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When Giants Burn
In this “poignant” (Publishers Weekly), riveting middle grade novel that’s “a ‘Hatchet and Gretel story’” (Booklist), two unlikely friends fly off on an adventure they hope will set them free—only to learn the value of what they left behind.
Gerty has a She’s building an airplane. She wants to join the Civil Air Patrol, where pilots as young as twelve help with disaster relief—but she knows her parents would be outraged. They’re survivalists who raised her to be independent and only enrolled her in middle school to show her why they’ve decided to opt out of society. Still, Gerty is determined to protect her beloved Pando, a nearby ancient aspen forest.
Hayes has some problems of his own, but they aren’t the kind that can be hidden under a tarp. His mom is back from prison, but he’s not sure he’ll ever stop missing the mom she used to be. One thing is He’s never going to be like her. He follows the rules. But Gerty is the only person at school Hayes doesn’t hate, so after she tells him about her hidden plane, he helps her finish it.
When wildfires break out nearby, Gerty wants to fly to Pando and make sure it’s safe—and Hayes is tempted by the chance to escape everything on the ground. But the duo will soon realize that they can’t escape their roots—and that holding onto those connections might be the real key to survival.
Gerty has a She’s building an airplane. She wants to join the Civil Air Patrol, where pilots as young as twelve help with disaster relief—but she knows her parents would be outraged. They’re survivalists who raised her to be independent and only enrolled her in middle school to show her why they’ve decided to opt out of society. Still, Gerty is determined to protect her beloved Pando, a nearby ancient aspen forest.
Hayes has some problems of his own, but they aren’t the kind that can be hidden under a tarp. His mom is back from prison, but he’s not sure he’ll ever stop missing the mom she used to be. One thing is He’s never going to be like her. He follows the rules. But Gerty is the only person at school Hayes doesn’t hate, so after she tells him about her hidden plane, he helps her finish it.
When wildfires break out nearby, Gerty wants to fly to Pando and make sure it’s safe—and Hayes is tempted by the chance to escape everything on the ground. But the duo will soon realize that they can’t escape their roots—and that holding onto those connections might be the real key to survival.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2023
10 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Beth Vrabel
17 books154 followersBeth Vrabel is the author of Cyblis-nominated Caleb and Kit, ILA award-winning A Blind Guide to Stinkville, JLG-selection A Blind Guide to Normal, and The Reckless Club and Pack of Dorks series. She can't clap to the beat nor be trusted near Nutella. Beth loves traveling around the country to meet with young readers and writers, sharing a message of grit, resiliency and heart.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 20, 2025
4.5 rounded down
I loved this book (I really got lucky and ran into a RUN of really great middle grade books)! Great books for kids who will eventually love "Hatchet", "I Am Still Alive", and who loved "Island of the Blue Dolphins" or "My Side of the Mountain" - are you starting to get the theme? It's short (for me haha) and so well-developed and researched. Highly recommend.
I loved this book (I really got lucky and ran into a RUN of really great middle grade books)! Great books for kids who will eventually love "Hatchet", "I Am Still Alive", and who loved "Island of the Blue Dolphins" or "My Side of the Mountain" - are you starting to get the theme? It's short (for me haha) and so well-developed and researched. Highly recommend.
March 15, 2025
I enjoyed Beth Vrabel’s novel When Giants Burn. It has hints of Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, but the post-airplane crash survival story is only a third of the story. The rest also is post-crash, but crashes of a different sort: familial.
Many of the books I’ve read and enjoyed over the last several years have involved characters who embrace their vulnerabilities. Gerty, Hayes, and Tara do some of that work here, but the author ended the story before they could dig in as much as I hoped the characters would. Vrabel shared each of those characters’ (and others’) struggles with circumstances and applications of resilience strategies, but the book’s ending was more of a cliffhanger regarding their efforts than a conclusion.
I was impressed with the author’s understanding of fire ecology as related by characters and the narrator. As noted in her acknowledgments, she did her homework.
