End of the Wild, The

Eleven-year-old Fern does not have an easy life as she cares for her family after her mother and one brother die, as her stepfather suffers from PTSD and can’t hold down a job, the family lives in poverty, food is scarce, and her grandfather is seeking custody of the children. Life becomes more complicated when her only refuge – the woods near their home – is at risk to become a waste water site for a fracking company. This moving, fast-paced novel deals with timely issues of environmental protection and fracking, poverty, grief, child services, family dynamics, bullying, and prejudice. Suitable for a read-aloud, literature circle, and class or school libraries. Social considerations noted.