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Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Summary

Three very different girls work at the peach orchard for a season for three different reasons. Birdie lives there. Leeda is her well-off cousin who there to escape her family. And Murphy? The judge sent Murphy to the orchard to work off her debt. By the end of the summer they may look at peaches and each other very differently.

Booktalk

Birdie, Leeda, and Murphy all end up spending the summer working at Darlington Orchard for different reasons. Birdie spends every summer at the peach orchard because her family owns it. Leeda is hoping to spend some time away from her over-bearing family especially now that her sister is planning her wedding. Murphy had a little trouble with the law and the judge ordered her to work at the orchard to pay her debt. During the summer, they try to save the orchard from freezing and being sold. They fall in and out of love. And they learn that a person doesn't have to be defined by their family or their finances. Spend the summer with Birdie, Leeda, and Murphy – it will be a summer you never forget.

311 pages, 8th grade and up

Discussion questions

Warning! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. Birdie, Leeda and Murphy meet during Spring Break. They spend even more time together during the summer. How do their friendships change?
  2. Do you believe that these three girls can become so close? Do you think they will remain friends?
  3. What do you think about Rex? What do you think about his relationship with Leeda?
  4. Why does Murphy fix up Birdie's mother's garden?
  5. Who is your favorite character? Why?
  6. Is there anything in the book that you would like to change?
  7. There is a sequel to Peaches. Do you want to read The Secrets of Peaches? What do you think it will be about?
  8. Would you like to see a movie version of the book? Who would you cast as Birdie, Leeda or Murphy?

If you liked this book, try

Snacks: Anything with peaches.

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