SUMMER SOUL SURVIVOR

If I had to guess one period of the year that teens have the hardest time staying true to their faith, I'd guess it's summer break from school. 

It was for me. 

Details of some distractions might be different now than they were decades ago, but the general challenges are much the same. More free time but a selfish attitude in how to spend it. A reluctance to stay at home and contribute to family needs. New summer friends who might or might not share the faith but want a teen's attention. 

And those are the least destructive ones. 

A lot of teens who are old enough might work a summer job, and maybe that employment provides discipline, although temptations can still exist. I had to babysit my younger siblings, and that made me a resentful grouch. 

I don't remember visiting the confessional as being one of my top priorities during that time, although in adulthood I understand that confessing my harsh feelings aloud in the sacrament of Reconciliation could've renewed the love in my heart for my sisters.

Confession is the very thing that can steer a soul back onto the right path, as many times as necessary, throughout the course of the summer. And that repeated examination of conscience—how about weekly—can often do more good than repeated complaining to, or lecturing from, parents.  

Not that parents or other family members should step out of the picture. I only wish mine had frequently pushed me to use that particular soul survival tactic.

For some clean summer reads for young to middle teen girls, I encourage you to take a look at the four volumes of the Bird Face series: 8 Notes to a Nobody, 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status, 6 Dates to Disaster, and 3 Things to Forget. In them, the main character faces her most challenging times right before, during, and right after summer break. 

REVIEWS

“Using Wendy as her narrator, Toney … delineates some of the highs and lows

of an innocent first love in this fast-paced novel. The story goes beyond its catchy title to tackle serious issues relevant to teens ...A sensitive YA tale about love, change, and loss,

with an empowering message for girls.” —Kirkus review

"This book was a great read. It did an excellent job of capturing high school life ...

also family life when facing financial hardships. It has some twists that will catch

most readers by surprise." —Steven R. McEvoy, Book Reviews & More

“A perfect finish to an inspiring YA series.” —Book Dragon

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About the author:

Cynthia writes for preteens and teens because she wants them to know how wonderful, powerful, and valuable God made them. Her novels employ hope and humor to address some of the serious issues young people encounter. She is the author of the Bird Face contemporary series, including 8 Notes to a Nobody, 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status, 6 Dates to Disaster, and 3 Things to Forget. The first volume, in its original title of Bird Face, won a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award.

Her first coming-of-age historical, The Other Side of Freedom, received numerous literary awards: Catholic Press Association (CPA) Book Awards for Children's Books, Third Place (2018), Children's Literary Classics Book Awards: Gold Winner for Upper Middle Grade in both General and Historical Fiction (2018), Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards: First Place for Outstanding Fiction, Children/Juvenile and Second Place for Fiction Book of the Year (2018), Next Generation Indie Book Awards: First Place for Children's/Juvenile Fiction and Grand Prize for Fiction (2018), Reader's Favorite Gold Medal for Children's/Pre-teen Coming-of-age (2018), and Purple Dragonfly Award First Place in e-books Historical Fiction (2019). 

Cynthia has contributed short stories to the award-winning Catholic Teen Books anthologies Secrets: Visible & Invisible, Gifts: Visible & Invisible, and Ashes: Visible & Invisible. Cynthia has been a member of Catholic Writers Guild since she first began to write fiction for teens. She has a passion for rescuing dogs and lives with her husband and several canines in the friendly South.