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S.D. Brown
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ESCAPE TO MOLOKAI: American History for Kids Kindle Edition

by Spike Brown (Author), S.D. Brown (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 35 ratings
At a time when leprosy threatens the world, one boy searches for his missing parents in this heartwarming, triumphant tale.
“A gripping adventure” Elara, Vine Voice

This heavily-researched, fictional book retells the 1946 leprosy pandemic in Hawaii, where lepers were quarantined on a remote pacific island. Told through the eyes of one brave boy.

When 13-year-old George’s best friend is arrested as a leper, George is devastated and afraid. Is it possible George has caught the awful plague, too? His best friend is sent to the mysterious, remote island colony called Kalaupapa. No one ever comes back. Soon, George realizes the authorities are searching for him, too.

He’s on the run, and his only hope is to find his missing birth parents, parents he hasn’t seen since he was a baby.

He’s penniless, alone, and there’s no one he can trust. Will it mean escaping to Molokai, a place feared by all? Does he have what it takes to survive?

Based on historical written accounts and hours of research, this little-known piece of world history is exceptionally riveting, fast paced, and pulls at the heartstrings. The leprosy disease, now known as Hansen’s Disease, devastated the world until a cure was discovered in 1946.

Includes an informative fact section at the back with a historical timeline and more information about the disease. Sure to appeal to fans of books like An American Plague from Newbery Honor winner Jim Murphy, Fever 1793 by New York Times bestseller Laurie Halse Anderson, and Fever Year: The Killer Flu of 1918 by Don Brown. A strikingly relevant must-read in today's current situation.

An inspiration book of tenacious survival and the strength of the human spirit.

From the Amazon Best Selling Author of I Escaped the California Camp Fire
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  1. Reading age
    10 - 16 years
  2. Print length
    158 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    June 20, 2011
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap


ESCAPE TO MOLOKAI is about a time in recent history that shattered the lives of those forced to experience the devastating effects of Hansen's Disease, more commonly known as leprosy. In Hawaii, more than 7,000 people died at Kalaupapa before a cure was discovered in 1946.

From the Back Cover

George is on the run.

It's a forgotten time in American history . . . 1946. Hawaii. World War II is over. On Maui, what had started off as a great day for thirteen-year-old George Kahula has become a nightmare. The authorities suspect he has Hanson's Disease, what scientists call leprosy. George has heard horrible things about the disease. That it can make your fingers and nose fall off.

Even worse, he knows he'll be arrested and sent to Kalaupapa. To be imprisoned in a remote village and never to be heard from again. But he doesn't feel sick and is terrified of being locked in a leper colony where he sure to die.

He's on the run. His parents and grandparent are missing. Can he get away without drawing the attention of the authorities? He's penniless, alone and there's no one he can trust. No one he can run can to for help.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00578V1IK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chapman Brown Books; 1st edition (June 20, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 20, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.4 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 158 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

About the author

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S.D. Brown

S.D. Brown

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S.D. Brown taught elementary, middle grade, high school, and junior college for over twenty years—on three continents and in seven schools. She continues to present workshops and is the owner-curator of the largest, privately owned gem and mineral museum in California. When she’s not working with rocks, she’s working on manuscripts, traveling, gardening, painting, or doing the dishes.

If you want to know more go to sdbrownbooks.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
35 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Curious Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well-crafted story for middle schoolers
    Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This well-crafted story for middle schoolers tells of the impact of leprosy on a Hawaiian family just after World War II.
    Back then, there was no treatment for leprosy and those who had the disease were forcibly removed from their families and expelled to an isolated island.

    The plot involves the efforts of a teenager, George Kapuna, to find his parents who have been expelled to Kalaupapa, a settlement for lepers. In addition to the overarching theme, this narrative device allows the author to provide fascinating glimpses of Hawaii just after the war including the brutal sugar cane industry, the poverty and generosity of the Hawaiian people and their on-going struggle with devastating natural events.

    The story is deceptively simple, very suitable for a middle schooler. It reads like an adventure story, but the young reader will come away with a deeper understanding of one of mankind’s most horrific diseases, the courage of the people who cared for its victims and the courage and the suffering of the people who contracted the disease. The author also thoughtfully includes a timeline of the disease and a short history of it.

