August Isle audiobook

A beautiful middle grade novel about the changes families go through and gaining perspective. Because her parents are busy with work, Miranda is sent to spend a month of her summer at August Isle, an island in Florida, where she stays with her mom’s friend and family. There, she develops a friendship with Sammy, the friend’s daughter, and Miranda learns to face her fear of water with sailing lessons. Though the Isle is new to her, it’s a place her mother knew well, and Miranda is determined to learn more about the reason her mom stopped coming. Through this process, Miranda uncovers a series of mysteries that lead her to learn that families are complex and that “stories change depending on who’s listening to them.” A heartwarming book about fear, bravery, family and perspective that middle grade readers will love. Publishes in April 2019.

A beautiful brilliant story that will stay with you, Miranda, a wonderful, vulnerable heroine estranged from her mother. What starts as s summer story turns into a mystery and twists into a wonderful treatise on family, friendship, and longing to be seen. Al is an amazing writer and this book a must-read!

This book broke my heart in all the best ways! Miranda is a very relatable and likable protagonist, and I found myself rooting for her immediately. Beautiful writing, excellent pacing, and a storyline full of twists and revelations, this story touches on so many important things: what it means to be family, the importance of stories, friendship, and being true to yourself, plus the magic of baking. Highly recommended.

Another wonderful book by Ali Standish. Beautiful writing, a realistic group of kids, and a touch of mystery make this a warm and engaging read. Ali Standish tackles tough topics with lots of heart and just the right amount of grown-up wisdom. A must for every classroom library. Kids will love the story and will relate to the characters fears and frustrations. Teachers will love the discussions it will prompt.

I absolutely loved August Isle! Like Standish' first novel (The Ethan I Was Before), the main character is learning to deal with several tough situations, including some struggles with her family. I appreciate the way that Standish writes about the kind of issues that kids face in real life. The main character, Miranda, spends a summer in August Isle, an island off the coast of Florida, that allows her to grow and explore. But while August Isle might be a new place for her, it's a place her mother knows well and Miranda ends up learning more about her mother in the process. It's hard for kids to see their parents (and even their friends) as complex individuals who are the protagonists of their own stories. I love the way that Standish shows Miranda's perspective change as she learns more about the people around her and begins to understand that all of the side characters in her life are also on their own journeys. I think August Isle is the perfect book for any kid (or adult) who is working through insecurities or who feels out of place in their families. August Isle is a book for any kid who knows they have a good story deep inside them, even if it hasn't happened yet.

August Isle is a beautiful, emotional novel with complex and compelling characters. The central story is about young Miranda, who spends a summer on an island in Florida her mom used to visit frequently, but hasn't been back to for years. Miranda believes her mother has been growing distant from her, and Miranda internalizes that as a fault of her own. As Miranda unravels a series of mysteries over the course of the summer, she learns more about her family, and her mother in particular. I love how Standish shows how both children and adults grapple with the complexities of life. This story addresses real-life issues with heartwarming lessons for all.

BEST BOOK EVER I LOVE IT i would give it a billion stars.

I loved reading August Isle. It has a fun, compelling story-line that kept me questioning and guessing. August Isle completely transported me to another beautiful time and place.

3.75“None of us can escape from the darkness in life, Miranda. But we can choose to look for the stars.”I thought this was very enjoyable in parts! I loved the seaside town setting and the essence of summer days this book embodied. A heartwarming story of loss and learning to move on through telling stories and making memories.

