Gone-Away Lake

Gone-Away Lake follows cousins Portia and Julian during a summer in rural New York, where they discover an abandoned Victorian resort town near a bog that was once a thriving lake community. The two children befriend the town's last remaining residents - elderly siblings Mr. Payton and Mrs. Cheever. The children establish a secret clubhouse in one of the empty houses and spend their days exploring the mysterious location, learning about its history, and getting to know their new friends. As summer progresses, they must decide whether to keep their discovery to themselves or share it with their families. The book balances adventure and history, moving between present-day explorations and tales of the lake's past glory days as a vacation destination called Lake Tarrigo. Beth and Joe Krush's detailed illustrations bring both time periods to life. This Newbery Honor book captures themes of friendship across generations, the passage of time, and the magic of unexpected discoveries in forgotten places. The story celebrates curiosity, preservation of the past, and the special freedom of summer exploration.

Readers describe Gone-Away Lake as a gentle summer adventure story that captures childhood freedom and exploration. The book holds a 4.15/5 rating on Goodreads from 7,800+ ratings. Readers praise: - Detailed descriptions of nature and old houses - The friendship between cousins Portia and Julian - Realistic child characters who act their age - Multi-generational relationships - Nostalgic mood without being sentimental Common criticisms: - Slow pacing, especially in early chapters - Limited action/conflict - Too much focus on setting details Amazon reviews (4.7/5 from 200+ ratings) note the book works well as a family read-aloud. Several teachers report it engages middle-grade students despite its quieter style. As one Goodreads reviewer wrote: "The magic comes from making the ordinary extraordinary - finding wonder in abandoned houses and pressed flowers rather than relying on fantasy elements." Multiple reviews mention re-reading it as adults and finding it holds up.

Return to Gone-Away by Elizabeth Enright. The sequel to Gone-Away Lake follows two cousins who return to the abandoned summer colony and discover new secrets about the families who lived there.

Half Magic by Edward Eager. Four siblings find a magic charm that grants wishes by halves, leading to adventures in time and place during their summer vacation.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. A girl discovers a family living in the woods who drank from a spring of immortality, forcing her to confront the meaning of life and death.

The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston. A boy visits his grandmother's ancient manor house and encounters the spirits of children who lived there centuries ago.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg. Two siblings run away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and become entangled in solving an art mystery.

🌟 The book won the New York Herald Tribune Book Award when it was published in 1957. 🏠 Elizabeth Enright based the Victorian houses in Gone-Away Lake on real abandoned resort homes she discovered near her summer residence in New York. 🎨 In addition to writing, Enright was an accomplished illustrator who provided artwork for many of her own books and other publications. 🌿 The bog in the story reflects a real natural phenomenon called "bog succession," where lakes gradually fill with vegetation and transform into wetlands over time. 📚 Gone-Away Lake spawned a sequel called Return to Gone-Away (1961), which continues the adventures of Portia and Julian as their families restore one of the old Victorian houses.