Child of St Kilda

Gr 3-5–Waters tells the story of Norman John, the last child born on the island of St. Kilda. The island is about 100 miles away from the coast of Scotland, and at most had a population of around 180 people, though birds and other wildlife proliferated; many still inhabit the island. Now there is only a military base, but the island has been registered as a World Heritage site. Waters describes the challenges of life on St. Kilda as the population dwindled. It was difficult to send out mail, get medical treatment, and obtain supplies due to frequent storms that prevented ships from sailing into port. Eventually, the islanders agreed to leave together and resettle on the coast of Scotland. Beautiful sketch-like drawings and paintings in red, blue, green, yellow, and brown portray the types of wildlife, activities, and culture on the island.