Alex lives in a kingdom where people mistrust magic. The king has created creatures to hunt down all enchanters and their children and people are encouraged to rat out anyone they suspect of having powers. Alex has never been treated well by her foster mother and sisters, but she is still surprised when one turns on her and she is forced to flee with her little brother. It's the first time she's left the safety of her walled village and she'll encounter wonders, terrors, new friends, and old enemies. Her only weapon is the magical cards she uses for predictions. But will they be enough to discover the secrets of her past and save her future?

This is a fascinating world populated with a large cast of characters. I loved the unique animals and Alex is a great protagonist. She is fiercely protective of her younger brother and brave in the face of truly daunting challenges. Good for those looking for a new fantasy series to get lost in. 

Twilight Hauntings by Angie Sage
Erica's Picks
4th -7th grade
tags: adventure, animals, fantasy, fast-paced

 When the Great Depression hits, Ellie and her family are forced to sell their house full of all their nice things and make a life for themselves in the woods on Echo Mountain. They build their own house and learn to hunt and grow their own food. Ellie, her younger brother, and her father thrive in their new environment but her mother and older sister are reluctant transplants and miss their fine city ways. Then, tragedy strikes and Father ends up in a coma. Without him to hunt, they struggle to feed themselves. Ellie tries everything to wake her father, even venturing to the top of the mountain where the old hag lives. The mountain has always provided for her before, but will it be able to give her the cure she seeks?

I loved this lyrical novel about the wonders of nature and the strength required to follow your own path. Ellie's voice is wise and wonderful. Even as she faces gruesome situations, she describes them in ways that are somehow both matter-of-fact and beautifully embellished. Ellie is a tender-hearted animal lover, but she is also capable to doing hard things if she has to. I particularly enjoyed reading about her relationships to her family and how her understanding of them changes over time. The old hag is one of my favorite characters and a great lesson in first impressions. This story is great for animal lovers too with dogs playing a big role. 

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk
4th - 8th grades
​Tags: animals, character driven, family life, historical fiction, SEL

Mia's comfortable life in the forest is changed forever when one of her siblings gets rabies, forcing her to flee for her life. Along the way she will encounter dangers from traps to badgers to humans. But she will also encounter a new friend. Uly has never had a comfortable life. Born with a twisted paw, he has always had to fight to survive among his cruel older sisters. But his life takes a turn for the worse when the fabled Old Scratch turns out to be real. Will two fox kits be able to survive the woods together? Or will they fall prey to one of the hundreds of dangers lurking in the dark?

This is a deliciously creepy story that is also beautifully narrated and has the potential to become a classic. The fact that the main characters are foxes and the framing device that it's all a story prevents it from being too scary but it's still pretty intense at times. The black and white illustrations only add to the atmosphere. After reading this you will never look at foxes or Beatrix Potter the same way again.

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker 
Erica's Picks
3rd - 6th grade
tags: animals, disability, fast paced, friendship, horror

Things just haven't been the same since Iris's grandfather died. After spending all day at a school where she's the only deaf student, Iris loved visiting her grandparents and talking with them in sign language. Now Iris feels more alone than ever. Then she learns about Blue 55. Blue 55 is a whale that sings at a different frequency than the others. Instead of traveling in a pod, he wanders the ocean by himself, unable to communicate with anyone else. Iris's heart goes out to him, and thanks to her skills at radio repair, she thinks she can come up with the perfect plan to help. With a little help from her grandmother and a lot of luck, Iris sets off to meet Blue 55 and play him a new song.

This is such a moving novel. Of course I loved reading about the sign language poems Iris writes and the aspects of Deaf culture the book explores. Her grandmother is a spitfire and the scene where she takes the stage during karaoke is one of my favorites. Learning about whale biology was fascinating as well, especially knowing that Blue 55 is based on a real whale. Strongly recommended!

Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
​Tags: animals, character driven, contemporary fiction, disability, family life, school stories, SEL

Kira's earliest memories are of survival in the woods where she was found as a child with no memory of her past. Now she trains dogs to help find people in the wilderness. Her adopted family trains elite search-and-rescue dogs. The dogs are part of Kira's family as much as the humans in her life, and sometimes she feels like the dogs understand her better. When a child goes missing in the Sierra Glades National Park after a series of disappearances, Kira's family reports for duty. But this is not a regular mission. The similarities to Kira's own past cause flashbacks and a reunion with estranged family members brings dangerous secrets to the surface. On top of it all is the mystery of what or who might be behind the string of missing persons in the Park.

Barnes is a master of characterization and everyone we meet in the book is layered and nuanced. She manages to do this while maintaining a fast-paced plot. Of course I love the focus on dog characters and was fascinated to read about the particulars of search and rescue. 

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Erica's Picks
7th & 8th
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Kidnapped by a rebel group as a child, Imara has grown up among rough men doing terrible deeds. The only reason she has survived is that they believe she has supernatural powers. She has accepted her fate and the devil inside her. Imara has learned to keep her feelings bottled up safe inside and not let anything touch them. Then the rebels kill a silverback gorilla and kidnap its baby. She is put in charge of caring for it until they can sell it as a pet. The innocent baby chips away at all her defenses as tempts her to forget all the lessons that have kept her safe and risk it all to save another. 

This heart-wrenching novel completely absorbed me as I eagerly rooted for Imara. Gorillas are my favorite animal, so I was hooked instantly. Even though it's fiction it's firmly rooted in reality and opened my eyes up to issues that I knew very little about. 

Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis
Erica's Picks
5th -8th grade
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Patrick has always wanted a dog, and one summer at his grandfather's house his dreams finally come true. When he sees Oz in the shelter, Patrick knows they'll be best friends. But Oz had a rough start with some mean people and doesn't trust anyone. Will Patrick be able to make Oz happy again and help him find his bark?

This is such a sweet story. I loved how the narrative switched between Patrick and Oz's perspectives. Partway through the story Patrick gets some upsetting news and the tables turn so that Oz needs to help Patrick find his happiness again. It's so heart-warming to see them help each other and the illustrations are simply adorable. It's a perfect read-aloud or early independent chapter book for kids who love dogs.

The Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin Colfer, illus. by P.J. Lynch

Erica's Picks
1st - 3rd grade
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