Heart of a Shepherd

The Story Tree: Tales to Read Aloud

The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities: New Stories About Mythic Heroes

The Island

Journey to the River Sea

Little Bigfoot, Big City: The Littlest Bigfoot

Secrets at Sea

The Wind Singer

Annals of the Western Shore

Recently dumped by Jamie, her arrrogant boyfriend, Isabel Bright hopes to take her mind off things on a family holiday on the West Coast of Scotland. But the bleak scenery only makes her feel miserable and bored, and one day, messing about on an empty beach she and her sister, Al, spot an empty bottle. Isabel puts her name and address on a note in the bottle, and stuffs it in the bottle, hurling it far out to sea - not imagining that anyone will find it.
Back home, Isabel throws herself into rehearsals for the school play: Shakespeare's The Tempest. As the lead, Miranda, Isabel is horrified to discover that Jamie has been cast as the male lead and he wants to get back with her. Against her better judgement, Isabel relents . . . but then she receives a letter from a stranger.
Enter Duncan, a 17 year old guy from a Scottish Island, who has found Isabel's message in a bottle. Duncan is funny, friendly and intelligent - and interested in Shakespeare! Isabel and Duncan start writing, then emailing. Bit by bit their lives start to intertwine. Isabel tells herself he's only a friend - probably spotty and geeky! And he lives hundreds of miles away! Then on the last night of the play, Jamie dumps Isabel again, and Duncan is the first person she wants to call to pour her heart out.
But Duncan doesn't answer, his mum does - in a terrible state. Duncan and his dad went fishing and got caught in a violent storm at sea - they haven't come back. Isabel is devastated and keeps an all-night vigil by the phone. When news comes that Duncan is still alive, she throws caution to the wind and jumps on a train to Scotland. But when the two finally meet is it love at first sight?

Discover Your Child's Next Read

Heart of a Shepherd

Rosanne Parry, 2009

The Story Tree: Tales to Read Aloud

Hugh Lupton, Sophie Fatus, 2001

The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities: New Stories About Mythic Heroes

Roshani Chokshi, Rick Riordan, J.C. Cervantes, 2021

The Island

John R Bigonette, 2005

Journey to the River Sea

Eva Ibbotson, Kevin Hawkes, 2001

Little Bigfoot, Big City: The Littlest Bigfoot

Jennifer Weiner, 2017

Secrets at Sea

Richard Peck, Kelly Murphy, 2011

The Wind Singer

William Nicholson, Peter Sís, 2000