Henry comes from a family of dowsers – people who can find underground water reservoirs and the best places to drill wells – and he desperately wants to be a dowser too. However, the showing of his “gift” is late

Henry is a sweet kid. He is shy and quiet and inquisitive and while homeschooled he learns a lot about the world from books and by expericence. He loves rocks and he wants to be a dowser just like his dad and his uncle and his granddad before. I really liked Henry and liked how his worries and endevours were portrayed and also his relationship with his parents and his sister, Birdie.
Birdie was just so cute. She’s two years old and talkes in two two word sentences. More then once I giggled about her antics and was so happy about how well Birdie and Henry got along.

I loved the bits of science that were woven into this book. For example, while I know about the concept of dowsing, I had no idea that was the english word for it and was a bit puzzled at the beginning. It was nice learning something new though. I also think I learned something about rocks in general, about geology and about meteors which was fun. Betty Culley has spun it neatly into the story and I lapped those sciency bits up.

I also loved about the sense of community that the book portrayed. Henry could lean on his parents and the neighbours were helping Henry’s family and I enjoyed the sense of togetherness and support.

Unfortunately, I had a bit of a rough start with this book and that continued through the book. I kept putting it away for days on end before coming back to it and soldiering on. There was just something about the pacing that was off to me and I couldn’t really enjoy myself too much while reading. The overall tone felt a little like a very grisly day, with low hanging clouds and drizzle at the edge of the woods to me.
I have since thought about it long and hard and came to the conclusion that maybe, since our home was flooded in late July, maybe the topic just hit a little too close to home? Maybe the timing was just wrong and I would have enjoyed it more, if I read it before the flood. Unfortunately, I will never know.

Let me make it clear: It was not a bad book. I would never say that. But it was just a little too slow, too solemn for my liking. I liked the characters, I liked the writing, I just didn’t like the overall tone and pacing of the book. I even think I learned a thing or two, which is always great. I also think that a child who likes to learn or has an interest in geology, might enjoy this book. If the premise interests you, I would definitely say, you should try it. It was just not completely right for me.

Down To Earth was a beautiful coming-of-age middle grade, a balanced blend of sci-fi and contemporary. It revolves around young Henry Bower, an inquisitive boy who loves rocks, encyclopedias, his best friend James and his little sister Birdie. Throughout the story we see him trying to make his way around several coming-of-age moments - including his fear and confusion when several harsh incidents take place in his life. I feel like the plot could have been a little stronger, and perhaps we could have gotten a few chapters from James' POV.
Overall, it was a heartwarming read about a young boy finding his place in the world.
My full review is up on my blog (link below!)

Book Review

Title: Down to Earth by Betty Culley

Genre: Middle Grade, General Fiction, Science

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Before I jump into my review I have to say that Betty Culley has definitely become an author I will be reading more from in the future and Down to Earth changed my opinion on middle grade novels. Before reading Down to Earth I very rarely picked up middle grade books because they didn’t grip me, the writing was too simplistic and they didn’t tackle themes that I enjoyed but Down to Earth shattered all those opinions I had and it is impossible for me to express quite how much I loved this book. We are following a shy, quiet boy named Henry who comes from a long line of water witches, that was interesting to begin with as witch characters tend to be female, and it is his journey of navigating his community, family and the larger universe and finding his place within it all. Down to Earth is most definitely a book that has earnt a permanent place on my Kindle and I know I will be rereading this in the future.

One thing that really stood out to me was that Henry doesn’t have the typical experiences of other children his age as he is home schooled. I liked the authentic description of home schooling as I was briefly home schooled as a small child because I missed the intake for school and it definitely had a huge impact on me growing up as I was much more academically inclined that other children. Culley’s character work is something to be admired as all the characters feel fully formed and fleshed out so you get attached to each and every one of them. Culley definitely has a talent for portraying a large cast of characters and making each feel unique and real. On the subject of Culley’s writing the prose in Down to Earth was exquisite and I found myself annotating the book which is something I hardly ever do in order to immortalise some of most beautiful sentences that I can refer back to later.

