Dear Mothman

Oh no what a sweet, sad, hopeful triumph of a book.

Equal parts [b:A Monster Calls|19229818|A Monster Calls|Patrick Ness|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1435813838l/19229818.SY75.jpg|13492114] and [b:Melissa|40948486|Melissa|Alex Gino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668272142l/40948486.SX50.jpg|44165520] but also so much more, Dear Mothman follows 6th grader Noah, who is grieving the sudden loss of his best friend Lewis. He decides to make his science fair project an homage to Lewis, who was fascinated by cryptids and especially Mothman.

Noah's teacher and parents are confused by his determination to apply the scientific method to Mothman research and worry about false starts and hopes. Despite their doubts, Noah persists, and the project is an unexpectedly healing and brave venture that leads Noah to interrogate what our society deems monstrous and threatening, and why.

Noah is such a pure and innocent character surrounded by harmful forces much larger than himself. He comes to understand, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Mothman is hardly one of them.

A perfect Pride Month read for the weird queer kids using the library, and also for me, a weird queer adult working here. For fans of [b:A Monster Calls|19229818|A Monster Calls|Patrick Ness|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1435813838l/19229818.SY75.jpg|13492114], [b:Melissa|40948486|Melissa|Alex Gino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668272142l/40948486.SX50.jpg|44165520], [b:Let's Call It a Doomsday|40942619|Let's Call It a Doomsday|Katie Henry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539263216l/40942619.SY75.jpg|63844915], and [b:I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself|60679392|I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself|Marisa Crane|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648063139l/60679392.SY75.jpg|95655500].