Customer Reviews

Gifts from the Sea

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A story, beautifully written from the perspective of a 12-year-old girl (Aquila) about her life - loss and grieving, healing and growing on the edge of the sea, stays in my thoughts.

This book helped my 3rd grade daughter understand and learn the connections of people and their inner complex feelings. Also, the thinking and discussion about the story is valuable to kids of all ages.

Lesson 1: Always have an emergency plan. Don't count on chance.

. What do you think when Papa didn't send Mama to a doctor in time? Is there any solution you could think of that Papa could have done? If you were there, what could you have done to save Mama's life?

Lesson 2: Stand up for yourself and have your voice heard.

. What would you think when Papa offered Margaret to wear Mama's clothing if you were Aquila? Do you like Papa's idea? Why or why not?

Lesson 3: Communicate with your parents and never run away from home.

. When Aquila thought Margaret would take Celia away, she tried to escape with Celia in a boat on a dark stormy night and that almost cost their lives. What do you think about her feelings and actions?

Lesson 4: "If you want something very badly...set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it doesn't, it was never yours to begin with."

. If you were Aquila and when you thought Celia might leave you for a better place to live, what would you do? Why?

. What do you think of the character, Papa, in this story?

Lesson 5: Always treasure what you have.

. "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away", how do you think of this statement? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?

Gifts From the Sea by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock takes place at Maine's coastline. It is set in the 1840's at Devil's Rock lighthouse.

Quila, Papa and Celia are the main characters in this book. Quila's mother just died so she is really sad and her father is very quiet. One day when Quila is exploring the beach she sees a two mattresses tied together floating on the water. In between the two mattresses is a little baby who they name Cecelia (Celia for short). Celia fills most of the hole left in Quila's heart from her mother's death. Two years after Quila found Celia the ocean brings something that could tear Quila's heart and new family apart once again.

I don't really have a favorite part in this book. One of the parts that I did like though was when Quila told Celia her favorite story so that she would go to sleep. I liked this part because the story that she told her had many details and it was very interesting.

I think that this book was okay. It was a very quick read and the start of the book wasn't very exciting. Also I think that I would much rather read a book about the story that Quila told Celia than this actual book. I would recommend this book to younger people because I think that they would enjoy it a lot more. I think one reason that I didn't like this book was because it was under my reading level.

I read a Nutmeg Book titled Gifts from the Sea by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. It is a suspenseful and sometimes heart breaking book set in a lighthouse on Devils Rock in Maine.

The main characters in this story were Aquila a older girl who found Cecelia, Papa. Papa is always making sure the light in the lighthouse is always on and he always says, "A good lighthouse keeper never lets his light go out". Then came Cecelia. Cecelia is the baby that was found by Aquila while Cecelia got washed up in the shore between two mattresses. Margaret. Margaret is the lady who is supposedly Cecelia's sister who then becomes part of their family towards the end of the story.

The main problem of the book occurs when Margaret comes to see her little sister Cecelia. Aquila and Papa think that Margaret wants to steal Cecelia away. Margaret only wants to stay with Papa, Cecelia and Aquila for a little while until she is ready to leave. When Margaret leaves she wants to have some last memories of Cecelia. Unfortunately Margaret is staying at Papa and Aquila's house for a while. I don't think Aquila likes Margaret staying at the lighthouse with Aquilas family.

My favorite part of the book was when Cecelia was walking off the cliff and almost into the sea. Then Aquila caught her with one arm grabbing the hem of her dress. This was just before Cecelia disappeared over the cliff.

This is my favorite part of the story because it showed a lot of caring. For example when Aquila saw Cecelia taking small steps almost going off of the cliff. Aquila was praying to herself how she takes back all of the mean words she said about Cecelia.

I really enjoyed this book because every time I read it something would happen. Then I wouldn't want to put the book down because it was an interesting story.

I would recommend this book to anybody who likes books that have sad beginnings and happy endings. And also to anyone who likes books with a lot of suspenseful chapters. I would also recommend this book because in my opinion I liked this story. If you like suspenseful chapters with sad beginnings and happy endings then this is probably a good book for you. I give this book a five star rating because it showed a lot of description and sometimes I felt as if I was there in the story myself.

I liked this book because it was exciting.Even though it was a little boring at the begining, I ended up liking it alot.Once baby Celia almost fell off a cliff into the ocean, but Quila grabbed the hem of Celia's dress and pulled her up.Another time, Quila and Celia almost drown.During a storm some razor bills smashed into the light tower windows.Another reason I liked this book is that it is very sad in parts.I like sad books. Quila's mother died from a bad sickness and Margaret's sister and and brother-in-law (who were Celia's mother and father), died in a shipwreck. I learned lots of new things from reading this book. It was HARD taking care of a lighthouse. It was lonely, hard work and you never got to see anybody! Natalie Kinsey-Warnock put alot of details into this book. She made alot of things happen to her characters and they were interesting things. I totally recommend this book!!

