Essay Questions

Why is This One Summer so controversial?

This One Summer was featured on the American Library Association’s list of the “Top Ten Most Challenged Books" twice - once in 2016 and again in 2018. A number of people and organizations were wary of the novel's incredibly mature themes, cursing, and its sexual content for its targeted age range. Libraries, including libraries in Florida and Minnesota, either outright banned the book or limited its access to students in later high school years.

In response to the controversy surrounding the book, author Mariko Tamaki wrote that "There are people who are uncomfortable with any discussion of sexuality, who see this as inappropriate, maybe, for any age of young reader. “But really," she said, "what expelling these books does is erase queer experiences, queer lives.”’

How Rose's summer in Awago change her?

Despite the fact that Rose has spent every summer for much of her life in Awago, her trip to Awago as described in This One Summer changed her as a person significantly. At Awago, Rose's journey into adulthood began in full steam. She learned about her parents problems, learned about adult issues like abortion and miscarriage, and started to have an interest in boys. Because of her experiences, she grew tremendously as a person and matured quickly.

In what way does diversity play a part in This One Summer?

When she wrote the book, Mariko Tamaki wanted to make sure that diversity played a large part in the story of her book. To that end, she included queer characters and stories in the book, included characters of different races (particularly Asian-Americans, who she felt was underrepresented in literature), and different genders.