DUST

Laura Knight Keating captures the youthful timbre and optimistic tone of 12-year-old Avalyn, whose asthma doesn't preclude her passion for language and spelling. A boy named Adam incites Avalyn's curiosity because of his withdrawn personality and the dust storms that arrive whenever he does. Keating's astute delivery of dialogue gives a strong sense of Avalyn's first romantic attraction, her conversations with friends, and her unpleasant encounters with school bullies. Keating projects Avalyn's initial confusion about her special gift of empathy, her questions about how to use her talent, and her courage to tell truths about abuse that will help Adam and her other peers. An author's note discusses abuse. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2023]