When her mom, a freelance photographer, gets a job in Argentina, and her dad has a big law case to prepare for, it is decided that Miranda, 12, would be sent to stay with her mother's old friend, Aunt Clare on August Isle, where her mother had spent her summers growing up. Miranda has always wondered why her mother threw away the postcards Aunt Clare periodically sent and now that she will be on August Isle, she is determined to find out. And then maybe she can figure out why her mother suddenly began to distance herself from Miranda a few years ago.Miranda had met Aunt Clare and her daughter Sammy four years ago, and the two girls quickly bond again once Miranda arrives on August Isle. Aunt Clare has signed them up for sailing lessons every morning, not knowing that Miranda is deathly afraid of water. And that's where she meets Caleb, who at first makes fun of Miranda for her fear, but soon she, Sammy and Caleb are fast friends.Pretty soon, mysteries are uncovered. First, the three discover an old abandoned house and Miranda is dared to go in. Which she does, but gets caught by an elderly man who is now living there. As punishment for breaking and entering, the three friends have to spend afternoons helping Mr. Taylor unpack his many books, acquired on a sailing trip around the world and writing down the stories he collected from different people and places.They discover the second mystery while walking down the street. There, carved into the sidewalk cement are three names - Clare, Beth, Ben. They know Clare is Sammy's mother, Beth is Miranda's mother, but who is Ben and why have they never heard of him?The third mystery is who is in the lighthouse on Keeper's Island across the water from August Isle. Legend has it that it's haunted, but someone is definitely there at night.While these are the main threads of the story, like summer days, there are other things going on as well. There are the turtle eggs that are getting ready to hatch and be gently guided to the ocean; there are problems between Caleb's parents at home; and my favorite is Miranda learning to bake pies with Aunt Clare's help, something she had always wanted to do with her mother.I've always loved books set in the summer, so August Isle was right up my alley. I particularly liked the companionable way the three kids hung out together, getting ice cream after sailing lessons, and sitting under an old tree eating it, and their secret afternoon visits to Mr. Taylor (this part is never creepy, there is a housekeeper named Betsy always present). I also like how kind the young sailing instructor was about Miranda's fear of water, letting her do it all at her own pace. This is the kind of book my 11-year-old self would have loved to read during the summer when I could whatever I wanted (confession - I still look forward to reading exactly this kind of summer book).I enjoyed watching the mysteries get solved, even though parts of them were very sad, but I really liked Miranda's resolve that from now on she is going to be "Miranda - brave and bold," facing her fears and learning to speak up for herself, even though sometimes it was really hard. Sammy, who is part Indian, part white, has always felt too white in India and too Indian in America, struggles to come to terms with her identity, even though she has always being proud of her Indian heritage.On the whole, August Isle was a wonderfully inspiring book to read and although Standish has used the usual tropes of family, identity, overcoming fear, and finding courage, she's managed to give them all a new look. Young readers are sure to count Miranda, Sammy, and Caleb among their book friends at summer's end.This book is recommended for readers age 9+This book was borrowed from the NYPL

"None of us can escape from the darkness in life, Miranda. But we can always choose to look for the stars." I don't know how to explain my love for this book. It's been a long time I read a middle grade book that left a huge mark in me. The Secret Summer left me the same feeling as when I finished reading The Apple Tart of Hope. It warmth my heart more than I ever knew it could.First of all, oh my gosh! The writing in this book??!!!!!!!!! I believe she could write any stories and I'd ended up crying anyway. It is so heartfelt and so beautiful! "There was a good kind of fear that made you careful. The kind that kept you on your guard when walking through a dark forest, or that made you remember to wear your life jacket on the water. And then there was the kind that held you back. The kind that kept you from going to school and had kept me frozen on the beach that first lesson. If you let that kind of fear take over, you could stay frozen forever - never changing, never growing. Never feeling the wind on your face or learning down to let the water rush between your fingers as you skimmed over the waves." The Secret Summer is the UK edition of August Isle. It is a story about a girl name Miranda who is struggling to understand whether her mom loved her, as she is mostly away to work. So one day Miranda was sent to August Isle for a month, where Aunt Clare (who is her mom's best friend, but not her real aunt lives, along with Clare's daughter, Sammy). This because Miranda's parents had important job. And the story goes from there, in August Isle.This is a story about family and friendships. About being brave and bold. But it is also a story that is dealing with guilt, death, and grief. How it feels like to have a guilt within you, to regret things you've done, to lost someone, to have a courage to live. There is nothing I did not like about this book. The beautiful thing is that Ali Standish know how to dealt and present the issue in a gentle way. No, I did not mean that everything is sugar coated so that it looks easy and all rainbow. What I meant is that Ali Standish manage to talk such hard topics, the messiness of life and explain it in a gentle way.The friendships between Miranda, Sammy and Caleb, is just amazing! Everyone need a Miranda, Sammy and Caleb in their life. I am sure you'd agree with me if you have read the book :) "Being brave wasn't just about overcoming your own fears, I decided. It was about standing up for our friends, too." All of the characters in this book has something to give, and even though there are many characters, I remember who is who straight away. And I love every single one of them. I also love the different kind of relationships presents in this book. It shows the flaw, the realness, the human-ness of a human, that makes this book feels soooo real. There is nothing I did not like about this book, and I will keep their story in my heart forever and ever. Please someone send me to August Isle!Ali Standish, you are amazing!

i loved this book, a relationship between a daughter and mother is on stake for Miranda to find out her mothers secret.....and how miranda overcomes a fear, i really did enjoy the suspense, the supportive friends and family, and how Miranda puts aside her fear to learn the truth....... Enjoy :)

Heartfelt and relatable for both kids and adults. Miranda’s growth, realizations, and change were a lovely progression, and the supporting characters were just as well-developed. Will definitely add to my class library when it’s out this spring.