Aduago (Addy) is wary when in new spaces. In fact, she’s wary all the time. Now, far from home inside an aeroplane flying west, she sketches the enclosed space in detail, mapping in particular where the escape routes are.

She has done this for as long as she can remember. Watching, planning, finding, all manners of escape from within a space.

When she reaches her destination after a long hot drive from the airport with five other black kids, she finds the Pacific Ranch’s wide open space, daunting. Addy, Nessa, Jay, DeShon, Kelvin and Aleia are welcomed by Leo, the owner of Wilderness Adventures. They are all on a free summer getaway to introduce them to the wonders of Nature and how to enjoy it. All are skeptical.

The next morning when Addy wakes early (4am) from another of her nightmares, she finds Leo and his dog Ryder already up too. By lamplight, Leo takes her for a walk through the forest that surrounds the camp. It’s not long before she shares his awe at the landscape around them.

With two college kids as guides, the group trek further and further every day, learning about the world around them. Like Addy, they too begin to enjoy the wilderness. It’s only Addy however, who shares Leo’s early morning walks. He’s seen her interest in mapping spaces and begins to teach her topography and how to use a compass.

At home in the Bronx, everyone knows she’s an orphan. Somehow this marks her as different to other kids. Raised by her doting but strong Nigerian grandmother, Addy is independent but a loner. Wilderness Camp helps her finally make true friends, who respect and admire her, building her self-esteem.

When woken by the smell of smoke on a final four-day-camping trip, both her new friend’s trust in her abilities but her willingness to lead is a pressure she’s not sure she can handle. Her nightmares are now real and roaring around her, just like they did when she was four years old. FIRE!

Paradise on Fire was written pulling threads from real life into a story of a girl who has faced fire in her past.

In 2018, The town of Paradise (CA USA) was razed to the ground by fire caused by a faulty transmission line. Paradise’s rainfall of Nov 2018 was incredibly low, attributed to Climate Change. This left the surrounding trees, tinder dry.

Climate change is an important theme throughout Paradise on Fire, along with the wonder of the outdoors and wilderness, challenging and believing in yourself. The author also drew on her new knowledge of how few minority children visit national parks or wilderness areas. Her comment from this:

“What are the consequences of millions of kids not having access to or feeling ill at ease with wilderness activities? How will such deprived youth grow and appreciate what causes and what is lost because of climate change?”

This is a quick read, the story fast moving. The sentences are sometimes short and sharp, almost like poetry, but still always conveying what they need to.

The reader gradually learns the whole story of how Addy became an orphan, as she remembers more and more herself. It is the space, quiet and peace of the wilderness that has allowed her subconscious to let it go.

Thought provoking.

Author – Jewell Parker Rhodes

Age – 11+

(2021, Hachette, Action, Adventure, Adversity, Orphan, Climate Change, Forest Fires, Animals, Dog, Courage, Environment, Opportunities, Camp, Friendship, Grief, Poverty, Racism)