The Great Weather Diviner: The Untold Origin of Punxsutawney Phil: A Novel

by Rob Long, Andrew Dolberg

To become a legend, a young groundhog must unravel a shocking secret to stop a weather catastrophe.

When a mysterious flood strikes the small mining town of Punxsutawney, Junior the groundhog embarks on a journey to uncover why nature itself has turned on his people. As Junior and his new friends adventure through the fantastical world of Erda, he realizes that there's more to his family and their weather-controlling powers than he ever imagined.

Junior desperately searches for legendary animal Guardians who have always offered help in times of need, but the evil raven overlord Callidus fights to protect a secret that could change Erda forever.

Guided by the wisdom of Jill, an ingenious hedgehog, Junior's voyage becomes more than a quest for answers. It's a journey of self-discovery, responsibility, and redemption. As the story unfolds, Junior faces hard truths about climate change and the environment, the weight of legacy, and the magic of storytelling. Can he step out of his father's shadow to save the world?

For those who reveled in the action of Redwall by Brian Jacques or the legend of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathyn Lasky, The Great Weather Diviner is a fractured fairy tale with a rich tapestry of fantasy, adventure, and enlightenment. This middle grade adventure is also beloved by older readers looking for an exciting story with a message.

Will Junior harness the power of his past to shape Erda's future? Find out in this epic fantasy adventure for a new generation of middle-grade dreamers! Get your copy of The Great Weather Diviner now!

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Animals, Fiction

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Rob Long grew up amidst the lore and magic of the world’s greatest weather predictor, Punxsutawney Phil. This led him to coauthor the middle-grade fantasy novel, The Great Weather Diviner: The Untold Origin of Punxsutawney Phil, published by Morgan James Kids. After moving to Delray Beach, FL, Rob became Chair of Palm Beach County’s Soil & Water Conservation District, focusing on environmental education programs. In 2022, he received the Public Service Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. Rob is now a Delray Beach City Commissioner and is proud to serve his community. Rob's writing often focuses on environmental themes.

Reviews

[Neon · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Morgan James Kids publishing for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this children's novel 'The Great Weather Diviner' by Rob Long; Andrew Dolberg.

4 out of 5 stars.

One full star is due to the fact that the book looks at the world's issues in a new and improved manner.
There is talk of global warming, without properly talking about it and in the back of the book it has facts on different animals and how they're suffering in the world today.

'To become a legend, a young groundhog must unravel a shocking secret to stop a weather catastrophe.

When a mysterious flood strikes the small mining town of Punxsutawney, Junior the groundhog embarks on a journey to uncover why nature itself has turned on his people. As Junior and his new friends adventure through the fantastical world of Erda, he realizes that there's more to his family and their weather-controlling powers than he ever imagined.'

When I first started reading this, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, but as I kept reading, I was quickly pulled into Junior's world. I found the book hard to put down.

There were a few spelling and grammar errors that should be considered. Including punctuation problems like having the " in the wrong places and using other punctuation incorrectly.

However, those minor details apart, I found the story to be adventurous and gripping. I found myself disappointed at the end because it was over but excited that it hinted at another novel.

A great story to teach young humans to look after their planet rather than destroying it.

[Alekhya Revur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful and insightful!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher, when I read children’s books now, especially ones I never read when I was young, I almost always relate more to the adults in the story than the kids. But I feel like the protagonist, Junior, actually represents generations as old as my own millennial, as well as Gen Z and today’s kids, and his parents’ generation is relatively easy to read as Boomers. But without spoiling the story too much, I will share that the parental generation is not portrayed as evil so much as blinded by greed, power, and corruption, and one character actually undergoes a great redemption arc that I know I personally would love to see even a fraction of the US Boomers undergo.
This book is, first and foremost, about uniting the disparate groups in our world to prevent an even greater environmental crisis than the one we find ourselves in. Certainly the book drives home the perils of reliance on coal and fossil fuels, deforestation, capitalism, and misinformation. They even show how having small little villages where people are focused on environmentalism is not enough to reverse the negative impact of all the other stuff, that we have to work together to solve this problem. This is a great message for kids and one that would make a great read-aloud book for parents and could really encourage a lot of thoughtful discussion for upper elementary age children.
I hesitate to recommend it be read aloud in schools because I fear that this is a book that will be banned from US schools for its dedication to highlighting climate change as well as the light it casts misinformation, xenophobia, the othering and us vs them mentality that pervades American culture, and the corruption and greed represented by Junior’s father and Callidus, aka the main villain aka the White Demon. Yeah… see what I mean about being banned? The book is successful in drawing all of these metaphors but thankfully is not specific in trying to represent any current or past human public figures in its animal characters, thank goodness… as funny as it would be to read about a raven Donald Trump, the story is more timeless by not anchoring itself too firmly to our present real life nightmare.
This is a great book, and I hope that there will be a sequel, both a fictional one and one that brings a happy ending to the very real world we live in.

