The End of the Wild

Eleven-year-old Fern has more responsibilities than most children her age. Since the deaths of her mother and baby sister in a car crash two years earlier, she has lived with her stepfather, Toivo, and her two younger brothers. Fern works hard to help keep her poor family together. Toivo, a veteran of the Iraq War, has been unemployed since losing his job as a mechanic, and although he does odd jobs to support his family, he drinks too much and it's a struggle to keep food on the table. Fern is central to the family's success. Their house is surrounded by a forest, which Fern treasures as both sanctuary and food basket. The woods are where she gathers ingredients to make dishes from her mother's recipe book, several of which are included in the novel. Fern has good friends, including her closest companion, Alkomso Isak, who wears a hijab, and she deeply respects her science teacher, Mr. Flores. Fern is struggling to select a project for the school's STEM fair when she discovers that her beloved woods are being considered as a wastewater pond for a fracking company. It is an especially complicated issue for Fern. Her grandfather, one of the town's wealthiest men, actively disapproves of Toivo and supports the frackers. To Toivo, the fracking company's arrival means he may be able to obtain a secure job. But as Fern learns more about the threat of environmental disruption, she decides on her STEM project and develops an unlikely friendship with a neighbor. Although some of the dialogue is improbable, this is an excellent book for readers interested in exploring a complex contemporary environmental issue. Fern is a likable character who is, in her words, figuring out "what kind of adult do I want to be." A worthy goal. VERDICT A strong addition on a timely and important topic.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Fern, a sixth grader in the fictional town of Colter, Mich., understands the "constant itch of being poor, how it's always a bug biting your back in a place you can't reach." Since the death of Fern's mother and youngest brother in a car accident, her ex-military stepfather, who self-medicates to manage his PTSD, has struggled to hold a job, leaving Fern to juggle school, caring for her brothers, and foraging for meals in a nearby forest. As Fern's grandfather attempts to gain custody of the children, a hydraulic fracturing operation brings additional changes; fracking offers steady, much-needed income for her family and others but will also result in the demolition of Fern's forest. Inspired by her mother's recipe book, filled with ingredients found in the forest, Fern aims to win an annual science fair by spreading awareness about the resources that may soon be destroyed. Helget (Wonder at the End of the World) confronts substantial subjects like poverty, environmentalism, and mental illness, injecting humor and hope to provide balance. Without lecturing, she encourages readers to be thoughtful and curious, like Fern. Ages 8-12.

Copyright 2017 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for The End of the Wild A New York Times Book Review Editor's ChoiceA Parents' Choice Award Winner
A Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book
A New York Public Library Best Books for Kids
A Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Book
An Outstanding Science Trade Book for StudentsA Best STEM Trade Books for Students K-12
A Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee
A Minnesota Book Awards Middle Grade Winner

"Helget sets her plot in motion carefully and with so much attention to real-world detail, you can almost hear the difficult discussions it will provoke in our current polarized landscape."—The New York Times