Review: "The Summer Scrapbook" by Florence Migga

The Summer Scrapbook by Florence Migga
Published May 2026 via Carolrhoda Books
★★★

It's the last summer before high school, but it's not what the ABCs* had planned. Instead of spending the summer together, hanging out at the pool, they'll be doing parent-planned things: Ava is off to London with her family, Becca is going to sleepaway camp (no phones allowed), and only Cat will be home in Chattanooga. The solution to staying connected: snail mail letters and collection of material for a summer scrapbook.

I love me a friendship story, and once upon a time I read as many YA and MG summer travel stories as I could (who am I kidding? I still read them). This is basically three summer stories in one (camp, hometown, abroad), plus the friendship thread to tie them together. I'm also thrilled to see a book featuring three Black tweenagers; there's way too little diversity/representation in this sort of YA/MG summer-adventure book, and it's about time.

The downside of having three different summer stories is that it's harder to pack in as much characterization and so on as I'd have liked. Early on in the book I gave myself a little mnemonic to remember who was who—Ava was off on an Adventure, Cat was home in Chattanooga (I figured that was enough, so I didn't work Becca into it, but then when I got to the part about Becca feeling like the afterthought sometimes I felt bad. Becca was in Bunk beds at camp all summer). That helped, but I struggled to find serious differences between Cat and Becca in particular (both quiet, a bit shy; Becca's the reader; Cat's the writer; one of them develops an interest in fashion, but I didn't even realize that was an interest until she mentions it at the end of the book). Ava's easier, as she's more outgoing, but I would have liked a bit more space to get to know each girl, quirks and warts and all. Ditto the new friends they make; we get a bit of the personalities and interests of Cat's new crowd, but there's just not really the time to get to know three separate girls in different locations, and the shape and arc of their friendship, and their new friends, and in some cases their new romantic interests. (The romance is sweet and pretty mild, but in a MG book especially I'd always rather that the romance be chucked in favor of friendship content. But if it's going to be in there, at least it's done well.)

All that being said—I liked all three of these storylines (and all three of these main characters), and if I would have preferred them broken into three different books, then...oh well, that's probably a me problem. Yes to the summer vibes, yes to themes of friendship and navigating growing up, yes to tweenagers being forced off their phones for a summer, yes to supportive families and snail mail and tromping all over London.

*That they do not call themselves this is one of the book's few serious flaws.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.