[Céline Badaroux · Rating 2 out of 5]

The lore is lovely and it's young Punxsutawney Phil! Sadly, the beginning is ghastly. It's very long and very slow and very info-dumpy. Plus, it's quite a long book for so slow a pace and young an audience. I also fail to understand the link between coal and weather and why the Rodingtons should be linked to both. I so wanted to love this book and can't help but feel disappointed.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors share an exciting adventure as Woodland creatures work together to save their town of Punxsutawey and include an important message about protecting our environment.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Weather Diviner was pitched as a Redwall-inspired conservation fantasy. Come on who could pass up on that description? I do see twinges of Redwall and found it to be a really interesting fantasy that draws from nature, the art of storytelling, questioning what we've been told and the premise of whether someone can be a hero and a villain? The perils of climate change, over resilience on coal mining and fossil fuels are emphasized, and the need for nature conservation and mechanisms for its protection are highlighted in the story. There is even a list of animals that are extinct or near extinction, and the reasons why included at the back of the book, which really drives in the point that saving these animals is important. It's a fast read and an interesting spin on the legendary tale of Groundhog Day. It's thought provoking and would make an excellent read-aloud leading to discussions about living in harmony with nature. The authors are even donating a portion of the proceeds toward Habitat for Humanity in the Greater Palm Beach area.

**A huge thank you to Books Forward for the paperback book in exchange for an honest review.**

[Annemieke / A Dance with Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

Thank you to Simone Jung and Books Forward for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

TW/CW War | Slavery | Flooding Mine | Trapped Miners | Death of a Parent

The Great Weather Diviner was an interesting tale of finding out about your heritage and about doing the right thing. It has been a while since I last read a middle grade where the main characters were animals. But I think that worked for this story.

The book starts in the town Punxsutawney. A small town that is known for its mine and coal. The place is divided in delvers (those that go into the mine) and Tawnsies (the others that live in the town). And then there are the family of Phil. His family founded the town by creating the mine.

Our main character is Phil or better known as Junior. He is bored in school and not really interested in mining. He is interested in the great legend about the guardians and his grandpa who defeated the great evil and stopped the war. When the town floods and he goes out of town for help, he soon finds out that his dad hasn't quite been sharing the truth with him nor the town.

It is an interesting setting for a middle grade book. It reminds me of the old stories (or in some countries even still recent) where towns surrouning mines largely consisted of people working in the mines. If you were born into the family you were expected to go into the mine. It paints a semi-realistic image of that situation. And then there is that family that is clearly making a lot more money out of it. Of course this is through the eyes of a child and meant for children so the true hardships of dying in the mine aren't quite there.

Another thing I really appreciated in this story is that Phil realized he doesn't quite have the great powers his father has been talking about. Those that are meant to be passed down through the family, don't exist. He has strong abbilities that have to do with him being a groundhog that help out really well. And I think that is important for kids to see. We don't always need grand magic and powers to do good deeds.

Its also a tale about hiding things from others, in this case a whole town, for their own good. Something that isn't always the right thing to do. People deserve the truth and they deserve a choice.

Having said that, I do think the pacing in this book was a little off. It was a bit too slow at the start in setting up the tale and sharing information. I'm not sure if that would appeal to children. I think the rest of the tale, when there is something actually happening, certainly will. But I can image that a lot of children might end up putting this down because of the start.

Adding on to that, I did not find the characters that appealing. They were a little flat in places. I never quite got invested in them. And that left the book slightly flat for me.

