The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman

 

Over the weekend, I finished reading The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman. This animal fantasy is about Clare, the undead fox of Deadwood Forest, a place where leaves grow in a constant state of fall. When he was a kit, he was struck by a car and given the choice to either move on into the Afterlife or become an Usher to guide wandering souls. He chose the latter to avoid the realm of Pain. When he meets Gingersnipes, a badger soul, he can't usher her into the Afterlife and she is unable to leave Deadwood. Clare is astounded by this dilemma because it's never happened before, so he and Gingersnipes go on a dangerous journey to find the visionary grouse named Hesterfowl and learn more about a prophecy that could be fulfilled on All Hallows' Eve. What Hesterfowl reveals leaves Clare devastated and furious and he conspires with Nine, a trashrat, to rid Deadwood of Gingersnipes on All Hallows' Eve when all four realms are open until midnight. As Deadwood Forest becomes less stable, he grows fond of Gingersnipes and begins to consider her a friend. Soon, he becomes reluctant to carry out his plan and wonders if changing his fate is really what's best for himself, Gingersnipes, and Deadwood.

I absolutely adored reading this book because it deals with death, grief, redemption, and loss of purpose in a kid-friendly way. I loved Clare and Gingersnipes and thought they were wonderful main characters, flaws and all. I especially enjoyed the adventure and magic of Deadwood Forest. Because Clare is undead, he can interact with both living and dead animals and it definitely leads to some wild events. Although his appearance reflects his death, he's not really the monster that the human children sing about. He also shows a great deal of growth from the beginning of the story to the end when he has to make a big decision and do the right thing. Additionally, I really liked that he helped Gingersnipes see that she's not really useless like her father called her, especially because he saw her as annoying at first. Gingersnipes's kindness really shines throughout the story and I'm happy that she grew on Clare. The ending was bittersweet, but it felt right. Finally, I was curious about the identify of the narrator, so the narrator's note was a pleasant surprise afterwards. All in all, any kid who has dealt with loss or simply enjoys animal stories should real The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest.

And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps

 

Yesterday, I finished reading And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps. This realistic fiction novel in verse is about Joseph "Joe" Oak, an eleven-year-old boy who lives with his grandmother because his mom leaves him whenever she gets "the itch" and copes with his feelings by drawing and making references to comic book characters. After Joe and Grandmum lose their house, Joe's friend, Nick, helps them find a home in his trailer park. When tragedy strikes, Joe's mom is suddenly in his life again. Joe is hopeful that maybe this time will be different and she'll stay, but soon she leaves again and he is left to fend for himself. Keeping his circumstances a secret because he's afraid of foster care, he rescues a dog and her two puppies. Although he's less lonely, it becomes increasingly harder for him to survive as his home's utilities are shut off due to bill's not being paid and he briefly resorts to dumpster diving for food. With the arrival of a storm after his twelfth birthday, Joe must make quick decisions to save himself and his dogs. While things seem lost afterwards, a new opportunity is presented to Joe.

Although this story is heavy at times, it was engaging and inspirational. I was truly devastated when Grandmum passed away and tears may have been shed, but I cared so much about what happened to Joe as he struggled from poverty. I enjoyed his friendships with Nick and Hakeem and he had some amazing adults in his life who looked out for him, including his sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Swan, and the owner of the mobile home park, Uncle Frankie. I also liked how Joe took care of a family of dogs even though he could barely take care of himself. The story definitely reminded me a lot of the book I read just two weeks ago, The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman, because the two books have similar themes. Joe and Hank even have one of the same interests: playing basketball. The climax of And Then, Boom! was absolutely terrifying, but Joe showed a lot of courage and I loved the ending so much, even if it left me with the question of where his mom went. I'd definitely recommend this book to any kid experiencing poverty and those who like stories of found family.

The Partition Project by Saadia Faruqi

 

Over the weekend, I read The Partition Project by Saadia Faruqi. This realistic fiction novel is about Mahnoor "Maha" Raheem, a twelve-year-old Pakistani American girl who loves journalism. Over winter break, Maha's grandmother, Dadi, comes from Pakistan to move in with her and her family. At first, Maha hates the idea of spending time with Dadi after school and at the senior activity center on Saturdays. She's also struggling to come with a topic for her documentary for her media studies class, but as Dadi begins talking about her own childhood and how she had to move with her family from India to Pakistan after the Partition in 1947, Maha is fascinated by the Partition and decides to use the topic for her documentary. As the weeks go by, making the documentary starts to take over her life and she has to learn how to balance family, friendship, and school work.

Overall, I thought this book was fantastic. I enjoyed learning more about the Partition, a lesser known historical event here in the U.S., and following Maha's progress for making a documentary about it. I loved her passion, but not how it distracted her from her best friend, Kim Hoang, and their book report for English class. I also found her unlikable at times because of how dismissive she was of fiction, particularly fantasy. On the other hand, I did like how she befriended Ahmad Mirza, the new boy in her grade who moved from Pakistan. I think they had a lot in common because of their shared cultural background. Additionally, I appreciated how her media studies teacher, Mr. Goode, pushed her to think about media studies in new and different ways. He was definitely a great teacher. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention her relationship with Dadi, though. Although Maha is initially reluctant to hang out with Dadi, it was beautiful how they connected as Dadi told Maha stories from her childhood when she was the same age as Maha. Because the stories are tragic, painful, and scary at times, I did wonder a bit about how Dadi would feel about Maha sharing the stories in her documentary, but I figured it would work out even if there was some conflict. Finally, it was nice how Dadi moving in brought Maha closer with her parents and older brother, Talha. In conclusion, The Partition Project is an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys family and friendship stories that demonstrate the links between the present and the past.