The Miraculous

May 15, 2019
Eleven-year-old Wunder Ellis abandons his study of miracles when his newborn sister never makes it home from the hospital. The third-person point of view stays firmly with Wunder, so named because he was a miracle for his parents. He was 5 when a numinous experience inspired him: The spiral wood grain of the old house at the town cemetery spun before his eyes, and the bird brushing past him seemed to fly from his own heart. Now, though, he plans to rid himself of his catalog of miracles, the journal his parents gave him. He feels disconnected from his friends, and his parents' grief is complicated and overwhelming. Faye Ji-Min Lee, an irrepressible classmate, refuses to let him give up. Redman explores faith, the intertwined nature of sorrow and joy, and the transformative process of grief through Wunder's eyes in a part-fantasy, part-realistic adventure with genuinely humorous moments. A verse (unattributed) from Corinthians 15:51 appears throughout: in the voice of a minister at the baby's funeral, on a gravestone, and in words spoken by the woman (is she a witch? Or something else?) who appears at DoorWay House by the cemetery: "We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed." Wunder and his family present white; Faye refers to her Korean church; one of Wunder's friends is Latinx. Layered, engaging, and emotionally true. (Fiction. 9-12)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 28, 2019

Gr 3-6-Wunder Ellis always believed in miracles, collected examples of them in his book The Miraculous, and thought of himself as "a miracologist." Yet all of that changes when his sister dies after just eight days of life, and Wunder and his family spiral into grief. When a strange woman shows up at a house in the woods and Wunder makes a new friend with a strong interest in the paranormal, he begins to question the existence of miracles again. He and his friends attempt to show their town how many miracles are happening all around them. This bittersweet story of loss and hope will appeal to readers intrigued by highly emotional magical realism. Wunder and his family and friends are all exceptionally quirky. While Wunder and his friend Faye are well rounded, other characters are not fully developed. The climax takes a long time to build, and the magical realism is so lightly included in the beginning that it all seems to be coincidence, but becomes obvious by the end. Redman's handling of grief is realistic, and she shows how each character copes very differently. VERDICT While the adventure is slow to build, fans of emotionally charged fiction with light magical aspects will enjoy this title.-Ellen Conlin, Naperville Public Library, IL

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 16, 2019
After the death of his eight-day-old sister, Milagros, 11-year-old “miracologist” Wunder Ellis stops believing in miracles. His parents deal with grief by isolating themselves and essentially avoiding Wunder’s existence. But something peculiar is blossoming in the small town of Branch Hill, whether Wunder likes it or not: the day after his sister’s passing, an ancient woman appears in the condemned DoorWay House, with its spinning, spiraled wood that prompted Wunder to believe in miracles in the first place. The woman entreats Wunder and his assertive new friend Faye Ji-Min Lee to deliver letters to townspeople on her behalf. Faye, who has just lost her grandfather, is eager to believe the woman is a witch—quite possibly the reincarnation of Wunder’s sister. But Wunder is torn between allowing hope back into his life and letting “the stone of his heart” lie still forever. Infused with a whisper of fabulism, this debut’s quiet exploration of love and loss will remind readers to recognize the magic in the mundane. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

July 1, 2019
Grades 4-6 Eleven-year-old Wunder is an unusual child. He's a proud miracologist ?someone who studies and catalogues miracles?until his faith in the extraordinary is upset by the unexpected death of his baby sister. It's a heavy subject, but that shouldn't deter readers from pressing on, as Wunder tries to make sense of his chaotic life, which includes a mysterious house and a few curious inhabitants. Redman's gorgeous debut uses a cozy world of bright characters to tackle themes of death, grief, and doubt with gentle compassion and a light touch that keeps the story from becoming too maudlin. Even when things look bleak, an undercurrent of love and hopefulness buoys Wunder's journey. It helps that his eccentric friend Faye is there to remind him?and the reader?that it's important to keep looking for miracles in the worst moments. You have to search for them, she insists. You can't be afraid of the dark. It's a moving lesson for young people learning to cope with both the good and the bad that life has to offer.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)