I’ve longed to read AUGUST ISLE since the second I heard about it. It is the second middle grade book from THE ETHAN I WAS BEFORE author Ali Standish.

Miranda longs to visit August Isle, the town where her mom spent summers as a girl. In part, she thinks it might help her bond with her busy and aloof mother better. But then, Mom takes off on yet another business trip to a faraway destination while Dad is busy with work too and Miranda is unexpectantly sent to August Isle to stay with “Aunt” Clare, an old friend of her mother’s.

Miranda quickly becomes thick friends with “Aunt” Clare’s daughter, Sammy, and a boy named Caleb. August Isle not only has endless sun and sandy beaches, but it has its mysteries too. Like the haunted lighthouse. And who is Ben, the name that’s forever written into the sidewalk along with her mother’s and Clare’s? And then there’s the shadowy seafarer. As Miranda searches for answers, she realizes that she’s somehow caught up in the mysteries of August Isle too.

Talk about a page turner! AUGUST ISLE is a story about fractured families, mother-daughter relationships, adult emotional pain and grief, and the importance of not keeping secrets from one another. The mystery kept me reading through the beautifully written scenes full of beach life. Love the line, “Some secrets cast long shadows…” Oh, yes they do.

A beautiful story of loss and healing, perfect for tweens who like heartfelt stories about relationships like THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH. For 8+

AUGUST ISLE is a JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION and releases on 4/16/19. Order it from your favorite bookstore or request it from your library today.

Thank you to Harper Collins and the author for sharing this book with me. To find out more about Ali Standish, check out our interview with her and her website. You can also connect with her on Twitter.