Music for Tigers

April 3, 2020

Gr 5-7-The last place Louisa wants to be for the summer is the middle of the Tasmanian bush with an uncle she barely knows. She should be back home in Canada, relentlessly practicing violin for her orchestra audition. But with her biologist parents studying a frog habitat away from home, Louisa finds herself halfway around the world on an unrequested adventure. She always considered herself a musician and quite unlike her animal crazy family, but will the summer uncover secrets about the past to change her mind? Could it be her musical talents run deeper in her family line than she ever expected? And then there is Colin, a boy with autism spectrum disorder who is overflowing with knowledge about her new surroundings but oblivious about how to handle his bullies. Saving the last of a supposedly extinct species, caring for baby Tasmanian devils, facing her fears, and standing up for what's right are just a few of the adventures in store for Louisa. This is a well-told and timely story, which gently but firmly addresses topics such as environmental impact, endangered species, neurodiversity, friendship, bullying, and being your best self. Some of the vocabulary could be daunting for developing readers but short chapters and narrative style make a fantastic amount of information highly accessible. VERDICT A solid choice for middle grade collections providing a balanced and comprehensible voice to the environmental discussion for young people.-Emily Beasley, Omaha Public Schools

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Starred review from March 1, 2020
Unlike the rest of her nature-obsessed family, Louisa wants to be a musician, not a biologist. But when Louisa's mother finds out that the Australian government is about to destroy the Tasmanian rainforest camp their family has managed for decades, she insists that Louisa leave Toronto and spend the summer on the strange, small island with her even stranger uncle Ruff. But when Uncle Ruff gives Louisa a copy of her great-grandmother's journal, Louisa becomes fascinated with her family's history of secretly protecting endangered species, including the mysterious Tasmanian tiger, widely regarded as extinct. With the help of her new friend and neighbor Colin--a boy who has autism spectrum disorder--Louisa deepens her connection with her family's land, with history, and with her love of music. Kadarusman masterfully creates a lush, magical world where issues associated with conservation, neurodiversity, and history intersect in surprising and authentic ways. The book's small cast of characters (principals seem all white) is well drawn and endearing. Crucially, the author acknowledges the original, Indigenous inhabitants of the land as experts, something rarely seen in books about environmental degradation. Louisa's narratorial voice strikes the right balance of curiosity, timidity, and growing confidence, and her character's transformation feels both incredibly natural and incredibly rewarding to behold. A beautiful conservation story told in a rich setting and peopled with memorable characters. (Fiction. 10-14)

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April 15, 2020
Grades 4-7 The Tasmanian Tarkine is the last place Lou wants to spend her summer vacation. A dedicated violinist, she would rather spend her days practicing for her youth orchestra audition than with her Uncle Ruff, a veterinarian who lives up to his name. After practicing one night, Lou encounters a Tasmanian tiger?an animal declared extinct over 80 years ago. Lou eventually learns that her family helped secretly breed and preserve a group of Tasmanian tigers on an island known as Convict Rock after the last known one died in captivity. When Convict Rock is threatened by the building of a new bridge, Lou and her uncle must find a way to save the tigers. Author Michelle Kadarusman deftly incorporates Australian history into this middle-grade book that reads like a love letter to the unique flora and fauna of the Tasmanian Tarkine. The author's note at the end gives more historical information about the Tasmanian tiger and efforts to preserve other endangered species. Music for Tigers is perfect for young readers interested in ecology and preservation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)