We love Katherine Applegate. All of her books are amazing. My kids and I have been reading them since they were little. As an adult I still enjoy her books! This one was another wonderful one. Always has such a good and heartfelt message.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Applegate has done it again, creating a fantasy world that invites you in and demonstrates the connections between our human actions on the natural world. The story mixes magic with a real environmental message, that warns of the harm by human actions, and nature's resilience and interconnections. Accessible, engaging, and pulls at the heart strings. Highly recommend.

This book kind of toed the line between fantasy and magical realism. The ecology thread was very strong but I think kids will appreciate the lead up to the climax. Willodeen's backstory is quite sad, but she is lovable if a bit abrasive, and most readers will probably be satisfied by the ending of her story.

Another adorable middle grade novel by Katherine Applegate. Willodeen would be great to use in a unit on compassion and empathy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review published on Goodreads, 20 September 2021:

Applegate's recent novels have all been sweet, gentle, and wise (I've particularly loved THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, CRENSHAW, and WISHTREE). Her newest follows the same pattern. WILLODEEN is a quiet tale that is about friendship and family. Mostly, though, it's about nature—its majesty, its might, and its magic. The story teaches about both respecting it and protecting it. A quick, easy read, WILLODEEN is enjoyable. It isn't, however, as impactful as some of Applegate's others. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars if I could; since I can't, I'm rounding up.

My favorite book last year. I shared it with a teacher who will be using it with her 4th through 6th grades.

Love, love, love Willodeen! In this tale that at first seems to be about dying magic, we actually learn how delicate ecosystems can be easily disrupted and how repairing them can sometimes mean letting things thrive that you might rather not. Applegate sends another solid, well-told story into the world. This is a GOOD READ!

I love Katherine Applegate's books. In Willodeen, the title character, an 11-year-old girl, loves animals. She even loves the worst animals around, creatures known as "screechers." While the people in her village want to get rid of these "monsters," wise Willodeen knows they play an important part in nature.

Then something happens: the town's beloved "hummingbears," which draw tourists, disappear. Without spoiling the ending, I'll just say that Willodeen stands up for what she believes in and shares a vital message about conservation and protecting our world.

This is a fantasy for grades 3 through 7, but i recommend it highly to all ages.

Delightful though slightly predictable environmental fantasy reminding readers how species can be interconnected. Recommend grades 3-6

My students love everything by Katherine Applegate. They will not be disappointed by this magical tale filled with vivid imagery and well-developed characters.

DNF Katherine Applegate is indisputably and amazing writer. I love most of her books and wanted to love this one, but I couldn’t get into it. Despite that, I know it has and will continue to find readers among its intended audience: kids. Because I knew that to be true, I did purchase a copy for my classroom library.

I have loved Katherine Applegate's work since my own childhood, and I continue to love it. I always recommend her work, and while I think Willodeen wasn't as good as some of her others (to be fair, that's a pretty high bar), it's still a rather solid piece of fiction.

This book is filled with magic, but also is a love letter to the environment. Its message shows how interconnected ecosystems can be and why it's so important to keep these in mind. Though it's set in a fantasy world, the implication for the real world is obvious.

The relationship between Willodeen and Connor is adorable and oh so wholesome. Willodeen herself is mired in her grief and skeptical of trusting others after losing her family. Connor is determined, though, and eventually proves himself with a series of too cute acts that show his sincerity. Both characters are utterly adorable and worth reading about.

All in all, a quick, enjoyable read!

I will happily read anything Katherine Applegate writes. A magical tale filled with vivid imagery and well-developed characters makes this book a must read!

I have never not loved a book written by Katherine Applegate, and this one is no exception. It's beautifully written, imaginative, and most importantly there's a lesson to be learned. It's about living in harmony with your family, your community, and within nature. It's about symbiotic relationships. It's about finding the good in what appears to be bad. If you care about planet earth, protecting nature, if you love animals and stories that pull on your heartstrings, then this book is for you.

A gorgeous tale of ecology and interdependence, Willodeen delights as it teaches lessons. ‘My students absolutely adored this book!

Katherine Applegate wrote the sweetest book. Willodeen is an 11 year old girl that is different from many others around her. She loves all the animals, including the strange ones that everyone else seems to be afraid of. Perchance seems to be ridden with a lot of bad luck lately and the Hummingbears are the towns claim to fame, but they are dwindling as well. Willodeen investigates and what she finds was unexpected and beautiful.

A delightful book full of adventure, action, and thrills. Fun to read, engrossing world building, and very descriptive imagery made it feel like it was cinematic. It's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. Would recommend.

Who read Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan and didn't love it? No one that I know. Applegate is fantastic at getting into the hearts of her readers. Her most recent release, Willodeen, is a fantasy novel that follows a young girl named Willodeen whose life has been devastated by a fire. Taken in by a couple of lovely old women, she is nursed back to health and loved just as she is, quirks and all. Rounding out their odd family is an injured hummingbear, a sweet little creature covered in light fur, but whose wings no longer fly. Willodeen is obsessed with learning about the beast everyone in town hates, the screechers. When the fragile ecosystem supporting the town begins to fail, it is Willodeen and her new friend Connor who uncover the cause.

This book was cute and a short read, but I didn't connect with it the same way I did with Ivan. There is a clear message about preserving the environment and how our actions affect the world around us. I think that is really good for children to learn in a way that isn't too harsh. There is plenty of charm within these pages.

In the village of Perchance, screechers have long been reviled, while the adorable hummingbears are the lifeblood of the economy, drawing tourists for the hummingbear festival each year. Eleven-year-old Willodeen loves all animals, but especially the stinky screechers that everyone else hates. When they are hunted almost to extinction, she is the only one who is worried. More widely concerning is that the hummingbears have also not made their annual migration to Perchance. Willodeen is determined to stand up for the screechers before it’s too late–and she might even discover the answer to the disappearing hummingbears along the way.

We adore Katherine Applegate around here (The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob, and Wishtree are some of our favorites), and she has again hit it out of the park with a lovely story on the delicate balance of nature and the dangers of human disruption. This is a beautiful blend of magic and science–after finishing this book, my science-loving second-grader started a nature observation notebook, just like Willodeen’s.