by Elizabeth-Irene Baitie (Author)
The companion to Crossing the Stream is a moving story of friendship and a timely reminder of our duty to nature.
Ato and his friends Dzifa and Leslie have been selected to visit Nnoma, the bird sanctuary that Ato’s father helped build before he died. Ato is convinced that his father hid something valuable on the island, meant only for him. When the trio arrives at Nnoma with other children from across West Africa, they are split into teams and given missions to help broaden their knowledge of nature. The winners will become Asafo―ambassadors of Nnoma and defenders of the Earth. But then the adults running Nnoma start behaving erratically and Ato suspects foul play. When the trio uncovers a sinister plot to exploit the sanctuary, Ato and his friends must work together to protect it―and his father’s legacy.
Kirkus praised Crossing the Stream as “a powerful coming-of-age story of self-discovery” in their starred review. Now, Flying Up the Mountain calls upon each of us to do our part in safeguarding our planet.
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Gr 5-7--In an exciting companion novel to Crossing the Stream, Ato and his friends, Dzifa and Leslie, are trying to earn their way into becoming Afaso--the guardians of an island preserve that Ato's dad was also trying help before he died. The path to becoming an Afaso is difficult, both mentally and physically, but Ato is determined to make his father proud and find the message that his father hid for him so long ago. Ato and his friends have many tasks to complete and lessons to learn, like photographing wild animals at night and hiking to the top of a mountain. However, dark forces seem to be gathering, and when the owner of the island, Eyra, seems like a completely different person in her speech and actions, the friends hatch a plan to figure out if she's been poisoned. This is a fast-paced mystery with themes of friendship and conservation set in Ghana. It will appeal to activists as well as mystery buffs. VERDICT A good follow-up to the first book, this also works as a standalone. Both are fine additions to middle grade collections.--Debbie Tanner
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