Astonishingly beautiful in a way most American children don't usually get to see. I love Will fiercely and she will continue to inspire me and will number among the many important friend I have who happen to live on bookshelves. ( )

Wilhelmina is a white girl growing up in Zimbabwe, living nearly as free as the wild animals she sees every day. After her father dies, Will is sent to a boarding school in London, where culture shock is only the first challenge she faces. A story about adapting to new environments and circumstances.

After enjoying Rooftoppers so much, I was excited for KR's new book. The first 50 pages are full of the whimsy of her first: young white wild child Wilhemina (Will, Wildcat, Cartwheel), her great love of Zimbabwe, her black friend Simon, her foreman father and the ranch owner, Captain Browne. When her father dies of malaria, the young, evil manipulating wife ships Will off to boarding school in England, where she is miserable and abused by her classmates. The next 150 pages are difficult for her and the reader, including her running away. Will finally stumbles across some kindness, and they convince her to return to school, where she is no longer seen as a pariah. This happy ending seems woefully inconsistent with teenage girl behavior, particularly for the privileged. 2.5 stars. ( )

Will is a vibrant happy 8 year old girl, growing up on a remote farm in South Africa. She spends all her time out of doors, with animals, playing in all weather with local boys. Will loses her parents and then her home on the farm and is sent to a boarding school in London, where she can find nothing familiar or comfortable for her, and where none of the other girls can understand this wild african girl.

This story was excellent and I loved Will so much! She is utterly brave and fully herself. I couldn't put it down, wanting to know what would happen to her. ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-8

Plot Summary: Will lives free as can be on a plantation in Africa. She spends time with her horse, monkey, and best friend. Sometimes she doesn't see her dad for days as she wanders around exploring, sleeping in trees if necessary. When her dad catches malaria, Captain tells her it isn't bad, that he'll recover. But instead of getting a doctor to help, Miss Vincy, a trained nurse and a potential love interest and distraction for the Captain, comes to help instead. Only, she doesn't help. She's rude, excludes Will from seeing her father, and stays for longer than Will thinks she's welcome. On his death bed, William and Captain promise that Will will be taken care of on the plantation. But when her father passes, Will runs away to the bush for a full week and when she returns, the house is different under Miss Vincy, most noticeably, she is no longer welcome. Miss Vincy tricks Captain into sending Will to London for boarding school. Will is dreading it will all her might. How will she adjust from her extreme freedom to strict rules? What will the others think of her?

Setting: Zimbabwe then London

Characters:
Will - AKA Wilhelmina, has a pet monkey named Kezia and a horse name Shumba, can not see her dad for days at a time either because she's exploring or living in the wild and/or her dad is busy working
William - Will's dad, uses his whole body to express emotion
Simon - Will's BFF, works on the farm
Captain Charlie Browne - has tobacco stained teeth, overweight, warm and has a soft spot for Will
Cynthia Vincy - met Captain in town and does drive bys on the farm to see him but only stops if William isn't around, trained nurse
Louisa - mean girl at school

Recurring Themes: freedom, exploration, Africa, immigration, home, adventurous, risk-taking, orphan, independence, bullying

Controversial Issues:
pg 35 "even the men drinking leftover beer"
a few dammits
school girls call Will a tramp
pg 147 - baboons in Africa got drunk after they stole beer

Personal Thoughts: I'm glad I stuck through the first 2-3 chapters because it definitely got better. I think it's well written overall with decent character development. The characters are well developed and I definitely felt like I was Will, living on her adventures, by the end of the book. I'm just not sure if kids will read it.

Genre: historical fiction (no mention of cell phones in London)

Pacing: first few chapters are slower, very descriptive, speeds up after that to medium/fast
Characters: very few, fairly well developed
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: ( )