wp-1623179813996.jpgWelcome to my stop on the The Islanders blog tour sponsored by Suzy Approved Book Tours! Thank you to Suzy for the invitation!

About the Book:

From New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes a beautiful story of friendship, loss, and the healing power of nature in her first book for middle grade readers.

Eleven-year-old Jake’s life has just turned upside-down. His father was wounded in Afghanistan, and his mother is going to leave to care for him. That means Jake’s spending the summer on tiny Dewees Island with his grandmother. The island is a nature sanctuary—no cars or paved roads, no stores or restaurants. To make matters worse, Jake’s grandmother doesn’t believe in cable or the internet. Which means Jake has no cell phone, no video games…and no friends. This is going to be the worst summer ever!

He’s barely on the island before he befriends two other kids—Macon, another “summer kid,” and Lovie, know-it-all who lives there and shows both Jake and Macon the ropes of life on the island. All three are struggling with their own family issues and they quickly bond, going on adventures all over Dewees Island. Until one misadventure on an abandoned boat leads to community service. Their punishment? Mandatory duty on the Island Turtle Team. The kids must do a daily dawn patrol of the beach on the hunt for loggerhead sea turtle tracks. When a turtle nest is threatened by coyotes, the three friends must find a way to protect it. Can they save the turtle nest from predators? Can Jake’s growing love for the island and its inhabitants (be they two-legged, four-legged, feathered, or finned) help to heal his father?

My Thoughts:

Mary Alice Monroe’s first book for middle graders? Sign me up! 

Isn’t this cover adorable? I’ll give you some quick thoughts on this sweet book.

Jake’s life has been challenging lately. His father has been wounded in Afghanistan, and his mom needs to leave to take care of him. Jake will spend summer with his grandmother. She lives on a remote, quiet island.

Jake makes friends quickly that summer. They travel all over the island with their adventures. When they get into a little trouble, their community service is working on the turtle team, looking for turtle tracks on the beach. Jake truly grows to love this island and his friends.

This book reminded me a little of the four years I lived on an island with my family. It had a few restaurants and commercial things to do were within driving distance, but my brother and I explored our backyard (the Bogue Sound) and its marshes, learned about wildlife, hunted for shells, and had the time of our lives being outside every day, especially during the summer.

This is such a great book for middle graders and their parents. It’s full of heart, friendship, and island adventures.

I received a gifted copy.

Have you read The Islanders, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR