Kevin Henkes

Returning to the beach cottage—a cottage named Scallop—where she has always celebrated her birthday is a special occasion for Alice Rice. Who will see the first dolphin this time? The first pelican? What will have changed? Stayed the same? And will this be the year she finally finds a junonia shell? Alice's friends are all returning, too. And she's certain her parents have the best party planned for her. Alice can't wait. If Alice is lucky, everything will be absolutely perfect. Will Alice be lucky?

Junonia

Sarah Sammis

On June 11th, I made Junonia by Kevin Henkes my featured wishlist book. A few days later while checking NetGalley, I saw that I had been invited to review the book. Score!

Alice Rice and her mother and father go to Florida every February for her birthday. This year she is turning ten but things aren't quite the same. Some of her dear friends can't make it this year and another dear friend is brining along a boyfriend and his daughter! It looks like her most important birthday might be a bust.

Perhaps the best way to describe this book (as at least two other reviewers have on GoodReads) is to call it a middle grade Mrs. Dalloway. Just as Mrs. Dalloway is focused on getting ready for her party, so is Alice. There's the same determined sadness to their methods. For Alice, it's the missing friends, the troubled Mallory and her frustration over never finding a junonia.

I've also read reviews saying the book wouldn't appeal to anyone except almost ten year old girls. I disagree. I think anyone, boy or girl, who has had their plans dashed by events out of their control will see themselves in Alice.

I read the book via NetGalley.

Katie Day

** spoiler alert **
           Alice Rice arrives on Sanibel Island for her family's annual vacation in February -- where she always celebrates her birthday amidst the extended family of a holiday camp. This year is her 10th birthday -- but it's intermittently spoiled by various incidents and mishaps.... Re the awakening of the awareness of age... Even her goal of finding the most rare shell, a junonia, is compromised (as one of the neighbor adults buys her one as if to trick her and pretend it came from the sea - though he immediately confesses). Re the pleasures that can be found amidst disappointments. Re the regret of thinking poorly of others. Learning to forgive and focus on the love, not on the imperfections of experience. [One "bloody hell", spoken by a 90-year-old man....]

Junonia

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