I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

If an average reader avoids a book like this, assuming its content is solely for a younger crowd, they will miss out on something different. I may not read many young-adult/children's historical fiction over the course of any given year, but when I do I am always overjoyed to stumble upon something like this.
This particular story is about a unique facility that once existed in Upstate New York (a still beautiful place I did not explore when I had the chance). It catered to people of all colours and provided a very different approach to helping people recover from TB.
This story is of a young girl who dotes on her mother. When the mother is diagnosed with TB, she is sent to the facility to get better, but Halle has her own troubles and is finding it hard to come to terms with her own new status. It is a callous world that looks back at her every time she steps out of her home. At one point, she finds herself in the same facility because she shows signs of the disease as well.
Once there, the book is about how the children who live there spend their time, why some of them are in there and the variety of treatments that were meted out to them.
It is the kind of historical fiction that provides a much clearer picture of the US in 1935 as well as of the disease and its repercussions.
The author's note at the end is a must-read for a better understanding of the book.
I would highly recommend this as reading for children who are already aware of mortality and illness (because there is death within these pages, and it should not take younger readers by surprise like Black Beauty once did for me - the ending still doesn't make up for some of the things I encountered there)
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Light and Air is a novel about a touching journey through the 1935 tuberculosis outbreak. Halle's story at the TB Hospital unfolds with emotion, revealing newfound friendships and the healing power of unexpected connections. The author truly captures the essence of isolation and the courage it takes to build a chosen family. Against the backdrop of the 1930s hospital, the novel's themes resonate with today's struggles, making it a poignant and relatable read. Light and Air beautifully conveys the enduring strength of the human spirit, offering a heartwarming message of hope in the face of historical and contemporary challenges.

This debut novel was a wonderful historical fiction read. I used to drive by the JN Adam hospital complex every day on my way to work. I knew a lot about the history of the location of this site. This book brought the abandoned buildings to life. This story was well written and the characters beautifully developed. It is incredible to me that so few people in the Western New York area and around the country/world are not aware of the role tuberculosis hospitals played in our history. I hope this book inspires many to learn more about this historic time while enjoying a beautiful story.

Tuberculosis is an element that shows up often in historical fiction. We've all seen the wan character coughing into a handkerchief and known that their days were numbered. But this book goes beyond the trope. It is a more detailed exploration of the social climate at the time, the ways that the community might ostracize a family struck with TB. It's also a close look at the communities that form around an illness. When people are isolated together, they form connections and support one another. While the ultimate conclusions of the book are pretty straightforward, the careful journey to get there is a surprisingly gentle read.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

3.5 stars

I really like books in this style, where there is a child protagonist living in a historical background.
This book was no different, I really enjoyed following our protagonist and her family dilemmas, is a very touching and beautiful story to read, it has a touch of hope in it and gives a feeling that everything will be fine in the end no matter what happens.
But this is still a difficult and true story to read, you can feel the veracity of the problems that our protagonist goes through and feel the pain, and the fear that she feels too.
There's one thing I recommend when reading books in this style, which is remembering that the protagonist is a child, meaning she will make mistakes or make very stupid decisions from our point of view, but in her head it makes a lot of sense.
In the end, I really liked the story, I recommend it if you like books in this style.

This is a sweet and hopeful story. There are many sad and distressing moments. It made me think alot about illness, isolation, and death from the perspective of a child. I also was touched by the portrayal of a strained relationship with a parent and the path to reconciliation. I was surprised that this book reminded me of all that we went through with COVID even though this book was set in the 1930's.

Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell was a well written middle school historical fiction book. Although its suggested targeted readers were of middle school age, it does not mean that adults would not enjoy this book as well. I must admit that I for one thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The research that Mindy Nichols Wendell conducted in order to write this book was quite impressive. Light and Air captured the sentiments and fears people living during the mid 1930’s had about tuberculosis.

Hallelujah Grace Newton was an eleven year old fifth grade girl who lived in upstate New York. Her parents, Graham and Isabel Newton, had supplied her with the nickname, Glory, from a very young age but Hallelujah preferred Halle. She was an only child. Her parents had lost four babies over the years. That had made her mother very sad but it made her father angry. He tended to take his anger out on Halle. Her father was a history teacher at the local high school.

