Spirit's Key

Reviewed by: Cathy Potter - Falmouth Elementary School, Falmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 10, 2015

Review

Twelve-year old Spirit Holden lives on the secluded Bald Island with her father. Spirit’s father has a special family gift; he can see into the future when he holds a person’s house key. When some island residents mysteriously fall ill, many superstitious residents blame the wild dogs or “baldies” that roam the island. It’s up to Spirit to protect the baldies. The first person narrative allows readers to experience the story through the eyes of Spirit, the strong-willed protagonist. Spirit is surprised when the ghost of her deceased pet baldie appears and leads her to discover the answers to some mysterious events on the island. This unique middle grade novel written in the present tense will appeal to readers who enjoy magical realism and animal stories. The author explains in the Acknowledgements, the island setting is based on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Overall Book Score: good