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Friends for a Season #1
Island Girl: Forever Friends
Was she going to be a new friend? Or was she going to take away everyone and everything Meg loved?
Every summer thirteen-year-old Meg returns to the berry fields of her grandparents' farm on Sauvie Island, Oregon. But this year, everything is different. With her mother remarried and a new baby on the way, Meg isn't quite sure where she fits in the family anymore. And now the comfortable familiarity of the farm has changed, too. There is a new girl, Tia...and she obviously holds a special place in Meg's grandparents' hearts.
Meg faces the challenge of figuring out what life, family, friendship, and boyfriends are all about. In order to thrive, she
must learn the importance of her unique characteristics and God's plan for her life. But could she lose everything in return for living by faith?
Every summer thirteen-year-old Meg returns to the berry fields of her grandparents' farm on Sauvie Island, Oregon. But this year, everything is different. With her mother remarried and a new baby on the way, Meg isn't quite sure where she fits in the family anymore. And now the comfortable familiarity of the farm has changed, too. There is a new girl, Tia...and she obviously holds a special place in Meg's grandparents' hearts.
Meg faces the challenge of figuring out what life, family, friendship, and boyfriends are all about. In order to thrive, she
must learn the importance of her unique characteristics and God's plan for her life. But could she lose everything in return for living by faith?
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
13 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Byrd
75 books1,013 followersThe author of more than fifty books, Sandra’s work has received many awards, nominations, and accolades, including a starred review-PW Pick from Publishers Weekly and multiple starred reviews and Best Book selections from Library Journal. Other awards include the Historical Novel Society’s Editor’s Choice, two Christy Awards nominations, a BookPage Top Pick for Romance, and inclusion on Booklist’s Top Ten Inspirational Books of the Year list.
A dedicated foodie, Sandra cooks through the topic and location of every book she writes. In addition, she collects vintage glass and service ware in her free time, loves long walks with her husband, and Sunday Suppers with her growing family.
Reach Sandra Here: https://linktr.ee/sandrabyrd
A dedicated foodie, Sandra cooks through the topic and location of every book she writes. In addition, she collects vintage glass and service ware in her free time, loves long walks with her husband, and Sunday Suppers with her growing family.
Reach Sandra Here: https://linktr.ee/sandrabyrd
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 21, 2021
About this book:
“Every summer thirteen-year-old Meg returns to the berry fields of her grandparents’ Oregon farm. But this year everything is different. Back home, her mother is remarried with a new baby on the way, and Meg isn’t sure where she fits in the family anymore. And now the comfortable familiarity of the farm has changed, too. There’s a new girl, Tia, whose father has been hired to run the farm—a job Meg had hoped her army colonel dad would take over when he retires.
During this season of growth, Meg faces the challenges of figuring out what life, family, and friendships are all about. And like the vines in her grandfather’s fields, Meg strives to be a strong branch that bears sweet, plentiful fruit.”
Series: Book #1 in the “Friends for a Season” series.
Spiritual Content- Matthew 10:39 at the end & Galatians 5:22-23a on the back cover; Scriptures are read, mentioned, & thought over; Prayers; Talks about God; Most ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Meg wants to find out what God thinks, but without her Grammy’s help; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, hymns, youth groups, & pastors; Mentions of a devotional; Mentions of VBS; A few mentions of Christians; A couple mentions of Scriptures; A mention of a Bible; A mention of a blessing.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’; A bit of eye rolling; Mentions of prejudice & people not welcoming newcomers to the area; A few mentions of pain & injuries; A few mentions of a thief & stealing money; A couple mentions of burping; A mention of throwing up;
*Note: Meg’s parents are divorced and her mother has remarried; A few mentions of Nike shoes & Nordstrom Rack; A few mentions of car brands & a phone brand; A couple mentions of movies; A mention of a Brownie troop.
Sexual Content- A bit of noticing a boy & a boy noticing Meg; A couple winks & blushing; Sitting near a boy & warmth; Some jealousy; Mentions of a secret admirer & wondering if it’s from a certain boy; Mentions of puberty, figures, shaving/hair, & zits (Meg hates her hair on her arms & Tia comments on the mustache she thinks she (Tia) has; They try waxing Meg’s arm hair and Tia’s “mustache” off; Meg comments that she likes how an apron makes her waist look smaller); Mentions of cute boys, crushes, & blushes; Mentions of jealousy;
*Note: Meg thinks about wanting to stay at a special hotel for her wedding night (which won’t be for a long time); Meg thinks about putting strawberry juice on her lips (to look like lipstick) when a boy comes over again; A mention of butting into someone’s life; A mention of modesty.
-Meg West, age 13
1st person P.O.V. of Meg
235 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Three Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
At first, I wasn’t sure about the diversity in this book and how it was shown, but by the end, Meg learns about the culture of her new friend and her family that are from Mexico. I think it was done well without stereotyping, but I would recommend a parent to read this one before a young girl to make sure it’s okay for your family.
As far as the rest of the story, it took me a bit to get into it, but the ending was good and I liked seeing Meg and Tia’s friendship grow.
