyone that is important too her. Annie assumes that she is getting sick every five minutes. Annie's best friend, Rebecca's dad is a doctor and just about every time Annie has paid a visit to her house, Annie has inquired Rebecca's dad to take her temperature, when ever she thinks she has like an African Sleeping disease. But after what happened two days after that, Annie isn't thinking she will be visiting Rebecca or her dad any time soon. Rebecca's hamster died, and Annie was more worried looking up sweaty hands in her medical book. Not the best way to end a relationship when your best friend calls out, “you know what?” Rebecca called after me as I went, and she sounded mad, but I didn't look back. “I hope you //do// get sick! I hope you malaria!” Her best friend said that to her, all because of a stupid green book that is only making her life worse. Just like the way she gets treated by people, that dead brother look that she can't get out of her head. Now that her best friend is gone it just puts more of the, “what's wrong with me.” When she is upset from her neighbor Doug jumping out at her, and calls her no fun, she says, “of course I am fun, I am just the careful sort of fun.” When really that explains why she doesn't have many friends any more.

In end, **the new neighbor that moved in the “haunted house” compleaty changed Annie's life for ever. The way that Annie was treated, and the way Mrs. Finch helped Annie was amazing and something that Annie will never forget.** When Annie and Rebecca while were still best friends an old lady moved in across the street. That house had been for sale for almost two years, and Annie, Rebecca, and Doug (one of her neighbors) decided that house was haunted. Annie was determined to see the inside of it. The two girls as best friends had tried to break in a couple of times. Annie is a junior Sun bird (a type of girl scouts) found her uniform and toke an old box of chocolate ruffles and together they marched like soldiers to Mrs. Finch (the old lady that lives next door.) They tried their best to get even a peak inside her house, but alas their plan failed. Apparently Mrs. Finch discovered that the box was two years into being expired. But when Annie got in herself, Rebecca's heart got torn in half, almost nothing could make them friends again after Annie not being there to help Rebecca in her time in need, and not invite her to the haunted house, better yet go there with her. But Mrs. Finch helps Annie get over all her worries and saddens, on a book about a pig (Charlotte's Web), some tea, and even some cookie baking too.

**Over all having friends and making new ones, having a great family is all it takes to have a good life.** Being upset or having worries, because of something tragic that happened doesn't mean for you to change who you are. Sometimes that does mean getting help from your very vital family or friends, or even your neighbors. They all have their special way of making people feel better. Even if that means going beyond your limit to find that perfect person. The way Lisa Graff created __Umbrella Summer__ and Annie Richards is amazing and it will make you laugh, it will make you cry and you will find out how one girl learns to make that shield around her fade away slowly as the summer goes on. The fact that Annie Richards brother died just reminds their family of all the superior things that happened while he was alive, Mrs. Finch helped Annie Richards discover that. “Life as if Heaven is on Earth.”