Fabulous world-building! Katherine Applegate never disappoints. I am so excited to share this book with my students. I know they will love it as much as I do.

The plot shares a message regarding the interdependence of living organisms. Mankind tends to exterminate things in nature it doesn't like without regard for the consequences. Cutting trees down takes away homes for squirrels and birds and may remove food sources for other creatures. In this book, Willodeen is the one who recognizes how nature works, but how many adults take advice from young children? Plus, she likes screechers, so most people view her as a little wacky and strange. She's a loner, but this fact is challenged when Willodeen meets a boy willing to help her. He helps her realize she can benefit from being around other people, and maybe humans have an interdependence too. The story is well-written and sticks to the main conflict without numerous subplots to complicate things. The result is a book that flows smoothly, is engaging, and teaches a valuable lesson. Overall, I highly recommend you read this book, as I've nominated it for the 2021 Cybils Award in Middle Grade/Elementary Speculative Fiction. The characters are endearing, and Willodeen is an inspiration for people wanting to have their voices heard.

Review from an actual 11 year old:

3.5/5
Recommended for 9-12 year olds who are looking for a book with adventure, but not quite edge-of-your-seat intensity. For fans of the Endling series and those looking for animal based adventures.

This middle grade novel was such an enjoyable read. The fate of an entire community comes to rest in the hands of an 11 year old. Sometimes standing up for whats right isn't easy. People will laugh at you, mock you, ridicule you... adults will see you as less than due to being a child. But that doesn't stop our protagonist!
I also LOVED how she worked science in without it even being recognized as science. Observation, data recording, etc. This book is really great for anyone who loves a good story.

This is the book to read! Willodeen the creature to fall in love with and Willodeen is the wonderful eco warrior you never knew you needed because she never knew she was. Deep down in my teacher soul I want to go back in time when I was in the classroom and wish this book into existence so I could have read it to my students then. Saying that I fell in love with it once is definitely not enough!

This book took me back to the days when I went walking through the woods in our backyard with my mother down to the creek. I remember the snapper turtle that snapped Mom's leg once. I remember the worms that my sister and I took home. I remember the fireflies we caught and butterflies we chased. It was a magical time. It also took me back to when my own boys, now men, would run through the parks squawking at the ducks and geese. The always made fun of the chittering of the squirrels. I remember one year recently talking to the boys about how it seemed like there were no squirrels and just kept wondering what it meant. We are always talking about the decline of the pollinators and we began wondering if the two were connected. I can't tell you that reading Willodeen didn't bring these conversations front and center again. I've seen the squirrels again, everyone seems to still be talking about the pollinators. Schools are planting pollinator gardens all over the place.

I would love to see Willodeen read in the classroom. Any grade really, I don't think you ever outgrow being read to. Put on your acting voice teachers, I know you've got one. Hmm, maybe that's what I should try my hand it. Reading children's books, sounds like some fun!

Willodeen is a wonderful read about ecology, the environment, the wonderful web that we live in that is nature. Everyone will love the mystical fantasy that is the nature that comes to colorful life in this beautifully written book.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This book is solidly middle-grade and it's delightful. 11-year old Willodeen is an animal-lover with an affinity for the most unloveable creatures in her community. They're called screechers and they're beastly and stinky, but that just makes them more endearing to Willodeen. Her community relies on another creature called the hummingbear because their annual migration brings tourists to town. This year, the hummingbears didn't come to town and if no one can bring them back, the town's economy may collapse. Can Willodeen solve the mystery of the missing hummingbears before it's too late? Willodeen is an allegory for climate change that also carries a strong message about friendship and having the courage to stand up for what is right.

Applegate never disappoints! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this beautifully written story to my children each night. We loved the Humming Bears and rooted for the Screechers! The story allowed my family to discuss the importance of the balance of nature and underlying symbiotic relationships that we may be unaware of but which are important nonetheless. Relatable (especially for children), imaginative, and valuable. Another 5 stars goes to Applegate. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced eCopy.

I truly enjoyed the magical spirit and tender voice throughout Willodeen. It is a whimsical and winsome book that tackles heavy issues in very accessible ways. Though the ending was perfect, I also am hopeful that the author will write a sequel. I'd love to know what happens next!

Willodeen is a timeless story. It reminds us of the importance of respecting our earth and how every creature plays an important part in nature's web. Willodeen's character was strong, courageous, and smart, even when she doesn't see herself that way. She brought about change and hope, and she fought for creatures who couldn't fight for themselves. This may well become the next favorite real aloud in my classroom. Absolutely fantastic!

A wonderful story. Easy to read and compelling to the very end. We will be using this as a group book in our Mock Newbery unit for 2022. I think this is Katherine Applegate's best since The One and Only Ivan.

>>I felt a bit sorry for all the adults. How hard it must be to worry all the time about your children and their future?

True words, K.A. True words.

