Dear Mothman

An autistic, transgender sixth grader attempts to correspond with a cryptid following his best friend's death in this poignant novel from Gow (A Million Quiet Revolutions). Lewis Hugh was the only person whom Noah Romano was out to; since Lewis died in a car accident three months ago, Noah has been feeling lonely and unmoored. Noah doesn't believe in Mothman, as Lewis did, but he decides to use Lewis's idea of finding the figure for a science fair project. As he hunts for proof, writing letters to Mothman that he leaves under a tree, he also receives thoughtful support from adults in his life and befriends a trio of LARPers. Alternating between first-person narration and letters to Mothman, and peppered with creepy-cute sketch-style illustrations, this touching free verse story abounds with hard-hitting and tender lines about grief, queerness, and neurodivergence--concepts that Noah ponders alongside the idea of monstrosity (" 'monster' is what people become/ when other people are afraid of them/ for being different"). Steeped in the atmosphere of a Pennsylvania coal mining town, Noah's journey to himself is at once melancholy and empowering. Noah is of Irish and Italian heritage; secondary characters represent racial diversity. Ages 10-14. Agent: Jordan Hamessley, New Leaf Literary. (Mar.)

Gr 5 Up--Sixth-grader Noah is struggling after his best friend Lewis's unexpected death. No one seems to understand his deep grief, and now that Lewis is gone, no one knows that Noah is really Noah, not the name he was given at birth. The only connection Noah can find is to Mothman, a mythical cryptid that was a subject of fascination for Lewis. Noah begins leaving letters out for Mothman at night, writing of his isolation, sadness, and quest for understanding. When Mothman begins leaving scribbles in the notebook overnight, Noah's curiosity grows. As he slowly begins making friends, he introduces them to Mothman as well, and to his own true self. A book that so honestly depicts a transgender, autistic character is a rarity, and Noah's story is truly beautiful. His letters to Mothman, interspersed with first-person prose and occasional sketches, speak to a boy struggling to find himself after the one person who truly knew him is gone. Mothman may be symbolic to Noah's own journey, but the magical realism aspect of the book adds another, deeper layer as Noah begins to find his own strength and share who he is. VERDICT A triumphant coming-of-age story about gender identity, strength, and friendship, as well as the different ways that people discover who they are.--Kristin Brynsvold