A River I Must Be (Kate Foster, HarperCollins)

A River I Must Be is a middle-grade fiction book in verse by Kate Foster (Freddie Jones: The Mystery of the Troublesome Trees, Harriet Hound), told from the perspective of a young autistic girl as she navigates high school.

Year 7 student Bec finds solace and strength in her passion for rivers, her parents’ support, and attending gymnastics with her only friend, Clover. But with her mum currently on the other side of the world and her new school’s lack of awareness and accommodations for her autism, Bec increasingly feels isolated, and her capacity for masking begins to crumble. Only with the perseverance and understanding of a few classmates does Bec start to feel like maybe she can show her true self to the world.

The format of the text eloquently expresses Bec’s thoughts and feelings, playing with space on the page and mirroring the ebb and flow of her mood. On some pages, the sparsity of words evokes and emphasises Bec’s emotions when she is overwhelmed and struggling to express herself, while loud, intrusive words are bold or enlarged.

Foster crafts a strong portrayal of a neurodivergent mind and the importance of inclusion and understanding, creating a wonderful book that encourages neurodivergent and hesitant readers aged 10 and older.

A River I Must Be will also be a great resource for teachers to use in exploring inclusivity, as well as writing forms, formats and metaphors to express ideas.

Books+Publishing reviewer: George Banach-Salas is a queer, nonbinary teacher, writer and former bookseller living in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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