In Elizabeth’ Atkinson’s THE ISLAND OF BEYOND the reader
learns immediately how big a disappointment
11-year old Martin is to his father.
So much so that Dad has decided to send Martin off for a month of his
summer vacation to visit his, never met before, great-aunt Lenore who lives on a tiny island
in the middle of a remote lake in Maine to do some “boy stuff” and toughen him
up. To say that Martin hates everything
about the island and the creepy house would be an understatement. There is no
cell reception, no video games and no food he likes. Lacking self- confidence
Martin is afraid of everything he encounters, the creaks the house makes, the
rustling of the bushes, his great-aunt and most of all the lake. Eventually he
meets Solo, a wild child who appears to do as he pleases with no parental
supervision. Warned by the aunt’s caregiver to stay away from this boy, Martin
admires his new friend’s abilities and is drawn to him even though there are
trust issues. Solo does become his guide though and encourages him to try new
things which Martin does hesitantly.
For Martin, this becomes a summer of meeting challenges and
self-discovery. Things on the island are not always as they seem, neither is
the reason for his being sent to the island. This title is part adventure, a
little mystery and a coming of age story all in one. Gary Paulsen’s fans will
find much to like here.
For grades 5-8
No comments:
Post a Comment