Rewilding by Lisa Gerlits

“I am quiet. Those last words strike a chord in me. Listening, watching, protecting. I think of Mom. I think of Ian. I think of spotting neglect.” - Joy, Rewilding

Rewilding by Lisa Gerlits is a realistic, sad but ultimately heartwarming story of Joy Holderman, an eleven year old girl, trying her best to take care of her younger brother Ian and her mother when their father leaves the family. She tries to parent her brother and run the household while her mother spends her days laying on the couch, all in an effort to keep Child Protective Services becoming involved in their situation.

As if Joy doesn’t have enough on her plate, Ian finds a baby bird in a wood pile and begs Joy to keep it. Initially reluctant, Joy soon heavily invests in doing the best to care for the bird - even asking for help from the scary and strange woman in her neighborhood. What unfolds from here is a story about what it means to be judged/not everything is as it seems, asking for help, community, and friendship.

Rewilding contains heavy concepts of neglect, emotional abuse, and how people impact the environment. There is nothing graphic but rather implied or simply stated (like what is gaslighting.)

I believe this story is written sensitively and will appeal to middle school students who generally engage with stories contain characters their age who struggle with feeling confident and successful. Joy and Ian’s home life will, unfortunately, resonate with some students as well but this could also help those students understand that speaking up and asking for help can lead to positive changes.

Rewilding could be paired with Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, Blended by Sharon M. Draper and Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.