Speaking of the narrator, Vrabel weaves two 1st-person accounts: Gerty and Hayes. That dual storytelling was wonderful. For a couple chapters suggesting that supporting characters would take the microphone, she writes from an all-knowing narrator perspective. I would have preferred hearing “directly” from those supporting characters (including Pando), but I do appreciate the novel was written for teens rather than middle-aged readers. The complexity I wanted may not appeal to the target audience.
I also love when “my” books, although completely unrelated, connect to each other. These sentences from Vrabel that describe an aspen tree recall Heather McBogg’s Seed to Seedling: “Some trees drop their seeds right under them. They’ll keep the seedlings in their own shadow, ensuring they grow slowly but strongly. Wayward seedlings will shoot up too fast and spindly, likely to fall over. But the ones whose roots are closer will be strong enough when the matriarch topples to soar in the sunlight.”
I recommend this book.
Many of the books I’ve read and enjoyed over the last several years have involved characters who embrace their vulnerabilities. Gerty, Hayes, and Tara do some of that work here, but the author ended the story before they could dig in as much as I hoped the characters would. Vrabel shared each of those characters’ (and others’) struggles with circumstances and applications of resilience strategies, but the book’s ending was more of a cliffhanger regarding their efforts than a conclusion.
I was impressed with the author’s understanding of fire ecology as related by characters and the narrator. As noted in her acknowledgments, she did her homework.
Speaking of the narrator, Vrabel weaves two 1st-person accounts: Gerty and Hayes. That dual storytelling was wonderful. For a couple chapters suggesting that supporting characters would take the microphone, she writes from an all-knowing narrator perspective. I would have preferred hearing “directly” from those supporting characters (including Pando), but I do appreciate the novel was written for teens rather than middle-aged readers. The complexity I wanted may not appeal to the target audience.
I also love when “my” books, although completely unrelated, connect to each other. These sentences from Vrabel that describe an aspen tree recall Heather McBogg’s Seed to Seedling: “Some trees drop their seeds right under them. They’ll keep the seedlings in their own shadow, ensuring they grow slowly but strongly. Wayward seedlings will shoot up too fast and spindly, likely to fall over. But the ones whose roots are closer will be strong enough when the matriarch topples to soar in the sunlight.”
I recommend this book.
August 31, 2024
Beth Vrabel’s books have always resounded with me, especially Reckless Club, The Humiliations of Pippi McGee and The Newspaper Club. Her characters are realistic, deal with real life issues faced by kids everywhere, and are downright likable. In WHEN GIANTS BURN, Gerty is living off the grid with parents she calls by their first name and none of them talk about the heartbreaking catalyst that sent them to the woods. Hayes lives with his grandmother and younger brother but they have recently been joined by his ex-con, ex-firefighter mom. The two pre-teens are brought together regularly in the school counselor’s office and are not sure whether they are friends or not until Gerty shares a secret with Hayes and from then on, the plot zooms just like the ultralight plane the two of them crash in the woods as a fire rages towards them. Vrabel’s troubled main characters show both strength and weakness as they attempt to not only survive but find answers to significant questions in their lives. Readers in grades 4-7 are sure to stay on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen, cheering when good things happen and groaning at the less happy. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence of the human on human kind. WHEN GIANTS BURN will pair nicely with Controlled Burn (Erin Soderberg Downing), The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry (Shelly Brown/Chad Morris) and the classic Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.
Thanks for the access to an electronic arc, NetGalley.
Thanks for the access to an electronic arc, NetGalley.
March 19, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In a small, rural town of Rabbit, Utah, near Fishlake National Forest, Gerty and Hayes both have very difficult lives. After a famiky tragedy, Gerty's parents have embraced life "off the grid", demanded that she call them Alex and Jennifer, and have cut off ties with her grandmother, Nanny Pat. Gerty still talks to Nanny Pat, and the two share an interest in aviation and are building a plane. Hayes' mother was a firefighter in California, but became injured, addicted to pain mediciation, and spent time in jail for grand larceny. The two children meet in a support group at school, and Gerty soon brings Hayes into her plan to build an airplane. She also wants to travel to see Pando, a very old and massive tree with impressive roots, and join the same aviation watch organization that Nanny Pat had been in. Both children are fighting with their families for various reasons, and when Alex and Jennifer decide to move away, Gerty feels she needs to try out her plane and go to see Pando. She takes Hayes with her, but the flight is not successful, and soon the two of them are trying to survive not only a plane crash, but an encroaching fire. Will the two be able to survive, and to help put their families back together?
