38 Weeks Till Summer Vacation Author:Mona Kerby, Melodye Rosales (Illustrator) Why is summer vacation 14 weeks short and school 38 weeks long? Nora Jean is not sure she's ready for fourth grade. After all, being a fourth grader means more reading, more writing, more studying -- more of everything! But once she meets her new teacher, Mrs. Carter, Nora Jean is positive about one thing. School certainly won't be boring.