A Box of Bones

March 25, 2019
In this magic-laden story of family secrets and emotional growth, 12-year-old Kallie lives in Vermont with her stern father and gentle, accommodating Grandpa Jess following the drowning death of her mother, a writer. A lover of logic, order, and routine, Kallie abhors the kind of uncertainty found in stories. But life takes a mysterious turn when a faceless costumed figure at the town’s Festival of Fools hands her a wooden puzzle box. Inside, she finds seemingly enchanted picture dice made from bone, which begin to serve as powerful portents of her present and future. Cohen integrates chapters of a fantasy story, narrated by a bone carver’s apprentice, that Kallie is writing herself for a school project. As the girl explores her creativity, she becomes better able to accept that some truths—such as what really happened to her mother—are not always so cut and dried. Kallie’s rigid, aloof nature obscures her vulnerability a bit too well, but Cohen thematically ties the storytelling elements together to create a compelling portrait of Kallie’s grief and her struggle to understand herself. Ages 8–11. Agent: John Cusick, Folio Literary Management/Folio Jr.

April 1, 2019
A skeptical girl who distrusts stories discovers their value when she's trapped in the middle of one. The rules of logic and facts shape 12-year-old Kallie's predictable life until she finds herself in possession of a mysterious puzzle box. Unlocking the box unleashes a set of "bewitched" bones with strange symbols on them that entangle Kallie in a story beyond her control. Throughout her journey, Kallie questions the nature of the possible and impossible as she seeks out scientific explanations for her problems from her best friend, Pole Rodriguez (the only primary character who isn't presumed white), and the missing pieces of truth about the death of her writer mother. Anna, a new student with a wild imagination, challenges Kallie with the fanciful tales she tells about her life and helps her learn that stories provide comfort from reality even if they aren't based in fact. Three grayscale illustrations with dark lines accompany the text in moments that correspond to the stages of the hero's journey, which Kallie learns about in her English class. Cohen weaves together Kallie's story with a fairy tale that follows Liah, a bone carver's apprentice. Liah's adventure increases the tension, builds momentum, and darkens the tone of the overall story. A suspenseful mystery with haunting touches of fairy-tale magic. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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April 15, 2019
Grades 3-6 Order, facts, and no nonsense: such are the guiding principles of 12-year-old Kallie's life. Yet, events are set in motion that alter Kallie's perspective when she is given an intricately carved puzzle box by a performer at a local festival. Seeing it as a mechanical challenge, she sets to figuring out how to open it, and when she does, out tumble picture dice that seemingly begin to influence her life. As she searches for a rational explanation, she rejects the suggestion by sunny new-girl Anna that the dice are bewitched story bones. But as more strange events occur, Kallie can't help but consider that her fate has become entangled in another's. Interspersing Kallie's narrative is a fairy tale about a bone carver, which parallels many of Kallie's experiences. As both unfold, Kallie's quest morphs into a more personal need to learn about her mother's death. Cohen's duel narratives don't operate as seamlessly as one would wish, but an end twist helps illustrate the value of stories and imagination, and that truth can reside in places other than facts.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)