The Burning Season

by Caroline Starr Rose

In this coming-of-age survival story in verse, a fire lookout-in-training must find her courage when a wildfire breaks out on her watch.

Twelve-year-old Opal is deathly afraid of fire. Still Opal is preparing to become a fourth-generation lookout on Wolf Mountain, deep in the New Mexico wilderness. She, Mom, and Gran live at ten thousand feet in a single room at the top of a fire tower. They are responsible for spotting any hint of smoke before it becomes an uncontrollable blaze.

Instead of training for the lonely life of a lookout, Opal wishes she could be starting seventh grade in Silver City, attending real classes with kids her own age and even going to afterschool clubs like FFA. But Wolf Mountain has other ideas. When Mom makes the long trek to town for supplies and Gran goes missing, Opal is the only one to spot a tell-tale spiral of smoke moving up the mountainside. She’ll have to be braver than she’s ever been as she heads into the woods, beyond Wolf Ridge’s old blackened burn scar, to face down a fire on her own. But when a fire is what took her father away, and Opal herself knows the sting of smoke and lick of flames, how can she be brave enough when it really counts?

Genres: Middle Grade, Poetry, Novel In Verse, Realistic Fiction, Adventure, Audiobook, Survival

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 2025

About the author

Caroline Starr Rose is a middle grade and picture book author whose books have been ALA-ALSC Notable, Junior Library Guild, ABA New Voices, Kids’ Indie Next, Amazon’s Best Books of the Month for Kids, and Bank Street College of Education Best Books selections. In addition, her books have been nominated for almost two dozen state award lists. Caroline was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start Author for her debut novel, May B. She spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico and taught social studies and English in four different states. Caroline now lives with her family in her hometown, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Reviews

[Carey]

It was clear to me throughout The Burning Season that the author is very passionate about preserving forests, honoring Indigenous history and traditions related to environmentalism, and introducing younger readers to the realities of climate change. I also appreciated the book's emphasis on emergency preparedness and the idea that working through our fears can help us grow. Where the novel ultimately lost me was in its portrayal of the adults.

Nearly every major conflict in Opal's journey stems from the decisions of the adults around her. As a result, many of the challenges she faces felt less like natural obstacles and more like consequences from the choices of adults around her. What I found especially frustrating was that, despite creating these situations, the adults rarely seemed willing to acknowledge their own responsibility. Instead, much of the blame or guilt was shifted onto Opal. That dynamic undercut what I think were otherwise thoughtful messages about resilience, courage, and preparing for emergencies. Although I appreciated the novel's environmental themes and its clear respect for Indigenous knowledge, I ultimately found the characterization of the adults too frustrating to fully connect with the story.

[Linda Jackson]

EXCELLENT book! Check out my review on Teen Librarian Toolbox:
https://teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2025...

[Erin Downing]

Really, really enjoyed this spare novel in verse that packs a big punch, story- and character-wise. An intriguing premise, about a girl who’s destined to be a 4th generation fire-spotter, having grown up - living with and learning from her Mom and Grandma - at the top of a fire tower deep in the Gila Wilderness.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Death of a father recounted
Hospitalisation for injury
Smoke spotting (theme) with discussions of wildfires

[Shannon]

An inspiring middle grade novel in verse about Opal, a 12 year old junior fire watcher in training who is secretly afraid of fire but braves it when her grandmother is in danger. Set in the wilds of New Mexico, this was a tale of bravery and courage and includes a great author's note at the end. Highly recommended for young readers wanting to learn more about the dangers of fire seasons and the ways people work hard to prevent and fight wildfires.

[Bethe]

5 stars.
New Mexico
2 burros
Opal’s 12th birthday will learn to be a smokespotter for forest service like her mother and grandmother and great aunt
Parents were smoke jumpers, dad died after she was born
Loves her home in the tower but wants to go to middle school in town - a 2 day hike away
Opal perhaps is afraid of fire? Yes, her secret, does she want to carry on the family work?
What other force of nature births a forest through destruction?
Action packed, tense
Don’t run from fear or push it away
Can’t lose hope, who else is here to keep it?
Maybe brave doesn’t mean you’re not afraid. Maybe brave means trying anyway.
Use my fear to battle back
Interesting author note, some fire towers added to national register of historic places
May we all learn to listen To the land. let us care enough to do so.

