What do you think?
Rate this book
Speculation
A wonderful middle-grade fantasy debut about Black families, family history, family curses ... and a really marvelous pair of spectacles.
After Winna's little sister breaks her glasses, her grandfather gives her an old-timey pair of spectacles that belonged to her great-aunt Estelle. The specs are silver and perfectly circular, with tiny stars on the bridge and earpieces that curl all the way around her ears.
Best of all, they're magic.
Because when Winna makes a wish beginning with the words "What if"--that is, when she speculates--the spectacles grant it. Winna wishes she could see ghosts ... and soon she meets not only the real Estelle, but Estelle's mother, Winona. Nearly a century before, Winona escaped from slavery and ran north with her baby, Key. But Key was stolen from her under mysterious circumstances, and now Estelle and Winona have a mission for Winna: Find Key.
He's still alive. He doesn't know the whole truth. And unless Winna can solve the mystery and bring him home, a powerful curse called the Burden will smother out their family's lives--and Winna's mom could be its next victim.
This beautifully written historical fantasy by an award-winning science fiction author offers new twists and turns in every chapter and will leave you looking at your own family's roots with new eyes.
After Winna's little sister breaks her glasses, her grandfather gives her an old-timey pair of spectacles that belonged to her great-aunt Estelle. The specs are silver and perfectly circular, with tiny stars on the bridge and earpieces that curl all the way around her ears.
Best of all, they're magic.
Because when Winna makes a wish beginning with the words "What if"--that is, when she speculates--the spectacles grant it. Winna wishes she could see ghosts ... and soon she meets not only the real Estelle, but Estelle's mother, Winona. Nearly a century before, Winona escaped from slavery and ran north with her baby, Key. But Key was stolen from her under mysterious circumstances, and now Estelle and Winona have a mission for Winna: Find Key.
He's still alive. He doesn't know the whole truth. And unless Winna can solve the mystery and bring him home, a powerful curse called the Burden will smother out their family's lives--and Winna's mom could be its next victim.
This beautifully written historical fantasy by an award-winning science fiction author offers new twists and turns in every chapter and will leave you looking at your own family's roots with new eyes.
Audio CD
First published February 14, 2023
18 people are currently reading
3250 people want to read
About the author
Nisi Shawl
134 books584 followersNisi Shawl is a founder of the diversity-in-speculative-fiction nonprofit the Carl Brandon Society and serves on the Board of Directors of the Clarion West Writers’ Workshop. Their story collection Filter House was a winner of the 2009 Tiptree/Otherwise Award, and their debut novel, Everfair, was a 2016 Nebula finalist. Shawl edited Bloodchildren: Stories by the Octavia E. Butler Scholars (2013). They coedited Strange Matings: Science Fiction, Feminism, African American Voices, and Octavia E. Butler (2013).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
Want to read
November 25, 2022As a glasses wearer, I gotta read.
May 24, 2023
Really good middle grade fantasy with relatively high stakes. A thing I particularly appreciated is that even though really hard things happen, the child protagonist has present and loving adults who materially help her solve plot-central problems without the child being any less the central actor in the story. So often the quick and easy way to give child protags agency is just to remove adults from the equation or make them actively bad, cruel, or incompetent. I don't really mind that (and definitely didn't as a child), but still. This was a really nice change from the usual approach.
CN: racism of many kinds, bullying, sick parent, hospital visit, discussion of past deaths and how they happened
CN: racism of many kinds, bullying, sick parent, hospital visit, discussion of past deaths and how they happened
September 24, 2023
Probably my favorite book cover for the year, it’s what drew me to this middle grade historical fantasy. There are lots of ways an 11 year old could use magic glasses, but Winna uses hers to end a family curse. Seems like a lot to put on a kid and I admire her determination to end the curse which now effects her mother. Taking place in 1962, Winna also faces racism in her Michigan elementary school. I enjoyed the ghostly rhymes and family history, though I do wonder about the nickname “bootnose” used by Grampa Carl. Great book to pass along to a young reader.
April 8, 2023
nice mix of real world family and the supernatural
January 27, 2025
In the 1960s, young Winna is spending the summer with her grandparents after her mother goes to the hospital for a respiratory illness. During her stay, Winna's toddler sister breaks Winna's glasses. Her grandfather lends Winna her great-aunt's glasses to fill in while she waits for her replacements.
Winna is amazed to find that her new glasses are magical - if she poses a "What if" question while wearing them, they make her question become a reality. When Winna wonders if there are ghosts in the local cemetery, Winna is amazed to see them appear - ghosts of her ancestors. In communicating with them, Winna learns of a curse upon her family: They are doomed to die before their time unless the ghost of Winna's great-great grandmother is reunited with her long-lost son.
I enjoyed learning about Winna's family history.
