I'm not sure how I feel about authors giving a voice to inanimate objects. While it tells us more about the events of the plot, it's not information that the characters have. Therefore, is it truly necessary? That aside, we have some interesting things going on with family, roles, and the events that make us who we are. A compelling read with some mildly frustrating diversions.

Hello From Renn Lake by Michele Weber Hurwitz: This book is definitely an environmentally charged book that shows how young activists can make a real difference–no wonder it won the Green Earth Book Award! Michele Weber Hurwitz never lets me down.

I really really loved this book. I loved the ways that the main characters were connected. It was truly beautiful to watch them interacting and the ways that Renn hurt. This is a great book for kids to read about our planet and what we could be doing that might be hurting our planet!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

This book would be a great one to pair with any 3rd-5th grade pollution unit. Many kids will love this book, however the action is slower-paced so some may struggle sticking to the entire story. The story and characters are interesting new voices that will connect with a variety of students.

If I close my eyes I can imagine myself at Renn Lake - the cabins, and the sights, sounds, and smells of summer. I was instantly caught up in this book and the world of Annalise, her sister Jess, their parents, their friends, and, Renn. Annalise, who was abandoned as a baby by the shores of Renn Lake, is forever connected to the lake and it becomes a part of her very being and she can sense and hear the feelings of the lake and vice versa. Wait! A lake as a character? Indeed! Renn Lake plays a prominent role in this book and fits seamlessly into the network of this story. We are all motivated and inspired by different things. For Jess it may be acting one day and who knows the next! For Annalise, she is captured by the lake, and environment, and community that surrounds it. Annalise is starting to find her way in the world and explore her deep feelings of being abandoned at birth. To complicate things, something is going on with Renn Lake. The lake is becoming silent and there may be a threat to its survival. Annalise combines forces with a boy named Zach to get information and attempt heal the lake. Annalise finds help in unexpected places and makes discoveries about herself as well. In today's turbulent world, with the looming impacts of global warming, this book is needed now, more than ever. The author has brilliantly taken a story and interwoven the importance of protecting the environment and caring about the Earth. Children who are already interested in the environment will be able to see themselves in the pages of this book. Those who have not given any thought to ecology will enjoy the story, learn something, and perhaps be changed by what they read. As I leave the world of Renn Lake, I feel like I cannot go without running to the Thought Wall and leaving a message for the author: "Please write more!"

I love this book for the YA audience. The book is a great summer read and centers around a timely topic of environmental concerns.

Annalise was a foundling, abandoned near the shores of Renn Lake 12 years ago. As a result, she has felt a kinship with the lake itself her entire life, even hearing it when it talks to her. Now a terrible algae bloom has threatened her lake, plus her family's lakefront cabin livelihood. With the help of a new friend, Zach, and her best friend, Maya, she begins to come to terms with her past and figures out how they can save the lake. Zach comes out to her as gay, and it's just another part of the story, woven in seamlessly.

I enjoy books about summers in small towns, and this fits the bill while educating its readers. Annalise is a well-developed main character, and we do get to learn a little bit about peripheral characters.

Hello from Renn Lake is told from two perspectives — Annalise and the lake. Annalise was abandoned as a baby and the lake helped people find her. Since then, the lake has always watched out for Annalise. It’s been a comfort, a part of Annalise’s family. When the lake becomes ill, it’s as if a family member is dying.

I love how author Michele Weber Hurwitz has chosen to give the lake a voice. Conversations with nature are cathartic, and it’s not hard to imagine nature whispering back. My 6-year-old talks to the flowers in our yard and to trees on the trail. She is her happiest when at one with nature. Annalise has that same spark, that same dogged determination. She is authentic.

Annalise’s relationship with her parents and sister also hold true. There’s a natural ebb and flow to their family dynamic that adds weight to the book.

Hello from Renn Lake is a fast and educational read (algal blooms are a big environmental issue). It’s a fantastic option for summer reading.

Ever since she was abandoned as a baby, Annalise has shared a special connection with Renn Lake. As a toxic algae-bloom forms, it threatens not only the resort town’s livelihood but the health of Renn himself.
With the help of a boy staying at her parent’s cabins, Annalise takes action to save Renn, even when the adults and experts say there’s nothing to be done.
This is a beautiful story of courage, connection, friendship and family (both the family you’re given and the family you discover.) The alternating POV (chapters told from both Annalise and Renn’s perspective) adds a powerful emotional connection. Seeing our world and history through Renn’s experience reminds us that all of our actions have ripple effects and it’s up to us to take care of those we love.

This novel captures so many aspects of tween life and skillfully weaves in an environmental theme. Many readers will connect with Annalise and admire her moxie as she listens to her heart about her own past and the future of the lake she calls her own. Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the E-ARC.

The fact that this book addresses climate change and the affects on water systems in a way that middle grade students can understand is amazing! The blending of a real life environmental crisis with the voices of a lake and river makes this story very unique. Then adding in the differing voices of two sisters and how they come to terms with their human conflict just keeps the story moving and the reader reading. Emotions rise and fall within the main plot line as well as the subplots. This book will definitely have its place in my classroom library along side Michele Weber Hurwitz's other novels!

