What do You think about Baby Island (1993)?
My 8 year old niece and I have started a book club. The first book we read was Sarah, Plain and Tall. Review to come later. The book for August is Baby Island. This has a silly title, but don't let that fool you. It is a cute and adventurous story. It takes place in the pacific ocean where Jean and Mary 10 and 12 find themselves in charge of 4 little children after a shipwreck. Their life boat was let down before it should have been, without any adult on board. They hope to find an island so that they can find food and shelter, Jean starts to doubt that they ever will. After being questioned on her knowledge that they will run into an island Mary responds "because shipwrecked people always do, why, the public library at home is just full of books about shipwrecked people who landed on tropical islands. And did you ever see a book written by a person who was drowned at sea? I never did...You can't expect everything to happen at once. Why we just got wrecked last night. If Mr. Snodgrass said there were lots of little islands around here, there must be...I'm sure we're due at one of those islands right now. Of course, we might be a little late, like the Interurban cars used to be at home." I rather enjoyed this story. I appreciated the courage of these girls and how they said their prayers even though their parents were not around. I have to admit at one point in the story that tears started to form in my eyes. It has been a long time since a book has done that to me. This is a fabulous book for children ages 4-10. I am already excited about the discussions that I hope to have with my daughter when we read it.
—Esther May
Well, this was a delightfully nostalgic read, full of 1930s American slang and lots of young heroine chutzpah. Here is the basic premise: 2 brave sisters, Mary and Jean (ages 12 and 10, respectively) are shipwrecked on a deserted island, with four babies in tow. Yes, it may be a simple plotline, but it makes for an entertaining story! Although this was written in the 1930s, it still appeals to young readers today. I read this book with four 4th and 5th grade girls, who selected it themselves as our first intramural book club pick. They all really enjoyed it, though we did all agree that it felt too old-fashioned at times and was a bit hard to relate to because of this. And I have to admit, I think this is more of a girl book than a boy book...that's not to say that boys might not enjoy the story, but I don't think they'd pick it out to read, as the protagonists are females and their main dilemma is how to care for four babies. Brink, also the author of Caddie Woodlawn, fills her pages with rich vocabulary and description, so this really is quality children's literature. All in all, this one is well-worth a read and was a nice selection for an upper elementary book club. I would recommend it for children (girls especially) ages 8 and up.
—Caitlin
