Saving Wonder

November 9, 2015
Knight delivers a strong environmental message and a language lesson in her debut novel, which stars a dauntless young hero living in an Appalachian mining town. Seventh-grader Curley Hines has seen firsthand how cruel the coal-mining industry can be. If it weren’t for the mines, his parents and younger brother might still be alive. Now Curley lives with his grandfather, who educates him on the power of words, giving him new ones to learn each week; organized alphabetically, the words (like dillydally and juxtapose) and their definitions close each chapter. Papaw thinks Curley should leave the mountains someday, but Curley wants to stay close to his best friend Jules and his family’s graves. When the mine changes ownership, Curley faces new crises, including the possibility of losing two things dear to his heart: his favorite tree and a mountaintop scheduled to be blasted. Readers will feel Curley’s sorrow and cheer him on during his campaign to save what he loves most. Knight frankly addresses the reality of harsh changes, but Curley’s spirit, moving people inside and outside the community to act, is inspirational. Ages 8–12. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

December 15, 2015
It's been five years since 12-year-old Curley's mother and little brother drowned when a coal mine slurry pond broke its banks and swallowed them and seven years since his father died in a mining accident. Now Curley, his best friend, Jules, and the mine owner's son, JD, join together to prevent the coal company from clear-cutting and surface-mining the mountain that they love. The catch: Curley and his grandfather subsist on cash from an informal settlement with the mine company, which will end if Curley continues his protest. Winning means moving away. Unfortunately, the premise is the book's fatal flaw. It is wildly unlikely that any coal company in existence would settle a clear-cut wrongful-death claim with just a handshake, and moreover, Curley would automatically receive social security and worker's compensation benefits due to his father's death, which undermines the central plot. Knight ably navigates middle school friendships but in demonstrating Curley's and his grandfather's love of language sometimes carries cleverness too far: Curley uses every one of his "words of the week," in alphabetical order, to denounce the coal company in a video. Appalachian tropes abound, and the local opposition to Big Coal also strains credulity--in a part of the country where good jobs are scarcer than scenery, not everyone can afford to be an environmentalist. A likable protagonist and good writing can't overcome the novel's problems. (Fiction. 8-12)

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January 1, 2016

Gr 5-7-The coal industry has taken a lot from 12-year-old Curley. Both parents and his brother were killed in coal-related accidents. Now a new coal company wants to mine his Kentucky mountain home, and the company owner's son, JD, wants to date his best friend/secret crush, Jules. But Curley's determined to fight for what he loves and has the resources to prevail. Grandfather Pawpaw raised Curley with an appreciation for the power of words, and with help from Jules and even JD, words become Curley's tools to save his home. The streamlined plot moves quickly toward two climactic scenes on the mountain: one will bring tears, the other, cheers. Descriptions of the setting's fragile beauty are so subtly interwoven with dialogue and action, they're not only powerful visual images but ever-present reminders of what's at stake in Curley's fight. With the exception of JD's father, drawn as a one-dimensional personification of Big Coal-materialistic as well as a neglectful husband and father-all the characters are fully developed and endearing, their dialogue direct and sincere. Adults are loving but don't always have all the answers; kids show their emotions with straightforward honesty. Curley and Pawpaw's word-a-week ritual crystallizes their relationship for the readers and gives Curley the confidence to take on an adversary that seems more powerful than he is. VERDICT A remarkable debut novel from an author to watch.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Twelve-year-old Kentuckian Curley has lived with his grandpa since his parents and brother were killed in coal-mining accidents. When Red Hawk Mountain is threatened by strip-miners, Curley and his friends fight to save it. A healthy respect for nature and setting--Appalachian characters are portrayed intelligently, with Curley's Papaw stressing the importance of education and eloquence--make this an engaging, thoughtful read.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)