English / Great Britain
An island of our own
Nicholls, Sally
(text)
London: Scholastic Children’s Books, 2015. – 221 p.
ISBN 978-1-407124-33-9
Orphan | Poverty | Inheritance | Treasure hunt | Friendship
Reading age: 10+
White Ravens issue: 2016
Twelve-year-old Holly and her two brothers, Davy and Jonathan, are orphans. Since their mother died one and a half years ago, nineteen-year-old Jonathan has been the legal guardian of his younger siblings; yet despite social services and his job in a café, money is always tight. So when their wealthy and eccentric Auntie Irene dies and leaves them all her jewellery, Holly is over the moon and starts dreaming of unimaginable riches. The only problem is to find the jewellery. Resourceful Holly enlists the help of all their friends and the Internet, and goes on a crazy treasure hunt all the way to a tiny Scottish island with an excited Davy and a very reluctant Jonathan in tow. The topic of poor orphans could have turned into a sad and depressing children’s book. However, award-winning author Sally Nicholls’s fifth children’s novel proves to be a very humorous read. It stands out for her protagonist’s optimistic outlook on life and is filled with a cast of strong and amiable characters.