“A physical sensation of what it had been like to be little. It had been nice. So why did she feel sad, remembering?” On Orphan Island (Walden Pond, $16.99), nine children live in peace and prosperity. Once a year, a new child is delivered and the eldest is ferried away, never to be seen again. This year, Jinny is the eldest; she must teach Ess everything she knows before the boat arrives for her. Laurel Snyder’s novel is steeped in the quiet contemplation of children at once strong and vulnerable, poised on the brink of change. When the boat calls, Jinny must go… or else. Ages 10-12.