Children ’s Literature Reviews
Item 14 of 15
A Rumour Of Otters
Deborah Savage
Houghton Mifflin/Sandpiper, $3.95. 1984
Best Books:
Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior High, Tenth Edition, 1988 ;
National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Reviews:
Claire Rosser (KLIATT Review, May 1993 (V ol. 27, N0. 3))
There are no indigenous mammals in New Zealand: all mammals have been introduced. So when an old Maori tells of seeing otters high up in the mountains, most people don’t believe him. Alexa, 14 years old, wants to believe him--and when her restlessness drives her away from her home, a remote sheep station, she takes her horse and dog and goes up into the wilderness to find the otters. Part of what she wants to find is her own self, and whether she can dream and learn and move on in the world. Her courage, strength, and the wilderness itself teach her about her own life’s possibilities, and she returns home more calm and confident that she can determine her own future. Her older brother Tod is a strong character in this story as well, so readers of both sexes will enjoy this unique coming-of-age story. YAs fascinated with wildlife, with Outward Bound experiences, with Native Americans’ vision quests, will find an adventure as they read of Alexa and her search in the Wilderness for an understanding of her own life. Highly recommended. KLIATT Codes: JS*--
Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 1984,
Houghton Mifflin/Sandpiper, $3.95. Ages 12 to 18.