Winna is amazed to find that her new glasses are magical - if she poses a "What if" question while wearing them, they make her question become a reality. When Winna wonders if there are ghosts in the local cemetery, Winna is amazed to see them appear - ghosts of her ancestors. In communicating with them, Winna learns of a curse upon her family: They are doomed to die before their time unless the ghost of Winna's great-great grandmother is reunited with her long-lost son.
I enjoyed learning about Winna's family history.
February 26, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. I had to remember that this is middle grade. Some talks of the ghosts not wanting to be “in the way” and sitting on furniture was rather weird to read, since they are ghosts. I enjoyed a girl breaking a generational curse to heal her mother. There were times where I forgot she was 13 years old. Cousin Benny is hilarious and I love his toughness. Some of the “clues” on what needed to come next was rather obvious, but I enjoyed the flow and writing of the book. There were some characters who had that old school language, but there was also moments in the book that was missing words…probably an editing issue. Overall, I enjoyed the family history and the candidness of some characters.
October 5, 2023
Nominated for 2023 Cybils: Middle Grade Spec Fic
I really liked Winna's approach to life and the support of most of her family. Even the bullying cousin Benny had some good points. I liked how she worked out the magic of the glasses, and how her grandfather let her have independence but also was ready to share his experience. I wish the ending matched up to Winna's actions a little more directly; it seemed a bit of a deus machina.
Also, I didn't get much of a sense of history. 1962 is a long time ago, but I definitely didn't get the sense of place I associate with that time. It could almost have been contemporary. So I wanted more of that -- the characters would make reference to events that were happening but didn't really seem part of that history. Maybe this is a me problem -- I'm only a little bit younger so maybe it just seemed normal because that's close to my childhood.
But most of it was emotionally valid and tightly plotted. I liked how Winna's love of reading helped form her expectations, and how her younger sister was sometimes annoying but still a part of the family. I liked the idea of twinning, which matched the two lenses of a pair of glasses. I liked how the original owner of the glasses was also a smart kid. The stories told by the grandfather worked will in the text, and the sense of the nearness of history was also cool.
I really liked Winna's approach to life and the support of most of her family. Even the bullying cousin Benny had some good points. I liked how she worked out the magic of the glasses, and how her grandfather let her have independence but also was ready to share his experience. I wish the ending matched up to Winna's actions a little more directly; it seemed a bit of a deus machina.
Also, I didn't get much of a sense of history. 1962 is a long time ago, but I definitely didn't get the sense of place I associate with that time. It could almost have been contemporary. So I wanted more of that -- the characters would make reference to events that were happening but didn't really seem part of that history. Maybe this is a me problem -- I'm only a little bit younger so maybe it just seemed normal because that's close to my childhood.
But most of it was emotionally valid and tightly plotted. I liked how Winna's love of reading helped form her expectations, and how her younger sister was sometimes annoying but still a part of the family. I liked the idea of twinning, which matched the two lenses of a pair of glasses. I liked how the original owner of the glasses was also a smart kid. The stories told by the grandfather worked will in the text, and the sense of the nearness of history was also cool.
February 9, 2025
This middle-grade book is the perfect read. The imagery is vivid — so vivid one can taste the lemonade — and the story feels almost unsettlingly real. Not because the locations themselves are but because of how it illustrates the facets of being a Black girl in the sixties, from the racism and misogyny to the tight-knit communities and the lingering memory and impact of slavery. Speculation does all of this while also being fantastic and magical — and that, too, in the uniquely Black way of hoodoo. From the outside looking in, this book was an experience I wouldn’t want to miss.
July 21, 2024
The story was endearing and I felt the frustration of the main character. It takes place in the 60’s and there is some racism which makes the ending great! The part I loved the most was the close relationship between the main character and her grandfather.
June 1, 2025
Very sweet, rewarding soft-speculative story –– pacing's a little rough toward the second half, but a solid middle grade read that doesn't talk down to readers, and speaks honestly about racism, segregation, and navigating familial disability/grief as a child.
June 9, 2023
What it’s about: In the 1960s, young Winna is spending the summer with her grandparents after her mother goes to the hospital for a respiratory illness. During her stay, Winna's toddler sister breaks Winna's glasses. Her grandfather lends Winna her great-aunt's glasses to fill in while she waits for her replacements (which might be a while).
Winna is amazed to find that her new glasses are magical - if she poses a "What if" question while wearing them, they make her question become a reality. When Winna wonders if there are ghosts in the local cemetery, Winna is amazed to see them appear - ghosts of her ancestors. In communicating with them, Winna learns of a curse upon her family: They are doomed to die before their time unless the ghost of Winna's great-great grandmother is reunited with her long-lost son.
Winna realizes her mother's fate may rest in her hands, and is shocked to learn that the long-lost child is still alive - but perhaps not for long.
Thus Winna sets about trying to find a way to locate the now-elderly man and bring him together with his mother's spirit.
