A Game of Fox & Squirrels

Description

Eleven-year-old Samantha and her older sister, Caitlin, are sent to live in rural Oregon with an estranged aunt following a domestic violence incident with their father. Sam wants nothing more than to go back home, back to the way things were . . . before she spoke up. Then Aunt Vicky gives Sam a battered card game. Sam falls in love with the whimsical animal characters, especially the charming fox, Ashander. One day Ashander shows up in her room and offers her an adventure: find the Golden Acorn, and Sam can have anything she desires. As magic and reality blur, Sam is swept up in a game she may not be prepared to play. Perfect for fans of Barbara O'Connor and Lauren Wolk, A Game of Fox & Squirrels explores themes of family, redemption, and the distance we'll go for the people we love.

Jenn Reese writes speculative fiction for readers of all ages. Her first novel, Above World, was a finalist for the 2012 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Portland, Oregon, where she revels in the rain, plays too many video games, and works as a freelance graphic designer.

A Evanston Public Library Best of the Year Selection A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year 2021 Selection "Beautifully written...Reese's pairing of a realistic depiction of lived trauma with its allegorical-fantasy reflection proves stunningly effective." -Kirkus, Starred Review A poignant fantastical allegory... that presents generational trauma and its echoes unflinchingly. -Publishers Weekly, Starred Review Reese spins a tale about child abuse that is touched with fantasy...a powerful tool for working through trauma. -Booklist An engaging blend of genres...dealing with realistic issues that will be a solid addition to elementary or middle school libraries. -School Library Journal It's satisfying to watch Sam move from obedience born of self-preservation to being able to defy Ashander in order to protect others...the sympathetic heroine makes this a likable read with broad appeal. --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Once in an age, you read a book that is so true and so lovely that it's as if your own bruised and hopeful heart had come sailing into your hands in book form. A Game of Fox & Squirrels is that book for me. It is perfect. Sometimes magic happens: we needed this story in our world, and now it is here. --Anne Nesbet, author of The Cabinet of Earths and Daring Darleen Hauntingly beautiful, funny, dark and true, and so full of magic and heart. This story will stay with me forever. --Stephanie Burgis, author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart Jenn Reese is masterful in her delicate rendering of a vulnerable child navigating the boundaries of family loyalty. The story will quietly burrow its way into the hearts of the children who need it, inspiring bravery and truth. Unforgettable. --Tracy Holczer, author of Everything Else in the Universe An important, moving book about resilience in the face of abuse, and about emerging from a very dark place into hope. --Sarah Prineas, author of Dragonfell The way Jenn Reese illuminates a path to hope through dark times is what makes this book essential reading. --Greg van Eekhout, author of Voyage of the Dogs "A Game of Fox & Squirrels overflows with courage, and it's willing to share." --William Alexander, National Book Award-winning author of Goblin Secrets