Michelle Kadarusman

A young violinist discovers her mother's family secretly harbor a sanctuary for extinct Tasmanian tigers in the remote Australian rainforest.

Music for Tigers

"Hummingbirds and angels don’t need two good feet. They have wings." That's what Alba's mother always says. Of course, Alba doesn't have wings or two good feet: she has Cleo. Cleo is the name Alba has given to her left foot, which was born twisted in the wrong direction. When she points this out, though, her mother just smiles like the world has some surprise in store Alba doesn't know about yet. Well, Alba has her own surprise planned. After one final surgery and one final cast, Cleo is almost ready to meet the world straight on--just in time to run in the sixth grade cross-country race. Unfortunately, Alba's best friend Levi thinks there's no way she can pull it off. And she thinks there's no way he's right about the school librarian hiding a wormhole in her office. Tempers flare. Sharp words fly faster than hummingbirds. And soon it looks like both friends will be stuck proving their theories on their own.

The Theory of Hummingbirds

From the time she was a little girl, Nia has dreamed up adventures about the Javanese mythical princess, Dewi Kadita. Now fourteen, Nia would love nothing more than to continue her education and become a writer. But high school costs too much. Her father sells banana fritters at the train station, but too much of his earnings go toward his drinking habit. Too often Nia is left alone to take over the food cart as well as care for her brother and their home in the Jakarta slums. But Nia is determined to find a way to earn her school fees. After she survives a minibus accident unharmed and the locals say she is blessed with 'good luck magic,' Nia exploits the notion for all its worth by charging double for her fried bananas. Selling superstitions can be dangerous, and when the tide turns it becomes clear that Nia’s future is being mapped without her consent. If Nia is to write a new story for herself, she must overcome more obstacles than she could ever have conceived of for her mythical princess, and summon courage she isn't sure she has.

Girl of the Southern Sea

A heartfelt #ownvoices story celebrating best friends, wormholes and loving who you are. Alba has been best friends with Levi since forever. They're both obsessed with hummingbirds and spend their lunchtimes hiding out in the school library. Alba normally doesn't mind that Levi's got a science theory on just about everything. But when he becomes convinced the school librarian has discovered a wormhole in her office, Alba thinks maybe he's gone too far. Then there's Cleo. That's what Alba calls her left foot, which was twisted in the wrong direction at birth and has been strapped in a brace for most of Alba's life. With the final cast about to come off, Alba is set on running in her first cross-country race. But what if Levi doesn't believe she can do it? Alba's only ever wanted to be 'normal', so why does it feel like she's losing more than Cleo and a pair of crutches?

Four starred reviews! A young violinist discovers her mother's family secretly harbor a sanctuary for extinct Tasmanian tigers in the remote Australian rainforest.

Michelle Kadarusman

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