Through the Barbed Wire

Gr 3–5—In this debut novel intended to be the first in a series, Allen blends a love of nature and animals with a contemporary rural mystery. Free spirit Isla, 11, spends so much time alone communing with the animals that she has difficulty communicating with humans. Homeschooled due to an unnamed speech difficulty and seemingly suffering from acute shyness, Isla studies with her father on their Texas ranch while her mother tends to Isla's grandmother in Scotland. Isla lives a solitary existence, but she is not lonely. The animals keep her company. When a new neighboring family moves in, Isla makes a friend named Cash, who enters Isla's world and draws her out of her shell. When odd things begin happening on the ranch and fires are set, Isla must work to uncover the culprit. The novel is plot-driven and fast-paced, but the mystery element is relatively straightforward and predictable. Allen empowers Isla to solve the mystery and save the day.