Descriptions, Reviews, etc.
Description:
"When a wildfire breaks out on her watch, twelve-year-old Opal, a fourth-generation fire lookout-in-training, must face her fears in order to save the forest she loves and her family"--
Review Quotes: Praise for The Burning Season
A Junior Library Guild Selection
An NCTE 2026 Notable Children's Verse Novels Selection
A Book Page Best Books of 2025 Middle Grade List Selection
A 2025 Newton Free Library Top Shelf Read
A 2026 Green Earth Book Award Long List Selection ★ "[A]
masterful,
memorable coming-of-age tale that
sensitively explores the power and pressures of family legacy."--
BookPage,
starred review ★ "This novel written in
emotive free verse brings the
emotional impact of poetry to 12-year-old Opal Gloria Halloway's
coming-of-age tale of survival. A young wilderness lookout confronts family expectations and her fear of fire...
Believable emotions,
gripping action, and skillfully incorporated information about
climate change and wildfire management make this a
relatable and
engaging read.
A girl-versus-nature story that
shines with evocative verse, a
compelling protagonist, and a
brisk plotline."--
Kirkus,
starred review ★ "
Excellent pacing, an
engrossing plot, and an
endearing main character make this
impossible to put down.
A riveting survival story with
emotional growth...Opal's voice shines through each poem, deepening moments of
emotional resonance and
intensifying action sequences."--
Booklist,
starred review "This
thrilling novel in verse packs all of the
adventure and
excitement of a
survival story into concise, poetic stanzas."--
The Horn Book Magazine "
The adventure starts fast in this
wilderness survival verse novel...the style brings readers along with Opal, racing through the forest as she calls on everything she has learned to take control...Descriptions of the National Forest feel
vivid and
realistic; Opal and her family know and love the land and
detailed pictures are painted by the verse."--
School Library Journal "
Riveting, original, deftly written,
emotionally engaging, and a
fascinating read from start to finish."--
Midwest Book Review "As Rose layers ongoing drama, the
tension ramps up. In a
gripping climax, Opal, alone, hunts for and then fights to contain a blaze
... lyrically evocative."--
Publishers Weekly
