The Islanders
The Islanders by Mary Alice Monroe is a middle-grade novel published by Simon and Schuster on June 15, 2021. This 304-page book is written in English and tells the story of eleven-year-old Jake, whose life takes a dramatic turn when he spends the summer on Dewees Island with his grandmother while his mother cares for his injured father. Set in a nature sanctuary devoid of modern distractions, Jake initially struggles with the isolation but soon finds companionship with two other children, Macon and Lovie, as they navigate their own family challenges.
Readers will discover a narrative that intertwines themes of friendship, loss, and the healing power of nature. As Jake, Macon, and Lovie embark on various adventures, they are assigned community service on the Island Turtle Team, where they patrol the beach for loggerhead sea turtle tracks. The story unfolds as they confront the threat to a turtle nest from coyotes, prompting them to work together to protect it. This engaging tale explores the bond between the characters and their connection to the environment, making it a thoughtful read for young audiences interested in animals and social themes.
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An instant New York Times bestseller!
“Storytelling for young readers at its finest—equal parts summer adventure and environmental suspense…[a] love letter to family, friendship, and the natural world.” —Kwame Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of The Crossover
From New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes a beautiful story of friendship, loss, and the healing power of nature in her first book for middle grade readers.
Eleven-year-old Jake’s life has just turned upside-down. His father was wounded in Afghanistan, and his mother is going to leave to care for him. That means Jake’s spending the summer on tiny Dewees Island with his grandmother. The island is a nature sanctuary—no cars or paved roads, no stores or restaurants. To make matters worse, Jake’s grandmother doesn’t believe in cable or the internet. Which means Jake has no cell phone, no video games…and no friends. This is going to be the worst summer ever!
He’s barely on the island before he befriends two other kids—Macon, another “summer kid,” and Lovie, a know-it-all who lives there and shows both Jake and Macon the ropes of life on the island. All three are struggling with their own family issues and they quickly bond, going on adventures all over Dewees Island. Until one misadventure on an abandoned boat leads to community service. Their punishment? Mandatory duty on the Island Turtle Team. The kids must do a daily dawn patrol of the beach on the hunt for loggerhead sea turtle tracks. When a turtle nest is threatened by coyotes, the three friends must find a way to protect it. Can they save the turtle nest from predators? Can Jake’s growing love for the island and its inhabitants (be they two-legged, four-legged, feathered, or finned) help to heal his father?
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