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Silver River Shadow: A Little Yellow Plane Adventure
The beginning is the moment before it all goes wrong...
In 1946, Barney and Marion Lamm climbed into their two-seater plane and flew deep into the heart of the Canadian wilderness. Then one day the wonderful life they created was ripped apart.
Over seventy years later, their great-granddaughter Lizzie follows in their footsteps. Nobody ever tells Lizzie anything. Her mother's dead and her father's hiding in his work. Determined to know her family history, the truths she uncovers are laced with dangerous secrets.
Nobody must be allowed to know what happened. And nobody wants to take the blame.
Based on a true story and a real, raw quest for truth, Silver River Shadow shines a light on a country's darkest secrets and unveils the mercury tragedy that still affects the Ojibway community in Canada's northeastern Ontario today.
The creation of the book has been overseen by Barney and Marion Lamm's daughter, Rochelle, and reviewed by Ojibway readers living in and connected to Grassy Narrows.
In 1946, Barney and Marion Lamm climbed into their two-seater plane and flew deep into the heart of the Canadian wilderness. Then one day the wonderful life they created was ripped apart.
Over seventy years later, their great-granddaughter Lizzie follows in their footsteps. Nobody ever tells Lizzie anything. Her mother's dead and her father's hiding in his work. Determined to know her family history, the truths she uncovers are laced with dangerous secrets.
Nobody must be allowed to know what happened. And nobody wants to take the blame.
Based on a true story and a real, raw quest for truth, Silver River Shadow shines a light on a country's darkest secrets and unveils the mercury tragedy that still affects the Ojibway community in Canada's northeastern Ontario today.
The creation of the book has been overseen by Barney and Marion Lamm's daughter, Rochelle, and reviewed by Ojibway readers living in and connected to Grassy Narrows.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 8, 2022
3 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Jane Thomas
2 booksI write with three purposes in mind: to educate, engage and enchant. Life is too short to spend time with books that don’t make our brains dance a little.
I have spent decades travelling the world and poking my nose into other people's lives, so it's perhaps unsurprising that the majority of my books are about adventures in obscure places.
Oxford educated, I see research as a sport and writing as an opportunity to share my discoveries.
It is perhaps inevitable that I weave in my experiences of a world that has spent years revealing its extraordinary beauty and possibilities.
I have spent decades travelling the world and poking my nose into other people's lives, so it's perhaps unsurprising that the majority of my books are about adventures in obscure places.
Oxford educated, I see research as a sport and writing as an opportunity to share my discoveries.
It is perhaps inevitable that I weave in my experiences of a world that has spent years revealing its extraordinary beauty and possibilities.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 6, 2022
An inspiring and enlightening story for middle graders.
Twelve year old Lizzie has been given a summer project – “Your Family Story”. With a dead mother and an absentee father, Lizzie resorts to searching through the attic to see if she can dig up some information about her ancestors. To her surprise, the attic contains a whole box of puzzling documents. As she researches further into these with her best friend Bobby, she uncovers a sad secret and a shocking cover-up, one that depresses her and also inspires her. What follows is a daring adventure with Bobby as she strives to find out the whole truth.
There were two things that drove me to pick this book up. One is that stunning title and cover! Neither revealed to me what the book would be about but both attracted my attention. The second was this line of the blurb:
“Based on a true story, Silver River Shadow reveals the stark truths of the mercury tragedy that still affects the Ojibway community in Canada's northeastern Ontario today.”
Mercury poisoning isn’t a topic I have seen in any fiction, especially not in children’s fiction. Plus, the story talks of an indigenous community in Canada. A further plus: it is based on a true story. How could I resist the book?
I usually read children’s fiction for relaxation. No matter what the subgenre, books in this age category leave me mostly content. This book was an exception. It stirred me up to find more. I had never heard of the tragedy in Minamata, Japan in 1950. I had never read about the problems faced by the Ojibway community. I had heard of mercury poisoning but never knew the extent of its devastation. There were so many facts the book lay before my eyes that I was stunned.
I loved the themes raised by the book. Environmental awareness, rights of indigenous communities, exploitation by the rich and the powerful, mercury poisoning – all are done justice to.
The writing is a bit complicated. No surprise here given the tough theme. But as it is aimed at middle graders, I guess the upper MG age group (10 years plus) should find the proceedings easier to comprehend.
There are some lovely colour illustrations before each chapter.
