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My Own Lightning

Author Lauren Wolk
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Paperback
$8.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Dutton Books for Young Readers
5.13"W x 7.75"H x 0.81"D  
On sale Apr 25, 2023 | 320 Pages | 9780525555612
Grades 6-8
Reading Level: Lexile HL710L | Fountas & Pinnell X
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Bestselling author Lauren Wolk returns to the world of Wolf Hollow, in this sequel to her beloved, Newbery Honor–winning debut.

★ “A powerful story to electrify the soul.” –Booklist, starred review

“Deep, dark, and indelible.” —The Times of London

It’s been several months since the tragic events set in motion by bully Betty Glengarry, and the routine of daily life in Wolf Hollow has slowly returned. But for Annabelle McBride it’s hard to move forward and make peace with what feels like threadbare justice.
 
Newly warm summer days are about to bring a jolt of change on the winds of a powerful storm. In its wake, the search for her brother’s missing dog will set Annabelle on a new path that brings her to unfamiliar doorsteps and reunites her with a too-familiar adversary—Andy Woodberry, who was complicit in Betty’s most terrible acts. Growing up and blazing her own trail will soon force Annabelle to reexamine deeply felt truths—about people, about justice, about herself—that had once seemed so uncomplicated.
 
Bestselling author Lauren Wolk (Beyond the Bright Sea, Echo Mountain) returns to World War II–era Western Pennsylvania in this luminous sequel to her Newbery Honor–winning debut, Wolf Hollow, proving once again why her acclaimed novels have been celebrated as “historical fiction at its finest.”
© Robert Nash
Lauren Wolk is an award–winning poet, artist, and novelist. She is the author of Echo Mountain, My Own Lightning, Newbery Honor–winner Wolf Hollow, and Scott O’Dell Award-winner Beyond the Bright Sea. Lauren was born in Baltimore and has since lived in California, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Canada, and Ohio. She now lives with her family on Cape Cod. View titles by Lauren Wolk
From My Own Lightning

I watched as he tipped his hat and turned toward his truck, which was parked along the edge of the dirt road that led through Wolf Hollow and out, eventually, to the hardtop and on toward places like Aliquippa with its gas stations and coffee shops and beauty salons and all the other things we didn’t have in our hills.

Compared to such places, the glen where we lived was like a cradle.

“You can always go visit somewhere else,” my father liked to say, “but then you get to come home.”

So far, home had been plenty.

But as Mrs. Taylor and I watched Mr. Graf pull away, a part of me wanted to see what else there was to see.

“He must really love his dog to go driving around the countryside like that,” Mrs. Taylor said. “And to offer such a big reward!”

“He must,” I replied.

And then, just before she shut the door, I caught sight of a boy on the other side of the road, a bit down from the schoolhouse, standing in the tall weeds, watching us.

Despite the trees casting shadows along the road, despite the way he had pulled his hat down low over his forehead, I knew who he was.

Andy Woodberry.

“What’s he doing here?” Mrs. Taylor said, and I could hear that she was frowning.

“I don’t know. He’s hardly ever in school when he’s supposed to be, but now it’s June and here he is.”

Mrs. Taylor responded by closing the door and, with it, the subject.

But I stayed where I was for a long moment, wondering what had brought Andy this way. There was nothing much along this piece of road except the school and, a bit farther down toward the flatland, our old potato house where we stored the crop until we could sell it. A distance beyond that: the Woodberry farm. Where Andy should have been.

But Andy wasn’t my business anymore. And I was not his keeper.
Copyright © 2022 by Lauren Wolk. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
“Wolk writes like a fever dream while raising questions about our capacities for forgiveness. Deep, dark, and indelible.” —The Times of London
 
★ “A powerful story to electrify the soul.” —Booklist, starred review

★ “With a memorable heroine, a finely honed voice, a distinctive setting, and deeply grounded relationships, this thought-provoking novel raises ethical issues about personal flaws and forgiveness.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
 
“Historical fiction for middle-grade readers who relish a warm family story with an energetic plot; a character who comes into her own; and a fully realized, sensory-rich setting.” —The Horn Book
 
“Poignant. Tugs at the heartstrings while gently guiding readers to explore understanding complicated people, what’s true, and what matters.” —Common Sense Media
 
“My Own Lightning teaches young readers that although tragedy shapes us, it does not have to define us.” —The Historical Novel Society 
 
“Steeped in themes of growth and acceptance, a solid continuation of an impactful first installment.” —Kirkus Reviews


ACCLAIM FOR LAUREN WOLK'S WOLF HOLLOW —A Newbery Honor Book

• An NPR Best Book of the Year • A Booklist Best Book of the Year • An Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year • A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year • A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year • A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year • A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of the Year • An ALA Notable Children’s Book

“The honesty of Wolf Hollow will just about shred your heart, but Annabelle’s courage and compassion will restore it to you, fuller than before. This book matters.” —Sara Pennypacker, New York Times bestselling author of Pax

“An evocative setting, memorable characters, a searing story: Wolf Hollow has stayed with me long after I closed the book. It has the feel of an instant classic.” —Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author

“Wrenching and true. . . . comparisons to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird will abound. But Wolk gives us her own story—one full of grace and stark, brutal beauty.” —New York Times Book Review

“This exquisite debut confronts injustice and doesn’t flinch.” —People

About

Bestselling author Lauren Wolk returns to the world of Wolf Hollow, in this sequel to her beloved, Newbery Honor–winning debut.