    If you read to your children, as I do, or you have input into what they read, this one richly deserves your consideration.
    Helpful
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  • AF
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thirteen-year-old boy running away to find his parents.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Almost alone and separated by the sea from his parents, George must find his way. It’s not an easy one. Having got leprosy, his friends are sent into a leprosery, and he is quarantined by the police. George manages to escape and embarks in an adventure to reach his parents. From their last letter, he knew them working on Molokai, but they are hiding a dark secret, which will change his life. He makes friends on the trail and learn many new things, and we learn more about Hawaii in the aftermath of the Second World War.
    Helpful
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  • Dorothy M.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, inspirational and educational story
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    My son and I enjoyed reading this book. The determination that George had to find his parents despite all the roadblocks that were thrown his way, was very inspiring. I never knew about the story about leprosy in Hawaii. I like that I got to learn something new as I read the book . I would recommend this book for middle schoolers and above. People from all age groups, including adults, can enjoy the book.
    Helpful
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  • Jorju
    5.0 out of 5 stars Learning while having fun
    Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I learned some things I never knew while having fun with the story. George has some difficult issues to deal with. He doesn't give up and accomplishes what he set out to do. Fast pace and never a dull moment.
    I recommend this book.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Diana
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Rewarding Fictional Escape for Readers of All Ages
    Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2021
    Wow, how many ways can I write the word “excellent”? Escape to Molokai is an excellent novel in so many ways, it’s hard to know where to begin.
    I particularly enjoy fiction with lots of tension, and this novel has plenty. No sooner has one tense moment, in many cases a life-threatening crisis, been resolved than the reader is confronted with a new one. This book also involves a journey, which is one of my favorite plotlines. Add to that suspense, as the reader is confronted with the mystery of George’s lost immediate family (parents and sister), which isn’t fully resolved until the end.
    Many writers who are strong with plotlines are weak with descriptions, but that is not the case here. The descriptions are rich and vivid but not overdone, providing the reader with the sights, sounds, smells, tastes of the environment in which the story takes place.
    And what a place. This may be the first story I have read that transpires on the Hawaiian Islands. Escape to Molokai is historical fiction set in 1946, just after World War II. Historical fiction can be tricky as too often, authors introduce something that simply didn’t exist in that era, but I couldn’t detect anything in the story that would have been out of place in 1946.
    What makes this story really stand out is the sensitive theme of leprosy. For centuries, this scourge on humanity devastated lives, slowly destroying its victims’ bodies as well as their sense of self-worth, as they were pushed to the outer bounds of society and basically left there to die. The reader can feel the tension of being slapped with this death sentence, especially early on when George’s best friend, Jonathan, is taken away by the authorities. In a very personal way, through the experiences and adventures of one teen boy, we learn how what is now called Hansen’s Disease was finally defeated by modern science in the late ‘40s. The last time I recall reading fiction with a focus on the topic of leprosy was The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, a fantasy series by Stephen Donaldson. It’s not a topic many writers tackle, but possibly more should. How many of us identify with the leper, cast out from the crowd for one reason or another? And how many of us feel the pain of that exclusion, especially teens? Although not diagnosed with leprosy himself, George feels the stigma in an indirect way as he grows up separated from his parents without knowing the true reason why. Did they simply not want him? How would that make a young boy feel about himself?
    The novel is polished with few typos or plot inconsistencies. (Alice is described as both Jonathan’s cousin and sister, but I figured out that she was his cousin.) I quite enjoyed learning more about life on the Hawaiian Islands – culture, religious beliefs, customs, occupations and history. There is a subtle Christian message at the end, as we see Catholic nuns, priests and medical staff portrayed in a positive light as caregivers and friends to those forsaken by the rest of the world. George asks that popular question, “If God exists, how could He allow so much suffering?” With the help of his friend, Jonathan, and a nun, he finds an answer – kind of – and experiences a divine miracle of sorts.
    Overall, I would enthusiastically recommend this book to young and old readers alike. I think my main beef is with the Kindle subtitle “American History for Kids”. This gave me a completely different expectation than what I eventually found in the book itself. I expected a somewhat dry, semifictional account of events in history aimed at middle-grade kids. But this story is much more than that. It is a lesson on life – on loving and showing compassion to all human beings, regardless of their beliefs, physical appearances or circumstances. And beyond that, it really is a compelling story that is hard to put down.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • B J Bassett
    4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational
    Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Who doesn't like an adventure?

