The Islanders (Islanders #1)

Gr 3-6--Jake Potter, a military kid, finds himself stuck for the summer on a remote South Carolina island with his grandmother. His dad has been injured in the field, and his mom needs to go and care for him. With the injury to worry about and no phone, internet, or video games, Jake slowly begins to explore the island and make friends with two other 11-year-olds. At first depressed, his grandmother begins to perk up as Jake makes discoveries. Jake, who is white, and his friends Lovie, who is also white, and Macon, who is Black, find a loggerhead turtle nest on the beach and work to protect it. Monroe and May's middle grade debut is a thoroughly wholesome adventure, but younger readers may enjoy this story more than middle schoolers. The descriptions of the island's wildlife are vibrant, and young animal lovers will be delighted at the information about turtles and other animals. Otherwise, the plot unfolds quite slowly, without many points of conflict or the character development that would give the book emotional resonance. VERDICT A good purchase for elementary collections where there are budding naturalists. A secondary purchase otherwise.--Kate Fleming, Hosford M.S., Portland, OR

In collaboration with journalist May, adult author Monroe makes her middle grade debut with this comforting beach read about the healing power of friendship and nature. When Jake's military officer father is wounded in Afghanistan, necessitating a visit from Jake's Air Force lieutenant colonel mother, the 11-year-old must visit his enterprising grandmother Honey on Dewees Island, S.C., the lush nature preserve where she lives. He dreads a summer without technology and his New Jersey friends, but meeting a fellow summer kid, fact lover Macon, and local island expert Lovie, a skilled boater, helps Jake engage with the island's "Huck Finn life." Discovering his father's naturalist journals, Jake nurtures an ecological interest of his own that escalates when the three friends must serve community service on dawn turtle patrol after appropriating a boat they thought abandoned. The narrative handles weighty issues considerately, including Lovie's feelings about her biological father and how the boat incident affects Macon, who is Black, more than his cued-white friends. If the fact that each friend harbors a secret feels a bit tidy, the small-town community instills a strong sense of place, and the trio's chemistry holds promise for future installments. Includes resources about the island and its wildlife. Ages 8-12. (June)