A Cardboard Palace by Allayne L Webster

 

Jorge has been trafficked as a very young child. He is now forced to work for a gang of thieves working the streets and popular tourist sites of Paris. His daily life is horrendous. He has to pickpockets and take money from tourists and then deliver his 'takings' to his minder named Bill. If he has not gathered enough money he is punished. He also rarely receives any money for food so he is constantly desperately hungry. Jorge and the other kids live in a makeshift camp on the edge of the city and his home is indeed made from cardboard. There were times when I was reading this book when I just had to stop and take a break. The terrible things that happen to Jorge and his young friends are, at times, very confronting.

Yes this does feel like a modern day Oliver Twist and perhaps it is no coincidence that Bill has the same name as Bill Sykes from the famous Dickens novel. 

Publisher Blurb: Jorge lives in a shanty town on the outskirts of Paris. Bill, a controller, has an army of child thieves at his command—and Jorge is one of them. But soon Jorge faces an even bigger threat. His home is to be bulldozed. Where will Jorge sleep? What will happen to his friends, Ada and Gino? Could a burgeoning friendship with Australian chef, Sticky-Ricky, help Jorge to stop Bill and save the army of child-thieves? And will he do it before he loses Ada forever? Jorge can’t keep fighting to live—now he must live to fight. A harrowing, humbling story about one boy’s desperation to escape a life of crippling poverty.

A Cardboard Palace is a Young Adult novel which in my view is suitable for ages 13+. In NSW this book is on the 7-9 Premiers Reading Challenge list BUT very oddly (and I think dangerously) this book was included on the CBCA 2018 Notable list for Younger Readers. Similarly, having said: the book also covers poverty, human trafficking, slavery, child marriage and death - Books and Publishing list this book for readers aged 10+.  This deeply worries me. Take a look at this review in Reading Time. Here is a set of teaching notes. Here is a detailed review with more plot details.

I picked up a Cardboard Palace from the Westmead Children's Hospital Book Bunker because I have just read another book from Midnightsun and I wanted to read a little more about this South Australian publisher. 

A Cardboard Palace reads like a modern Dickens story set in Paris, giving a voice to trafficked Romany children who are forced to labour illegally for a pittance. Lamont Books

Companion reads:

Trash

The Bridge Home

Love by Sophia by Jim Averbeck illustrated by Yasmin Ismail

"Art!' cried Grand-mama. 'A six-year-old could do this!' Sophia refrained from pointing out that a six-year-old had."

Ms Paradigm sets the class an assignment. The children have to draw something they love. Sophia tries to paint and draw but nothing looks right until Ms Paradigm explains about perspective. Noodle, Sophia's giraffe friend, helps her understand how this works. When her painting is completed Sophia takes it to show her family. Mother is a judge; father is a businessman; Uncle Conrad is a politician and Grand-mama is the head curator. Sophia is sure her art work should be displayed on the family refrigerator. No one seems to agree with her until she is able to change their perspective.

This is another Sophia book which is filled with utterly delicious words: leniency; injunction; free market; public sector; consideration; radical; avant-garde;and despondent. There is a glossary at the back of the book with an explanation of each word.

This is the third book in the series. All three books should be added to every Primary school library. These books are truly special. You can see some illustrations from Love by Sophia here.

One word from Sophia

If you want to talk about perspective with a young child try to find this book by Pat Hutchins.

The Case of the Missing Cake by Eoin McLaughlin illustrated by Marc Boutavant

The Case of the Missing Cake (not an alphabet book) or perhaps the title is Not an Alphabet Book: The Case of the Missing Cake. Whatever the title this book is a winner.  It is funny. It is cheeky. And it contains a cake (whoops the cake is missing!). As a bonus the alphabet format is predicable and allow the bear to make his clever side comments. 

"Oh. Thank goodness you're here! This was meant to be a simple alphabet book but something horrible has happened. The most terrible crime. The world's most completely delicious, tongue-jinglingly, chocolatey cake has been STOLEN."

A is for Apple; B is for Bear; C is for Cake - gone. I do wish they had included a recipe.

An alternative, irreverent and funny alphabet book. A witty exploration of the letters of the alphabet – with each turn of the page the letters transform into lively characters, ideas and, ultimately, a compelling mystery to solve. Readers are sure to feel inspired to invent their own imaginative whodunit after reading this entertaining alphabet book! Walker Books

This is a perfect vehicle for reading aloud or reading together over and over, with lots of opportunities for highly expressive emoting and giggles galore.  Goofy, hilarious, laugh-out-loud fun for all. Kirkus star review

Here are some other books by Irish author Eoin McLaughlin and books illustrated by French illustrator Marc Boutavant.

