The Glow (Sofie Laguna, illus by Marc McBride, A&U Children’s)

The Song of Lewis Carmichael brought us the excellent pairing of author Sofie Laguna and illustrator Marc McBride. The Glow is their latest collaboration, a thrilling sci-fi adventure with a tech bent, aimed at readers aged eight to 12. It follows two friends, Megan and Li, who create stories together—Li writing and Meg drawing the fantastical creatures they conjure up. Drawing is Megan’s escape, yet one day she notices everyone around her has slipped into what seems like an awake-type coma. No one’s moving and they all seem to be staring at their phones, televisions, or into space. She and Li, the only other person unaffected, decide to take action. The ‘glow’ is coming from a place out of town so they ride their bikes in search of it, while helping people and animals on the way. Both Megan and Li struggle with the situation they’re in, yet support each other throughout, showing great resilience and determination. McBride’s illustrations take centre stage in this story, no doubt captivating those who love to draw and even those who don’t. Not one for those who scare easily, The Glow keeps the reader guessing the resolution of the all-encompassing and menacing glow until the very end. A subtle message to kids about the effects of screen time, this new middle-grade novel is imagination at its best.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Katie Haydon is a library officer in Geelong and a former assistant editor of Books+Publishing Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Junior Reviews Think Australian top reviews