(2) 4-6 Eighth grader Finn Katz's mother says that if a wildfire ever threatens their small California town, they should be sure to save the black-and-white photograph above the fireplace of Finn's great-grandfather Phineas Katz, a Jewish immigrant. It will "remind us of what is important / where we've come from, and what we've been through." Though readers learn little about Phineas beyond what he stands for, Mrs. Katz's words prove prophetic: a fire does come; the family must flee their house (with the photograph); and ordinary middle-school life quickly turns into a survival tale amidst an apocalypse. Baron's verse novel successfully takes readers into Finn's world, from daily life with family, friends, and school to their frantic escape from the "fires everywhere." As the fires gather power, so do the poems -- with active verbs, short lines, white space, and propulsive energy. When it's safe to return home, the poem "Hope" sets another tone in its elegant simplicity, speaking to the essential theme: finding hope "once everything in your life has changed." As Finn ultimately realizes, a spark can start a fire, but it can also ignite change. The novel ends with a return home and a commitment to roots, rebuilding, and the environment. An author's note describes Baron's real-life experiences with wildfires fueled by climate change and overdevelopment.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(2) YA Seventh-grader Ari Rosensweig is the new kid, "awkward, big, different / from everyone else." Picked on and beat up, Ari is drawn to other worlds where characters transform heroically (e.g., Avatar). The verse novel is a well-chosen format for Baron's debut, with his first-person narrative effectively revealing the protagonist"s growth step by step. Any reader who has felt like an outsider will be drawn to this verse novel.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019