Our Wildwood, Volume 54

BOOK SHELF by Michelle Simon (P. ‘31), Head Librarian Middle and Upper School

A BELOVED AND POPULAR PART OF LIBRARY PROGRAMMING EACH YEAR in Wildwood’s middle and upper school is the season of “Blind Date with a Book”. This program spans far and wide globally in various libraries, bookstores, and even coffee shops. Books are wrapped, and hints about the content inside are written on the outside, often along with creative decoration and embellishment. Community members are encouraged to give their books a chance, read a few chapters before passing final judgement, and to try new genres with an open mind. Readers often find that they enjoy a book they never would have picked up on their own. Sometimes the word spreads about certain titles and books get new life and readership. This annual tradition celebrates the joy of discovery and strengthens the reading culture that connects the Wildwood community. When you see these books out in the world, consider picking one up and giving it a try!

REFUGEE by Alan Gratz

KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES by Shannon Messenger

Reviewed by Frankie P. ‘35

Reviewed by Serena T.S. ‘31

This book is a bunch of little stories all about refugees. The author builds tension by writing about refugees who leave home and their families and get put in danger. In this book there is drama, sadness, and bravery.

Keeper of the Lost Cities , a series by Shannon Messenger, centers around Sophie, the main protagonist. She is a 13-year-old girl who lives a normal life, save for one thing: she can hear other people’s thoughts. She cannot control this ability and often gets headaches from the blaring voices in her head. She meets

Fitz, a boy who claims to be an elf and can also hear thoughts. She soon learns that she, too, is an elf, and she is swept into the Lost Cities, home of the elves and many other creatures. She has trouble settling into her new home, and she finds she’s a core part of a dark conspiracy involving the Black Swan, an organization that deliberately set fire to her home city of San Diego after she left. Far more questions than answers come to light, and she must find the truth about who she is and who she’s meant to be. I really like how this plotline sets up a lot of sequels (and by a lot, I mean 10) and how well developed the characters are. There’s a lot of creativity in the common items found in the Lost Cities, and I think it helps tie the whole book together really well.

ATMOSPHERE by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Review by Christine Wheaton, Upper School Science Teacher

I picked up Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid from the faculty “Blind Date with a Book” display. The story had me hooked from the first chapter. Our protagonist is Joan, an astronaut working mission control on the day of a space shuttle accident in December 1984. As tense as the crew’s attempts are to bring the

astronauts home safely, the emotional weight comes from the chapters flashing back to the four years they all spent training for their chance to go to space. At the heart of it all is the moving love story between Joan and one of the astronauts on board the damaged shuttle. Parts of Joan definitely felt inspired by Sally Ride (who I was lucky enough to meet when I was a kid), although this is definitely its own story. Atmosphere ended up being a great “blind date.”

OWW SPRING 2026

11