An inspiring and moving graphic novel, Wildfire by Breena Bard follows climate change through the eyes of one middle-school girl, who’s eager to turn her anger into action. Exiled from his band, a young, wild horse must find his way across treacherous terrain to reunite with his family after being captured for the Pony Express in Rosanne Parry‘s A Horse Named Sky. Moderated by Jonathan Hill (Tales of a Seventh-grade Lizard Boy).

In Breena Bard’s Wildfire, Julianna loved her life in rural Oregon. She loved taking care of her farm animals and being part of her local 4H club. But then the unthinkable happened…a wildfire destroyed her family’s home. In the aftermath, her family relocated to Portland, Oregon, where Julianna hopes to put everything behind her. Believing the fire to be the result of kids playing with fireworks, she certainly isn’t interested when her parents and younger sister start getting involved in the growing climate change protests. All she wants to do is move on, but that becomes near impossible when Carson, an old friend from her hometown who may have had a hand in starting the wildfire, is suddenly back in her life. Julianna can’t seem to catch a break, but when two new friends invite her to join their school’s conservation club, she learns that maybe she can turn her anger into something powerful. Emotional and inspiring, Wildfire shows readers that healing from tragedy can take many forms and demonstrates what it means to take action in the face of climate change—and how that action can be different for each of us.

Rosanne Parry’s A Horse Named Sky is stand-alone companion to the acclaimed national bestsellers A Wolf Called Wander and A Whale of the Wild. Young colt Sky was born with the urge to run. Alongside his band, he moves across the range searching for fresh water and abundant grazing. But humans have begun to encroach on Sky’s homelands. With fewer resources to share, Sky knows that he must leave if his family is to survive. He hopes that one day, he’ll be strong and brave enough to return and challenge the stallion to lead the herd. Being a lone wild horse in a vast landscape is not easy, and things get even more dangerous when Sky is captured and forced to run for the Pony Express. Now, against all odds, Sky must find a way to escape and reunite with his family. Chronicling the perils of westward expansion and the grueling Pony Express from the perspective of a wild horse, A Horse Named Sky is a gripping animal survival story about family, courage, trust, leadership, and loyalty.

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