Strengths: I loved Nanny Pat, and the details about Hayes' mother fighting fires was really interesting. I have a dedicated e reader, so why shouldn't Hayes' mother have her own Pulaski? There are lots of good information about forests, aviation, and forest fires set against Gerty and Hayes' problems. The pair are rather unlikely friends, but take to each other well. There's plenty of action and adventure after they try to fly the plane, and some decent survival skills demonstrated as well. It cannot be said enough that we all should have backpacks with protein bars, water, and complete first aid kits before going farther afield than the grocery store.
Weaknesses: For some reason, I thought this was set during World War II. Gerty's name, perhaps, or the plane on the cover? It's set in the modern day. Also, while I am all for moving on past tragedies by ignoring them, parents have to be responsive to their children's reaction to loss, and Gerty's parents didn't take Gerty's emotions into consideration. They definitely fall into the category of dysfunctional, grieving middle grade parents, although Vrabel gets points for not just having them cower in bed.
What I Really Think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the friend relationship in this author's Caleb and Kit, liked the aviation aspects of Bowling's Across the Desert, or want a different look at forest fires Downing's Controlled Burn.
In a small, rural town of Rabbit, Utah, near Fishlake National Forest, Gerty and Hayes both have very difficult lives. After a famiky tragedy, Gerty's parents have embraced life "off the grid", demanded that she call them Alex and Jennifer, and have cut off ties with her grandmother, Nanny Pat. Gerty still talks to Nanny Pat, and the two share an interest in aviation and are building a plane. Hayes' mother was a firefighter in California, but became injured, addicted to pain mediciation, and spent time in jail for grand larceny. The two children meet in a support group at school, and Gerty soon brings Hayes into her plan to build an airplane. She also wants to travel to see Pando, a very old and massive tree with impressive roots, and join the same aviation watch organization that Nanny Pat had been in. Both children are fighting with their families for various reasons, and when Alex and Jennifer decide to move away, Gerty feels she needs to try out her plane and go to see Pando. She takes Hayes with her, but the flight is not successful, and soon the two of them are trying to survive not only a plane crash, but an encroaching fire. Will the two be able to survive, and to help put their families back together?
Strengths: I loved Nanny Pat, and the details about Hayes' mother fighting fires was really interesting. I have a dedicated e reader, so why shouldn't Hayes' mother have her own Pulaski? There are lots of good information about forests, aviation, and forest fires set against Gerty and Hayes' problems. The pair are rather unlikely friends, but take to each other well. There's plenty of action and adventure after they try to fly the plane, and some decent survival skills demonstrated as well. It cannot be said enough that we all should have backpacks with protein bars, water, and complete first aid kits before going farther afield than the grocery store.
Weaknesses: For some reason, I thought this was set during World War II. Gerty's name, perhaps, or the plane on the cover? It's set in the modern day. Also, while I am all for moving on past tragedies by ignoring them, parents have to be responsive to their children's reaction to loss, and Gerty's parents didn't take Gerty's emotions into consideration. They definitely fall into the category of dysfunctional, grieving middle grade parents, although Vrabel gets points for not just having them cower in bed.
What I Really Think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the friend relationship in this author's Caleb and Kit, liked the aviation aspects of Bowling's Across the Desert, or want a different look at forest fires Downing's Controlled Burn.
October 9, 2024
"When Giants Burn" is a gripping mix of adventure and realistic fiction that follows the lives of two middle schoolers, Gerty and Hayes, as they navigate personal struggles and a growing wildfire. Gerty, a headstrong and independent pre-teen, is secretly building an airplane, dreaming of joining the Civil Air Patrol to help with disaster relief. Her parents, staunch survivalists, would be horrified if they knew, as they’ve raised her to reject mainstream society. Gerty is also deeply connected to Pando, an ancient aspen forest, and feels a strong responsibility to protect it.
