Junonia - by Kevin Henkes (Paperback)

About the Book

The week of her 10th birthday, Alice and her parents go to Sanibel Island, Florida, just as they do every year. But this time some of the people who are always there are missing, and some new people have come, which unsettles Alice, who wants things to be exactly the same as they always are. Illustrations.

Book Synopsis

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?

Multiple award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Kevin Henkes brings his insightful, gentle, real-world insight to middle grade novels, including:

Billy Miller Makes a WishBird Lake MoonThe Birthday RoomJunoniaOlive's OceanProtecting MarieSun & SpoonSweeping Up the HeartTwo Under ParWords of StoneThe Year of Billy MillerThe Zebra Wall

From the Back Cover

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?

Review Quotes

"In this introspective story about a child's search for a rare shell, Henkes again displays his ability to find profound meaning in ordinary events. . . . Readers will empathize with Alice's frustrations and relish her moments of joy." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"With tender observations and sensory details, Henkes creates a memorable young individual whose arcadian growing up is authentic and pitch-perfect." - Booklist (starred review)

"Henkes knows that Alice, like many girls her age, carries plenty of things in her mind--and her heart--that she seldom speaks of. She mulls them over privately, and in Henkes's hands, eloquently." - New York Times

"Very few writers have such a keen understanding of the emotional lives of children; here Henkes is at the top of his game." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Alice balances between familiarity and novelty, coziness and independence, self-centeredness and altruism--the balance beam of turning ten. . . . A fully realized, respectful portrait of a childhood milestone." - The Horn Book