Unfortunately, Winna and her mean cousin have more than a curse to overcome; the mean, racist nephews of their teacher seem intent on making Winna's summer miserable. When the person who might be most helpful to Winna's quest turns out to be her teacher's twin sister - the one raising three mean, racist boys - Winna is sure her mother's fate, and the fate of all her family, is sealed. And when her mean cousin accidentally destroys the magic of the glasses, Winna feels completely lost.
But sometimes help comes from unexpected places, and sometimes there's more magic in the world than we realize.
What I thought: The story felt a little slow. It's unclear when the story is set for a very large portion of the book, which seems unfortunate, given how pivotal it is to the plot.
Winna is also not the most creative or clever protagonist - she has magic glasses, but she hardly uses them. I get that Shawl is trying to maintain some dramatic tension throughout the story, and she introduces some clever ways to limit the assistance Winna gets from her glasses and the ghosts, but in doing so, Winna doesn't come out looking great.
Still, the overall idea of the story is quite interesting. I appreciated that the story dealt head-on with racism in the 60s in the South without making it the main focus of the story.
Why I chose those shelves: BIPOC, Black, minority, issue, trigger, racism, bullying: Winna and her family are Black, living in the South in the 1960s, and must deal with some racism and bullying, and Winna is also bullied a little by her cousin; death-dying: The story has ghosts, and gives their backstories and how they became ghosts, as well as the looming threat of her mother's death; fantasy, magic, ghosts & spirits, supernatural: Winna's magic spectacles give her wish powers and let her see and communicate with ghosts; grade school, school: Winna is 10 and going to school, and her teacher and some classmates play a part in the story; historical fiction: While the story of Winna's family is fiction, it mirrors some elements of actual history from this time and place; issue: This book acknowledges the existence of slavery, which affected Winna's family, and makes it really clear how close to slavery we actually are in time; mystery: Winna has to try to solve the mystery of what happened to her great uncle;
Why I rated it like I did: 3.5 stars. I had to push myself to keep moving through this one, and I had some trouble keeping track of the timeline. For a story that has "mother will be killed if situation is not resolved" as the central axis, the story takes a surprisingly long time to play out. This makes sense within the context of "this is the 1960s and everything takes a long time", but it made for a slightly confusing series of time jumps, and made me wonder how deadly the curse could be given how long it takes to work its evil way through Winna's mom. It also made me a little suspect about the mad-dash-to-the-finish ending; after months and months pass in the story, suddenly everything seems to come down to a last-minute hurry.
I liked how the story posits that magic is a real force, and that Winna's grandfather is a practitioner of mystical arts. He's a very interesting character; I'd love to get a story just about his life, or even his perspective on what's going on in this book.
What I found most compelling about this story is that it really makes it clear how close to the days of slavery we are - that the child of a slave could plausibly be alive in the 1960s really hits home. I think this would make a very interesting discussion topic for students to consider, and could make a good prompt - having them pick various historical moments and try to lay them out in terms of how many generations removed we are from those moments.
Winna is amazed to find that her new glasses are magical - if she poses a "What if" question while wearing them, they make her question become a reality. When Winna wonders if there are ghosts in the local cemetery, Winna is amazed to see them appear - ghosts of her ancestors. In communicating with them, Winna learns of a curse upon her family: They are doomed to die before their time unless the ghost of Winna's great-great grandmother is reunited with her long-lost son.
Winna realizes her mother's fate may rest in her hands, and is shocked to learn that the long-lost child is still alive - but perhaps not for long.
Thus Winna sets about trying to find a way to locate the now-elderly man and bring him together with his mother's spirit.
Unfortunately, Winna and her mean cousin have more than a curse to overcome; the mean, racist nephews of their teacher seem intent on making Winna's summer miserable. When the person who might be most helpful to Winna's quest turns out to be her teacher's twin sister - the one raising three mean, racist boys - Winna is sure her mother's fate, and the fate of all her family, is sealed. And when her mean cousin accidentally destroys the magic of the glasses, Winna feels completely lost.
But sometimes help comes from unexpected places, and sometimes there's more magic in the world than we realize.
What I thought: The story felt a little slow. It's unclear when the story is set for a very large portion of the book, which seems unfortunate, given how pivotal it is to the plot.
Winna is also not the most creative or clever protagonist - she has magic glasses, but she hardly uses them. I get that Shawl is trying to maintain some dramatic tension throughout the story, and she introduces some clever ways to limit the assistance Winna gets from her glasses and the ghosts, but in doing so, Winna doesn't come out looking great.
Still, the overall idea of the story is quite interesting. I appreciated that the story dealt head-on with racism in the 60s in the South without making it the main focus of the story.
