Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (home invasion not brutal but damage, peril, dog attack).
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Pre-teen Clay finds a magical dog in the woods near his home. Because of the pandemic, everyone is in lockdown, so he doesn't get to play with his friends - he's stuck with his sisters. So, a dog is a great thing! But this dog was left behind when the People Under the Mountain ventured to the surface on a hunt. Now, as Clay wanders the woods with "Elphinore" he is led to hidden places that exist alongside Clay's community, but which humans can't see. There he meets a boy with an Owl's Head, and the two become fast friends. But Amos (the Owl Head boy) knows that if they are discovered, Clay's family will be cursed and Amos will be punished.
M.T. Anderson weaves a pandemic story that was not as weird as I expected. His world-building - within the human world - made sense. I loved the side characters, the sleeping giant was my favorite, and the story was a lot of fun. Who hasn't dreamed of stepping off a path in the woods and entering a whole other world? Junyi Wu's illustrations were plentiful and expressive. A great read for either upper elementary or middle school. Clay and his family are white.
Lisa Librarian
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