From the author of the National Book Award-winning novel Homeless Bird comes a gripping historical novel about a young girl during the British-American War of 1812.

When war erupts between England and America, it brings change and uncertainty, even to Michigan's remote Mackinac Island. For young Mary O'Shea, the hardest change is the departure of her father, who leaves Mackinac to join the American Army. With her sister and brother, Mary must tend the farm, deal with the hardships of British occupation, and hope for the safe return of their father.

With her trademark lyricism, spare prose, and strong young heroine, award-winning author Gloria Whelan has once again taken a chapter from history and transformed it into gripping, accessible historical fiction that is perfect for schools and classrooms, as well as for fans of Ruta Sepetys and Elizabeth Wein.

Author: Gloria Whelan
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 08/09/1996
Pages: 192
Weight: 0.3lbs
Size: 7.60h x 5.16w x 0.46d
ISBN: 9780064406192
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.4
Point Value: 6
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 14799 / Once on This Island


Award: 1996 Great Lakes Book Awards Winner - Children's

About the Author
Whelan, Gloria: -

Gloria Whelan is the bestselling author of many novels for young readers, including Homeless Bird, winner of the National Book Award; Fruitlands: Louisa May Alcott Made Perfect; Angel on the Square; Burying the Sun; Once on This Island, winner of the Great Lakes Book Award; and Return to the Island. She lives in the woods of northern Michigan.