My son and I started reading this book at the same time. The problem was that we only had one copy. We kept finding the each other reading it and wanting to keep up and finish first.
The bottom line is that he was 8 at the time and I was... well, that's not important. We both thoroughly enjoyed the story and storytelling.
The simplicity of their lives mixed with the complexity of their emotions made the book a heartfelt and entertaining read.

Such a beautiful story of a little girl. Both boys and girls in my class enjoyed this book. Nominated for Massachusetts Children's Book Award for 2006-07.

I read a good book titled Gifts form the Sea by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. It is a realistic fiction book set in the 1850's of the coast of Maine at a lighthouse on Devil's Rock.
The main characters in this story were Quila, Papa and Cecelia (Celia for short). Quila and Papa Mackinnon take care of Cecelia who they found in between two mattresses tied together. Cecelia means "a gift from the sea" so this name fits her perfectly. Quila is really sad, because her mother had just died, so Cecelia seems to fill in the hole that was left by Quila's mom. Two years later, the sea brings another gift but this one may tear a hole in Quila's heart and new family.
My favorite part of the book was when Quila helped heal a bird that had crashed into they're lighthouse. This was my favorite part because it shows how much Quila really cares about nature, and other living things.
I really liked this book because everything was connected in the story, and this made it easy to understand.
I would recommend this book to people who like the ocean and like good connections. I would recommend this book to people of all ages because it really was an enjoyable book.

I read a great Nutmeg book called Gifts From the Sea, by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. The story takes place at a lighthouse on Devils Rock near Maine.

Gifts From the Sea is about a girl named Aquila Jane MacKinnon who is 12 years old and lives in the Devils Rock lighthouse with her father. Aquila had a mom who had just recently died and was still in mourning. When a baby is found in the sea they name her Cecelia, it means a gift from the sea.

The problem occurs when a lady came to Devils rock to mourn for her sister who had a boat crash 2 years ago. That was when Cecelia was found. Aquila and her father struggle to tell the woman the truth about Cecelia. But when they do.....

My favorite part of the story is when the author explains how much the baby lifts their hearts and help them to not be to sad about Aquila's mother. This part just shows how much fun babies can be, and how much work they can be.

I like this book and would give it 5 stars even though it was kind of an easy read, but it was still a wonderful book. I would recommend this to all young readers, from 3rd grade to 5th grade. Anybody can read it, but if you are older, it might be a little easy.

I read a fantastic book titled Gifts from the Sea, by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. It's a sorrowful book that takes place in 1854-1856 on an island in Maine.
This book is about a twelve-year-old girl named Quila MacKinnon, who lives with her father and mother on Devils Rock. Her father is the lighthouse keeper so they live in the lighthouse, and can't leave it unattended. One day, Quila's mother gets very sick, but the father can't get help for he's not allowed to leave his job. After the death of Quila's mother, Quila is left with doing all the work, and her father, who has now lost his love, will never play another note on his fiddle again.
Quila's life is very lonely until one day after a huge storm Quila finds two mattresses strapped together wash up on shore, and inside a baby! This baby changes her and her fathers' life dramatically, and heals their broken hearts from the past. They name her Cecelia meaning "A gift from the sea", but call her Celia for short.
The main problem occurs in this book when two years later the sea brings another gift of a family member of Celia's, which may take Celia away. Quila has to find a way to stop this member of taking her only happiness.
I found this book very sad, but fulfilling too. This book moved my heart, and made me see how unlucky some people are. My favorite part of this book was when Quila's father start's playing the fiddle again. This was my favorite part because it made me feel glad that Quila's father finally stopped moping about his wife's death.
I think that Celia really grew on Quila, and helped her get by her mother's passing. I'd give this book 5 stars because it may be short, but the author did a fantastic job on making me want to read more.

I read a Nutmeg Book titled "Gifts from the Sea" by Natalie Kinsey Warnock. It is a suspenseful book set in a little Island off the main land in Maine.
The main characters in this story were Celia (Cecelia), Quila (Aqiula), Margaret, and Papa. Papa is a lighthouse keeper, there lighthouse picks up many gifts from the sea but one day after Quila's mother dies they find a very precious gift, a baby who they name Cecelia but call Celia. Now Quila has to run after Celia all the time and is busy changing diapers and washing clothes. Everything in Quila, Papa, and Celia's life changes, forever.

The main problem of the book occurs when a visitor shows up and is about to take away Quila and her Papa's only happiness that's left.

My favorite part of the book was when you find out that Quila and her Papa get to keep there happiness and a little more. This was my favorite part of the book because I was sad when I found out it would go back to normal as her and her Papa used to work on the lighthouse all the time not being very happy, I think it is good that Quila and her Papa get a little bit of happiness.

I really l enjoyed reading this book because in this book you have no idea what will happen next, unlike most books. I would recommend it to anyone who likes good, short, and fast books because it is 112 pages long but you get through it very fast and it's also very, very good.