Brown, India Hill. The Forgotten Girl. First edition. New York, Scholastic Press, 2019.

The Forgotten Girl is a ghost story with some originality.  The theme is essentially bringing a voice to those that have lost theirs. This is an important concept the author explores and it is clear to the reader throughout the telling. The ghost in this ghost story is the symbol for the forgotten voices and I believe the author does a good job of presenting this. Even young readers should be able to pick up on the meaning and importance of the ghost. 

The setting is somewhat original. It is set in a neighborhood with an abandoned graveyard. It is difficult to think this graveyard would go unnoticed for this long, but that fact does not take away from the story too much. The setting is simple, going back and forth between the houses of the main characters, the school and the graveyard. 

The style of this novel could use a bit of work. The imagery the author creates is sometimes hokey. The elements of the supernatural are often not given adequate imagery to create a strong sense of their existence, and there seems to be little resistance from the characters in the story. There doesn’t seem to be much push back in regards to this supernatural. Overall, this is a spooky read for kids, with an important look at highlighting forgotten voices and ensuring we honor stories of our past. 

Higuera, Donna Barba. The Last Cuentista Levine Querido, 2021

The Last Cuentista is a bit more of a complex science fiction story than The Forgotten Girl, but with a similar theme. Memories and storytelling are paramount in this book and how we can be good stewards of our stories and memories is an important topic for young readers to ponder. Though a more complex tale, young readers can definitely pick up on the themes of this book. 

The setting may be a bit more difficult for a young reader to keep track of, as memories of Earth, the new planet and advancing years are sometimes difficult to keep up with. Listening to the audio book was a bit tedious for this reason. Though sometimes difficult to keep track of, the setting and imagery created is beautiful and unique. Because of the back and forth and length of the text,  I believe this book would be best suited for students in 6th grade or higher. 

The style of this book is wonderfully mastered. The imagery is distinct and credible. It is completely believable that the reader has been taken to another planet and another time period. There are scenes of intensity, felt acutely by readers. This is certainly a book to beg readers to ponder worlds, other concepts and simply imagine what life could be.