Melanie Martin Goes Dutch: The Private Diary of My Almost Bummer Summer with Cecily, Matt the Brat, and Vincent van Go Go Go

Melanie Martin Goes Dutch is a humorous and poignant chapter book told through the diary entries of ten-year-old Melanie. She recounts her family's trip to the Netherlands, accompanied by her best friend, Cecily. While Melanie grapples with typical sibling rivalry and her own sometimes-grumpy attitude, Cecily is quietly struggling with deep anxiety over her mother's breast cancer diagnosis. The book skillfully blends lighthearted travel adventures and Melanie's relatable pre-teen observations with the more serious emotional weight of a friend's family illness, offering a balanced narrative of joy, worry, and resilience. It is suitable for early to late elementary readers.

In her diary, ten-year-old Melanie describes how she and her family, accompanied by her best friend Cecily, travel to the Netherlands, where they have a good time despite Cecily's concern for her mother's health and Melanie's struggles with her little brother and her own attitude.