Elizabeth’s Landing

Debut novelist Pye presents a quiet, touching story of fighting for what one believes in, set in the spring of 2010 on the Gulf Coast. Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Barker’s move from Missouri to Port Winston, Tex., has left her with no friends and little peace of mind. Her mother is constantly away on magazine assignments, her father is too busy to spend time with her, and her grandfather (whose heart attack was the reason they moved in the first place) constantly gives “I know best” lectures that tend to revolve around her. After saving a sea turtle and her clutch of eggs from a group of older kids on ATVs, Elizabeth begins to volunteer at the local marine science center and gains new friends in the process. When the turtle’s nesting ground is threatened, Elizabeth has to find the strength and confidence to stand up to corruption. Elizabeth sometimes acts young for her age, but Pye is in tune with the novel’s Gulf setting, highlighting the diverse perspectives of those who call the Gulf home while capably juggling the events that shape Elizabeth’s world. Ages 10–up. (BookLife)