Philbrick’s latest historical fiction, set in 1920s Maine, is brought to life by the amazing Kirby Heyborne. Davy and his sister, Jo, orphaned by their mother's death, are rescued for the summer by cousin Ruthie Reynard, a famous aviatrix who gives them jobs and a home in her flying circus. As delivered by Heyborne, 12-year-old Davy’s voice is nervous as he worries about his and his sister’s future and Jo’s dream of performing in the circus. Heyborne also captures Ruthie’s kindness as she gives the kids a home. The flying circus’s announcer bellows enthusiastically, building suspense for the amazing feats performed high in the sky. The voices of the KKK are hate-filled as they attack immigrants. The author's note, narrated by Philbrick, gives important historical context to the story. N.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

08/01/2022

Philbrick’s gripping, coastal-Maine-set historical novel opens in 1924, with 12-year-old Davy Michaud and his 17-year-old sister, Jo, burying their mother—a French Canadian emigrant whose cotton mill job led to a “lung ailment” and death not long after their father perished in a mill accident. Facing eviction from the mill-owned tenement where they live, Davy and Jo are relieved when their mom’s famous aviatrix cousin Ruthie whisks them off to work at her flying circus for the summer. Both captivated and terrified by the high-flying acrobatics, Davy is soon won over by a warm welcome from the daredevil pilots and crew, and the start of his own popular act. But the growing presence of the Ku Klux Klan in Maine jeopardizes the children’s life among the circus’s bustling, closely bonded community, comprising immigrants to the U.S. who cue largely as white. Employing a reminiscing tone, Philbrick (Wild River) uses Davy’s extrasensory first-person narration to describe the Klan’s vitriolic rhetoric and violence, as well as behind-the-scenes details around airborne stunts. Chapters filled with plenty of suspense and danger also, as discussed in an author’s note, convey the terror that the KKK inflicted on immigrants in northern states. Ages 8–12. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary. (Sept.)

Praise for We Own the Sky

“Gripping.” – Publishers Weekly

“This vivid picture of senseless violence will hit home for today’s readers. A timeless, timely, and poignant tale of derring-do.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Philbrick’s fast-paced, action-packed narrative includes deeper layers of difficult history that still resonate today.” –Horn Book Magazine

“The writing and storyline show the strength and resilience of the two main characters and the other adults in their lives. It is also a realistic portrayal of the KKK and the hatred it brought to communities all over the country. Hand this to any student who loves aviation and history. The combination will keep them turning pages until the thrilling conclusion.” — School Library Connection

Praise for Wild River:

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

A Junior Library Guild Selection

"Newbery Honoree Philbrick twines a heartfelt message about teamwork and forgiveness with realistic dangers in this pageturning survival story." — Publishers Weekly

"Impossible to put down. Readers will need to strap on their helmets and prepare for a wild ride." — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Wildfire:

* "An intense tale of survival and action." — School Library Journal, starred review

* "Short chapters, outstanding cover art, and a breathless pace make this a fine choice for reluctant readers. Outstanding suspense." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Action lovers will relish every word. With Wildfire—reminiscent of Hatchet and the real-life saga Lost on a Mountain in Maine—Philbrick transforms a raging inferno into an impressively plotted escape story full of heart and soul." — BookPage, starred review

2022-09-28
It’s the summer of 1924 when Davy and Jo Michaud take off into a life that dreams—and nightmares—are made of.

Newly orphaned and long impoverished, narrator Davy, 12, and Jo, 17, are uncertain about what lies ahead. Their fortunes take a turn for the fantastical, however, when their mother’s estranged cousin, hotshot aviatrix Ruthie Reynard, swoops in to take the siblings under her proverbial—and literal—wing. Thrills abound as the children find a new family amid the daredevils and stalwarts of Ruthie’s circus. But behind the ever present danger of stunting lies a far more sinister threat, one from which the siblings and those they love might not escape. Set in Maine against the backdrop of the revival of the Ku Klux Klan in the Northeast, this vivid picture of senseless violence will hit home for today’s readers. As invectives fuel anti-immigrant sentiment, Davy realizes that he and his sister, whose father was an immigrant from Quebec, are the “foreign invaders” the Klan hates. The circus plot thread, full of heart and warmth, clashes with these themes in a way that keeps readers firmly invested in the fates of tenderly crafted characters they will grow to love. The first-person narration reads somewhat awkwardly, though it’s befitting of a young not-quite-man still growing into himself and his place in the world. Characters default to White.

A timeless, timely, and poignant tale of derring-do. (information you may find interesting, photograph, additional reading) (Fiction. 8-12)