orangejulias 's review for:

Willodeen by Katherine Applegate

4.0

hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

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Willodeen is a beautifully written heart-warming story with a moral lesson for all young activists. This junior novel is set in a fantasy world (with modern world references) and focuses on a small village named Perchance. The village’s main income is tourist season when people visit from all over to see the magical Hummingbears. The village has been plagued with wild fires, loosing both villages and local wildlife to these disasters. Willodeen is a young loner living in this village. She has very limited interests, really only limited to Screechers, creatures who are unpopular in the village for their skunk like smell and horrific screeching noises at night. The village promotes the hunting of these creatures and soon they are almost extinct. Willodeen must find the strength to fight her fears and anxiety to advocate for these creatures. But soon she finds out they are even more important than she, or the village thinks! Alongside some friends, Willodeen goes on a journey of environmental research, scientific findings, and the true definition of ”making a difference.”