Kyle's Island

January 11, 2010
Picture-book writer Derby (No Mush Today
) sets her first novel in a quieter time, placing it on the gentler end of the middle-grade spectrum. Kyle, a solid, loving, and responsible (nearly) 13-year-old in the 1970s, lives for his summers by the lake in upstate Michigan, where his family converges on his grandmother’s tiny cottage and spends lazy days fishing, swimming, reading, and sketching. But now his grandmother has died, his father has moved out, and his mother has decided they cannot afford to keep the cottage. Furious with his father for leaving them, Kyle nevertheless strives to be a good big brother to seven-year-old Josh and to get along with his sisters. Kyle’s love of rowing and fishing pervades the novel; calm scenes on the water offset his emotional turmoil. When an obese older neighbor employs him to take him fishing every morning, Kyle realizes he may be able to earn the money to keep the cottage. Kyle and his siblings often seem unnaturally mature and empathetic, but overall Derby creates a realistic rendition of family life, with a smattering of adventure, in this tender coming-of-age story. Ages 10–13.

January 1, 2010
Gr 5-8-Kyle's father left his family in February to "think things out." Now it's summer, and the 12-year-old and his mother and siblings are staying at their cabin by a Michigan lake, on an island that Kyle plans to explore. It's just like always, except that this visit will be their last. With her husband gone, Kyle's mother is forced to put the cabin, which has been in her family for years, on the market. The boy is devastated. This year is also different in that Kyle's sisters are keeping secrets from him, and they develop a great interest in the boys who live nearby. As the summer slips away, Kyle spends most of his time fishing either alone or with his elderly neighbor, who teaches him not to take people at face value. His worst fears are realized when the cabin is sold. This story moves slowly and is primarily a study of the protagonist's personal development. His feelings of rejection and anger ring true for someone his age, and he eventually begins to look at a situation from more than one angle. The other characters are one-dimensional and remain in the background. Additional."Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2009
Grades 5-8 When Kyle and his family return to their beloved lake cottage in Michigan, his mother drops the bomb that this will be their last summer there. Newly divorced, she feels forced to sell the property to make ends meet. A veteran fisherman at age 13, and very much tuned into lake life and natures simple pleasures, Kyle rages at the prospect and boils inwardly at his father for causing the familys upheaval. Stung by loss, and out of sorts with this unwelcome transition in his life, Kyle trudges through the days of what was supposed to be a great summer. He also makes a quest out of exploring an uninhabited island in the lake. When he connects with a somewhat mysterious neighbor and takes him on fishing excursions, Kyle learns more about the island and begins to feel empathy for other peoples stories. A sensitive coming-of-age tale that does not tie up ends too neatly.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
Kyle's mother is forced to sell their lake house after his grandmother dies and his father leaves. During his family's final trip to the lake, Kyle's friendship with a taciturn elderly neighbor helps him get over his anger and develop an appreciation for life's uncertainties. Despite a narrative voice that doesn't always ring true, this gentle coming-of-age story is enjoyable.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)