April 1, 2021
After 10-year-old Henry witnesses the fall of a meteorite, disaster finds his Maine home. Henry Bower, of Bower Hill Road, comes from a family of water dowsers, but he hasn't yet shown any talent in this area--his current skills include reading the most books at the library and writing questions about the world in his home-schooling notebook. Henry has a passion for rocks and minerals and is thrilled when he and his little sister find a meteorite to rival the 31-ton Ahnighito in Greenland. An author's note describes, among other things, the controversy over its fate and the "sad and disturbing history of the Inughuit people brought to New York City, along with the meteorite." Henry tries to keep it a secret to protect it from similar theft. A paean to science, the text can be laudably earnest ("I learn that no matter how big or special a meteorite is, someone always wants to take it or chip it") but the dialogue is occasionally stilted. Brief quotes, mostly from nonfiction science resources, open each chapter, intriguing readers who might otherwise wonder where Henry's narrative is going and why. The flood that overtakes Henry's house traumatizes his family, especially when some people in the town blame them for it, but Henry shows impressive kindness and resilience. The main cast reads as White; a visiting scientist who mentors Henry is Black. A meandering, idealistic tale for budding scientists. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)
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June 1, 2021
Gr 4-7-Fascinated with geology, Henry spends hours breaking rocks open. His family members are water dowsers, people who sense sources of water using a dowsing rod. Henry is anxious because water dowsing is not something one can learn from a book, and not everyone in the family has the "gift." When he tries to use a dowsing rod to find water, he feels an urge to hold the stick toward the sky instead of the ground. Soon, a giant meteorite falls to Earth. Henry is ecstatic to find and analyze the rock from space. But the meteorite has brought more than just media attention and a collector offering a giant financial reward-the rock has caused a disaster, and Henry feels responsible. Culley perfectly illustrates Henry's complicated feelings and insecurities. He reacts like any child would, especially when the small town seems to hold him responsible. Poignant, lyrical prose and an engaging mix of geology, astronomy, and wonder will make this title popular, especially for fans of Nancy Viau's Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head. Henry is cued as white. VERDICT Heartwarming and absorbing, this is a solid choice for middle grade collections. Perfect for readers who want a great small-town story mixed with STEM.-Patrick Tierney, Pascoag P.L., RI
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Starred review from April 15, 2021
Grades 4-6 *Starred Review* Ten-year-old Henry, homeschooled and fascinated by rocks, lives on the outskirts of a small town in Maine. He very much hopes that, like his father and one of his uncles, he will also have the ability to find water by dowsing, a gift said to reveal itself at his age. When a meteor blazes earthward one night, he's the only one to see it slam into the field beside his home. The next morning, he finds the enormous, amazing meteorite but doesn't expect the dramatic events that will follow. Wells in town begin to dry up, while water floods his family's field and destroys their home. Is the meteorite drawing water toward itself? Who can put things right? Henry's first-person narrative signals his scientific bent: the night after their home is inundated, he likens his father to "a nocturnal animal, awake when everyone else is asleep," and his mother to "an animal going into hibernation, eating less and slowing down her movements to conserve energy." From Henry, his best friend, and members of his extended family to a visiting geologist from a museum, the characters have layers of complexity that are gradually revealed as the story unfolds at its own steady pace. A captivating middle-grade novel.
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