★ “A powerful story to electrify the soul.” –Booklist, starred review

“Deep, dark, and indelible.” —The Times of London

It’s been several months since the tragic events set in motion by bully Betty Glengarry, and the routine of daily life in Wolf Hollow has slowly returned. But for Annabelle McBride it’s hard to move forward and make peace with what feels like threadbare justice.
 
Newly warm summer days are about to bring a jolt of change on the winds of a powerful storm. In its wake, the search for her brother’s missing dog will set Annabelle on a new path that brings her to unfamiliar doorsteps and reunites her with a too-familiar adversary—Andy Woodberry, who was complicit in Betty’s most terrible acts. Growing up and blazing her own trail will soon force Annabelle to reexamine deeply felt truths—about people, about justice, about herself—that had once seemed so uncomplicated.
 
Bestselling author Lauren Wolk (Beyond the Bright Sea, Echo Mountain) returns to World War II–era Western Pennsylvania in this luminous sequel to her Newbery Honor–winning debut, Wolf Hollow, proving once again why her acclaimed novels have been celebrated as “historical fiction at its finest.”

Author

© Robert Nash
Lauren Wolk is an award–winning poet, artist, and novelist. She is the author of Echo Mountain, My Own Lightning, Newbery Honor–winner Wolf Hollow, and Scott O’Dell Award-winner Beyond the Bright Sea. Lauren was born in Baltimore and has since lived in California, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Canada, and Ohio. She now lives with her family on Cape Cod. View titles by Lauren Wolk

Excerpt

From My Own Lightning

I watched as he tipped his hat and turned toward his truck, which was parked along the edge of the dirt road that led through Wolf Hollow and out, eventually, to the hardtop and on toward places like Aliquippa with its gas stations and coffee shops and beauty salons and all the other things we didn’t have in our hills.

Compared to such places, the glen where we lived was like a cradle.

“You can always go visit somewhere else,” my father liked to say, “but then you get to come home.”

So far, home had been plenty.

But as Mrs. Taylor and I watched Mr. Graf pull away, a part of me wanted to see what else there was to see.

“He must really love his dog to go driving around the countryside like that,” Mrs. Taylor said. “And to offer such a big reward!”

“He must,” I replied.

And then, just before she shut the door, I caught sight of a boy on the other side of the road, a bit down from the schoolhouse, standing in the tall weeds, watching us.

Despite the trees casting shadows along the road, despite the way he had pulled his hat down low over his forehead, I knew who he was.

Andy Woodberry.

“What’s he doing here?” Mrs. Taylor said, and I could hear that she was frowning.

“I don’t know. He’s hardly ever in school when he’s supposed to be, but now it’s June and here he is.”

Mrs. Taylor responded by closing the door and, with it, the subject.

But I stayed where I was for a long moment, wondering what had brought Andy this way. There was nothing much along this piece of road except the school and, a bit farther down toward the flatland, our old potato house where we stored the crop until we could sell it. A distance beyond that: the Woodberry farm. Where Andy should have been.

But Andy wasn’t my business anymore. And I was not his keeper.
Copyright © 2022 by Lauren Wolk. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Praise

“Wolk writes like a fever dream while raising questions about our capacities for forgiveness. Deep, dark, and indelible.” —The Times of London
 
★ “A powerful story to electrify the soul.” —Booklist, starred review

★ “With a memorable heroine, a finely honed voice, a distinctive setting, and deeply grounded relationships, this thought-provoking novel raises ethical issues about personal flaws and forgiveness.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
 
“Historical fiction for middle-grade readers who relish a warm family story with an energetic plot; a character who comes into her own; and a fully realized, sensory-rich setting.” —The Horn Book
 
“Poignant. Tugs at the heartstrings while gently guiding readers to explore understanding complicated people, what’s true, and what matters.” —Common Sense Media
 
“My Own Lightning teaches young readers that although tragedy shapes us, it does not have to define us.” —The Historical Novel Society 
 
“Steeped in themes of growth and acceptance, a solid continuation of an impactful first installment.” —Kirkus Reviews


ACCLAIM FOR LAUREN WOLK'S WOLF HOLLOW —A Newbery Honor Book

• An NPR Best Book of the Year • A Booklist Best Book of the Year • An Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year • A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year • A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year • A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year • A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of the Year • An ALA Notable Children’s Book

“The honesty of Wolf Hollow will just about shred your heart, but Annabelle’s courage and compassion will restore it to you, fuller than before. This book matters.” —Sara Pennypacker, New York Times bestselling author of Pax

“An evocative setting, memorable characters, a searing story: Wolf Hollow has stayed with me long after I closed the book. It has the feel of an instant classic.” —Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author

“Wrenching and true. . . . comparisons to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird will abound. But Wolk gives us her own story—one full of grace and stark, brutal beauty.” —New York Times Book Review

“This exquisite debut confronts injustice and doesn’t flinch.” —People

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