Link to review:
Coming soon.
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
“Every summer thirteen-year-old Meg returns to the berry fields of her grandparents’ Oregon farm. But this year everything is different. Back home, her mother is remarried with a new baby on the way, and Meg isn’t sure where she fits in the family anymore. And now the comfortable familiarity of the farm has changed, too. There’s a new girl, Tia, whose father has been hired to run the farm—a job Meg had hoped her army colonel dad would take over when he retires.
During this season of growth, Meg faces the challenges of figuring out what life, family, and friendships are all about. And like the vines in her grandfather’s fields, Meg strives to be a strong branch that bears sweet, plentiful fruit.”
Series: Book #1 in the “Friends for a Season” series.
Spiritual Content- Matthew 10:39 at the end & Galatians 5:22-23a on the back cover; Scriptures are read, mentioned, & thought over; Prayers; Talks about God; Most ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Meg wants to find out what God thinks, but without her Grammy’s help; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, hymns, youth groups, & pastors; Mentions of a devotional; Mentions of VBS; A few mentions of Christians; A couple mentions of Scriptures; A mention of a Bible; A mention of a blessing.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’; A bit of eye rolling; Mentions of prejudice & people not welcoming newcomers to the area; A few mentions of pain & injuries; A few mentions of a thief & stealing money; A couple mentions of burping; A mention of throwing up;
*Note: Meg’s parents are divorced and her mother has remarried; A few mentions of Nike shoes & Nordstrom Rack; A few mentions of car brands & a phone brand; A couple mentions of movies; A mention of a Brownie troop.
Sexual Content- A bit of noticing a boy & a boy noticing Meg; A couple winks & blushing; Sitting near a boy & warmth; Some jealousy; Mentions of a secret admirer & wondering if it’s from a certain boy; Mentions of puberty, figures, shaving/hair, & zits (Meg hates her hair on her arms & Tia comments on the mustache she thinks she (Tia) has; They try waxing Meg’s arm hair and Tia’s “mustache” off; Meg comments that she likes how an apron makes her waist look smaller); Mentions of cute boys, crushes, & blushes; Mentions of jealousy;
*Note: Meg thinks about wanting to stay at a special hotel for her wedding night (which won’t be for a long time); Meg thinks about putting strawberry juice on her lips (to look like lipstick) when a boy comes over again; A mention of butting into someone’s life; A mention of modesty.
-Meg West, age 13
1st person P.O.V. of Meg
235 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Three Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
At first, I wasn’t sure about the diversity in this book and how it was shown, but by the end, Meg learns about the culture of her new friend and her family that are from Mexico. I think it was done well without stereotyping, but I would recommend a parent to read this one before a young girl to make sure it’s okay for your family.
As far as the rest of the story, it took me a bit to get into it, but the ending was good and I liked seeing Meg and Tia’s friendship grow.
Link to review:
Coming soon.
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
July 2, 2025
No wonder I used to read this book every summer as a teen! The 5 stars might be a bit generous but it made me so nostalgic. It’s such a sweet and cozy read! 🍓
May 22, 2019
Thirteen-year-old Meg likes spending summers with her grandparents on Sauvie Island, Oregon. She enjoys being on their berry farm, far from her busy life in Seattle. This summer promises to be the most interesting yet, because Meg has major changes ahead. Her mom and stepdad are expecting a baby, and Meg's dad is about to come to a decision about his military career.
Meg knows that, at the end of the summer, she needs to decide whether to live with her mom, or move to Oregon and help her dad take over the farm. When she arrives at her grandparents', Meg finds changes. Her grandfather has hired an overseer for the farm. The man comes from Mexico and his family is here for the summer, including his thirteen-year-old daughter Tia. Everyone expects Meg and Tia to become fast friends, but their cultural differences seem to get in the way at every turn. Can the girls forge an understanding, if only for the summer?
This is the first book in a great new series, Friends for a Season, in which girls from different backgrounds find common ground. Meg truly has a dilemma about where to live. Her decision is one that more and more teens need to make these days, so it's easy to relate to the difficulty she has in choosing. Tia is a fascinating character who brings an interesting dimension to the story. Readers will learn about things like a quincanera from Tina, and about running from Meg.
A spiritual element comes into the story, because Meg is also trying to discover where she fits in with God. She studies Bible verses, dealing with being a vine and with the fruits of the spirit. Many of her experiences relate her faith journey to the farm and growing fruit. The book is not preachy, but presents a teen's point-of-view in learning about God. Island Girl is a shining beginnning to this new series, and I look forward to reading more of these touching stories.
Meg knows that, at the end of the summer, she needs to decide whether to live with her mom, or move to Oregon and help her dad take over the farm. When she arrives at her grandparents', Meg finds changes. Her grandfather has hired an overseer for the farm. The man comes from Mexico and his family is here for the summer, including his thirteen-year-old daughter Tia. Everyone expects Meg and Tia to become fast friends, but their cultural differences seem to get in the way at every turn. Can the girls forge an understanding, if only for the summer?
