Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo

Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo is a twist on "the castaway landing on a deserted island" theme, a Robinson Crusoe like story set after World War II. My daughter and I just finished it. She is in seventh grade and found the way the boy comes to the island, as well as the ending, a bit hard to accept. I must agree, especially the ending. The interactions between Kensuke and the castaway, Michael, are interesting and make the reader think about what they would do in similar circumstances. The initial language barrier was an intriguing obstacle that was overcome within a rather short period of time, thanks to Morpurgo's creativeness within the story. Overall, we both enjoyed this book and recommend it as an easy, enjoyable read for fourth and fifth graders, or for reluctant readers. It is also for readers seeking a Hi/Lo book.