Wildoak / by C.C. Harrington ; drawings by Diana Sudyka.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

When the fates of a snow leopard, a child, and an ancient forest collide, the unimaginable can happen. Perfect for fans of Pax and The One and Only Ivan .

**Winner of the 2023 Schneider Family Book Award!**

* "Nuanced and empowering." - Publisher's Weekly, starred review

* "Memorably atmospheric." - Kirkus Reviews , starred review

"Immersive." - The Horn Book

"Vibrant, emotional storytelling." -- School Library Connection , highly recommended

Maggie Stephens's stutter makes school especially hard. She will do almost anything to avoid speaking in class or calling attention to herself. So when her unsympathetic father threatens to send her away for so-called "treatment," she reluctantly agrees to her mother's intervention plan: a few weeks in the fresh air of Wildoak Forest, visiting a grandfather she hardly knows. It is there, in an extraordinary twist of fate, that she encounters an abandoned snow leopard cub, an exotic gift to a wealthy Londoner that proved too wild to domesticate. But once the cub's presence is discovered by others, danger follows, and Maggie soon realizes that time is running out, not only for the leopard, but for herself and the forest as well.

​Told in alternating voices, Wildoak shimmers with beauty, compassion, and unforgettable storytelling as it explores the delicate interconnectedness of the human, animal, and natural worlds.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Themes of compassion and conservation form the heartbeat of Harrington's eloquent 1963 England-set debut. Self-conscious about others' cruel reactions to her stutter, 11-year-old Margaret Stephens impales her hand with a sharp pencil to get out of reading aloud. After her misunderstood behavior leads to her dismissal from a third school in two years, her parents send Maggie from London to her doctor grandfather's cottage in rural Cornwall. If she doesn't improve, her gruff father indicates, she'll be sent to Granville--an institution that's rumored to engage in mistreatment. In the countryside, animal-loving Maggie bonds with her grandfather and finds solace in nearby Wildoak Forest, where she befriends a dumped snow leopard cub, Rumpus, as the woods face imminent destruction from toxic copper mining. Alternating third-person chapters follow Rumpus, depicting his harrowing journey from Harrods department store to the wild. Both character arcs sparkle with life thanks to Harrington's poignant, immersive prose. Maggie's work to speak in defense of Rumpus and Wildoak resounds with realism, building to a nuanced and empowering ending that reverberates with foresight. Sudyka's starkly elegant ink illustrations focus on the natural world; human characters cue as white. Ages 8--12. Author's agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. (Sept.)

Horn Book Review

This novel, set in 1963, consists of three narrative strands. Londoner Maggie, nearly twelve, lives with a stutter. Her halting speech makes school a misery, and she's facing the threat of being sent to a boarding school for the disabled that has a frightening reputation. A visit to her grandfather, a doctor who lives in a small Cornish village, provides a temporary reprieve. Running alongside this story is the dramatic tale of Rumpus, a young snow leopard bought at the exotic pet department of Harrods department store and then abandoned in a forest adjacent to the same Cornish village. Finally, we follow the fate of that ancient forest, the property of Lord Foy, a truly malevolent villain who plans to raze it for development. In a suspenseful and neatly-worked-out plot we see how Maggie's deep connections to animals and the natural world are her greatest strengths, enabling physical bravery and creative problem-solving. The theme of diverse varieties of communication braids the narrative together and deepens its impact. Generous back matter alerts readers to resources on stuttering, big-cat conservation, and reforestation efforts worldwide. Chapter decorations and the occasional pen-and-ink illustration add to the richness of this immersive experience. Sarah EllisJanuary/February 2023 p.84 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

In 1963, a child finds both a snow leopard cub and a way to live with her stutter in the Cornish woods. For aptly named Rumpus, the old forest in which he is abandoned is a harsh replacement for the cage at Harrods or the flat he tore up after being purchased as an ill-advised birthday gift. For 11-year-old Maggie, visiting her long-estranged grandfather, who lives near Wildoak Forest, provides welcome relief from her parents' quarrels over her schooling and others' humiliating mockery and impatience when she tries to speak. Grandpa Fred, a country doctor and amateur naturalist, turns out to be a perceptive sort. Still, he rejects her claim to have seen a leopard--until he helps her rescue Rumpus from shotgun-wielding locals and stands beside her as she overcomes her fears to deliver a halting but stout defense to those frightened by rumors of his ferocity. The author adds a wisp of magic in the woods that whispers "Be gentle with yourself. It is hard to be human," to Maggie and helps Rumpus survive wounds inflicted by an illegal trap. In an epilogue, an adult Maggie wraps events up neatly while confidently owning her communication differences. Harrington packs her memorably atmospheric debut with compelling issues, but her sharply felt portrayals of two vulnerable youngsters of different species bonding as they find their ways in hostile worlds will make the deepest impression. The human cast presents White. Tugs on ethical sensibilities and heartstrings with equal strength. (author's note, resources) (Fiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Christina grew up in the UK. She spent her summer holidays in Cornwall where she loved to climb trees and run barefoot along pebbly beaches. She loves the natural world and believes that stories, much like the roots of an ancient forest, are capable of connecting readers and listeners in essential ways. Wildoak is her first book. She graduated from Oxford University with a degree in English Literature and has since worked for a newspaper, taught literacy to children with learning differences and studied printmaking. She now lives in Maryland with her family and a dog who loves to eat manuscripts. You can learn more about her work at ccharrington.com