Wild W
ings by Gill Lewis has hit the USA and is getting all sorts of attention… shortlisted for the Green Earth Book Awards, on the American Booksellers Association New Voices project…
http://gilllewisauthor.blogspot.com/2011/09/wild-wingsaka-sky-hawk-in-america.html
The strong point of Wild Wings for me is how refreshingly the young characters are presented to us. In a day and age where greed runs rampant, people are exceptionally self centered, and preserving nature and the environment are a dying pipe dream, it is refreshing to be able to read a story where the opposite is proven to be true. We were introduced to Callum, who was the central character of our story, and shown how he and his outcast friend, Fiona will do anything to protect and keep safe a wild Osprey they have named Isis. When Isis is dangerously entangled in fishing line, they must reach out to Callum’s family and a Naturalist who helps save Isis and tag her so that the kids can track her on her migration to Africa. Unfortunately, the signal disappears in a Gambian mangrove forest. Through the magic of the internet, Callum connects with Jeneba, a 10 year old child hospitalized with broken legs. She contacts some fishermen in her village and a visiting American doctor to rescue Isis and rehabilitate her. I love that the author presented a close family and an involved community as a means to help protect an endangered species. The strongest message presented is that kids really can enact worldwide change. The world will seem more connected for kids – a smaller place, as all the readers realize that kids all over the world care for the same causes and are not so different after all.
I think that Wild Wings would be a great novel to incorporate into the classroom. The way that the main characters passionately follow an endangered species can inspire students. This book can be a great lead-in to a discussion of these species. Students can also discuss different things that they would like to change and passionately follow. Also, the friendships between characters from different cultures and across many boundaries, can launch into Social Studies connections. Students can discuss many real-life powerful issues after the reading of this book!
I agree that is is great to show students that they really can change the world! I think that showing students this book and real-world examples of students making a difference can be a very powerful experience for them!