Why I chose those shelves: BIPOC, Black, minority, issue, trigger, racism, bullying: Winna and her family are Black, living in the South in the 1960s, and must deal with some racism and bullying, and Winna is also bullied a little by her cousin; death-dying: The story has ghosts, and gives their backstories and how they became ghosts, as well as the looming threat of her mother's death; fantasy, magic, ghosts & spirits, supernatural: Winna's magic spectacles give her wish powers and let her see and communicate with ghosts; grade school, school: Winna is 10 and going to school, and her teacher and some classmates play a part in the story; historical fiction: While the story of Winna's family is fiction, it mirrors some elements of actual history from this time and place; issue: This book acknowledges the existence of slavery, which affected Winna's family, and makes it really clear how close to slavery we actually are in time; mystery: Winna has to try to solve the mystery of what happened to her great uncle;
Why I rated it like I did: 3.5 stars. I had to push myself to keep moving through this one, and I had some trouble keeping track of the timeline. For a story that has "mother will be killed if situation is not resolved" as the central axis, the story takes a surprisingly long time to play out. This makes sense within the context of "this is the 1960s and everything takes a long time", but it made for a slightly confusing series of time jumps, and made me wonder how deadly the curse could be given how long it takes to work its evil way through Winna's mom. It also made me a little suspect about the mad-dash-to-the-finish ending; after months and months pass in the story, suddenly everything seems to come down to a last-minute hurry.
I liked how the story posits that magic is a real force, and that Winna's grandfather is a practitioner of mystical arts. He's a very interesting character; I'd love to get a story just about his life, or even his perspective on what's going on in this book.
What I found most compelling about this story is that it really makes it clear how close to the days of slavery we are - that the child of a slave could plausibly be alive in the 1960s really hits home. I think this would make a very interesting discussion topic for students to consider, and could make a good prompt - having them pick various historical moments and try to lay them out in terms of how many generations removed we are from those moments.
December 22, 2022
Delightful, lovely, moving. Nisi Shawl has crafted a timeless classic for present and future generations of young readers.
January 3, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
It's 1962, and Winna Cole's mother is very ill with a lung condition. Because she's in the hospital, Winna and her younger sister, Tupelo, are with their grandparents in Michigan. When Tupelo accidentally breaks Winna's glasses, her grandfather finds a pair in the attic that belonged to her great aunt Estelle. Not only do they help with her vision, but the spectacles help her to see and communicate with ghosts. Her grandfather knows a bit about the magic and tells Winna stories about her ancestors, including her great-great-great-grandmother Winona, who was an enslaved person. When Winona became pregnant, she fled to the north, hoping to get to Canada but ending up in Michigan. Her son, Key, disappeared when he was very young, and the ghost of Estelle tells Winna that she must reunite Winona with Key in order for a family curse to be broken. Winna has seen first hand how the curse of "not being able to breathe" has affected her family, from her great grandfather's death from tuberculosis to her mother's current problems, which might be caused by her cigarette smoking. To finish out the school year, Winna moves in with her Aunt Pic and her son Benny, and has to deal with racist classmates who give her a lot of problems and call her very offensive names.
Strengths: Shawl is ten years older than I am, so includes many good details about life in 1962, from Kool-Aid and fried chicken draining on grocery bags to the cost of glasses! The family history is absolutely riveting, and the grandfather's stories shed a lot of light on how enslaved people were treated, and also how families tried to keep stories alive through successive generations. While it is always sad to read about how racism was present even among school children, it is also important for young readers to learn about the kind of treatment Black people had to deal with. This is a fast paced and interesting fantasy book with strong historical content that would be an excellent book circle choice.
Weaknesses: This would have been more appealing to me as a straight realistic fiction book like Varian Johnson's 2018 The Parker Inheritance, because the magical element seemed a bit tenuous. However, the magic plays a big role in forcing Winna to contact Key's family, and will entice young readers who might not otherwise pick up a book with a historical mystery, so is an effective device. I did love the shout out to Edward Eager's The Time Garden!
It's 1962, and Winna Cole's mother is very ill with a lung condition. Because she's in the hospital, Winna and her younger sister, Tupelo, are with their grandparents in Michigan. When Tupelo accidentally breaks Winna's glasses, her grandfather finds a pair in the attic that belonged to her great aunt Estelle. Not only do they help with her vision, but the spectacles help her to see and communicate with ghosts. Her grandfather knows a bit about the magic and tells Winna stories about her ancestors, including her great-great-great-grandmother Winona, who was an enslaved person. When Winona became pregnant, she fled to the north, hoping to get to Canada but ending up in Michigan. Her son, Key, disappeared when he was very young, and the ghost of Estelle tells Winna that she must reunite Winona with Key in order for a family curse to be broken. Winna has seen first hand how the curse of "not being able to breathe" has affected her family, from her great grandfather's death from tuberculosis to her mother's current problems, which might be caused by her cigarette smoking. To finish out the school year, Winna moves in with her Aunt Pic and her son Benny, and has to deal with racist classmates who give her a lot of problems and call her very offensive names.
