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71st out of 93 books
—
43 voters
Once On This Island (Mackinac Island Trilogy #1)
When war erupts between England and America in 1812, it brings change and uncertainty—even to Michigan's remote Mackinac Island. For young Mary O'Shea, the hardest change is the departure of her father, who leaves Mackinac to join the American Army. With her sister and brother, Mary must tend the farm, deal with the hardships of British occupation, and hope for the safe re...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
August 9th 1996
by HarperCollins
(first published October 31st 1995)
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May 20, 2013
Eden
rated it
4 of 5 stars
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review of another edition
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It's the summer of 1812 and Mary lives on an island with her father, brother and sister. Things are nice enough. Mary loves the island where she has lived all her life, but news comes that war has broken out between America and England.
Feeling a duty to his country and to island which the British have now taken over, Mary's father decides to join the war and fight for America. Mary, her brother and sister are left behind to care for the farm until the war is over.
I think the book was a little sl...more
Feeling a duty to his country and to island which the British have now taken over, Mary's father decides to join the war and fight for America. Mary, her brother and sister are left behind to care for the farm until the war is over.
I think the book was a little sl...more
gr 4-7 184pgs
1812 Mackinac Island. When the British invade the island, the greatly outnumbered American forces surrender. Mary's father refuses to take an oath of allegiance to England, so he leaves to join the American forces in Detroit. 12 year old Mary, her brother Jacques (15 year old)and sister Angelique (16 year old) are left to run the farm while they are away. Unlike Mary who loves the farm, Angelique wishes to be a lady and flirts with the British soldiers. Jacques is eager to leave the...more
1812 Mackinac Island. When the British invade the island, the greatly outnumbered American forces surrender. Mary's father refuses to take an oath of allegiance to England, so he leaves to join the American forces in Detroit. 12 year old Mary, her brother Jacques (15 year old)and sister Angelique (16 year old) are left to run the farm while they are away. Unlike Mary who loves the farm, Angelique wishes to be a lady and flirts with the British soldiers. Jacques is eager to leave the...more
gr 4-7 184pgs
1812 Mackinac Island. When the British invade the island, the greatly outnumbered American forces surrender. Mary's father refuses to take an oath of allegiance to England, so he leaves to join the American forces in Detroit. 12 year old Mary, her brother Jacques (15 year old)and sister Angelique (16 year old) are left to run the farm while they are away. Unlike Mary who loves the farm, Angelique wishes to be a lady and flirts with the British soldiers. Jacques is eager to leave the...more
1812 Mackinac Island. When the British invade the island, the greatly outnumbered American forces surrender. Mary's father refuses to take an oath of allegiance to England, so he leaves to join the American forces in Detroit. 12 year old Mary, her brother Jacques (15 year old)and sister Angelique (16 year old) are left to run the farm while they are away. Unlike Mary who loves the farm, Angelique wishes to be a lady and flirts with the British soldiers. Jacques is eager to leave the...more
It is 1812 and on the island of Mackinac the English have taken the fort. Mary is telling this story of her family's life on the island. Her father won't take the oath of loyalty to the English so he leaves to fight with the Americans in Detroit. That leaves Mary, Angelique and Jacques to tend to the farm. Mary love the farm, Angelique and Jacques don't. They all three work hard to keep the farm up for their father. They endure hardships when supply's start dwindling. They even have to bring the...more
I picked this up at the Island Bookstore on Mackinac Island while I was visiting there. I thought it would be fun to read a book set on the island while I was actually on the island. It is historical fiction so I did pick up a bit of Mackinac Island's history and was able to have a good picture in my mind of what the author was describing while reading this slim novel.