One Friday afternoon, Halle was dismissed early from school. She went home to help her mother with some chores but she longed for the time when her chores were done and she could escape to read her book. Halle helped her mother peel and cut apples for applesauce. Her mother’s secret ingredient was honey instead of sugar. Halle’s mother believed that honey kept you healthy. Every morning, Halle’s mother always drank a glass of water with honey in it. She believed that the honey would keep her healthy. After the applesauce was made, Halle’s mother told her to go. Halle became so absorbed in her book that she totally lost track of the time. Where had the time gone? It was dinner time already. Halle felt so bad that she had not helped her mother more.

As Halle helped her mother put the food on the table and started to help her mother serve it, her mother was consumed with a coughing fit. Halle felt so guilty for not helping her mother more. Then her mother coughed up blood. Halle had not realized that her mother hadn’t been feeling well. Her father instructed Halle to help her mother get into bed. Halle’s father was out the door in mere seconds to go and get the doctor. Doctor Gray was convinced that Halle’s mother had tuberculosis. He strongly encouraged Halle’s father to take her mother to a sanatorium called JN Adam Tuberculosis Hospital located in Perrysburg, N. Y. Although Halle’s mother did not want to go, her husband and the doctor convinced her that it was the best place for her if she wanted to get better. In no time at all, they were in the car headed for the sanatorium. Halle convinced her parents to let her come along.

When Halle and her parents arrived at JN Adam Tuberculosis Hospital, Halle was surprised at how beautiful it was. Before she knew it, though, Halle had to say goodbye to her mother. Halle did not know when she would see her mother next. She was scared, sad and even fearful. Weeks went by and she had not seen her mother. Her father was angrier than ever with Halle. Nothing she did was good enough. He gave her little information about her mother and told her that it was not safe for her to visit. Halle had to figure out how she could see her mother.

One morning, Halle had overslept. When her father appeared at her bedroom door and discovered that Halle was still in bed, he lost his temper with her. He told her that he could not be late for work so she would have to walk to school. Little did her father realize that Halle had overslept because she was coming down with something. Halle was so mad at her father and wanted to see her mother so badly that she came up with a plan to walk to Perrysburg to the sanatorium. Unfortunately, the longer Halle walked, the sicker she started to feel. At some point, Halle started to cough up blood. As she tried to rest, she hit her head and passed out. Luckily, by that time, the whole town was out looking for her. That night she slept at Doctor Gray’s house and the next day Halle was admitted to the same Sanatorium that her mother was in. Would Halle be diagnosed with tuberculosis like her mother? Would she be able to see her mother now?

My heart went out to Halle. How scary for a young girl to see her mother get sick and then be forbidden to see her. Why was her father so hard on her? Why couldn’t he explain things to her in a way she would have been able to understand? In a way, this reminded me of the early days of Covid when loved ones were rushed to the hospital leaving family members helpless and unable to visit. I learned so much from reading this thought provoking book. The wide verandas at the sanatorium were used for “curing time”. The tuberculosis patients would be pushed out on the verandas in their beds for fresh air and sunlight. It was believed that sunlight and crisp air was crucial for healing tuberculosis. That was why most sanatoriums were built in places where there was plenty of sunshine and fresh air. JN Adam Memorial Hospital for Tuberculosis really did exist. There were separate wings for adults and children. Light and Air was about family, friendships, illness, separation, secrets, trust, hope and healing. I really enjoyed reading Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Holiday House for allowing me to read Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

What do I look for when I’m choosing children’s books to read and review? I shy away from fantasy, environmental issues, and time travel. I prefer to read stories of real people, or historical fiction that doesn’t add in a fantasy element. However, it’s getting hard to find historical fiction that doesn’t include time travel or fantasy. So, when I saw the cover of Light and Air, and it looked like a realistic story, I clicked on it. Sure enough, it sounded like realistic historical fiction--and it was about a time and experience I had never read very much about! So, I requested it, and when I started reading it, I did not want to put this book down.

