The Nest

Oppel, K. (2015). The nest.  New York: Simon & Schuster.

Steven and his family (Mom, Dad and little sister Nicole) welcome home a new baby that sadly suffers from a rare congenital birth defect and severe medical problems. As the family comes to terms with what all may be “wrong” with their baby, Steven begins having dreams. What he first sees as angels turns out to be a queen wasp, who makes a claim that she can heal new baby Theo by replacing him with a new, improved baby. Steven discovers he is allergic to wasps and becomes agitated when his parents are slow to remove the nest outside their home, especially as the dreams become more and more disturbing. One day while Steven is watching over Theo, thousands of wasp swarm the house. He manages to save his brother, but almost dies in the effort.

This fantasy novel is geared towards students fifth grade and up. The wonderful message that there is no such thing as normal is repeated many times throughout the novel. The supernatural storyline of the queen wasp fixing babies along with the “knife man”  who only his family can see and Mr. Nobody who calls on Nicole’s toy phone, can send shivers down the spine. The black and white illustrations by Jon Klassen add a touch of depth to the story.

2016 ALA Notable Book for Children