CONTROLLED BURN, by Erin Soderberg Downing, Scholastic Press, Nov. 1, 2022, Paperback, $7.99 (ages 8-12)
A 12-year-old deals with the aftermath of a house fire in Erin Soderberg Downing’s new middle-grade novel, Controlled Burn.
Twelve-year-old Maia’s parents say she’s lucky she noticed something as early as she did. Lucky to have smelled the smoke, lucky to have pulled her sister, Amelia, out of their burning house. But is it really “lucky” when Amelia’s stuck in the hospital, covered in burns? And is it “lucky” when Maia knows it was her candle, left unattended, that started the fire in the first place?
When she’s sent to spend the summer with her grandparents in Northern Minnesota while her sister heals, Maia discovers that her anxieties and demons are intent on following her wherever she goes… unless she can figure out how to overcome them. But what if she can’t? Maia barely knows her grandparents, she desperately misses her sister and home, and she’s not thrilled to be spending the summer with Grandpa Howard on his daily motorcycle rides out to the middle of the woods, where he spends all day keeping watch for forest fires. There are no kids her age in Gram and Pop’s small town at “the end of the road” ― just the chatty 9-year-old neighbor who is intent on getting his Bear Scout badge at all costs, and a friendly, stray dog who’s been lurking around.
But Maia will soon learn that nature is a powerful teacher, and sometimes our greatest strengths show themselves when we have to be there for someone else. As she begins to figure out how to face her guilt and paralyzing fears, she’ll discover there’s a fine line between fear and adventure. And when danger strikes again, Maia must summon all her bravery and overcome her self-doubt if she wants to save those she loves most. —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press
Controlled Burn is, at its heart, a book about anxiety and self-doubt and how to work through them. Maia’s fears are palpable. And it doesn’t seem like her family truly understands how bad things are. But as she opens up about the things that scare her, she’s able to address them.
Maia is an interesting character in that she sort of washes over you. She starts out Controlled Burn telling you what an awful person she is, but you quickly discover there’s more to her story. Supporting characters in the form of her grandparents and 9-year-old Griffin really bring balance and needed perspective. Each of them has important and compelling interactions with Maia.
In Controlled Burn, Author Erin Soderberg Downing has created a space of healing, compassion and love. It’s a well-crafted novel that’s sure to resonate with readers.
Sensitivity note: Controlled Burn could be a scary for younger middle-grade readers who — like Maia — tend to worry. I suggest parents get ahead of any such concerns by reading Controlled Burn with their and/or asking questions and discussing them as they read.
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