About This Book
Reach for this book when your child starts noticing that the world is not always divided into simple heroes and villains, or when they are wrestling with the fact that adults often have to make impossible choices. It is a powerful tool for discussing how economic survival and environmental protection can come into direct conflict within a single family. Eleven year old Pepper lives in rural Pennsylvania, where her family relies on the land to survive while the local community depends on the fracking industry for jobs. When Pepper discovers a rare, endangered flower on her family's property, she faces a gut wrenching dilemma: protecting the flower could stop the fracking that her family desperately needs for income. This story beautifully explores poverty, the complexity of environmental activism, and the strength of unconventional family bonds without offering easy answers. It is ideal for middle grade readers ready for nuanced, realistic stories about the world they live in.
