The Scream of the Hawk

Deborah Dowson is a Canadian children’s librarian living in Powell,
Ohio.

Uncomfortable weather and unfriendly neighbourhood girls make the move
from Victoria to southern Ontario even worse than 11-year-old Lissa
expected. Otis, an eight-year-old boy who wears a cape and lives in the
scary-looking mansion across the street, doesn’t seem like someone
Lissa would like to be friends with, but when circumstances draw them
together, that is exactly what happens. Otis is coping with the loss of
his mother, who was killed in an avalanche a few months earlier. He is
certain that his mother has sent a hawk to watch over him as his
guardian spirit. Native legend holds that “a hawk is considered a good
power,” but it also a warning that something bad is about to happen.
And it does. First, the hawk goes missing. Then Otis goes missing. In
the end, Lissa rescues Otis and, as much as the hawk, becomes his
guardian, protector, and friend.

This novel for preteens uses eccentric characters, an eerie setting,
and an unusual plot to explore the themes of coping with loss and the
struggle to fit into new circumstances. The mystical elements of the
spirit guide, in addition to the mysterious setting of the gloomy
mansion and the stormy lake, create an intriguing atmosphere that takes
the story slightly outside the realm of realism to a place of
imagination. The characters, though unusual, are believable, and this is
a satisfying read for lovers of mystery and suspense. Recommended.