The Town with No Mirrors

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

A moving, innovative middle grade that asks: Can you know who you are if you don't know what you look like?

Zailey has never seen her own face. She's never seen her reflection, or a photo of herself, or even a drawing. Here at Gladder Hill, cameras and mirrors are banned, words like "beautiful" and "ugly" aren't in the dictionaries, and it's wrong to talk—or even think—about anyone's appearance, including one's own. People are happier at Gladder Hill—or so Zailey's been taught—so her fascination with her classmates' faces is a guilty secret. She starts to wonder about the world outside the community, the past she can't quite remember, and most of all, what she looks like. When a fateful event leads Zailey beyond the gates of Gladder Hill, she finally has a chance to have her questions answered. But is she prepared for the truth?

About the Author

CHRISTINA COLLINS grew up in Massachusetts and now lives in Northern Ireland, where she's always on the lookout for castle ruins and secret gardens. She holds a PhD from Queen's University Belfast and an MFA from George Mason University, both in creative writing. Her debut novel, After Zero, was a 2019 NCTE/CLA Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts. Visit her website at christinacollinsbooks.com.