A powerful coming-of-age survival tale exploring issues of race, class, and climate change

Paradise on Fire

7

Addy is haunted by the tragic fire that killed her parents, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother. Now, 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.

The book cover for Paradise on Fire by Jewell Parker Rhodes, showing a profile image of a young African American girl with an overlaid drawing of a father and daughter climbing up a mountain
A sticker shaped image of two youth climbing up a mountain

Honors & Accolades
for Paradise on Fire

Nebraska Golden Sower Award Nominee

Blueberry List

Volunteer State Book Award Nominee

Junior Tome It List

Green Earth Book Award Winner

Green Earth Book Award Long List

Best of the Best Booklist

Best Books for Young Readers

Winter ’21 Project LIT Selection

2021

Best Children’s Books: ages 9 to 12

2021, Amazon

Los Angeles Times

…rooted in the power of nature and community to bring us back to ourselves when we fear all is lost…Rhodes makes sure her readers will feel her landscapes and encourages them to then go out and engage with their own.

New York Times

“The book does heroic work in connecting global forces to local reality…Addy is a heroine any reader might aspire to be, a teenager who learns to trust her own voice and instincts, who realizes that fire can live within someone, too.”

Shelf Awareness

a brilliant melding of captivating storytelling and crucial teaching moments.