HeartLand

Across an evocative story of agricultural upheaval, Hoffmann (The Ocean’s Heart) follows a curious tween’s search for answers about her past in her guarded mother’s childhood diaries. Twelve-year-old Xyla, a space-obsessed bookworm who reads as white, would rather lose herself in library books than tend to the endless chores on her family’s Iowa farm. This puts her at odds with her overworked mother, Cassie, who wishes that Xyla was invested in the property. Tensions rise with the arrival of Alegría, a capable and conscientious tween whose Mexican American family rents a nearby house and who seems, to Xyla, like the daughter her mother wishes she had. When Xyla discovers Cassie’s old journals, she becomes absorbed in her mother’s past—especially the mystery of Xyla’s absent father, whom Cassie refuses to discuss. Interspersed among Xyla’s inquisitive present-day first-person perspective, verse diary entries transport readers to the 1980s, where a younger Cassie emerges as a budding environmental activist, determined to challenge her own parents’ reliance on harmful farming practices. As Xyla uncovers signs of a worsening environmental threat on her family’s farm, past and present narratives intertwine, linking buried secrets with larger questions about land stewardship and responsibility. This is an illuminating exploration of the enduring impact of past decisions on future generations. Ages 8–12. Agent: Lori Steel, Steelworks Literary. (July)