I’ve been waiting to read Maybe a Fox, by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee for the entire summer and fall, because my 7-year-old had hidden it somewhere I couldn’t find it, and we spent months looking for it. Turns out it was behind his bed, a place he says he looked but clearly didn’t.
So I finally got around to reading it, and it was spectacular.
I didn’t really expect anything less from these two authors, who are two of my favorites and whose books I always buy. It lived up to every expectation: it was beautiful, bittersweet, and unforgettable.
Appelt and McGhee combined the story of two sisters and a best friend with local folklore and myth to craft a masterpiece around a place called “the slip,” which carried with it a mystery and a bit of terror. The authors have a lyrical writing style, which is one of the reasons I read everything they write, that combines a masterful use of language with the gift of simplicity characteristic of middle grade books. Every book they write is a careful composition of poetry and intrigue.
Here are three things I enjoyed most about Maybe a Fox.
1. The symbols: Jules Sherman collects rocks, and she lays her “burning wishes” on them and then throws them into “the slip.” The rocks became symbols throughout the story that kept bringing her back to love and wonder and irrepressible hope.
2. The folklore: There were elements that had the feel of folklore in this story—the cave, the water that took people under (“the slip”), the connection with animals, specifically a fox. It was all masterfully intertwined and beautifully rendered.
3. Family ties: The book dealt with a difficult subject, but it was approached in such a sweet and innocent and hopeful way. Death isn’t always easy to talk about with children, but Appelt and McGhee handled it with fully capable hands.
Here’s an example of the authors’ lyrical language:
“Jules’s cheeks flushed with a bright blaze of anger. Here she was standing alone again, this time in the echo of the slammed bedroom door. The morning was still early. A gray dimness came in through their window, aided only by a thin beam from the hallway that slipped in under the door.”
Maybe a Fox is an emotionally-charged, superbly written book that is perfect for a family read-aloud.
*The above is an affiliate link. I only recommend books that I personally enjoy. I actually don’t even talk about the books I don’t enjoy, because I’d rather forget I ever wasted time reading them. But if you’re ever curious whether I’ve read a book and whether I liked or disliked it, don’t hesitate to ask.
