Review Detail

Where do I start? I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with ways to give this book the credit it deserves.

Joshua's Island follows two thirteen year olds - Joshua, the school outcast, and Eve, the exiled popular girl. The book has a simple but important message- Bullying should not be tolerated. Ask for help.

Joshua is an extremely relatable character, and Eve is inspirational - to choose the nerdiest kid in school over her new found popularity takes courage and an extremely big heart. They're both well written, believable, and adorable together.

Joshua's fear felt so real, I began to fear for him. Every time he was left alone, I was convinced he was about to get assaulted yet again. And while his bullying was extreme, there are real kids experiencing this kind of fear on a daily basis.

The book is a good example of what SHOULD be done when faced with bullies. I don't have preteens yet, but I will definitely be giving this book to them before they begin high school. I hope that my children grow into the kinds of people who could ask for help if they were in trouble, or would stand up for someone who can't stand up for themselves. I believe this book would teach them how to do that.