Where the Water Takes Us by Alan Barillaro
Published by Candlewick Press on July 4, 2023
Pages: 208
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

“Where the Water Takes Us” is Alan Barillaro’s debut middle grade novel about a girl named Ava who goes to stay with her grandparents while her mom is having a difficult pregnancy. Spending time in nature in a cabin on a lake sounds idyllic, but Ava suffers from anxiety and dread while she is there. After she finds a dead bird, she feels cursed and is determined to take care of some abandoned eggs that she finds, telling herself that if she does, her mother’s pregnancy will go well. The book gives an accurate portrayal of anxiety as Ava faces other challenges and acknowledges that you can have anxiety even if you have supportive adults in your life. Barillaro clearly has a love for nature and the environment is well described.

There are beautiful watercolor pictures drawn on the edges of each page and you can watch nature scenes from the lake or landscape eventually becoming (spoiler alert) two birds that fly away. This book doesn’t break new ground, but is a good addition to middle grade collections as an accurate depiction of youth mental health. Recommended additional purchase where realistic fiction is popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.