[Chloe the MovieCritic]

I struggled with this a lot because I am not a fan of books told through poems because I'm not a huge fan of poetry in general. While it was a bit of a slog for me through the daily life portions, the poetry style did lend itself to the climax as with adrenaline pumping I could well believe that Opal's thoughts were parsed out like poetry.

And it was really fun to get glimpses of New Mexico because things like green chile and chollo and arroyos stand out to me now that I visited the state this year!

// Read for the 2025 Homeschool Book Award //

[Diana]

So lovely

2025 Pippi Post Reader Roulette - Read a Book Written in Verse

[Christine Fowler]

Novel in verse that creates the vivid, urgent tone of wildfires. Four generations of strong female characters. Middle-grade survival story. As part of the genre, the young protagonist runs off solo taking risks.

[Gabrielle Stoller]

We are quickly heading into wildfire season. I feel like anyone who lives on the western side of the Mississippi braces for it every year. So imagine how it felt to read a novel in verse and twelve years old Opal, whose female ancestors have all been fire watchers...
and now Opal is being trained to do the same

only thing is that Opal kind of wants nothing to do with it, as she has been scared of fire since getting too closely caught in a blaze......and losing her father to a wildfire.

As one might imagine, Opal does have to face her fears and does so in a pretty impressive way. she is a strong protagonist that both boy and girl readers will root for. As will fans of Gary Paulsen's books (and pay attention for a shout-out to them!)

This book is a very solid 3.5 stars for me, a quick read that I will be recommending a lot this year.

[TheNextGenLibrarian]

A brave fire lookout-in-training takes on a wildfire in search of her grandmother.
🔥
Opal is afraid of fire, but can’t change the destiny that’s already been laid out for her. She’s a fourth-generation lookout on Wolf Mountain where she, her mom, and grandmother live at the top of a fire tower in a single room. Opal would much rather be attending school with kids her age and joining clubs. When Opal’s mom heads off on her trek for supplies and her grandmother goes missing, Opal summons her courage and fear of fire to find her at all costs.
🔥
This MG adventure novel in verse is a quick read that’s based on several real people and events (be sure to read the Author’s Note). It would be great to pair with Spark by Chris Baron, Two Degrees by Alan Gratz or Controlled Burn by Downing.

CW: Fire, parental death (recounted), injury, hospitalization, grief

[Makayla]

The adventure/survival story lovers are gonna eat this up. (its me, im survival story lover) And I love the emphasis on how our good intentions led to creating the wildfire monsters we have today.

[Tyffany]

This was a great story! I really felt the suspense the entire story. I didn’t realize how hard this life style could be. Very scary, but noble. Great read!!

[Grace Anna]

Read for the 2025 Homeschooled Voices Book Award!
This short, yet intense novel in verse follows young Opal through a pivotal episode of her life, one where she grows in her courage and prepares to face the wider world. Like three generations of women before her, the twelve-year-old lives in a remote fire lookout tower in the Gila wilderness of New Mexico. Opal's mom and Gran have spent their whole lives finding and fighting fires, and they are training Opal to do the same. But Opal has some secrets- the worst one being that she's afraid of fire. Fire took her dad away when she was little, and she is still haunted by traumatic memories of another wildfire that threatened her home four years prior. Her other secret is that she desperately wants to attend seventh grade in the fall. Sure, she can do her schoolwork at home and even call a teacher if she needs help, but Opal wants more. She wants to see her friends Vince and Jacob more than a few times year, meet other kids, join activities. Mom and Gran refuse saying she's too young. Before Opal can decide what to do, she suddenly finds herself in crisis. While Mom is in town, Gran goes for a hike and doesn't return. Opal sets out to find her. Then she sees it. A plume of smoke rises from the forest nearby. By the time help arrives it could be too late. Opal must face her fears alone.

