A beautiful novel about art, expression, grief, and a bird that is absolutely not a seagull. Slow and lyrical, this feels like a classical historical fiction MG novel

In need of a change after the death of their father/husband, Lucretia and her mother make a move to Candle Island, off the coast of Maine. They find themselves in a unique position, not summer residents, but also not accepted as a year-round resident yet. Lucretia is an animal lover and adopts an osprey while also caring for the family's horse. As the story unfolds, she becomes acquainted with a local boy her age, Bastian, and tries to understand and establish a relationship with the grieving Murdock. A wonderful story of one family trying to find their home on a tight knit island community.

I received an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

This was a fantastic read. The characters are fairly well developed, make mistakes, and deal with issues that a lot of young readers will likely find relatable. There is realistic depictions of grief coupled with supportive friends and animals. My biggest issue is that some of the characters seem a little too mature for their age, and that all of these children are just gifted in various artistic forms to the point where they seem better than most adults who have been training and studying for years. I found that to be weird, but I'm not sure the intended audience would! Ultimately, I can't wait to pick this up upon release and show it to my students for First Chapter Friday!

In the aftermath of her father’s unexpected passing, Lucretia Sanderson and her mother have moved their lives to the small community of Candle Island in order to find some comfort and clarity. Unbeknownst to them, the house into which they have moved has a deep and complicated history, and Lucretia and her mother are unwittingly trampling on the feelings of some long-time island residents. With time, patience, and empathy, however, Lucretia discovers ways to fit in with the other youth on the island, and their shared interactions and adventures help to heal the wounds that only time can mend. This lovely middle grade novel is a beautiful depiction of one girl’s journey through grief. Told from Lucretia’s perspective in the first person, the narrative offers readers the opportunity to observe Lucretia’s thoughts and feelings in a memorable and tangible way. Lucretia herself is filled with empathy and kindness, letting negative feelings flow off of her as she works to mend the broken things in her vicinity. Short chapters help to make this book accessible to a wide range of readers, and the narrative itself is filled with beautiful imagery and descriptions that lend the book a soothing quality. Though slow moving at times, this novel is a heartfelt story that supports readers through transitions of many kinds. It is a positive addition to library collections for confident middle grade readers.

Whoa, what happened here? Lauren Wolk has been a powerhouse of dependable, thoughtful, well-researched historical fiction, but this book was a mess. I usually buy her books for my library without a second thought, read them, and gleefully recommend them to a range of readers. Not this time. The dialogue felt dated but not in any kind of specific way, and the characters didn't act their ages. Also, the premise that a child could heal an injured baby osprey and release it back into the wild safely is far-fetched as it is, but when the DNR officer found out and let it continue? Absolutely not.

Candle Island is delightful book that sucked me in and kept me there. Lucretia and her mother move to the island to start over. They are immediately stuck between the townies and the summer people. Lucretia just wants to be left alone to paint, explore and maybe make a friend or two. Everywhere Lucretia turns there is mystery and beauty and she is open to it all. She is cautious with other people and quite sure of herself. I absolutely loved it and the way it made me feel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this DRC.
#CandleIsland #NetGalley

I thoroughly enjoyed this read even as an adult reader! It gave me very fond memories of summer as a child, and reminded me a lot of “A Ring Of Endless Light” by Madeleine L’Engle.

As a parent, I would treasure having this book in our home library and letting my kids read its beautiful imagery & relatable themes of grief, stubborn friendships, and growing pains of childhood.

There were SO many highlights I made while reading this ion my Kindle, but here’s a few quotes I loved most.

“The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice”

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it”

“The stars overhead a crown to fine for any of the world’s queens”

“You’re going to be sad forever Lucy, but that’s not all you’ll be. There’s room for much more”



Thank you to NetGalley for early access to this EPUB

Lauren Wolk's writing is gorgeous, as is this story about art, friendship, bullies and familial secrets. The Maine setting is vivid and the characters are well-drawn. Candle Island is a beautiful story and one I can't wait to share with students. Just wonderful!

Candle Island immerses you right into its sense of island life, complete with a fraught tension between year-round locals and wealthy inhabitants who descend on it for the summer only. The main thrust of the story centers around Lucretia, a girl who has just moved to the island with her mom and has to navigate the space between what the locals think of her as an outsider and the summer folk not accepting her. The book’s gentle, masterful use of language sets the tone for a character-driven novel that reveals secrets about the island and its inhabitants without a frantic pace but with tension nonetheless. I loved this novel’s literary feel and exploration of being who you are. Highly recommended! Will be buying and booktalking this one for sure!

I received this a complimentary of this book in exchange for my honest review. I have been expanding my reading into middle grade fiction, as I have a daughter that I hope to raise as a reader. With that in mind, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to share it with my daughter as she gets older. The setting is timeless and captures the simplicity of a summer playing outdoors and exploring on an island. It features good values, like being kind to others, working hard and caring for animals and the environment. It also celebrates the unique talents of each of the main characters. I was pulled into the story and the setting. Putting this on my shelf for summer reading with my daughter.

This was great! I love her stories so I was very excited to see this one.
I loved every minute of this coming of age story.
The friendships made, healing. Just a little bit of everything!
I'm so every glad that it was written in the normal way and not in verse style.
My favorite thing about this story was that it was told from Lucretia's POV. I felt very connected to this character.
I loved the way her tender heart was caring for the animals on Candle Island.
By the way, a pretty cool name for the island.
I really didn't want this story to end. I was sad when it did.
5 stars from me for an excellent adventure. I highly recommend. I will be adding the paperback version to my shelf of favorites.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.
I hope she writes more!

I was so happy to get this ARC I read it out loud to my boys (5th and 6th grade) as a bedtime book for the past month and they loved it so much they would beg to just read a little more every night. I also had to stop myself from reading ahead. Like typical boys they usually prefer action or thrilling plot driven books, even though I would say candle Island was more character driven and the main character is a girl they were still really into it. We had a lot of discussions while reading trying to guess what decade the book was set in w which is a fun game I always play with them when we read books set in the past as it helps appreciate context clues and settings and this book had plenty. I would recommend it for independent middle school reading but having read it aloud I feel like it really shines as a read aloud and could be read aloud from 3-8th grade.

Wow, what a great book about secrets, art, relationships, and staying true to your voice. You feel as if you’re in Maine where Lucretia and her mom have moved. Both mom and Lucretia love to paint, but they are sharing a secret about their art. So much happens when Lucretia finds an osprey, meets Bastion and Murdock, and has to deal with three kids who cause trouble. Love Lauren Wolk’s books and this one was a ten star read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a beautifully done story about loss and how art can help with that. The world building was beautifully done and was hooked from the first page of this. It was a realistic look and thought the characters had that element that I was looking for. Lauren Wolk wrote this well and was engaged with the story.