Strengths: Shawl is ten years older than I am, so includes many good details about life in 1962, from Kool-Aid and fried chicken draining on grocery bags to the cost of glasses! The family history is absolutely riveting, and the grandfather's stories shed a lot of light on how enslaved people were treated, and also how families tried to keep stories alive through successive generations. While it is always sad to read about how racism was present even among school children, it is also important for young readers to learn about the kind of treatment Black people had to deal with. This is a fast paced and interesting fantasy book with strong historical content that would be an excellent book circle choice.
Weaknesses: This would have been more appealing to me as a straight realistic fiction book like Varian Johnson's 2018 The Parker Inheritance, because the magical element seemed a bit tenuous. However, the magic plays a big role in forcing Winna to contact Key's family, and will entice young readers who might not otherwise pick up a book with a historical mystery, so is an effective device. I did love the shout out to Edward Eager's The Time Garden!
February 26, 2024
If you wear glasses, there is nothing more devastating than hearing the crunch when you or someone you know drops, sits or stands on your glasses. When that happens to Winna while she and her little sister are staying with their grandparents while their mother is in the hospital, Grampa Carl gives Winna a pair of glasses that belonged to her Great-Aunt Estelle. Winna discovers she can not only see better than ever before, she can make things happen by speculating – not wishing – speculating “What if …?” out loud while wearing the glasses. What if the glasses were magic? What if she could see ghosts? Set in 1962, this story goes even further back in time as Winna hears stories about her ancestors and learns from the ghost of her Great-Aunt Estelle what she must do to save her mother and the rest of her family by fulfilling her Great Great Grandmother’s vow. Storytelling, race relations, and the importance of acknowledging and healing ancestral trauma come together in an intriguing magic realism story for middle grade readers. The ending seemed to tie up a little too quickly and tidily though that is not uncommon when dealing with more difficult topics for this age group. It is a good introduction to America’s difficult history and conception of race, with a fun bit of magic thrown in, and would be a great book to open discussion on the topics. I did find it difficult to remember who two minor characters were when it came to a key scene as they had each only been named once before. I had to go back and re-read some segments. This could cause confusion for other less attentive young readers. Though no doubt realistic for the time and characters, I was personally dissatisfied with the “resolution” of Winna’s relationship with her cousin Benny, which seemed to involve accommodations made only by Winna.
Book Pairings:
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia for another great read about a Black family set in the same time period.
Book Pairings:
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia for another great read about a Black family set in the same time period.
April 6, 2024
When eleven-year-old Winna's younger sister Tupelo breaks her glasses, Winna's grandfather gives her some older glasses that once belonged to her great-aunt Estelle. Through these lenses, Winna can see the ghost of Estelle. She also finds out about a history that involves Estelle's grandmother Winona some hundred years ago. Winona escaped slavery and ended up North with her baby Key. But Key was stolen and now Winona and Estelle have a mission for Winna to find Key and break the Burden or else her sick mother might be the next victim.
What worked: Magical historical mixed with the paranormal. I especially love the mission Winna is set on to find Key. The idea of researching family history has always been exciting to me. Winna finds some missing parts of Winona's history and tries to put it all together. Her grandparents are supportive.
The magical glasses are a fun twist to this very engaging story. Winna finds a way to communicate with the ghost of Estelle through misting the glasses. Estelle gives her some clues on where Key might be. Winna also has a dream that shows Key is still alive.
This story is set in the 1962 South. The elements of that time are authentic down to the views of some on segregation.
The family dynamics are strong. Tupelo is the annoying kid sister, but in her own way wants to help. The mystery behind Key affects Winna and her family in a way that is surprising, but not all too uncommon. There's also bullying and racism from the town's twin boys.
Engaging, historical where a a pair of glasses sets a girl off on a magical quest to solve a century-old mystery.
Originally posted: https://www.yabookscentral.com/specul...
What worked: Magical historical mixed with the paranormal. I especially love the mission Winna is set on to find Key. The idea of researching family history has always been exciting to me. Winna finds some missing parts of Winona's history and tries to put it all together. Her grandparents are supportive.
The magical glasses are a fun twist to this very engaging story. Winna finds a way to communicate with the ghost of Estelle through misting the glasses. Estelle gives her some clues on where Key might be. Winna also has a dream that shows Key is still alive.
This story is set in the 1962 South. The elements of that time are authentic down to the views of some on segregation.
The family dynamics are strong. Tupelo is the annoying kid sister, but in her own way wants to help. The mystery behind Key affects Winna and her family in a way that is surprising, but not all too uncommon. There's also bullying and racism from the town's twin boys.
Engaging, historical where a a pair of glasses sets a girl off on a magical quest to solve a century-old mystery.
Originally posted: https://www.yabookscentral.com/specul...