I really appreciated the tone of Light and Air. While Halle is not aways obedient, she does respect the adults in her life and is willing to admit she was wrong when she realizes that she did something she shouldn’t have. She experiences a lot of hard things while at the hospital, but she also experiences love and acceptance. I appreciated the glimpse into the treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics. It was sad to read about how Halle was treated when her schoolmates learned that her mother had the disease; it was a vivid picture of how people are afraid of what they don’t know. I also loved the way she tried to reunite her family and get along better with her father. Though she made some wrong choices along the way, overall Halle wanted to do what was right, help her mother to heal, and get her family back together again. This is a book that I am adding to the list of ones to read aloud to my children.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

This is a book everyone needs right now, no matter your age.

Set in the middle of the TB epidemic, this is a story of a family, of found family, of hope and despair [and great sadness] and above all, love and all that it encompasses and how important it is to never lose sight of that. It is also about how loss can change a person and how love can finally change them back. It is also about a horrible disease that had no rhyme or reason and all the people it affected.

I grew up not that far from where the Sanatorium was and knew nothing about it or all the good they did there [they were kind there, helped with children of patients and did not discriminate according to race or ability to pay], so when I saw this and where it was set, I knew I had to read it [and am now planning a trip to the town where it was - there is a museum there]. I just read a book last year about the Black nurses that worked in TB hospitals in NY when white nurses wouldn't and that book was absolutely fascinating and this book just added to that. Even though this is historical fiction, the author really did her research and so much much of what you read in this is based on fact [there is a lovely note at the end about all of this] and that just makes the story come alive even more.

Halle is a great character, who loves books [Anne!!!! YAY!!!], loves her family and is a loyal friend. She loves deeply and feels all the feels and I think readers will really connect with her and all that happens to her. I think that anyone who reads this [and I suggest adults read this as well as their littles] will feel all the feels and will continue to seek out books about this time [it is always good to remember things that have happened so it isn't repeated, and that includes health epidemics].
Very well done - I highly recommend this to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mindy Nichols Wendell, and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Halle is an only child. When her mother becomes ill with tuberculosis and is sent to a sanitarium to recuperate, Halle is left alone with her stern and complicated father. The kids at school shun her, proclaiming her a walking germ factory and her father offers little support. It is only when Halle herself is sent to the sanitarium that her prospects seem to brighten. She has new friends, she is closer to Mama, and her illness turns out to be pneumonia instead of TB. But in the midst of all these good things, so many things are wrong. She becomes mad at God, her father, the nurses. In the end she learns that she can not fix anything of her own will. Especially when lying and sneaking around are involved. It is only when she surrenders to God instead of being angry with Him that her problems will be resolved. A wonderful story with a compelling message. Perfect for anyone from middle school readers to adults.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced reader's copy.

Great historical fiction for middle-grade readers!
In the 1930’s, contracting tuberculosis put families and communities in serious jeopardy. In order to contain the spread of the deadly disease, ill persons were sent away to sanatoriums, in places like upstate New York. They received the best treatment possible at that time, including residing in a healthful environment and eating plentiful food. At the height of the Great Depression, these were unknown luxuries for most. Life-long friendships were often made in these isolated places, and children in particular were exposed to different cultures and ways of life that they otherwise would likely never encountered.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

I have already recommended Light and Air to a friend who teaches grade 6 to tie in with her history curriculum.

I found the story fascinating and the characters well written and likable.

The book also reminded me to go out to get some fresh air for my own RSV

A poignant historical fiction tale capturing the grip of tuberculosis on the nation. As this deadly respiratory illness sweeps through the country, 11-year-old Halle and her mother find themselves ensnared in its clutches. Shunned by society, they are sent to the J.N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital, secluded in the woods of upstate New York. Amid the quiet isolation of the hospital, Halle discovers unexpected joy, family, and the transformative power of honey on the children’s ward. In a narrative that explores themes of isolation, quarantine, and the strength found in newfound connections, the story unfolds against the backdrop of a 1930s hospital. Wendell delicately navigates the complexities of illness, portraying a heartfelt journey of healing, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit. Light and Air offers a tender glimpse into a historical epidemic, making it a compelling read with echoes resonating in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In short, I loved this book! Here's why -