This is a very cute book for middle schoolers, but as an adult I enjoyed it a lot. Annalise is a 12-year-old girl who lives in Wisconsin. She was abandoned as a baby and was adopted by a married couple who own some rental cabins right by Renn Lake. She and her sister Jess grew up near the lake, but Annalise has a special connection to Renn. She can sometimes hear Renn speaking to her. When Renn becomes sick from toxic algae, it’s up to Annalise and her friends to help save her before it’s too late.

This book has a wonderful story but is also educational and fun. I loved it!

Thank you to Random House and Net Galley for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Readers will be cheering for Annalise, Zach, and Maya as they fight to save Renn Lake. But this isn't only a story about climate change and the environment. Annalise has a strong connection to the lake that is unique only to her. She was abandoned at a gift shop nearby and feels the lake communicates with her. The Olivers, her adoptive parents, also run a resort on the shores of Lake Renn. When a layer of scum forms on the lake, putting it at risk, Annalise works with her friends to save the lake. Overcoming several obstacles, the kids install seven floating plant islands to fight against the algal bloom of cyanobacteria and in turn raise awareness about environmental conservation and start protecting Renn Lake.

Annalise has determination and passion for the lake and together she brings about a positive change. She is a great role model for young readers, which makes this book a good addition to school libraries and classrooms. For teachers, this book would make a good accompaniment to science units in Grades 5-8, and ties in nicely with standards. We are always looking for fiction, with strong characters and an exciting story that tie in science concepts. This book checks off those boxes.

I will be adding this to my classroom shelf.

This was a great story about a little girl who was abandoned at a Garden Center/Gift Shop when she was a baby. She is taken in by a loving family who owns and manages rental cabins at Renn Lake, Wisconsin. This is a story of family, friendship, and fighting for what you believe in. I loved the elements of magical realism where points of view changed from Renn (the lake), Tru (the river), and Annalise (the little girl). "Hello from Renn Lake" made the readers aware of environmental issues in our lakes, which is a valid concern in the real world today. I love that the characters in this story came together to come up with a solution, but it is not a quick fix to a very real and serious problem.

I need to come back to this book at a later date, as life circumstances make it challenging to get to right now. I look forward to reading it!

E ARC provided by Netgalley, thanks to the author!



Annalise feels a deep connection with Renn Lake in her Wisconsin town. She was abandoned at a gift shop close to it, she feels that the lake can communicate with her, and her adoptive parents, the Olivers, run a resort on its shores. Her birthday and "found day" come at the beginning of the summer and are celebrated with fanfare and cupcakes, but she always feels a bit odd about the time, and her younger sister Jess (surprisingly conceived after Annalise's birth) always finds some to throw to turn the attention to herself. This year is especially hard, because the woman who found her, Mrs. Alden, has passed away, and Annalise had never been able to bring herself to visit and thank her. Jess's highjinks this year consist of wanting to travel into Madison to audition for a movie; she has delusions of being an actress and expects that her family will support her, no matter how sketchy the audition seems. Annalise, however, has bigger worries; there is a weird scum appearing on the lake, and the lake seems feverish and quiet. Zach, who is staying in one of the cabins, has also been investigating, and fears that it is an algal bloom of cyanobacteria. The authorities are brought in, and the bloom is confirmed, but the state doesn't have the resources to mitigate it. The resort and the town of Renn Lake will suffer, but Annalise's real concern is for the lake itself. She and Zach, along with her best friend Maya who is babysitting two high energy boys, look into ways to help. They come up with the idea (helped by the lake) of floating plant islands, which soak up excess nutrients and algae. The kids pool their money, but this effort is harmed when Jess takes Annalise's share and goes with a friend to the movie audition. Getting creative, Annalise approaches Mr. Alden, whose shop deals in plants, and asks for his help. She also asks about when she was found, and is able to make a little peace with that. With Mr. Alden's help, the kids manage to install seven floating islands. When the authorities find out, they decide to help anchor the plants instead of ripping them out, and praise the children't initiative. It will take some time, but Annalise's concern for the lake should help it recover, and her efforts at educating the town will hopefully prevent future occurrences.

Strengths: Books where children have very clear passions that they use to make a positive impact in their world are always my favorite. Add to the story Annalise's conflicted feelings about being adopted, Jess's bratty sister actions, Maya's humorous adventures in babysitting, and a nice friendship with Zach (who does mention having had bad breakup with a boyfriend), and this was a compelling story with lots to discuss. The parents are very involved and supportive, but also very concerned about their business. I also liked that Annalise helped with cleaning the rooms and with other parts of the business. I'm a sucker for a good summer story, as well as any story involving a hotel, and Hello from Renn Lake is a great book to read at the start of the summer!
Weaknesses: I'm not a fan of fantasy elements, like Annalise communicating with the lake, in novels that are otherwise very realistic. (Think Messner's The Seventh Wish and the talking goldfish.) This won't effect most readers' enjoyment, but wasn't my favorite part.
What I really think: I am so glad to see this book, since algae blooms have been a problem in Ohio as well. Science teachers are always asking for fiction books they can use to create interest in their curriculum, and this is the perfect one. The notes at the end about some of the science concepts discussed are a great addition as well. Definitely purchasing, and I will display this one with the cover facing out a LOT, because I love the colors and the vintage postcard vibe!