This is the first book in a great new series, Friends for a Season, in which girls from different backgrounds find common ground. Meg truly has a dilemma about where to live. Her decision is one that more and more teens need to make these days, so it's easy to relate to the difficulty she has in choosing. Tia is a fascinating character who brings an interesting dimension to the story. Readers will learn about things like a quincanera from Tina, and about running from Meg.
A spiritual element comes into the story, because Meg is also trying to discover where she fits in with God. She studies Bible verses, dealing with being a vine and with the fruits of the spirit. Many of her experiences relate her faith journey to the farm and growing fruit. The book is not preachy, but presents a teen's point-of-view in learning about God. Island Girl is a shining beginnning to this new series, and I look forward to reading more of these touching stories.
January 5, 2011
Cute book; quick read. Not quite a four-star, but almost. :) I would categorize this as YA fiction...and one I'm definitely saving for my daughter when she gets older. Nice book of teenage friendship, crushes, changes in the world (with nice lessons built in), and family dynamics.
March 17, 2024
I love Sandra Byrds writing!
September 24, 2024
A nice, wholesome “coming of age” story.
October 27, 2008
Island Girl by Sandra Byrd is a sweet story about a girl’s search for herself. Meg spends every summer on her grandparents berry farm. This year many things have changed. Her mother is remarried with a new baby on the way and a new family lives on the farm. Tia’s father has been hired to run the farm since Grandpa is getting too old and Meg’s dad isn’t around to help. Meg worried that Tia has replaced her.
Meg finds a plaque that belonged to her father as a boy and memorizes the verse inscribed on it: Galatians 5: 22-23a. For the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Meg vows to make choices in her life that bears good fruit. She befriends Tia and the two start a summer business together selling berries and smoothies. Many problems come their way, but Meg continually reminds herself of the fruit of the spirit, determined to make choices that bear sweet, plentiful fruit.
I enjoyed this story of a girl trying to enjoy her summer vacation, working hard at a summer job, but fearing the future. A big choice lay ahead as to where Meg will live? Will she go back to her mom and the new baby? Or will she stay with her dad and help on the berry farm? Besides this tough decision, Meg faces everyday decisions about whether or not to take a comment too hard, whether or not to be jealous of Tia, whether or not to work with Tia or run on the cross country team with cute Charlie Richards. Meg faces each dilemma in a believable manner and doesn’t always do the right thing. I loved her for it. Her honesty was a delight to read. I highly recommend this book to girls looking for a fun, sweet story.
Meg finds a plaque that belonged to her father as a boy and memorizes the verse inscribed on it: Galatians 5: 22-23a. For the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Meg vows to make choices in her life that bears good fruit. She befriends Tia and the two start a summer business together selling berries and smoothies. Many problems come their way, but Meg continually reminds herself of the fruit of the spirit, determined to make choices that bear sweet, plentiful fruit.
I enjoyed this story of a girl trying to enjoy her summer vacation, working hard at a summer job, but fearing the future. A big choice lay ahead as to where Meg will live? Will she go back to her mom and the new baby? Or will she stay with her dad and help on the berry farm? Besides this tough decision, Meg faces everyday decisions about whether or not to take a comment too hard, whether or not to be jealous of Tia, whether or not to work with Tia or run on the cross country team with cute Charlie Richards. Meg faces each dilemma in a believable manner and doesn’t always do the right thing. I loved her for it. Her honesty was a delight to read. I highly recommend this book to girls looking for a fun, sweet story.
January 29, 2021
This was a cute book. :) Meg is a 13 year old girl who lives with her mom and stepdad, with a baby brother or sister on the way. She spends every summer on her Grammy and Papa's farm, but this summer is different. She has a choice to make, whether she should continue living with her mom and stepdad, or move in with her dad, who could either retire or continue on in military service. Also, Tia, whose dad works for Meg's Papa since Papa is getting too old for hard farm work, lives down the road. Tia first comes off as unfriendly, but she and Meg soon become friends. Added to that, she's having different feelings about her childhood friend Charlie. This is a sweet book, and the Fruits of the Spirit things in it were very cool, and not in your face like some tend to be.
October 13, 2009
I would have given this book a five, except it started of slowly.
Lots of great lessons in the book. It covers the fruits of the spirit without being over the top. Choosing your own path, being gracious, putting others first, and respecting your elders are all covered in a way that pushes the story forward rather than hindering the plot.
Lots of great lessons in the book. It covers the fruits of the spirit without being over the top. Choosing your own path, being gracious, putting others first, and respecting your elders are all covered in a way that pushes the story forward rather than hindering the plot.
February 18, 2009
This was definitely pretty cute. Though, the name doesn't appeal to me. I remembered it and tried to think 'did I read that?'. Can't have everything.
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February 27, 2010F BYR ffas bk.1
April 21, 2012
This book was cute :)
October 7, 2012
I really liked the book and I recommend it to others.
July 24, 2012
i think its a really good book for anyone to read =]
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews