A National Book Award Longlist title!
""A wondrous book, wise and wild and deeply true."" —Kelly Barnhill, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon
""This is one of those books that haunts you long after you read it. Thought-provoking and magical."" —Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series
In the tradition of modern-day classics like Sara Pennypacker's Pax and Lois Lowry's The Giver comes a deep, compelling, heartbreaking, and completely one-of-a-kind novel about nine children who live on a mysterious island.
On the island, everything is perfect. The sun rises in a sky filled with dancing shapes; the wind, water, and trees shelter and protect those who live there; when the nine children go to sleep in their cabins, it is with full stomachs and joy in their hearts.
And only one thing ever changes: on that day, each year, when a boat appears from the mist upon the ocean carrying one young child to join them—and taking the eldest one away, never to be seen again.
Today’s Changing is no different. The boat arrives, taking away Jinny’s best friend, Deen, replacing him with a new little girl named Ess, and leaving Jinny as the new Elder. Jinny knows her responsibility now—to teach Ess everything she needs to know about the island, to keep things as they’ve always been.
But will she be ready for the inevitable day when the boat will come back—and take her away forever from the only home she’s known?
""A unique and compelling story about nine children who live with no adults on a mysterious island. Anyone who has ever been scared of leaving their family will love this book"" (from the Brightly.com review, which named Orphan Island a best book of 2017).
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“Kim Mai Guest captivates listeners with her narration of Snyder’s wondrous story…Guest incorporates a different tone and pace for each of the story’s nine (later 10) consistently portrayed characters, adjusting her voice to embody a variety of ages, personalities, and attitudes. As the mystery of the island unfolds, Guest brings Jinny and Ess’s many adventures and mishaps to life. Narrating from Jinny’s perspective, Guest’s tone slowly changes over the course of the story after Jinny makes a decision that brings chaos to the orphans’ home. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
“A wondrous book, wise and wild and deeply true.”
— Kelly Barnhill, Newbery Medal–winning author“Through the precocious Jinny, Snyder delivers a contemplative commentary on the transition from childhood to adolescence and from ignorance to awareness…The dissonance Jinny feels is universal, and Snyder’s skillful storytelling and lyrical writing heighten its impact.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“The premise is intriguing, the writing is strong, and the tight pacing will keep readers fully engaged…For readers who are interested in dystopian landscapes.”
— School Library Journal“This charming, engrossing tale set in a vividly realized world is expertly paced and will appeal to fans of wilderness adventure stories and character-driven relationship novels alike.”
— Kirkus ReviewsBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Laurel Snyder is a poet, essayist, and author of picture books and novels for children, including Orphan Island, The Longest Night, Bigger than a Bread Box, and Seven Stories Up. She is also the editor of the nonfiction anthology Half/Life: Jew-ish Tales from Interfaith Homes, a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and a commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered.
Kim Mai Guest is an award-winning voice actor for audiobooks and video games. She can also be heard on television shows, such as G.I. Joe: Renegades, Batman: the Brave and the Bold, and Avatar, and in movies such asChill Out Scooby Doo and Dead Space: Aftermath. Her video game work includes Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, and The Lord of the Rings.