Wildfire

Heading home from her weekly 4-H meeting, 13-year-old Julianna finds her friend Carson playing with fireworks in the Oregon woods. Julianna informs him that he could accidentally start a fire, but Carson rebuffs her warnings. Later, Julianna and her younger sister, Stella, notice an ominous yellow haze filling the sky. At their parents’ urging, the siblings pack up essential belongings—along with their cat and goats—to evacuate ahead of an oncoming wildfire. Soon they’re renting a house in Portland, having lost their home, and Julianna starts eighth grade intending to hide that she’s the “lost-everything-in-a-fire girl.” When she learns that Carson is enrolled at the same school—and worse, that he’s attending an after-school environmental conservation group that Julianna recently joined—she struggles to reconcile her bitter feelings toward him. Bold, loopy outlines and vibrantly saturated hues depict plentiful natural landscapes and smiley, dot-eyed characters, all rendered with varying skin tones. Without dwelling on the fire itself, Bard (Trespassers) credibly explores the emotional trauma caused by climate change. Timely messaging surrounding conservation efforts and the catharsis that a supportive community can bring permeate this gripping graphic novel. Ages 8–14. Agent: Alex Slater, Trident Media Group. (Sept.)