April 1, 2024
A grieving 10-year-old living in small-town Ohio plans to say “Goodbye, heart. Hello, Tin Man,” in this quirky story about loss by Nolte (Back to the Bright Before). Since her grandmother’s death, Beatrice Corwell’s ambition has been to stop feeling—not just grief, but any emotion at all. Project Tin Man hasn’t gotten very far: she’s still grieving her grandmother, she’s irritated by newcomer Caleb, she’s hopeful that her absent father will come to town for his annual visit, she loves her eight rescue cats, and she yearns for her doll to come to life. When she realizes that her grandmother has somehow found a way to leave her messages—one word a time—and learns that Caleb’s granny is a witch, she enlists Caleb’s help in bringing her many desires to fruition. Lightly magical touches (Beatrice can seemingly communicate with her cats, who have a dance routine) and the inclusion of kind, indulgent neighbors (they let Beatrice’s mother cut their hair, even though she’s awful at it) make for a whimsical and touching story about connection, grief, and learning to understand and live with one’s feelings. Main characters read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary.
April 15, 2024
Ten-year-old Beatrice Corwell will do anything to make her wishes come true in this quirky, magical tale. Grieving her recently passed grandma and missing her best friend who's moved to Florida, Beatrice desires to become a Tin Man who doesn't have a heart so she can stop feeling difficult emotions. When Caleb Chernavachin, a new boy in their Ohio town, tells Beatrice his granny is a witch, Beatrice is hesitant at first to seek out her magic, but desperation wins out. A porcelain doll Beatrice calls "Bright Baby" has been the vessel for magically appearing one-word messages, and Beatrice wishes for the doll to come to life and become her sister. Wishes and magic don't always go as expected, though, and soon a special visitor arrives, complicating matters further. With the help of her eight intelligent rescue cats and a community of larger-than-life characters, Beatrice grows to figure out who she truly wants to be. This story's whimsy and big heart are enchanting, although sometimes the narrative's quaint cleverness seems to hide a lack of depth in the characters and their emotions. While it might not be the most affecting read, the novel still has plenty of charm, and the quick pace makes it a cute, breezy read. Beatrice's precocity will endear her to some readers. Characters read white. A pleasant and lightly fantastical story that will satisfy twee tastes. (Fantasy. 8-12)
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