Red Palms

If you liked Forever by Judy Blume, and The Cay by Theodore Taylor, you will absolutely LOVE Red Palms by Cara Haycak. I did!

Haycak, Cara. Red Palms. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2004. Print.

Blume, Judy. Forever: A Novel. Scarsdale, N.Y: Bradbury Press, 1975. Print

Taylor, Theodore. The Cay. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday, 1969. Print.

Here's what the critics had to say about Cara Haycak's unique coming of age story set in an exotic island off the coast of Ecuador:

"Readers will be enchanted by the exotic, magical qualities of this coming-of-age story. Unique and beautifully written." --Kirkus Reviews.

"Haycak serves up a rich literary stew, like a chef who throws all her ingredients into the pot at once." --Voice of Youth Advocates.

"Haycak writes a captivating, insightful story, and the vividly evoked setting, cultural specifics, and strong characterizations distinguish this inventive, ambitious effort from a talented new author." --Gillian Engberg, Booklist.

By the way, Cara the Author is really fun. I had the pleasure of sitting next to the author at my friend Dib Ziade's 50th birthday party. Cara named a character in Red Palms after Señor Ziade!