The Great Weather Diviner is an interesting tale that I do hope children will be picking up.

[Helena Ainsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story follows the young heir to a mining town filled with class and racial (spec-ial?) divide. He grew up hearing stories of his heroic grandfather, the great weather diviner, and his team saving the day. At the age when you start to question things, he learns that his father, the current weather diviner, has been lying to him and the town, and he sets out to find the truth - by finding his grandfathers retired team in the world beyond the woods. This story is fantastical and silly and a bit forceful in its eco message in the way all the fantasy I consumed from the 90s often was. Re: mining heir realizes mining is bad. Also, it's Puxatawny Phil. No, really. The great weather diviner is a groundhog... because the author really loved his hometown of Puxatawny's lore. I think it's sweet. With another pass from an editor and some rewrites, I think this could be a beloved kids book for the next generation.

I don't really know why this book got the hate it did from the other reviewer. It's a kids book, so it's a bit "obvious" at times depending on your expectations, but it's a solid story. It is what it tells you it is. My biggest complaint against the book is that the first 40 or so pages *did* completely bomb my interest, it read a bit like a kid telling you about their OC's. If I wasn't reading an ARC I might have put it down then, but I wanted to give it its fair shot so I kept reading, and ended up quite liking the world building. The characters and plot points stuck with me when I wasn't reading it and I'd find myself just thinking about a scene from the book while I was doing other things. If the opening part had been axed and that world building blended in at other parts, or if it had been reworked but still included, I think this would have been a solid book. If it wasn't for the opening piece and editing needed, I would have given it four stars.

[Jon Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting addition to the climate fantasy subgenre in which a cast of characters from endangered or threatened species confronts issues of social justice, greed, corruption, and climate change as the main character grapples with who he is and who he wants to become. With well-written prose and an engaging storyline that moves quickly, I highly recommend this story for many different ages looking for a unique read.

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Copy...Thought it was a decent solid read, and oh I see it was take on the weather predicting abilities of ground hogs. Although to be fair I was abit confused at first cause I wasn't aware who Phil was, so appreciated the after notes!

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of this in a contest with AXP. I grew up near Punxsutawney, PA - and still have trouble spelling it - but was happy to see this book on the Grand Prize list!! I have always loved Phil, even back in my childhood when the groundhog was named Pete, and wait anxiously to see what he has to say. It is quite interesting to read a book with NO people - only animals. There is a lot of messaging here - coal is bad, climate change is killing all of us and we need to take control while we can. It contains some political tones that I did not particularly like, but you can read past these to the bottom line story and points being made. Philly- a young groundhog, finds out some disturbing truths of his hometown -Punxsutawney. The rest of the book is a grand adventure of Phil and his collected friends, an eagle, hedghog, flamingo and raccoon, and some others to fight off the ravens and crows to save their world. I so remember the coal mining and strip mining days in that area of PA and know the harm to the land it caused and have seen the changes since. Read this either as a fun story or moral tale, you'll enjoy either way.

[Joy Silha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Weather Diviner is an exciting fantasy, with wonderful animal characters, lots of suspense and important themes.

Kids will enjoy traveling with Phillip the groundhog, as he ventures into a scary hostile world of Erda. He learns about natural disasters, life’s inequities, and sets out to right the wrongs of his family. Phillip discovers his own courage, meets new friends and a new way of life. This is a wonderful coming of age story about family, community, consequences and good vs. evil.

While the story has its origins in the Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, it goes far beyond the power to predict weather based on Phil’s shadow. Instead, through Phillip and his daring animal friends, the reader is encouraged to think about the power we all possess, and the need to stand up for what we believe is right. It emphasizes our deep connection to nature and its rhythms, and helps kids understand the impact of climate change and the importance of protecting nature. The family history of Punxsutawney Phil deftly shows the dire consequences of our actions and the sadness of loss.

While these are important themes for children today, and I love when books highlight them, the authors are very skilled at world building and creating a thrilling pace and original characters. The themes are woven into the story in an eye-opening way that keeps the reader turning the page. The main heroes -- Groundhog Phil, Hedgehog Jill, Racoon Lyra -- are intriguing as they deal with their own struggles and vulnerabilities. There are many unique animal helpers in the world of Erda, but there are also keen and daring enemies fighting against them. The suspense and conflict to save their world is captivating.

