Description
A sister and brother face the hardest year of their lives and discover the healing power of nature in this compelling tale from master storyteller Paul Jennings.
Emily loves the bush and the native animals on her family's reforested property, particularly the beautiful rainbow lorikeets that nest in one of the tallest trees. But then her father is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and Emily's world enters a tailspin.
Her twin brother, Alex, refuses to accept the truth. His coping mechanism is to build elaborate additions to his treehouse in the superstitious belief that it will avert disaster - leaving Emily to deal with harsh reality on her own.
When Alex secretly adopts a feral kitten, going against everything that's important to Emily, the siblings' emotions reach boiling point - with potentially dangerous consequences for them all.
A moving story of family, loss and love, from one of Australia's most beloved storytellers.
Review
Set in rural Australia, Emily loves nature and she loves the sanctuary for native flora and fauna that her father began after the death of his wife years earlier.
Now 15, Emily doesn’t always agree with her twin brother Alex. But when their father is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and Alex secretly adopts a feral kitten, she is furious. A feral kitten is the last thing that the birds and native animals need, and goes against everything that they are working towards.
With the help of her father as well as the cute 18-year-old local ranger, who Emily has a bit of a crush on, she starts to understand that we all have our differences and our own different coping mechanisms, but that ultimately we need to love and support those around us in tough times.
Tackling themes of sustainability and native wildlife, the problems caused by introduced species, as well as grief and loss, the importance of family, and especially the love and comfort that they can provide us in tough times, this is a thought-provoking read. It is a great book for all middle grade readers, that is particularly suited to reluctant lower secondary readers, although it could equally well be used as a discussion starter for upper primary classes.
Reviewed by Rob
