Emily's Hawaii

Not very long ago, the big island of Hawaii was synonymous with sugar cane. Those days are gone. Corn syrup has replaced sugar, and tourism has replaced everything else on the islands.Emily's father is a doctor working a year at a North Kohala sugar plantation. The magic starts early. On their flight from the mainland, they meet a real princess. Soon, Emily and her annoying younger brother are part of Hawaii. They make friends, Hawaiian, Japanese and haole, and they learn about the life and culture of their new home. The Hawaiian countryside offers much for a child in the way of adventure.Gee, I wish I had grown up there.Then her family joins a researcher in exploring a cave. There is more powerful magic there, and as a consequence Emily must take action. Can she do what she must?The plot is familiar, but the tale is well told. Both adults and children can get a great sense of Hawaii when it was all sugar fields in the middle of the ocean.