The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks (Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks #1)

Autistic 11-year-old Alice Tonks, who's been raised by her grandmother since her parents disappeared while vacationing in the Amazon, is ready to hate her time as a legacy student at fancy Pebblewood School. She's certain that she'll be friendless among the other year sevens, and even the teachers will think she's "weird." But encountering a talking, saluting seagull piques her curiosity, especially when it addresses her by name. Warning Alice that they live in "perilous times," the seagull reveals that animals are going missing in the school's seaside town, Pebblehampton, and they need her help. Alice, it turns out, is a "Switcher"--someone with an affinity for animals and an ability to communicate with them. Switchers pledge to serve animals foremost, a task well-suited to empathetic Alice. Witty dialogue seasons the page-turning plot as Alice seeks to find and stop whatever is disappearing the animals, all while settling into the cozily appointed school, navigating her sensory sensitivities, and contending with bullies and interpersonal drama. Autistic author Kenny draws Alice's experiences candidly and with nuance, while a self-accepting protagonist, clever conundrums, and an abundance of personality-packed talking animals give this boarding school mystery a classic feel. Ages 8-12. Agent: Lauren Gardner, Bell Lomax Moreton. (Feb.)

Gr 3-7--When a seagull speaks to her on the Welcome Day of her new boarding school after she has embarrassed herself yelling at her grandmother, autistic Alice knows that something is up. This is a conventional British fantasy with all the usual boarding school ingredients. The animals who speak to Alice are a fun factor, but the smarmy headmaster, whose princesslike daughter is Alice's roommate, plus mean girls and a friend who is an outcast, are routine. Timothy Crossley-Herbert the Third is Black, with family problems he wants to keep hidden. He is also supposedly musical, though that is only something readers are told and never glimpse. Alice's neurodivergence is most often brought up when she is pressured to conform to neurotypical expectations. VERDICT Combined with the witchy housemistress, odd teachers, multitude of sweet treats, the variety of creatures who talk to her, and Alice's gradual discovery of her heritage, this will be great fodder for readers who like their adventures cushioned by wish fulfillment in the boarding school fantasy novel genre.--Carol A. Edwards