I would pair The Case of the Missing cake with Z is for Moose.

All rise for the Honorable Perry T Cook by Leslie Connor

With complex, memorable characters, a situation that demands sympathy, and a story that’s shown, not just told, this is fresh and affecting.  Well-crafted, warm, and wonderful. Kirkus Star

Perry lives in a Nebraska prison. The Blue River Co-ed Correctional Facility in the town of Surprise. Perry did not commit a crime. He was born there. Warden Daughterty has allowed Perry to stay with his precious mum but things are about to change. This is the year Perry turns eleven and this is the year he moves over to the Middle School. He does have a very special friend named Zoey Samuels. The complication, which no one has anticipated, comes when Zoey's step father finds out that an eleven year old boy lives in a prison. Perhaps an ordinary citizen couldn't do anything about this but Thomas VanLeer is the Butler County District attorney and this gives him the power to move Perry out of the prision. To take Perry away from his mum and all of his friends. 

Text quotes:

"Lights from somewhere outside cast weird shadows on the walls, and I have a strange sense of how far down the hall the bathroom is. I didn't think to ask if I could just go ahead and use it in the night. The shower in there is all messed up. The water comes out of the little spout at the bottom - like for filling up the tub - but nothing comes out of the showerhead at the top."

"We all talk at once. We laugh, we cry a little. Mom and I share a chair. She holds me around the shoulders, squeezes me like she is making sure I am made out of the same things I was when I left six days ago."

"I know my mom's story now. It's about a young driver, a hailstorm, an infamously dangerous intersection, and a big mistake. ... That's a list of true things."

Publisher blurb: When Perry moves to the “outside” world, he feels trapped. Desperate to be reunited with his mom, Perry goes on a quest for answers about her past crime. As he gets closer to the truth, he will discover that love makes people resilient no matter where they come from . . . but can he find a way to tell everyone what home truly means

Image Source: Primary Source Pairings.

Awards and Accolades

• The Kirkus Prize 2016 Nominee, Young Readers
• ALA Notable Books for Children Nominee–Summer 2016, Fiction
• New York Public Library 2016 Best Books for Kids, Fiction
• Goodreads Choice Awards 2016, Middle Grade & Children’s
• Shelf Awareness 2016 Best Books of the Year, Middle Grade
• E. B. White Read-Aloud Award 2017 Finalist, Middle Reader
• Brightly, 16 of the Most Exciting Middle Grade Books to Read in 2016

You might like to also check out my recent review of The Warden's daughter by Jerry Spinelli.  These two books have so much in common and would make a good pair of companion reads.

Here are some other books I have enjoyed by Leslie Connor.

Waiting for Normal

The Truth as told to Mason Buttle

A home for Goddesses and Dogs

Goodnight Veggies by Diana Murray and Zachariah OHora

What do the veggies do at night? Rhubarb reads stories to the broccoli. Baby carrots and baby lettuce snuggle into the soil. Cucumbers stay calm and celery is snoring. "Cranky corn rolls over and covers up its ears." They might be asleep but all of them are still growing assisted one mighty garden worm who we see tucked into his or her very long bed on the last page.

A bedtime veggie feast for the eyes and ears. Kirkus

Written in a musical rhyme, this picture book is ideal for reading aloud to toddlers and preschoolers. Waking Brain Cells

The childlike approach, appealing art, and relatable worm character are enough to connect story and audience ... Horn Book

This book is perfect for preschool children. With a group of older children you could use this book to demonstrate alliteration - Turnips tucked in tightly. There are also puns such as beets are simply beat. 2021 is the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables. My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything has a terrific list of books for this theme. You can see some terrific books about gardening at the Eric Carle site. See more books by Diana Murray and Zachariah OHora.  I am (as you would expect) quite keen to see his book called My cousin Momo.

How to recycle your feelings by Amy Molloy illustrated by Melissa Mylchreest

 

Emotions - we all have them.  

Worried; angry; shy; sad; lonely; or hurt.

"They're all part of the bits and pieces of life"

This is not the style of book that usually appeals to me but I found myself appreciating the advice found here.  "You can recycle your feelings - reduce them, reuse them, swap them, share them, store them or repair them."

