Rewilding

Gr 4-6–Joy and her brother Ian are coping with their parents’ split. Joy’s father has left their mother, who is depressed and unable to tend to the daily upkeep of a family and home. Neighbors and teachers have noticed, and each time they bring up the neglect—a trigger word for Joy—she ratchets up her mostly unsuccessful attempts at “landscaping” their home life. When Ian finds a baby bird, they decide to take care of it. Joy and Ian find a little happiness and optimism with the help of an oddball neighbor named Ezzie. Similar to the neighborhood cat they are trying to protect the baby bird from, Joy is trying to protect her mother and brother from outside forces that she considers dangerous—like her school counselor and manipulative bully of a father, who has threatened to take full custody of the children. Finally, with the help of all of the adults in Joy’s life, she and Ian come to terms with their relationship with their father, and their mother regroups and finds support. Readers will empathize with Joy’s fears and her efforts to protect her mother and brother. The subplot and message about the environment and the creatures that inhabit it, even within our backyards, is nicely fleshed out and might leave readers curious about their surroundings.