This book, written by two first time authors, sweeps us into a wonderful, relevant and exciting adventure. And, it also makes us think.

I loved the list at the back of the book about animals facing extinction, it makes it all so real. (And the artwork on the cover is wonderful!)

Middle Grade and Young Adult readers who love animals, nature, fantasy or adventure will love this first book in the series. And, it might be a great conversation starter about the most important issue facing their future!


NOTE: I was given an advanced copy of the book to review, but these opinions are my own and not influenced by anyone.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readers who enjoy books such as Jacques’ Redwall series, Journey Beyond the Burrow by Rina Heisel and possibly Pennypacker’s Pax duo are likely to get excited about another adventure book with animals living and questing together. In Junior’s world, groundhogs are in charge and thriving while other animals such as raccoons are relegated to the dangerous job of mining coal and paid so poorly that survival is not a sure thing. But something seems off to the young heir apparent and after receiving a book about the doctrines of the Great Order, he sets off to find his destiny. The world-building of the Halwe Realm is slow but steadily builds to several exciting sections that show what the world can be if all work in harmony with nature’s systems and cycles and/or battles with such descriptive passages readers will be sure that deer, eagles, groundhogs, raccoons and other forest creatures can absolutely wield picks, shovels, talons and horns to battle evil crows and ravens. Authors Long and Dolberg do not keep their message of conservation and abuse/misuse of natural resources discreetly incorporated into the story; rather, it is overt and will leave no doubt that if changes are not made world wide, animals will continue to disappear from our home and our climate will be forever changed. From my perspective of retired librarian, The Great Weather Diviner is worth considering for collections that have ample funds but is definitely more of a “niche” book. Text is free of profanity and sexual content and the battles are appropriate for the target age group of grades 4-7ish, but Publisher Morgan James Kids and the editing team did not catch all mistakes with more than a few misplaced apostrophes, subject-verb agreement and similar mistakes. (At one point the primary antagonist claims, “You can stop what is coming!” when clearly he is attempting to establish dominance and it should have read, “You can’t stop what is coming!”) Appears to only be available in paperback but does show as available from major library vender Follett as well as Amazon.

[Karen Gedeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Great Weather Diviner: The Untold Story of Punxsutawney Phil by Rob Long and Andrew Dolberg – a rare middle grade holiday book about a holiday which is seldom written about. This novel takes middle-grade readers on an adventure to save the town of Punxsutawney from the evil Black Order who enslaves the realm and its inhabitants for their coal. Working for the Black Order, The White Demon Callidus controls all the animals in Halwe who either spend their days digging for coal or in complete oblivion of who controls the area. Junior’s father, Lord Phillip Rodington has spent his life shielding his people from the truth, but as Junior gets older, he starts questioning his father. Thus starts his quest to locate the Guardians whom he believes saved his people once before. His adventure takes him into forbidden areas where he meets all kinds of animals he never knew existed. As he learns the truth, he makes friends and hones his weather diviner powers. A nice addition to fill a hole in a library collection. The story is paced well with animal characters young readers will be attracted to. The vocabulary can be a bit challenging in places and parts need a good edit to correct multiple punctuation errors, but those issues may not bother the target audience of grades 4-7. Included are maps of the area and additional information on some of the species in the story.

[Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young groundhog named Junior goes on a journey to help the town of Punxsutawney. He is trying to uncover why a flood mysteriously hit his town. From the stories of his family’s past, Junior is searching for the legendary Guardians who have helped in times of need before. Will he find them in time and figure out why nature is affecting his town?

This book is a middle grade fantasy epic! The authors do a good with world building and the characters! Right from the start it gave me The Princess Bride vibes! It also gives off Redwall vibes and I loved those books growing up! I think this is a great book for both kids and adults. It shows how important our environment is to us and to help keep it safe rather than destroy it.

