THE ANTIDOTES

In debut author Mechael’s middle-grade series starter, a team of fifth graders use their aptitude for science to keep their families, friends, and others safe.

Marylander Girgis “Gir” Orenson-Gobrial is a whip-smart, headstrong boy with his marine biologist father’s knack for science. Gir starts to be concerned when his talkative dad is eerily quiet one morning before asking Gir about an important-sounding missing research notebook. After his father mentions that dangerous plastic-eating bacteria are releasing toxins into Chesapeake Bay, Gir becomes very concerned, and so does his classmate Izi, a timid girl who recently moved to the United States from Japan. Together, the pair found the Antidotes, a team of passionate kids who all got through a recent unspecified pandemic and who swear to do all they can to keep anything similar from happening. They find creative ways to raise awareness and stop the spread of illness. Over the course of this novel, the characters, both children and adults, feel sympathetic and real, and readers of all ages will find someone who’s relatable in these pages. Mechael’s timely, poignant, and urgent novel grapples with familiar issues that have plagued the entire planet in the past few years as well as serious problems that may lie ahead. It comes complete with pictures, maps, charts, as well as accessible explanations of potential solutions to environmental issues. The novel also effectively touches on other serious themes, including gender bias and corporate greed. Mechael seems to understand what it was like to be a concerned preteen in recent years—although, notably, neither Covid-19 nor a specific year is ever named in the novel. Overall, though, the story provides cautious hope for the future.

An important, appropriate novel for young readers in a rapidly changing world.