Moonpenny Island [Paperback]

Readers of Kate DiCamillo and Sheila Turnage will loveMoonpenny Island, a middle grade novel of friendship and secrets by the beloved and acclaimed Tricia Springstubb.

Moonpenny is a tiny island in a great lake. When the summer people leave and the ferries stop running, just the tried-and-true islanders are left behind. Flor and her best, her perfect friend, Sylvie, are the only eleven-year-olds for miles and miles—and Flor couldn’t be happier. But come the end of summer, unthinkable things begin to happen. Sylvie is suddenly, mysteriously, whisked away to school on the mainland. Flor’s mother leaves to take care of Flor’s sick grandmother and doesn’t come back. Her big sister has a secret, and Flor fears it’s a dangerous one.

Meanwhile, a geologist and his peculiar daughter arrive to excavate prehistoric trilobites, one of the first creatures to develop sight. Soon Flor is helping them. As her own ability to see her life on this little lump of limestone evolves, she faces truths about those she loves—and about herself—she never imagined.

Tricia Springstubb has found just the right mix of intrigue, sorrow, and compassion&Not just for a young person, but for all of us.While exploring familiar themes of the unavoidable changes of adolescence, the novel weaves complex layers of fresh, relatable imagery and charming characterization across education levels, cultures, and generations, beautifully teaching that our shared humanity is one thing that doesnt change.Poetic and poignant, Springstubbs tale of friendship, loss, hope, and heartache is so fresh and honest it will resonate widely.In her inventive and big-hearted Moonpenny Island, Tricia Springstubb lovingly assures her readers that though change can be terrifying, we have the ability to adapt and even thrive-especially if we all stick together. Sparkling and singular, this book is a gem.Tricia Springstubb tells Flors story of shilc