Lorinda's Diary

Jean Free, a library consultant, is a retired public-school teacher and
librarian in Whitby, Ontario.

Thirteen-year-old Lorinda’s grandfather has come from Vancouver to
Blue Harbour in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, for a six-month visit that has
been extended indefinitely. This new member of the Dauphinee family
creates many problems, as Lorinda discovers that her Grandfather
“seemed to have spent his whole life feeling that he wasn’t number
one with anybody.” During Lorinda’s frequent diary entries, the
reader gains insight into her family, her friendships, and her
similarities to her deceased grandmother. Lorinda writes of her love for
basketball and her difficult friendship with her new classmate, as well
as relationships within her family, making her diary entries a relevant,
believable novel for young people in intermediate grades.

Wilson fans will enjoy this sequel to Mystery Lights at Blue Harbour
and the other books about the Dauphinee family, but the story reads very
well on its own. It would make an interesting novel-study choice for
Grade 7 or 8 students with its sensitive insights into family
relationships and the conflicting emotions of a maturing young girl. Its
diary format could lead to additional student writing of a personal
nature or to discussions of intergenerational relationships and values.

Lorinda’s Diary is tender and sensitive, another fine novel by this
distinguished Canadian writer for young people.