Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free review copy! One of my absolute favorite queer middle grade novels I’ve read this year. I loved the spotlight on a disabled kid doing their best, the friendship and of course the magical and mysterious worldbuilding of this effective and entertaining spooky story.

A solid blend of magic and personal challenges in this book. It has a surprisingly dense mythology with forest spirits and an exploration of how something comes to be seen as "evil". We are presented with a disabled character dealing with personal trauma but this isn't the whole of her personality. She's not overcoming her diagnosis or moving past it. It's merely a part of her character and ends up both helping and limiting her responses to danger. It's a compelling read.

THE LUMBERING GIANTS OF WINDY PINES by Mo Netz is a quick, fantastical adventure, features a young kid set out to solve the mystery of her new town’s creepy woods, by way of saving her mom. Through this adventure (and her new friend) Jerry learns the power people contain, especially when they don’t feel invisible anymore.
This book was lovely. I can think of so many readers who would love this, and I can’t wait to recommend it to them.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children's Books and Netgalley for providing a copy for review.

A great middle grade debut with excellent disability rep and diverse main characters. This was fun, heartfelt with a spooky mystery all combined to create a compelling read sure to entertain young audiences. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Katherine Arden. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Jerry is a young girl who is in a wheelchair. Jerry and her mom have moved around a lot since Jerry’s dad passed away. When they come to a new hotel that is supposedly haunted and weird things start happening, Jerry teams up with a new friend to save her mom from the woods.

This was a cute story! I liked the characters and the quirky animal in this book. Jerry finds her courage and her voice trying to save her mom. The friendship between Jerry and Chapel was cute. There was some creepy parts and suspense as well. This book was a good mix between suspense/creepiness and friendship and love. It was a quick read and I think a lot of kids will like it!

Thanks so much to netgalley and Harpercollins Childrens books for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This has been one of my favorite reads this year. I really enjoyed the overall story with the guardians and the demons and the witches, but what I really enjoyed was seeing Jerry, grow and thrive throughout the story. It was a true heroes journey.

11 year old Jerry is in a wheelchair and homeschools herself while her mom picks up odd jobs at small motels around the country. When they finally settle in at Windy Pines, things quickly go awry. What evil hides in the woods behind the motel and what does Jerry's mom have to do with it? Good, diverse characters! Quick read! Could probably for grades 3-5 but it does talk about demons...or would be a clean MG read.

What a fantastic adventure! It was an absolute joy to read a middle grade fantasy story with a wheelchair user as the hero. I know it's a bit trite to call stories like this important, but this one will change lives. And this isn't a "your disability is a superpower" story. Sure, Jerry uses her chair in clever and ingenious ways to outsmart the sneaky demons, but there is no saccharine message of overcoming your disability or inspiring the able-bodied folks. The authenticity at the heart of this story shines through and Jerry is definitely a character to cheer for. LOVED the twist with the Witch of the Woods as well. It will definitely have kids on the edge of their seats.

This was such a fun and spooky tale about Jerry who is in a wheelchair because of a degenerative disease that has to go look for her mother who disappeared in the creepy woods that are adjacent to the hotel they live in as Special Work and ends up encountering demons that her mom is trying to banish which are actually trapped spirits. Jerry with Paul her imaginary dragon and her new friend Chapel they end up in the forest looking for her mom and encountering all manner of weird things and it turns out her imaginary dragon isn’t so imaginary and that jerry has magic which is just what she needs to help out the spirits that are trapped and help find her mom. This was a really great fast read and I liked how they incorporated her use of her wheelchair.
Thanks to Clarion Books and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Get ready for a spooky adventure in “The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines” where 11-year-old Jerry and her trusty wheelchair embark on a mission to save her missing mom from the mysterious woods surrounding the creepy Slumbering Giant motel. The story weaves together friendship, demons, giants, and a touch of the supernatural. I love how the author incorporates Jerry's use of a wheelchair, bringing unique representation to the narrative. This thrilling action-adventure is not only a fun read but also an important one, especially for kids who enjoy mystery and adventure. The inclusion of an “imaginary” miniature dragon adds an extra layer of charm to this unique and entertaining tale. Highly recommended for those who love spooky stories, friendship tales, and a touch of the supernatural.

This book was really fun. I enjoyed how the kids connected with each other and with the difficulties they faced. Jerry has to use a wheelchair, and I appreciated how that was incorporated. I want to see more of characters like Jerry in children’s and middle grade books. I highly recommend this read for kids who love an adventure and some mystery.

