The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines
by Mo Netz
Intermediate, Middle School    Clarion/HarperCollins    208 pp.
3/24    9780063266537    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780063266551    $10.99

After the death of her father and the subsequent loss of their house, Jerry (almost twelve) and her mom drift from small town to small town, her mom finding work in motels because they accommodate Jerry’s wheelchair. The latest motel, the Slumbering Giant, should be no different, only there are stories of ghosts and of people going missing, and a radio station broadcasts strange messages in the middle of the night. All of this is fascinating to Jerry and her imaginary pocket-sized dragon, Paul, until her mom, picking up extra work duties overnight, goes missing, and then Jerry, Paul, and new friend Chapel go on a hair-raising quest in the dark, mysterious woods. Netz’s debut novel is part thrilling adventure in a fight against “demons,” part mystery about the secrets hidden in the woods. It’s also populated by an endearing cast of characters whose close relationships help carry them through strange encounters with monsters and mythical creatures. This unusual fantasy’s casual inclusion of disability makes it stand out; Jerry’s identities as Jewish and as a wheelchair user are well integrated into the story. Though she recounts previous experiences of discrimination from peers, nobody significant in her life doubts her capability or heroism—and her wheelchair refreshingly proves to be an asset in multiple parts of the tale.

From the May/June 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.