Hayes, on the other hand, is dealing with the emotional turmoil of his mother’s return from prison. He misses the person she used to be and vows never to follow in her footsteps. Despite his inner conflicts, Hayes finds solace in his friendship with Gerty, who becomes the only person he can relate to at school. When Gerty tells him about her airplane, Hayes becomes her unlikely partner in completing the project. Together, they are drawn into a dangerous adventure when wildfires threaten Pando and everything they care about.
The novel beautifully intertwines themes of resilience, friendship, and family, exploring the complex dynamics between Gerty, her survivalist parents, and her grandma and Hayes with his mom and brother. The threat of the wildfire serves as an intense backdrop, mirroring the internal battles each character faces as they try to protect what matters most to them.
The book is full of excitement and adventure, but its real strength lies in its exploration of interpersonal relationships, highlighting the bonds that connect us and the lengths we’ll go to preserve them.
Hayes, on the other hand, is dealing with the emotional turmoil of his mother’s return from prison. He misses the person she used to be and vows never to follow in her footsteps. Despite his inner conflicts, Hayes finds solace in his friendship with Gerty, who becomes the only person he can relate to at school. When Gerty tells him about her airplane, Hayes becomes her unlikely partner in completing the project. Together, they are drawn into a dangerous adventure when wildfires threaten Pando and everything they care about.
The novel beautifully intertwines themes of resilience, friendship, and family, exploring the complex dynamics between Gerty, her survivalist parents, and her grandma and Hayes with his mom and brother. The threat of the wildfire serves as an intense backdrop, mirroring the internal battles each character faces as they try to protect what matters most to them.
The book is full of excitement and adventure, but its real strength lies in its exploration of interpersonal relationships, highlighting the bonds that connect us and the lengths we’ll go to preserve them.
September 10, 2023
This novel is told in alternate chapters from the point of view of two different characters. Gerty lives with her mother, father and little sister in a cabin "off the grid". Her parents are survivalists, and her father is especially suspicious of the government and is ready to pack up and move at a moment's notice. Gerty misses the life they had before when they celebrated Christmas, had reliable running water, and she didn't have to sneak around to visit her pilot Grandmother. In fact, Gerty and her grandmother have a secret: they are building an ultralight airplane. Gerty is obsessed with flying and is considering joining the civilian air patrol (CAP). Still, with the types of parents she has, doing so looks highly impossible.
Our other narrator is Hayes. Hayes's mother has just been released from prison, and he is trying to do everything he can not to end up like her. He is especially suspicious and fears she may commit another crime when his mom invites one of her friends, a past inmate, to visit.
Gerty and Hayes meet in the school counselor's office when she attempts to help them build social skills, but neither kid is receptive to the idea. It is when Gerty shares her secret plans of building her plane and visiting Pando, an intricate system of trees originating from one organism believed to be one of the oldest on earth (Google Pando, it's fascinating!!!) that two of them form a friendship that will prove to one essential to the survival of them both.
A fast paced book full of adventure. One of my favourite Middle School reads this summer.
Our other narrator is Hayes. Hayes's mother has just been released from prison, and he is trying to do everything he can not to end up like her. He is especially suspicious and fears she may commit another crime when his mom invites one of her friends, a past inmate, to visit.
Gerty and Hayes meet in the school counselor's office when she attempts to help them build social skills, but neither kid is receptive to the idea. It is when Gerty shares her secret plans of building her plane and visiting Pando, an intricate system of trees originating from one organism believed to be one of the oldest on earth (Google Pando, it's fascinating!!!) that two of them form a friendship that will prove to one essential to the survival of them both.
A fast paced book full of adventure. One of my favourite Middle School reads this summer.
July 17, 2023
Well plotted and often suspenseful, this is a wonderfully layered story with interesting characters and the backdrop of life on the edge of civilization.
The novel, which alternates viewpoints between two friends, Gerty and Hayes, is about friendship, family, mistakes, forest fires, survival skills and more. Gerty and Hayes find themselves stuck together in middle school by the school therapist. Both friendless and dealing with unique and hard family situations they are initially reluctant friends but as their friendship deepens, so to does their courage. As with most middle grade stories, the main characters ultimately spend a lot of time figuring out who they are and what they want from life.
