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gallagirlreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
hckilgour's review against another edition
2.0
This reads like the author was aiming for Anne of Green Gables but missed because Lucy is such a bitch.
So first off, Lucy meets the Martins and introduces herself as a princess. Like wtf. I totally understand channeling your inner princess to help with a situation but, come on. Also she’d switched between the waif and princess personality multiple times in conversation and a part of me wonders if she’s literally just mental.
Also, as one point she gets really excited because Mr Martin says something about your mom in reference to Lucy’s adoptive mother, Mrs Martin, and she’s all excited everyone is seeing her as part of the family. Yet that same day when someone states oh your parents (the Martin’s) are poor, she gets all snooty and is like they’re not my parents.
Also, I get her father drowned. It makes sense to be wary of boats. But to be terrified of water… while on shore?!
The characters are also Ojibwe or partially Ojibwe. But we don’t get much exposition into this and honestly it’s of so little importance through the book that it would’ve been better to be left out.
Also… it’s like 1912… so these people would’ve experienced some pretty bad racism. I get it’s a kids book, so I’m not that upset this aspect was omitted.
So first off, Lucy meets the Martins and introduces herself as a princess. Like wtf. I totally understand channeling your inner princess to help with a situation but, come on. Also she’d switched between the waif and princess personality multiple times in conversation and a part of me wonders if she’s literally just mental.
Also, as one point she gets really excited because Mr Martin says something about your mom in reference to Lucy’s adoptive mother, Mrs Martin, and she’s all excited everyone is seeing her as part of the family. Yet that same day when someone states oh your parents (the Martin’s) are poor, she gets all snooty and is like they’re not my parents.
Also, I get her father drowned. It makes sense to be wary of boats. But to be terrified of water… while on shore?!
The characters are also Ojibwe or partially Ojibwe. But we don’t get much exposition into this and honestly it’s of so little importance through the book that it would’ve been better to be left out.
Also… it’s like 1912… so these people would’ve experienced some pretty bad racism. I get it’s a kids book, so I’m not that upset this aspect was omitted.
cboddie's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
4th-7th
aylea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Lucy is sent to live with a family of lighthouse keepers stationed on Lake Superior. The problem is that she has no interest in living on water when her father died in a shipwreck, possibly searching for a lost necklace that might not even be real. As she’s trying to fit in with the large, hard-working family she now lives live, she struggles to fit in with her daydreaming ways and fear of the water. Lucy wants to find the necklace to feel like her Papa is still around, but she quickly learns she isn’t the only person searching for it, and her search could put the Marin family she lives with out of their home.
This book manages to capture the cozy feeling of reading a book by L.M. Montgomery. Like Anne of Green Gables, Lucy of Lake Superior is a daydreamer who wants family but can get caught up in her own world and forget to pay attention to what is right in front of her. Lucy gets into trouble and isn’t always understood, but she manages to come out on top with her refusal to give up and kindness. Like Anne (and myself as a child), Lucy tries to deal with her fears and challenges through her imagination.
The Martins, in spite of the large number of them, are full of life and character. Lucy grows her relationship with each family member in different ways because they are individuals. Mr. and Mrs. Martin are absolute angel parents to their biological children and the child they take in, even when it is necessary to discipline them. The family is imperfect but good people, and the kind of family Lucy and readers happily want to belong to. Everyone has so much heart and spirit.
The book doesn’t remind me of L.M. Montgomery just because of the characters. The book has a sort of old-fashioned, friendly feel like in books I loved growing up like The Boxcar Children, The Five Little Peppers, Little House on the Prairie, and others that were considered older even when I was reading them. It’s a delight to find a similar book published today. Fans of those books or more recent books like The Penderwicks may enjoy this book.
The book also weaves in Ojibwe history and language naturally, as well as the history of Lake Superior. It’s not a major feature, but readers won’t be able to help learning a little bit about why lighthouses were used on the lake and about some indigenous history.
For me, one potential flaw of the book is its length. It’s short, so it doesn’t have as much time to develop Lucy’s relationship with the Martins or spend a lot of time helping Lucy get over her fears or anything else. There isn’t a lot of explanation, so you have to take everything at face value, which is mostly a flaw because Lucy herself doesn’t always know how to do that. The ending also maybe wraps up a little too nicely compared to a lot of stories today, but it fits well with the cozy, older style of books.
This is a sweet, charming story probably best for upper elementary school students or readers who want to feel a little bit like they did the first time they read about Anne Shirley.
craftymxlibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
4.5
This was a solid and thoroughly enjoyable historical read. It reminded me a lot of classics like Heidi. It's a slice-of-life story about a young girl who has lost both of her parents. Her guardian passes away and she is sent to live with a family her parents were friends with. She tries so desperately to fit in and be loved, but it's a rocky beginning. The way she learns to adapt to life on their island while still keeping the most imaginative parts of her personality dear is so wonderful.
courtenayliz's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
torifaye's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Anytime someone says “it’s an Anne of Green Gables read-a-like” I’m ALWAYS going to read it. I largely agree with that statement.
kerryanndunn's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this story of a highly imaginative orphan whose daydreaming often leads to trouble. She had shades of Anne Shirley, although Anne has more charm and is more sympathetic than Lucy. I think this story missed a great opportunity in educating its readers about the Ojibwe people and culture. It's mentioned many times that the Martin family lighthouse keepers and Lucy are descendants of the Ojibwe and Mr. Martin is teaching some of the old language to the children so they can hold on to their heritage. I loved this representation, but as someone who knows nothing of the Ojibwe myself, I did not learn anything about them from this book. It was very surface and the story suffers from it.
I also felt so sad for poor Lucy. Her mistakes are so huge and no one helps her learn from them. It guilts her into thinking she must make herself useful to be accepted by this new family and I felt that was a very melancholy takeaway for such a young girl.
The lighthouse, the island, the sea, the searching for shipwrecked treasures, all of this was compelling and evocatively written, I just wish some things had been more developed in this story.
I also felt so sad for poor Lucy. Her mistakes are so huge and no one helps her learn from them. It guilts her into thinking she must make herself useful to be accepted by this new family and I felt that was a very melancholy takeaway for such a young girl.
The lighthouse, the island, the sea, the searching for shipwrecked treasures, all of this was compelling and evocatively written, I just wish some things had been more developed in this story.
theofficialzhang's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What an amazing book! Not only was the history well-researched, but I loved the representation and the characters. I am a bit old but I could resonate with Selena's toughness. Also, as a Canadian living near one of the Great Lakes, I always appreciate books set in a place that feels like home. So... yeah... the imagery was really well done!!!
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