Dune Shadow

Reach for this book when your child is facing a season of scarcity or feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities that seem too big for their age. Set in a 19th-century Michigan ghost town, the story follows Serena as she protects her grandmother from both a starving winter and a literal mountain of sand threatening to swallow their home. It is a quiet, powerful study of resilience and the invisible strength found in family bonds. This historical adventure is ideal for middle-grade readers who appreciate atmospheric, high-stakes survival stories. It explores themes of accountability and hope without being overly dark. Parents will value how it models problem-solving and emotional grit in the face of environmental and financial hardship, making it a perfect conversation starter about endurance and what it means to truly 'weather the storm.'