From the author of Gus and the Starlight comes an inspiring story about opening your mind and sharing your heart.
Lani Scrub has a plan: study hard and become a world-renowned scientist like her hero, Kit Galway, who wrote The Meaning of the Universe.
The plan is ruined when Lani’s mum decides to ‘find herself’ by joining a nature-loving community called Passing Waters. Lani should have known things were up when they got backyard chickens.
At Passing Waters, Lani fails every test thrown her way – despite coaching from nine-year-old nature kid Lentil and a chef/astronomer named Meadow.
Turns out failing is hard. What’s worse, their tree change is making her question the meaning of the universe… When the community’s future is threatened, will Lani Scrub pitch in to save the day?
Victoria Carless is a Townsville-based author and playwright. Lani and the Universe follows Carless’s beautiful middle-grade debut, Gus and the Starlight, and is brimming with just as much heart and inspiration for young readers.
You’ll adore this quirky, generous read – I immediately fell in love with plucky, super-smart Lani, along with all the unique characters she meets along her journey. Lani and the Universe is a stirring, quick-witted novel that doesn’t shy away from the big questions. Throughout Lani’s journey, Carless shines a light on what matters most in life and reminds us that first impressions aren’t always the be-all and end-all! Even though it can be uncomfortable, we sometimes need to give people – and places – a little more time to reveal their true colours, staying open and patient with ourselves during the process.
Plunging her characters – and her readers – into the concept of ‘re-wilding’, Carless explores a very timely topic in a way that’s both accessible and educational for kids. We often hear grown-ups talking about tree changes, citing a desire to raise their kids somewhere ‘closer to nature’. But what do the young folks themselves really think about it all? The answer, in Lani’s case, is not as straightforward as she might believe at first…
Lani and the Universe inspires a newfound appreciation of the magic of science and the natural world, and the important role that community plays in the midst of it. It would make a fantastic cross-curricular addition to the classroom. There’s even a fantastic list of accessible resources for further reading on the science concepts mentioned in the story, for curious kids who find themselves inspired by Lani’s explorations of the universe.
If you’re looking to inspire a budding woman in STEM, this is the ideal choice. Equally, if you’re after a story that might shift the perspective of a young reader who struggles to engage with nature and the world around them, or is perhaps a little too caught up in the material aspects of life, this would be a great choice for them too! We thoroughly recommend it for readers aged 9 and up.
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