Review: Kyle's Island

Title:  Kyle's Island
Author:  Sally Derby
ARC Provided by:  Charlesbridge Publishing
Publishing date:  February 2010

About the book:  For as far back as Kyle can remember, he spent summers at Gram's cottage on the lake--fishing all day, and hanging out with the whole family. But this year is different. His father has moved out, his grandmother has died, and his mother is selling the cottage because they can't afford the upkeep.

My Review:  I really enjoyed this one!  Sally is an author that I was familiar with, through her children's book, No Mush Today, which I have read and reviewed.   When I saw that she was releasing a middle grade book, I wanted to read it. 

This is a great book for middle graders and even young teens.  One thing I liked is that it had a strong male main character.  Kyle knows what he wants and he will do whatever it takes to get it.  Kids today could learn a lot from Kyle.  He goes through his parents' separation with the same feelings that many kids have.  He feels he has already lost his father, and now he is about to lose one of the other constants in his life, that he loves dearly; the cottage at the lake.  But, through the story, he learns a much greater lesson.  He makes a new friend that he never would have thought about and learns to forgive and go on even though life isn't happening the way he wants it to.  There are just so many lessons in this book, for young kids to learn from!

Sally Derby does a great job not only telling Kyle's story, but delivering a middle grade novel that boys and girls alike will enjoy!  The male point of view is not prevalent in a lot of stories today, so it was refreshing to read.  Positive values and lessons in a realistic fiction story, make this a must read for tweens and an excellent addition to a school library.

Charlesbridge Publishing has a Discussion and Activity Guide to accompany Kyle's Island.  What a great tool to use in the classroom!