After the end of the story, there’s a section titled “I guess you’d like to know which bits are true?” (I loved this title BTW!) This special chapter reveals the authenticity of the content. Lizzie’s fictitious great-grandparents in the story were actual people named Barney and Marion Lamm, who lived in the Canadian wilderness and fought for the rights of the Ojibway community, especially when the local river was found contaminated with mercury. Their fight wasn’t easy, and their efforts weren’t rewarded. I am so glad the author chose to bring this couple’s story in the public eye. The creation of the book has been overseen by Rochelle Lamm, Barney and Marion's daughter, and reviewed by Ojibway readers living in and connected to Grassy Narrows. Thus the content isn’t just ad hoc but stamped with the approval of the key people related to the story. I heartily appreciate this tag of authenticity.
All in all, if you are looking for a middle grade novel that combines adventure and awareness, give this indie work a try.
4.5 stars from me. (I’ll be honest. The story/writing was a 4 star. The facts and the author’s note made me push up the rating. This book deserves a wider audience.)
My thanks to author Jane Thomas and BookSirens for the DRC of “Silver River Shadow”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
Twelve year old Lizzie has been given a summer project – “Your Family Story”. With a dead mother and an absentee father, Lizzie resorts to searching through the attic to see if she can dig up some information about her ancestors. To her surprise, the attic contains a whole box of puzzling documents. As she researches further into these with her best friend Bobby, she uncovers a sad secret and a shocking cover-up, one that depresses her and also inspires her. What follows is a daring adventure with Bobby as she strives to find out the whole truth.
There were two things that drove me to pick this book up. One is that stunning title and cover! Neither revealed to me what the book would be about but both attracted my attention. The second was this line of the blurb:
“Based on a true story, Silver River Shadow reveals the stark truths of the mercury tragedy that still affects the Ojibway community in Canada's northeastern Ontario today.”
Mercury poisoning isn’t a topic I have seen in any fiction, especially not in children’s fiction. Plus, the story talks of an indigenous community in Canada. A further plus: it is based on a true story. How could I resist the book?
I usually read children’s fiction for relaxation. No matter what the subgenre, books in this age category leave me mostly content. This book was an exception. It stirred me up to find more. I had never heard of the tragedy in Minamata, Japan in 1950. I had never read about the problems faced by the Ojibway community. I had heard of mercury poisoning but never knew the extent of its devastation. There were so many facts the book lay before my eyes that I was stunned.
I loved the themes raised by the book. Environmental awareness, rights of indigenous communities, exploitation by the rich and the powerful, mercury poisoning – all are done justice to.
The writing is a bit complicated. No surprise here given the tough theme. But as it is aimed at middle graders, I guess the upper MG age group (10 years plus) should find the proceedings easier to comprehend.
There are some lovely colour illustrations before each chapter.
After the end of the story, there’s a section titled “I guess you’d like to know which bits are true?” (I loved this title BTW!) This special chapter reveals the authenticity of the content. Lizzie’s fictitious great-grandparents in the story were actual people named Barney and Marion Lamm, who lived in the Canadian wilderness and fought for the rights of the Ojibway community, especially when the local river was found contaminated with mercury. Their fight wasn’t easy, and their efforts weren’t rewarded. I am so glad the author chose to bring this couple’s story in the public eye. The creation of the book has been overseen by Rochelle Lamm, Barney and Marion's daughter, and reviewed by Ojibway readers living in and connected to Grassy Narrows. Thus the content isn’t just ad hoc but stamped with the approval of the key people related to the story. I heartily appreciate this tag of authenticity.
All in all, if you are looking for a middle grade novel that combines adventure and awareness, give this indie work a try.
4.5 stars from me. (I’ll be honest. The story/writing was a 4 star. The facts and the author’s note made me push up the rating. This book deserves a wider audience.)
My thanks to author Jane Thomas and BookSirens for the DRC of “Silver River Shadow”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
August 4, 2022
Tween Lizzie better known to her father as busy Lizzie wasn’t so busy during her summer break. When her dad tells her about belongings that belong to her mom and grandmother that are in the attic she wanders how could she go 12 years without knowing about this? Knowing she has the whole summer to fill she decides to start the next day. These boxes will lead to call discoveries even cooler friends in the coolest story ever! I love this book. I love that Lizzie and Bobby became friends I love the way they became friends. I don’t know why but as an adult I still love reading the types of books I read when I was 12. Don’t get me wrong I love a good thriller True Crime non-fiction political books, but there’s something simple and enjoyable about a middle school romp. I hope there is a second book with busy Lizzie because I would read it definitely! I can’t wait to get this in paperback for my daughter. I received this book from Book siren and the publisher and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forget any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.