This is a thrilling action-adventure starring a character who happens to use a mobility aid (Publishing: more of this please!), and I absolutely loved it!! After Dad dies, Jerry, Mom, and an imaginary friend—a pocket-size dragon!—have finally found a place to call home at the Whispering Pines Motel. Jerry is homeschooling after horrific bullying over her use of a wheelchair, and Mom is set to work in housekeeping. But soon Mom leaves on a side project and disappears into the woods where several loggers have gone missing. Jerry and her new friend Chapel from the motel must investigate! Great mix of action and building suspense as they must figure out what is real, who to believe, and what Mom has been up to in order to save her. Also it is very funny with great lines like this: “You’re jealous of me for having a phone, but you have a sword?” Highly recommend! Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read early.

What worked:
Jerry’s legs aren’t strong enough to walk for long so she’s forced to navigate using a wheelchair. Her disability is due to a hereditary problem so her legs become weaker as she grows older. Jerry is homeschooled and has gotten used to frequently moving around with her mother. Jerry doesn’t feel a need to attend public school ever again and she gets annoyed when others see the wheelchair and prejudge or pity her. These traits display the confidence, independence, and bravery necessary to take on the world, even when the world might be full of demons. Jerry eventually makes friends with a girl named Chapel who sees the wheelchair but still treats her as an equal.
Jerry’s best “friend” is an invisible, tiny dragon named Paul that she creates when her father dies. The dragon often stays in her shirt pocket and offers comments and advice as Jerry encounters challenges with her new life living in a motel. Her mother is concerned that Jerry talks to an imaginary creature (or is it?) and wants to help Jerry deal with her apparent emotional issues. Paul says he’ll protect Jerry but he struggles to fly and he can’t shoot flames so she’s not sure how he would do that. It turns out Paul has some surprises to reveal as the plot nears its climax.
People have been disappearing in the woods of Windy Pines for years so Jerry is concerned when she sees her mother entering the forest. Jerry also hears a strange voice on the radio that only broadcasts in the middle of the night. It first says “They’re coming” and later speaks of guardians. Readers won’t immediately understand what’s happening but the mysterious voice acts as a foreshadowing of events to come. It’s clear Jerry’s mother is more than the motel housekeeper and her secret, special projects are her main purpose for being in Windy Pines. The book’s title and the radio voice indicate giants will be involved in the story but who knows when, where, and why they’ll appear?
What didn’t work as well:
The plot moves into the woods and Jerry is forced to trek through the trees and old mines to find her mother. It’s not always easy but she doesn’t seem to have much trouble navigating the challenging natural obstacles in the middle of the night. She needs help at times but her movements aren’t always believable.
The final verdict:
This book offers a unique twist to familiar ghost stories. The wheelchair is an interesting addition and the origin of the demons isn’t what readers might expect. Overall, this is a fun adventure and I recommend you give it a shot.

An odd book but enjoyable. A nice twist on the new trope of a little bit of magic in the ordinary world. Also, the importance of friends and a disability. It's a lot to throw in one book but it worked out quite well.

I loved the middle grade folklore mystery turned of this book. I think this is a fantastic book for middle grade readers of all ages, but especially for those who have a disability or feel alone. The dedication for this book is absolutely beautiful.

The Doctor Who reference made me giggle. Paul was a fun nonhuman character, and I loved their friendship.

Content Warning: child gets in car with a father and daughter to go to the library without asking her mother for permission first.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written, and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

I’m not sure what I expected this book to be, but boy was I wrong. This story was great! I loved all the different things it had—friendships, demons, giants, dragons, and everything in between. I can see it being a hit with my 5th graders!

What a fun unexpected supernatural story/adventure.

It's diverse and inclusive and has a character who is in a wheelchair going through abrupt and hard changes in her life: loss of a parent, bullying, isolation, her disease made her dependent on a wheelchair.

There are so many mysteries and questions set up in the first pages that I read this one in one sitting. Where does Jerry's mom go every night? Are the woods really haunted? Are ghosts real? Is Jerry going to overcome her difficulties? Is Jerry's dragon a product of her grief? Will she find new friends that will make her smile again with common interests who understand her? Are witches for real? What about those Guardians?

Very well written it answers all the questions with awesome twists.

Supernatural, paranormal, awesome family and new friends relationship.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this e-ARC.

Jerry and her trusty wheelchair move into a creepy motel at the edge of the woods where nothing is as it seems. When her mother disappears, it's up to Jerry to rescue her from the mysterious creatures lurking there.

This was a great Middle Grade Fantasy with excellent disability rep.

The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines is such a fun, unique story that has it all: demons, friendship, giants, a witch, family love, awesome main characters, and of course, an ‘imaginary’ miniature dragon that can’t breathe fire.

This book is perfect for kids who love spooky stories or friendship stories, or for anyone who sometimes feels different or unseen.