yapha's review against another edition
4.0
Flor loves living on Moonpenny Island, a tiny island in one of the Great Lakes, especially after the summer people leave. She has her best friend, her family, and the regulars that she can count on year after year. But at the end of the summer before sixth grade, everything starts to change. Her parents are fighting more and more every day. Her older sister, Cecelia, is acting secretive and sneaky in ways that she never has before. Worst of all, her best friend (and only other 11-year-old on the island) Sylvie is sent to the mainland for school. How could so many things possibly change at once? Just when it seems that things can't get any worse, Flor meets Jasper, who is on the island with her scientist father. With Jasper's help, Flor learns to see the island around her through new eyes, and to look at life from other people's perspective as well. A heart-warming story of growing up. Recommended for grades 4-7.
grayxen's review against another edition
4.0
i love her writing style. it's very real and soothing in a way, even though the truth is hard to swallow sometimes. she describes things extremely well without trying too hard or adding fluff. and the story wasn't bad either :)
katied_724's review against another edition
4.0
This book was full of adventure! I loved reading about all of Flor's Adventures!
jennybeastie's review against another edition
3.0
Good growing up book, and good island life book. All kinds of friendships and family dynamics happening. All kinds of acceptance and secrets to navigate. Delightful.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
couillac's review against another edition
4.0
My favorite read of 2015 so far. Springstubb's characters will linger with you long after you have finished this engaging title.
Middle grade fiction is full of charming, quirky communities, but Moonpenny Island balances the unique character of a small town on an island with a richly authentic emotional experience to which many young readers will relate. The quirk is never overdone, and the characters are so much more than caricatures. From Flor's parents, struggling to connect with each other and their growing children, to Flor's best friend Sylvie, who takes on the challenge of a new school away from the island while worrying about the family she's left behind, the secondary characters have depth and provide layers of interest for young readers. And Flor, caught between siblings and parents and friends new and old, will tug at your heartstrings. On the cusp of adolescence, she struggles with new responsibilities and very grown-up concerns, and finds it harder to retreat into her childhood games of imagination. But there are also plenty of moments of joy as Flor makes surprising new friends, connects with a teacher she once dreaded, and watches her small town, and her family, evolve.
With just the right number of unanswered questions to keep readers engaged, and themes of observation, understanding, secrets, and growing up, this is a great option for a broad range of young readers.
Middle grade fiction is full of charming, quirky communities, but Moonpenny Island balances the unique character of a small town on an island with a richly authentic emotional experience to which many young readers will relate. The quirk is never overdone, and the characters are so much more than caricatures. From Flor's parents, struggling to connect with each other and their growing children, to Flor's best friend Sylvie, who takes on the challenge of a new school away from the island while worrying about the family she's left behind, the secondary characters have depth and provide layers of interest for young readers. And Flor, caught between siblings and parents and friends new and old, will tug at your heartstrings. On the cusp of adolescence, she struggles with new responsibilities and very grown-up concerns, and finds it harder to retreat into her childhood games of imagination. But there are also plenty of moments of joy as Flor makes surprising new friends, connects with a teacher she once dreaded, and watches her small town, and her family, evolve.
With just the right number of unanswered questions to keep readers engaged, and themes of observation, understanding, secrets, and growing up, this is a great option for a broad range of young readers.
jillcd's review against another edition
5.0
The word choice in the book reminds me of the classics. I loved the small town setting with its real-life dilemmas and the character Flor was so well rounded and realistic, I could feel her pain. Beautiful book.
hezann73's review against another edition
4.0
Started off a little slow and I had trouble with the narration style at first. However, after a couple of chapters I was able to sink into this quiet story of friendship and family. Good for 4th-5th grade.
pussreboots's review against another edition
4.0
http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2015/comments_12/moonpenny_island.html
jayce's review against another edition
2.0
Originally posted here at In the Senter of it All
I decided to move to Moonpenny Island in the first chapter. It’s a sweet little island that seems perfect. And then reality sets in.
This book is all about how hard life can be. It’s a good book, but not one that you want to rush back into.
Genre: Realistic
AR level: 4.2
Grade appropriate: 4th and up
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 2/5
Creativity: 2/5-- Life on the island made this story different from others like it. But it’s very much like other stories about tough life events.
Characters: 4/5-- very real, not always perfect, not always likeable, but very real.
Engrossing: 2/5-- This was not an easy book for me to finish. I loved it at first, but after a while there are just too many things going wrong. It was not a place I wanted to go if I had the choice of what to read.
Writing: 4/5
Appeal to kids: 2/5-- I think it’ll be a hard sell…
Appropriate length to tell the story: 4/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: none
Violence: mild-- Sylvie accidentally gets pushed down the stairs when her dad and brother are fighting.
Drugs/Alcohol: mild-- Sylvie’s mother has a drinking problem.
I decided to move to Moonpenny Island in the first chapter. It’s a sweet little island that seems perfect. And then reality sets in.
This book is all about how hard life can be. It’s a good book, but not one that you want to rush back into.
Genre: Realistic
AR level: 4.2
Grade appropriate: 4th and up
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 2/5
Creativity: 2/5-- Life on the island made this story different from others like it. But it’s very much like other stories about tough life events.
Characters: 4/5-- very real, not always perfect, not always likeable, but very real.
Engrossing: 2/5-- This was not an easy book for me to finish. I loved it at first, but after a while there are just too many things going wrong. It was not a place I wanted to go if I had the choice of what to read.
Writing: 4/5
Appeal to kids: 2/5-- I think it’ll be a hard sell…
Appropriate length to tell the story: 4/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: none
Violence: mild-- Sylvie accidentally gets pushed down the stairs when her dad and brother are fighting.
Drugs/Alcohol: mild-- Sylvie’s mother has a drinking problem.