The Witching Wind

Analytical 12-year-old foster kid Grayson Patch, who reads as white, has just been placed in the care of a new family in Silas County, Tenn., without her older sister. Her only solaces are sarcasm and the Christmas lights she strings around her walker, which she uses to assist with the decreased mobility caused by a bone disorder. Then she meets Roxie Darling, also 12, who was born with music in her heart and a famous folk singer grandmother. Roxie has been contending with bullying, as well as anxiety—the Dreads, as she calls it—which she considers part and parcel of her Appalachian heritage. As Grayson, Roxie, and several new friends grow closer, they soon learn that each of them has lost something to the Witching Wind, a legendary force that’s known to carry off objects, people, and memories alike. Lloyd (Hummingbird) weaves a tale of music, culture, and friendship in this bewitching love letter to hope, adventure, and life’s wild places. Collaboration toward a common goal and themes of weathering emotional and physical challenges lay the groundwork while found family dynamics, modeling of adaptive coping mechanisms, and open-minded characters delighting in possibility make for a story that encourages acceptance and inclusivity. Grayson and Roxie cue as white. Ages 8–12.

Copyright 2024 Publisher's Weekly, LLC. Used with Permission

A powerful paean to human connection with a dash of magic.

Praise for Hummingbird:

A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book

* With eccentric family members, a distinctive setting, and a supernatural element that is strangely believable within this otherwise realistic story, there's a lot to love here. — Booklist, starred review

* A must-have for any elementary school or middle school library, this magical and heartening novel will keep readers engaged until the end. A perfect fit for fans of realistic fiction and fantasy alike. — School Library Journal, starred review

* Olive's sparkly personality roars to life through assured first-person narration, metaphors rooted in the natural world, and simple yet piercing free verse that distills her self-revelations. — Publisher's Weekly, starred review

The energetic first-person narration, interspersed with Olive's thoughts in free verse, is full of bold personality... Her grappling with fears and bold dreams offers a rare depiction of physical disability that is allowed to be both complicated and empowering. — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Over the Moon:

* Strong themes of friendship and loyalty drive Lloyd's story, which soars under Mallie's heroic lead. Her fiery and bighearted nature pierce the Dust and deceit covering Coal Top, and her physical disability never holds her back. Rather, she bravely proves that questions have power and one's story can be reshaped. — Booklist, starred review

Praise for A Snicker of Magic:

* This tale offers all [the] earmarks of fine storytelling, including colorful, eccentric characters, an original, highly likable narrator and a mighty 'spindiddly' plot. — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* From every angle, Lloyd's first novel sparkles and radiates warmth . . . Working in the folksy vein of Ingrid Law's Savvy, Lloyd offers a reassuring, homespun story about self-expression and the magic that resides in one's mind and heart. — Publishers Weekly, starred review

* A delightful and inspiring debut... Mibs Beaumont and her magically gifted clan from Ingrid Law's SAVVY would feel right at home here. As Felicity loves to say, 'Yes...yes...yes!' — School Library Journal, starred review