Another thing that really stood out to me was the dialogue, in most middle grade novels and a fair amount of young adult novels the dialogue feels forced and just doesn’t fit right with the characters, Culley doesn’t have this problem. The speech patterns feel authentic as if they could be said by a real person and each character’s voice was distinct and unique. Culley definitely has a keen ear for speech patterns and dialogue habits especially with a regional and age focus which was nice to see as it meant the older characters sounded completely different to the younger characters which makes sense as speech evolves over time and the younger characters can use things like slang that the older generation wouldn’t.

Henry as a character was amazing, he was shy, kind and insightful young boy, he is also quite a deep thinker but in a way that felt completely natural for his age so it didn’t feel forced and he didn’t suffer from the problem of sounding much older than he actually was. Throughout my reading of Down to Earth I became very attached to Henry and felt extremely protective of him as he navigated some challenging situations within his community which was another thing I loved about Culley was that she wasn’t afraid to tackle some more challenging situations in a book for a younger audience.

Overall, I felt that Down to Earth was definitely a book that shattered my expectations of it and I will definitely be checking out Culley’s young adult novel in verse to see how that compares to this diamond of a book. Down to Earth is the kind of book that focuses on the everyday aspects of life and sharpens the experience to the point where even the most mundane things feel wonderful. While it is written for children and the writing reflects that I felt it can be appreciated by people of all ages and if you are hesitant to pick up a middle grade novel like I was then I’d definitely recommend Down to Earth as a starting point.

Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Down to Earth

Author: Betty Culley

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: Middle Grade readers, contemporary, science, geology

Genre: MG Contemporary

Publication Date: August 24, 2021

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 224

Recommended Age: 8+ (Parent death mentioned, Depression shown, Flooded house, Violence)

Explanation of CWs: There was one violent action wrote in the books where a kid gets hit with a brick to the head and he goes into a coma. There is also parental death brought up and depression is shown by the MCs mother.

Synopsis: Henry has always been fascinated by rocks. As a homeschooler, he pours through the R volume of the encyclopedia to help him identify the rocks he finds. So, when a meteorite falls in his family's field, who better to investigate than this rock enthusiast--with his best friend, James, and his little sister, Birdie, in tow, of course.

But soon after the meteorite's arrival, the water in Henry's small Maine town starts drying up. It's not long before news spreads that the space rock and Henry's family might be to blame. Henry is determined to defend his newest discovery, but his knowledge of geology could not have prepared him for how much this stone from the sky would change his community, his family, and even himself.

Science and wonder abound in this middle-grade debut about an inquisitive boy and the massive rock that came down to Earth to reshape his life.

Review: For the most part this was a good book. I liked how fun the book was from the characters perspective and how well the character handled the issues in an age appropriate manner. I think younger aged children would love this cute story.

However, the book was mostly narrative instead of descriptive and that caused the character development and world building to suffer. The story was also disjointed and there was a lot of math involved in the book which could be off-putting to some kids.

Verdict: It's a good read for littles!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review

This was absolutely adorable! I feel like it’s hard to find stories with homeschooled kids, especially positive portrayals, so this was really exciting to me - I’ll definitely be suggesting it to my 8 year old. Sometimes magical realism is something I struggle with as it is either not magical enough or too weird, but this was the perfect level of whimsy, that left me not really caring if the rock was attracted to water or not, because either way the story was lovely. Birdie was the sweetest!

Down to Earth is a sweet and solid MG coming-of-age novel by Betty Culley that explores the impact a fallen meteorite has on the book’s protagonist Henry and his family/town in rural Maine. A few points to keep in mind if you’re thinking about it as a gift for a young reader are that it’s more character than plot driven, the quirky volume is turned up pretty high, and the sci-fi/fantastical elements are tuned pretty low.

Eleven-year-old Henry Bowser comes from a family of dowsers. His father is one, one of his uncles is another, and his grandfather was one, all of them knowing by age 11 that they had the gift (or didn’t have it, in the case of his other uncle). Henry, therefore, is growing more than a little anxious that so far he hasn’t felt anything, and when he tries to talk to his father about it, his dad seems to have little interest in discussing it (heightening Henry’s concern).