The Burning Season is a fast-paced compelling story that I think could appeal to a middle-grade audience. I especially appreciated the descriptions of nature, and the potential this book has to educate readers about wildfires. I have mixed feelings about the verse format. I think it fits well with the fast-paced action scenes, but some of the poems in this book just seem like normal prose chopped up into little lines. Like with other novels-in-verse I have read, I wonder if this story could have been told better in a mixture of short chapters and poems, instead of forcing it all into verse format.

Unfortunately, the homeschooling representation in this book left me underwhelmed. It doesn’t stand out as being particularly fresh or authentic. Considering that real fire watchers don't even live in their towers year-round, it seems like homeschooling was just added to this story as a plot device, so traditional school could be Opal's goal, the thing she "earns" through her bravery. This bothers me in two ways. On one hand, it is true that not all homeschooled children see being homeschooled as a problem they need to overcome. But if an author is going to write about a neglected homeschooler, I want them to commit to fully exploring that situation. Opal has been subjected years of extreme childhood isolation, where she might realistically go several months without seeing anyone other than Mom and Gran. The consequences of this are just her being a bit lonely. She isn't portrayed as having developmental delays or social skills issues despite having been deprived of exposure to the outside world that most children can access (even many homeschooled children in cities). I also don't like that Opal has to do something extraordinary just for her guardians to deem her worthy of attending school. She was old enough for school when she was five. Her guardians selfishly chose to keep her somewhere with no access to a school or a homeschool community. Opal shouldn't have to fight a fire to earn socialization, which is basically what happens in this book.

[Summer Reading]

I enjoy books in verse, and I've always been fascinated with fire lookouts and their towers, so this book was right up my alley.

I did have to suspend my disbelief about Opal and family living full time in their tower - unlikely and very difficult in winter with no insulation. But I liked the multi-generational aspect of this story and the arc of Opal's character.

The climax was exciting and well-written, but not something that is generally recommended when dealing with a fire as an amateur!

[Emily McKee]

Quick verse novel about a girl who lives year round as a fire look-out in New Mexico. I appreciate books that teach readers about a unique or unusual place/time/experience, so despite a bit too much drama for my taste (and my weariness for verse novels), I’d recommend this for kids who like survival stories or the outdoors.

[Caroline Moy]

picked up this book at a mini library leading up to the beach because it was about the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, it was written entirely in verse and followed the newly 12-year-old Opal who began training from her gran in forest fire lookout, really enjoyed the dynamics in this book and there was relatively good tension buildup, also learned a lot at the end of the book about fire management and might read more into the subject

[Maggie Carr]

Middle Grade Novels in Verse are quickly moving up my list of genres I never turn down. The emotions match the pace and thought process of the characters. This one has history, climate issues, some suspense, and sense of belonging and/or being left out all tied into the story arc.

[Mrs. Olson]

Excellent adventure story in verse!

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens]

A fire lookout-in-training must find her courage when a wildfire breaks out on her watch in this riveting survival story in verse perfect.

[Luminous Reads]

This novel in verse follows the story of twelve-year-old Opal, a junior fire watcher in the wilds of New Mexico. A fascinating look into the history and legacy of those who have protected the land through generations, Opal's story is one of family, bravery, survival, and confronting fears.

[Jennifer K]

3.75

[Jamie]

3.5 definitely do the audio!

[Megan Mann]

I didn’t realize this was the same author as Blue Birds! I absolutely LOVED that book, so I’m not surprised by how much I enjoyed this one.

This is a great story about a fire lookout in training and how she fears fire tremendously. How do you watch for fires when you fear them? How can you know that this is the path for YOU if you’re told it is because generations have done it?

An incredible look at nature and our part in it. Loved it.

[Sam]

First of all: the cover? Beautiful.

