What would happen if every grown-up in town fell asleep and the kids were left in charge? A great pick for fans of A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff and Greenglass House by Kate Milford or any reader seeking a quirky mystery with a big helping of silliness.   The most important tradition in tiny St. Polonius is the annual Tasting of the Sacred Bear Liver. Each citizen over twelve must eat one bite of liver to prevent the recurrence of the Great Hibernation, when the town founders fell asleep for months.   This year is Jean Huddy’s first time to taste the liver. It doesn’t go well.   A few hours later, all the adults fall into a sleep from which they cannot be woken, and the kids are left to run things. At first, they have a blast. But then the town bullies take over the mayor’s office and the police force, and pretty soon Jean begins to suspect that this “hibernation” was actually engineered by someone in town.   Courage, teamwork, and scientific smarts unlock an unusual mystery in this delightful and funny story about one girl who inspires the kids around her to join together to save their home.   “ Definitely will not induce drowsiness . Utterly original.” — Adam Rex, author of The True Meaning of Smekday and the Cold Cereal Saga   “Imagine Lord of the Flies as a comedy set in snowy terrain and you have The Great Hibernation: a hilarious, whip-smart page-turner you don’t want to miss.” — Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, New York Times bestselling author of Book Scavenger and The Unbreakable Code Selected for the 2018 Spirit of Texas Reading Program for Middle School CCBC Choices Gr 4–8—In a small, insular Nordic town with seemingly harmless, quaint traditions, the children find themselves in a police state under a devious and manipulative kid mayor when all the adults suddenly and inexplicably fall into comas. Self-doubting and awkward Jean, 12, knows she must look for allies and uncover the truth. She and her small band of heroes are thwarted right and left, and readers will empathize with the characters as they encounter injustice. Dairman creates a sense of urgency and brings the work to a satisfying conclusion. The scenes are concise and well formed, grouped into chapters ending with a new question or realization that adds to the suspense. The trope of children without adult supervision or guidance leads to memorably humorous situations when the kids take on their parents' jobs (e.g., the plow driver's son who can't see over the steering wheel), as do the antics of a pet sheep. A friendship between Jean and Isara, who is from Thailand and the only immigrant in this mostly white community, emphasizes the theme of friendship in spite of differences. VERDICT Lighthearted enough to entice readers with the silly premise and whimsical illustrations sprinkled throughout, this middle grade book nonetheless explores some rather important political ideas about individuality and the need for a balance of powers in governance. A strong selection for most middle grade shelves.—Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC If all the adults had fallen asleep when Tara Dairman was twelve, she would have gone straight to the library to read about far-flung places. Now that she’s an adult herself, Tara travels far and wide and has visited more than ninety countries. She has a BA in creative writing from Dartmouth College and is the author of the All Four Stars series of foodie adventures for young readers. Visit her online at taradairman.com, or follow @TaraDairman on Twitter. Chapter 1       The bear was dead.   Or was supposed to be by now, anyway. The eight-year-old boy in the bear suit still danced across the stage, roaring and clutching his stomach. “ARRRR!”   In the audience, Jean Huddy stifled a laugh. She looked up at her brother, Micah, onstage in his seventeenth-century-seafarer costume. He was trying not to laugh, too.   Micah was playing Captain Polonius--the hero of The Founders’ Story--but everyone knew that the best role was the bear. When Jean was in third grade, it had gone to her best friend, Katrin Ash. Katrin had transformed herself into a wild animal, but now Micah’s own best friend, Axel Gorson, was giving her performance a run for its money.   “AIEEEE!” With one final spin, Axel collapsed at Micah’s feet. The audience cheered. Micah knelt, pulled a sponge soaked in red thistleberry juice out of a hidden pocket in the bear suit, and held the fake “liver” high up over his head. He then tore it into pieces and passed it out among his classmates, who were playing shipwrecked sailors. They pretended to gobble the liver down, chorusing “Yum!” and smiling.   The audience cheered louder, but Jean didn’t join in. She knew what was coming after the play. On Founders’ Day, the citizens of St. Polonius-on-the-Fjord really did eat a bite of bear liver--but no one said “Yum!” Bear liver smelled like a wet dog and, from what Jean had heard, tasted even worse. Every resident who was a