If Henry doesn’t yet know if has a connection to water, he does know he has a passion for rocks. As he tells the local librarian: “I like rocks with mica in them, and rocks with quartz stripes. Rectangular rocks are good for building stone walls. And I like the big glacial erratics in Braggy’s woods.” He has a large rock collection and is building his own stone wall on the family land.

Henry is also the only one to see the huge meteorite that lands in a back corner of one of their fields. It becomes impossible to keep his secret though when the meteorite brings a host of complications: causing a massive flood, drying up most of the wells in the area, and changing the local water so it has a strange rainbow color to it (the impacts are pretty it for the science fiction element). These complications ripple outward — a curator of the American Museum of Natural History comes to town, some of the townspeople start to mutter against Bowser family and their “strange ways” that have brought bad luck to the town, Henry’s best friend James ends up in the hospital, and Henry’s family loses their home. The meteorite, it seems, has brought both good (the changed water may have healing properties, Henry may be able to sell the meteorite for tens of thousands of dollars) and bad (the flood, the destroyed home, etc.). Which way things tip, whether for good or for ill, is the question driving the novel’s plot.

As noted, there’s a lot of quirk factor here. The family’s dowsing ability for one. Henry’s connection to stone, the fact that he and his sister are homeschooled, the way he sees everything in percentages. His sister Birdie has a sky affinity, can mimic birds, and only speaks in two-word phrases. He and his mother find things on the road to sell at a card table at the end of their driveway. His Uncle Braggy yells nearly everything. I mostly found the quirkiness charming and engaging, especially as it’s a relatively brief book and so we don’t spend a lot of time with it, but I can see how some people might think it’s a little too cute. You know who you are and can gauge accordingly.

Outside the quirk factor, nearly all the characters are likable, the one who isn’t so much turns out not to be so bad, and they’re concisely and efficiently drawn. Outside of the museum curator, who is the most vivid outside of Henry and Birdie, they’re not deeply realized, but we’re given enough about them to think of them as individuals.

The plot is a bit slow at the start, then picks up as the troubles begin. The loss of Henry’s home is a traumatic blow to the family, one that is conveyed more indirectly than overly, which I actually preferred. Henry moves throughout it all with a real sense of gentle decency and empathy, qualities we can see in nearly all the characters, as when the local librarian makes sure “there’s always a red book sticking out from a shelf that’s low enough for Birdie to see but still high enough to climb to,” something that has always seemed merely providential to Henry until he realizes it’s been an act of human generosity all this time.

That sort of kindness permeates the book, and if at times the dialogue is a bit stiff, the character quirks pile up a bit much, the themes get a little too on-the-nose, and the plot meanders a bit too much or is too easily resolved, the quiet sweetness at the heart of the book makes it all easier to a accept. A good book for a gentle young soul, particularly one who likes science.

When a meteorite on his family's land causes a catastrophic flood, a boy wonders if his desire to become a dowser like his father brought destruction to his town.

DOWN TO EARTH is a sweet middle grade coming-of-age story of a boy longing to be a valuable part of his family and community and ultimately learning that being himself is enough. I loved the rich sense of support and acceptance through this book as the protagonist leans on his family and his family leans on their neighbors in a difficult time. I also loved the science included throughout and the sometimes quirky but always welcomed characters. I'd recommend this one to upper-elementary readers who enjoy contemporary fiction.

Down to Earth is a sweet, middle grade novel about a homeschooled boy who witnesses a meteorite land in his family's land. From there, a chain of events is unfolded: some good, some bad. There are so many things I loved about this book. First, the characters were warm and funny, and the portrayal of love between family, friendship, and community was very rich. Second, despite the pace of the book being quite slow, the writing is great and provides a sort of soothing and comforting effect to the reader. Lastly, I loved Henry's character, his curiosity and eagerness to learn new things, his love for his little sister and friend, James; and the way the author wrote situations viewed through the child's eyes.

