Inkling

Following the death of his mom, Ethan, his sister Sarah, and dad are having trouble coping. When an inkblot comes to life in one of his textbooks, Ethan names him Inkling and he is just what the family needs – he helps Ethan overcome his anxiety about a graphic novel project, becomes Sarah’s pet, helps Ethan’s dad deal with writer’s block, and helps the entire family find closure following their loss. This highly engaging, amusing novel for grades 3-8 can launch discussion of real-life issues, including grief, loss, and parental neglect and abandonment, serve as a starting point for creative writing and storytelling projects, and be an effective read-aloud, independent novel, and classroom library choice.