The novel, which alternates viewpoints between two friends, Gerty and Hayes, is about friendship, family, mistakes, forest fires, survival skills and more. Gerty and Hayes find themselves stuck together in middle school by the school therapist. Both friendless and dealing with unique and hard family situations they are initially reluctant friends but as their friendship deepens, so to does their courage. As with most middle grade stories, the main characters ultimately spend a lot of time figuring out who they are and what they want from life.
June 4, 2024
Gerty lives with her survivalist parents outside a tiny town in Utah. They are off the grid so Gerty has lots of camping and wilderness skills. In addition she is building an ultralight plane but her parents don't know about it - only her estranged grandma who lives next door and who is a pilot. Gerty becomes reluctant friends with a boy named Hayes who is in her counseling sessions at school. Circumstances and a forest fire strand Gerty and Hayes on the inaugural flight of the ultralight.
Great for fans of Hatchet
Lots of action and adventure. I appreciate how the friendship between Gerty and Hayes develops over time not instantaneously. There is lots of character development and growth. Would make a good book club/discussion book.
Great for fans of Hatchet
Lots of action and adventure. I appreciate how the friendship between Gerty and Hayes develops over time not instantaneously. There is lots of character development and growth. Would make a good book club/discussion book.
March 8, 2024
Two friendless misfits, outsmarting the well-meaning school psychologist: Gerty--homeschooled, her parent put her in school only to learn how messed up society is before they go totally off the grid, and Hayes--moved in with his grandmother when his mom went to jail for stealing a bracelet. Now she's out and he's tormented with fears and anger that won't get out of his head. Gerty has a secret--building an airplane, plans to join CAP (Civial Air Patrol) when she's old enough.
She has a dream to see Pando. and Hayes is haunted by the sight, when younger, of the barkless, dead Mother of the Forest (which also unnerved his mom).
She has a dream to see Pando. and Hayes is haunted by the sight, when younger, of the barkless, dead Mother of the Forest (which also unnerved his mom).
March 22, 2023
Beth Vrabel does it again with another wonderful middle grade book. When Giants Burn had me sitting at the edge of my seat wondering if Gerty and Hayes would escape not only the physical peril but also the emotional trauma that has been holding them back. What an exciting way to show middle grade kids that dealing with their emotions and leaning on trusted people can help so much. I highly recommend this book!
April 16, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
This was SUPER gripping. I love that it is all about finding balance between being strong on your own and also drawing strength from your community. Hayes and Gerty are such interesting characters with a lot of trauma and flaws, but ultimately they are wonderful kids just trying to survive in a tough world. Survival stories are always a hit with middle grade and this one is definitely a unique take on the genre.
This was SUPER gripping. I love that it is all about finding balance between being strong on your own and also drawing strength from your community. Hayes and Gerty are such interesting characters with a lot of trauma and flaws, but ultimately they are wonderful kids just trying to survive in a tough world. Survival stories are always a hit with middle grade and this one is definitely a unique take on the genre.
January 5, 2024
Maybe more like a 2.5....
I don't understand the comparisons to Hatchet - there's very little survival in this book, and I just didn't feel that full-body tension that I like when I'm reading an action story.
There were too many characters that tried to be a focus, and so it just shortchanged everyone. So little depth is afforded to Gerty's family situation, which is a huge shame.
I don't understand the comparisons to Hatchet - there's very little survival in this book, and I just didn't feel that full-body tension that I like when I'm reading an action story.
There were too many characters that tried to be a focus, and so it just shortchanged everyone. So little depth is afforded to Gerty's family situation, which is a huge shame.
December 18, 2023
4.5 stars
January 27, 2024
Loved it!
February 17, 2024
This ran to the top of my list this year. Realistic, heartwarming, predictable, and just an over all amazing book that I will revisit again and again.
September 30, 2025
4.5 rounded down. Nikki your goodreads reviews never lead me astray.
June 13, 2024
This one took me a really long time to get into. The ending was really good because it became a true survival story, but it took a while to get there.
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