Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly
on October 7, 2025
ISBN: 0593898397
Genres: Animals, Family, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship, Realistic Fiction
Format: Middle Grade Fiction
Goodreads

Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly is a mellow coming of age story that will appeal to many readers. The story follows Max, a gentle animal-lover who lives in the shadow of his brash, politician & business tycoon father with whom he shares a name. Too embarrassed to go to Zoo Camp after his father publicly insulted the organization, Max chooses to spend the summer with his mother who is doing research on a (fictional) island off the coast of Texas. On his first day there Max saves an octopus, Ursula, and meets Emmett and Ollie, two animal-loving locals who become fast friends.

Though Max is 12, his internal monologue is closer to an 8 -10 year old. Kelly shies away from some of the harsher realities that will be obvious to older readers, like his father’s corruption and treatment of women. Instead, how these characters support each other through conflicts and how they care for Ursula is the bulk of the plot. Some readers might find it slow, but readers who like friendship driven, emotional stories with lots of animal facts will find themselves in these characters.

Reviewed by Ivy Burns, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth