Grade 3-5AShearer takes a commonly voiced wish, mixes it with a large dose of humor, and adds a dollop of fantasy to produce a lively plot. When their parents move away and leave them on their own, Melissa, Patricia, and their brother (and honorary sister) Arthur Summer inherit the family weather-forecasting business. Although their predictions are successful, the youngsters still can't pay their bills. While casting about for ways to earn extra money, they discover an amazing book of weather dances. The siblings, who find it difficult to cooperate on anything, finally manage to learn the dance for "Fine and Sunny Weather" and quickly fill a barrel with sunbeams. After satisfying their first customer, they quickly find themselves overwhelmed with orders. This leads to sloppy dancing, which produces some unexpected weather. When they cause an eclipse that darkens the town for days, the Summer Sisters are convinced that it isn't so great to control the weather after all. Reminiscent of Margaret Mahy's work, Shearer's book is not quite as wacky or frenetic. While the characters are not fully drawn, readers will enjoy the silliness of their dialogue as well as their unlikely experiences. This light read, paired with undistinguished pen-and-ink illustrations, could add an amusing touch to weather units.AMaggie McEwen, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, ME
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Unable to pay the bills simply forecasting weather, three young people decide to sell weather itself, 50 pence the sunbeam, with predictable results. Using magic tokens, the Summer sisters Melissa and Patriciaplus little brother Arthur, whom they dub an honorary sisteractually predict the weather with perfect accuracy, but since the pounds just aren't rolling in, the three turn to an overdue library book and dance up barrels full of rain clouds and sunny days to dispense. Disaster ensues, as first a vacation-ruining cloud gets in with the sunbeams, and then when Arthur accidentally snuffs out the sun. Supported by a cast of stock eccentrics and bemused parents, the sisters make a lively, contentious team, posing with disheveled grace in Kenyon's small, frequent black-and- white ink drawings. (Fiction. 10-12) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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