Another ecological fable, simple and spare. Perfect for reading aloud to a class or group or for a moderated kids book discussion.

I love Katherine's other titles, but this one just didn't land for me. I liked the plot and characters, but felt like the story was too aware of itself. There were points where it felt like the writing was whimsical for the sake of being whimsical. The writing didn't come off as naturally as it did in Ivan, Crenshaw, and Wishtree.

Nature, the interconnectedness of things, fantastical creatures.... a sweet tale brought to you by a children's author that dependably delivers. When a creature is hunted to near extinction, magical things (beyond the already magical creatures that exist in this world) begin to happen to a young girl haunted by tragedy. Friendship and a quirky patchwork of family support Willodeen on her slightly reluctant quest to open a narrow-minded town's eyes to the consequences of their actions. Then... of course, nature takes a hand in her own defense. Hummingbears, screechers and peacock snails enchant the reader, catching even my son's reluctant reader attention and had him toting around a raccoon puppet (?) every time we sat down together to read this. #netgalley #applegatereads

Great characters; great message about the role of nature in our lives and about dealing with grief. I loved the fantasy element. The story is more than just an allegory for taking care of the world we find ourselves in.

An endearing story for readers of all ages. Katherine Applegate has a way of writing such heartfelt and powerful stories and we don’t deserve her (but our kids certainly do).

Willodeen was such a well-written character that many readers will feel some sort of connection to. She is a great example of following your intuition and what you feel is right even when it’s going against the crowd.

This novel would pair well in the classroom with science units on ecosystems and human effects on the environment and as with many of her beloved books, would make a wonderful read-aloud.

A great story for middle schoolers and beyond of found bravery, found friendship and found purpose.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eArc. All thoughts expressed are my own.

This book was an interesting read. Just the right amount of fantasy, but enough in the story to keep the reader thinking. I think many middle grade readers will enjoy it.

WILLODEEN is a middle grade fantasy and climate change allegory by Katherine Applegate with illustrations by Charles Santoso. Willodeen is also the name of the spunky protagonist, a young girl who spends her time wandering the woods, writing in her notebook, and studying screechers. Screechers are an almost universally loathed creature. They resemble a wild boar, and give off a powerful stench when frightened. Willodeen lost her family in the Great September Fire, and since then has been raised by two elderly women, Birdie and Mae. Often Willodeen's only companion is another fellow fire survivor, a hummingbear named Duzuu. Willodeen's village of Perchance has been ravaged by extreme weather for years: fires, mudslides, and droughts. Perchance's claim to fame though is an annual Autumn Faire, when tourists come from far away to see the arrival of the magical and beloved hummingbears and their creation of elaborate bubble nests. But by the time Willodeen is 11, the hummingbears have become increasingly rare, a situation that threatens the town's economy and its very survival. Shy Willodeen reluctantly becomes a voice for the maligned screechers, as their existence is threatened by a bounty on their heads. With the help of a new friend, Willodeen begins to unravel the mystery of the hummingbears' disappearance. But will she be brave enough to share her discovery with the village? And will they listen when she tells them that all creatures are connected and deserve our protection? In WILLODEEN Katherine Applegate has created a new classic, a story to treasure and share across generations.

In a nod to climate change, Applegate in her latest children’s book, tells the fantasy story of Willodeen, an orphan who lost her parents in a destructive wildfire. Willodeen is concerned about the disappearance the hummingbears, The annual migration of these tiny bears is the thing that draws people to the annual Autumn Faire. She and her new friend, Conner, discover the connection between the hated Screechers, a smell warthog like animal and the hummingbears. Keeping her observations in her journal, Willowdeen, can track why the screechers are important to the environment. Well-written, this would be a great read-aloud to elementary students

What a wonderful book for students to read. It touches on topics of loss, friendship, standing up for what you believe in, nature, the food web, and community. I think it would make a great addition to a school or classroom library. Boys and girls would enjoy it equally. I could see a middle school class reading this as a class novel.

I enjoyed reading the book because it spurred my imagination as well as appreciated the nature connection.

Willodeen is definitely a food for thought kind of book. It teaches about nature and its' intricate trophic cascades in a way that even little ones can understand. Katherine Applegate creates such beautiful fantasy creatures that children can adore, and even breeds compassion for the stinky screechers. Her characters are sweetly relatable.
I did feel there was a missed opportunity that would have made the book better. The conflict was resolved too easily. I would feel it a bit more realistic and effective if Willodeen spent some time considering some compromises- much of growing up involves facing opposition and having to acknowledge what is right about the opposing side in order to help everyone move forward. It can be good to show children that adult problems are complicated in a way that prepares them to face those complications and resolve them creatively. It is not just going in the wrong direction that hinders society- progress stops whenever both sides "know" they're right and refuse to listen with tolerance and kindness.
Despite the oversimplified resolution, I did enjoy the story as a whole.
Thanks NetGalley!