I received an advance copy of, Willodeen by, Katherine Applegate. This is a cute book about nature and animals for children. The illustrations are really good,

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! Willodeen is a beautiful story of hope, love and friendship. This books tugs at your heartstrings both for the main character, Willodeen, and for the animals that we meet in her world. I loved the description of these hybrid animals and wish some of them existed in real life! Willodeen is a lovable girl who goes on a quest to save an unlovable beast. She finds beauty in the most unexpected places and she helps the reader fall in love with these characters and places, too. A wonderful, quick read that I cannot wait to introduce to my students!

Willodeen is an inspiring character in Katherine Applegate's latest children's novel. The fantasy of peacock snails, dilly bugs, dibby ducks, humming bears, and my favorite animal a screecher. You see Willodeen loves the unlovable strange animals and she felt the scarier or uglier the better. She lives in a village of Perchance that is home to various animals and beasts. Or they just seem to be beasts to the villagers. Willodeen survives unbearable heartache at a young age and continues to find the truth in her father's saying, "Nature knows more than we do." Mae and Birdie are her constant support system along with Duuzuu, her pet tiny hummingbear that was injured in the same fire that Willodeen survived.
The Village or Perchance hosts a yearly festival called Autumn Faire, that has visitors from all over to the little village. What draws these visitors is the hummingbears and the magical bubbles they would create. Problem is, the hummingbears are not returning to Perchance as they did in the past. The villagers are concerned about what could possibly be keeping the hummingbears away. Willodeen and her friend, Conor may have the answer, but will the adults and villagers listen?
I adored this story about healing and opening your mind to nurture your environment and yourself. Applegate created another delight of a story, I found myself reading the story in a day to feed my curiosity of the screechers and Willodeen's adventures. It was a heartfelt read that will open your hearts and mind to the possibility of each action has a chain reaction in your environment. Willodeen is highly recommended for young readers and adults wanting to have a delightful story.
Thank you, Katherine Applegate and Feiwel & Friends publisher for an endearing read.

What an inspiring and uplifting story about creativity, love, and journey. This is a great story full of strong characters and great representation. I adored how Applegate is able to weave such raw emotion and feeling with whimsy and wit. Loved this.

Katherine Applegate has written another beautiful book in which the complex interactions between humans and nature is woven into the storyline without overpowering the plot. This will definitely be on my read aloud list.

What a beautiful story about a young saving many majestic creatures. Heartfelt and beautifully depicted.. I enjoyed reading. that k you Netgalley foe the ARC.

Here is another wonderful read by an amazing author. Applegate's books are always a hit in my Media Center and this one will not disappoint.
Willodeen is orphaned in a horrific forest fire. A true lover of nature, she strives to save the screechers, those creatures who everyone else abhors. The story so sensitively describes loss and a search for identity. The reader is on an exciting journey to learn about the earth and all that it has to offer.

WHAT AN ADORABLE BOOK! I really enjoyed reading this as a 30 year old and I can certainly imagine children would enjoy it as well (since they are the intended audience, after all)! This was a really cute story about saving the planet and understanding the delicate balance of the ecosystem. Also, this book featured a main character who was a strong young girl who found her voice, even though it was scary. She learned confidence and we got to follow her on that adorable journey. This is a quick read, but a warm and fuzzy read. I highly recommend it to feel happy and hopeful about the future :)

Orphaned Willodeen lost her family in a tragic fire, but so still carries their lessons with her. Now living with Mae and Birdie, Willodeen would rather spend her time in nature like her father, then attend the local school. It's this intense love for nature that leads her to study the native wildlife, particularly the Screechers. In fact, she may be the only one alarmed when their numbers start to dwindle. The rest of the town is more concerned with the sweet Hummingbears and why they aren't returning for the annual festival. Could the two events be related? And if so, will Willodeen be able to solve the mystery before it's too late?

Katherine Applegate tells a sweet and timely tale of how nature works in relationships. There is so much to unpack in this book: from Willodeen's family situation and healing from trauma, to the interdependency of nature, to developing relational skills, and so much more. The themes in this book are all age appropriate for upper elementary to middle school, making it a wonderful tale to explore as a family or in the classroom. The characters are vulnerable and real. They each have unique strengths, and yet they also have weaknesses that can only be overcome in relation to each other. No one person is pitted as "the bad guy," rather the characters are rich with both good and bad qualities making them very relatable. The message was a little heavy handed at times, but all in all, Willodeen would make a lovely transitional novel for children who are ready for richer themes within a manageable length.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Applegate's imaginary animals are sweet and the lesson about "nature knowing best" and the importance of keeping all nature in balance is good. Just a little heavy-handed.

