Juniper and her older sister are sent to live with cousins they hardly know and attend a public school for the first time, which is harder to navigate than the wild woods ever were. Juniper feels like a wolf cub separated from her pack.
When Juniper notices that her cousin, Alayna, is being bullied by so-called friends, she's ready to fight back like the wild geese do when protecting their goslings, but her cousin tells her to stay out of it; she doesn't want Juniper making things worse.
As the hospital bills for her brother start piling up, Juniper knows they'll need to be paid before the family can go back to the woods, so she decides to make enough money to help out. With Alayna's support, Juniper starts posting videos filled with her wisdom from the woods, hoping to get a following. But what if it doesn't work? What if the bills never get paid? Not going home to the wild is Juniper's worst nightmare. But while she's stuck in the city, she might as well make the most of it, like sticking up for her cousin, for starters.
The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry is a story about perseverance when faced with difficult and unfamiliar challenges, belonging and finding your identity, compassion for others, and learning that our differences can sometimes be our strengths.
Shelly Brown loves to write books for children. In her spare time, she enjoys the theater and traveling. In addition to her five children, she has three chickens and sixty-four Pez dispensers.
Shadow Mountain Publishing is a general trade publisher of books for children and adults. Online catalog on Edelweiss.
SPR 23 preview! The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry about a girl raised in the woods in a cabin who moves to the city where her wisdom learned from animals & nature helps kids she meets in the city to see the world from a fresh perspective. From the authors of Mustaches for Maddie.
"Make room on the bookshelf for a fantastic and unique middle grade story! ... Juniper's story is genuine, and her character is authentic to the reader. Her misunderstandings about society create mishaps, adding humor and tension to the plotline. The primary and secondary characters are well-developed and relatable. The plot unfolds well, keeping readers engaged. Oftentimes, readers experience newcomer stories to America, especially as characters navigate a new culture. Readers of those books will appreciate and enjoy a new perspective from Juniper's story. This book is a great addition to the upper elementary classroom or library and would be a fantastic read aloud."
-- "Children's Literature"