Yonder

YonderYonder by Ali Standish
Published by HarperCollins on May 10, 2022
ISBN: 006298568X
Pages: 368
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Yonder is a well written coming of age story with multiple strong characters. The setting is in a quiet small town within the Appalachian Mountains during WW II. Not only does the setting become better defined, but the action and behavior of residents is more intense with each short chapter. Some characters grow stronger while others begin to exhibit their prejudice, intolerance, and violent behavior. Danny proves that the strongest amongst us may not be the most powerful or largest in size. Compassion, bravery, and responsibility are threads throughout the book. Standish exposes the weakness of bullies and the strength of their victims. This book is a fast read that is hard to put aside; it will be appreciated by young readers and adults. Recommended for parent child book groups and for intermediate and middle school media centers as well as public library collections. There may be challenges of this historical fiction work but the content is real and does depict many areas of our country during the 1940’s. Consider for Cream

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, Retired Youth Services Librarian

five-stars