Name: The Islanders
ISBN: 9781534427273

Mary Alice Monroe

Spending the summer with his grandmother on South Carolina's Dewees Island, eleven-year-old Jake finds two friends who are also struggling with family issues and together they try to save a sea turtle nest from predators.

The Islanders

Ana V. 

This is the type of Middle-grade book that I reread each Summer. It just has the right mood for those who are learning about friendship, and the world around them, or for those who remember spending the Summer outside in nature at the beach with friends. 

It's so rich in adventures that we connect with the experience of Jake moving to this island against his will and learning to love it. There's so much to do when it comes to respecting nature and having friends to discover more.

It made me want to keep a sketchbook and draw outside again. The author adds a lot of detail to the chapters making them little lessons. My favorite was the one where Jake compared his drawing notes of birds he saw during the day to the ones in his grandmother's books to learn more about them. 

Alongside the story of the three friends looking out for their island and animals, there's the emotional story of their relationship with their families. 

I like the style of the author and am now curious about her other works.