Pine Island Visitors

August 1, 2023
Grades 4-7 In this sequel to Pine Island Home (2020), the McCready sisters have settled into their British Columbia home and are looking forward to the school year now that neighbor Al is their official guardian. But troubles soon ensue: Mrs. Weatherspoon (who cared for the girls after their parents' deaths) comes for an extended visit, bringing her odious friend Jo along; Fiona, 15, and Marlin, 13, have trouble with peers at school; Natasha, 10, loves her new violin (until she doesn't); and Charlie, 8, longs for a dog. Much of the conflict centers around Jo, an opinionated manipulator who imposes her beliefs on everyone. The girls' dilemma (how to graciously evict two adults who are ruining their lives) provides the story's most thoughtful and humorous moments, and the solution--contrived by the ever-resourceful Fiona and executed by the always-dependable Al--is deeply satisfying. Horvath's prose is smooth and engaging (she excels at both comedy and pathos) and always respects children's inner lives. Contemporary yet classic, a fine addition to the family stories shelf.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 14, 2023
In this character-focused sequel to Pine Island Home by Horvath, the orphaned McCready sisters have just begun adjusting to their life on British Columbia’s Pine Island with new guardian Al. Al mostly leaves Charlie, Fiona, Marlin, and Natasha to their own devices, and while the girls enjoy their independence and newfound security, each longs to move on from their past and build bright futures. Fifteen-year-old Fiona seeks to make things right with a boy she stood up the previous year; Marlin, 13, strives to become a published cookbook author; Natasha, 10, endeavors to learn how to play violin; and youngest child Charlie, eight, determinedly advocates for a dog. When the siblings’ first guardian, Mrs. Witherspoon, along with her bossy, ill-tempered childhood friend Jo, arrive for a three-month visit, the sisters struggle to navigate this change. Frequent clashes between Jo and the girls, especially after Jo and Mrs. Witherspoon extend their stay to start a church, prompt the McCready clan to drive out their unwanted guests. Through steady, sober prose and the protagonists’ complex relationships, Horvath creates successfully strained situations, giving way to gratifying resolutions that offer a comforting reassurance that bad times don’t last forever. Ages 9–12.

September 1, 2023
Uninvited guests demand new survival skills from the McCready sisters in this follow-up to Pine Island Home (2020). The school year is about to start when Mrs. Weatherspoon, who cared for the girls in Borneo after their parents' death, comes to visit, upsetting the equilibrium. She arrives with another church lady, Jo Menzies, and everyone soon finds themselves towed along in Jo's manipulative, overbearing wake. At 15, Fiona can't relinquish the burden of being in charge of her family, shying away from their guardian Al's willingness to pay for things. Thirteen-year-old Marlin has yet to realize her ambition to publish her cookbook. Ten-year-old Natasha's contemplative approach to understanding the world manifests itself in a surprising way. And 8-year-old Charlie has an optimistic na�vet� in the face of all this fierce independence. Jo is self-absorbed and almost comically evil in her disregard for everyone but herself. Horvath skewers those who try to wield power over others, using diet or religion or opinions as cudgels. As frustrated Fiona and Marlin find themselves feeling impotent rage, they also gain an understanding of what it means to be--and stand up for--oneself. Everyone presents as white. Horvath keeps the pace captivating in this domestic drama as she demonstrates that life's ups and downs are inevitable. Neither certainty nor confirmation of beliefs is forthcoming--there are few comeuppances for bad behavior--but what emerges is a compelling case for self-reliance, creativity, and kindness. Terrifically entertaining. (Fiction. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2023
Now happily settled after the drama of Pine Island Home (rev. 9/20), orphaned sisters Fiona, Marlin, Natasha, and Charlie face new challenges when their former guardian, Mrs. Weatherspoon, announces that she is arriving from Australia for a prolonged visit -- and unexpectedly shows up with a companion. Fiona, now fifteen, is furious that the nasty, intrusive, and demanding Jo seems to be ruining her family; she finds some solace in her journal, which becomes a friend, along with the teacher who responds to her entries. Meanwhile, Marlin is struggling with her outcast status at school and the lack of publisher interest in her cookbook, "Thirty Meals a Twelve-Year-Old Could Make and Did!"; Natasha turns out to be a prodigy on the violin but just wants to commune with the natural world; and youngest sibling Charlie desperately wants a dog. True to form, Horvath packs this sequel (which takes readers from the beginning of the school year through Christmas) with relatable incident, vivid dialogue, humor, and moments of profound reflection on the human condition. Martha V. Parravano

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2024
Now happily settled after the drama of Pine Island Home (rev. 9/20), orphaned sisters Fiona, Marlin, Natasha, and Charlie face new challenges when their former guardian, Mrs. Weatherspoon, announces that she is arriving from Australia for a prolonged visit -- and unexpectedly shows up with a companion. Fiona, now fifteen, is furious that the nasty, intrusive, and demanding Jo seems to be ruining her family; she finds some solace in her journal, which becomes a friend, along with the teacher who responds to her entries. Meanwhile, Marlin is struggling with her outcast status at school and the lack of publisher interest in her cookbook, Thirty Meals a Twelve-Year-Old Could Make and Did!; Natasha turns out to be a prodigy on the violin but just wants to commune with the natural world; and youngest sibling Charlie desperately wants a dog. True to form, Horvath packs this sequel (which takes readers from the beginning of the school year through Christmas) with relatable incident, vivid dialogue, humor, and moments of profound reflection on the human condition.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)