Elizabeth Enright - Gone-Away Lake

Pros: Quaint and quirky characters; window on other times; gentle, meandering pace

Cons: May feel dated for some young readers (treat it as historical fiction)

The Bottom Line: I'd like to visit Gone-Away Lake myself!

Review: With summer rapidly drawing to its official close, and fall already feeling like it's here, I'm looking back with nostalgia on some of my happiest summer reading. One of those books was definitely Gone-Away Lake, Elizabeth Enright's 1957 Newbery ...

Pros: Strong sense of mystery and beauty found in ordinary things.

Cons: Butterfly killing, kids making "secret" friends with adults.

The Bottom Line: Gone-Away Lake is an imaginative story for kids in 4th-6th grades. A few issues date it.

Review: Elizabeth Enright is the author of several great books for mid-elementary readers, that may be enjoyed by people far older. "Gone Away Lake" is a Newberry Honor book. She also wrote "Thimble Summer" and the Melendy series- the best of which is "The ...