With a long list of activities and events to attend, cousin Thomas paints a picture of city life that makes Jessie’s world seem a little dull in comparison. When her mother suggests they invite Thomas to visit their island, Jessie wonders glumly what she could possibly write in her letter that would sound as exciting as zoos, planetariums or video arcades. But as Jessie looks out over her island home, she sees a world of endless variety, from killer whales in the strait and bald eagles soaring overhead to anemones in tide pools and tiny hermit crabs on the shore. She thinks of countless days spent exploring, fishing, swimming and canoeing.

With a long list of activities and events to attend, cousin Thomas paints a picture of city life that makes Jessie’s world seem a little dull in comparison. When her mother suggests they invite Thomas to visit their island, Jessie wonders glumly what she could possibly write in her letter that would sound as exciting as zoos, planetariums or video arcades. But as Jessie looks out over her island home, she sees a world of endless variety, from killer whales in the strait and bald eagles soaring overhead to anemones in tide pools and tiny hermit crabs on the shore. She thinks of countless days spent exploring, fishing, swimming and canoeing.

In the vein of When You Trap a Tiger and Shouting at the Rain, this is the story of the journey one girl undertakes to find herself. After Breda Moriarity gets caught stealing one too many times, Breda's mom sends her to Ireland, a place she has never been, to live with the grandfather she has never met. While Breda doesn’t want to be in this strange land, she finally gets to meet Granda, her mom’s father. He’s a grumpy farmer who is also a seanchaí, a traditional Gaelic storyteller. But the most important story is the one nobody will talk about: what happened to her absent father. If nothing else this summer, Breda is determined to figure out the truth about her family’s history—and herself. This powerfully poignant middle grade novel, the first from award-winning author Jessie Ann Foley, asks questions about estranged relationships, immigration, and family secrets.

"You must be awfully bored living on an island in the middle of nowhere," writes Jessie's cousin from the city. With a long list of activities and events to attend, Thomas paints a picture of city life which makes Jessie's world seem a little dull in comparison. When her mother suggests they invite Cousin Thomas to visit their island, Jessie wonders glumly what she could possibly write in her letter that would sound as exciting as zoos, planetariums or video arcades. But as Jessie looks out over her island home, she sees a world of endless variety, from killer whales in the strait and bald eagles soaring overhead to anemones and tiny hermit crabs on the shore. She thinks of countless days spent exploring, fishing, swimming and canoeing. Now, as she bends over her letter to her cousin, Jessie knows exactly what she will write. Told with lyric simplicity, this story is more than a celebration of West Coast life; it is also a reminder of the joy of childhood and the thrill of discovery. In a time when our children's entertainment has become increasingly formal and high-tech, Jessie's Island reminds us of the joy of unstructured play and the pleasures to be found in the natural world around us.

A thirteen-year-old Jewish orphan reluctantly leaves her grandmother and immigrates to New York City, where she works for three years sewing lace and earning money to bring Grandmother to the United States, too. Reprint.

Secrets are never discovered during the holidays, right? That's what these five best friends are banking on as they gather once again to Five Island Cove for what they hope will be a Christmas to remember. AJ has a real boyfriend now, and he's really coming to the cove to meet her friends and family. She's turned into a domestic goddess as she preps to host Christmas at a rental that will hold everyone for the holidays. But beneath the bulky sweaters, AJ has a secret she won't be able to keep hidden forever. Eloise is happily wearing her diamond ring, and she can't wait to spoil Aaron's children rotten over the holidays. But when he calls and says there's been an accident, Eloise will never look at Christmas the same. Robin's just found out her husband needs a new fishing boat or he could sink while at sea. But they don't have the money to replace such a big-ticket item, and she's praying for a miracle this Christmas. Kelli comes to the cove on a one-way ticket and more than she and her son need for a couple of weeks, but she's too humiliated to tell her friends that she is not cut out for a polyamorous relationship and that her husband has chosen that lifestyle over her. Alice, struggling to make ends meet for the first time in her life, wants to be the one to bring them all together, bind up their broken hearts, and make Christmas wishes come true. When a mysterious benefactor allows her to do just that, she wonders what the ultimate price will be. Because she knows better than anyone that everything has a price, and nothing comes for free... Gather for the holidays with these five best friends as they celebrate Christmas at the cove, continue to find themselves and their future, and support each other through thick and thin.

Journey to Five Island Cove for a roaring good time with friends old and new, their sons and daughters, and all their new husbands as they navigate the heartaches and celebrations of life and love. Jean Shields is devastated when the adoption she and her husband were set to complete falls through. Besides her solid-as-a-rock husband, her only solace is her two dogs, her sewing students, and her new friends in the women's group her mother-in-law has introduced her to. Alice and Robin want to help Jean, but they don't know how. Alice is dealing with a pregnancy scare, and Robin is trying to help her oldest daughter navigate collegiate options. AJ has the beat advice, as she's lived most of her life childless too. But her own baby is requiring more from her than she ever imagined. Eloise provides food and offers Jean a job at her inn though she's drowning to keep her head above water there. Kelli brings her son to Jean as much as possible, but it's not until Kristen convinces Jean to spearhead the new Seafaring Girls program in Five Island Cove that Jean starts to find some purpose to her life. Kristen is consulting on the program, as she ran it successfully many years ago, and her heart is happy as she watches a new generation of girls learn to love the sea while staying safe on it. But when someone returns to the Cove that no one ever expected to see again, old wounds open just as they'd started to heal. This group of women will be tested again, both on land and at sea, just as they once were as teens.