Midsummer Sisters

by | Aug 24, 2026

Quinn and Kenzie have been stepsisters their whole lives, and we meet them as they hide out in the middle of their parents’ loud argument (rendered as indecipherable words in angry red bubbles). The morning after brings the arrival of Gramma Diana, Kenzie’s dad’s veterinarian mother. In hopes of allowing her adult son and his wife time to sort through their problems, Gramma offers to take both girls to her house in the Outer Banks to spend the summer. 

Once at the beach house, the girls find some solace in the ocean and its inhabitants, and they become fascinated by the wild horses that roam the beach there, too. But of course they can’t avoid what is happening to their family forever.

The girls are close, but have their own differences and interests – and their own fears about what will happen when their parents inevitably separate. Smith’s illustrations at the oceanside home of Gramma have a warmth that contrasts with the summer storms outside and allows the reader to feel the haven this place becomes for the girls from their family’s crumbling security. 

Kenzie throws herself into discovering shark teeth, rocks, and fossils in the sand as a distraction from her heartache. Meanwhile, Quinn keeps her crush on her friend, Willow, a secret from her sister while revelling in anger at their parents. They both fall in love with a newborn foal, whom they name Starling. When they can’t sleep at night, they sit on the porch together and share silences and worries.

Every expressive panel beautifully captures the feeling of a summer at the beach, and every moment between the sisters is heartfelt and moving. Smith’s artistic style is intimate and warm, giving the sense of being welcomed into this cozy space with the sisters, their grandmother, and Gramma Diana’s little dog, Toby. All main characters appear white; one of the sisters, Quinn, is romantically interested in a girl. 

Best for middle-grade readers and older, Midsummer Sisters is a touching read for fans of realistic fiction by Raina Telgemeier, Lucy Knisley, or Faith Erin Hicks. 

Midsummer Sisters 
By Niki Smith
Scholastic GRAPHIX, 2026
ISBN: 9781546128946

Company Age Rating: 9-12 

NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
Creator Representation:  Queer,
Character Representation: Lesbian, Queer,