Twins Gus and Leo and their little sister, Ila, live a quiet life in Maine—until their mother falls ill, and it becomes clear her strength is fading because she is protecting them from a terrible evil.

Soon the children are swept off to a secret island far in the sea, where they discover a hidden grandmother and powers they never knew they had. Like their mother, they are Folk, creatures who can turn between human and animal forms.

Now they must harness their newfound magic for a deeper purpose. The ancient, monstrous King of the Black Lakes will stop at nothing to rise to power, and they are all that stands in his way. Their mother’s life hangs in the balance, and the children must battle this beast to the death—despite a dire prophecy that whoever kills him will die.

Can Gus, Leo, and Ila overcome this villain? Or has he grown too strong to be defeated? Lost Children of the Far Islands is a story filled with magic, excitement, and the dangers and delights of the sea.

Emily Raabe

Emily Raabe lives in New York City with her husband, the filmmaker Paul Devlin. Her novel for children, THE LOST CHILDREN OF THE FAR ISLANDS, will be published in April 2014 by Knopf. Her 2011 book of poems, LEAVE IT BEHIND, was a finalist for the FutureCycle First Book Award. Her poems have appeared in periodicals including The Marlboro Review, Big Ugly Review, Indiana Review, Diner, Chelsea, Alaska Quarterly Review, Gulf Coast, Crab Orchard Review, Antioch Review, and Eleven Eleven. She is also the author of a monograph on the work of the sculptor Lawrence LaBianca.

MY THOUGHTS:
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
Set in mythology, this well-researched book takes place in Maine. The setting is integrated into the narrative effortlessly and smoothly. The heroes of this story are siblings which I absolutely loved!

All the characters are well fleshed out and created realistically. They speak and function as children should. The author’s voice is intoxicating and enthralling making the story grab you from the start and never lets go.

Just the whole family dynamics written in the story is so well done, and each character contributes to the plot ushering the story to its conclusion. There’s plenty of mystery nurtured around secrecy that keeps you guessing and a villain that you love to hate.

There’s lots of magic, and plenty of mishaps and adventures, but this story is truly character driven. The research that had to go into such a book must have been extraordinary and the author did a fantastic job.

This is a great book for young readers and I even enjoyed as a kid-adult! 🙂 I’m so happy that when I saw it on the shelf in a thrift store, I scooped it up. It was published in April of 2014.

I highly recommend this book! I also wonder if there will be others with these characters! ( )

I was approached recently to be a part of Emily Raabe's blog tour for her debut middle grade fantasy novel, Lost Children of the Far Islands, I thought I'd like to be a part of the tour, especially after learning what Emily and her husband are doing. From Boulder, CO to Burlington, VT, they are going on a road trip to visit local, independent bookstores and blogging about their adventures. Isn't that a cool idea? I hadn't heard of her book before, so I'm also always looking for new authors to discover as well, so for me, this was a win-win situation; I get to read a new author, and support her in an amazing adventure!

It turns out that Lost Children of the Far Islands is actually a charming book! It follows the adventures of twins Gus & Leo and their younger sister, Ila, who are whisked off to a remote island off the coast of Maine when their mother falls mysteriously ill. On the island, under the guidance of their grandmother, the Morai, the discover that they are actually descendents of the Folk, magical creatures who can change from human form to that of an animal. It also comes to light that their mother is ill because she's been trying to protect them from the Dobhar-chu, the King of the Black Lakes, who will do anything to break free of his prison (where the Morai has been keeping him in check), and return to power.

Steeped in actual mythological lore, Raabe's book is plenty full of magic and adventure, but it's also full of well-polished characters. We get to see the first hand impressions of the children as they begin to become acquainted with their animal forms, and it's clear that Raabe put a lot of research into the marine life that she presents in her story. The kids themselves also act their various ages, and I liked the quirky tightness of their family. Personally, I think this is a great book for kids and highly recommend it for young readers! ( )