Where the River Runs Gold

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The protagonist is a flawless rendition of an idealised child. like Jesus mixed with a HR representative. This is not compelling. Rather than a story, at have the authors very nice and wholesome thoughts about the environment and family. the character undergoes no development or even changes at all, they start and end the book as a perfect person. doesn't provide for an interesting story. However, apart from those two things, this is an amazing book with a wonderful heroine and I recommend it to everyone. Even if I did cry a lot at the end. This book was a real mix for me, as there were parts I loved, and other parts that I felt didn't quite make sense or didn't add up at the end.

Having had an interest in climate change (now crisis) and global issues/affairs from the age of 12, I went onto study Geography and World Development at A Level and then Politics and International Relations at university. Due to this, Where the River Runs Gold spoke to me on a level no other fiction book has before. Having studied the theories of Rostow, Boserup, and Malthus, this book echoes these theories in an accessible way for children, highlighting the brink of human history that we are currently edging towards. Although the book is based in a dystopian future, the storyline is so close to what we are already experiencing in the world today and I feel elements of the story are not far off happening in the near future. the concept isn't well thought out, the characters are thin and shallow and the prose at times is offer poetic to the point where the action doesn't make sense. however the biggest crime, especially as it's a children's book is that it's... boring rounded up. Years after a devastating hurricane, Kairos City is divided into three strata; Paragons, Freedoms and Foragers. Freedom children labour on Freedom Farms, hand pollinating the plants that feed everyone. Shifa is determined that she and her brother Themba will not wither away there. She hatches a plan to run for it and expose the Farms. It enables all pupils to play a part in protecting their local environment, too, whether they have outside space at home or not. 3. Go outside

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Don’t underestimate the power of what you model and teach. One of my daughters learned about palm oil and orangutans at school and this directly changed our family’s shopping habits. 5. Stay tuned to current events McDonald uses the main storyline of Where the River Runs to full capacity to explore regret, ill decisions, foresight, suppression and grief. These are serious themes that are touched on with understanding and sensitivity. Further to this McDonald delves into feelings of the impact of drought, homecoming, community perceptions and family politics. No matter the issue or theme, McDonald’s approach is insightful and nuanced. I totally adored the bond between the siblings. When Shifa got into trouble because of Themba, even though they weren't related by blood Shifa's love for her brother remains unchanged. However, I liked the world-building in this book but the elucidation of the division of society into Paragons, Outlanders, and Scavage could have been more descriptive. The profound portrayal of the characters and human emotions drawn by the author was like a cascade that gave a beautiful flow throughout the read. The bees have disappeared and children are used to pollinate crops instead so people can eat, but when Shifa and her brother are sent away to work, they uncover a system that is cruel as well as full of corruption and secrets. How can they escape and make the world a better place?

The winners of the Diverse Book Awards 2023 have been announced, with one winner from each of the four categories announced: Picture book, Children...The climate and biodiversity crisis are the biggest challenges we face, and there are difficult times ahead, especially for younger generations. Coffee house Caffè Nero has announced the 16-strong shortlist for the inaugural Nero Book Awards, recognising the outstanding books of the past 12...

Shifa and Themba are raised by their father Nabil as twins but Shifa is constantly watching out for Themba who is the more trusting and gentler of the two. Themba although never explicitly mentioned, is coded as autistic and the author beautifully depicts him as a boy who simply sees things in a different way. He is a wonderful artist and constantly takes to drawing and painting when he feels stressed. I particularly loved how he came up with rhymes to help himself remember more information. His utter innocence and ability to forgive people who have hurt him just tugged at my heart. PROTECT THIS CINNAMON ROLL. This is an incredibly powerful and thought-provoking story which totally engrossed me right from the prologue which occurs 10 years before the main story when society is drastically changed by the catastrophic environmental damage caused by Hurricane Chronos. The siblings, Shifa and Themba are exploited and subjugated to work in the very same field. The government disguises the world by featuring an enticing epitome of 'Freedom Fields' where children carry out their studies and work at the same time but the reality was a long way off. Shifa realizes their lives are no less than living behind the bars and unravels a secret that can vindicate them and alter their fate.

I was very disappointed with where this book chose to go. After a gripping opening, and a very interesting setup of a girl in a dystopian future, I was fully invested. Shades of Margaret Atwood's Maddaddam trilogy, with fairly heavily laid on themes of environmental responsibility. The journey ahead is fraught with danger, but Shifa is strong and knows to listen to her instincts - to let love guide them home. The freedom of a nation depends on it . . . It is easy to revel in the writing of Fleur McDonald, she is a formidable talent in the field of Australian rural fiction. Not only does she do rural fiction extremely well, the added bonus of a great line of crime, intrigue and suspense simply suspends the reader. Where the River Runs comes highly recommended to all passionate Aussie readers.

Celebrations include various events coordinated globally by earthday.org. Around 1 billion people in more than 193 countries take part. However, as an English teacher who teaches dystopian writing to my year 9s, I was a bit disappointed with the amount of detail in this world. I felt this had potential, but in an oversaturated genre, there were too many things that bugged me. Like most dystopian books, society is divided: the Paragons (i.e. the rich ones), the Freedoms (i.e. the poor ones) and the Foragers. It is unclear exactly who the Foragers are, perhaps people who have not rejected this societies way of life? I was left wanting to know more about them. Exactly how this society works and came into existence is not explained. I also felt that the different places in Karios City were the perfect balance between familiar and futuristic, and (thanks to the brilliant and detailed description) effortless to become immersed in.Shifa and her brother, Themba, live in Kairos City with their father, Nabil. The few live in luxury, whilst the millions like them crowd together in compounds, surviving on meagre rations and governed by Freedom Fields - the organisation that looks after you, as long as you opt in. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... Where the River Runs is primarily focussed on the heroine of the novel, Chelsea Taylor. This is an unusual narrative strand. We see a local girl leave the confines of her family farm and head to the city to embark on a career as a musician. In the meantime, Chelsea makes a number of mistakes for which she pays quite the price. Chelsea is a far from perfect lead but I feel this makes her more rounded, believable and easy to sympathise with. I enjoyed uncovering Chelsea’s secrets, her past hurts and the strained relationship dynamic between her father, as well as the wider community of Barker. Chelsea’s little daughter Aria is a little angel of grace, who ends up bringing together a fractured family that so desperately needs to reunite in their grief.