Moonpenny Island [9780062112941]

Overview

Readers of Kate DiCamillo and Sheila Turnage will love Moonpenny Island, a middle grade novel of friendship and secrets by the beloved and acclaimed Tricia Springstubb.

Moonpenny is a tiny island in a great lake. When the summer people leave and the ferries stop running, just the tried-and-true islanders are left behind. Flor and her best, her perfect friend, Sylvie, are the only eleven-year-olds for miles and miles—and Flor couldn’t be happier. But come the end of summer, unthinkable things begin to happen. Sylvie is suddenly, mysteriously, whisked away to school on the mainland. Flor’s mother leaves to take care of Flor’s sick grandmother and doesn’t come back. Her big sister has a secret, and Flor fears it’s a dangerous one.

Meanwhile, a geologist and his peculiar daughter arrive to excavate prehistoric trilobites, one of the first creatures to develop sight. Soon Flor is helping them. As her own ability to see her life on this little lump of limestone evolves, she faces truths about those she loves—and about herself—she never imagined.

How do you find your way when your whole world falls apart?

• An Unbreakable Friendship: Flor and Sylvie are the only eleven-year-olds on Moonpenny Island. When Sylvie is suddenly sent away, Flor must figure out who she is without her perfect friend by her side.
• Deep Family Secrets: With her mother gone and her big sister Cecilia hiding something dangerous, Flor feels more alone than ever. She soon discovers that even the people you love most have parts you’ve never seen.
• A Unique Island Setting: A tiny, isolated island in a great lake, where the ferries stop for the winter and a handful of families are left with the quiet, the beauty, and each other’s secrets.
• An Unlikely New Friend: When a geologist and his peculiar daughter arrive to hunt for trilobite fossils, Flor finds a surprising connection that helps her see her own world in a new light.