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| (c) 2020 Spirit of the Earth Books, Ian Boyd, Gary Luck | | |
"Adventure begins with a need for change." This quote is found on the book's website,
Spirit of the Earth Books, promoting a new middle school aged book,
Melody Finch, by authors Ian Boyd and Gary Luck. What a great quote to start off an adventure story! You can
view the book trailer here.
With all the climate change we have faced in the recent years, there
comes a need to explain such occurrences to younger audiences, who may
not understand what is happening or why it is happening. This can be
tough to explain, as we are figuring out these things in detail as
adults ourselves. Mr. Boyd and Mr. Luck make this easier to
explain, specifically what is happening in Australia and how the wildlife are affected. Here in the United States, we have heard about the
devastating wildfires this year alone that have scorched the land due to
persistent heat and drought. Melody Finch discusses the hardship of drought in a way that younger audiences can understand and enjoy an adventure in the process.
"The hardest part of growing up is to keep believing in things that you know are very important, even when nobody else does." - Melody Finch
We begin our story with Melody Klomp, a twelve-year old girl whose family drives down from their home in Charleville, Queensland (Australia), to visit her grandmother, Nanna Bell, in Goolwa, South Australia. Nanna Bell owns a riverboat called The Isabella, on which she takes tourists up and down the Coorong. The Coorong is a wetland that is home to much wildlife, migratory birds, and a large coastal range. As the authors mention, the name itself comes from the Ngarrindjeri, the local indigenous people, meaning "narrow neck." But, with the recent drought conditions, tourists are becoming sparse. During Melody's visit, Nanna Bell mentions to Melody about the magic of changing from a human to an animal, and never knowing when it is going to happen. Melody replies back that she no longer believes in little kids' stories anymore.
Little does she know, soon after her return home, Melody finds herself in the body of her favorite bird, the diamond firetail finch! Not knowing how to turn back into a human, she realizes that the only way to try and turn back is to go talk to her grandmother. But, birds can't make a call on the phone. Melody must travel the long distance herself, and in the process, finds that the drought has had numerous disastrous effects on the animals and wildlife around her. She meets many new friends, including a rainbow bee-eater, silver gulls, Australian pelicans, a white goshawk, and quite a few different frogs and toads!
Melody's journey is one where she learns about life on the river and how the lack of water during a drought can hurt the plants and animals, and in turn, hurt us humans. While reading Melody Finch, I learned quite a bit about Australia and some of the wildlife in Melody's area, including some Australian slang terms I was unfamiliar with (being in the United States). Besides the lovely message and thrilling tale, another great part of the book is the map at the front and the drawings of the animals mentioned in the story at the back. These two pieces of information were very helpful to someone like me, as I was unfamiliar with many of the animals and places mentioned. Even so, I was very caught up in the story and did not realize how much I was learning in the process. Curiosity sparked, I even went as far as to conduct online searches and read more about the animals mentioned. Melody Finch is geared towards middle school aged children, but if someone younger who can read at that stage wants to read it (or anyone older for that matter), the story is a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed readying Melody Finch and highly recommend reading it for yourself!
Additionally, if you are interested in covering
Melody Finch in a classroom setting, Mr. Boyd and Mr. Luck have complied a list for teachers to reference in their lesson plans. The list covers the various themes in the novel, including: drought and water management, animal movements, managing human-wildlife conflicts, invasive animals, and climate change. You can buy a copy of
Melody Finch for yourself directly on their website,
Spirit of the Earth Books, or a multiple pack for a classroom!
About the Authors
Ian Boyd's previous career as a gardener and landscape designer instilled in him a passion for everything outside beneath the sun. His strange obsession for seeing life through an animal's eyes began with a copy of Watership Down which sat on his bedside table through much of his youth.
Gary Luck is a wildlife ecologist with nearly 30 years experience studying Australian native animals. He and his partner, Gayle, now own a farm in Tasmania which combines forest conversation with sustainable food production of homemade breads, jams and fruit pastes.
