MORALINE

In Fior’s middle-grade debut novel, a young girl of Native American ancestry stands up for herself, her friends, and social justice.

Twelve-year-old Moraline Reed has recently moved from New York City to San Diego. Moraline is compulsively fidgety, which draws her teachers’ ire and makes her a target for bullying. The bullying comes to a head during a school camping trip to California’s Portola Redwoods State Park. Running away from her classmates, Moraline takes refuge beneath a sequoia tree. Here she encounters a Native American spirit—Mahkah of the Lakota tribe. He whispers to Moraline of her heritage and strength—and of the need to restore balance between the four winds. She realizes that when bad things happen to her they are accompanied by hot winds and that a cool breeze blows if she stands against injustice. Moraline makes friends—bookish Serenity Wilson, who has brown hair and brown eyes, Congolese refugee Amani Nkulu, and Mexican immigrant Edmundo Rivera—she learns that other people have problems, too, and that everyone deserves understanding and support. When Moraline and her friends adopt a stray fox cub, they bond as its caretakers and start to truly look out for one another. But can they take their dynamic a step further, transforming it into community activism? Fior writes primarily from Moraline’s perspective but also sometimes from those of her friends. The prose is simple but elegant: “Sometimes standing tall meant bending a little when the wind blew, just like the sequoia trees.” The story moves at a good pace, infused with the vivacity and inquisitive spirit of its protagonists. Moraline is a relatable character, strong but insecure, more confident in defending others than in standing up for herself. Her friends also are well-drawn, each proving to be distinct and multidimensional. Moraline discovers that when you look beneath the surface, anything is possible. Many middle-graders who read this book will find themselves in agreement.

Powerful but not preachy middle-grade fiction that speaks from the heart and invites readers to share in a better future.