Book review: Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder (middle grade)

When did you read your first serious novels? I remember the latter half of elementary school as a time of discovering dark stories, complex characters, books that grappled with big scary issues. Sometimes this was because I’d raided my parents’ collection of horror and dystopian fiction, but oftentimes not. When my own kiddo reached this age, I realized I’d forgotten how dark children’s literature can be.

I mean, Bridge to Terabithia, anyone?

Orphan Island

I grabbed this from the bo...