Hooray, it’s Wednesday…the day I finally get to highlight an extraordinary middle grade book by an amazing author- who I am honored to call my friend. She is an author to watch, no doubt. Her debut book below was released in January of this year and already she has a second middle grade book slated to be released in 2017! How cool is that?
So here it is, my December Day 10 pick…
WAITING for UNICORNS by Beth Hautala!
From the publisher:
When 12 year-old Talia-still reeling from the recent death of her mother-is forced to travel with her emotionally and physically distant whale-researcher father to the Arctic for the summer, she begins to wonder if the broken pieces inside her will ever begin to heal. Like her jar of wishes, Talia feels bottled up and torn. Everything about life in Churchill feels foreign, including Sura, the traditional Inuit woman whom Talia must live with. But when Sura exposes her to the tradition of storytelling, she unlocks something within Talia that has long since been buried: her ability to hope, to believe again in making wishes come true.
From me:
I couldn’t resist using this picture again. Here’s Beth when she first received the ARC of her then soon-to-be published book. Now that it’s officially out in the world, you should buy it. Now. For everyone on your list. It’s that good…my pick for middle grade debut of the year!
Beth’s writing is simply beautiful, the setting is stunning, and the story will blow you away. Yes, it’s emotional (and set in the arctic), but it’s also warm and bright and full of fun- with outrageous characters too! This story is for kids of all ages, and will show them that connecting with new people, even when it’s hard, just may be the key to their wishes coming true.
It may not be that cold out yet this winter, but surely the frigid temperatures are coming…Make sure you’re prepared and have this book on hand for when it does. You’ll want to cozy up by the fireplace with this one!
swirl and spark 