Sunshine by Marion Dane Bauer

When Ben was just three years old his mother left. One day she was there the next she was gone. Ben has spent his life wondering. Why did she leave? Did he do something wrong? Is there something he could do to persuade her to come back? Is any of this connected with his own anxiety? Ben is afraid of heights and the dark.

One of the ways Ben has been able to cope with his life circumstances is through the deep friendship of his beloved dog named Sunshine. 

Now that he is older Ben asks his father if he can spend a week staying with his mother. She lives on a very remote, off grid island in the middle of north Minnesota. His father takes him to meet his mother and she arrives in a small canoe. The journey to her home will take several hours and about half way the canoe will need to be portaged (or carried across some land) before the journey can continue.

Very early in the book though, readers are given a hint or two about Sunshine. Ben reaches out to pat her and his father says "you're doing it again, aren't you?". Doing what? Later in the cafe Ben drops a few cold chips for Sunshine:

"Ben drops another French Fry on the floor. It lands next to the first, pale and limp, but Sunshine, lying with her chin on her paws, doesn't even glance at it. He likes to feed her leftovers, but she not much for eating them."

Wait a minute - do you know any dog who would leave a chip, even a cold chip, lying on the floor? Then Ben steps into the canoe and realises his dog is missing. 

"Why did he think he needed to go looking for Sunshine anyway? She's there. Just the way she always is. Right in front of him ... "

Perhaps you have worked out something about Sunshine (read the Kirkus review for plot details). Over the course of a few days with his mother Ben will learn things about himself and more importantly things about his mother and the events from her past that lead her to leave her precious young son. This is a very moving, deeply engrossing and emotional story. It is a short book with 193 pages so I read it all in one session. Readers who love dogs will recognise the relationship between Ben and Sunshine. I really enjoyed the vivid outdoor scenes on the island and the mention of Loons - birds I found fascinating when I lived in Canada.

The Kirkus Star review says: Richly character driven, immersive, evocative, and painfully sad, this effort can’t fail to move young readers. Ben and his family seem to be White.  An outstanding exploration of childhood trauma from a masterful author.

This book is for every child who has been abandoned and for every child who has been hit.  This book is for every child who believed they were the reason the bad things happened to them. An adventure in the wilderness and an adventure in the pain of children whose parents have let them down, this is the story of any child who cries on the inside and aches to be loved and wanted. A Book and a Hug

Readers who enjoy the outdoors, will find Ben and his mother’s exploration of this pristine an remote island appealing — like Ben’s first encounter with the lake’s loons and a mother bear and her baby. The week is one big adventure for Ben and he discovers he can be resourceful and brave. Children's Books Heal

Companion reads:

October, October

Small as an Elephant

The Secrets we Keep

Years ago I read these two books - terrific junior verse novels - so I have had the name Marion Dane Bauer in my mind and that is what led me to firstly add Sunshine to my very long "to read" list and then later, just this week, to buy it because the $28 hardcover was reduced to less than $10!

Little Dog Lost

Little Cat's Luck