Wildoak

Themes of compassion and conservation form the heartbeat of Harrington's eloquent 1963 England-set debut. Self-conscious about others' cruel reactions to her stutter, 11-year-old Margaret Stephens impales her hand with a sharp pencil to get out of reading aloud. After her misunderstood behavior leads to her dismissal from a third school in two years, her parents send Maggie from London to her doctor grandfather's cottage in rural Cornwall. If she doesn't improve, her gruff father indicates, she'll be sent to Granville--an institution that's rumored to engage in mistreatment. In the countryside, animal-loving Maggie bonds with her grandfather and finds solace in nearby Wildoak Forest, where she befriends a dumped snow leopard cub, Rumpus, as the woods face imminent destruction from toxic copper mining. Alternating third-person chapters follow Rumpus, depicting his harrowing journey from Harrods department store to the wild. Both character arcs sparkle with life thanks to Harrington's poignant, immersive prose. Maggie's work to speak in defense of Rumpus and Wildoak resounds with realism, building to a nuanced and empowering ending that reverberates with foresight. Sudyka's starkly elegant ink illustrations focus on the natural world; human characters cue as white. Ages 8-12. Author's agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. (Sept.)

Praise for Wildoak:

Winner of the 2023 Schneider Family Book Award

* "Themes of compassion and conservation form the heartbeat of Harrington's eloquent 1963 England-set debut...Both character arcs sparkle with life thanks to Harrington's poignant, immersive prose...nuanced and empowering." - Publisher's Weekly, starred review

* "Harrington packs her memorably atmospheric debut with compelling issues, but her sharply felt portrayals of two vulnerable youngsters of different species bonding as they find their ways in hostile worlds will make the deepest impression. Tugs on ethical sensibilities and heartstrings with equal strength." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Harrington humanizes Rumpus with compassion but not preciousness, inviting readers to acknowledge his wildness but still recognize his shared experiences with Maggie. Beyond the well-integrated themes of environmentalism and animal conservation, the resonating factor behind the story is Maggie's connection to Rumpus, making this an easy readalike to Pennypacker's Pax or Earle's When the Sky Falls." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Maggie's deep connections to animals and the natural world are her greatest strengths, enabling physical bravery and creative problem-solving. The theme of diverse varieties of communication braids the narrative together and deepens its impact. Generous back matter alerts readers to resources on stuttering, big-cat conservation, and reforestation efforts worldwide. Chapter decorations and the occasional pen-and-ink illustration add to the richness of this immersive experience." - The Horn Book

"A poignant story about finding your voice and standing up for those who are unable to stand for themselves. . . . By the end, readers will have fallen in love with Rumpus and be cheering as Maggie takes a stand to save him. . . . Echoing the vibrant, emotional storytelling of classic children's tales, Maggie and Rumpus's story will resonate with those struggling to make themselves heard in a world where differences can overshadow what truly lies within." — School Library Connection, highly recommended

"This tender and hopeful story, with a whisper of magical realism, reminds the reader that everyone struggles with something. C.C. Harrington's prose is beautiful, and she writes with a deep affection for the natural world. Wildoak reads like a classic. I loved it." - Pam Muñoz Ryan, bestselling author of Esperanza Rising and the Newbery Honor Book Echo

"Wildoak is one of those novels that makes us believe the world may well be as mysterious and as lovely and as possible as we had hoped. Maybe we can speak to animals in ways we never anticipated, and maybe we can sense consciousness in places we had never imagined, and maybe deep hurts can be overcome—the hurts of war, of humiliation, of pride. The rambunctious and sometimes frightening and sometimes incredibly funny story of Maggie and Rumpus is a story of how we might connect more deeply and more humanly-and so it is a story of immense hope. Read it, and be enlarged!" - Gary Schmidt, Newbery Honor winning author of The Wednesday Wars and Just Like That

"This well-told story of a girl's stuttering journey leaps and purrs on the back of a beautiful snow leopard." - Vince Vawter, author of the Newbery Honor book, Paperboy

"This immersive read crackles with gorgeous descriptions and heart-racing action. Maggie is a fierce and kindhearted protector of the natural world. Her own severe stutter is thoughtfully and realistically portrayed as one part of the story's larger exploration of what it means to find the courage to speak for those who cannot by first discovering your own self-worth. Readers will cheer as Maggie and Rumpus team up to patiently guide them into a world of bravery and belonging they will never forget!" - Nancy Tandon MA, CCC-SLP and author of The Way I Say It

"In Maggie, C.C. Harrington has created a nuanced and complex protagonist. It is rare to encounter a character whose stutter is not portrayed as an obstacle to be overcome, but is instead an important part of her that is embraced and celebrated. Maggie is a relatable heroine who we can empathize with and be inspired by as we follow her trajectory from a place of pain and heartache to one of self-realization and fierce independence. Through it all, she stutters. Her stutter is part of who she is, but it does not define or limit her. We need more characters like Maggie." - Taro Alexander, Founder of SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young