Spark

March 1, 2019
While training to help helm the weather, a girl realizes that her country's constructed climate has consequences.Twelve-year-old Mina lives on her family's farm in sunny Alorria, country of soft breezes and blue skies. There's never been a tornado, hurricane, or thunderstorm; except on the mountaintops, snow exists only in stories. But the climate isn't naturally occurring: Five types of storm beasts--sun, rain, wind, snow, lightning--and their loving human guardians keep the weather calm and productive. For example, they direct wind to the sea and moderate it to sailors' advantage. When Mina's beast hatches as a lightning beast, everyone's shocked: Mina's so quiet she often goes unheard, and lightning guardians should be "brash and loud and brave." But Mina is brave, though sometimes self-doubting, and she finds creative ways to be heard. Probing the undiscussed connection between Alorria's intentional weather and the weather across the mountains where "outsiders" live spurs this thoughtful heroine into forbidden actions to address her realization that "The truth ha[s] faces. And graves." Race is unmentioned; nothing hints away from a white default. The effusive adoration between Mina and her beast, Pixit, evokes The Golden Compass' Lyra and Pan, though Pixit and Mina can separate; readers will crave their own dragon-shaped storm beast with a face "like a lizard crossed with a puppy" to take them flying into storms and grabbing lightning with their hands.Warm, exciting, hopeful, and ethical. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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April 1, 2019

Gr 4-7-Mina is the quiet one in her family, secure in her everyday life on the farm just as she yearns to discover what the rest of the world holds. Though she is honored with the responsibility of raising a storm beast egg, her joy is complicated when Pixit hatches and reveals his ability as a lightning beast. Everyone thinks the two are ill-matched, but the love they share carries into their adventures at lightning school, where Mina learns what it means to be a guardian and help control the weather by managing Pixit's behavior. She doesn't expect the political and environmental challenge that awaits her, but faces it bravely with the help of new friends and a supportive teacher. Children who are shy or struggle with self-confidence will relate to Mina's desire to avoid attention, as well as her fear that she will never fit in anywhere or with anyone. The bond Mina immediately feels with Pixit is reflective of the very real experience many children share with their pets; their mutually encouraging relationship will resonate. VERDICT A reassuring journey of self-discovery that will charm readers of Claire Fayers and Kristin Bailey's middle grade fantasy tales, as well as those who enjoyed Rebecca Rupp's "The Dragon of Lonely Island" duology.-Kerry Sutherland, Akron-Summit County Public Library

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 15, 2019
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Alorria is a perfect land of sunshine, gentle rain, and breezes whenever needed, as its weather is controlled by storm beasts and their guardians. Here, quiet Mina and her family live. Things for Mina are about to change drastically, as her storm-egg hatches after two years to reveal that her storm beast, Pixit, is a lightning beast. Her family thinks there's been a mistake; how can Mina, with her quiet, gentle nature, control a lightning beast? But off she and Pixit go to Mytris Lightning School in the Northwest Barrens. Frightened and excited, Mina wants terribly to succeed with Pixit, although mishaps seem to constantly beset them. When they fly off course in a practice storm, both are injured and cared for by people across the mountains whom Mina didn't know existed. This leads to the pair's life mission: to make the people of Alorria understand their perfect world is creating chaos for the rest of the world. Durst's fantasy is fascinating and powerful, requiring only a modicum of suspension of disbelief. The well-developed characters represent typical preteens, from the shy but deep-thinking Mina to her boisterous roommate to their two adventure-hungry teammates. The underlying theme of the book reminds readers that it only takes one spark from one child to change the world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)