TWO PLAYS

In “Wild Girl, Wild Boy,” Elaine Grew’s father encouraged her to “Crawl deep into the wilderness. Go on. Get lost in there.” Since her father’s death, Elaine has indeed been lost in the wilderness of her own mind and grief, and her bizarre behaviors earn the derision of her classmates, who call her loony, daft and crazy. There’s hope though when she hears her father say, “Time to come back out,” and her mother decides to meet her on her own terms. Unusual but oddly likable and haunting. A fine afterword offers advice to young readers and writers. Less successful is “Skellig: The Play,” which suffers in comparison to the novel. Telling so much through narrators distances the story, which never comes alive and seems choppy and stilted next to the rich, layered, magical original. Teachers will see an opportunity here for performance, but reading the real thing aloud would be a richer experience. (Fiction. 8-12)