The Islands of Elsewhere
by Heather Fawcett
Intermediate    Rocky Pond/Penguin    224 pp.
6/23    9780593530528    $17.99
e-book ed.  9780593530542    $10.99

The three Snolly sisters, their infant brother, and their mother are spending the summer at the coastal home of their grandfather, whose dementia is worsening. Artistic sister Hattie, science-y Bee, and costume-loving Plum explore the unusual community of Misty Cove, learn about a great-great-grandmother who was a Robin Hood-esque pirate during the Great Depression, and launch a plan to discover hidden pirate treasure. Their quest for the treasure takes them to the Fairy Islands, a group of tidal islands nearby, which—much to rational Bee’s chagrin—seem to have a touch of magic about them. Watching the sisters move from bickering to cooperation and back is a delight, and Fawcett (The Grace of Wild Things, rev. 5/23) has a knack for making even marine-life characters essential to the story, allowing the offbeat town to develop beyond its considerable quirkiness. Though the focus remains on the core adventure and the bonds of sisterhood, deeper topics (such as family feuds, housing inequality, and First Nations displacement) are naturally incorporated into the story line.

From the July/August 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.