Maybe a Fox
by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee
Appelt, K. & McGhee, A. (2016). Maybe a fox. New York, NY: Antheneum Books for Young Readers.
Jules, 11 and Sylvie, 12, are not only sisters, they are best friends. Jules loves rocks and can name just about every one she comes across, and Sylvie is not just fast, but the fastest girl in the whole school. The girls live with their father in a wooded rural area in the state of Vermont. Their mother passed years ago due to a heart condition, and while Sylvie has vivid memories of her that she shares with her father, Jules was very young when she died and is frustrated that she only has faint memories of her own. The girls' father has a set of Do Not rules that he expects the girls to follow, one of which being Do Not go near "The Slip". The Slip is an area where the nearby river plunges deep below the ground, and also happens to be the perfect place for Jules and Sylvie to throw their wish rocks. One morning Sylvie takes off running toward The Slip never to return. Upon searching for her sister, all that Jules finds is an exposed tree root and a gash in the snow that leads straight into the river. As Jules and her father deal with their devastating loss, a mother fox gives birth to three kits; two males and one female. Immediately the mother fox senses that there is something different about her daughter, Senna. Senna is Kennen, spiritually connected to another living creature. Senna was placed on the earth to watch over and protect Jules. As if all this wasn't sad enough, Jules' good friend Sam is experiencing his own emotional roller coaster dealing with Sylvie's loss plus the return of his brother from Afghanistan who isn't quite the same since losing his best friend Zeke in the war. Perhaps I'm too sensitive, but I honestly cried my way through this entire book. Story time with the kiddos was difficult as I couldn't read through all the tears. Overall, it was a touching story, but the material was heavy and not for the faint of heart. School Library Journal recommends this book for students in grades 4-6.
Maybe a Fox Book Trailer
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