I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
Readers meet Bea as she is grieving several losses in her life. She has decided on the best way to cope - become like the Tin Man and feel nothing. The whole plot wraps around her desire to stop feeling pain and to be immune to emotions. This feels like a more adult concept than a ten year old would comprehend but I never rule out what kids are capable of. Nolte does share enough information to see why Bea feels this way and why she wants to escape from her reality. Her relationship with a new friend takes time to develop. Readers get hints of what he is going through as well. By the end, Bea learns that painful feelings are part of love and need to be processed and moved through.
I'm not fond of the evil witch motif but Nolte does make it work as part of the overall plot. It feels as though too many different losses weave together so Bea becomes unbelievable as a character rather than a strong 10-year old maturing and learning how to heal and move forward.

I found so much of this book spectacular...I would recommend it widely except one plot element is a bit of a sensitive spot for me. Because of that, it's one I'd recommend parents read first before handing to their kids--and plan on some discussions.

What I loved:

THE WIZARD OF OZ references! Honestly, it took me about halfway through the book to notice them, because they were subtle—until I noticed, at least, and then I was amazed I had not noticed earlier. I think the fact that they didn't hit you over the head was a sign of the gentle touch the author used, and the fact that the story is very much her own and not in any way derivative.

The friendship between Bea and Caleb is delightful and realistic. I also loved seeing the way Bea's relationships with the adults in her life developed.

The feeling of hope that permeates this novel is palpable. I'm a firm believer that all children's books should be filled with hope, and was happy to see that this did not disappoint!

WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE:

Okay, so one of Bea's wishes, a big one, came across as too juvenile for a child her age. I wonder if kids would be able to suspend disbelief. Certainly, all the trauma that Bea has gone through would make her maturity form at a different rate than the average kid, so as an adult I was willing to set aside my doubt, but I think it may separate her character from the target readers. (If I'm wrong, please chime in with a comment about your children's experiences!)

The Witch. The presence of a real, spell-casting, evil witch was the plot element that I referred to above. It was too dark for me, too real. At the same time…yeah…evil exists. Kids should be empowered to fight it! And there is no point in this story in which the witch's evil actions are justified or made light of, and I appreciated that. I felt better about it when I realized the Wizard of Oz references I had missing. But it still made me uncomfortable that Bea sought out a witch's help, and thus I hesitate to hand this book off to kids without prepping for lots of discussion!

This was a sweet read. B has 5 wishes to make and then she will become a Tin Man. Then, she will no longer miss her grandmother who passed as well as her friend who moved away. When she meets Caleb, he agrees to help her with her wishes. I appreciated how it showed a young girl’s experience of grief, loss, and change.

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, it is not working for me right now. It is nothing against the story or the author, but I couldn't get into the story/characters. The target audience will most likely love this story. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!