Pencilvania by Stephanie Watson

Zora and her little sister are dealing with profound loss and trying to adjust to their new home with their grandmother. Instead of the outpouring of art and creative expression that Zora has been known for since she was old enough to hold a crayon, she is unable to draw. All she feels is sadness and rage and nothing anyone says or does is helping. Then she and her sister are pulled into the magic world of Pencilvania where her drawings come to life. All is not well there and Zora must find her "voom" to save her sister and get back into their world. Grief, family and creative expression are all central themes and the cute illustrations do much to add to the story. This feels like a hybrid graphic novel/fiction for younger middle grade readers and will appeal to those kids who are never without paper and a pencil.  3 stars