Welcome to Litsy!

June #BookSpin

Went with a graphic novel theme this month.

Twelve year old Jolene sets out on a journey across the treacherous Arizona desert to rescue a young pilot stranded after a plane crash in this gripping story of survival, friendship, and rescue. This helps ameliorate her tragic home life which involves an opioid-addicted mom who is not able to meet the basic needs of her daughter or herself - 😢MG/YA

#FabulousFebruaryReadathon @Andrew65
#Pantone2023 @Clwojick

Bowling writes this story from a place of experience & the middle schoolers in my reading program at work appreciate that. They say they heard about opioids on television, but this book provided them a clearer understanding of the issue.
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Bowling also shared interesting behind the scenes writing stories, like how Marty developed. Powerful author visit.

This is the second book by Dusti Bowling I‘ve read that meshes difficult family struggles with a desert survival story (this one is set near Phoenix). In this story, Jolene deals with her mother‘s drug addiction while also trying to rescue a friend in trouble. In the process she makes more friends and finds her own strength.

#TRS2022 #MiddleGrade #Arizona

This Author writes wonderful survival tales. In this one, three girls come together in a life or death adventure in the desert. The characters are complex and the plotting is well done. I appreciated the nuance around addiction, poverty, and grief.