I liked the idea of borrowing a confidence coat from a friend (when you feel shy) and when you feel lonely putting the feeling in a jar with a label. 

Melissa Mylchreest’s clear, graphic illustrations support the minimal text to help the reader locate their feelings and then use them in positive and constructive ways. Reading Time

A couple of weeks ago we were given multiple copies of this book (published January 2020) at the Westmead Children's hospital Book Bunker. In this video the author reads her book. Amy Molloy is a qualified counsellor. Her adult books include 'The world is a nice place' and 'Wife Interupted'.  I think this book would be a good addition to a Primary school library or a preschool bookshelf. How to recycle your feelings won two awards - Purple Dragonfly - Health (First Prize) and Growing Pains (First Prize).

Publisher blurb: Sometimes, we all end up with too many emotions, Or emotions we don’t have a use for anymore… But that doesn’t mean you have to throw them away. Because no emotion is ever really a waste. The first title in the series, How to Recycle Your Feelings is a children’s book with grown-ups in mind too. The fictional story – which shows that 'no emotion is ever really a waste' – draws on therapeutic techniques such as reframing, reflection and detachment packaged in a way that is understandable (and enjoyable!) to readers of all ages. Perfect for parents, grandparents, carers and educators alike, it shows the power of imagination and positive intention to cope with the overflow emotions that can clutter our emotional worlds!

Nightingale's Nest by Nikki Loftin

John Fischer junior is known as Little John. His family are suffering. Ten months ago Little John's younger sister Raelynn has been accidentally killed. Little John blames himself for this horrific tragedy but so does his father and his mother has withdrawn into a world of mental turmoil. The family were struggling for money prior to the accident but things have now become much worse. They have been forced to sell things to raise money for the funeral and Little John's father is drinking away any money he makes felling trees. It is the summer and Little John now works with his dad. The local, rich, store owner  nicked named The Emperor, has employed them to clear and prune some old pecan trees. On their first day working in the summer heat Little John hears Gayle. She has a nightingale voice:

"The notes were high and liquid, a honey-soft river of sound that seeped right through me. ... The song sailed over the fence, like it was meant for me alone. No words to it. It was pure melody."

"That's when I realised the singer was a person. A little girl. She was plain, with brown hair the same colour as mine. But hers was ratted around her face like she'd never seen a brush, and she had dirt smeared on her cheeks and nose. Too thin, I thought, as she climbed over the edge of the bundled mess of sticks and out onto the branch to see me better."

Gayle is a foster child. She is living with Mrs Cutlin and her son Jeb. They are so horrid to this tiny child and there is frequent violence. Little John is worried about Gayle but there is another threat. The Emperor (Mr King) has heard Gayle sing. Her voice is exquisite. He wants this voice for his collection. The taking of her voice is far more sinister than just making a recording. The money ($500) offered by Mr King is actually 'blood money' but what should Little John do? He has made promises to his tiny fragile friend Gayle but he also need to think about his family.

Breathtaking; powerful; disturbing; mesmerising; raw; and tender - these are some words I would use to describe Nightingale's nest by Nikki Loftin. I started this book last night and finished it today. This is another of those books that you simply cannot put down but I do need to say there is some terrible violence to endure and so I would say this book is for very mature readers aged 11+. Read some background to this story on the blog Nerdy Book Club.

I held by breath when I clicked on the reviews for Nightingale's nest. When I adore a book as much as I adored this one, when a book moves me as deeply as this book moved me, I would have been so crushed if reviewers that I respect did not echo my reading experience. I am happy to say nearly every reviewer I have read loved this book. I don't usually quote reviewers from Goodreads but I am also going to put a few quotes here just to show the range of opinions.

School Library Journal : Smart and beautiful by turns, The Nightingale’s Nest does one thing that few will contest. Once you’ve read it, you’ll have a hard time getting it out of your head. Elizabeth Bird

Kirkus Star review: Unusual, finely crafted story of loss, betrayal and healing.

