Paradise on Fire

By: Jewell Parker Rhodes

Narrated by: Tyla Collier

From award-winning and bestselling author Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age survival tale exploring issues of race, class, and climate change.​

Addy is haunted by the tragic fire that killed her parents, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother. Years later, Addy’s grandmother has enrolled her in a summer wilderness program. There, Addy joins five other Black city kids—each with their own troubles—to spend a summer out west.

Deep in the forest the kids learn new (and to them) strange skills: camping, hiking, rock climbing, and how to start and safely put out campfires. Most important, they learn to depend upon each other for companionship and survival.
But then comes a devastating forest fire…

Addy is face-to-face with her destiny and haunting past. Developing her courage and resiliency against the raging fire, it’s up to Addy to lead her friends to safety. Not all are saved. But remembering her origins and grandmother’s teachings, she’s able to use street smarts, wilderness skills, and her spiritual intuition to survive.

BCALA 2021 Best of the Best Book
A Cadmus Children’s Fiction Award for the Green Earth Book Award winner

Critic reviews

Praise for Black Brother, Black Brother

*"A powerful work and must-have for children's collections."—Booklist, starred review

"Placing biracial boyhood and the struggles of colorism at its center, the novel challenges readers to pursue their own self-definition."—Kirkus

*"An excellent selection for both elementary and middle library collections, this is a title that celebrates finding one's place in the world."—School Library Connection, starred review

"Donte's story is a good primer for younger readers on microaggressions."—School Library Journal

"A classic sports story."—BCCB

"This novel offers a solid story, with relatable, three-dimensional characters considering identity, that will teach readers about colorism's effects."
—Publishers Weekly

How Addie was so brave for the fire

I love all of it. It was such a great story. All of the carectersy.

Perfect book!

This is the perfect book about the wilderness. It talks about everything on need to know! Such a great book and story. If you read it, listen to the Afterword.

A triumph over trauma

While the self-discovery, racial, and ecological themes drew me in, what I found most poignant was the author's portrayal of carrying the lingering effects of personal trauma, coming to greater self-understanding, and transmuting that trauma into power. The author handles this aspect of the story with such grace, deftly mirroring the internal and external struggles while never being heavy-handed.

wilderness adventure through a new lense

Most wilderness adventure comes from the perspective of a white suburban middle class boy or girl. It was refreshing to experience it from a black urban girl's point of veiw. The line "why can't they come to my neighborhood and learn how I live" really hit me.