Reading Rumpus: Kyle's Island by Sally Derby

Kyle’s family is going through big changes. His grandmother has recently died and his father has left the family, but Kyle can still look forward to spending the summer fishing at his family’s summer cottage. Then, his mother explains that she’s going to have to sell the cottage. Kyle spends the summer letting go of his anger, coming-of-age and learning that things and people change.

Kyle's Island is filled with descriptive language and would make a decent read for teaching descriptive writing or examining mood or tone in writing style. It's an atmospheric story where the setting plays a large part.

However, the pace of Kyle's Island will be difficult for many young readers. It is mostly a character study of Kyle's coming-of-age. While Kyle is written in an authentically frustrated and tween-aged voice, the lack of any real plot development will additionally limit its readership. However, there's a nice boy, fishing, and growing up story in there for readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories.

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Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age: 5th - 8th grade interest level
Pages: 192
Themes: Family, Divorce, Interpersonal Relationships, Overcoming Anger
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Date: February 2010
ISB- 978-1580893169
Buy Kyle's Island HERE
Scroll down to the bottom left on the publisher's page to find a discussion & activity guide HERE.

Sally Derby wanted to "be" lots of things so she's a writer and gets to pretend to be all of them. You can read more on her website.

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Kyle's Island by Sally Derby - book review