Candle Island

A moving portrait of loss and the restorative power of art from Newbery Honor-winner Lauren Wolk, author of Wolf Hollow and Beyond the Bright Sea. Now in paperback!

* "Readers who enjoy good writing for its own sake and meeting characters who feel like friends by story's end will revel in losing themselves on Candle Island.″ -Booklist, starred review

Lucretia Sanderson has a secret. Lucretia and her mother have come to tiny Candle Island, Maine (Population: Summer, 986; Winter, 315) to escape--escape memories of the car accident that killed her father and escape the journalists that hound her mother, a famous and reclusive artist. The rocky coast and ocean breeze are a welcome respite for Lucretia, who dedicates her summer days to painting, exploring the island, and caring for an orphaned osprey chick. But Candle Island has secrets of its own--a hidden room in her new house, a mysterious boy with a beautiful voice--and just like the strong tides that surround the shores, they will catch Lucretia in their wake.

With an unforgettable New England setting and a complex web of relationships old and new, Candle Island is a powerful story about art, loss, and the power of being true to your own voice.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Published: 04/28/2026
ISBN: 9780593698563
Pages: 352
Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 557257 / Candle Island
Reading Level: 4.4 / Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus / Point Value: 12