Elins Island [Library Binding]

Cynthia L. Copeland (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Thirteen-year-old Elin can't imagine living anywhere but the island off the coast of Maine where her father is lightkeeper, until the night in 1941 when she awakes to the sound of German torpedoes while her parents are on the mainland.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 5-7. Copeland weaves historical incidents into this tale of an orphaned teenager reluctantly stepping into a wider world. The sole survivor of a shipwreck, Elin has been raised since infancy by lighthouse keepers on a remote Maine island. Then her comfortable solitude is disturbed, both by news reports of the expanding war in Europe (it's 1941) and by Dan, a teenage boater from the mainland who helps when Elin is left on her own to tend the house and beacon. That night, a series of explosions at sea prompts Elin to do the unthinkable and douse the light, which foreshadows later orders to darken all the lighthouses along the East Coast for fear of German submarine attacks. Elin and her family are left at the end facing an uncertain future. Like Susan Fletcher's Walk across the Sea (2001) and Karen Hesse's Light in the Storm (1999), which incorporate the same story of a stranded baby raised by lighthouse keepers, this combines a vivid evocation of a lonely, but rewarding, way of life with the coming-of-age of a capable, sometimes heroic young protagonist. It is an absorbing blend. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 144 pages
• Publisher: Millbrook Press (January 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761325220
• ISBN-13: 978-0761325222
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,852,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great HIstorical Fiction Read, February 17, 2010

By 

Jill Tamari (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Elins Island (Library Binding)

My daughter devours historical fiction novels, and this one is among her favorites. I read it with her and thoroughly enjoyed it as well. The story and characters draw you in from the first few pages, and we both learned a lot about the time period and lighthouse culture, a topic that we'd never really considered before but one that the author makes relevant, interesting, and exciting! I would recommend this book without hesitation to any young (or adult!) reader who is looking for a great historical fiction read! Five stars!

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Helicopters in the early forties? (laughs), September 6, 2009

By 

Chuck "Parent Educator" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elins Island (Library Binding)

I read this book because I was interested in life on a island lighthouse just before World War II. So the book appeared perfect. I wanted a glimpse of how the lighthouse worked, the clothes a thirteen-year-old would wear, and other details of life. I assumed author Cynthia Copeland would have done at least fundamental research on the topic. Except for a daring rescue at the beginning, the the book was rather boring and featured dialogue between two young teenagers that was not believable. But it was tolerable. Then on page 104 (taking place either 1940-1942 or late 1930s):

"On Christmas Eve, as I was helping Sarah arrange Christmas cookies on a plate, we heard a roar and looked out to see a helicopter hovering near the cottage...."

I was shocked by this mistake. There were no helicopters available for any kind of citizen use until late 1940s at the earliest. The Germans would have a prototype by around 1943 that was never produced in any quantity. Believe me, no citizen would see anything remotely like a helicopter for at least another decade flying around the islands dropping Christmas presents. I'm not even sure the general citizenry even used the word "helicopter." A mistake like this made me doubt anything the author wrote.

I can forgive typos and mistakes that are easily overlooked (the wrong type of flower given the season or location for example). But not something like this. It's like reading Little House on the Prairie and finding a scene that overlooks a herd of elephants. I mean, where was the editor?