Overdrive (Libby) has announced its next Big Library Read, A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger. From November 2-16 readers around the world will have simultaneous access to the title and can use the hashtag #biglibraryread on social media to share their thoughts with other readers.
A Snake Falls to Earth is told in dual point of views from a Lipan teen, Nina, and Oli, a cottonmouth, who lives in the Reflecting World, where most animals can take on human form. The Reflecting World is tethered to Earth so when Ami, a dear toad friend, falls ill, Oli suspects something is affecting the same species on Earth. With a team of transforming animals, they venture to Earth and seek refuge with the bookseller and meet the bookseller’s daughter, Nina. Without too many questions, Nina is eager to help them find ways to raise awareness of the extinction of the rare toad species.
It does take a while to create the worlds and character building of Oli, Nina, and friends but stick through it as the adventure picks up and is definitely worth the journey. The bonding moment is when everyone travels to Nina’s grandmother’s house before an impending hurricane. They find that the land around the house is an area that pulls on the tethered worlds, making moving between the two worlds easier but also dangerous. What they go through to contain a tornado is one of the most memorable scenes, a tall tale filled with magic and teamwork that will exercise your imagination.
Drawn from Lipan Apache storytelling and mythology, Darcy Little Badger tells a story filled with an appreciation and respect for nature, the importance of family-born into and stumbled upon, and the need to hold on to stories. The audiobook, narrated in two voices, is also a delight to listen to.