Girl of the Southern Sea

by Michelle Kadarusman

Overview

From Governor General’s Literary Award finalist Michelle Kadarusman, an empowering novel about a girl from the slums of Jakarta who dreams of an education and the chance at a better life

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.

A portion of the proceeds from this #ownvoices story are in support of Plan International Canada Because I Am A Girl

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781772780819
Publisher:	Pajama Press
Publication date:	05/02/2019
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	729,220
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Michelle Kadarusman is an Australian/Indonesian/Canadian children’s author and the founder of a literacy initiative in Toronto called Raising Readers. She is also the submissions and marketing manager for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her middle-grade novel, The Theory of Hummingbirds, was published by Pajama Press in 2017. She lives in Toronto.

Interviews

5,000-copy print run; ARCs; featured at ALA Midwinter, PLA, TLA, and other conferences with the Publisher Spotlight booth; pitch to major review media, including The New York Times Book Review, Horn Book Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Foreword Reviews; targeted advertising campaign in major US journals; targeted marketing to major review centers, influential bloggers, and major library system selectors; classroom teaching guide; social media promotion (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+); E-newsletter promotion

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Girl of the Southern Sea

2019 Governor General's Literary Award: Young People's Literature – Text Finalist

2019 NCTA Freeman Book Award Honorable Mention

2019 Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature Honor Book

2019 Northern Lights Book Award: Pre-Teen Cultural Winner

2020 SYRCA Diamond Willow Award Finalist

2020 MYRCA Sundogs Award Nominee

2020 USBBY Outstanding International Books List selection

2020 Bank Street Best Book selection

2020 Rise: A Feminist Book Project List selection

2019 CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens Starred Selection

2019 Resource Links "Recent Canadian Titles too Good to Miss" selection

2019 Junior Library Guild selection

"In spare and elegant prose, Kadarusman weaves a quiet tale of survival, grit, and integrity....Peppered throughout are stories that Nia crafts, based on Indonesian legends about the princess of the Southern Sea. With nuanced characters, this is a lovely gem for fans of irrepressible girls and contemporary stories set outside of the U.S."—Booklist

"A gripping, emotional realistic novel describing the grim realities of growing up in Indonesian poverty....VERDICT A riveting read featuring a determined and talented teenager."—School Library Journal

"Readers will cheer Nia's real powers—her storytelling talent and her resiliency—in this vividly set story."—The Horn Book Guide

"Punctuating Nia's thoughtful, present-tense narration with her stories about Dewi [Kadita], Kadarusman effectively weaves a gentle tale of love and loss and illuminates the power of storytelling. A thought-provoking peek into a culture deserving of more attention in North America."—Kirkus Reviews

"A stark setting combines with striking characters...The novel does not offer simple solutions but instead wraps up Nia's story in a way that demonstrates her willingness and ability to stand up for herself. Girl of the Southern Sea is an uplifting novel about hope and the power of storytelling."—Foreword Reviews

"Rating: E...[Kadarusman's] insight into life in Indonesia, supplemented by her shared heritage has made this fictional story of poverty, tradition and self-determination entirely accessible and - more importantly - believable. There is a pragmatism here that transcends all the possible and imagined divisions in this story which gives it an appeal as broad as the ocean it describes."—Resource Links

"In Girl of the Southern Sea, Michelle Kadarusman delves gracefully into weighty subjects like poverty, slum living, and forced marriages, as well as limited access to education, healthcare and opportunities for the future, especially for girls. Upbeat, optimistic Nia is a very relatable protagonist, even for those who can't fathom her day-to-day existence."—Shelf Awareness

"Girl of the Southern Sea is an enjoyable, brisk, and emotionally charged novel that tells difficult stories inspired by the realities of girls in Indonesia. It is a sharp and politically attuned work that will give readers further appreciation for the value of access to education, health care, and justice."—Quill & Quire

"A deftly crafted and inherently entertaining read from cover to cover, Girl of the Southern Sea by Michelle Kadarusman is unreservedly recommended for both school and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections for young readers ages 9-12."—Midwest Book Review

"Nia is a wonderful character – resilient, courageous and independent....Kadarusman gives her readers a young rebel as the protagonist of this novel....Young adult readers in the junior grades will find Girl of the Southern Sea an entertaining and interesting novel. A glossary of Indonesian terms and a map will help with comprehension. The novel would be an excellent starting point from which to study Indonesian culture as well as the effects of poverty on young women in Indonesia and elsewhere in the world....Highly Recommended."—CM Magazine

"Rating: 5...This is [a] realistically told sad story as the reader witnesses tragedy after tragedy befall Nia."—Youth Services Book Review