August 7, 2022
This is a lovely, short story with a powerful message behind it!
Eager to learn more about her family history, Lizzie begins digging through some of her dad's old boxes and is confronted with some confusing, intriguing and shocking discoveries. A tale of adventure and the importance of family, Silver River Shadow would provide an excellent basis for discussion around the global issue of pollution as well as entertaining young readers. I haven't come across another book which discusses the impact of mercury poisoning which, in itself, means it deserves a read.
I really enjoyed the unexpected ties to modern life as well as how strong and independent the main character is. The illustrations at the start of each chapter are beautiful and would provide great stimulus for inference work.
My only criticism is I wish the book was longer! There is a wonderful opportunity here for description of a wonderful sea voyage and the development of an unlikely relationship which I think has been missed. I look forward to hearing more from Lizzie and Bobby in future books and seeing how their friendship grows.
Eager to learn more about her family history, Lizzie begins digging through some of her dad's old boxes and is confronted with some confusing, intriguing and shocking discoveries. A tale of adventure and the importance of family, Silver River Shadow would provide an excellent basis for discussion around the global issue of pollution as well as entertaining young readers. I haven't come across another book which discusses the impact of mercury poisoning which, in itself, means it deserves a read.
I really enjoyed the unexpected ties to modern life as well as how strong and independent the main character is. The illustrations at the start of each chapter are beautiful and would provide great stimulus for inference work.
My only criticism is I wish the book was longer! There is a wonderful opportunity here for description of a wonderful sea voyage and the development of an unlikely relationship which I think has been missed. I look forward to hearing more from Lizzie and Bobby in future books and seeing how their friendship grows.
July 27, 2022
When Lizzie's dad tells her to pull out a few boxes of Mom's old papers from the attic, he doesn't anticipate that she'll not only sort and read them all but will pick up where Mom left off, resulting in a cross-country journey to help right a decades-old crime. This spunky adventure explores mercury poisoning and its impact on native people.
It's pretty obvious that the main goal of this book is to draw attention to a particular issue, but it's a fun story that has appeal to adults and children. I like Lizzie and Bobby, and I appreciated the authenticity of their adventure. Learning that most of it is based on a true story sparked my imagination. The plot made sense and the style was easy to read. Overall, I'm excited to share these themes and facts with my students, and I'm intrigued to see where Lizzie and Bobby will go next.
Thank you to BookSirens, Books and Bicycles Press, and the author(s) for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
It's pretty obvious that the main goal of this book is to draw attention to a particular issue, but it's a fun story that has appeal to adults and children. I like Lizzie and Bobby, and I appreciated the authenticity of their adventure. Learning that most of it is based on a true story sparked my imagination. The plot made sense and the style was easy to read. Overall, I'm excited to share these themes and facts with my students, and I'm intrigued to see where Lizzie and Bobby will go next.
Thank you to BookSirens, Books and Bicycles Press, and the author(s) for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
August 30, 2022
When Lizzie finds a box of documents relating to her family history, she uncovers a 70-year-old secret. Determined to find out more about her family's past, she sets off with her friend Bobby to travel from her home in the United States to her family's former home in Canada.
This is a super adventure story for middle grade readers (9+). Based on a true story, written in conjunction with the relatives of those involved and overseen by members of the Ojibway tribe from Northern Canada, the story brings to light a history that has been mostly untold. It could open up some interesting discussions in class surrounding environmental issues.
Thanks to the author, Jane Thomas, for inviting me to read her story and to BookSirens for providing an advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a super adventure story for middle grade readers (9+). Based on a true story, written in conjunction with the relatives of those involved and overseen by members of the Ojibway tribe from Northern Canada, the story brings to light a history that has been mostly untold. It could open up some interesting discussions in class surrounding environmental issues.
Thanks to the author, Jane Thomas, for inviting me to read her story and to BookSirens for providing an advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 26, 2023
It's a well-told story of a ghastly time in Northwestern Ontario's history. I think Jane and Rochelle put together a compelling tale. While I believe the book may be good for younger readers, I know this story and was drawn in as an adult reader and fell in love with the main characters who were wonderfully developed. I've read a lot of the history of Barney and Marion and it's clear that Jane, through Rochelle, had an inside track and captured the essence of these two amazing people beautifully.
April 11, 2023
Easy read for kids 8+ or adults with great message. Well thought out and researched.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews