Gin Phillips fans will be delighted by her first foray into young teen fiction.  The Hidden Summer is a magical story of a 13 year old girl's summer of escape and the beginnings of her emotional maturity.  Set in an abandoned putt putt golf course, Ms. Phillips creates a world that you can immediately picture and place yourself in.  Her characters are real and so well developed that you miss them when you finish the book (which is what I love about all of Gin Phillips books).
The main characters are Lydia and Nell, best friends who each have their own issues at home.  How they deal with their dysfunctional mother/daughter relationships is told creatively and with heart, making this a compelling coming-of-age story that old and young readers alike will love.