Published: 2022
Author: Ali Standish
Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Mystery, Historical, World War II, War, Friendship
Audience (Grade Levels): Middle Grade; Grades 5-8
Number of Stars: 5-Stars
Goodreads Link: Yonder
Triggers: Child abuse, alcohol abuse, racism, segregation, war-related anxieties and loss
Review By: Deb McHugh
Publisher’s Summary:
Danny Timmons has looked up to Jack Bailey ever since the older boy saved two small children from drowning during the Great Flood of 1940. Now with his father away fighting in World War II and his mother about to have a new baby, Danny relies on Jack’s friendship and guidance more than ever.
So when Jack goes missing from their small Appalachian town, Danny is determined to find him. He wonders if Jack’s abusive father could be behind his disappearance or if it has anything to do with Yonder—a hidden magical town Jack once spoke of where flocks of rainbow birds fly through the sky and they’ve never heard of war. As answers elude him, Danny begins to fear that he didn’t know Jack as well as he thought.
Eventually, Danny’s investigation forces him to reckon with even larger questions: What is America fighting for in this war? What role do each of us play in stopping injustices, big and small? And is there such thing as a true hero?
Review:
Yonder by Ali Standish is a complex story of courage, abuse, discrimination, and fear of the unknown. The story is set during June 1943 in Foggy Bottom somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains with flashbacks to events in the past. It begins in the summer of 1940 with the Great Flood when Jack Bailey saves two drowning children and becomes the town hero for a time. Flash forward three years and many of the men have gone off to war including Danny Timmons’ father. Danny spends his mornings before school delivering newspapers with Jack who has helped protect Danny from the town bullies. The boys spend much of their time after school together fishing and swimming. One day, Jack doesn’t show up for his paper route and Danny becomes worried. When he sees Jack’s bike at the swimming hole, he fears that Jack has drowned or maybe run away. As he’s searching the area, Danny sees the word Yonder carved into a tree and remembers a story that Jack told him about a magical place called Yonder. What happened to Jack? This is a story of Danny’s search for his own courage and doing the right thing even when it seems impossible.
Although the focus of the story is on Danny and Jack, the peripheral stories are just as important. You learn what it is like to live with the knowledge that your loved one might not come home from war or why someone might choose not to fight in a war or how war can change a person for better or worse. You also learn that people can be good or bad regardless of their outward appearance. You learn about child and alcohol abuse. You learn what it is like to live in a small town where everyone knows everyone and outsiders aren’t always accepted into the community. You also learn about what it is like to be a black person in a time of segregation. Pretty heavy topics for a middle grade novel but I feel like Yonder tackled them in a sensitive and powerful way. If you like historical fiction with strong male characters, this is an excellent read.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- Social Studies / US History (World War II Homefront & Segregation): This novel is an excellent resource for examining life in the United States during WWII, focusing on the domestic experiences of small-scale Appalachian communities. It serves as a springboard for investigating how the global fight for democracy contrasted with the domestic realities of racial segregation and systemic discrimination against Black Americans during the 1940s.
- Social-Emotional Learning (Courage, Integrity, and Standing Against Injustice): The core theme of the book focuses on Danny’s internal journey to find his own courage, learn to stand up for others, and do the right thing when faced with complex moral issues. This makes the story highly relevant for classroom discussions on empathy, dealing with peer pressure, confronting bullying, and recognizing when to speak out against injustice.
- English Language Arts (Complex Narrative Structures & Flashbacks): ELA educators can analyze the author’s use of nonlinear storytelling, utilizing flashbacks from 1940 to 1943 to gradually build tension and unpack the deep-seated motivations of the characters.
Diversity & Representation:
Yonder addresses diversity and representation by highlighting the experiences of Black Americans living under Jim Crow-era segregation in rural communities during World War II. Rather than presenting a sanitized version of history, the book tackles how systemic racism, discrimination, and small-town insularity affected Black families, encouraging middle-grade readers to critically examine historical prejudice and the ongoing struggle for equity and civil rights.
Readalikes:
- Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
- The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan
