A Calf Named Brian Higgins: An Adventure in Rural Kenya

by Kristen Ball

Thirteen-year-old Hannah Higgins is convinced her summer is ruined when she is forced to travel to Africa and work in a remote village in Kenya with her mom and uncle. Never having been to a developing country, she struggles with all the differences from home. She has to live without electricity or running water. Then she is told she must attend a local village school. Just when she thinks nothing could make this trip any worse, she learns people there are dying of hunger and preventable disease. Hannah becomes frustrated and wants to help, but when poverty threatens the lives of people she loves, all she wants to do is go home.

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2018

About the author

In 2005, Kristen was awarded a scholastic grant and became the first Westerner to live in Sauri, Kenya. Her other adventures include hiking the Himalayas in Nepal and canoeing along the Mekong River in Cambodia on Where There Be Dragons educator program scholarships. She has also enjoyed traveling throughout Europe and the United States. Kristen ran the New York City Marathon, bicycled the Boston to New York AIDS Ride, and completed the Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim. With experience in educational publishing, nonprofit organizations, and schools, Kristen’s most recent role as an educator has been teaching middle school. A Be Shri Yoga RYS 200 hour certified yoga instructor, Kristen teaches yoga with a focus on classes for kids and teens. She holds degrees from Boston College and Columbia University. Kristen lives in Connecticut with her Tibetan Terrier, Livvy, a therapy dog with The Good Dog Foundation. A Calf Named Brian Higgins is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

I liked it. I was assigned this book for summer reading and read it with my family. It was a very interesting true story.