4th, 5th, Middle School ; Hard Cover, Fiction, Prose, Mental Health ; Recommended

The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner by Erin Stewart

This upper elementary/middle grade novel is perfect for many readers: anyone managing an anxiety disorder, anyone who loves to write fanfiction or fantasy, anyone who’s been bullied, anyone who’s lost a parent, anyone receiving support from a therapist, or anyone who worries or fixates on worst case scenarios.  Zoey Turner lost her father to a bus accident and now struggles with debilitating anxiety. Her fears include but aren’t limited to buses, germs, crowds, cars, the deep end of the pool, and she spends her time googling worst-case scenario facts. She is obsessed with Raven M. Wells, author of her favorite fantasy series about a hero’s journey. Cleverly, this is exactly what Zoey finds herself embarking on after she obtains what she believes to be a “magic pencil” at the author’s signing event because when she proceeds to write with it, her stories come true. Readers will ponder what they would write if they had a magic pencil. Zoey’s quest includes: a supportive mother; book store owner, Jada; Derek, a boy bullied by others; and best friend, Lena, who loves and supports her, but who is also being pulled into a new circle of not-very-nice girls. During the course of her quest, Zoey learns that it’s okay to need others, courage means acting in spite of fear, “bad things…happen to all of us, be we decide how those things change us” (298), the magic is in us, and we can’t just be the hero; rather, we have to become one. All powerful and necessary messages. The twist at the end will delight readers while they cheer Zoey on during the final stages of her hero’s journey.