Tin Man
by Justin Madson; illus. by the author
Middle School    Amulet/Abrams    224 pp.   g
4/22    978-1-4197-5104-2    $24.99
Paper ed.  978-1-4197-5105-9    $17.99
e-book ed.  978-1-6470-0135-3    $15.54

This Wonderful Wizard of Oz–inspired graphic novel creatively explores growing up, loneliness, and loss. Fenn, a boy obsessed with space, finds and brings home the titular Tin Man, whose name is Campbell, after scavenging the local junkyard for scrap metal. The unusual pair becomes friends, but that relationship is overshadowed by the behavior of Fenn’s teen sister, Solar. Formerly studious, Solar has started cutting school and hanging out with a band of slackers, including her possessive boyfriend, Merrick. The bright, angular illustrations emphasize the isolation and yearning felt by the three protagonists as they weather small-town life (which is pretty gloomy, despite several Oz references). Madson creates a rich backstory for Campbell, explaining why he wants a mechanical heart and the circumstances around his decades-long junkyard abandonment. Likewise, readers come to understand Solar’s rebellious behavior, which is rooted in her desire to figure out who she really is in the wake of her beloved grandmother’s death. Everything comes to a head with the obligatory tornado; what will resonate with readers most is the story’s emotional arc.

From the July/August 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.