The Mailbox Tree

Faced with an impending move from their Australian hometown of West Hobart, two girls form a friendship across time in this white-knuckled climate survival tale. Nyx lives in a Tasmania that’s “gritty and dry... the ancient forests gone, along with regular snow fall.” Grieving her mother’s death, she’s frustrated with her always-angry father, who wants to start a new life elsewhere. Seeking solace, Nyx climbs her beloved towering pine (“the only surviving bit of green out here”), scribbles a discontented note, and shoves it in a knothole. Bea, who’s navigating a similar situation, visits the tree, writes her own note, and finds Nyx’s missive as she goes to hide her letter. Using the tree to communicate, the two girls try to meet up, but eventually realize that Bea lives in 2023, while Nyx is in 2093. Even stranger, Bea’s actions can affect outcomes in Nyx’s ravaged world—and possibly save her new friend. Vivid prose by Lim (Tiger Daughter) and Gordon (the Wordspinners series) evokes a grimly realistic world informed by contemporary issues surrounding climate change. The girls’ experiences with bullying, online escapism, and grief throughout add further emotional depth to this dual-timeline narrative. Nyx is “brown and freckled and dusty”; Bea reads as white. Ages 8–13. (Aug.)