This book will be added to my environmental activism unit. It’s perfect for the age of my middle schoolers and tells the story through the eyes of Ginger Juice, an orangutan, and two students. Set in Indonesia, they’ll learn about another culture along with the struggles of Ginger Juice. This book kept my interest and will engage my students as well.

A timely read for budding environmentalists with strong and outspoken narrators that kids will relate to.

Page turner of a book that will pique the interest of any young environmentalist, this story follows the intertwined stories of Malia, Aria and Ginger Juice, the orangutan. Highly recommend this stirring account of privilege, family, and doing what's right no matter the cost.

This middle grade fiction novel tells the story of Malia, a young girl who lives in Indonesia and is passionate about being an activist against deforestation. Another main character, Ari discovers that an orangutan has been caged in his uncle's restaurant since infancy, he wants to get help for the animal but doesn't want to get in trouble by going against his uncle. Both kids face moral dilemmas about realistic and important global issues that will feel authentic for readers in this age group. A beautiful and emotional story, it is one that fans of The One and Only Ivan and other animal activist middle grade novels will love.

A thought provoking novel that takes place in Indonesia, Berani deals with some of the complexities of environmentalism, local government, and the economy while showing readers that life is full of difficult choices that require us to go outside of ourselves and understand how our choices impact others. The story is told from three different perspectives.
Malia is a young girl whose family has roots in Canada and Indonesia. While living with her mother in Indonesia, Malia enjoys a relatively privileged life attending a private school. One of her passions is environmental activism, but when she provides information to her fellow students that is not in line with how the local government views the issue, it causes problems for her teacher, principal and friend. Malia needs to reconcile the consequences of her activism on those around her, and learns about the challenges local economies face.
Ari is a young boy who lives and works with his uncle while attending a better school than his tenant farming parents would be able to send him to. He recognizes this is a privilege that comes at the expenses of his cousin, as his family could not afford to send both of them. His uncle's restaurant has an orangutan, Ginger Juice, as an attraction, and Ari begins to see that it is wrong to keep the animal in captivity, but is not sure how to make his Uncle see this.
We also get brief passages from the perspective of the Ginger Juice, who has some memory of living in the wild before being captured, and see the descent in his physical and mental condition.
Ari struggles with understanding the responsibility to his family back home to obey and work for his uncle but also to stand up to his uncle about Ginger Juice's condition.
The strength of the book is how the characters are able to learn that even things that seem black and white are quite complex. The resolution to both plots are satisfying as is the look at how things work in a society that is quite different to what North American readers are used to.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. I will read anything Michelle Kadarusman writes, but even if I didn't know who the author of this book was, this cover is absolutely gorgeous and immediately made me want to read it. And what a beautiful story! Told from three different points of view, Malia, Ari, and Ginger Juice, the story focuses on environmental activism in Indonesia

If you are a fan of THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, or you are looking to add more books with environmental themes to your library, then this is a must read.