05/29/2023
An asthmatic 12-year-old with the power to read emotions through touch stands up against bullying and a friend’s abusive homelife in this lightly speculative offering from Bowling (Across the Desert). Ever since she almost died from an asthma attack, Avalyn has carried an inhaler, which helps her combat the feeling of “breathing air mud” while living in Clear Canyon City, Ariz. At school, she befriends new student Adam, the two bonding over their shared love of X-Men. But Avalyn is keeping her ability a secret from her new friend. When popular bullies target introverted Adam, calling him “Dirt Head” for his unkempt appearance, Avalyn uses her powers to help him, but what she detects (a “dark dungeon feeling”) prompts worry for her friend. Meanwhile, Avalyn’s breathing problems worsen as dangerous dust storms escalate. The integration of Avalyn’s superpowers into her everyday situations is sometimes bluntly handled, but Bowling nevertheless deftly portrays Avalyn as a resourceful tween who will stop at nothing to protect a friend, determinedly overcoming her feelings of frustration and isolation surrounding her asthma and pervasive allergies. An author’s note and discussion questions conclude. Avalyn and Adam cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Shannon Hassan, Marshal Lyon Literary. (Aug.)
"A powerful call to spell out pain when we see it in ourselves and others, even when—especially when—it feels unspeakable, Dust is mindfully and resolutely told. This book will save lives. I’m grateful it’s in the world."—Beth Vrabel, award-winning author of When Giants Burn and the Newspaper Club series
"[Avalyn’s] determined sleuthing will draw in readers. …An investigation of hard choices and empathy."—Kirkus
“Valuable…[Dust] will serve as a conversation starter for crucial, sometimes challenging, topics.” —SLJ—SLJ
“[Bowling] deftly portrays Avalyn as a resourceful tween who will stop at nothing to protect a friend, determinedly overcoming her feelings of frustration and isolation.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for Across the Desert: * “Readers will soar along with Jolene into the prospect of better days.”—Booklist, starred review
* “Instantly compelling.”—School Library Journal, starred review
* “[A] tense, poignant story about the essential nature of friendship and life’s unexpected possibilities.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Experience has taught Jolene she can only count on herself, and she doesn't think she counts for much. But when she witnesses her friend's accident in the desert via live stream, she finds the strength to rescue them both. Across the Desert combines compelling adventure, honesty, danger, and love."—Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, two-time Newbery Honoree and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The War That Saved My Life and Fighting Words.
Praise for The Canyon's Edge:
* "Stunning.... an edge-of-your-seat read."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "This emotionally resonant survival tale is a must-have."—School Library Journal, starred review
* "Powerful...a triumphant story of healing and bravery."—Booklist, starred review
"Beautifully written. [Dusti] Bowling is a master storyteller."—Midwest Book Review
"A powerful, heart-thumping story about survival and the inner strength it takes to reclaim life after trauma. Nora shows us that it's possible to emerge stronger than we've ever been before."—Ann Braden, award-winning author of The Benefits of Being an Octopus
"You won't be able to stop turning pages of this gripping, unforgettable novel with emotional depth and resonance as you cheer for Nora to conquer her inner and outer beasts."—Donna Gephart, award-winning author of Lily and Dunkin, The Paris Project, and Abby, Tried and True
"A haunting, heart-pounding story of survival, brilliantly told in verse. The Canyon's Edge will inspire, uplift and resonate. I loved it!"—Barbara Dee, author of Maybe He Just Likes You and My Life in the Fish Tank
"A gutsy, page-turning tale of courage, survival, and healing, told in dynamic verse. The Canyon's Edge is powerful, unflinching, and full of heart."—Chris Baron, author of All of Me
"Thrilling."—BookPage
10/06/2023
Gr 4–7—Ten years ago, when Avalyn's asthma almost ended her life, her parents decided to move to a crisp, clean air town in Arizona. Having fresh air to breathe daily is a gift for Avalyn, and though bullies at school won't let her forget her asthma, Avalyn has learned to focus on her friends and her love of spelling. Everything changes with the arrival of Adam and the dust storms. Who is Adam and why is the town experiencing unprecedented weather? Avalyn intends to find out. Bowling uses a deceivingly simple plot to broach an important conversation with readers about safety and bodily autonomy. Avalyn and Adam are both dealing with daily attacks; for Avalyn, it's school bullies and asthma; for Adam, it's something much darker happening at home. Their emotional responses to their situations are revealed with touches of magical realism, which aids the reader in understanding their struggles. The overarching theme of speaking up is tied neatly into Avalyn's battle with breathing. Breath is precious and powerful: what a person chooses to do with it can change a life. An endnote expands on bullying and abuse while encouraging youth to speak out if something happens. Avalyn and Adam both read white. Possible trigger warnings for bullying and sexual abuse. VERDICT A valuable addition to middle grade collections that will serve as a conversation starter for crucial, sometimes challenging, topics.—Emily Walker
Laura Knight Keating captures the youthful timbre and optimistic tone of 12-year-old Avalyn, whose asthma doesn't preclude her passion for language and spelling. A boy named Adam incites Avalyn's curiosity because of his withdrawn personality and the dust storms that arrive whenever he does. Keating's astute delivery of dialogue gives a strong sense of Avalyn's first romantic attraction, her conversations with friends, and her unpleasant encounters with school bullies. Keating projects Avalyn's initial confusion about her special gift of empathy, her questions about how to use her talent, and her courage to tell truths about abuse that will help Adam and her other peers. An author's note discusses abuse. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Laura Knight Keating captures the youthful timbre and optimistic tone of 12-year-old Avalyn, whose asthma doesn't preclude her passion for language and spelling. A boy named Adam incites Avalyn's curiosity because of his withdrawn personality and the dust storms that arrive whenever he does. Keating's astute delivery of dialogue gives a strong sense of Avalyn's first romantic attraction, her conversations with friends, and her unpleasant encounters with school bullies. Keating projects Avalyn's initial confusion about her special gift of empathy, her questions about how to use her talent, and her courage to tell truths about abuse that will help Adam and her other peers. An author's note discusses abuse. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
2023-05-24
There isn’t much going on in Clear Canyon City, the small Arizona town where Avalyn and her parents moved for the climate after her severe asthma nearly killed her.
But all she needs are Dillon and Nan, her two best friends, and her passion for competitive spelling. Though she struggles with her asthma and food and environmental allergies, life is mostly normal—until, all at once, unprecedented dust storms hit and middle school bullying ramps up. These dangers are marked by the arrival of Adam, a sullen and withdrawn new student. He and Avalyn form a growing connection over a love of X-Men comics and feelings of isolation, and his presence and the increasingly severe weather seem to be connected. Avalyn must gather the courage to help protect Adam when no one else can and perhaps share her deepest secret: that she suspects she’s an empath, able to sense the emotions of others. This is a skill she’ll need to draw upon to confront the horrible truth of Adam’s family life. Despite many pop-culture references that seem to stand in for deeper characterization, Avalyn’s difficult, matter-of-fact daily negotiations with her health and the unforgiving desert surroundings are well realized. Her determined sleuthing will draw in readers, and the different abuses Avalyn and Adam each face are presented with care and not glossed over. Most main characters are cued White; Nan is Mexican American.
An investigation of hard choices and empathy. (author’s note, discussion questions) (Fiction. 8-12)
