Hamra and the jungle of memories

Title:

Author:

Summary:

On Hamra's thirteenth birthday, she receives nothing but endless nagging and yet another errand to run in the Langkawi jungle that looms behind her home. No one has remembered her special day. And so, stifled and angry, Hamra ignores something she shouldn’t: the rules of the jungle. Always ask permission before you enter. Hamra walks boldly in. Never take what isn’t yours. Hamra finds the most perfect jambu and picks it. Of course, rules exist for a reason, and soon an enormous weretiger is stalking her dreams, demanding payment for her crimes—and Hamra embarks on a quest deep into the jungle to set things right. -- Amazon.

Audience:

Grades 4-6. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers.

Ages 8-12. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers.

General Note:

"Stories belong to the heroes" -- Cover.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

390 pages ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Magic realist fiction.

Subject Term:

Tiger -- Juvenile fiction.

Magic -- Juvenile fiction.

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction.

Grandmothers -- Juvenile fiction.

Debt -- Juvenile fiction.

Human-animal relationships -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9780063207950

Publication Information:

New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023.

Call Number:

J HANNAALKAF

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003676973	New Juvenile Fiction	HANNAALKAF	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A Malaysian spin on Little Red Riding Hood from the critically acclaimed author of The Girl and the Ghost, Hanna Alkaf.

Courage is the strongest magic there is.

On Hamra's thirteenth birthday, she receives nothing but endless nagging and yet another errand to run in the Langkawi jungle that looms behind her home.

No one has remembered her special day.

And so, stifled and angry, Hamra ignores something she shouldn't: the rules of the jungle.

Always ask permission before you enter. Hamra walks boldly in.

Never take what isn't yours. Hamra finds the most perfect jambu and picks it.

Of course, rules exist for a reason, and soon an enormous weretiger is stalking her dreams, demanding payment for her crimes--and Hamra embarks on a quest deep into the jungle to set things right.

For fans of Ikegna and A Tale Dark and Grimm comes a story of a brave heroine, a beguiling villain, fantastical worlds, magical adventures, and a journey that will remind you that hope, friendship, and love endures all.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3--6--Alkaf brings Malaysian folklore into the modern day through this quest of Hamra, a girl just turning 13 who lives on the edge of the Langkawi jungle. The jungle can be dangerous, and so there are six rules her family has taught her about entering (such as asking permission and never taking what's not yours). On her birthday, in an angry tantrum, Hamra purposely disobeys all the rules and takes a magical fruit home to give to Opah who is suffering from dementia. The fruit seemingly cures Opah, but at what cost? This event prompts a magical journey that Hamra must go on to fix the consequences of her disrespect to the enchanted jungle. Hamra, with her neighbor and friend Ilyas and the ambiguous weretiger Pak Belang, set out through the jungle into the realm of fae and creatures, some helpful and some harmful. While making deals with magical favors, Hamra learns lessons about family and friendship. The COVID-19 pandemic and its global effects are also mentioned throughout the story, as Hamra's frustration is driven by the lockdown and her parents' stressful work on the front lines. During the journey, they question what it means to be human, what happens to those who are not the hero of the story, and what it means to pay debts and take care of your community. Alkaf also uses family events to bring the story full circle. The reluctant hero Hamra will appeal to young and older readers alike, and the action will keep tweens engaged. VERDICT A welcome addition to libraries that serve children and tweens. This fresh take on Little Red Riding Hood is a necessary purchase for libraries and fantasy shelves.--Helen Prince

Publisher's Weekly Review

During the Covid pandemic, 13-year-old Hamra contends with perilous fantastical situations and internal struggles stemming from familial concerns in this riveting jungle adventure by Alkaf, a "Little Red Riding Hood"--inspired Malaysian fantasy. When Hamra isn't taking care of her grandmother, who grows more forgetful each day, she spends most of her time during the pandemic dreaming of grand adventures. On her 13th birthday, Hamra sets off into the woods to pluck ulam leaves to make nasi ulam for her grandmother. But in her eagerness to accomplish her task, Hamra--accompanied by her best friend Ilyas Chang Abdullah--forgets to heed one of the most important rules of the jungle: "Always ask permission before you enter." As the duo venture further into the woods, they break another rule--"Never take what isn't yours"--and inadvertently anger a weretiger, with whom they must make a deal if they hope to leave the forest alive. Creatures from Malaysian mythology appear throughout, adding texture and imbuing the girls' tale with peril. Alkaf employs lively prose alongside Hamra and Ilyas's dynamic personalities and earnest friendship to deliver a tale about sacrifice, perseverance, and the enduring bonds of love. Ages 8--12. (Mar.)