Moraline is a story about children’s voices and agency, and it speaks loudly about
children’s rights and their power and responsibilities. Issues ranging from child
labor and political violence to grief and environmental sustainability are explored
with honesty and sensitivity through the adventures of Moraline and her friends.
Moraline knows the other kids think she is weird—the new kid with no friends who
fidgets and can’t seem to focus. When the three biggest bullies play a cruel trick on
her on the school camping trip, she decides she’s had enough. Running always makes
her feel better, so she runs—away from the campsite and out into the forest.
Unbeknownst to them, however, the bullies have done her a favor because, in the
forest, Moraline runs straight into the waiting arms of a Lakota holy man. He tells her
that she is the girl who runs against the wind, destined to put the winds back into
balance by combatting injustice wherever she finds it. Moraline doesn’t feel much
like a hero, but who is she to argue with magic and destiny? With the confidence she
gains from this encounter and a few good friends she picks up along the way,
Moraline sets about changing the world, one small step at a time.
Moraline herself is a likable character whose struggles with ADHD and insecurities
are sure to be familiar to many readers. Through her eyes, the reader will enjoy a
moving and exciting magical realist story and learn fundamental strategies for
allyship and advocacy. Black and white illustrations throughout the novel add a
touch of magic, while plentiful resources at the back of the book offer further
learning on the social justice issues explored in the story and how readers can
become “little advocates” themselves.
Moraline is a thought-provoking story that will inspire a new generation of movers
and shakers.
—The Children’s Book Review

Cintia Alfonso Fior’s Moraline is an inspiring story that aims to instill
moral values as early as possible in children, focusing on social
justice, environmental awareness, and racial literacy issues. It is
designed to teach children that they can counter a culture of
conflict by promoting a culture of peace. The characters come from
different backgrounds enabling readers to easily identify with any of
them. I find the mystical element of the story fascinating and
informative. The author’s prose is easy to understand and the flow
of the story makes it a comfortable read. Moraline is an extremely
powerful story, as it aims to equip children with the right way to
handle their emotions and teach them how to understand and deal
with different forms of conflict and situations. This is a highly
recommended tale. 

5 Stars- Reader's Favorite Book Review

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More Than a Children’s Story

When combining environmental justice with children’s rights, humanity can move full circle on what it means to provide a suitable home for a child. It is not enough to encourage children to vocalize their concerns if we are blind to hidden factors that damage their health. While the abolition of child abuse is a paramount goal of any children’s rights agenda, in truth, it fails to protect children in the long term if we ignore pollution, poison, and disease in their communities.

One of the many positive attributes of youth novel, Moraline, authored by Cintia Alfonso Fior is the full, albeit fictional, integration of children’s rights, racial literary and environmental awareness. Moraline clearly shows a society that prefers categories and labels to reference groups and subjects usually shortchanges itself and those it is “trying” to understand. The beautiful and honest message of the book is conflict is created by focusing on our differences instead of connecting to our commonalities.

There are strong examples of needless harassment that serve as a reminder of the obstacles and stumbling blocks put in our way by people with unresolved anger issues that strike out at those who are perceived as threats due to fear and ignorance. Unlike many other youth novels that contain such scenes, Moraline takes the next logical step in wondering why the bully is a bully? It is brave and instructive to ask such questions and seek solutions that may benefit all. Mark Twain told us “The best way to defeat an enemy is make them your friend.”

If intersectionality can be applied to this work of fiction it is subdued by the seamless plot that allow a natural progression from standing up to prejudice to understanding how nature plays a vital role in our lives. The mental anguish of an African child struggling to comprehend how his “otherness” compels his peers to question his existence is poignant and most relevant in an age that is presumptuous in its proclamation of post-racism. And the stark reminder even in our modern midst that a child could be part of grueling agricultural labor force that is causing him lung damage.  

In the literary sense it is exceedingly difficult to weave a tale that entertains and educates in an impactful manner. A majority of good-intentioned story-telling these days is heavy-handed or manages to offend in some new tangent. Moraline is important because its characters ring true. They stay with you. The fear that causes you to hesitate. The bully lurking around the corner. The secret burden each of us carry in our daily lives. The misunderstanding if allowed uncorrected that could lead to greater pain. And the strength and courage that must be found to stand up to unfairness in all its forms. It is more than a children’s story. It is the trajectory of life in general that dangles peril and promise upon the choices we make.

Mark Antony Rossi, customer's review