Becca Fair and Foul, by Deirdre Baker. Groundwood, 2018. $16.95 ages 9 and up

"The story had three kinds of people - romantic ones and mopey ones and funny ones. There was a magician, two sweethearts, and a sprite named Ariel, and a group of shipwrecked noblemen who sat around a lot, and a monster-fish-man named Caliban, and a couple of clowns who sang, danced, stole laundry and tried to take over the island. It took ages to read it out loud. The sea, which started out way far away in the regions of sand dollars ... "

After reading Becca At Sea (Groundwood, 2007) and loving it, I was keen to meet up with Becca and her unconventional family and friends once more. I was not disappointed. It's a great summer read and will be welcomed by those who love the sea, life in the natural world, and books about growing up.

The first scenes feature Becca and her friend Jane as they take Gran's boat on an independent sail away from the island where they are living. It does not go well; the two must deal with the consequences of not following Gran's rules about sailing on their own. They are no longer allowed to be on the boat without supervision.

Fine! They will make enough money to buy their own boat, which they will then control! It is easier said than done, as one might imagine. The island community offers little in the way of making the money the young girls need to make that dream come true. After Jane's experience performing in a school production of The Tempest, they decide to put on the play for the entertainment of the island's residents. Again, easier said than done. There are a lot of hurdles to clear: a lack of actors, time to rehearse, the demands Gran makes for chores to be done before anything else, the arrival of relatives, the day-to-day minutiae of island life. There are eagles, an owl, a dead bear, the eccentric Merlin, a bicycle accident, and other small, meaningful adventures.

The island setting, the quirky characters, the humor and drama, and the many events that reflect a look back to the past make this a readable and enjoyable tale.