by Laurel Snyder
Amazon rating: 4.1/5.0, Grade 3-7
Good Reads: 3.67/5
Common Sense Media: 4/5, ages 10+
4Rbooks: 2/6, Grades 6-8
Synopsis:
Nine children live alone on an island, each of them a year apart in age, 3-11. Once a year, a new child shows up in a boat from across the sea. The oldest child then gets in the boat and sails away. The next oldest is responsible for the coming year to train the newest child in the ways of the island.
There are two parts to this story. Jinny is the new leader and struggling with the loss of Deen, her friend and the latest child to leave the island. It is her duty to train and take care the newest child, Ess. They spend the next year living together, getting to know each other, working with the other children, and learning the rules of the island.
A year later, when it comes to be her turn to leave, Jinny must decide whether to follow protocol or stay on the island where she is comfortable.
Parental Guidance: Medium High
This is truly a strange book based on a strange and disturbing premise.
Children learning to live together and survive alone is not a new theme in literature, but this plot is disheartening. Nobody knows why they are there. Nobody remembers where they come from. Nobody knows why they were sent there. Nobody knows where they are going when it is their time to leave. They have literally been exiled to this island for no apparent reason when they were three years old. Apparently, the island has been there for a long time since Deen is leaving at 11, has been there since he was 3, and remembers when he first arrived.
This book also has one of the more awkward scenes in a children’s book, at least when thinking about reading it aloud, especially as a male teacher. There is a detailed description of Jinny starting to menstruate for the first time. It is a poignant scene because she is not prepared and has no one there to explain what is happening.
As a teacher, I would never read this in a co-ed class, not because I think there is something wrong with both boys and girls knowing about menstruation, (I taught it many times in growth and development class) but I would think the girls would be extremely embarrassed by the description in front of their male peers. Also, many boys wouldn't understand what I was reading (some girls, too) and I couldn't provide the appropriate information without parent permission.
Since my district didn't teach growth and development lessons until the end of 5th and 6th grades, I wouldn't have had this in my class or school library.
Recommendation: Low
Without the concerns regarding the premise, the story is interesting, and it’s fascinating to imagine the life of these children on the island, and the way they have learned to live with the environment and survive with no help except each other. The imagery is beautiful, but the pacing is slow.
I can’t imagine many boys finding this book interesting. I can see a 6-8th grade girl relating to the story, especially if they have had to be responsible for younger siblings, but I would recommend a parent reading it first. A woman teacher might be able to use this with a middle school girl’s reading group. I would imagine many girls being uncomfortable with the subject matter and reading it with a male teacher.
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