The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry - by Chad Morris & Shelly Brown

About the Book

"Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry lives off the grid in the California woods with her family, but when her brother gets sick, they have to leave to get help."--

Book Synopsis

Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry lives in a cabin with her family deep in the wild woods. Living off the grid is usually exciting, like the time she chased off three growling raccoons with a tree branch and some acorns, or when she thought she glimpsed the legendary Bigfoot. But her happy life in the wild ends abruptly when her younger brother gets sick, and the family moves to the city to be closer to the hospital.

Juniper and her older sister are sent to live with cousins they hardly know and attend a public school for the first time, which is harder to navigate than the wild woods ever were. Juniper feels like a wolf cub separated from her pack.

When Juniper notices that her cousin, Alayna, is being bullied by so-called friends, she's ready to fight back like the wild geese do when protecting their goslings, but her cousin tells her to stay out of it; she doesn't want Juniper making things worse.

As the hospital bills for her brother start piling up, Juniper knows they'll need to be paid before the family can go back to the woods, so she decides to make enough money to help out. With Alayna's support, Juniper starts posting videos filled with her wisdom from the woods, hoping to get a following. But what if it doesn't work? What if the bills never get paid? Not going home to the wild is Juniper's worst nightmare. But while she's stuck in the city, she might as well make the most of it, like sticking up for her cousin, for starters.

The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry is a story about perseverance when faced with difficult and unfamiliar challenges, belonging and finding your identity, compassion for others, and learning that our differences can sometimes be our strengths.

Review Quotes

2024-25 nominee-- "Volunteer State Book Award" (8/7/2024 12:00:00 AM)

Selected as a "recommended title" and a "top pick"-- "2023 Kansas National Education Association's Reading Circle Commission"

Selected as a 2024 Award Book-- "Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts"

Selected for the Best Books of 2023 List-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"Make room on the bookshelf for a fantastic and unique middle grade story! ... Juniper's story is genuine, and her character is authentic to the reader. Her misunderstandings about society create mishaps, adding humor and tension to the plotline. The primary and secondary characters are well-developed and relatable. The plot unfolds well, keeping readers engaged. Oftentimes, readers experience newcomer stories to America, especially as characters navigate a new culture. Readers of those books will appreciate and enjoy a new perspective from Juniper's story. This book is a great addition to the upper elementary classroom or library and would be a fantastic read aloud."

-- "Children's Literature"

"As she struggles to adapt to [her] new life, Juni finds out that she wants to make friends and that there are society people who care. This is a high interest book with a complex and compelling protagonist, that addresses mental health issues, the importance of family, connecting to nature, valuing different strengths, and standing up for what is right."-- "School Library Journal"

"Juniper's first-person voice and the many memorably developed characters she meets cultivate a feel-good story that reminds readers of both the pitfalls and the benefits of coexisting with others."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Juniper is a marvelously developed character navigating extremely uncomfortable situations. Alayna, too, is developed with depth and care; she and Clara have their 'storms" (panic attacks) in common, for which they eventually get help. A fascinating, touching story of an off-the-grid family facing changes and the invisible threads that connect people."-- "Kirkus, starred review"

About the Author

Chad Morris grew up wanting to become a professional basketball player or a rock star. Neither of those plans quite panned out, so he wrote and performed sketch comedy while going to college. Now he's a teacher and a writer.

Shelly Brown loves to write books for children. In her spare time, she enjoys the theater and traveling. In addition to her five children, she has three chickens and sixty-four Pez dispensers.