Thank you to books forward for arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Penny lurkykitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Weather Diviner is a coming-of-age fantasy story with animal characters, adventure, legends, and suspense, exploring themes of friendship, environmental responsibility, community and social justice.
Junior "Phil" is a young groundhog, heir to a coal mining company in the small town of Punxsutawney. Initially Junior doesn't realize that the economic and social structure of Punxsutawney is based on exploitation, greed and injustice.
An environmental catastrophe devastates Junior's town and its people, and he embarks on a quest to seek help for them. With the aid of new friends and allies, he learns the truth about the family legends and stories on which he was raised and how industries such as coal mining and deforestation are poisoning his world.
The story is engaging and thought-provoking with interesting, complex characters who come alive in this vivid fantasy world. There is a strong, but not heavy-handed message about climate change. I enjoyed reading this origin story of Punxsutawney Phil.
Thank you to BooksForward for a gifted copy.

[Harrison Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another referral from a friend. The concept is good enough -- a fable about a world of animals facing the world of climate change. Apparently designed for the middle school reader, I have my doubts that most young students could follow what I found to be a complicated narrative. Add to this the distraction of the names of the animals and places. We have Jill, Phyllis, Philip and Junior that seem to not fit comfortably with Cynwal, Callidu, Acantha and Vulpia. The authors had a good idea, but if this were the beginning of a series, I would unfortunately have little interest in following up.

[Crystan M.]

The first three quarters of the story were hard for me to get through. It did eventually pick up and carry me quickly to the end of the tale. I found the characters flat and the plot a little muddled. I never found a reason to care about the characters. I also understand that we can't take the earth and its resources for granted, but there were a few times it felt like the authors were hitting you over the head saying coal is bad. Overall, it was alright, but I've read much better examples of anthropomorphic animal tales.

[Amy Torcaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I thought this book would be about. Fantasy is not my normal level of comfort for reading. I always find it hard to keep track of imaginary names and animals. I thoroughly enjoyed this more than I expected I would. It is a great story about the challenges we are leaving our future generations in terms of care of our planet. The use of non renewable resources and the impact they leave on the planet was interesting in this context. I really did enjoy this book

[Corrine Pritchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful middle grade read. This fictional spin on the origins of Groundhog Day shows how friendship and family and help overcome fears, while also focusing on the importance of caring for the environment. Kids 8-12 will love this one!

[David Long, · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Great Weather Diviner" is a must read for both children and adults. For the kids, it's a wonderful, fantasy adventure. For the adults, however, it is also a stark reminder of the real perils of unchecked climate change. Pick up two copies.

[Joseph Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun read for young adults and middle schoolers. Does a great job of addressing difficult topics, such as climate change, without being heavy handed and overshadowing a very compelling narrative!

[Dan Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend!

[Dawn Ireland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great little story. Fabulous cover.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I would be so invested in a little groundhogs journey!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so thrilled to see this book, I have a weather loving husband. He would never read it, because he isn't a reader, but I wanted to see where the story would take us and the weather diviner. The book was interesting and loved the idea, just felt a little long at times. The ending is best and made for a much quicker read than the start. I believe if you stick with it you will enjoy it.

[Erika Weinert · Rating 4 out of 5]

To read my full review, please visit my blog: https://www.the-werd-nerd.com/post/bo...

Thank you.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept my interest from the moment I started to the moment I finished reading it! I was sad when it was over! The characters were well developed and they each came alive as I was reading! The adventure had me at the edge of me seat! I did not want to story to end! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book, the first few chapters are really slow though! But stick with it and you will get to the other side.

I like that this story is teaching kids to take care of our planet and not to destroy the planet. That is an important message for all and most importantly our future, the kids and young people in the world.
The characters really pull you into the book and you get to hear the story of Junior and his friends. He navigates his friends, family, and the ability to control the weather in the world of Eda.

Junior is bored with mining in the town of Punxsutawney as his family members have always done. He wants to do something different and the message in this story is great, you don't always have to be big to do huge things. Lots of kids really need to hear that as there are some smaller children out there and they don't think they can do anything. I really thought that message was a good book to read about for the readers.

[Jedidiah Preble · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun and engaging story with interesting plot and character development.

Early on the protagonist is invited into a secret by his teacher which pits him against his father. The relationship is ultimately redeemed, however I'm concerned that this plot line might contribute to a normalization of keeping secrets from parents and sowing distrust, which is a common grooming technique.

The narrative has a clearly stated environmentalist agenda and includes elements of gender ideology.

For these reasons I can't recommend the book.