The actual story fell flat for me though. The writing lacked good character development. There was too much telling me how a cha...more
The actual story fell flat for me though. The writing lacked good character development. There was too much telling me how a cha...more
Read this when I was about 11 or 12 and loved it. It is a children's / young adult book, but I remember that part of the reason I loved it was it seemed a more mature read than what I was typically exposed to at that age. Set during the war of 1812 in Michigan's upper peninsula - especially great for kids living in the area, because they'll get a bit of a history lesson without even realizing it. I hated history class in school, but Whelan makes the local and even international history part of t...more
I picked this up in the juvenile section of my library while searching for books for Rose. I was very impressed with Whelan's writing. This is a short novel about the effects of the War of 1812 on Mary, the young heroine. She lives with her family on a little island in the middle of the Great Lakes that is important for trade. It is a great introduction to historical fiction, and I recommend it to my friends with girls older than Rose. I have never read this author and plan on reading her award...more
**Review may contain spoilers** I loved this! Like most books, it was a little hard for me to get into a first, but I once I did I really enjoyed it. I love a good pioneer/settler story! The ways they prepared for winter and the description of the snow, sky, water, trees, and everything else made me feel very cozy. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Mary encounters the wolf. Something about it was just very winter-y and magical. Whelan seems to do a lot of her books in first person na...more
A good book about twelve year-old Mary O'Shea, and her life on the island of Michilimacinac during the war of 1812. She was born on the island, and loved it more than anything. Her mother died right after she was born, so she had to help her father and older sister and brother manage their farm. As British soldiers come and take over the island fort and demand that everyone pledge allegiance to the king of England, Mary's father leaves the island to go and fight for his country. While he is gone...more
This book is much better if you've actually visited its setting. Mackinac Island is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Getting a piece of its history, which is also displayed all over the island (including the Fort atop an enormous hill), just adds to being there even if it's only in your mind. I read this a long time ago, but I remember loving it because of the main character's strength and the fact that I've actually been there.
This in not my favorite Gloria Whelan, but I really enjoyed it. I just wish the other books were all combined into one. Now I have to find the sequels. Indians and British combine against the new Americans. The story takes place on an island between two of the Great Lakes. Not a lot of war, more about the people on the island.
It's summer of 1812 and the war between England and the USA has drifted as far as remote Mackinac Island where British troops has captured the island. Young Mary, with the help of her sister, must protect their farm when her father goes off to fight the enemy. I believe that this book is the first in a series.
This book is set during the war of 1812 on Mackinac Island, MI. It's a time period I haven't read a lot and I felt this book really captured the time and place excellently. The characters were great and the plot line was interesting. I really enjoyed reading this book.
I haven't read much historical fiction on the war of 1812. This was a story of a young woman and her sister struggling to protect their farm when their island is captured by the British and her brother and father leave to fight.
I am helping in Emma's classroom with a book club and we read this book...it is about the war of 1812 and it's impact on Mackinac Island so it is very interesting to the children and me, too.
This is first in a trilogy set on Mackinac Island during and after the war of 1812. I enjoyed reading about a place I love so much and learning more about its history.
so far I think it's great I love this story I once read it in school but I don't remember finishing it
really loved this book when I read it. this book sparked my interest in the historical fiction genre.
Definitely one of my favorite childhood trilogies. A very cute love story too! <3 :D
The girls and I couldn't put this book down! It's no longer at the Fort Worth library.
Oct 29, 2012
Rachel
added it
This is the story of a family living on a small island in Lake Erie during the war of 1812. Interesting, but not brilliant.
This was a good clean young adult historical fiction.
What a wonderful way to learn the history of not only a place, but an era in our country seldom visited in most school books. The War of 1812, and a 12 year old girl's story of holding down the fort while her father is away fighting the British, is a captivating combo for any young reader.
Especially for Michiganders, this is another great historical-fiction novel for young adults. My copy is so well-loved that it is falling apart, and although the subsequent installments of the trilogy don't quite live up to the first book, they are all fun and informative reads.
The protagonist of this book lives a very different life than almost all of the books readers today, but she is very recognizable as a young girl growing up.
Good for history, facing challenges, and working through relationships - especially with one's family.
Good for history, facing challenges, and working through relationships - especially with one's family.
As a Michigan resident and frequent vacationer on Mackinac Island, I greatly enjoyed this youth novel of a Mackinac family making it through the War of 1812.
Particularly good because it is set during the War of 1812, an event sorely neglected in most grade school education.
This was my absolute favorite book for a year when I was eight. I read it every month.
I love this series! I like to read it on trips. :o)
This was good.
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Gloria Whelan is the best-selling author of many novels for young readers, including Homeless Bird, winner of the National Book Award; Friutlands: Louisa May Alcott Made Perfect; Angel on the Square and its companion, The Impossible Journey; Once on this Island, winner of the Great Lakes Book Award; Farewell to the Island; and Return to the Island. She lives with her husband, Joseph, in the woods...more
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Feb 06, 2008 03:49pm