A book I loved, in case you missed it! I loved this post-World War II book about bravery and rural life for middle-grade readers.
Annabelle lives in a quiet, rural Pennsylvania town. But then new girl Betty moves to town and begins to push people around, cruelly setting her sights on Toby, a local World War I veteran who hasn't been the same since the war. Faced with witnessing growing and varied injustices at Betty's hands, Annabelle must determine what she's made of and what she's willing to do to protect those in her community.
Oh, I loved this. Rural life just after World War II, a godawful bully, an odd but lovely area wanderer, a sometimes claustrophobic but fiercely loving life lived under one roof with extended family, and a young but tough main twelve-year-old protagonist who's messily figuring out her place in the world.
Wolk is not too clean with the resolutions here. The book's themes have (deservedly) drawn comparisons to some of those in To Kill a Mockingbird (and if you read it, you'll see why), but Wolf Hollow strikes a lighter note. This is a fast and endearing read.
Any Bossy thoughts about this book?
Wolf Hollow was a Newbery Medal Nominee in 2017.
Wolk also wrote Beyond the Bright Sea, a middle-grade adventure story with sweet character development, and last year's Echo Mountain, set in Depression-era Maine, which is on my to-read list.