Jennifer W. (GeniusJen) reviewed The Lost Island of Tamarind (The Book of Tamarind) on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com
Thirteen-year-old Maya Nelson would like nothing more than to live on land, go to school, and sit at an actual table to eat a meal once in a while. Her outgoing younger brother, Simon, may be fine with living on a boat and traveling the world with their marine biologist parents, but lately, Maya's grown tired of having no privacy and none of the normal things kids should have.
Her situation has only gotten worse since Penny was born, making the small boat even more cramped. But Maya has a plan: after they drop off the new round of wildlife samples at the Marine Station, they'll be heading to Bermuda to visit Grandma Pearl, and Maya has made her parents promise to talk to her grandmother about letting Maya stay on land for awhile - at least long enough to go to school and make some friends for the first time in her life.
But then their boat, the Pamela Jane, hits a terrible storm, and Maya's parents are swept overboard. Now with damaged instruments, no radio contact, and no sense of where they are, Maya and Simon somehow manage to land the Pamela Jane on an island and immediately begin to look for help.
However, no sooner have they wrapped up Penny, gathered some supplies, and stepped off the boat do they realize that they've ended up in a place like no other.
Deadly jungle creatures, pirates patrolling the waters, and a witch who steals children are not the only things plaguing the hidden island of Tamarind, but Maya and her siblings will have to band together and draw on every ounce of strength they have if they ever want to find their parents...and avoid staying on the island for a long, long time.
With dynamic and incredibly resourceful main characters coupled with an intriguing storyline that spreads beyond the boundaries of the page, this book is bound to captivate any young reader who loves a good adventure. It holds its own among other popular tales of castaways, with a bit of magic and mystery mixed in.
Thirteen-year-old Maya Nelson would like nothing more than to live on land, go to school, and sit at an actual table to eat a meal once in a while. Her outgoing younger brother, Simon, may be fine with living on a boat and traveling the world with their marine biologist parents, but lately, Maya's grown tired of having no privacy and none of the normal things kids should have.
Her situation has only gotten worse since Penny was born, making the small boat even more cramped. But Maya has a plan: after they drop off the new round of wildlife samples at the Marine Station, they'll be heading to Bermuda to visit Grandma Pearl, and Maya has made her parents promise to talk to her grandmother about letting Maya stay on land for awhile - at least long enough to go to school and make some friends for the first time in her life.
But then their boat, the Pamela Jane, hits a terrible storm, and Maya's parents are swept overboard. Now with damaged instruments, no radio contact, and no sense of where they are, Maya and Simon somehow manage to land the Pamela Jane on an island and immediately begin to look for help.
However, no sooner have they wrapped up Penny, gathered some supplies, and stepped off the boat do they realize that they've ended up in a place like no other.
Deadly jungle creatures, pirates patrolling the waters, and a witch who steals children are not the only things plaguing the hidden island of Tamarind, but Maya and her siblings will have to band together and draw on every ounce of strength they have if they ever want to find their parents...and avoid staying on the island for a long, long time.
With dynamic and incredibly resourceful main characters coupled with an intriguing storyline that spreads beyond the boundaries of the page, this book is bound to captivate any young reader who loves a good adventure. It holds its own among other popular tales of castaways, with a bit of magic and mystery mixed in.
