First published 2020
Eleven-year-old Josh has just moved from New Jersey to rural northern California with his mother. Life-changing problems forced them to leave everything behind for this unfamiliar place where his cousins live. Josh finds the rustic lifestyle completely different from what he knows. He slowly connects with his cousin through shared meals, jokes, and their fascination with reptiles. During an expedition into the nearby forest, both boys suddenly face a rapidly advancing firestorm. This superheated inferno threatens to destroy millions of acres and possibly their entire town. The 2018 fire season has become the most destructive and deadliest in a century, catching even wildfire-experienced Northern California residents off guard. Josh must navigate both the family troubles that drove him across the country and the immediate danger of flames surrounding him on all sides.
Genres: fiction, family-life, adventure, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: California, New Jersey, Northern California
Period: 2018
144 pages · Paperback · Scholastic Inc.