Night Guard

Gr 4–8—This collection of untitled poems is an ephemeral, wandering journey from the perspective of a particularly observant (at times, anxious) child. There is a continuing mystery, and unease, surrounding night, sleep, dreams, and the power of trust in relation to family and strangers. Complicated concepts like the individual and personal identities of parents—beyond the roles of mom and dad—are introduced in subtle but thought-provoking ways ("When Mom's asleep,/she isn't/Mom anymore"). This is an animistic, often illogical world—Grandma does not want to hold the new baby, Dad is burying the hair he lost, and Mom's smile is not quite what it seems. The use of nature to reflect inner questions and doubt is a common enough trope that readers should be able to recognize that the injured birds and the sadness of an unappreciated winter contain deeper meanings. The illustrations contribute to the surreal atmosphere: a house that floats in water, the mother working within a luminescent cloud of bees, and a wall whose stones rise in the air and take on other forms, such as a bell, a face, a butterfly. These images will challenge readers, urging them to unpack the metaphors within the image and the accompanying text. This is not a familiar narrative for many readers; kids might have to wander far beyond the literal and engage in play, even if it is a little bit spooky or difficult.