The Grace of Wild Things

Starred review from December 19, 2022
Told in the spirit of Anne of Green Gables, this highly imaginative fantasy novel by Fawcett (The School Between Winter and Fairyland) follows 12-year-old Grace Greene’s path toward becoming a learned witch. After discovering that she has magical powers, Grace feels isolated from her peers at the Prince Edward Island orphanage where she lives. When losing herself in reading poetry no longer seems sufficient as distraction from her loneliness, she and her crow familiar, Windweaver, run away to the home of local witch Miss Puddlestone. There, Grace is offered a deal: if she can cast the spells within Miss Puddlestone’s first grimoire by the time the cherry trees bloom, she will take Grace on as an apprentice. As Grace embarks on her endeavor, she meets neighbor Sareena Khalil, 12, and Rum, a fairy boy whose skin shifts tones, both of whom agree to accompany Grace on her quest. Frequently event-foreshadowing works from Grace’s favorite writers, including Emily Dickinson and E. Nesbit, begin each chapter. Fawcett utilizes Grace’s over-the-top expressiveness to convey with cheerful candor themes of bullying, loneliness, and regret; character interactions embody many flavors of friendship, which together merge into an exuberant tale of belonging and hope. Most characters read as white; Sareena is Lebanese and French Canadian. Ages 8–12. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House.

May 1, 2023
The setting is Prince Edward Island, sometime close to the turn of the twentieth century. "The dirt road was reddish, like all the earth on the island, as if it were flushed with pride at its own prettiness." A spirited, impulsive orphan -- romantic about nature, self-dramatizing, and fond of poetry -- is taken in by a grumpy old woman. What the child passionately longs for are connection, friendship, and kindness. So far, so Green Gables -- Grace is certainly a literary second cousin to Anne. The twist is that she is also a witch, and so is the grumpy old woman. The plot involves a series of tests, a year's worth of spellcasting as Grace apprentices to her craft. The stakes are high. If she cannot master all one hundred (and a half) spells, she will lose her magic powers, and thus her identity. A supporting cast includes a crow familiar, a bullying mean girl, a wish-granting fairy (and nascent romantic interest), and a sensible, supportive best friend. This alternative-universe romp is perfect for those who like their fantasy light and sentimental and enjoy a bit of L. M. Montgomery pastiche (yes, the raspberry cordial disaster resurfaces, and there's even a hint of Matthew). Sarah Ellis

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from December 1, 2022
Grace, a 12-year-old witch, runs away from the orphanage to find a better life for herself. With plenty of respectful nods to Anne of Green Gables, this delightful story set on Prince Edward Island features fledgling witch Grace. Escaping the orphanage she hates, Grace ventures with her familiar, a crow named Windweaver, to the cottage of Miss Puddlestone, a reputed witch who is rumored to eat children. But Grace is not afraid; she is there to offer her services and, in return, to learn more about magic. Unfortunately for Grace, the witch is not at all interested in taking her under her wing but agrees eventually (after failing to roast Grace in her giant oven) to consider it--but only if Grace correctly performs all the spells in the witch's grimoire to prove her potential. Richly imagined and terribly funny in its interactions between Grace and the witch, the narrative's essence honors the plots points and characters of L.M. Montgomery's iconic story. Grace is voluble, imaginative, and a lover of poetry and all things in the natural world. Her endearing character--just as charming as the original Anne (no mean feat)--is by turns funny, wise, determined, and poignant. Most characters read default White except for Sareena, Grace's best friend, who is Lebanese and French Canadian. A magical, witchy, and thoroughly successful homage to a classic. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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January 1, 2023
The setting is Prince Edward Island, sometime close to the turn of the twentieth century. "The dirt road was reddish, like all the earth on the island, as if it were flushed with pride at its own prettiness." A spirited, impulsive orphan -- romantic about nature, self-dramatizing, and fond of poetry -- is taken in by a grumpy old woman. What the child passionately longs for are connection, friendship, and kindness. So far, so Green Gables -- Grace is certainly a literary second cousin to Anne. The twist is that she is also a witch, and so is the grumpy old woman. The plot involves a series of tests, a year's worth of spellcasting as Grace apprentices to her craft. The stakes are high. If she cannot master all one hundred (and a half) spells, she will lose her magic powers, and thus her identity. A supporting cast includes a crow familiar, a bullying mean girl, a wish-granting fairy (and nascent romantic interest), and a sensible, supportive best friend. This alternative-universe romp is perfect for those who like their fantasy light and sentimental and enjoy a bit of L. M. Montgomery pastiche (yes, the raspberry cordial disaster resurfaces, and there's even a hint of Matthew).

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)