Nightingale’s Nest also thoughtfully reflects on poverty, power, gender dynamics and the question of masculinity as well as the desperate, bitter choices good people are moved to make when living under pressure. But it’s also about second chances, making amends and righting wrongs. The Book Smugglers

Goodreads comment 5 stars: "Thoughtful tween readers who enjoy a powerful story with a bittersweet ending will want to pick this one up. It’s a rare and beautiful treasure, lightly brushed with magic."  Shanshad Whelan

Goodreads comments 2 stars: "The plot is driven by something you know is going to happen, even though it seems so unlikely." Destinee Sutton

Here are some companion reads:

Bird

After reading Nightingale's Nest you are sure to want to revisit the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale:

When Zachary Beaver came to town by Kimberly Willis Holt

Blurb: "Toby Wilson is having the toughest summer of his life. It's the summer his mother leaves for good. The summer his best friend's brother is serving in Vietnam. And the summer Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy in the world, arrives in Toby's sleepy Texas town. While it's a summer filled with heartache, it's also a summer of new friendships gained and old friendships renewed. And it's Zachary Beaver who turns the town of Antler upside down and leaves everyone, especially Toby, changed forever."

I was sad to read about Zachary Beaver and the way he is used by this man called Paulie Rankin. Poor Zachary sits behind a plexiglass screen and people pay to enter the trailer to gawk at him. When Paulie left my emotions turned to worry. Who would look after Zachary? He seemed to be way too large to even get out of the trailer and what about his personal hygiene and the sewerage waste tank under the trailer. Luckily Toby and his friend Cal and later other people in the town do drop food at the trailer door for Zachary and after nearly a week the kind Sheriff organises for the pump out man to empty that tank. Toby and Cal are curious about Zachary but their curiosity has a level of kindness. They visit Zachary and gain his trust and listen to his fanciful travel stories but they also want to help Zachary. I was so thrilled when they organised a way to extricate him from his trailer 'prison' and take him to a drive-in movie. I won't give you details of the second time Zachary leaves the trailer but is also very moving.

There are fabulous character descriptions in this book:

"The skinny guy selling tickets moves to the top step in front of the trailer door. Even though he smokes a pipe, his baby face, braces, and tux make him look like he's ready for eighth grade formal. From the front his hair looks short, but he turns and I notice a ponytail hangs down his back."

"In the middle of the trailer sits the largest human being I've ever seen. Zachary Beaver is the size of a two-man pup tent. His short back hair tops his huge moon face like a snug cap that's two sizes too small. His skin is the colour of buttermilk and his hazel eyes are practically lost in his puffy cheeks."

"Ferris leans against the counter, where the bowling shoes are kept, rubbing his long Elvis sideburns. With is shirtsleeves rolled up, his two tattoos are visible. One is an anchor, and the other is a hula girl."

I'm not sure if this book will appeal to every Australian reader (aged 11+) but I loved it from the first to last page. I was totally immersed in the world of this small Panhandle town in Texas with its stores such as Ferris Kelly's Bowl-a-Rama; Earline's Real Estate Agency; and Clifton's Dry Goods. I also loved learning about the role of ladybirds in the control of pests, specifically Bollworms, in cotton crops. It is such a heartwarming scene when everyone gathers to release the ladybirds. Especially as this comes after the sadness of losing Cal's brother Wayne. 

At turns passionate and humorous, this extraordinary novel deals sensitively and candidly with obesity, war, and the true power of friendship. Kimberly Willis Holt

A master at finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, the author peoples her town with a quiet postmaster/worm-raising father, aspiring country-singer mother, watchful sheriff, eccentric judge, town historian Miss Myrtie Mae, flirt Scarlett, and, at the center of it all, sensitive narrator Toby Wilson and his sidekick, best friend Cal. Kirkus

I think this book might have been on the shelf of my local bookshop for quite a few years so I feel very lucky to have discovered it. When Zachary Beaver came to town was first published in 1999 my paperback copy was published in 2007. I now discover a new edition of this book was published in April this year. This book was the National Book Award winner in 1999.

Here are a set of teaching ideas and questions. I did look at part of the movie based on this book but it did not appeal to me - the characters looked way too young. 

I would pair this book with The Small adventure of Popeye and Elvis.

And if you a another book that explores the grief connected with the loss of a young life during the Vietnam war take a look at Footprints on the Moon (a new Australian verse novel) and The Wednesday Wars.

Here are some other novels by Kimberly Willis Holt:

Thanks to the prolific reviewer Karen Yingling I now discover there is a sequel to When Zachary Beaver came to Town. 

Facts! One for every day of the year by Tracey Turner illustrated by Fatti Burke

 

I do enjoy books that follow this format - a poem for every day of the year; a word for every day of the year; or a fact for every day of the year.

Facts! is a book you could share in a family or in a classroom or in a school library. In the library the daily fact could be used as a jumping off point for research or for a discussion about how to approach a research topic using key words; searching for web sites with authority; and exploring ways to narrow or refine a topic search. Your class could begin their own trivia book - aiming to collect another 365 fun facts! You could also design a way to organise all of the facts your students discover over the year.

