Books with title Outside In

Like the garden it portrays, Outside is a Baroque wonderland waiting to be explored, a shimmery place of texture, luminosity, and color, where time stands still and memories are born. Two internationally acclaimed creators—author Libby Hathorn and artist Ritva Voutila—have coupled their dazzling imaginative powers to capture the wonder of childhood in this homage to the magic of a garden. Outside is a dazzling wonderland waiting to be explored. It takes the reader on a lyrical, magical journey which captures the sense of wonder that children feel while discovering the simple beauty of the outside world around them.

Fifteen-year-old Elijah Spalding can't drive a car, but, by quirk of law, he can fly an air car, specifically, the rare 2057 T-Bird air car. When Elijah learns that there is a pristine '57 T-Bird air car in the forbidden land of Elisia, he finds a way to slip through the electronic curtain put in place 100 years ago to wall off the Elisians from the civilized world. After an accident leaves him stranded in Elisia, Elijah struggles with his identity as an outsider, both literally and emotionally, as he helps a young Elisian princess save her kingdom.

“Eileen Wiard’s debut novel hums with a rich understanding of the challenges kids face daily around identity, acceptance, and tough life choices. As 13-year-old Crystal navigates the difficult terrain of being one of a few African American students in a mostly white suburban school, she learns firsthand the pain of being an outsider. It isn’t until she meets Lee, an immigrant boy from Thailand who suspects he may be gay, that she begins to think about the full meaning of diversity. Crystal is such a generous, warmhearted guide that I would follow her anywhere, and Inside Outsiders is a gentle and compelling read.”-— SUMMER WOOD, author of Raising Wrecker“A heartwarming, no-nonsense story — recommended reading for anyone who thinks one kid can’t make a difference and build a community.”— MINROSE GWIN, author of The Queen of Palmyra

Thirty years before the story opens, a Midwestern American city underwent a “reversal” of urban sprawl: everyone living in the suburbs moved back to the under-populated city center, leaving the suburbs to revert to Nature. Matt has grown up knowing only densely packed buildings and barriers surrounding the city to keep Nature safe from people. Matt has become an enthusiastic birder by observing the limited number of bird species in the city, but he longs to go outside the barriers and expand his knowledge of birds in the old, now-wild suburbs. He and his friend, Benny, sneak outside the city to find birds but discover much more than that.