How Many Days Until Tomorrow?

Spending a month on a remote island in Maine with his teasing older brother and grandparents he hardly knows is not Josh's idea of a great time. But that's what happens the summer his parents go abroad. Twelve-year-old Josh, who has dyslexia, can't do anything right in his grandfather's eyes, and is constantly compared to his perfect bookish brother Simon. Feeling stuck and counting down the days until he can go home only reminds Josh of his childhood plea, 'How many days 'til tomorrow?'. Josh secretly plans to run away back to New Jersey to stay with his friend Zipper. Gramps (alias Grumps) is always barking at his grandsons and giving them backbreaking chores. It's his attentive, sweet-natured grandmother, Nana, he doesn't want to leave behind. Life on Seal Island also captivates and challenges Josh, teaching him about self-sufficiency and respect for the rare sea animals that inhabit the rugged New England coast. Finding unexpected romance and kinship with a young visitor offers another first-time rite of passage. Josh's biggest challenge comes at the end of the summer when he faces a life-threatening emergency and uses skills he doesn't know he has to lead the rescue.;This is an inspiring and realistic portrait of a boy with a learning disability on the brink of adolescence and struggling to find himself. Young readers will see themselves in Josh as he copes with frustration and loneliness. They will also feel vindicated when his ingenuity and bravery help him to avert disaster and gain respect.