March 20, 2024
In 1967, when her mother gets sick, Wynna, 10, and her little sister, Tupleo, go to live with their Grampa Carl and Gramma in Vandalia, a stop on the Underground Railroad. Things take an interesting turn in magic when Tupelo accidentally breaks Wynna's glasses and Grampa Carl gives her a set of spectacles that belonged to her Great-Aunt Estelle. Now, Wynna can see ghosts, including Estelle, who tells her about the family curse laid on them by her Great-Great Grandma Winona that is the reason Wynna's mother is sick. Winona wants to hug her son, Key, who was stolen from her shortly after he was born and she never got to see him. Wynna must find Key and break the curse on her family with only the help of the spectacles - which allow her to see the past and the present if she makes the right wish - and her mean cousin, all while dealing with the prejudice that is still alive and well in Vandalia as the civil rights movement begins to form. Wynna is an intelligent, brave, and spunky protagonist who will do whatever she needs to break the curse to save her mother and the ghosts, like Estelle and Winona, who are trapped because of it. She is surrounded by helpful adults, bullies, an adorable little sister that are layered into the story of family history and mysteries. The focus on storytelling, those stories past down from an elder to their younger kin, is front and center in the clue seeking Wynna must do to find Key and save the family. A wonderful book about history, family, and oral traditions laced through with the magical realism and ghosts.
August 10, 2023
Speculation by Nisi Shawl is based on the 1960’s and is about a girl named Winna whose mother is sick and in the hospital. She and her little sister, Tupelo, go to live with her grandparents because her mother is ill. During her stay, her Grampa Carl gives her some glasses after hers broke, and she realizes that they are magical. Winna can see ghosts of family members that have died and based on information from her Grampa, finds out there is a curse or burden on her family. She and her cousin Benny, who she goes to live with so she can go to school, work together to try, and solve how to lift the burden. Throughout the book, she is faced with stories from her families past that link back to historical events and how blacks were treated. If she can use the magical glasses to lift the burden, her mother will no longer be facing death.
Although this book is not 100% historically accurate, it would be great for students that liked fantasy and wanted to learn more about slavery, and the treatment of black people all the way through to the 1960’s. It would make a good social issues book club selection and would allow for students to look back and research the historical accounts.
Although this book is not 100% historically accurate, it would be great for students that liked fantasy and wanted to learn more about slavery, and the treatment of black people all the way through to the 1960’s. It would make a good social issues book club selection and would allow for students to look back and research the historical accounts.
August 22, 2023
Excellent middle-grade science fiction story about an African American family. Ten year-old Winna, in 1962 Michigan, is staying with her grandparents while her single mom is in the hospital for bronchitis. When she breaks her eyeglasses, Grampa gives her a pair of old spectacles from her great-Aunt Estelle--and when she puts them on, she can see the ghost of Estelle! Along with other ghosts of her ancestors. The means she uses to communicate with the ghost is very clever, tied to the glasses. Estelle died as a little girl, and gradually Winna learns some of her story and how she--and their whole family--are trapped in a curse, that may affect her mother's health. Winna recruits her cousin Benny to help her; he doesn't believe in magical glasses but he loves playing detective and solving mysteries. This is a loving historical family story of racial injustice righted, with a gentle supernatural angle. Winna is fearful but also determined; she's worried about her mom, mad about racists bullying her cousin, and she's a good--if sometimes exasperated--big sister to her 5 year old sister Tupelo. Grampa is a great character too, full of affection and funny family stories.
January 4, 2024
A historical fiction that does not read overly historical, but more magical realism. Winna's parents are divorced and her mom is in the hospital. Winna and her sister, Tupelo, stay with their grandparents in the meantime, leaving the two girls to muddle through the end of the school year on their own. Winna struggles with bullies in her classroom, her own cousin is not terribly welcoming, and then her younger sister breaks her glasses. Winna's grandfather offers her some replacement specs, which turn out to have some magical properties.
Frequently refers back to older classic books like The Time Garden, and I love that this builds on what those books established using the ordinariness of Winna and the extraordinary magic of her new glasses.
A family history mystery, several ghosts, racism and a tidy ending.
Note: the story is set near Kalamazoo and Paw Paw, Michigan, where the author grew up, although it is more fictional than not.
Frequently refers back to older classic books like The Time Garden, and I love that this builds on what those books established using the ordinariness of Winna and the extraordinary magic of her new glasses.
A family history mystery, several ghosts, racism and a tidy ending.
Note: the story is set near Kalamazoo and Paw Paw, Michigan, where the author grew up, although it is more fictional than not.
April 10, 2023
This is a charming middle-grade fantasy about family and race. I don't have a middle-grade tag (grades 3,4), so I tagged it as YA. It's written for middle-grade readers but can be appreciated by YA and adults alike.
Winna is given a pair of glasses (spectacles, hence the title) that are a family heirloom, that contain magical properties that allow her to investigate her family's mysterious history. She finds that her mother's health and the well-being of her family is dependent on her solving the mystery and bringing comfort to the dead. It also allows her to see family ghosts who help her in the right direction.
