Available Formats
Sea Bird
By (Author) Michelle Kadarusman
Pajama Press
Pajama Press
2nd January 2026
Canada
Children
Non Fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: School stories
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: School, education and teachers
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Historical fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories
Hardback
240
Width 140mm, Height 203mm
Inspired by a true story, Sea Bird follows the early teen years of Kartini, whose forced isolation ignites her desire for freedom and the right to have a say in the decisions that shape her life.
Kartini was born in 1879 during Dutch-colonized Indonesia, then known as the Dutch East Indies. Due to her high-born status, Kartini is forced to enter home seclusion just before her twelfth birthday with the intention that she will remain home until she is married.
During seclusion, Kartini, who is fluent in the Dutch language, begins a self-directed education and writes letters to a former schoolmate named Lesty. This period of isolation sparks her interest in feminist thinking and ignites her desire to improve education opportunities for all Javanese girls and women.
In Sea Birdshows us that no matter how powerless you feel, your voice can have great impact, and by virtue of writing down your dreams and ideas, you can inspire generations to come.