Junonia

Reach for this book when your child is on the cusp of a milestone birthday and suddenly feels the weight of things changing. It is perfect for the pre-teen who is starting to notice that the world doesnt always look the same as it did when they were smaller. Alice is turning ten, and her annual family vacation to Sanibel Island feels different this year: the rituals are changing, her old friends are growing up, and the rare Junonia shell she craves feels symbolic of her own transition into a new chapter of life. Through Alices quiet observations of the ocean and the people around her, the story explores the bittersweet nature of growing up and the realization that while change is inevitable, it can also be beautiful. It is a gentle, realistic look at the end of childhood innocence and the beginning of a more mature perspective on the world.