Music for Tigers is a fantastic coming of age story. There are many different things dealt with In the novel and they all flow together so well. It’s crazy knowing that there were animals that were abundant at one time and people deciding they were pests killed them off. And yes you know that there aren’t really tigers running around Tasmania and that no one has noticed them yet but it is a wonderful thought thinking they could be out there somewhere. That people cared enough about the animals to protect them. It also handles autism and anxiety very well. There are some stories that slap that label on people and don’t do much other then write a character as ‘socially awkward; or something like that but Coli is so well rounded. He’s someone that knows his limits and has moments where he’s overwhelmed and has ways to self calm just like someone does in real life.

It’s such a realistic portrayal that I think it’s perfect for a middle grade book when kids are starting to really see things and there are always the problems with bullying. It shows that he’s not ‘odd’ or ‘weird’ (words used in the book to say what he isn’t) but a child that’s different just like everyone else. I would fully recommend this book both for it’s characters and it’s story. I really enjoyed it.

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley

When I was in middle school, I helped out as a library aide. You got to take out as many books as you wanted, and you got to play as much Oregon Trail as you wanted. I lost count of how many times I took out the Guinness’s Book of World Animal Records. It was that book that first introduced me to the thylacine (or Tasmanian Tiger).
Kadarusman’s young adult novel is about Louisa who much rather be practicing for an audition yet finds herself visiting her mother’s family, whose lands is about to be taken and repurposed. The problem is that the land has been a refugee for certain animals that may be consider extinct by the larger population. Of course, the action takes place on Tasmania.
It was wonderful to read a young adult novel, with a character who is in her late teens, that does not have a love triangle at its center. Well, unless you count Louisa’s love for music. Louisa is the right amount of slightly resentful teen (the rest of her family are scientists) but also a good girl who you can identify with. She also learns and adapts as the story goes on. The supporting characters are well drawn as well.
At times, the book does feel a bit too much like a science lecture. This is in part because of the conversations about the tigers as well as neurotypicals. It should be noted that it does not read like a speech or a “very important lesson”. The passages are closer to info dumps, but they don’t quite read like them.
The conversations between characters, especially between Louisa and other young people, feel very nature and organic. This is particularly true of the conversations between Colin and Louisa. I love the use of Colin as a character. The use of the old diary is interesting and is blended in quite well with the rest of the book. There is a sure change of voice in these sections.
Recommended.

Music for Tigers is a beautifully written middle grade novel that will warm the hearts of young readers. Lou grows by leaps and bounds when she is sent to spend the summer in Tasmania instead of practicing her violin. Readers will find themselves drawn into this beautiful story as Lou connects with her family roots and the Australian back country.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I'm a big fan of the author's writing so this book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Louisa lives in Canada, but is sent to Tasmania to spend the summer with her mom's brother at their family bush camp while her parents are busy doing field research. Louisa's passion lies with music, particularly her violin, and she'd rather be at home practicing for an upcoming audition than in the middle of the rainforest with an uncle she's never met. It doesn't take long until she discovers a family secret; her family has protected a species that is considered extinct, but the impending destruction of their camp to make way for logging in the area puts the animals in jeopardy. Louisa must help her uncle and his friends trap and relocate a Tasmanian tiger out of harms way, but can they do it before it's too late?

There are so many things I like about this story. I loved that it took place in a location that was new to me, and how it made me question what we really know about species considered extinct (this could lead to some fascinating classroom discussion). I appreciated how the author presented Louisa's friend, Colin. who is autistic. He and Louisa formed a special friendship, and I loved that Louisa accepts him from the start of the novel, and the positive influence they both have on each other. I also enjoyed the journals of Louisa's Great Granny Eleanor, and how the family history is tied into the story. I was very happy to see the author acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, and that Elders were mentioned as playing a role in the relocation.

I would definitely recommend adding this book to your middle grade collection when it is released on April 28/20.