Published by Little, Brown Ink

Summary:  Julianna’s heading home from a 4-H meeting near her home in rural Oregon when she runs into her ex-friend Carson with a group of boys bragging about some fireworks they have.  She tells them not to set them off due to the fire warnings in the area, but they ignore her.  Later, she and her family face a sudden evacuation from their home when wildfires sweep into the area.  They escape with their pet cat and goats, but their home is destroyed.  Weeks later, they’re starting over in Portland, Julianna starting eighth grade at a new school.  She finds new friends through an environmental club but is dismayed when Carson shows up.  As she and her family work through their anger and grief about all that they’ve lost, she begins to talk to Carson and discovers his guilt and shame about his role in the fire.  While she can’t bring herself to call him a friend, she’s able to understand and forgive him for what happened that day and to figure out a way to make a difference in a scary and uncertain world.  Includes an author’s note about her own experiences with Oregon wildfires and climate change and a list of additional resources.  288 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  An excellent graphic novel that deals with issues that are unfortunately timely and shows the emotions that go with facing the destruction of climate change.  Julianna and Carson have a lot to deal with, and Carson is portrayed sympathetically despite his disastrous choice.

Cons:  I started to get a bit frustrated with Julianna’s parents who seemed slow to recognize how devastating an experience this was for her.