The River and the Book | TheBookSeekers

The River and the Book


No. of pages 144

Published: 2015

Great for age 12-18 years

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Combining magical realism and fable, this lyrical tale is the story of a landscape and community destroyed by Western greed.From the internationally bestselling author of the high fantasy series The Books of Pellinor comes a powerful story about the exploitation of indigenous people by the First World. Endorsed by Amnesty International as contributing to a better understanding of human rights, this poetic coming-of-age story combines magical realism and fable, and features beautiful black-and-white chapter illustrations. Simbala's village has two treasures: the River, their road and their god; and the Book, their history, their oracle and their soul. Simbala is a Keeper of the Book, the latest in a long line of women who can use it to find answers to the villagers questions. As developers begin to poison the River on which the villagers rely, the Book predicts change. But this does not come in the form that they expect; it is the sympathetic foreigner who comes to the village who inflicts the greatest damage of all.

 

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards

This book has been graded for interest at 12 years.

There are 144 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2015 by Walker Books Ltd .

Alison Croggon is an award-winning poet. She has also written extensively for the theatre. Alison lives in Melbourne with her family.

 

This book has been nominated for the following award:

Environment Award for Children's Literature
This book was recognised by the Environment Award for Children's Literature.

This lyrical tale is the story of a landscape and community destroyed by Western greediness. * The Bookseller Children's Buyer's Guide *

 

This is a powerful and moving story about the exploitation of indigenous people by the First World. * Parents in Touch *

 

The book is a slim one and yet manages to encompass Simbala's journey beautifully. [...]I recommend this book for teachers who wish to teach their students about the deeper issues of exploitation and disparate power among people. I recommend this book also for people looking for an unforgettable tale about a strong woman who takes what courage she has and forges a path of her own, meeting different people and learning to think beyond her horizons. Strongly recommended. * The Book Wars blog *