Willodeen has been orphaned in a forest fire and now lives with Mae and Birdie and mostly keeps to herself (including not bothering with school) until she meets Connor and he gifts her one of his "puzzlers" - a small version of a "Screecher" (smelly pests that are being eliminated b/c they scare away tourists who come to Perchance to see "Hummingbears" during their annual migration).

Screechers had been extinct and Hummingbirds appear to be not returning to Perchance. Willodeen does some good scientific thinking and discovers what may be the reason for the lack of Hummingbears.

Story a little preachy and very much glossed over to bring us into this world. Nice parallels between Willodeen's life as orphan and that of the animals.

Willodeen loves nature. In fact, she would much rather be outside, alone, away from everyone, and surrounded by her favorite creatures, screechers. As her eleventh birthday approaches, Willodeen notices how much things have changed in the outside she adores. Perchance, her village, is on the precipice of a calamity because the annual migration of hummingbears to their blue willow trees is threatened. The village relies on the spectacle and tourists it attracts. However, fires, drought, mudslides, fever, the bounty on screechers, and now, the disappearance of the hummingbears has created an imbalance that imperils all. Rather than accepting this fate, Willodeen tries to speak up and give voice to her beloved screechers. When she does, she makes an unexpected friend, Connor. Then, a small but magical gift gives Willodeen not only the will but also a way to solve the mystery of the missing hummingbears and perhaps save Perchance. If only the adults will listen.

Katherine Applegate’s Willodeen is a timely and poignant tale that illuminates nature’s fragility. It is sure to be a classic. Its beautiful prose and intriguing point of view shifts will engage readers, keeping them riveted and eager to follow Willodeen as she attempts to solve the mystery of the hummingbears. Willodeen’s length and straightforward language makes it accessible, but it is still deep. Its themes help raise significant, challenging questions for readers to ponder. Applegate adeptly depicts the webs that connect nature and people and the important yet tenuous relationships holding all those links together. When these threads are studied, readers will find a story just as fragile and nuanced as its subject.

Willodeen will surely be read in classrooms everywhere. Aside from a captivating piece of literature, its deeper messages and potential for real-life connections make it the perfect book for a novel study. Opportunities for cross-curricular studies about science and conservation abound, and there is ample material for deep literary analysis throughout its pages. Together, they offer numerous chances to pose important questions and ignite meaningful conversations. The lessons are immediately relevant so even though Willodeen will be around for a long time, the time to read it is now.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher, Feiwel & Friends, for an eARC of this book.

Tourists normally flock to the village of Perchance for the migration of the hummingbears, but the creatures have all but disappeared, and the town has been plagued with unfortunate events such as fires and mudslides. Willowdeen is a keen observer of all creatures, especially the stinky screechers that the townsfolk would love to eradicate entirely. Just when she thinks there may be no more screechers left, a magical gift from her friend helps her discover what is upsetting the delicate balance of nature and find her voice to make things right before it's too late. This book's message about the interdependence between all living things is both timely and compelling. Readers will love Willowdeen's curiosity and courage.

Katherine Applegate has done it again. You are about to embark on a reading adventure you will not be able to put down. Willodeen's love for and desire to understand nature speaks to what we should all slow down and notice. If you remove the screechers, there will certainly be consequences which domino. Prepare to be inspired to act.

Netgalley and Macmillan (Feiwel & Friends): thank you for an ARC of this book! I am a huge fan of Katherine Applegate and her work and this new title did not disappoint! In this book we meet eleven year-old Willodeen who lost her parents and little brother in a tragic fire. She now lives with two eccentric older ladies, Mae and Birdie, who offer Willodeen the support and space that she needs to find her footing and go on with her life. That's fine with Willodeen, who is much more comfortable with nature than she is with people. In the setting of this story (a village called Perchance), readers meet some rather unusual, magical creatures, including the unlovable "screechers" who are like a combination of a wild boar and a warthog, whose loud screaming noises and stink make them quite unpopular. Willodeen, who loves nature and animals, is drawn to the screechers, though, and is especially concerned when their population seems to dwindle to almost none. Also troubling is how the adorable hummingbears, who usually migrate to Perchance each fall, have stopped coming. This has a dramatic impact on their local economy because of the tourist boost the annual hummingbear event provides for the people of Perchance. As a budding scientist, Willodeen along with her new (and first) friend, Connor, investigate the environmental changes her village has experienced and looks for connections between them and the missing creatures. Themes of the interdependence of nature, friendship, and family will draw fans of all ages to this story, especially elementary and early middle grades readers. This would make a great class read and could tie in easily with science units.

