Girl of the Year 2025: Summer Gets to Work

Author: Clare Hutton 

Illustrators: Maike Plenzke and Allison Steinfeld
Published: 2025

Summary

Summer's still enjoying making and selling baked goods, and it's going well enough that she and her best friend Daisy think they'll be able to raise the funds to attend an "animal camp" where they'll learn about taking care of animals by shadowing veterinarians--from common pets to zoo animals. Soon the pair are busy advertising their various pet services (homemade pet treats, walking, grooming, training) and preparing for an upcoming craft fair. Plus, Summer's still volunteering at the animal shelter. For someone whose nickname is Vacation, she's not resting much!

Furthermore, being ten, Summer and Daisy come up against some obstacles. They don't quite know how to communicate their needs without feeling rude or pushy, and they overcommit themselves. They make a bit of progress when the have a couple conversations with adults who are very understanding that the girls are close to burn-out (e.g.; Summer is going to take a break from volunteering at the pet shelter). But the two them still can't communicate well with each. 

Things come to a head when the two are baking and Daisy gets embarrassed at not being able to decorate the dog treats as well as Summer, and Summer can't find a diplomatic way to tell her. After a heart-to-heart with her mom and a chance to cool off, Summer is able to patch things up with Daphne. They agree that some things they can do together, but others are best leaving the business partners to their individual strengths. 

Thanks to working together but not necessarily identically, Summer and Daisy raise enough money at the craft fair for the camp--and then some!

Misc 

The author dedicates her book to "Alicia Hutton, rescuer of lonely cats."

Katie Flory, who works for the Maryland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Janear Garrus, who founded the Chesapeake Educational Alliance and works with homeschoolers, both advised on the book.

The copy I got from the library has some weird printing issues. There are a few pages where the letters appear to be reprint almost on top of themselves, making the words slightly doubled and blurry.

The book is full of little hints and tricks for working with and understanding dogs and cats and keeping them happy and healthy.

The end of the book has a couple recipes for cat treats, and a personality quiz designed to help young girls see what sorts of businesses they might be good at.

Girl of the Year 2025: My Journal by Summer McKinny

 Author: Clare Hutton 

Illustrators: Maike Plenzke and Allison Steinfeld
Published: 2025

Summary

Summer McKinny is a ten-year-old girl growing up in Columbia, Maryland. Through her journal, we learn about how she convinced her parents to let her adopt a dog, showing that she was responsible and trustworthy. Her dog, Crescent, is a year old as the journal starts (in September). Things are going well, and Summer can't wait for her Aunt Olivia to visit while their mom is away on a business trip!

But Aunt Olivia brings a surprise: her cat (it doesn't seem like Summer's parents knew, either). Crescent isn't used to cats, and Fettucine (the cat) isn't used to dogs. Plus, Aunt Olivia used to be scared of dogs, and is still pretty nervous around them. 

This all seems well-planned...

Summer doesn't think it's fair that Crescent has to be outside so much, because Fettucine keeps escaping the guest room Aunt Olivia's staying in. And she's worried that all the bonding Aunt Olivia and Summer's older sister, Holly, are doing over the cat. Is Summer being pushed out? But she has plenty of good things going on as well: with her dad's permission, she starts a dog-walking business that she loves, and she volunteers regularly at the shelter where she got Crescent. There's also a contest at an upcoming craft fair that Summer just knows she can win--she'll make homemade dog treats!

Of course, that's a lot for one ten-year-old. On her aunt's advice (Aunt Olivia owns a small business), Summer delegates some tasks to Holly, paying her to walk the dogs some days. That goes pretty well until one day when Fettucine escapes (Summer gets the cat back, and learns that the cat has diabetes in the process). Holly blames Summer, and doesn't want to work for her anymore. It becomes a whole thing until Summer gets some advice from the pet shelter, and the sisters are able to move past their fight and work together. And Crescent and Fettucine learn to enjoy each other's company!

The craft fair is coming up too, and Aunt Olivia provides guidance for Summer. She ends up winning the prize for best business presentation, and her mom arrives home from her trip in time to see it happen.

Before Aunt Olivia heads home, she has a surprise (that she explicitly says she cleared with brother and sister-in-law): it's a senior cat from the shelter! Summer and Holly are thrilled that they now have two pets to love.

Misc 

The author dedicates her book to "Fiona, who wishes she had a dog."

Katie Flory, who works for the Maryland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Jannear Garrus, who founded the Chesapeake Educational Alliance and works with homeschoolers, both advised on the book.

Summer was born on the first day of summer. Her sister Holly was born on the first day of winter.

My mother-in-law asked me if I'm a dog person or a cat person. I've decided that overall, I'm a lazy person. Cats are good if you want to really lean into that since they don't need as much work (especially short-haired cats), and dogs are good if you want motivation to do things like go for a walk. At the moment, I have two cats and one dog.

There's a lot of tidbits about good business practices sprinkled throughout the book, like keeping track of expenses and marketing.

The end of the book has a recipe for dog treats, and an interview with a nine-year-old business owner.