The lumbering giants of Windy Pines / Mo Netz.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In this debut spooky adventure, Jerry and her trusty wheelchair move into a creepy motel at the edge of the woods where nothing is as it seems. When her mom disappears, it's up to Jerry to brave the forest and its demons so she can save what's left of her family.

Ever since her dad died, 11-year-old Jerry Blum and her mom have bounced around dead-end towns, staying in a series of rundown motels where her mother picks up housekeeping work and Jerry can get around in her wheelchair.

But the Slumbering Giant motel is different. Lights blink on and off in the surrounding trees, a mysterious radio station plays only at midnight, and people disappear into the woods, never to been seen again. Not to mention that Jerry's mom keeps vanishing to do "special work" that she refuses to discuss. When her mother doesn't come home one morning, Jerry springs into action.

Luckily, she's not alone. Paul, a pocket-size imaginary dragon, and Chapel, a new friend with a penchant for the supernatural, join Jerry's search for her missing mom. But along the way Jerry discovers her mother's terrible secret: she's not a housekeeper at all; in fact, she's been defending the town from demons that have been haunting it for generations.

Armed with nothing but a Ren Faire sword and a backpack, Jerry and her friends venture into the forbidden woods to save Jerry's mother. But the "demons" hiding there aren't what they seem, and Jerry must unravel the truth behind the town's legend, or risk losing what's left of her family.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Grit and compassion bolster this exhilarating folkloric adventure by debut author Netz. After a period of upheaval following the death of her father, disabled 11-year-old Jerry Blum and her mother settle at the Slumbering Giant Motel in rural Georgia. There, Jerry's mother begins a new job while Jerry acclimates herself to the relatively wheelchair-friendly environment. Bored and lonely, Jerry grows suspicious of her mother's mysterious new gig, which sends her into the nearby woods where loggers have recently disappeared. Accompanied by her imaginary Yiddish-speaking dragon friend Paul, Jerry embarks on an investigation. Much of this bewitching story hinges on the formidable nerve and charisma of the Jewish, olive-skinned protagonist, whose adventure takes on a positive spin after she befriends Chapel Bell, a Black sixth grader living in the motel with her family following a house fire. The two girls bond over being treated differently and, after Jerry's mother vanishes, find themselves lost in the woods and vulnerable to the shadowy creatures that dwell there. Using vivid supernatural phenomena to facilitate deep human connection, Netz crafts a succinct tale with memorable characters, a fearsome mythology, and dark charm. Ages 8--12. (Mar.)

Booklist Review

Debut author Netz presents charismatic characters in a captivating, magical setting. Jerusha Eliana Blum, a white girl known as Jerry, has a genetic degenerative disease, which means she needs to use a wheelchair. After her father's death and losing their home, she and her mother arrive in Windy Pines, Georgia, where her mother has gotten a job helping to maintain a motel. An imaginary friend--a Yiddish-speaking dragon with pigeon wings named Paul--helps homeschooled Jerry cope with loneliness. Soon, the perceptive 11-year-old suspects her mother is working on something secret in the forest, and the town's history of missing people begins to worry Jerry. When she meets Chapel Bell, a Black sixth-grader living in the motel due to a house fire, they bond over being treated differently based on others' preconceived notions and become friends. When Jerry's mom disappears, Jerry and Chapel enter the forest to find her. With a satisfying emotional arc, Jerry's story sensitively tackles such topics as ableism and bullying, and her sharp intellect, paired with Paul's wit, adds humor and levity.

Horn Book Review

After the death of her father and the subsequent loss of their house, Jerry (almost twelve) and her mom drift from small town to small town, her mom finding work in motels because they accommodate Jerry's wheelchair. The latest motel, the Slumbering Giant, should be no different, only there are stories of ghosts and of people going missing, and a radio station broadcasts strange messages in the middle of the night. All of this is fascinating to Jerry and her imaginary pocket-sized dragon, Paul, until her mom, picking up extra work duties overnight, goes missing, and then Jerry, Paul, and new friend Chapel go on a hair-raising quest in the dark, mysterious woods. Netz's debut novel is part thrilling adventure in a fight against "demons," part mystery about the secrets hidden in the woods. It's also populated by an endearing cast of characters whose close relationships help carry them through strange encounters with monsters and mythical creatures. This unusual fantasy's casual inclusion of disability makes it stand out; Jerry's identities as Jewish and as a wheelchair user are well integrated into the story. Though she recounts previous experiences of discrimination from peers, nobody significant in her life doubts her capability or heroism -- and her wheelchair refreshingly proves to be an asset in multiple parts of the tale. Amanda R. ToledoMay/June 2024 p.149 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

A Jewish girl who uses a wheelchair faces demons when she and her mother move to a former mining town in Georgia. Ever since Daddy died and they lost their house, 11-year-old Jerusha (Jerry) and Mama have drifted from motel to motel. Moving so often makes it hard to make friends, but Jerry finds kids her own age "overrated"--especially after a bully at her last school pushed her down the stairs. Now homeschooled, Jerry prefers spending time with her books--and with Paul, her imaginary dragon. At first, the Slumbering Giant seems like every other motel they've stayed in. But then the radio starts broadcasting eerie messages such as "THEY'RE COMING" and "ALERT THE REST OF THE GUARDIANS." Plus, Mama's being unusually cryptic about her new housekeeping job and has secretly been venturing into the woods--where loggers have been disappearing and Jerry's forbidden to go. When Mama doesn't come home one morning, Jerry resolves to find her…and discovers that the woods are full of demons. Can Jerry and her new friend, Chapel, evade their pursuit and rescue Mama? Netz, also a wheelchair user, offers a refreshingly authentic depiction of physical disability, vividly describing Jerry's maneuvers, the obstacles she encounters, and the advantages of vanquishing demons while in a wheelchair. Readers will empathize with Jerry's loneliness, while Paul's droll, Yiddish-peppered commentary adds humor. Jerry and Mama are cued white; Chapel is Black. An action-packed, heartwarming tale of friendship, family, monsters, and magic. (Paranormal adventure. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.