April 16, 2026 by West 44 Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this short novel in verse, thirteen year old Baylor is sent by his mother to spend the summer with his noncustodial father, Rob, who has never really been part of his life. Rob has taken a seasonal job as a fire spotter in Arizona, and is living at a fire lookout tower in Arizona. It's close quarters, but the view is spectacular, and Baylor starts to think it might not be too bad of a summer, even with an outhouse! He gets a chance to talk to his father, and even learns how to use an Osbourne Firefinder and helps with spotting. There are plenty of difficult time; when the two are wrestling, Baylor gets the better of his father, who gets angry and painfully pulls Baylor's ear. There's also an awkward "facts of life" talk, when Rob (who is white) tells Baylor he doesn't want his son to make the same "mistake" that he did. Baylor's mother (who is Black) has always said that he was one of the best things in her life, even though being a young, single mother had its challenges. Since he's struggled a bit with being biracial, Baylor doesn't need more complications. There is a thunderstorm that is quite frightening, and the two do have to report a small fire, but Rob explains to Baylor that some fires are let burn in a controlled way to manage the environment. Rob and Baylor have a big blow up when Rob accuses Baylor of being a "mama's boy" and claims that he has not been involved in Baylor's life because his mother doesn't want Rob around. When a tree is struck by lightning and a fire starts, Rob is badly burned, and Baylor has to get help. Rob is okay, and the father and son have to figure out a way forward with their relationship.
Strengths: It is much more realistic and interesting to portray contentious relationships with middle grade parents, and there are many young readers who don't live with both of their parents. There are also a lot of children who are biracial, and Baylor does have some thoughts about his background, but they are not the point of the whole story, which more closely mirrors modern reality. Rob isn't the best father because he doesn't have practice, and he doesn't always have the best reactions to Baylor, but he stops short of being mean and abusive. The inclusion of fire spotting was interesting, and gives a unique background to the father and son bonding struggles.
Weaknesses: I would have liked to see more of Baylor at home with his mother, so that the contrast with his father's treatment of him would be more pronounced. We do hear that his mother and her family and friends are very supportive, but seeing him at home would have added another level of interest.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a short, easier to read book with more emotional depth, like Fontes' Benito Runs (Surviving Southside, another Hi Lo series) or Watson's Living Rough. Interestingly, there are two other middle grade novels about fire spotting, Rose's The Burning Season or Downing's Controlled Burn.
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this short novel in verse, thirteen year old Baylor is sent by his mother to spend the summer with his noncustodial father, Rob, who has never really been part of his life. Rob has taken a seasonal job as a fire spotter in Arizona, and is living at a fire lookout tower in Arizona. It's close quarters, but the view is spectacular, and Baylor starts to think it might not be too bad of a summer, even with an outhouse! He gets a chance to talk to his father, and even learns how to use an Osbourne Firefinder and helps with spotting. There are plenty of difficult time; when the two are wrestling, Baylor gets the better of his father, who gets angry and painfully pulls Baylor's ear. There's also an awkward "facts of life" talk, when Rob (who is white) tells Baylor he doesn't want his son to make the same "mistake" that he did. Baylor's mother (who is Black) has always said that he was one of the best things in her life, even though being a young, single mother had its challenges. Since he's struggled a bit with being biracial, Baylor doesn't need more complications. There is a thunderstorm that is quite frightening, and the two do have to report a small fire, but Rob explains to Baylor that some fires are let burn in a controlled way to manage the environment. Rob and Baylor have a big blow up when Rob accuses Baylor of being a "mama's boy" and claims that he has not been involved in Baylor's life because his mother doesn't want Rob around. When a tree is struck by lightning and a fire starts, Rob is badly burned, and Baylor has to get help. Rob is okay, and the father and son have to figure out a way forward with their relationship.
Strengths: It is much more realistic and interesting to portray contentious relationships with middle grade parents, and there are many young readers who don't live with both of their parents. There are also a lot of children who are biracial, and Baylor does have some thoughts about his background, but they are not the point of the whole story, which more closely mirrors modern reality. Rob isn't the best father because he doesn't have practice, and he doesn't always have the best reactions to Baylor, but he stops short of being mean and abusive. The inclusion of fire spotting was interesting, and gives a unique background to the father and son bonding struggles.
Weaknesses: I would have liked to see more of Baylor at home with his mother, so that the contrast with his father's treatment of him would be more pronounced. We do hear that his mother and her family and friends are very supportive, but seeing him at home would have added another level of interest.
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