Thirteen-year-old bi-racial Malia lives in Indonesia with her Canadian mother. Since her Indonesian father died, her mother wants to return to Canada, but Malia wants to stay and continue her fight for the country’s rainforests. Indonesian Ari works in his uncle’s restaurant where the attractions are a mynah bird called Elvis Presley and an orangutan named Ginger Juice. Ari lives with his uncle so that he can attend an excellent middle school. He is worried that Ginger Juice lives in a too-small cage that is hurting her body and her mind and that her rainforest home is now a palm oil plantation. This story of animal activism in Indonesia is told from three perspectives – Mali, Ari, and even Ginger Juice. The engaging call to action shows readers that they, too, can change the world. The story will remind them of The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (2012). A map of Indonesia appears at the beginning of the book. Backmatter includes a glossary, information about orangutans, an author’s note, and suggestions for how we can help. mjw |
| Title: Berani Author: Michelle Kadarusman Publisher: Pajama Press, Inc. Toronto, Ontario, Canada Copyright: 2022 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77278-260-8 Hardcover pages: 224 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction, Novel Book setting: Indonesia Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Indonesia, Canada, Australia Awards: Author was a Governor General’s Award finalist Subjects: Activism, Animal rescue, Animal rights, Environmental responsibility, Indonesia, Orangutans, Palm oil plantations, Rainforests |
Berani
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After her parents’ divorce, ten-year-old Electra (Ellie) moves to a new town with her mother and older brother. She is a spunky and stubborn girl who wants to make friends at her new school. Unfortunately, all of her new classmates are into sports and her mother pushes her to join a sports team. She is clumsy, fails at every sport, and consequently gets bullied. One night she attends a ballet performance with her family and discovers that what she really wants to do is dance. A new boy at school helps her to realize her dream. This positive graphic novel for middle graders is filled with humor and energetic cartoon illustrations that will make young readers smile. mjw
When the lighthouse keeper is rescued from the stormy sea by a whale, they become friends. Soon, Blue the whale gets into danger, too. Blue is sick with a stomach full of plastic bags. The lighthouse keeper cleans up the trash, so Blue will feel better. Charming simple text and beautiful watercolor paintings introduce young readers to the impact of plastic waste on our oceans and ocean life. An author’s note includes ways that readers can protect whales and their habitats. mjw
As Sara walks to school in her island town, she sees a lot of birds trapped in a little house with a bright red roof. She is awed by the colored parakeets and she wants the birds to be free. The next day on her walk to school, she discovers that the door to the birdhouse is unlocked, and she opens it wide so the parakeets can take off. Sara is punished when her parents find out what she did. She worries that the freed birds may not know how to feed themselves. She goes to sleep that night and dreams that the birds will find their way. “All will be well, so long as the world has wings to dream.” The realistic illustrations in this story about love for nature and dreams for a better world were rendered in digital media. A publisher’s note gives information about Mauritius and the birds that live there. mjw
The French six-year-old narrator in this gorgeous picture book loves spending time in his Spanish grandfather’s incredible garden. The grandfather, Luis, left Spain because of the terrible war. He didn’t have a chance to be a kid, and he never learned to read and write. Together they watch birds. Luis speaks BIRD language. They also draw what they see in the magnificent garden. Luis is a great cook, too, making his house always smell good. Luis speaks in a vibrant and unique language, hence the title of the book, At the Drop of a Cat, and another phrase like “the apple of his pie.” At the end of the story, Luis gives his grandchild a guitar. Even though Luis cannot read or write, he imparts wonderful knowledge about nature and life to his grandchild. Dreamy, colorful, and rich, plant-filled pictures in watercolor and collage depict their natural world effectively
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