Title: Moonpenny Island
Author: Tricia Springstubb
Summary: It's the start of 6th grade and things aren't going very well. Flor's best and only friend Sylvie has gone away to a fancy academy on the main land - off the tiny island that Sylvie and Flor have known forever. To make matters worse, Flor's parents are fighting more and more often and something strange is going on with her older sister Cecilia. When it seems like things are getting too much to bear, Flor meets a girl, Jasper, who is visiting the island with her scientist father to search for trilobites and other fossils. Jasper is very factual and a somewhat hard person; she is difficult to get to know. Jasper is more complex than what meets the eye, and slowly, the two girls become closer as situations on the island begin to slowly get solved.
Comments: This book was pretty good. The island reminded me of Rock Hall, MD, a place where I greatly enjoy spending my summers. It was a small island town and I could relate to it in a way. I liked the conflict in the book and I can't really complain about the story. It was pretty unique, I suppose. I just felt that the amazing setting deserved to have an exciting summertime mystery or something - rather than a school story about a dwindling friendship. I would've enjoyed learning more about the island, so maybe Ms. Springstubb will consider making this into a series of sorts - I'd love to see Jasper come back to the island while Sylvie is there. I wanted so badly to see one last face-to-face interaction with Sylvie before the book ended. While there was closure, I didn't feel like there was enough of it, but perhaps that will leave an opening for more books from Moonpenny Island.
Overall, it seems pretty appropriate for anyone ages 8+. Cecilia the older sister is suspected of doing something wrong and there are a few words in there that really could've been left out ("sexy" for example).
I would love to see a series called "Tales of Moonpenny" or something similar!
Rating: 5 stars
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