Stolen By the Sea - Hardcover

Anna Myers is the award-winning author of several novels for young readers including The Keeping Room, Captain's Command, and Graveyard Girl. She is a two-time winner of the Oklahoma Book Award for Children's Books, and her book Ethan Between Us was chosen as an ALA Quick Pick for 1999. Anna lives in Chandler, Oklahoma.

Gr 5-8-In the flourishing port of Galveston, TX, 1900, Maggie McKenna grapples with inner storms of jealousy. Her mother is pregnant, and the 12-year-old worries that the baby will be her father's much-wished-for son. Maggie also resents the time he spends with Felipe Ortega, a teenager from St. Mary's orphanage who is employed by the family. In early September, the waters of the sea begin to rise, and the worst hurricane of the century devastates the prosperous seaport. When Maggie and Felipe, trapped on the top floor of the McKenna household, rescue several children and a nun from the orphanage, rivalry and resentment are forgotten in the struggle to survive. Sister Genevieve tells Maggie that there is much for her to do in her lifetime, and as the girl deals with the aftermath of the storm, including the death of Felipe's sister, these words sustain her. Some beautifully crafted sentences capture the emotions of an adolescent who struggles between shameful feelings and noble impulses. Unfortunately, the narrative is sometimes uneven and detours into events and descriptions that detract from the main plot. Chapter three abruptly shifts to the perspective of Felipe, and then back to Maggie for the remainder of the story. Fans of Peg Kehret's books will enjoy this title, and those who want more information about the Galveston hurricane should try Erik Larson's nonfiction title, Isaac's Storm (Crown, 2001).

Farida S. Dowler, formerly at Bellevue Regional Library, WA

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