English
4 years & up
Protest
Questioning
History
Self-Advocacy
Bree Galbraith & Marion Arbona
summary
Do you ever meet a character and instantly love them? Meet Nye. Nye lives on the Island of Sand and builds sandcastles with the other children until a warning bell rings. When the bell rings, everyone knows that big stones will be catapulted onto the beach from a neighboring island, the Island of Stones. Nobody questions this routine, because it’s always been this way. Nobody, that is, until Nye comes along. Will she be able to articulate what she knows deep down, isn’t the way things should be?
The thing I love about this story is A) so many things, duh, and B) the way it can be used for such a wide range of age groups to discuss larger societal issues in our own contemporary culture. It takes strong individuals, and groups, making demands to change the status quo. With younger readers, it’s easy to use the story to teach about advocacy and self-empowerment. With older readers, it can be used metaphorically to discuss things like anger and equity. If you have a young person in your life that is always campaigning for change and fairness, they will definitely relate and be inspired by Nye!
This book was kindly sent by Orca Book Publishers, but all opinions are my own! I also helped Bree develop a discussion guide for everyone! The guide is geared towards several age groups, and is completely free. Check it out on Bree’s website, or in our shop. On her website, you can also see Bree reading the story aloud!
Bree Galbraith
Bree uses her books as a way to amplify the voices of her children, and those close to Bree.
Bree holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, and a Master’s degree in Communication Design from Emily Carr University. Bree lives in the heart of beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family, and their dog.
Marion Arbona
Marion Arbona started working as an illustrator for children’s books. When she is not drawing, she is particularly interested in deep sea fishes, cats (even though she is allergic) and weird plants. She also likes reading and watching movies. Her favourite gouache color is light cadmium red. Marion was awarded several illustration prizes in the USA and in Canada where she lived for 10 years.