My Name is River

By Author / Illustrator

Emma Rea

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Firefly Press Ltd

ISBN

9781913102142

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

06-08-2020

Synopsis

Dylan's mum thinks he's on the school Geography trip.Dylan's teacher thinks he's at home with the flu.In fact he's 30,000 feet up in th air on the way to Brazil.When Dylans' farm is snatched away by a huge global company, he can't just sit back and watch. But the journey to rescue his home takes him deep into the heart of the Amazon. With Floyd, a friend he's not sure of, and Lucia, a street kid armed with a thesaurus and a Great Dane puppy, he uncovers dark and dangerous secrets which learns some surprising truths.

Download Extract

Reviews

I just could not help falling in love with the characters in My Name is River - a beautifully told story about friendship, courage adventure and family.

Dylan has always wanted to live and work on his family farm in Wales, which had been passed down through many generations - the river 'runs through his veins' - until one day, it is threatened by a global company. In order to save his home, Dylan travels across the world, into the depths of the Amazon. Not only is the Amazon swelling with wildlife and nature, it conceals dark and deadly secrets. Along the way, Dylan meets Lucia - a sassy, street girl with an oversized dog for a companion. Lucia adds a comical element to this story as she is a walking, talking thesaurus. They must work together to overthrow the obstacles that threaten to destroy the Amazon and the future.

This is an immersive story, brimming with intricate and vivid descriptions, which put you right in the heart of the Amazon. It would be perfect for any year in KS2 as a gripping class reader (adult led). I would recommend this book to support the teaching of the Amazon in Y5 and even the water cycle in Y4. I will be using it as great setting description examples with my Y6 class. I feel like I have been on the journey with Dylan and the underpinning themes of nature and wildlife are strong and powerful, reminiscent of Jess Butterworth's Where The Wilderness Lives.

304 pages / Reviewed by Kelly Buxton, teacher