![]() ![]() Knowing it is her friend Deen’s turn to leave, Jinny races to the beach to beg him to stay.ĭeen’s sense of duty is strong, and he ignores Jinny’s pleas. “Orphan Island” opens as the main character, Jinny, hears a bell announcing the arrival of that boat. The expectation, and the way it has always been done, is that the boat will leave this young child behind and, in exchange, will take the eldest of the group. Once a year, a mysterious, unpiloted green boat carrying a young child of 3 or 4 arrives on the island. Evenings are spent with the eldest of the children reading stories. Children spend their time collecting berries, learning to swim or read, and preparing meals. Wind gusts are strong enough to float on, wildlife is never harmful, and food is abundant. ![]() ![]() Laurel Snyder’s “Orphan Island” (2017) is a beautifully written middle-grade novel with nuanced characters and an initially engaging plot: Nine unrelated children live without adult supervision, and in harmony, on a magical island. ![]()
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