Starred review from July 10, 2023
Heading home from her weekly 4-H meeting, 13-year-old Julianna finds her friend Carson playing with fireworks in the Oregon woods. Julianna informs him that he could accidentally start a fire, but Carson rebuffs her warnings. Later, Julianna and her younger sister, Stella, notice an ominous yellow haze filling the sky. At their parents’ urging, the siblings pack up essential belongings—along with their cat and goats—to evacuate ahead of an oncoming wildfire. Soon they’re renting a house in Portland, having lost their home, and Julianna starts eighth grade intending to hide that she’s the “lost-everything-in-a-fire girl.” When she learns that Carson is enrolled at the same school—and worse, that he’s attending an after-school environmental conservation group that Julianna recently joined—she struggles to reconcile her bitter feelings toward him. Bold, loopy outlines and vibrantly saturated hues depict plentiful natural landscapes and smiley, dot-eyed characters, all rendered with varying skin tones. Without dwelling on the fire itself, Bard (Trespassers) credibly explores the emotional trauma caused by climate change. Timely messaging surrounding conservation efforts and the catharsis that a supportive community can bring permeate this gripping graphic novel. Ages 8–14. Agent: Alex Slater,
Trident Media Group.
July 15, 2023
This graphic novel embeds environmental knowledge into a thoughtful and realistic narrative. When Julianna's family loses their Western Oregon farm in a wildfire ignited by a bottle rocket launched by some of her classmates, they relocate to Portland. Julianna chooses not to tell her new, politically engaged eighth grade friends about the fire. They encourage her to join the school's environmental club, and she does so reluctantly as she struggles to understand the deeper, underlying, interconnected causes of what happened. The secret becomes a shared one when Carson, who was part of the group that started the fire, arrives at Julianna's school and joins the club as part of his mandated community service. As the kids learn more about climate change and take collaborative action through cleanups, tree planting, and protest, the stress Julianna is under builds until she becomes overwhelmed and bravely takes steps toward processing her grief and finding her voice. Thickly outlined, vividly colored art illustrates the story clearly with close attention to setting and mood. Dynamic word balloons stretch and connect across panels, illuminating the natural cadence of spirited everyday conversations. Reflection and curiosity--as well as practical explanations and perspectives about subjects related to environmentalism--are modeled and encouraged by caring, complex characters. As her father reminds Julianna, "two things can both be true." Main characters are light-skinned; racial diversity is evident in the supporting cast. A compassionate, action-focused story about climate justice, relationships, trauma, and healing. (author's note, resources) (Graphic fiction. 8-14)
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
September 15, 2023
Julianna and her family live in heavily forested rural Oregon, where they're currently under a burn ban to help prevent wildfires. One day, after a 4-H club meeting, Julianna notices the sky is a strange color. Soon after, her dad speeds into the driveway and tells her and her sister that there is a forest fire spreading rapidly and they need to pack up their essentials and leave immediately. The family is forced to relocate to Portland, Oregon, leaving everything they had known behind; Julianna is particularly heartbroken about the chickens they couldn't save. As she adjusts to her new living situation and gets involved with an environmental club at her new school, Julianna struggles with complex emotions and the extreme loss, but she's helped considerably by her supportive parents and new friends. Bard offers an important book about the many effects of climate change and the varied ways people can take action against it, coupled with a compassionate depiction of a tween dealing with genuine grief and anxiety. The heartfelt tone comes through the superb, expressive artwork beautifully, especially in moments when Julianna flashes back to the fear she felt as the fire approached. Climate anxiety is a real concern for many kids, especially those who have experienced wildfires firsthand, and this thoughtful comic will surely ring powerfully true.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
November 1, 2023
Gr 3-8-Climate change and irresponsible use of fireworks combine to create a heartbreaking background for this story. Protagonist Julianna and her family live in the Oregon woods and are forced to relocate after a wildfire in the area. The action follows them as they settle into a new house and school. Dialogue bubbles and illustrations carry readers along without any additional exposition; environmental details are worked into conversations with Julianna's parents and the sponsor of the school's conservation club. The ways in which the family deals with their loss are handled in a realistic and age-appropriate manner. Julianna is angry, her younger sister is sad, and her parents try to hide their feelings to make things easier on the children. They all channel their feelings into positive actions, such as replanting trees in damaged sections of the forest and attending climate rallies. The comic book-style artwork uses vivid colors and bold outlines to create tone and setting. Julianna and her family present as white, while the other characters are racially diverse. VERDICT A good match for readers who enjoy survival and natural disaster stories, environmental action, or realistic fiction that features families overcoming adversity.-Suzanne Costner
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