It's 1935 and tuberculosis is sweeping the nation, bringing fear to many Americans. When 11-year-old Halle's perpetually healthy mother is stricken with this dreaded disease, Halle fears she may lose her. To make things worse, she is left in the care of her father while her mother is receiving medical care at a sanitorium. Halle and her father have a difficult relationship. When Halle sets off on her own to escape her father's harsh behavior and join her mother at the sanitorium, she ends up becoming a patient there herself. The book's author, Mindy Nichols Wendell, did a great job describing the sanitorium's breathtaking grounds as well as the staff and other patients who Halle spends many months with. This is a wonderful historical fiction account of the tuberculosis epidemic in America. I learned a lot about TB from this sweet story overflowing with themes of friendship and found family. There were a few moments that felt a little preachy, but they were minimal and didn't deter me from thoroughly enjoying this book.

Thanks to Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink and NetGalley for a review copy of this wonderful book.

I really enjoy learning about the tuberculosis epidemic that swept the United States. It’s even more interesting now living through our own pandemic. After reading the blurb for this book I definitely anticipated picking it up! It was something that was very much up my alley.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Halle. The beginning of the book sets the scene of a normal life and then quickly moves to her mother going into a hospital for the illness. Halle contracts it soon after and is sent away as well. I think the hardest part for these people had to have been being so far away from family. I live away from my family now and the emotions come and go because of it.

As Halle learns what her new life will be like with the illness she meets others and finds friendships along the way. I liked that the book did a good job of give the reader a picture into what life was like in a hospital for tuberculosis.

Although I did enjoy the book for the most part, I didn’t find myself loving it. I don’t have a particular reason that I can pin point. I have just read others about the epidemic that I have liked more.

Overall, this was a good book and one I would share with my daughter when she gets a bit older.

This is a sweet historical fiction read. Halle and her mom come down with TB and are sent to a sanitarium. This is a very heartfelt story that is great for people of all ages. This is especially good for children to learn more about history and how other children and their families lived in the past. I highly recommend this book!

This is a really sweet book, so full of details and great characters, the moment in history it depicts comes to life before the reader’s eyes.

At a time when tuberculosis was fatal more often than not, Halle’s mother has it . She is admitted to the J.N. Adam Memorial Hospital, a sanatorium dedicated to treat the illness.

Back at home, classmates and even other adults mistreat Halle as fear of contagium runs wild once the news about her Mom reach the town. This part of the story feels eerily close to home after the past pandemic, but the way it's presented in the book makes it understandable and even relatable for any young readers.

Halle is a lovely character, with flaws and strengths, but above all with a great heart that helps her relate to others, which comes quite handy when she falls ill and has to admitted to the children’s wing of the same sanatorium where her mother is.

This book carried me along, to the very satisfying end of a heartfelt story, with wonderful and vivid descriptions of places and people. As I finished reading it, all I wanted was a chance to run alongside Halle, and Rita and Flossie and Viv. Write a letter to amazing Thelma. Spread some mischief with the help of Eddie and Sam, not to mention visiting the greenhouses accompanied by Melchoir.

Halle’s relationship with her dad feels true to life. Difficult and full of thorns, as so many family relations are, but also warm like a long hug. It was so rewarding to see their interactions evolved along the story.

All in all, a really nice book I would recommend if you (or a child in your life) like historical fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for providing this ARC of 'Light and Air' by Mindy Nichols Wendell—a breath of fresh literary air. Wendell skillfully immerses readers in a world of rich emotions and compelling characters. Having lived through the Covid-19 pandemic, this 1930s American historical fiction brought back both fear and hope, making it a poignant read. For fans of Anne of Green Gables, this book is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

I really enjoyed this one! Our main character is Halle who is dealing with emotional distress in addition to medical - I just wanted to hug her! I'm surprised how much I loved this one despite not being a huge historical fiction fan. I was expecting it to be aimed more toward older middle/high school grades, but I think this would appeal more toward older elementary/lower middle grades. Regardless of the age, this touches on some great themes that all ages can appreciate and relate to. Thanks so much for the ARC!