August 15, 2022
It's 2448, and Myra discovers that the world of plants and growing things might exist outside of history texts. Twelve-year-old Myra Hodger is a struggling first-year student at the exclusive Scientific Lunar Academy of Magic, where students begin Creers in science, technology, and the magic that accompanies them. The calling of an individual's Creer is reflected in Inscriptions that appear on the skin. Myra's parents are well-known Number Whisperers, mathematicians whose passion distracts them from Myra's growing awareness and worry that math is not her Creer; she has yet to see any sign of mathematical formulas appear on her skin. When Myra's exploration of the school during one of her frequent hours of class-cutting reveals an astonishing hidden garden, she is drawn to the plants growing there in a profound way. But plants are now forbidden--billions of people died during a worldwide toxic mutation of plants on the Old World--Earth. The survivors live in settlements on several planets, and food is manufactured according to formulas that are now malfunctioning. Debut author Barry smoothly incorporates contemporary--and perhaps perennial--issues of elite education, pressure to succeed, corporate corruption, class divides, systemic prejudice, and environmental depredation while delivering a boarding school story in a believable off-world setting. Most characters read White. Nicely realized, intriguingly complex, and well set up for sequels. (Science fiction. 9-14)
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Starred review from October 15, 2022
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* By 2448, it has been revealed that certain professions (scientists, doctors, and others) are intertwined with magic, and schools have cropped up all over the solar system in order to sort out and further students' abilities. Myra, the daughter of brilliant mathematicians, is assumed to possess strong Number Whisperer magic, but the truth is that she doesn't have a hint of it, nor does she have an interest in that prestigious path, and it's only a matter of time before the academy discovers her secret. It's not until she stumbles upon a carefully concealed garden that she feels the thrill of magical abilities. But how could this be? Plants have been outlawed for centuries, after Earth's flora poisoned the atmosphere and forced humans to flee to other planets. Myra realizes that the mystery of the garden may be the key to solving problems of the world--and to uncovering the truth about herself. This Secret Garden retelling, the first in the Plotting the Stars series, works beautifully in its new space setting, and though no knowledge of the original book is needed, familiar readers will delight in recognizable characters and struggles. The storytelling is immersive and engrossing, touching on environmental issues, class structure and prejudice, and the struggle to find one's truest self. Readers will be eager for the next installment in this marvelous, magical universe.
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