Pax by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Jon Klassen

I think that my most favorite kind of book is an illustrated middle-grade. Sara Pennypacker, author of the series Clementine, Summer of the Gypsy Moths, and The Dullards, has written a glorious story for children ages 8-12. Better yet, Caldecott winning artist Jon Klassen has illustrated it. It is titled, simply, Pax. Pax is the story of a journey. It is the story of a fox and his boy, Pax and Peter. A story of friendship, of love, and of war and peace.

Peter has raised Pax as his pet. When as an unnamed war is about to start, and Peter’s father must go serve, Peter is sent to go live with his grandfather, and Pax is left behind in the woods. Armed with only a backpack filled with peanut butter (Pax’s favorite) some matches, duct tape, garbage bags (to use as a poncho in the rain) a gold charm bracelet, string cheese, two oranges, and his baseball and glove, Peter decides to make the three hundred mile trek back home to find Pax again. Boy and fox are inseparable, and in the face of war, the master of tearing things asunder, they make parallel journeys towards each other in the hopes of being reunited.

Pax loved his boy, but more than that, he felt responsible for Peter, for protecting him. When he couldn’t perform this role, he suffered.

Pax shook the night’s rain off his back and headed for the road without even stretching his stiff muscles, straining for his boy’s scent.

Peter and Pax’s journey will take them far from home. They will meet people (and other foxes) who will change their lives, and in turn, they will also make a difference in the world they live in.

Peter meets an important lady named Vola. She asks Peter, “So which is it? You going back for your home or for your pet?”

“They’re the same thing,” Peter said, the answer sudden and sure, although a surprise to him.

Pax is a heart wrenching book that you will want to read over and over again. Pennypacker’s words will have the reader feel the ground beneath Peter’s feet, and see the trees waving in the wind over Pax’s head in the dark forest. This book examines why we make the choices we make, and better yet, shows that grownups should listen carefully to children, and also, foxes. With vivid imagery from Sara Pennypacker, and Klassen’s earthen toned illustrations, Pax is a great read for kids.

This article originally appeared in The Clarion Ledger.

The Cover-Up

When you’re a kid, there comes that time when you’ve covered up something that you thought could have dire consequences, only to discover that it would have saved so much time and energy if you’d just told the truth. Nearly 12-year-old Stella makes this discovery the hard way (is there any other way?) in Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker.

By the end of chapter two, Stella’s great-aunt Louise has died. Stella comes home from school to find Louise dead in front of the television set. Stella and Angel, the other girl Louise has taken in, decide they’d better hide the fact or risk becoming wards of the state. Their plan to dig a hole in the backyard for Louise’s body, and to say that the woman broke her ankle works even better and for longer than they want it to. Much of the book’s humor stems from their nearly 12-year-old thinking and how they pull off assuming Louise’s duties managing the summer rental cottages next door. Self-reliance and resourcefulness are their greatest assets and also their Achilles’ heel.

Both girls have had to grow up more quickly than most their age—Stella because of her mother’s frequent disappearances, and Angel because her parents both passed away. So their matter-of-fact handling of Louise’s death comes across credibly, and the comic moments increase as they get more deeply invested in their cover-up. They also come to appreciate each other’s strengths: Angel’s a better liar (which helps them carry off their masquerade), and Stella is a better cleaner (which helps convince owner George Nickerson that Louise is still following through on her duties).

All the while, Sara Pennypacker envelops us in the warmth of the Cape Cod sun, the smell of the sea, and the rhythms of the renters coming and going. The humor and authentic dialogue contribute to a great read-aloud experience, but Pennypacker also gently raises questions of when is it okay to tackle things on your own, and when is it time to ask for help? Is it ever okay to lie? What is a true friend? Pennypacker never makes the children seem at risk—what the children fear could happen is far worse than what does happen. At the same time, the author creates living, breathing girls whom we care about and whose fates matter to us. Each lives with sadness, but the girls don’t dwell on that. They forge ahead, often with humor and a determination to solve whatever challenge lies ahead.