The Burning Season by Caroline Starr Rose introduces readers to Opal, a 12-year-old girl who lives at a fire tower with her mother and grandmother. Opal is about to start training to become a fourth-generation lookout, someone responsible for giving our warnings of any fires before they spread into something uncontrollable and dangerous. The only problem? Ever since she faced her first big wildfire years earlier, Opal has been terrified of anything to do with fire watching.

This is a great book to introduce kids to the concept of identity - Opal's future has almost entirely been written out for her since she was born, and now she struggles with wanting to change the destiny her parents have already decided on for her. As a novel in verse, it is also a fairly quick read for most students and will hold their attention well. And at least in my school, my students absolutely love and devour any kind of survival story. Opal's story is left open near the end, and I'd be curious to follow her journey in a sequel, or to learn more about her ancestors in a prequel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for the advanced copy to review!

[Ben Bulkeley]

MAN.
I wanted to like this book. As someone who lived in the west, who covered wildfires, who finds fire towers an integral part of the image and iconography of the American West (and as someone who ADORED Firewatch!) I was primed to enjoy this novel.
I just couldn't. I didn't like any of the characters. The mother/grandmother flip between indifference and anger to the main character; both leave her, alone, in the wilderness at one point. They become angry with her because she wants to live a normal, pre-teen life among other children (and away from her greatest fear, WHICH IS FIRE), and they just seem.... static.
The last third of the novel, where character growth normally is showcased, becomes a hectic, frantic, jumbled race to... do what, exactly? The action scenes and direction feel so jumbled that it is hard to follow.
I really liked Opal; she's pleasant enough to be around, but everything else here feels like a miss for me.

[Lori]

Excellent coming of age story with a relatable protagonist and solid sense of place- the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. I love me a book where the setting is such a palpable presence.

[Ms. Yingling]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this novel in verse, Opal is turning twelve, which means that she will begin to take lessons on how to be a smoke spotter from her grandmother, and become the fourth generation of women in her family to keep an eye on the Mangas Mountains from the Wolf Mountain station. Her great aunt Dor was the first female lookout in 1915, and Opal's grandmother and mother have both held the position. Her father was a smoke jumper who died when Opal was five. It's lonely at the top of the mountain, living in a 15" by 15" cabin, and even getting supplies requires a two day hike to nearby Cielito... and everything must be brought back in a backpack! Opal has two friends in town, twins Jacob and Vince Trujillo, whose father Mark works for the forest service, and after spending time with them, she would love to live with the family and attend La Plata Middle School. Her mother doesn't want to send her just yet, and picks up homework when she goes into town. Opal also can use the satellite phone to talk to a retired teacher for help. After her birthday cake, her mother sets off to Silver City, leaving Opal to begin her training. Her grandmother shows her to always hold onto the binocular straps, and how to use equipment and make reports. Opal is worried about fire, since her family had to be evacuated, and she's been too close to the fires several times, but she understands the seriousness of her family's responsibilities. When her mother doesn't make it to town for several days, her grandmother says it is likely because of the rain, but it is still a concern. When Opal accidently breaks the binoculars, she doesn't want to tell her grandmother. When she finally does, her grandmother takes a walk to cool down... and doesn't come back by nightfall. Not only that, but Opal has seen some smoke, and the last batteries for the phone have died. Not only that, but there is a storm approaching. Opal sets off with some supplies to look for her grandmother, and finally finds her. She's hurt her ankle in the stream, and Opal manages to contact Mark, who sends someone up to help. Worried about the fire, she tries to get back to report, and worries that the fire will get to her grandmother. After a fall that causes her to lose her backpack, she ends up fighting small fires by herself before help arrives. Will this quick thinking convince her mother that she should be allowed to go to middle school, or encourage her mother to keep her on Wolf Mountain.
Strengths: This is based on several real people and events, but with some poetic license. I loved that there was a great-aunt who was a pioneer in the Forest Service, and that the family felt strongly about keeping the area safe. Of course Opal wants to do that... but she also would like to be able to walk to the library and check out a pile of books or hang out with friends. There are lots of details about previous fires, and about how forest management has changed over the years; this is something more tweens need to know. Of course everything goes wrong at once; I was just surprised there wasn't a bear attack thrown in there! The best part of the book was Opal fighting the fires on her own. It was very intense. This ends on a happy note, and it was interesting to see all of the people behind the scenes who were helping Opal and her family. The author's notes on the area and fires were very interesting as well.
Weaknesses: I would have loved more details about the cabin and living on the top of a mountain! How did the grandmother bake that delicious chocolate cake? Since my daughter once lived off the grid in a tiny house, I know many of the accomodations that would have to be made, but young readers may not and would be enthralled with details about composting toilets and solar heated showers!
What I really think: Add this to the list of books that make it impossible for me to go out into any kind of wilderness without extreme back up, along with Downing's Just Keep Walking, Philbrick's Wild River, Behren's Alone in the Woods, and Goeble's Back Country. Books about forest fires that would go nicely with this book include Downing's Controlled Burn, Vrabel's When Giants Burn, and Marrin's nonfiction When Forests Burn.

