The Summer I Turned Pretty

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“From the Page to Screen: Adapting The Summer I Turned Pretty”

In this activity, students will analyze mood and tone in a scene from the novel, adapt the scene as an original screenplay, and coach the scene in video production with peers.  

The Summer I Turned Pretty was published by Simon & Schuster in 2009; in 2022, it was released as a film adaptation under the same name.

Choose a scene from the novel to adapt into a screenplay with the purpose of filming the scene in a way that highlights the intended tone and mood.

• Choose a scene in which the tone of the writing and dialogue evoke a clear mood and atmosphere. Take notes on the mood and the ways in which it is communicated: description, internal monologue, pauses and expression in dialogue, actions.
• Review resources to model in writing a screenplay version of the scene. How do the lines of dialogue appear on the page? Note spacing, format, and stage directions.
• Adapt your scene to screenplay form, taking care to carry over the tone of the novel.
• Work with a group of peers who will play the roles of the characters. Film their performance of the scene, coaching them to express lines and actions in ways that communicate the mood.
• Use video editing if possible to create a finished product with music, voiceover, or other features.
• Play back the filmed scene and discuss with group members the ways in which the mood of the scene represents accurately the tone the author intended to convey.  

After viewing scenes from peers, comment in your notes or a reading journal on the different ways in which the core themes of the book were also represented.

Teaching Suggestion: The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate, in a tangible and concrete way, how the tone and mood of a work of fiction can be communicated in a different media. As further context for this discussion, students might find resources such as MasterClass’s “Tips for Screenwriters” helpful.

• If appropriate for the group, students may want to see the trailer for the adaptation of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and other clips online. Students might take notes as they watch: How is Belly portrayed? In what ways do characters or tone not align with the book?
• Using this t-chart template by Smekens Education, students might analyze their own screenplay or that of another screenwriter.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The ocean and tide appear frequently throughout The Summer I Turned Pretty.

• How does the author use the ocean and the tide as symbols throughout the novel? (topic sentence)
• How does the symbolism of the ocean and the tide connect to Belly’s relationship to Conrad or to her other relationships? Analyze and discuss at least 3 examples of these connections in support of your topic sentence.
• In your conclusion, summarize how water is connected to The Inevitability of Change.

2. Belly’s mother is a key figure throughout the novel.  

• What does Belly learn from the struggle in her relationship with her mother? (topic sentence)
• Analyze and discuss key scenes in which the conflict between Belly and her mother is evident. What evidence suggests that their relationship has changed or will change after the summer?
• In your conclusion, evaluate the extent to which this subplot impacts Belly’s own grappling with The Challenges of Growing Up.

3. For most of the novel, Susannah elects to hide her illness from the teens.

• When the news becomes known, which member of the Cousins Beach household seems to be most affected? (topic sentence)
• Citing evidence in the text for each member, how do Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah all deal with her illness differently? What evidence exists to support your topic sentence choice?
• In your conclusion, explain the message that is conveyed through Susannah’s attempts to shield the teens from the truth.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. The novel includes several chapters that are flashbacks, in which Belly recalls pivotal moments from her childhood. What effect does this flashback structure have as the story unfolds? How do these flashbacks inform the way the viewer sees the dynamics between Belly and the Fisher brothers? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, analyze and discuss the ways that the flashbacks help the reader better understand the current summer. In your essay, connect these flashbacks to the theme of The Challenges of Growing Up.

2. Cam is a disruption in the love triangle that arises among Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad. How is the character of Cam connected to the book’s overall messaging? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, explore the reasons why Belly’s relationship with Cam is important to the story, even though she chooses to end this relationship.

3. The Summer I Turned Pretty is a coming-of-age story with a romantic twist. How does Belly grow up throughout the summer, especially as her growth pertains to romantic love? What life lessons and love lessons does she learn? What implications are there for how she will live her life moving forward? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, discuss the connection between the novel’s romantic conflicts and Belly’s overall character arc. Use details and quotes from the novel to support your ideas and rationale.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. When it comes to food, for what is Susannah most known?

