Nim’s Island was written by Wendy Orr and illustrated by Kerry Millard. It is realistic fiction. It was published by Yearling, w division of Random House in 1999.
This is a novel about a little girl named Nim and her father, Jack who both live on a secret island. They have their whole lives set up with a garden and a pool to drink from and a satellite for cell phones and internet and everything. One day Jack leaves Nim on the island for a few days to go and gather science research on plankton. Nim knows she’ll be fine on her own because her sea lion friend, Selkie and her iguana friend, Fred will look after her. She starts to get worried after a few days when Jack’s cell phone isn’t working anymore. In the meantime she is checking the e-mail for Jack and gets one from a famous adventure story writer name Alex Rover. Nim starts a conversation with Alex about floating coconut rafts and living on the island and both of them have the wrong impression of the other. As Nim gets more and more worried, Alex starts to realize that Nim isn’t kidding and that she is really all alone on an island right at the same time Nim realizes that Alex is indeed a woman and not the adventurer she thought Alex was. Nim knows that her father is ok because they have been sending letters through the frigate birds, but she is still worried. Alex decides that she cannot leave Nim on the island by herself any longer so she sets off on the first true adventure of her life. On the day Alex and Jack are both supposed to arrive at the island there is a terrible storm and the whole island is wrecked. Nim hides in the emergency cave until she realizes that Alex needs help and then she ventures out to save her. Nim and Selkie struggle to get to Alex and then the three of them struggle to make it back to the island, even with the help of a giant sea turtle and a coconut raft. In the end it is the coconut rafts that first bonded Alex and Nim that save their lives as well as Jack’s life. This adventurous story ends with all three of them, Jack, Nim and Alex living happy and exploratory lives on their own private island, just the way Nim likes it.
This was such a fun-filled and exciting novel. I was instantly drawn to the idea of a little girl getting to live with her father on a beautiful island full of animal friends. Kids will love this story about this daring girl and her experiences living by herself on an island for a few days. The thing I kept thinking about was being afraid. I have always been afraid of the dark and afraid to even be the last one to go to bed in my house, much less the only one to go to bed in my house. But Nim isn’t really afraid of that. I realized that there aren’t robbers or murders or normal things to be afraid of on an island that no one knows about. This was a novel concept for me. I really liked the freedom that Nim has being on an island with just her father all the time. I grew up in a suburb off of a big city so I would have no idea how to live like Nim, but the idea is endearing. A huge part of this book is the idea that no kid is too young to do big things and be brave in any situation. Nim rescues Alex from a storm that not many people would venture out into. I especially loved the friendships in this book. Nim found friendship, love and comfort from the most unexpected creatures. Chica is a sea turtle who only comes around once a year, but Nim loves her because she is such a great listener. Fred is an iguana who loves coconut and is always there for Nim to have company and talk to. Selkie is a protective sea lion who will cuddle with Nim anytime she is scared and take care of her even when she doesn’t think she needs taking care. This book really shows the importance of companionship in any form and the value of pets in a child’s life.
This book would be great to teach kids about practical things like survival skills. Learning how to build a fire and cook your own food is fun and useful for anyone. This book could lead into science lessons about foreign animals and food in nature that is available. A cool field trip to link to it could be a camping trip for students at the end of the year.
This is a novel about a little girl named Nim and her father, Jack who both live on a secret island. They have their whole lives set up with a garden and a pool to drink from and a satellite for cell phones and internet and everything. One day Jack leaves Nim on the island for a few days to go and gather science research on plankton. Nim knows she’ll be fine on her own because her sea lion friend, Selkie and her iguana friend, Fred will look after her. She starts to get worried after a few days when Jack’s cell phone isn’t working anymore. In the meantime she is checking the e-mail for Jack and gets one from a famous adventure story writer name Alex Rover. Nim starts a conversation with Alex about floating coconut rafts and living on the island and both of them have the wrong impression of the other. As Nim gets more and more worried, Alex starts to realize that Nim isn’t kidding and that she is really all alone on an island right at the same time Nim realizes that Alex is indeed a woman and not the adventurer she thought Alex was. Nim knows that her father is ok because they have been sending letters through the frigate birds, but she is still worried. Alex decides that she cannot leave Nim on the island by herself any longer so she sets off on the first true adventure of her life. On the day Alex and Jack are both supposed to arrive at the island there is a terrible storm and the whole island is wrecked. Nim hides in the emergency cave until she realizes that Alex needs help and then she ventures out to save her. Nim and Selkie struggle to get to Alex and then the three of them struggle to make it back to the island, even with the help of a giant sea turtle and a coconut raft. In the end it is the coconut rafts that first bonded Alex and Nim that save their lives as well as Jack’s life. This adventurous story ends with all three of them, Jack, Nim and Alex living happy and exploratory lives on their own private island, just the way Nim likes it.
This was such a fun-filled and exciting novel. I was instantly drawn to the idea of a little girl getting to live with her father on a beautiful island full of animal friends. Kids will love this story about this daring girl and her experiences living by herself on an island for a few days. The thing I kept thinking about was being afraid. I have always been afraid of the dark and afraid to even be the last one to go to bed in my house, much less the only one to go to bed in my house. But Nim isn’t really afraid of that. I realized that there aren’t robbers or murders or normal things to be afraid of on an island that no one knows about. This was a novel concept for me. I really liked the freedom that Nim has being on an island with just her father all the time. I grew up in a suburb off of a big city so I would have no idea how to live like Nim, but the idea is endearing. A huge part of this book is the idea that no kid is too young to do big things and be brave in any situation. Nim rescues Alex from a storm that not many people would venture out into. I especially loved the friendships in this book. Nim found friendship, love and comfort from the most unexpected creatures. Chica is a sea turtle who only comes around once a year, but Nim loves her because she is such a great listener. Fred is an iguana who loves coconut and is always there for Nim to have company and talk to. Selkie is a protective sea lion who will cuddle with Nim anytime she is scared and take care of her even when she doesn’t think she needs taking care. This book really shows the importance of companionship in any form and the value of pets in a child’s life.
This book would be great to teach kids about practical things like survival skills. Learning how to build a fire and cook your own food is fun and useful for anyone. This book could lead into science lessons about foreign animals and food in nature that is available. A cool field trip to link to it could be a camping trip for students at the end of the year.
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