Chris Baron

This novel is a 2026 Lone Star novel.

If you've ever wondered what it's like for people who are impacted by wildfires, this book will introduce you to some of the realities.

Finn and his friends live in a fairly small town in California. They love the nearby forest. They also like their science teacher who will be away for a while studying the forest. You meet several kids and people in the community. Very suddenly, a nearby fire erupts and they have to evaculate in minutes. You would be show more amazed at how quickly a fire spreads and what it's like to leave and not know if your home has survived. You can't take anything with you because there's not enough time. Finn's friend can't find her dog and has no idea if the dog survived the fire.

People just leave, driving through the fire, and everyone is now separated. Also, their teacher is missing. No one knows who is okay and whether they can return. Once those who want to return or can return come home, they find either a home completely destroyed or their home still there. One businessman sees the opportunity to rebuild the part of town that was completely destroyed, but the people and students question whether it will benefit the town AND the forest.

What I liked about the book is learning what it's really like to be in the midst of this disaster. We see communities in the news, but we never see the issues and struggles after the fire. It's solidly a middle school book. Read it! Read all of the Lone Star novels and rank them and/or rate them. show less

1989 Bay Area, just before the big quake. Etan, selectively mute while his mother is in the hospital for mental health, meets Malia, a girl with severe eczema and a great singing voice.

For me, this is the type of book that adults love and kids never pick up -- which is a shame, because it's a lovely story of friendship and relationships with neighborhood elders, and cultural magic. It's also got the great background of extreme baseball excitement and building earthquakes. There's a lot going show more on, in a really lovely community. It's kind of slow paced. It's a bit dense. It's a good book. show less

In the fall of 1989, Etan is struggling: his mom has gone away to a mental hospital, and most of Etan's words have gone with her. When he makes a delivery for a neighbor, he meets Malia, a girl with ferocious eczema - so bad that former classmates started calling her "the creature." But Etan shows Malia his drawings, and she sings for him, and the two become friends. He encourages her to sing in the community talent show - the one that happens to be the same day as Game 3 of the World show more Series, with the beloved Giants facing the A's. When a massive earthquake hits the San Francisco area during the game, families and friends are scattered, but everyone helps each other - as Etan's grandpa has been modeling for him his whole life, along with a community of immigrants who arrived together on the Calypso.

A beautiful story in verse. Etan's bonds with his grandpa and Malia, and his obvious respect and regard for community elders (including Malia's Lola), shine through the story, and when his mother returns, they celebrate with a Shabbat dinner with family and friends.

Sydney Taylor notable book

Quotes

I feel like sometimes I live / in my own ecosystem / that nobody else understands (21)

It helps, he says, to go through life together (27)

"Shyness"
Shyness / is the swirly / part of a glass marble, / all those colors, / a tiny universe / trapped inside / the smallest space. / I've never tried to crack / a marble, but if I did, / I bet the inside / would explode into stars. (55)

Sometimes silence / is just what you need. (103)

Sometimes losing something / helps you find what you are really looking for. (143)

Maybe you just needed a friend who wants to hear / what you have to say. (Malia to Etan, 147)

The old and the new sometimes struggle / to work together. (Grandpa, 158)

We feel for the ghosts of things / that once made us feel safe. (263)

It's the people. / They are what connect us. / The things we do / and remember together / that matter most. (Grandpa to Etan, 299)

Don't ever lose your sense of wonder. (Grandpa to Etan, 319) show less

I liked this. There are parts of it I didn't really understand, but I really appreciate that it is tackling the subject matter of severe anxiety. I didn't love Sasha taking off on a horse without telling people what he was doing. I did love the beauty of the natural world and the soothing, loving figure that Sasha's Aunt turns out to be. I think it's cool that Sasha's panic attacks are represented in a way that makes them more accessible. I think the friendships/enemies getting played out to show more resolution is strong. I like the magical/atmospheric descriptions of place. It meanders a bit. show less