Fiona, Marlin, Natasha and Charlie McCready are orphaned after a tsunami claims the lives of their missionary parents. A fellow missionary worker Mrs. Weatherspoon is temporarily appointed their guardian while she tries to find a home for the girls. After some time a great aunt who lives on a farm in British Columbia volunteers to take the girls in.
While travelling from Borneo the sisters great aunt passes away.
The McCready sisters don’t find out about Aunt Martha until they arrive at her house on Pine Island.
Fiona the eldest is desperate to keep her family together comes up with a plan. She enlists the help of the Al the cranky neighbour next door. He reluctantly agrees to pretend to be their guardian in exchange for supper brought to him on a daily basis. Fiona being the oldest takes on much of the household responsibilities like shopping paying bills and dealing with the estate lawyer. Her biggest worry is Child Services finding out they don’t have a legal guardian.
I love any of Polly Horvath’s books that I have read. Now I can add PINE ISLAND HOME to the list.
The writing is wonderful. The characters are engaging. I think this is the best middle grade book I have read this year.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read an advanced ebook of PINE ISLAND HOME.

I really wanted to like this book, especially with the comparison to the Penderwicks, but I was disappointed in the support the kids received from the adults that knew their secret. It was a bit too far-fetched for me, so it's not a book I will be recommending.

I received an e-galley from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to first start off with saying that I had actually (wrongly) assumed that this was a picture book, based on the cover of the book. I’m not entirely sure why but I was wrong and it’s actually a middle grade novel. But either way, it was a story that I quite enjoyed. Pine Island Home is about four sister who just found out that their parents have tragically died in a tsunami and are now hoping that one of their relatives will take them in. Finally their great grand aunt steps up to the task and the girls are sent to British Columbia, only to find out that this great grand aunt passed away just a few days before their arrival. Not wanting to be torn apart by social services, the girls come up with a plan that will allow them to stay together. The girls meet reluctant and new friends along the way as they navigate their new uncertain lives.

This was an interesting read for sure as I found myself so worried for these four sisters. I was also uplifted by their strength, resilience, and charm as they met their less-than-ideal circumstances with hope, optimism and determination.