This book talks about coincidences and circumstances, and in a world where we are always looking for reason, this book reminds us that sometimes things just happen, and that wonder exists in the most tiniest of corners in life. Despite its target audience intended for children, I truly believe this book can warm the hearts of adult readers such as myself.

I had ideas of where this book was headed from the very start. I was pleased to see that it defied my expectations. The eventual plot points were telegraphed early on, but it follows it's own path. The theme of the novel is more subtle than we typically see in middle grade fiction, an exploration of the way life changes whether we want it or not. The things that influence the person we will become. It's not exactly magical realism, more supernatural realism I suppose. Because the features of the meteorite defy explanation. And yet much of the plot is firmly based in science. Henry explores topics in a scientific manner, digging into every question that occurs to him. The characters are charming and all have at least a little depth. Thought-provoking and compelling without being overly complex.

Seasoned YA author, Betty Culley brings us her first middle-grade novel in Down to Earth. It's such a fun book that had a similar feel to Robin Yardi's Owl's Outstanding Donuts. Several elements of the story, mainly the simplistic life of the main character and his family, made it feel as if it was a story from many years ago but you later find out it is a modern-day story. Due to the fact that a major part of the plot was about finding where one can drill for a (water) well, we get the bonus of learning about dowsing. Several chapters begin with a quote from a book about this unusual skill that adds interest to the story. In addition to the story having educational value, the relationship between the main character and those close to him are beautiful. It's also great to read about a child who loves to learn. Down to Earth is a feel-good story that will be engaging for anyone who enjoys an every-day story with a side of extraordinary.

I 100% enjoyed this sweet middle grade book! Henry Bower comes from a long line of dowsers, people who can sense sources of water that are underground. As he worries if he will follow in his father's footsteps, Henry is shocked to find that he's received a visit from outer space; a meteor has crashlanded in a field near his house. What happens next is even more astonishing, the giant space rock draws water from the ground...so much water that it floods Henry's home and causes a drought for the townspeople.

As Henry struggles with all of this change, he also faces anger from friends and neighbors over their dry wells. Will his family lose everything? Will hate overrun his town and cause even more loss? Will Henry be able to divine water? Does he even want to follow in the family business or will his passions push him in another direction?

Be sure to pick up this middle grade read when it releases on August 24, 2021! It's perfect for tweens with a passion for science!

I love stories about inquisitive science loving kids, I really do. This, however, sat oddly with me. There was hard science (fantastic meteors and nature facts), sitting directly alongside pseudo-science (dowsing), sitting right next to science fiction (magic healing water). The combination made it actively confusing to know how seriously a reader is supposed to take any given component. The fantastical undercut the science, and the pseudo-science undercut both. The characters were, just fine. Some were written very carefully, as full, interesting people (the best friend, the mom as she sat with trauma). Others were too over the top to make sense (Uncle Braggy, who, well, brags a lot).

The boy seems an interesting character, and his choices are clear, but the story is so slow paced, I felt I was floating in ouer space waiting for the next thing to ahppen.

Henry is from a family of dousers, people who can sense where water is. He has not tried to douse yet, and fears that the skill has not been passed down to him, but is afraid to find out, so takes a branch to try it first without anyone watching. And that, perhaps is what causes the meteorite to fall from the sky.

Henry is a very callable narrator of this story, both sure of himself, and unsure about other things. When his house is washed away, he comments that you can't see the wall he built, but he can build another one.

A quiet story of hardship, but not in the way you might think. There is a bit of magic in here.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Homeschooled Henry Bower is from a family of dowsers who can find underground water, but his interest is rocks, and so is fascinated by a car sized meteorite that lands in his field. The townspeople are not so enthralled after the rock breaks through the aquifer, floods the Bower house, and causes town wells to go dry. But there is something special and healing about the water that flows up around the meteorite. This is a captivating story with a touch of magical realism, engaging and quirky characters, strong family and community ties, and lots of information about rocks.