The focus is a Black family in the 1960s, and while there is racism shown, it is not the driving force of the plot. In fact, it is racism that inadvertently leads to a solution. Cleverly done, and revealing of how families often don't know their own history. Today, some startling secrets are being revealed by DNA, but that wasn't an option in the 1960s. Good old fashioned 'legwork' has to suffice, as Winna's cousin Benny puts it. (And a little magic.)
Winna is given a pair of glasses (spectacles, hence the title) that are a family heirloom, that contain magical properties that allow her to investigate her family's mysterious history. She finds that her mother's health and the well-being of her family is dependent on her solving the mystery and bringing comfort to the dead. It also allows her to see family ghosts who help her in the right direction.
The focus is a Black family in the 1960s, and while there is racism shown, it is not the driving force of the plot. In fact, it is racism that inadvertently leads to a solution. Cleverly done, and revealing of how families often don't know their own history. Today, some startling secrets are being revealed by DNA, but that wasn't an option in the 1960s. Good old fashioned 'legwork' has to suffice, as Winna's cousin Benny puts it. (And a little magic.)
May 15, 2023
When Winna breaks her glasses, her grandfather lends her glasses that once belonged to her great aunt. The glasses are old-fashioned spectacles that curl around her ears. When Winna speculates (I wonder if…) she quickly realizes the spectacles are magical and she can see and communicate, albeit unconventionally, with some of her ancestors. She learns that her great-great-great grandmother placed a burden, a curse if you will, on the family after her baby Key was stolen from her soon after she escaped her enslaver. If Winna can find Key – who would now be over 100 years old – she might be able to break the burden which is causing family members to die early of lung disease. If she breaks the burden, will she be in time to save her mother? Set in 1962, readers will enjoy this historical fantasicial tale.
January 30, 2023
It’s the 1962 south, where Winna and little sister Tupelo are living with extended family while their mother is in the hospital with a mysterious lung disorder. When Tupelo breaks Winna’s glasses, grandpa Carl finds a replacement pair in his attic, and when Winna put them on she can see family ghosts and learns of a Burden that is causing her mom’s illness and can’t be cured until Winna solves the 100 year old family mystery of a stolen baby. As Winna works against time to find out what happened to baby Key, she encounters present-day racism and comes to understand the racism of the past more deeply. The author is pitch-perfect on the 1962 details, especially the food! EARC from Edelweiss.
May 25, 2023
This was such a great idea--"In 1962, 10-year-old Winna Cole discovers a pair of magical spectacles that reveal both the friendly ghosts of her African American ancestors and a dangerous family curse." As Winna (an Edward Eager fan) figures out how to use the glasses, which her grandpa gives her after her little sister sits on her old pair, she realizes that her mother's respiratory illness may be caused by a curse placed on the family by her great grandmother--and until her son Key is found, no one will "breathe easy".
Explores the "collateral" damage of racismhaving to give up her son, her family is cursed -- trauma through generations. Racism from people who are actually , unknowingly related.
The glasses are a very cool device for allowing communication.
Explores the "collateral" damage of racismhaving to give up her son, her family is cursed -- trauma through generations. Racism from people who are actually , unknowingly related.
The glasses are a very cool device for allowing communication.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2024
For a middle grade book, this was surprisingly captivating for this 40y/o. Winna is an adorable and very thoughtful girl, I really enjoyed learning about her family's history alongside her. The unfortunate truth of America's role in slavery and ownership is approached very well in this book, easy for Kids to understand where racism can sometimes stem from and why it's harmful.
I think this could easily be a book a kid will read and remember for a long time. When I was 12-13, I read White Lilacs by Carolyn Meyer and it was such an eye opener for me. I bought an old copy and I want to reread it as an adult. I think Speculation could be that book for kids.
I think this could easily be a book a kid will read and remember for a long time. When I was 12-13, I read White Lilacs by Carolyn Meyer and it was such an eye opener for me. I bought an old copy and I want to reread it as an adult. I think Speculation could be that book for kids.
May 23, 2024
Middle grade fantasy historical fiction featuring African-American main characters.
Winna is a firm believer of magic.
When staying with her grandparents while her mother is in the hospital, Winna's little sister, Tupelo, breaks her glasses. Winna is given a part of replacement glasses which just happened to magical glasses.
I was a bit confused as to some of the details. I believe this takes place in the early 1960s, but I fear wasn't clear to me exactly which state it took place. Vandalia? And the spectacles: Winna's grandfather, who had expertise in "Woodoo", gave her the glasses, but they belonged to Winna's grandmother's sister, Estelle, and the family curse was on Winna's grandmother's family?
There are some difficult topic in this: divorce, parental illness, bullying, racism, colorism and a deadly curse!
I like the fantasy bent. The resolution was somewhat satisfying; Don't want to give it away, but even with a fantasy bent, some practical aspects were far-fetched.