It’s not easy to deal with grief, loss, and disrespect at any age. Especially when you’re young. It takes a couple 10 year olds, strange creatures, a touch of magic, and gentle persistence to mend what been damaged and lost. “Willowdeen” is more than magical creatures. It’s an elegant journey woven together with heart and exquisite bones that are the hallmark of Katherine Aoplegate.

Applegate has spun a fantasy with amazing creatures whose existence relies on the interdependence between all the animals and plants in the natural world. As Willodeen, the child who is an observer, a loner, a champion of even the most disagreeable creatures remarks, the plants and animals are a community just like the people of Perchance (their little town). Just as the inhabitants of Perchance came together to fight a fire and save the town, the plants and animals have a symbiotic relationship that sustains them, as well.

While the creatures are fantastical, the human characters are very real. The main characters are strong and kind and smart and vulnerable. You root for all of them throughout the story. Applegate’s writing is exquisite—evocative and lush and simple where it needs to be. Taking care of the environment and respecting all living things is the book’s strong message, but the elegance and subtlety of its delivery is perfect.

Thanks to Netgalley for this advance copy.

Willodeen makes you fall in love with the characters, both the human ones and the mythical animals. It speaks volumes about nature and humanity, as well as the interconnectedness of all. Additionally, the story has line after line that can only be described as beautiful, truth-speaking, and discussion worthy. I could see this being used for read aloud, book clubs and even for a one book, one school selection because it has great community building potential.

What a lovely story, told as only Katherine Applegate can. This is a wonderful story about a young girl, Willodeen, raised by two free-thinking, elderly women after her family dies in a fire. She does not get along well with other people and the two old ladies give her the latitude she needs to explore and think and find the answers to questions. Her village is populated by a number of mean-spirited people who are determined to do away with every last screecher. The screechers are large, ugly animals who give off an odor reminiscent of skunk, but worse. The hummingbears, tiny flying creatures resembling tiny bears crossed with hummingbirds, are adorable and the town celebrates them with a festival each fall. Problem - the hummingbears are no longer coming to the village. Willodeen makes the environmental connection between screechers and hummingbears and becomes brave enough to speak out about what she has learned. She becomes friends with Connor over a long period of time. She does not trust Connor because Connor's dad is one of the ones trying to get rid of all the screechers. It is up to Connor to prove he is not just like his dad.

A great story of friendship, environmental concerns and following one's own path. Hoping all libraries and teachers provide upper elementary and middle school students with the opportunity to read and discuss this book.

Applegate does a wonderful job of tackling large issues (homelessness, animal rights, bigotry) and without reducing or minimalizing making them understandable to young readers. Willodeen, the novel, discusses the idea of balance in nature, and the impact of humans and our interference in nature's ecosystems. Willodeen the character is an orphan, and a prickly child. Taken in by an elderly presumably lesbian couple, she is loved but unable to accept it. Her town survives through the annual pilgrimage of hummingbears, delightful animals that are peaceful mini bears with hummingbird wings and appetites, who create beautiful nests from bubbles they blow. But Willodean prefers the Screetchers, animals that resemble warthogs, have sharp claws and teeth, let out bloodcurdling screams (hence the name) and who regularly (and always when feeling threatened) release noxious odors. The town lost a large part of their population (including Willodean's family) to a fire, and the fires seem to be happening more regularly. With the loss of people, and the hit on the economy, the local populace needs the hummingbears and the tourism they inspire even more. But the hummingbear population no longer seems to be visiting their town. With the use of a little magical realism, Willodean comes into possession of a baby screetcher, who she seeks to save, and in the end discovers a way to save the entire town. Through the course of the novel, Willodean learns to let people in, to find her voice as an individual and as a budding scientist A lovely novel with another quiet social message about finding one's own family and taking care of our environment.

Title: Willodeen
Author: Katherine Applegate
Publication Date: September 7, 2021

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Applegate has woven another vibrantly descriptive tale for the ages.

On its surface, Willodeen is an 11 year old girl who has suffered great loss in her young life. But, read farther and you’ll learn she’s been taught to question, to search for answers, and that she in fact does have a voice worth being heard.

Travel with her, Connor, Duuzuu the hummingbear, and Quinby the screecher as they learn how working together benefits everyone, and everything, in the town of Perchance.

“She has just a moment on this old, wise earth, this earth that will always be wiser than its inhabitants. And she is lucky indeed to be part of its magic.”

#BookReview #Willodeen #KatherineApplegate #NetGalleyARC #MGLit

Thank you @NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.