Music for Tigers

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.