"In this moving, ultimately hopeful tale, Michelle Kadarusman presents young readers with a window into a very different world....Nia's refusal to give up and her determination to write a better future for herself will stay with readers long after the book is finished."—Canadian Children's Book News

"Kadarusman explores the plight of vulnerable young women in developing countries. Nia is resourceful and determined, a good role model for middle-school readers who can watch as she takes charge of her own future."—Winnipeg Free Press

"I cannot convey the depth of the storytelling within Girl of the Southern Sea and it's message for girls to make their own opportunities....It's origins may be saturated in misfortune and tragedy but it will become the story she wants to write for herself and make her the Girl of the Southern Sea."—CanLit for LittleCanadians

"Nia is the type of character that won't soon leave my heart. She left her mark as many characters do after opening up a world that I knew next to nothing about. I don't know that I've read anything set in Indonesia and yet Michelle's writing transported me there immediately.... This book would pair beautifully with Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda Cruz and The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman for a series of titles about children living in poverty around the world. Nia's strength in spite of her past will not soon leave my heart and mind."—Literacious

"This story is so full of sadness, loss, bitterness, and heartbreak but it is also so full of love, friendship, hope and determination! Nia is an inspiration...This is a book that needs to be in every library and every classroom around the world!"—Blazer Tales

"Rating: [5 stars]...This was a fantastic story! It was exciting and suspenseful....I highly recommend it for middle grade readers!"—Jill Jemmett

"Nia's fight to improve her life is admirable. This is an #ownvoices book, but since the author doesn't currently live in Indonesia, she had a sensitivity writer."—Mrs. Yingling Reads

"I liked [Nia's] strong character, and her unwavering ambition. This book opens children's eyes to another culture, the more difficult choices and situations faced by children in other countries, and an interesting legend."—Canadian Bookworm

"We rated this book 5/5...If you are a person who enjoys books with content that makes you feel for the character and not want to put the book down, then you should definitely read this book....It is juicy and full of color, character, and exquisite content.”—Savvy, Age 11, Kids’ BookBuzz

"I love having a larger selection of books to show our students the lives of children in disparate parts of the world....[it] can help them build a larger world view."—Kiss the Book Jr.

"Nia is a wonderful character forced to grow up faster than she should with a father who is unable – or unwilling – to pull himself together for the sake of his family. There are lot of Indonesian stories woven into the book, courtesy of Nia herself, and we get to learn a fair bit about this place she calls home....Nia shows readers what happens when you are brave enough to follow your dreams."—Booktime

From the Publisher

04/01/2019

Gr 6 Up—Nia lives in a slum in Jakarta, Indonesia, with her younger brother and her alcoholic father. Her mother died giving birth to her brother. Her father is irresponsible and leaves Nia to take care of her brother, tend to their home, and help earn money for their family. There are fees for high school, and Nia's family doesn't have enough money for her to get a high school education and pursue her dream of becoming a writer. Still, she meets with a friend to review their textbooks and keep up their studies and Nia continues to write stories about Dewi Kadits, a character in Java's traditional folklore. She knows one of the three most important rules of living in the slum are to never disobey your father, but her father's behavior requires her to be independent and make serious decisions. A gripping, emotional realistic novel describing the grim realities of growing up in Indonesian poverty. A glossary of Indonesian words is included at the front of the book and a map provides the location of the story's setting. The author's note explains how the seeds of this story were planted long ago when Kadarusman observed poverty while traveling with her family to her father's hometown in West Java. VERDICT A riveting read featuring a determined and talented teenager.—Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

School Library Journal

2019-02-13

A teenage girl living in the slums of Jakarta, Indonesia, finds the resolve to defy her unfortunate circumstances and achieve her dreams.

Fourteen-year-old Nia desperately wants to continue her education and become a writer, but her family can't afford the school fees. Instead, she spends her days looking after her 5-year-old brother, Rudi, doing chores, and helping her alcoholic father sell banana fritters at the market. To escape their miserable existence, Nia tells Rudi stories about their late mother and writes stories inspired by her favorite folktale, "Queen of the Southern Sea." And just as she promised her late mother, Nia ensures that the protagonist in her stories, Dewi Kadita, always comes out on top. One day, Nia miraculously escapes from a minibus accident unscathed. Smooth operator Oskar witnesses the accident and embellishes her survival into "a miracle"; from then on, Nia's "good-luck magic" fritters sell like hot cakes. Against her good judgement, Nia starts charging double so she can save up for her school fees. But things backfire and tension mounts. In the end, Nia draws strength from her heroine, Dewi, and finds the courage to seize control of her own destiny. Punctuating Nia's thoughtful, present-tense narration with her stories about Dewi, Kadarusman effectively weaves a gentle tale of love and loss and illuminates the power of storytelling.

A thought-provoking peek into a culture deserving of more attention in North America. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews

Read More