Becca Fair and Foul

Gr 3–6-Readers who enjoyed Baker's earlier novel, Becca at Sea, will delight in continuing the seaside adventures in this sequel. Becca is back on her grandmother's island home in British Columbia, this time with many more friends, human and animal. Becca and her friend Jane are determined to put on a play to raise money for a new boat (after a slightly hair-raising seafaring escapade aboard the Glaucous Gull, Becca's grandmother's secondhand dinghy.) Play rehearsals are intermixed with adventures hunting owls, nighttime beach sleepovers, mysterious sounds from beneath the outdoor bathroom, and a baby eagle learning to fly. Becca's Aunt Fifi, a college professor, is also back on the island. Then there's Merlin, the only plumber on the island, who has strong views on Shakespeare. The gentle plot has a light, episodic rhythm, unique characters, and a vivid setting rich in the beauty and danger of the natural world. Readers who like Sharon Creech will wholly enjoy Baker's sympathetic and knowledgeable descriptions of animal behavior and encounters. Similarly, fans of L.M. Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables" series will appreciate the wondrous descriptions of rural island life.