[Faith Elizabeth Hough]

Unpopular bookish opinion: I don't care for most novels in verse. 

I've always been a lover of poetry, but verse novels didn't feel like poetry to me, so for a long time I didn't even see the point.

Then Caroline Starr Rose won me over.

Her book, May B., was a verse novel with a really good reason for being told that way.

The main character struggles to read, and her story is small but dramatic and poignant, with a wide emotional arc. All those reasons made its format make sense, and the writing was beautiful. I loved it.

I felt the same way about Rose's second verse novel, Blue Birds, about the friendship between a Roanoke girl, Kimi, and English settler, Alis. Because the girls don't speak one another's languages, the sparse verse made total sense to me and allowed me to fall into the story without being distracted by the format. 

So of course when I found out Caroline Starr Rose had a new verse novel coming out, you know I jumped right on the chance to read it! The Burning Season is possibly my favorite of her verse novels, with a realistic and relatable main character in a setting and situation very different from my life.

Like Rose's previous novels in verse, The Burning Season makes perfect sense in this format. The verses are an excellent medium to tell a fairly "small" story, of a girl training to become a Wildfire spotter despite her deep fear of fire. The swings from quiet introspection and normal life hopes to the high drama of raging fires and missing family members are perfectly mirrored by the shape and structure of each poem.

Additionally, the sense of place in this novel is as much a part of the story as the plot. The poems bring the Gila Wilderness to life with a subtlety and clarity that perhaps only a poem can provide.

So if you're not a big fan of novels in verse…you're not alone. But give this one a try.

[Jessica Lawson]

I have read all of Caroline Starr Rose's published books, and I almost always say this about her work, but this is my new CSR favorite. The Burning Season is about Opal, a young girl who is a fourth generation fire lookout in the Gila Wilderness. While she loves her home and is inspired by her mother and grandmother, she longs to go to public school instead of living in an isolated room year-round.

This novel-in verse is a master class in pacing, plotting, and emotional arcs. I finished it in one sitting for a reason--I couldn't put it down. Each poem has purpose, to both deliver on escalating danger, vulnerability, emotional growth, and to deliver tidbits about fire management and humanity's role in protecting nature (these last parts are done subtly and are woven into the story in a way that makes them seem effortless rather than didactic, and there is also a section after the final pages that offers valuable details about those things).

12-year-old Opal is sensitive and brave, and when she begins her lookout training with her grandmother, the reader truly feels her inner conflict~ because Opal is afraid of fire. She lost her father to a wildfire, and can't help but be scared of the thing that brought so much grief to her family.

The climax builds tensely as Opal is separated from her mother and grandmother, and when a wildfire breaks out, she knows that her time has come to help save the life she's been building all these years. Each scene is so visceral and well-done. I'm constantly impressed by verse authors, who manage to pack so much into so little text. In a word, this story is beautiful. Meaningful. Thrilling. Important.

Please read it.