August Isle

*A Junior Library Guild Selection*

From critically acclaimed author Ali Standish (The Ethan I Was Before), this emotional journey follows one girl to a magical seaside town, where she uncovers her family’s long-hidden secrets and ultimately finds truth and redemption.

Fans of Sharon Creech and Rebecca Stead will be captivated by this moving coming of age story filled with warm humor, mystery, whimsy, and characters you can’t let go. A modern classic in the making!

For years, Miranda has stared at postcards of August Isle, Florida. The town where her mother spent her summers as a girl. The town that Miranda has always ached to visit. She just never wanted it to happen this way.

When she arrives on the Isle, alone and uncertain, to stay the summer with an old friend of her mother’s, Miranda discovers a place even more perfect than she imagined. And she finds a new friend in Sammy, “Aunt” Clare’s daughter.

But there is more to August Isle than its bright streets and sandy beaches, and soon Miranda is tangled in a web of family secrets and mysteries. A haunted lighthouse. An old seafarer with something to hide. A name reaching out from her mother’s shadowy past.

As she closes in on answers, Miranda must reckon with the biggest question of all: Is she brave enough to face the truth she might uncover?

“A beautifully written story. An emotional journey of family, friendship, loss, and healing.” —Kirkus

• A Heartfelt Story of Friendship: Alone in a new town, Miranda finds an unlikely friend in the adventurous Sammy, forging a bond that gives her the courage to face the island’s secrets.
• A Middle Grade Mystery: Between a haunted lighthouse, an old seafarer with a shadowy past, and a name her mother tried to forget, Miranda has more questions than answers.
• A Poignant Mother-Daughter Story: To understand the woman her mother is now, Miranda must uncover the truth of the girl she used to be on August Isle.
• An Atmospheric Seaside Setting: From the enchanting August Oak to the sandy beaches, the island is the perfect backdrop for a summer of discovery—and danger.