BERANI BY MICHELLE KADARUSMAN AND PUBLISHED BY ALLEN & UNWIN

Berani, which means Brave, is a story about standing up for what you believe in. Malia lives with her Canadian mother in Indonesia. Her beloved Indonesian father has died and Malia and her mother will soon move back to Canada so she can finish her schooling there. She comes from a life of privilege and uses a class project at her elite school to build awareness of habitat decimation by the palm oil industry. Her online petition, signed by hundreds of fellow students, gets her into big trouble at school and with her family. Her teacher has been suspended and may lose her job if Malia doesn’t apologise.

 Ari lives with his uncle and while having the opportunity to go to school, he must work hard at the café his uncle owns as well. The little eating house is popular as it has two attractions. A parrot called Elvis Presely who sings and an orangutan called Ginger Juice who lives in a small cage. Ari knows he is lucky. His cousin Suni, who is smart and would so love to go to school, can’t because the families can only afford to send one child to school — he is a boy and Suni is a girl, so she doesn’t get to go. Ari hasn’t visited his family for a long time partly because he feels guilty for being the one given the opportunities.

 When Ari and Malia’s paths cross, Ari is handed the petition Malia has been working on. It explains that animals left homeless by humans exploiting the forests, should at least be re-sheltered and given the chance to be released back into the wild. It also explains that keeping animals like orangutans as pets is illegal. Ari is spurred on by this and is determined to persuade his uncle to let Ginger Juice be released into the care of one of the rescue teams. He contacts Malia and together the plan Ginger Juice’s rescue.

 Michelle Kadarusman’s novel is about the environment and animal cruelty. It is also about how we perceive ourselves, where we fit in our own world and the need for individuals to stand up and participate in debates about the things they believe in. Malia, Ari and Ginger Juice all have voices that need to be heard and take the reader on their own journeys. Ginger Juice’s voice in particular, is so sad and bewildered that it breaks your heart. Readers will enjoy this story about self-belief and tenacity.

 For Ages: 8 – 12 years

Number of Pages: 224

Published: August 2022 Allen & Unwin

Themes: Self-belief, environmentalism, belonging

Purchase here: https://www.booktopia.com.au/berani-michelle-kadarusman/book/9781772782608.html