Bree Barton

Bree Barton writes fiction for young readers that combines emotional candor with speculative ideas. Zia Erases the World is her middle-grade debut and follows sixth grader Zia, a gifted maker of words who privately calls her depression Shadoom. When she discovers her Greek grandmother's mysterious C. Scuro Dictionary and its enchanted blue eraser, she learns that removing a word from the book can remove the thing itself from everyone's experience. Erasing fear and pain seems helpful at first, but their absence creates new dangers and forces Zia to reconsider what difficult feelings do. Viking Books for Young Readers issued it in April 2022 for readers aged eight to twelve. Definitions opening the chapters reinforce its central interest in language, while Zia's mother, grandmother, and friends keep the magical premise grounded in family and community. Barton turns wordplay into a compassionate account of asking for help, showing that naming an emotion may be part of understanding it rather than giving it control.