The Absence of Sparrows

Gr 6–9—Eleven-year-old Ben Cameron describes the summer when a strange phenomenon strikes his northern farming town and the rest of the world. Dark clouds temporarily cover the sky, a few adults in each community turn into obsidian statues, and crows appear above the "glassified" remains before flying away. As the days wear on, the darkness becomes permanent, more grownups are lost, and an anonymous radio preacher suggests both a cause and a terrible solution. "Foreboding" doesn't even begin to cover the tone of this debut novel, where the protagonist's relatives freeze and then shatter to pieces and scientists have no rational explanation for the events. Ben is a bit of a scientist himself; as a birder and budding naturalist, he eventually adopts an occult theory about the disappearance of the sparrows that once surrounded his home. Strong prose and carefully selected details elevate this horror story above most others in the genre. The mystery of the "glass plague," the constant threats to Ben and his family, and the fast-moving plot make the book hard to put down. The deaths of several beloved adults, a (much-regretted) episode of whiskey-drinking, and an ambivalent ending make it better suited for middle schoolers than middle graders closer to the protagonist's age.