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Bright Island

Bright Island
by Mabel L. Robinson
288 pages. Juvenile historical fiction.

Originally published: New York : Random House, c1937.
This edition: New York : Random House Books for Young Readers, 2012.

Thankful Curtis loves her life on Bright Island. She is happy to help her father on the farm and even happier sailing the sea like her grandfather before her. Thankful is devastated when her interfering yet well-intentioned sisters-in-law decide she needs some formal schooling on the mainland. She has an incredibly hard time fitting in with her classmates and teachers. She tries her best to adjust though her heart and thoughts are always on Bright Island. This delightful coming-of-age story won a Newbery honor in 1938 and is still a treasure to read today. The characters are fabulous and Thankful's world is a pleasant diversion.

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