Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

Bibliography: 

Wolk, L. (2019). Beyond the Bright Sea. Scholastic.

Plot Summary: 

Crow has lived her entire life on a tiny piece of the starkly beautiful Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Massachusetts. Her only companions are Osh, the man who rescued her from a tiny skiff as an infant and raised her, and Miss Maggie, their neighbor across the sandbar. But it isn't until the night when a mysterious fire appears across the water that an unspoken question of her own history forms in her heart and an unstoppable chain of events is triggered. Using her bravery and perseverance, Crow must follow clues that not only lead to a personal treasure, but to uncovering her lost identity and, ultimately, understanding what it means to be a family.

Critical Analysis:

An excellent new middle grade classic that I would highly recommend as a replacement for ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS in all classrooms (so much has been written about the portrayal of American Indians in IOTBD - if you still use that book in the classroom, seek out a modern analysis before reading again) - BEYOND THE BRIGHT SEA retains much of the adventure, island life and abandoned child storylines that draw readers to that old story.

Admittedly, this book was a rather slow start for me as I recently finished ORPHAN ISLAND by Laurel Snyder and the storylines seemed similar at the start (abandoned children set afloat in boats to wash up on islands), but not long into BEYOND THE BRIGHT SEA, I fell in love with Crow, Osh, and Miss Maggie. One thing I loved about Wolk's telling of this story was the timelessness of it - it took reading the fascinating author's note at the end of the book to discover she was writing about the 1920s. This is a story of the Atlantic coastal islands, of course, but it is also a story of belonging, family and love.

This needs to be a required purchase for all elementary and middle school libraries, and highly recommended as a middle grade read aloud.

Review Excerpt: 

NPR's Best Books of the Year

Be warned, once you pick up Beyond the Bright Sea, you won’t be able to put it down...Lauren Wolk's writing is at once lyrical and fraught with danger and suspense, as Crow follows her instincts to hunt down a past that has eluded her and face an unknown future.

Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

Creating mystery and suspense in an unusual setting, Newbery Honor–winner Wolk spins an intriguing tale of an orphan determined to find her roots, set in the 1920s…. Crow is a determined and dynamic heroine with a strong intuition, who pieces together the puzzle of her past while making profound realizations about the definition of family.

Kirkus (starred review) 

The mysteries—and the words that describe them—are compelling enough to send readers to the islands for years to come. A beautiful, evocative sophomore effort from Newbery honoree Wolk

Booklist (starred review)

Wolk has a keen sense for the seaside landscape, skillfully mining the terror the ocean can unleash as a furious nor’easter heightens tension in the novel’s climax.

Connections:

Map of Massachusetts & the Elizabeth Islands: https://itouchmap.com/?d=614535&s=MA&f=island 

Cuttyhunk Island facts:  https://kids.kiddle.co/Cuttyhunk_Island

The First Leprosy Patients Arrive on Penikese Island: https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/

Information about Leprosy: https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/leprosy/599026