Make Way For Monarchs Review: Middle-Grade Fiction Meets Environmental Awareness

 

"She's a monarch now," her mom said. "When we got here, she was just a caterpillar who was finding her footing." 

Make Way For Monarchs by Carolyn Armstrong follows two gifted twin sisters Sierra and Sydney. On a family trip to South America to witness the monarch butterflies’ winter migration, the story blends environmental education, adventure, and sibling dynamics against the backdrop of a breathtaking high-elevation habitat. 

As the twins explore this unique ecosystem, they uncover a troubling reality: “bad guys” are cutting down trees and threatening the monarchs’ fragile winter home. What begins as an educational hike quickly turns into a race against time. 

Sydney, who possesses an animal-speak ability, calls on unexpected allies, including the butterflies themselves, a trio of horses, and an adorable little dog to gather help. Sierra, on the other hand, relies on her scientific thinking and problem-solving skills to brainstorm practical solutions. Together, the sisters dodge mysterious drones and navigate danger around every corner as they attempt to protect the monarch sanctuary before it’s too late. 

For a middle-grade book, it’s clear that the story is written with its target readers in mind. Armstrong blends science facts into the adventure and touches on themes like environmental conservation, sibling relationships, different learning styles, and even a bit of parent-child tension. The Spanish vocabulary sprinkled throughout the story also adds a nice cultural layer and helps bring the setting to life. 

That said, while the goal behind the book is thoughtful and meaningful, the execution doesn’t always feel smooth. The story sits somewhere between a novel and a science lesson. Environmental topics like monarch conservation may feel less intimidating in more visual formats which are mostly used in books for younger readers, but here the book aims at older middle-grade readers and leans heavily on explanation. A lot of the dialogue is used to share information, which means the characters don’t always feel as dynamic or emotionally engaging as they could. 

The book also tries to balance the serious reality of environmental threats with an encouraging message that kids can truly make a difference. While that’s a wonderful goal, the balance doesn’t completely land. With adventure, science, culture, sibling growth, and activism all packed into one story, it can feel a bit overloaded at times, which affects the pacing and emotional payoff. 

There’s definitely a specific group of middle-grade readers, especially those who love science-heavy stories and care deeply about conservation, who may really enjoy this one. However, it might not have wide appeal. It’s a bit "informal" for most classroom science use and not quite strong enough stylistically to stand out as a literature study choice. 

Overall, Make Way For Monarchs is a well-intentioned environmental adventure that offers important themes and imaginative elements, but it doesn’t fully deliver the narrative depth or balance needed to engage a wider readership.