My Favorite Book of 2017 ...

This month, a remarkable children's book was released into the world. I've been a fan or Laurel Snyder's writing for many years, but her latest book Orphan Island is on a different level. This is the sort of book that keeps other authors up at night. It's THAT GOOD.

A summary from Goodreads:

On the island, everything is perfect. The sun rises in a sky filled with dancing shapes; the wind, water, and trees shelter and protect those who live there; when the nine children go to sleep in their cabins, it is with full stomachs and joy in their hearts. And only one thing ever changes: on that day, each year, when a boat appears from the mist upon the ocean carrying one young child to join them—and taking the eldest one away, never to be seen again.

I was asked to provide a blurb for the back cover of the book. Here's what I said: "Orphan Island is a masterpiece—both timeless and immediate. Snyder’s book, like the island within it, contains all of the joys, wonders, and terrors of childhood. Every young reader needs this book; every grown reader needs it even more."

GO READ IT!