The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry

By: Chad Morris, Shelly Brown

Narrated by: Stephanie Willing

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2023 Chad Morris and Shelly Brown Morris (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Fascinating, thoughtful perspective.

Juniper Berry’s family has always lived in the “wild” out where civilization can’t reach them, and it works great for them… until her brother gets sick. Suddenly a juniper is faced with crazy, civilized things like roaring monsters (cars), and washer-boxes (washing machines), and harder still— family that she never knew she had. It’s hard to fit in when you don’t know or understand the rules. From the outside looking in, some of things are pretty confusing, while others are refreshingly clear.

Juniper Berry’s resilience and courage carry her through this journey from one world to the next.

Excellent read for anyone who loves middlegrade books.