Where the Lockwood Grows
Where the Lockwood Grows
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Publisher's Hardcover ©2023--
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Little, Brown & Co.
Annotation: A New York Public Library Best Book of 2023! “A mystery...brimming with heart.” —Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestsel... more
Genre: [Science fiction]
 
Reviews: 3
Catalog Number: #356309
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Special Formats: Chapter Book Chapter Book
Copyright Date: 2023
Edition Date: 2023 Release Date: 08/15/23
Pages: 338 pages
ISBN: 0-316-44912-1
ISBN 13: 978-0-316-44912-0
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2022032152
Dimensions: 20 cm
Language: English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist (Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

In Cole's middle-grade climate dystopian, 12-year-old Erie lives in a dark city shrouded by lockwood trees. Every morning, each kid small enough to fit climbs and cuts the lockwood so that their secluded town can catch a brief glimpse of sunlight before the lockwood grows again overnight. The citizens too big to climb ke Hurona, Erie's older sister rk on the ground harvesting mysterious pods for an all-powerful corporation. Years ago, when wildfires raged, scientists created the lockwood, a fire-resistant plant, as a solution; now, it completely dominates the lives of the townspeople of Prine by necessity. But one night, while on an unplanned climb, Erie discovers a dangerous secret about the lockwood that threatens everything she's ever known. Erie and Hurona secretly leave Prine, setting off in search of the scientist who invented the lockwood, in hopes of finding answers and liberating their town. On their journey into the wider world, they make unexpected discoveries about life outside Prine and about their own family. Readers who enjoy books about science and the environment will love this.

Kirkus Reviews

A company-town dystopia laced with a climate change message.Set in an unspecified future time, this novel follows 12-year-old Erie, who was named after one of the two Great Lakes that hasn't dried up yet; her 16-year-old sister, Hurona, was named after the other. Erie works in the branches of the lockwood trees that surround her town of Prine. The fireproof, human-invented lockwood, planted after the devastating Arborklept fire, grows so quickly that each morning, Prine's younger kids cut away top branches to let the sun in and harvest the pods the tree produces. Each week, FOLROY company trucks from the wealthy city of Petrichor pick up the pods and pulp, paying the townspeople a pittance. The grim lives of Prine's residents are well described, but readers will wonder why Erie dreads growing too big to work in the tree; it's not explained why that's preferable to being safer on the ground, where Hurona works. After Hurona and Erie discover something sinister about the lockwood, they smuggle themselves to Petrichor to find the scientist who developed it. At least that's Erie's intent; the one surprising plot twist is what Hurona's actual mission is. Erie's thoughts often interrupt the narrative flow with strained metaphoric connections and ultimately come across as telling readers rather than letting them figure things out for themselves. Erie and Hurona are White, and Hurona is queer; the supporting cast is diverse in race and sexuality.Earnest but heavy-handed. (Dystopian. 12-14)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Devastating blazes once threatened to destroy the city of Prine, until scientist Dr. Lunata Elemneiri engineered a powerful, fireproof plant called lockwood. Now, dense lockwood shrouds Prine in darkness. To make ends meet, children small enough to maneuver its branches—like 12-year old Erie—are forced to prune the plant to filter sunlight as well as sell lockwood clippings to FOLROY, a company that owns most of the products in Prine. At home, Erie grows distant from her older sister Hurona, who has outgrown working in the lockwood, and worries about her emotionally exhausted inventor mother, who’s grieving the deaths of Erie’s aunt and father. After a fight between Erie and Hurona leads to shocking revelations about their town, the sisters leave together for Petrichor, a nearby city where they hope to confront Dr. Elemneiri regarding the rumored conspiracy. As they embark on their trek, Erie and Hurona must relearn how to open up to each other, especially as their investigation dredges up old family secrets. Erie’s hopeful stream-of-consciousness narrative and the protagonists’ tumultuous sisterhood add an emotionally grounded through line to this jam-packed, climate-oriented allegory by Cole (Dear Medusa), which acutely highlights the impact of capitalism and its tendency to prioritize profits over people. Ages 8–12. Agent: Patrice Caldwell, New Leaf Literary. (Aug.)

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
ALA Booklist (Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Word Count: 82,630
Reading Level: 4.2
Interest Level: 4-7
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 4.2 / points: 12.0 / quiz: 520954 / grade: Middle Grades
Guided Reading Level: Y
Fountas & Pinnell: Y

A New York Public Library Best Book of 2023!

“A mystery...brimming with heart.” —Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the TRISTAN STRONG series

A lyrical and environmentally-focused story about sisterhood, adventure, and activism—perfect for fans of The Last Cuentista and The City of Ember.

Twelve-year-old Erie has never lived life fully in the sunlight. After destructive wildfires wreaked havoc on the world around her, the government came up with a plan—engineer a plant that cannot burn. Thus, the fire-resistant lockwood was born. The lockwood protects Erie and her hometown of Prine, but it grows incredibly fast and must be cut back every morning. Only the town’s youngest and smallest citizens can fit between the branches and tame the plant. Citizens just like Erie.

But one evening, Erie uncovers a shocking secret that leads her to question the rules of Prine. Alongside her older sister, Hurona, she’ll journey from the only home she’s known and realize that the world is much more complicated than she'd ever imagined. Packed with surprising twists and a cast of courageous characters, this gripping novel encourages readers to stand up for justice and challenge the status quo.


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