Wildflower Emily: A Story About Young Emily Dickinson
Lydia Corry
Godwin Books
Published October 15, 2024

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About Wildflower Emily: A Story About Young Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson is one of America’s greatest and most original poets of all time. When you hear her name, you may imagine the famous recluse whose withdrawal from society became legendary. But it’s time to meet a new side of Emily, one that is powerful, adventurous, and joyful.

Follow along as we delve into Emily Dickinson’s childhood, revealing a young girl desperate to go out exploring―to meet the flowers in their own homes. Wade through tall grasses to gather butterfly weed and goldenrod, the air alive with the “buccaneers of buzz.” And, don’t forget to keep a hot potato in your pocket to keep your fingers warm.

This is Emily Dickinson as you’ve never seen her before, embarking on an unforgettable journey in her hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts, with her trusty four-legged companion, Carlo.

My Review

I am in love with this book! It really blew me away. I was expecting something cute that would give kids a connection with the poet through an imagined story of her childhood. And this book is that.

It’s also so much more. I love the color palette. Most of the illustrations outside are done in warm tones that evoke a sunny day or sunset. The illustrations inside have this soft plum-colored cast to them that feels appropriately dated. I found even the colors of the pictures engaging. It’s a graphic novel-style story, which at first might seem like an odd choice for a book about Emily Dickinson, but it really worked.

It’s a gentle story that follows Emily and her dog as they explore the fields and woods collecting flowers. A lot of the dialogue that Emily speaks comes directly from her writing, which emphasizes her creativity and the poetic way that she saw the world.

The back of the book includes some facts about Dickinson’s dog, her family life, and the ways in which she relates to others despite being known as a recluse. Those tidbits of information seem carefully chosen to inspire readers’ interest and further curiosity about Emily Dickinson’s life.

I can already tell this is going to be one of those books I can’t stop recommending. It’s one of those rare works in which the author started with an incredible concept and then executed it perfectly. I would love to see other books like this about young writers’ or poets’ lives.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
All characters are white. (The only people appearing in the book are Emily Dickinson and her family members.)

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.