Wildfire (a Graphic Novel) - by Breena Bard

About the Book

"After her home burns down, Julianna moves to a new town to start over, but learns that the boy who started the fire goes to her new school"--

Book Synopsis

A Booklist Best Book of the Year - A Selection of the Washington Evergreen Graphic Novel Award Reading List

★"Climate anxiety is a real concern for many kids, especially those who have experienced wildfires firsthand, and this thoughtful comic will surely ring powerfully true."―Booklist, starred review

In the wake of a fire that's destroyed her home, a middle-schooler is eager to turn her grief into action in this sensitive graphic-novel resource about what makes wildfires happen and how to inspire change.

Julianna loved her life in rural Oregon.

She loved taking care of her farm animals and being part of her local 4H club. But then the unthinkable happened...a wildfire destroyed her family's home.

In the aftermath, her family relocated to Portland, Oregon, where Julianna hopes to put everything behind her. Believing the fire to be the result of kids playing with fireworks, she certainly isn't interested when her parents and younger sister start getting involved in the growing climate change protests.

All she wants to do is move on, but that becomes near impossible when Carson, an old friend from her hometown who may have had a hand in starting the wildfire, is suddenly back in her life. Julianna can't seem to catch a break, but when two new friends invite her to join their school's conservation club, she learns that maybe she can turn her anger into something powerful.

Emotional and inspiring, Wildfire shows readers that healing from tragedy can take many forms and demonstrates what it means to take action in the face of climate change--and how that action can be different for each of us.

Review Quotes

A Booklist Best Book of the Year
A Selection of the Washington Evergreen Graphic Novel Award Reading List


"By giving the wildfires and their victims a face, Bard helps make urgent issues from the headlines relatable to young readers...and compelling as well. And by giving environmental activism a face, she helps educate children on what they can do to impact the enormous challenges facing their generation."--School Library Journal

*"Bard offers an important book about the many effects of climate change and the varied ways people can take action against it, coupled with a compassionate depiction of a tween dealing with genuine grief and anxiety. The heartfelt tone comes through the superb, expressive artwork beautifully, especially in moments when Julianna flashes back to the fear she felt as the fire approached. Climate anxiety is a real concern for many kids, especially those who have experienced wildfires first hand, and this thoughtful comic will surely ring powerfully true."--Booklist, starred review

"A vibrant and attention-grabbing story kids won't be able to turn away from. A perfect firework of a book."--Ira Marcks, author of Shark Summer and Spirit Week

"Breena Bard's Wildfire is a grounded, graceful story about the losses we face -- some more acutely than others -- from a changed environment. Bard excels with warm, natural dialogue and a careful attention to place. A lovely book."--Jonathan Case, author of Little Monarchs

"Like a forest after a burn, Wildfire is a thoughtful reminder that things don't end after loss, it's just a time for regrowth. How we choose to do that is up to us."--Jonathan Hill, author of Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy

"Loss, grief, resilience, forgiveness, and our rapidly heating planet--Wildfire is a modern tale about what it means to be a climate refugee, but above all, it is a story of hope that will inspire collective action."--Aron Nels Steinke, Eisner Award-winning author of the Mr. Wolf's Class series

*"Timely messaging surrounding conservation efforts and the catharsis that a supportive community can bring permeate this gripping graphic novel."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A compassionate, action-focused story about climate justice, relationships, trauma, and healing."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Breena Bard writes and illustrates comics for kids and kids at heart, drawing inspiration from the stacks of graphic novels on her bedside table. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. When she's not working on books, Breena enjoys eating pizza, watching movies, playing the drums, and exploring the outdoors with her family.