MIDDLE GRADE FICTION REVIEW : Keepers of the Forests (Sentinels #1) by Kate O'Hearn (Available Nov. 10, 2026)
KEEPERS OF THE FOREST Sentinels #1 by Kate O'Hearn, illustrated by Johanna Tarkela Henry Holt & Co. BYR, 2026 ISBN: 9781250419514 Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Rum is the runt of his litter and an outcast in the Sky Clan, but he sees and understands things the other squirrels don’t—for Rum is a sentinel. Born to each squirrel clan when a catastrophe is looming, sentinels are powerful seers that must go to the Dark Forest to meet a mysterious squirrel that can decipher their message. When Rum befriends the Lowland Clan’s runaway sentinel, Nearly, the two band together to reach the Dark Forest to meet the ancient squirrel, Arundale. But the message Arundale deciphers is dire: A fire is coming to the mountains that will destroy everything in its path. Only the sentinels can save the forest creatures. But one of their kind, the final sentinel, is missing. So Rum, Nearly,...