04/04/2022
As a former artist-in-residence at Zion National Park, Dilloway (Five Things About Ava Andrews) displays her deep love of Utah’s landscapes in this introspective story. Twelve-year-old pale-skinned Tuesday is grieving the sudden death of her beloved uncle Ezra and fixated on the meaning of his riddle, the last gift he left her. His death has caused her tan-skinned mother Dana, an archeologist and park ranger, to withdraw into her work, leaving Tuesday longing for connection (“At least, I tell myself, we’re together”). Their already tumultuous lives—plagued by furloughs and park overcrowding—are further unsettled when a company buying up a bordering preserve threatens to encroach on park land. With the help of a visiting social media celebrity, Tuesday is determined to stop the development and to solve Ezra’s riddle. Tuesday’s aversion to change, dislike of touch, literal interpretations, and heightened observational skills (“ ‘Have you been crying?’ I blurt out”) make for a detail-oriented narrative about learning to forge ahead in the face of uncertainty. Readers will feel like Tuesday’s trusted confidante as she delves into the park’s beauty, adventures, and secrets in this bighearted and leisurely paced novel. Ages 8–12. Agent: Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Mar.)
I have a new favorite character in Tuesday Beals, who faces changes in her family, friendships, and home with strength and humor. While navigating through loss and grief, Tuesday keeps fighting to protect what’s most important. Where the Stars Live is a captivating, memorable story and a hopeful reminder that small actions make a big difference.” — Lynne Kelly, award-winning author of Song For a Whale
"Beautifully written, Where the Sky Lives is a tender exploration of grief, loss, and change. Dilloway clearly knows Zion National Park inside and out. She paints such stunning imagery with her words, that readers will feel as though they've experienced all the beauty, majesty, and wonders of Zion firsthand" — Dusti Bowling, author of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
“Genuine friendship and a mysterious adventure joined with a compassionately crafted exploration of grief and the journey of resilience gives this story its heart. Protagonist Tuesday Beals’ star shines bright through her strength and perseverance as she ventures to find meaning after loss in this inspiring and hopeful tale.” — Melissa Savage, author of Lemons
"A call to action and for acceptance wrapped in a love letter to a national park." — Kirkus Reviews
"Dilloway paints an intimate and affectionate portrait of the park in this stirring story that gracefully explores the complexity of grief, inevitability of change, and beauty of perseverance and love." — Booklist
“Readers will feel like Tuesday’s trusted confidante as she delves into the park’s beauty, adventures, and secrets in this bighearted and leisurely paced novel.” — Publishers Weekly
"A gentle novel especially suited to students interested in the environment, careers in conservation, or the national parks." — School Library Journal
Genuine friendship and a mysterious adventure joined with a compassionately crafted exploration of grief and the journey of resilience gives this story its heart. Protagonist Tuesday Beals’ star shines bright through her strength and perseverance as she ventures to find meaning after loss in this inspiring and hopeful tale.
"Beautifully written, Where the Sky Lives is a tender exploration of grief, loss, and change. Dilloway clearly knows Zion National Park inside and out. She paints such stunning imagery with her words, that readers will feel as though they've experienced all the beauty, majesty, and wonders of Zion firsthand"
"Dilloway paints an intimate and affectionate portrait of the park in this stirring story that gracefully explores the complexity of grief, inevitability of change, and beauty of perseverance and love."
I have a new favorite character in Tuesday Beals, who faces changes in her family, friendships, and home with strength and humor. While navigating through loss and grief, Tuesday keeps fighting to protect what’s most important. Where the Stars Live is a captivating, memorable story and a hopeful reminder that small actions make a big difference.
02/01/2022
Gr 3–7—This heartwarming story follows Tuesday Beals as she works to save the preserved property surrounding Zion National Park, where she lives with her mother, the park's head archaeologist. Tuesday, who has light skin and dark hair, is an adventurous girl grieving the loss of her beloved uncle Ezra, who taught her about astronomy and conservation; now Tuesday finds herself trying to solve a riddle he left her right before he died. After picking up a discarded camera, Tuesday learns about photography and activism and, with her friend Carter, begins an Instagram campaign to save the property from becoming a residential development—and to preserve the ability to observe the stars. She learns about the positive and negative aspects of social media, and that things are not always as they appear. Throughout the story, readers learn about Zion National Park and meet many of its caregivers, from various scientists to the artist-in-residence, all of whom work passionately to preserve the parks. After Tuesday learns that she and her mother will be moving, she becomes more motivated to save the land and solve the riddle. All of this is interwoven with a sweet mother/daughter story that focuses on the positivity of friendships and how small steps can make a big difference. VERDICT A gentle novel especially suited to students interested in the environment, careers in conservation, or the national parks.—Christina Pesiri
2021-12-15
A story of grief, growth, and perseverance set against the magnificence of Zion National Park.
Twelve-year-old Tuesday loves living in the Utah wilderness with her archaeologist mother. Over the course of one unforgettable summer, with the help of an artist-in-residence, a local photographer, a social media celebrity, and her best friend, Tuesday learns to accept change while also fighting to find solutions to save the pristine land and solve the last puzzle left by her recently deceased uncle. Written by a former Zion National Park artist-in-residence, this novel showcases the natural beauty of the park throughout. Like Tuesday, who is known for communicating in a frank fashion, the writing is detailed and straightforward. While this observant perspective develops the setting, the writing can at times feel more expository than engaging. The story gets off to a slow start, but persistent readers will be rewarded with an emotionally compelling second act. Most characters default to White. Tuesday, who prefers not to be touched and has been told by adults to work on her emotional intelligence, may be intended to be neurodivergent. She was conceived via a sperm donor. The book discusses the Paiute and other Native American people who first inhabited the area as well as the settlers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who enslaved them.
A call to action and for acceptance wrapped in a love letter to a national park. (Fiction. 9-13)