There is no index or glossary in this colourful book and that might be of concern to some librarians but the search for information on a specific topic is not the purpose of this book which is sure to delight all collectors of trivia and of course this book is perfect for fans of The Guinness Book of Records. Each double page spread covers several days and some facts, which are circled, present events on specific dates.  This is not a book to use for the topic "On this Day" but rather it is just a miscellaneous collection of facts from every discipline - science, maths, geography, astronomy, history, biology and more. 

Publisher blurb: Discover a fact for everyone, everyday, in this book. Explore a world of topics, from hilarious animals, to unbelievable-but-true science facts, mind-blowing space stats, to incredible human achievements. You can even look up what extraordinary event happened on your birthday!  Did you know that Ancient Romans used wee to whiten their teeth, and to do their laundry? Or have you heard of the parrotfish, which covers itself in a cosy, thick layer of its own slime before it goes to sleep? Why not celebrate New Year's Eve like the Estonians: tuck into seven meals to give you strength for the year ahead. Delicious.  It's most important to know that you should never shake hands with a bushbaby: the animals pee on their paws so that they leave a smelly trail wherever they go. Find out all this and much, much more, with enough facts for even the most curious reader. Also includes seasonal and 'on this day' facts for added curiosity and fun, plus a completely random mix of everything else you can imagine.

Here are a few fun facts:

• Smallest car ever produced was 140cm long, 100cm wide and 120cm high. It is called a Peel P50.
• Cockroaches can live up to a week without their heads!
• When you are eight years old your brain is already the same size as it's going to be when you are an adult.
• Tin food was invented in 1810 - 45 years before tin openers!
• There is enough iron in the human body to make a 7.5cm nail.

As suggested in the blurb I checked out my birthday - On this day in 1859 Charles Darwin's book The Origin of the Species was published. 

You can see other books illustrated by Irish illustrator Fatti Burke here. 

Here are some other books by Tracey Turner. It seems pretty clear she loves collecting facts and trivia and she loves to organise her findings:

The Violet Veil Mysteries: A Case of Grave Danger by Sophie Cleverly

Fans of feisty girl heroes; detective stories; unsolved mysteries; and clever dogs will certainly enjoy this first book in The Violet Veil Mysteries series.

Publisher blurb: Violet Veil wants nothing more than to prove her worth and become her father’s apprentice at Veil & Sons Undertakers. And one rain-soaked night she gets her chance when she meets a boy, Oliver, who is wandering around the graveyard. Only, the last time Violet saw Oliver, he was indoors and very much dead, waiting to be buried. Violet has just found her first case, and it doesn’t get bigger than this: can she, with the help of her dog, Bones, help Oliver solve his own ‘murder’?

Other things you need to know about Violet:

• She is a girl living in Victorian England
• Girls are not allowed to aspire to an education and she will never be allowed to work with her father in the family Funeral business. 
• Violet's father has been accused of murder. Four men have very recently been buried in the graveyard beside the family undertaker's shop. The four men were all found in a dangerous and poor part of the town but these men, Violet discovers later, are all very wealthy.
• If Violet cannot prove her father is innocent he will hang. The police dismiss her as merely a girl who should not interfere.
• Violet is not afraid to spend time among the graves even at night - the dead feel like her friends.
• Oliver, the boy who someone has also tried to murder, needs to regain his memory but time is short. Oliver and Violet need to form a team and follow all leads to solve this terrible crime.

I read A Case of Grave Danger by Sophie Cleverly (author of the Scarlet and Ivy series) very quickly because it is a story with a terrific pace. Violet does solve this crime about halfway through the story but the police will not act without evidence. Luckily her dog Bones has a good nose for clues and luckily Violet herself is a very brave and determined young girl.

Fans of The Graveyard book by Neil Gaiman will also enjoy A case of Grave Danger. 

The Victorian setting with the morbid fascination with death, and life in a mortuary, evokes a sense of place, and oozes mystery throughout. Ashleigh Meikle

Full of mystery, excitement, adventure and suspense, this fantastic beginning to the series, sees Violet evolve and assert her individuality. Kids' Book Review

You can read the first chapter here. Or you can listen here.

Companion reads:

The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel

Violet and the Pearl of the Orient

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow

The Truth about Verity Sparks

The Case of the Missing Moonstone

Black cats and Butlers