    George is more than a sirvivor when he losses everything. He is determined to locate his parents and will stop at nothing to find them. Against all odds he perseveres. The ending is not only satisfying, it is inspiring! I liked learning so much from this fictional story and the additional timeline and facts at the end of the book. I look forward to reading over books by Spike Brown.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Diana
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Story about a Sensitive Topic within a Historical Context
    Reviewed in Canada on August 6, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Wow, how many ways can I write the word “excellent”? Escape to Molokai is an excellent novel in so many ways, it’s hard to know where to begin.
    I particularly enjoy fiction with lots of tension, and this novel has plenty. No sooner has one tense moment, in many cases a life-threatening crisis, been resolved than the reader is confronted with a new one. This book also involves a journey, which is one of my favorite plotlines. Add to that suspense, as the reader is confronted with the mystery of George’s lost immediate family (parents and sister), which isn’t fully resolved until the end.
    Many writers who are strong with plotlines are weak with descriptions, but that is not the case here. The descriptions are rich and vivid but not overdone, providing the reader with the sights, sounds, smells, tastes of the environment in which the story takes place.
    And what a place. This may be the first story I have read that transpires on the Hawaiian Islands. Escape to Molokai is historical fiction set in 1946, just after World War II. Historical fiction can be tricky as too often, authors introduce something that simply didn’t exist in that era, but I couldn’t detect anything in the story that would have been out of place in 1946.
    What makes this story really stand out is the sensitive theme of leprosy. For centuries, this scourge on humanity devastated lives, slowly destroying its victims’ bodies as well as their sense of self-worth, as they were pushed to the outer bounds of society and basically left there to die. The reader can feel the tension of being slapped with this death sentence, especially early on when George’s best friend, Jonathan, is taken away by the authorities. In a very personal way, through the experiences and adventures of one teen boy, we learn how what is now called Hansen’s Disease was finally defeated by modern science in the late ‘40s. The last time I recall reading fiction with a focus on the topic of leprosy was The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, a fantasy series by Stephen Donaldson. It’s not a topic many writers tackle, but possibly more should. How many of us identify with the leper, cast out from the crowd for one reason or another? And how many of us feel the pain of that exclusion, especially teens? Although not diagnosed with leprosy himself, George feels the stigma in an indirect way as he grows up separated from his parents without knowing the true reason why. Did they simply not want him? How would that make a young boy feel about himself?
    The novel is polished with few typos or plot inconsistencies. (Alice is described as both Jonathan’s cousin and sister, but I figured out that she was his cousin.) I quite enjoyed learning more about life on the Hawaiian Islands – culture, religious beliefs, customs, occupations and history. There is a subtle Christian message at the end, as we see Catholic nuns, priests and medical staff portrayed in a positive light as caregivers and friends to those forsaken by the rest of the world. George asks that popular question, “If God exists, how could He allow so much suffering?” With the help of his friend, Jonathan, and a nun, he finds an answer – kind of – and experiences a divine miracle of sorts.
    Overall, I would enthusiastically recommend this book to young and old readers alike. I think my main beef is with the Kindle subtitle “American History for Kids”. This gave me a completely different expectation than what I eventually found in the book itself. I expected a somewhat dry, semifictional account of events in history aimed at middle-grade kids. But this story is much more than that. It is a lesson on life – on loving and showing compassion to all human beings, regardless of their beliefs, physical appearances or circumstances. And beyond that, it really is a compelling story that is hard to put down.
    Report
  • sharon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Amazing story. I'm homeschooling, so the content of the story made good research material for my kid. Thank you. Gripping story keeps my kid hooked till the end.
    Report
  • J.E. Rowney
    4.0 out of 5 stars Immersive and exciting
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I have to be honest. At the start of the book I wasn’t sure that I was going to like it. Reading a novel about leprosy didn’t really appeal to me. I have recently read Sweet Bean Paste, which also features Hansen’s disease, and I enjoyed that, so I was hopeful, despite my reservations. I need not have worried. This book is not really about leprosy at all. It’s a story about one boy’s struggles and determination, and I found it fascinating and extremely interesting. The setting brought depth and I felt like I was immersed in the culture, which was well fleshed out by the author. I haven’t read many books set in this part of the world or in a Hawaiian culture, so it was new and exciting for me. The author’s writing style really helped to bring it to life, and I enjoyed every page. Would recommend. 4.5 stars.
    Report

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