Wild Things
Clay Carmichael——— $18.95
Reading level ages 9-12, 241 pages, 2009,
After the death of her mentally ill mother, Zoe tart-tongued and valiant is adopted by her paternal uncle, artist Henry Royster, and with his help moves toward a more conventional life. The structure is complex, alternating Zoe’s first-person commentary with narration from the point of view of the cat living under Henry’s porch a technique that provides information and builds suspense without creating spoilers. Girl and cat follow parallel journeys to trust in their present safety and comfort. Strongly drawn characters Zoe, Henry and the people in their small town come alive on the pages of this debut novel. There are resonances and echoes of the children’s books important to Zoe The Secret Garden, Because of Winn-Dixie, The Golden Compass and, a story integral to this tale, The Boy Who Drew Cats. A tribute to the power of story, this is ultimately a tale of hope and redemption. Zoe Royster, peer to the literary heroines she so loves, is as memorable in her own way as the Great Gilly Hopkins, Opal Buloni and Anne Shirley. (Fiction. 9-12) STARRED REVIEW —Kirkus Reviews

Curriculum applications: Elementary and Middle School Language Arts

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