Brightest Wild

By Tania Crampton-Larking

Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey

Out of place, out of depths, out of sorts. All the ways eleven-year-old Alex feels when she’s made to leave her comfortable London life to move to a small Adelaide suburb with a soon-to-be stepfamily. It’s been two years since her dad died suddenly, and now her mum is getting ready to marry Art, moving them in with him and his son Koen, halfway around the world.

Winner of the 2019 black & write! Fellowship, Brightest Wild is the debut novel for Adelaide author Tania Crampton-Larking, a proud Mirning woman, and was shortlisted for the 2025 Readings Children’s Fiction Prize. Highlighting the importance of people and place, Alex’s journey will likely hold familiarity for most tweens and young teens.

Alex is mixed-race, and between comments from Koen’s friends and kids at school, she immediately feels out of place. More words are tossed carelessly at an Aboriginal boy in her class, and Koen’s friends don’t seem to be all that friendly. When Alex finally finds her people, everything feels like it’s falling into place. So why does she still feel so down and confused?

Jumping between the issues of protecting the planet and honouring your people, standing up for what’s right and standing up for those around you, Brightest Wild tiptoes through myriad high stakes and small grievances. Tackling so many questions in one book feels like a big task, but as Alex wanders through the wilds of her first few months in a new country, with a new family and new friends, she finds a way to make a place for herself, get to know her surroundings, and remember how her passions can make a difference to the world around her.

A suitable read for older middle grade and younger YA interested in standing up for what’s right and protecting land and planet.

Teaching Resources

Lothian Children’s Books 2026

Tania Crampton-Larking