Front Country

De: Sara St. Antoine

Narrado por: Sandy Rustin

My Side of the Mountain meets Greta Thunberg in this heartfelt, exciting novel about one girl’s growing awareness of herself, the world, and the relationship between the two.

The world is not okay. Now what?

Ginny Shepard is glad to be in Montana for a month of backcountry camping before she starts high school. The world is on fire. That's the awful truth. And Ginny would much rather be hiking in the mountains than doing the summer college prep classes her parents think will help her future. Because, the future? Who even knows what that is anymore.

But once Ginny gets to camp, things get complicated fast. She meets her tripmates: five challenging, rebellious, tech-addicted boys. And she finds out TrackFinders is designed for kids who need extra "support." Instead of feeling free as a bird, Ginny feels trapped . . . and betrayed.

As her friendships with her fellow campers deepen on the trail, though, Ginny starts to see new sides of them—and of herself. Maybe out here in the backcountry she'll actually find what she needs to face the front country again.

Set in Montana's sweeping alpine wilderness, this epic adventure captures the tremendous heartbreak of realizing the world isn't okay at all and shows how that knowledge, and what we choose to do with it, shapes us into who we are.

AN EMPOWERING ADVENTURE STORY: Despite humans' ever-worsening impact on the environment, there are relatively few books about the topic—especially for young audiences, and especially that don't feel preachy. This book is an empowering adventure story, and it's also positive, not depressing.

STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST: Ginny positively models dealing with strengths and weaknesses to listeners, who are full of flaws but full of strengths, too. The way she struggles with both will speak to young listeners. Even kids who are not interested in climate change will recognize her as a fellow young person and quickly become aware of the ways she's able to effect change—and the ways she still can't.

STEM TOPICS: Educators and librarians will love tying this fictional story to nonfiction curriculum, and there are several different access points for this book from a scientific perspective. Environmental science, earth science, climate change, differing regional biomes, geology, and biology are all explored in real-world, character-driven ways.

GIRLS IN SCIENCE: Ginny's passion for science shows listeners that science-loving girls can be cool—and there are many different ways characters of all genders embrace science.

A THRILLING BOOK: In the tradition of Hatchet and Wolf Hollow, this book is an excellent, fast-paced story that's impossible to pause. Kids will love every character—or love to hate them—and will finish the book feeling like they're leaving friends behind.

©2022 Sara St. Antoine (P)2022 Recorded Books

A Backpacking Adventure with Lessons for Life

This is a fresh, down to earth story about a teenaged girl coming to grips with her anxieties about climate change while gaining a better understanding of her family dynamics and life purpose. The protagonist, Ginny Shepard, heads off for summer camp in the Rocky Mountains of Montana and realizes her fellow campers are not at all what she expected. The engaging story follows Ginny's experiences and observations in the wilderness and her developing friendship with a motley crew of "troubled" boys. The setting is lovely. The nature descriptions are vivid. The scientific moments are educational (but not in a heavy-handed way). And there are important philosophical take-aways about how to grow up, find contentment, and plan a life in a time of climate crisis. The cast of characters is diverse in terms of race, region, class, urban/rural living, and gender identity. I would recommend this book for any young person (middle grades to teens) who feels the weight of environmental deterioration and is not sure where to turn with their questions. I would also recommend it for teachers, camp counselors, and parents looking for sensitive and effective ways to teach about the environment.

The performance was stellar. The narrator's voice was perfectly matched for telling the story from Ginny's perspective and had fitting versatility for other character voices as well.