Bright Island by Mabel Robinson (Retro Reads)

In this “Retro Reads” book, homeschooled Thankful Curtis must leave her beloved island to brave the mainland and boarding school.

Bright Island by Mabel Robinson. Random House, 2012 (75th ann. reprint). 288 pages.

• Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12
• Recommended For: Ages 10 and up

I really appreciate it when publishers re-issue older books. The market isn’t as wide, no doubt, for these old-fashioned favorites, but they’re worth reading and keeping in print. Bright Island is a great example; this 75th anniversary edition is now 10 years old itself!

One of my favorite books growing up was Ruth Sawyer’s Roller Skates (another 1930’s Newbery title); Bright Island reminds me of that same type of old-fashioned fiction. It’s historical fiction now, but was written as a contemporary title. Thus, it’s a great picture into another world. In Bright Island, our heroine, one Thankful Curtis, has grown up island-bound; she can sail as good as anyone. In fact, she can do just about anything she puts her mind to, and has no intention of putting her mind to going to school on the mainland. Homeschooled all her life by her capable mother, Thankful does indeed end up finishing school at an elite boarding school on the mainland despite her dread.

Struggling through her shyness at school, Thankful discovers that she can finish in one year instead of two since her mother schooled her so well. Along the way, she learns to navigate the social issues that often face a teenage girl (including dealing with a roommate). A little love, a little first crush, a first dance, a new friend, some harrowing trips at sea, and sickness at home pepper the second half of the book. Thankful is a strong character, grows up in realistic ways, and ends the book independent (even though there’s the strong assumption of her future life with one of the boys in her life—I won’t spoil it for you).

All in all, this is a pleasant read. It’s a touch choppy in places, and Thankful’s vacillations over her various “love interests” are a little predictable. But it’s a solid old-fashioned read, and many girls will enjoy it.

Overall Rating: 4

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 4.25
• Artistic/Literary Rating: 3.75

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