A) Being a picky eater

B) Having a nut allergy

C) Always being on a diet

D)  Refusing to eat desserts

2. Of Steven, Conrad, Jeremiah, and Belly, who is typically the default leader of the group?

A) Conrad

B) Jeremiah

C) Belly

D) Steven

3. What is the irony about the Fisher family home?

A) Despite the home’s beauty, it is a nightmare of repairs.

B) Despite precautions for safety, accidents keep happening in the home.

C) Despite their preference for privacy, people often arrive uninvited. 

D) Despite their great wealth, the house interior is cozy and unpretentious.

4. When Belly is unable to fall asleep at the beach house, what activity does she pursue to become tired?

A) Walks up and down the beach

B) Swims laps in the pool

C) Eats a midnight snack

D) Organizes her seashell collection

5. Which character causes everyone to stand up “a little straighter” when they come to Cousins Beach? (Chapters 12-13)

A) Mr. Fisher

B) Susannah

C) Laurel

D) Conrad

6. Which statement best characterizes the difference between Belly’s and Conrad’s attitudes about their fathers?

A) Conrad feels terrified of his father; Belly is unafraid of hers.

B) Conrad is close with his father; Belly is not close with hers.

C) Conrad is angry at his father; Belly could never feel anger toward hers.

D) Conrad idolizes his father; Belly feels more neutral about hers.

7. Who was Belly’s first kiss?

A) Conrad

B) Cam

C) Jeremiah

D) Sam

8. Which moment is the clearest indicator that Belly is considered one of the older kids?

A) When Clay invites her to the Fourth of July bonfire

B) When Belly is offered a beer by Conrad

C) When Belly is able to swim without her mother’s supervision

D) When Jeremiah tells Belly that she is invited into the treehouse

9. What is the correct order of events?

A) Belly secures an invitation to the infamous 4th of July bonfire; Belly’s brother leaves for a college tour; Belly and Jeremiah go to the movies together alone.

B) Belly and Jeremiah go to the movies together alone; Belly’s brother leaves for a college tour; Belly secures an invitation to the infamous 4th of July bonfire.

C) Belly and Jeremiah go to the movies together alone; Belly secures an invitation to the infamous 4th of July bonfire; Belly’s brother leaves for a college tour.

D) Belly’s brother leaves for a college tour; Belly and Jeremiah go to the movies together alone; Belly secures an invitation to the infamous 4th of July bonfire.

10. Which of the following best describes how Belly feels when she receives a silver charm bracelet from Susannah?

A) Elated

B) Guilty

C) Suspicious

D) Free

11. What dark truth about his father does Jeremiah admit when Belly is 12? 

A) That his father liked Conrad better than him

B) That his father was being unfaithful to their mother

C) That his father was stealing from the neighbors

D) That his father’s business was a front for criminal activity

12. What inspired Belly to confront Conrad about her feelings?

A) Belly had just watched a romantic comedy that inspired her.

B) Jeremiah had just admitted his feelings to Belly.

C) Steven had found their parents’ old love letters.

D) Jeremiah had a difficult argument with Taylor.

13. Which pivotal moment in the development of Belly’s love for Conrad comes from an incident having to do with the ocean?

A) Conrad surprises Belly with a picnic on the beach where they eat PB&Js.

B) Conrad takes Belly snorkeling, and they saw a bright yellow fish.

C) Conrad saves Belly from the current and brings her back to land.

D) Conrad and Belly take a romantic sunset beach walk.

14. Belly’s not feeling pretty is primarily connected to what motif in the novel?

A) Accepting one’s flaws

B) Vulnerability

C) Belonging and fitting in

D) Generational trauma

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How does Susannah encourage Belly to embrace maturation?

2. What is the status of Belly’s relationship with Conrad in the final chapter? What overall effect does this have on the book’s conclusion?