Into the Tall, Tall Grass by Loriel Ryon

Synopsis: 

A girl journeys across her family’s land to save her grandmother’s life in this captivating and magical debut that’s perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish.

Yolanda Rodríguez-O’Connell has a secret. All the members of her family have a magical gift—all, that is, except for Yolanda. Still, it’s something she can never talk about, or the townsfolk will call her family brujas—witches. When her grandmother, Wela, falls into an unexplained sleep, Yolanda is scared. Her father is off fighting in a faraway war, her mother died long ago, and Yolanda has isolated herself from her best friend and twin sister. If she loses her grandmother, who will she have left?

When a strange grass emerges in the desert behind their house, Wela miraculously wakes, begging Yolanda to take her to the lone pecan tree left on their land. Determined not to lose her, Yolanda sets out on this journey with her sister, her ex-best friend, and a boy who has a crush on her. But what is the mysterious box that her grandmother needs to find? And how will going to the pecan tree make everything all right? Along the way, Yolanda discovers long-buried secrets that have made their family gift a family curse. But she also finds the healing power of the magic all around her, which just might promise a new beginning.”

Review:

I was transported to the strange land of the Rodríguez family in this debut middle grade novel – Into the Tall, Tall Grass by Loriel Ryon. Ryon weaves magic throughout the generations of the family’s land from a lush pecan orchard to a drought-ridden desert, to a lush grass that grows faster than it should. If you love magical realism you can check out these other middle grade novels as well!

Yolanda’s story unfolds so perfectly as you glimpse her past, learn who she is, and discover what she wants more than anything else in the world. You navigate her friendship with her now, ex-best friend, how she feels toward a boy she maybe likes, and her strained relationship with her sister.

What I really enjoyed seeing in this book was the level of diversity. With a multicultural family, an Indian family neighbor, LGBT characters, and siblings being raised by their grandmother. And not only that, but there’s also magic and science at odds and at the same time working together. None of the diversity in this book feels forced, it doesn’t feel as though the author was running down a checklist and filling a quote.

Middle grade authors are quite magical themselves as they take complicated and intense topics and write about them in a way that allows kids to experience and better understand these issues. Ryon expertly navigates growing up and grief. Ultimately this is a story about love and loss. About finding your inner strength and surrounding yourself with good people.

Need to Know:

Title: Into the Tall, Tall Grass
Author: Loriel Ryon
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: April 7, 2020
Page Number: 336 pgs.