Welcome to Rock Island, Where Time Stands Still!

The Fletchers are back on Rock Island, home of all their best summer memories. But from their first day on vacation, it’s clear that this year, things have changed. Their favorite lighthouse is all boarded up‘ and the Fletcher boys can’t figure out why or how to save it. Add a dose of Shakespeare, a very tippy kayak, a video camera, (maybe, possibly, or not) a swimming cat, and some new neighbors, and the recipe for a crazy vacation is complete.

Over the course of the summer, the Fletchers will learn that sometimes, even in a place where time stands still, the wildest, weirdest, and most wonderful surprises await.

Along with their Dad and Papa, the kids of the Family Fletcher are back on Rock Island, but there have been some unwelcome changes since their last visit. Happy summer adventure of a cheerful family with two dads.

This is the second book of the Family Fletcher. It’s helpful to have read book one just to know the characters and dynamics of the family, but you could read them in any order. This novel is as much fun as the first.

The Fletchers spend every August on Rock Island. Papa has done so his entire life and passes this tradition down to his boys. I love the Fletchers: two dads, four adopted boys of differing ethnic heritages, two cats, and one dog. Just getting on the ferry to the island is an endeavor--luggage and animal cages and four kids! They finally arrive. They expect the summer to be like the others, but the lighthouse next to their house has a fence around it. The boys are devastated. Come to discover, an artist bought the lighthouse and was injured; it’s been deemed unsafe and may have to be torn down. Another change is they have neighbors--two kids! One of the kids likes gross stuff like Jax does, so they become instant friends. One is determined to be a professional in the movie industry, taping everything.

The month of August becomes a busy month. The Fletcher boys decide to solve the problems of the lighthouse. They try to raise money but quickly realize that it would be hard to raise millions in a few weeks. They also don’t trust the artist and decide to follow him around. He never seems to actually paint anything, so is he a real artist as he claims? Sam actually finds himself bored one day and ends up at the theatre. He participates in an improv exercise and ends up playing a character in the summer Shakespeare play.

The antics of the boys and the lighthouse dilemma make for a very fun, light, and satisfying reading experience. You won’t be surprised by the ending, but you’ll have a nice time getting there. I like the diversity that this book represents without “overdoing it.” ( )

The Fletcher family - Dad, Papa, Sam, Jax, Eli, and Frog... as well as pet cats and dog - return in this second middle-grade novel devoted to their adventures. Heading to Rock Island, where they have always spent their Augusts swimming and surfing, the Fletcher brothers are dismayed to discover that this summer holiday will be a little different than that of previous years. To begin with, the lighthouse right next to their cottage, where they are used to playing, has been fenced off, and might be in danger of being demolished. Then there's the Galindo children, who are spending some time at the nearest cottage to the Fletcher's own, and who at first seem rather annoying. Fortunately the Fletcher boys soon discover that their neighbors are good friends, whilst also realizing that the artist intent on buying (and possibly destroying) the lighthouse is not. Can the Fletchers and Galindos do anything to stop him...?

A lighthearted summer read with some serious moments as well, The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island is an engaging follow-up to its predecessor, The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher. Levy delivers an amusing and believable family story here, revisiting all of the main characters from her first book (save neighbor Mr. Nelson), and adding a few new ones. I continue to think that she ably captures the different perspectives of her four boy protagonists, and appreciate the fact that the Fletchers' status as a family with same-sex parents is not the narrative focus, but just one characteristic of this non-traditional but nevertheless perfectly normal family. I also appreciate that the realities of racism, something not addressed in the first novel, do intrude in this story, as Jax (who is African-American) and his friend Alex (Latino) are misjudged because of the color of their skin. Given that the Fletchers are a multiracial family, it stands to reason that the prejudice of the wider society will eventually be a factor in their lives. Levy does a good job emphasizing the damaging aftereffects of being treated poorly by a bigot - Jax continues to feel terrible about the incident - but doesn't let that one element of the story take over. All in all, this was a very readable sequel, and more than enough to convince me to read the next Family Fletcher story, should one be forthcoming. ( )

The Family Fletcher returns, this time on summer holiday at the cabin Papa had spent his childhood summers. There is a bit of a mystery concerning the lighthouse and there are new characters in the form of new neighbors on the island. Changes are a large part of the story, for better or worse. Didn't slide into this one as easily as the first but a fun story with some thoughtful undertones. ( )