The Islanders, Mary Alice Monroe
The Islanders, Mary Alice Monroe
1 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Islanders

Author: Mary Alice Monroe, Angela May

Narrator: Michael Crouch

Unabridged: 7 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/15/2021


Synopsis

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?

About Mary Alice Monroe

Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-seven books, including the bestselling The Beach House series. Monroe also writes children’s picture books, and a middle grade fiction series called The Islanders. She is a member of the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame, and her books have received numerous awards, including the South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing; the South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence; the SW Florida Author of Distinction Award; the RT Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Book Award for Green Fiction; the Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award; and her novel, A Lowcountry Christmas, won the prestigious Southern Prize for Fiction. The Beach House is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie MacDowell. Several of her novels have been optioned for film. She is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. Monroe is also an active conservationist and serves on several boards. She lives on the South Carolina coast, which is a source of inspiration for many of her books. 

About Angela May

Angela May is the founder of May Media and PR and a former award-winning television news journalist who helps promote great books and share important community stories as a media specialist. She has been working with Mary Alice Monroe for more than a decade. The Islanders series are their first books together! Angela’s husband is a middle school assistant principal. They have two children and live in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Connect with her at AngelaMayBooks.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader on June 20, 2021

Mary Alice Monroe’s first book for middle graders? Sign me up! Isn’t this cover adorable? I’ll give you some quick thoughts on this sweet book. Jake’s life has been challenging lately. His father has been wounded in Afghanistan, and his mom needs to leave to take care of him. Jake will spend summer w......more

Goodreads review by Susan's Reviews on June 08, 2021

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This is a sweet story about three eleven year olds who spend the summer together: no wifi, no video games: completely off the grid! I realize that there are several books in this series. This is......more

The Islanders was written by authors Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May. It was a diversion from Mary Alice Monroe usual beach reads. This time she targeted younger readers. It was meant to be read by middle school age children, but in my opinion, anyone at any age would enjoy this heartfelt book. The......more

Goodreads review by Linda on June 08, 2021

As a retired teacher (and always a teacher at heart) I love everything about “The Islanders” by Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May. This is a book that is written for middle-grade children, and yet I think it is a book for all ages. The author/s vividly describes the perfect environment for learning a......more

Goodreads review by Dallas on June 19, 2021

Mary Alice Monroe's debut novel for middle grade readers (ages 8-12 is the targeted demo) is absolutely an enjoyable novel for the whole family; readers of MAM's beloved Beach House series will enjoy the appearance of "Little Lovie" from Swimming Lessons, the second book in that series. This sweet n......more