My Name is River
£7.99
By Emma Rea
Published 6th August 2020 | ISBN 9781913102142
Dylan’s mum thinks he’s with his friends on a residential geography trip. His geography teacher thinks he’s at home with flu. In fact, Dylan is 33,000 feet above the ocean on his way to Brazil…
When Dylan overhears his dad say that their farm has been sold to a global pharmaceutical company, he decides he has to make them change their minds. In Brazil, things don’t go at all to plan. Only when Lucia – a street child armed with a puppy and a thesaurus – saves his life, do they start to uncover the shocking truth about what the company is up to, and Dylan’s home problems suddenly seem dangerously far away.
2 in stock (can be backordered)
Praise for the book
‘Why Firefly loves My Name is River: ‘The adventure story carried me away from the first page and Dylan and Lucia are unforgettable child heroes who take on an all-powerful Big Pharma company and triumph!’ Rebecca Lloyd, Editor
‘‘Wow! What a book! It’s riveting, it’s moving, it’s topical, it’s superb! …superb writing, brilliant characters, a glorious adventure and the warmest of heart. Amazing!’ Malachy Doyle
‘‘Emma Rea has written a beautifully researched adventure which encompasses the Welsh countryside and the Amazon. The unfolding friendship between Welsh Dylan and Brazilian Lucia is fabulous, and the clever plot sweeps along like a boat in a current.’ Sue Wallman
‘‘When nature-loving Dylan, 12, discovers his family farm in Wales (beautifully evoked) is being bought by a conglomerate based in Brazil, he plans to go there secretly to plead for the purchase to be abandoned. His classmate Floyd also has a mission: to bring back his younger brother, who has not returned from a holiday with his father to Brazil. Together the boys plot a daring journey. The conglomerate turns out to be respectable, but a Cruella de Vilish character is doing nasty things with puppies and children in the Amazon jungle. Facing unexpected perils, and befriended by a girl from a favela whose eccentric English is learnt from a thesaurus, Dylan learns how many possibilities life offers, but also finds his happy ending. This is the kind of adventure everyone likes to imagine when young, about being ingenious and brave and outwitting adults.’ Nicolette Jones, Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week
‘My Name is River … is a fantastically original adventure about a boy whose idyllic Welsh home is bought by an evil corporation. Desperate to save it, he travels from Birmingham to Brazil with his best friend. Rea’s flight of imagination has two sympathetic heroes risking everything while lying their heads off. Packed with ecological indignation, it is both funny and timely.’ Amanda Craig, New Statesman
‘This was absolutely incredible. Truly. I loved it from start to finish. It was so exciting and emotional and a whole lot of words I can’t even think of right now because I’m just blown away. I’m a little bit obsessed with Lucia, she’s brilliant, but all the characters were wonderfully written. The world-building and description was amazing, particularly of Brazil and the Amazon, you really can imagine yourself right there. I can see children getting completely lost in this book and I know it will be a big hit!’ Beth Jenkinson, Librarian, NetGalley