Winna is a firm believer of magic.
When staying with her grandparents while her mother is in the hospital, Winna's little sister, Tupelo, breaks her glasses. Winna is given a part of replacement glasses which just happened to magical glasses.
I was a bit confused as to some of the details. I believe this takes place in the early 1960s, but I fear wasn't clear to me exactly which state it took place. Vandalia? And the spectacles: Winna's grandfather, who had expertise in "Woodoo", gave her the glasses, but they belonged to Winna's grandmother's sister, Estelle, and the family curse was on Winna's grandmother's family?
There are some difficult topic in this: divorce, parental illness, bullying, racism, colorism and a deadly curse!
I like the fantasy bent. The resolution was somewhat satisfying; Don't want to give it away, but even with a fantasy bent, some practical aspects were far-fetched.
June 9, 2023
This is a sweet book inspired by Edward Eager but with its own magical twist. When a young girl's mother is sick, she comes to visit some relatives and receives a pair of magical eyeglasses. Through the gift of the glasses, she comes realize there is a family curse that may be making her mother sick, and it dates back to slavery times, when one of her ancestors was kidnaped as a baby from his mother. She finds she must work with her annoying boy cousin and her sweet grandfather to solve the mystery and lift the bad luck.
February 19, 2024
Winna's glasses break and she borrows a pair from her grandfather. The old-timey spectacles are magical, allowing her to see ghosts and giving her the power to make wishes based on "speculation," which means she has to ask, "What if..." and speculate something the spectacles might be able to grant her. Winna is a smart character, so she figures this ability out fairly quickly. She communicates with the ghost of her great-aunt Estelle, whose mother lost a child and is desperately searching for him, even beyond the grave. Winna is convinced this is why her own mother is sick and the doctors can't figure out why. There are some really hard-hitting moments where Winna has to grow up too fast: she talks with her mom over the phone while she's at the hospital; she tries to be brave for her little sister; she tries to stay out of trouble so her mom won't worry. Winna works together with her cousin to piece together the answer to the mystery while she also receives visions from the spectacles that show her that the missing child, Key, is now an old man. Since this takes place in the 60s, Winna does her best to reach out to people with her same last name via the mail. She starts losing hope, but then everything gets resolved in the end, the curse is lifted, and the mom recovers pretty much immediately.
I wasn't a fan of how quickly things resolved. I thought for sure the mom was still going to be sick, but I guess this is supposed to be a fantasy story set in a historical time period. There was one point where the magic was totally lost from the spectacles, which I thought was an interesting turn of events. I liked that Winna had to think around that problem, as well as the problem of how to contact people in an age without the internet.
Would I buy this for my 9th-grade classroom? Yes, although I do think this was meant for a younger audience than 9th grade. The book can lead to some good conversations, though. It does contain depictions of racist behavior and language from a group of boys who target Winna and her cousin.
I wasn't a fan of how quickly things resolved. I thought for sure the mom was still going to be sick, but I guess this is supposed to be a fantasy story set in a historical time period. There was one point where the magic was totally lost from the spectacles, which I thought was an interesting turn of events. I liked that Winna had to think around that problem, as well as the problem of how to contact people in an age without the internet.
Would I buy this for my 9th-grade classroom? Yes, although I do think this was meant for a younger audience than 9th grade. The book can lead to some good conversations, though. It does contain depictions of racist behavior and language from a group of boys who target Winna and her cousin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2025
This story was such a fun listen (audiobook). The characters shone, and so did the mystery. At first I was a little skeptical of the magic that the glasses had. It took a bit longer than I expected to get fully established.
That being said, I think it was worth it. The story was relatively short, but it still was an interesting tale of family and magic.
The way the magic worked through the glasses was interesting, from the writing system to the ghosts themselves, and beyond.
I would definitely recommend giving this book a read! Short, sweet, but I feel it packs a decent punch.
That being said, I think it was worth it. The story was relatively short, but it still was an interesting tale of family and magic.
The way the magic worked through the glasses was interesting, from the writing system to the ghosts themselves, and beyond.
I would definitely recommend giving this book a read! Short, sweet, but I feel it packs a decent punch.
November 19, 2022
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for a digital ARC. "Speculation" provides the reader with engaging characters, an intense mystery, family drama, historical insight and fantastical elements. For Middle-graders, this might be a bit difficult to place in terms of historic time period and the ending felt a bit rushed but, oh my, it was still such a treat to spend time in this world and with these characters. Due out 2/14/23.
June 23, 2023
Loved, loved, loved this book! It's got something for everyone, warm and relatable characters, solid writing, worthwhile info as an historical novel, and dashes of mystery mixed with fantasy. I agree that it would have been better if the author had mentioned earlier that the story is set in 1962, but overall the characters and plot elements more than make up for it. I know kids will enjoy this, and what a terrific way to learn a little more about slavery and the 1960s as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews