Mim and the Anxious Artist by Katrinia Nannestad illustrated by Cheryl Orsini

Mim, Nat (her brother) and dad along with their accompanying menagerie of animals have arrived in Paris with their horse drawn bookshop. Mim marvels at the beautiful city and Nat loves the idea of the Awful Tower, his new discovery of French culinary treats and the way he can find his favourite letter 'S' in just about any situation.

They meet a very talented artist named Pierre. His portrait art is captivating but once a painting is completed, he simply cannot give it away or give it to the person who has paid him. This is one of several dilemmas that Mim need to solve with the help of the seemingly mismatched books her father sells each customer from his bookshop. How on earth can a book about gardening help Pierre? Why does the rich lady need The Happy Handyman? And a book about bridges for a famous chef? Surely not. 

In 2021 I read the first first installment of The Travelling Bookshop series. Such a charming story with yummy cakes and the idea of giving the perfect book to a reader! I picked up this one - book three - at a recent charity book sale. I did wonder if I should have read the second installment first but no, the books in this series do stand alone - but IF you can try to get the whole set and then settled down for a delicious week or two of reading. 

In this video Katrina Nannestad talks about her series. Here is her website. You can see more of my posts which feature books by Katrina Nannestad by clicking on the label the bottom of this post. I also adore the illustrations and bright covers by Cheryl Orsini of this book and all the other titles from the series. 

This series is filled with such hope and whimsy, bringing words and the world to life for us. It is a series that I have been following since the beginning, and I am looking forward to seeing where Mim and her family go next with their wonderful bookshop. It’s such a fun series and readers of all ages will get something wonderful out of it. The Book Muse

This is the newest installment published March, 2024

Bookseller blurb: Mim Cohen roams the world in a travelling bookshop, with her dad and brother and a horse called Flossy. Flossy leads them where she will, to the place where they're needed most ... the place where the perfect book will find its way home. Now Mim has arrived in wonderful Venice, city of canals, palaces, bridges, boats and ... quarrels. Gondolier battles, cat nappings and laundry theft are just the beginning. The Magnifico family and the Forte family are at war. Mim knows they're here to help the feuding families. To show them a better way to behave. To bring an end to the vicious vendetta. If only Mim could find each of them the right book. If only they'd all stop reading the wrong books.

Winter of the White Bear by Martin Chatterton

 

The cover of this book belies the very deep issues that are explored in this text. Themes of murder, power, slavery, forced labour, attempted suicide and justice. The power differential is evident right from the front cover where we see a tiny brown bear overshadowed by an enormous angry-faced white bear. This is not a book for a young child - this is a picture book for older readers aged 13+.

Little Bear has a happy life with his father in the forest which is filled with bright colours. The opening double page spread is almost a visual shock after seeing the snow filled cover and ice shards on the end papers. Little bear loves to catch fish with her father and her delight is echoed in the way the fish glitter like falling stars. Following a horrific battle between the father bear and the White Bear, Little Bear is taken captive and forced to undertake the long journey to the polar lands. Once there, she is ordered to dive into the frozen waters to catch fish for the tyrannical White Bear. Finally Little Bear cannot take this suffering and so she dives deep into the ocean hoping to end her life. She is saved by a vision of her loved father telling her to stay strong and find a way to leave. Little Bear swims back to the surface and sets out to trick her captor. Each day she places tempting fish closer and closer to the edge of the ice. Finally, the White Bear steps onto an ice floe and he plumets to the ocean floor. Little Bear is now free to find her way home.

This story is presented as a fable, and it is designed to draw attention to the injustices of slavery not just from the past but also the reality and Injustices of modern slavery. This is a passion topic of the author and formed the basis of his PhD study. Here is a video trailer for Winter of the White Bear. 

The illustrations depict vast, lonely landscapes. Layers of blue are used to show the depth and freezing temperatures of the polar waters. The danger is amplified by the silhouettes of fierce sea creatures following Little Bear as she tries to catch fish for the insatiable appetite of the white bear. When discussing this book with students notice Little Bear is a girl and she is brown and the bear with power is white. These would be deliberate character choices. A sentence from the opening of the story is repeated at the end giving the story a satisfying conclusion.

"The fish glittered under the water. Little Bear lifted it from the river in a shower of stars."

"The fish glittered under the water. Little Bear watched it swim pas, trailing stars."

Looking closely at the illustrations you could talk about the use of red to emphasize the anger of the tyrannical bear. On the half title page, the bear is walking to the left - this shows, in my view, that he will be able to walk away from the slavery and find his way back home. The final scene we see Little Bear is nearly home, the view looks like a welcoming carpet of colour. And if you look closely dad is welcoming Little Bear back home.

Awards (read the judging comments here)

• 2021 shortlisted for the Patricia Wrightson Prize in the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards
• 2020 shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards

Read about the Kickstarter project that was used to fund the publication of this book. And more about ending modern slavery through the organisation The Freedom Hub.  Sophie Masson interviewed Martin Chatterton about his book in 2019. 

Martin Chatterton in his notes at the back of the book says:

"Winter of the White Bear is a story about a small captive who, like so many captives, fights back against a stronger and meaner captor. It is also a lesson about the big picture of slavery; no good comes of cruelty and suppression, and there is a way to end it. ... My hope is that this book, in one way or another, helps someone else find their way home."

This blog post contains part of the text I submitted to The National Centre for Australian Children's Literature for use in the Picture Books for Older Readers database. 

Proverbs from Far and Wide by Axel Scheffler

It has been said that a proverb is a short sentence 

based on long experience

The subtitle of this book says: A wonderful witty collection of the world's wisdom. 

This book was published in 1997 (the title was The Silent Beetle Eats Seeds) and later reprinted in 2001 but of course by now, 2024, it is out of print. Hopefully you might find it in a library - as I did. The title intrigued me and I knew Axel Sheffler (he does all those glorious Julia Donaldson books) would add fun illustrations.

The paperback copy I borrowed has included the end papers - and what a delight they are - filled with a series of interesting patterns which could be an inspiration for an art lesson. You could also use this book with a group of new English learners. And with a class talking about proverbs you could play an matching game using the illustrations and some of the proverbs. You can see the way Axel Scheffler presents each saying with a tiny illustration from the cover design. It also might be fun to explore a proverb each week for one term with your class. 

I found this list of over 25 proverbs. The selection begins with this definition:  in short, a proverb is a succinct, interesting saying which states a general truth or piece of advice about life. They often seem like a riddle but they usually contain so much wisdom. I have added bold to the ones my parents used to say to me:

A good conscience is a soft pillow.
A friend’s frown is better than a fool’s smile.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody.
A problem shared is a problem halved.
A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.
A rolling stone gathers no moss.

After the storm comes the calm.

A change is as good as a holiday.

A stitch in time saves nine.

A fool and his money are soon parted.

A bad workman blames his tools

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

A wise man doesn’t need advice, and a fool won’t take it.

Always in a hurry, always behind.

Accidents will happen.

All’s well that ends well.

As one door closes, another always opens.

All things come to those that wait.

Appearances are deceptive

Actions speak louder than words.

Angry words fan the fire like wind

A watched pot never boils

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

A penny saved is a penny earned

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

A cat has nine lives

An elephant never forgets

Best to bend it while it’s a twig

Birds of a feather flock together

Beggars can’t be choosers

Bread never falls but on its buttered side

Bad news travels fast

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Before you meet the handsome prince you have to kiss a lot of toads

Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all

Better safe than sorry

Better late than never

Cheap is dear in the long run.

Cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face

Curiosity killed the cat; Satisfaction brought it back

Call a spade a spade

Charity begins at home

Do as I say not as I do

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you

Don’t blow your own trumpet

Do unto others as you would have them do to you.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Deeds are fruits, words are but leaves

Don’t cross your bridges until you come to them.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Every path has its puddle.

Empty vessels make the most noise.

Find a coin pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck

His bark is louder than his bite

It is no use crying over spilt milk

Many hands make light work

Never put off ’til tomorrow what you can do today.

Some of the best gifts come in small packages.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

There are twelve sets of proverbs in the book by Axel Scheffler:

• Friendship
• How you look
• Being in the right place at the right time
• Consequences
• Patience
• Luck
• Injustice
• Taking care
• Envy
• Wisdom
• Experience
• Impossible Things

Here are a few gems from this book - familiar and unfamiliar.

"If you step on one ant, the others come to bite you too."  West Africa

"If the baboon could see his own behind, he would laugh too." Kenya

"The early bird catches the worm."

"If the camel gets his nose in the tent, his body will soon follow." Arabia

"A watched pot never boils."

"A hasty man drinks tea with his fork." India

"If you throw a handful of stone, at least one will hit." India

"The heaviest rains fall on the leakiest house." Japan

"Let sleeping dogs lie." England

"The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."

"He who has been bitten by a snake, fear a piece of string." Persia

"Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches."

"You cannot catch lions with cobwebs."

I did a search via an online bookseller using the term proverb. I found a few books for children using this term but most had a religious theme linked to the Book of Proverbs from the bible. This one which was published in 2022 looks interesting and is perhaps worth investigating:

Where have the Unicorns Gone? by Jane Yolen illustrated by Ruth Sanderson

"In the moment that separates nighttime and dawn,

The instant of daydream that's here and then gone,

You might see the toss of a mane or a horn

And the wavery shape of escape unicorn

In that watery eden, the sea."

I picked up this book at a recent charity book sale. It was published in 2003 but when I checked an online bookseller it seems it might still be available. This is a book I would most certainly add to my Senior Picture book collection for readers aged 10+ mainly because this book is filled with the most sophisticated words:

haven; golding glades; routed by gouts of iron-red flames; gouged from hillsides; clacketing mills; catacombed hills; cataphonetics of city and town; noxious smog; wee wisplets of fog; and contrails of rockets.

This book is also begging to be read aloud. And think about that word cataphonetics! It would be fabulous to put this book into the hands of a talented and passionate teacher of Grade 6 or 7 or 8. 

The illustrations by Ruth Sanderson are so rich. They perfectly depict all the environments where unicorns once roamed freely. This book is a perfect example of the way words and illustrations should work together. Read more about Ruth Sanderson who was born in 1951 here. I found a 2016 interview with Ruth Sanderson where she talks about her art and processes. 

"Where have the unicorns gone?

They have scattered far from the noxious smog,

Wrapping themselves in wee wisplets of fog;

Leaving the iron-sharp city-straight scapes,

Fleeing in greying and tatter moon capes,

Away from the scenting of fire and fume."

Bookseller blurb: Long ago unicorns lived in a haven of sun-dappled glades and flower-filled dells. But as civilization spread over the ages -- with its fierce knights, its chugging trains, its thick smogs -- unicorns had to find a new sanctuary. But where? Jane Yolen finds a magical answer in the traditional unicorn myth. Her rhythmic, rhymed text is irresistible to read aloud. And Ruth Sanderson's brilliant artwork gives unicorns a bold reality in everything from ancient cave paintings to their secret, present-day home. After reading this tribute to the mystical, mysterious unicorn, children will enjoy looking for these elusive creatures in the world around them.

Jane Yolen talks about her book here on her web page. Click on the name Jane Yolen at the bottom of this post to see other books I have mentioned on this blog. 

If you are talking to your class about alliteration just look at these examples:

• dimity bells
• golding glades
• shadows shift in silver shades
• (the) perfect peace of ponds
• (the) ribbon-rolled river
• webbings of wires
• silken and swift and silver and streak

"They have galloped away, never looking around,

To wade in the perfect peace of ponds."

The Missing Piece by Jordan Stephens illustrated by Beth Suzanna

Sunny loves to work on and complete jigsaw puzzles. 

"Every piece was connected and every piece was important."
"Whenever Sunny finished a puzzle she would feel a warm, honey-tickle of happiness in her chest."

One day Sunny asked her grandmother what happens when she runs out of puzzles. Grandma is so wise. She gives Sunny a 1000-piece puzzle but what Sunny does not know just yet is that one piece is missing. This puzzle has been shared with many of their neighbors so Sunny has to go door knocking to ask if anyone has the all-important puzzle piece. Each house she visits is different:

"The Jack family's house smelled of warm bread and looked like milky tea."

"The Patel house smelled of spices and looked like a waving candle."

"The Stephens house smelled like an ocean breeze and looked like a coral reef."

So, Sunny meets Violet, Ravi and Gabriel and along the way she finds three new friends and discovers just how wise her grandmother truly is. 

Image source: Bloomsbury

Have you guessed about the missing puzzle piece - yes Grandma had it all along in her pocket.

There are two covers at the top of this post because the paperback edition has changed the colour of the cover to yellow - I wonder why? 

Luckily, I did not know this is one of those 'celebrity books' and that Jordan Stephens is a writer and performer best known for being one half of pop duo Rizzle Kick. I have deep reservations about 'celebrities' who write children's books. Read what my blogger/review hero Betsy Bird has to say about this phenomenon. 

The Missing Piece has much to tell us about friends, family, and learning new truths about ourselves. The concept behind the book works well on both a realistic and a metaphorical level and could be read aloud in class or form part of a class library for children to browse through independently. Just Imagine

The author’s late grandmothers were his inspiration for this beautiful debut picture book story that contains a powerful message about empathy, opening our hearts and minds to what life’s journey has to offer, and the importance of family and friends. I love his descriptions of the various homes Sunny calls at and positive responses she receives from the young residents. Equally uplifting and heart-warming are debut illustrator, Beth Suzanna’s bold, bright scenes of Sunny’s learning journey as she searches for wholeness. Books for Keeps

Awards:

• Shorlisted for the Inclusive Books for Children award 2024
• Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2023

Of course you will want to read this book too:

Jigsaw: a puzzle in the post

Here is a companion book which also demonstrates the wisdom of a grandmother who can see that her grandchild needs to find a friend. This is a very old book and long out of print but it might be in a library.

I previously talked about What you need to be warm by Neil Gaiman. I was delighted to discover one of the contributing illustrators is Beth Suzanna.  

Angelo by David Macaulay

Blurb: High above the rooftops of Rome, Angelo begins his work restoring the façade of a once glorious church. There, among the sticks and feathers, he discovers a wounded bird. Angelo becomes the bird’s reluctant savior. As the church nears completion, Angelo begins to worry about the future of his avian friend. “What will become of you? Where will you go . . . where will you . . . live?” he asks her. Through his artistry as a master craftsman he answers the questions for his humble friend and assures that he, himself will not be forgotten.

While restoring the front of a church an old master plasterer rescues an injured pigeon and over time he gently restores her health. Meanwhile we watch as he works every day to restore the fragile decorations on this old building. He works through many years until eventually he dies but in a beautiful twist he does ensure someone will notice that his pigeon friend once lived there. He makes a nest and some feathers from stucco and in the illustration we see Sylvia (the pigeon) using this nest to raise her chicks.

Here is a video reading of Angelo.

In an old Italian town Angelo, a plasterer and restorer of buildings, rescues an injured pigeon and coaxes her back to health despite ‘his professional dislike for pigeons’. In turn, though she is a bit skittish, the pigeon becomes a constant support and companion as the old man struggles up and down the scaffolding finishing work on a beautiful old church he hopes will be his crowning glory. David Macaulay’s wonderfully intricate illustrations of Italian architecture and life seen from every perspective and the quiet story of mutual concern make this book quite special. Readings Melbourne

Here are some other reviews:

• "Tender and poignant . . . Drawn skilfully and freely in pen and ink, washed with shades of blue and terracotta, the pictures are full of events and details beyond the story, and depict the rooftops, the restaurants and the light of Italy in a way that makes you long to be there Nicolette Jones - The Sunday Times
• "Macaulay refuses to be confined by the conventions of the picture book." Booklist
• "Unassuming but affecting, this tale of friendship is bound to be popular with a wide audience." The Bulletin
• "The warm, offbeat story of camaraderie and nurturing is told in subtly humorous, succinct text, but it's Macaulay's winning illustrations that steal the show." Booklist
• "These intricate drawings are suffused with soft autumnal colours that perfectly complement the beautiful story." The New York Times Book Review

David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has won numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post–Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award. 

I picked up this book for two, or perhaps three reasons. I should start by saying this is an old book from 2002 and so it is no longer in print. Now back to my reasons. Firstly, this book is by an author/illustrator who does beautiful, detailed drawings. I loved owning his book The Way things Work in my former school library. Secondly this book was set out in a library display about Italy and all things Italian and our IBBY Congress for 2024 is in Italy and thirdly I watched the Teacher-Librarian relocate this book to her popular display with books that feature pigeons which is a topic enjoyed by the children in her school. 

Then when I read this book I discovered it was set in Italy and as you read this post I am about to arrive there! I am saying this book is set in Florence but most reviewers list the setting as Rome. So here is the page from the book plus the back cover and then an image of Florence and an image of Rome.

Florence

Rome

David Macaulay books:

Raven Winter by Susanna Bailey

Billie and her mum have moved out of the family home because dad has been sent to jail following a crime involving money (sounds like a white-collar crime). Now mum has found a new partner but he is a horrible and aggressive man who holds an enormous amount of power over her mum. He has excluded their friends and he demands the house be kept spotlessly clean. He has 'hidden' all of her dad's possessions in the garage. Dad loved the outdoors and especially birds and he and Billie share a very special bond and so Billie desperately misses him and she is sure he has no idea that they have moved. She is also certain mum and dad can get back together and that dad can help mum understand Daniel is dangerous. 

Billie decides she needs to find her dad and this decision becomes even more urgent when she discovers letters from her dad hidden in a box under her mum's bed. When she first leaves home she finds a young raven with an injured wing. She abandons her plan and smuggles him into her room. Luckily this is the week Daniel is not home because he is a long-distance truck driver. For her second attempt to run away she decides to look in those boxes in the garage. Daniel is away again and she wants to find her dad's bird books but just as she is unpacking the boxes Daniel arrives home. His violent reaction is utterly terrible. So now Billie really does have to go. But how? Her new friend Nell has accidentally offered the perfect way to do this and Billie now has to stowaway as Nell and her grandmother drive to a market near where dad has been staying. 

Blurb: Ever since Billie’s kind and nature-loving dad went to prison, her life has lost its shine. And now, Mum’s new boyfriend has moved in and home is full of sharp-glass silences. Billie’s never felt more alone. Until one day she discovers an injured young raven and in nursing him back to life, Billie finds friendship, hope and a letter that might bring her one step closer to reuniting with Dad. Raven Winter is the story of friendship, family and the belief in a very special relationship with a young raven set against the beautiful and the wintery backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales.

This is a harrowing story, but I was sure Susanna Bailey would provide a happy ending or at least the glimpse of a better future so I kept reading Raven Winter even though at times I just had to stop, walk away and take a breath. This is a book for a very mature reader aged 11+ and not recommended for sensitive readers. Read a text sample here. 

Raven Winter does suggest domestic abuse and a parent who is absent due to being in jail – tough topics – but I think it is done sensitively and gently. ...  The bigger theme of the book in my view though is how children can find comfort in nature, how non-judgmental animals can help a child who feels alone, and how caring for someone or something outside of themselves, can be cathartic. Julia's Books

There are many strands to this powerful story and binding them together is a celebration of nature and its power to heal: what the author has achieved is a fine balance between sadness and beauty. Not everything is resolved but father and daughter are reunited and there’s hope for the future. There’s also a reassuring message to any reader in a situation similar to Billie about the importance of going to a trusted adult for help. Red Reading Hub

Companion books:

Dragon Skin

The Star outside my window

Here are other books by Susanna Bailey

Song of the Dove: A love story by Errol Broome illustrated by Sonia Kretschmar

Composer Vincenzo Bellini was born in Sicily in 1801. He gave music lessons to the young daughter of the President of the Supreme Court of Naples. Her name was Maddelena and they fell in love. Alas, her parents would not give permission for their marriage, so Bellini moved to Milan where he composed ten operas for the La Scala opera house. He died in Paris in 1835. His most famous opera is Norma. You can hear a tiny sample here. 

Errol Broome takes the relationship between Bellini and Maddelena Fumaroli and uses it to develop her picture book story. In this fictionalized account Bellini tells Maddelena he will return to ask for her hand again after he composes ten operas. 

"After the tenth opera we'll be together, dead or alive."

Image Source: Sonia Kretschmar

This statement comes true because before the tenth opera is finished, Maddalena dies. Bellini had likened their destiny to be together with the pairs of doves seen in Naples. 

"In Paris, Bellini began work on the score for his tenth opera. Each evening, a white dove fluttered into his bedroom and settled on the pages of music. When he reached out to touch it, the bird disappeared."

Shortly after composing his tenth opera, Bellini dies. But in real life he had lost interest in Maddalena long before this time. 

As I am about to head off to Italy this seems like the perfect book to share. It is an Australian book and it is set in Italy and about a famous Italian. My copy came from a recent charity book sale and there is an inscription on the title page which I think might be from the illustrator herself. I have discovered Sonia Kretschmar did covers for books by Cassandra Golds such as Clair de Lune. Also, the cover the Tensy Farlow. She is also the illustrator of Do not Forget Australia which is a book you may have in your ANZAC Day collection. Song of the Dove is a NSW Premiers Reading Challenge title for grade 5 and 6 [19214].

Errol Broome (1937-2022) grew up in Perth and after an Arts degree at the University of WA, she began her career as a newspaper journalist. After starting a family, Errol decided to tackle a long-held ambition, to write a book, and began with short stories which won several prizes. More than thirty books have followed, many short-listed and winners of awards, as well as being widely published overseas. I well remember having some of her books in my former school library but oddly Song of the Dove published by Walker Books did not reach me. I do remember Gary Keebles Kitchen (I often recommended it to my library readers) and Dear Mr Sprouts which was a story told with letters. 

• Wrinkles, illustrated by Terry Dyer, Collins, 1978.
• The Smallest Koala, illustrated by Gwen Mason, Buttercup, 1987.
• Dear Mr. Sprouts, Knopf (New York, NY), 1991.
• Garry Keeble's Kitchen: How One Boy Left Home and Survived with 28 Recipes That Anyone Can Cook and Everyone Will Eat, illustrated by Maya, Random House (Australia), 1992.

• Tangles, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1993, Knopf (New York, NY), 1994.
• Rockhopper, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1995.
• Nightwatch, illustrated by Helen Brooshooft, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1995.
• Splashback: A Great Greasy Journey, illustrated by Gregory Rogers, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1996.
• Fly with Me, illustrated by Jane Walker, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1996.
• What a Goat!, illustrated by Sharon Thompson, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1997.
• Quicksilver, illustrated by Anna Pignataro, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1997.

• Tough Luck, illustrated by Sharon Thompson, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1998, published as Drusilla the Lucky Duck, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003.
• Magnus Maybe, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1998, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.
• Away with the Birds, Fremantle Arts Center Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 2000.
• Missing Mem, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 2000, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2002.

• Cry of the Karri, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 2001.
• Some Dog, Thomson, 2001.
• Ms. Yellow Teeth, Thomson, 2003.
• The Judas Donkey, illustrated by Sharon Thompson, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (Freemantle, Western Australia, Australia), 2003.
• Gracie and the Emperor, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 2003.

My reading pile for September and October

 

While I am away at the IBBY International congress in Trieste, I will be reading books on my new Kindle, but I won't be able to blog them until I return. I have penned quite a few other posts in advance so keep your eye on this blog. You might find some surprises. 

Here are a few of the books I will be reading. My wish list did have over 400 titles but sadly our local online bookstore has closed. I managed to create a list with some titles I had collected from various reviewing sites, although not all were available as ebooks. I will need lots more because I usually read two or three books each week. Here are my first dozen titles:

Tree Table Book by Lois Lowry

Blurb: When precocious eleven-year-old Sophie sets out to save her elderly neighbor (who is also her dearest friend), her journey will take her through their familiar suburban landscape and then, steadily yet unexpectedly, deeper into a landscape of history and shared stories. Everyone knows the two Sophies are best friends. One is in elementary school, and one is . . . well . . . in a little trouble of late. She’s elderly, sure, but she’s always been on her game, the best friend any girl struggling to fit in could ever have. The Sophies drink tea, have strong opinions about pretty much everything, and love each other dearly. Now it seems the elder Sophie is having memory problems, burning teakettles, and forgetting just about everything. It looks like her son is going to come and get her and steal her away forever. Young Sophie isn’t having that. Not one bit. So she sets out to help elder Sophie’s memory, with the aid of her neighborhood friends Ralphie and Oliver. But when she opens the floodgates of elder Sophie’s memories, she winds up listening to stories that will illustrate just how much there is to know about her dear friend, stories of war, hunger, cruelty, and ultimately love.

Piecing me together by Renee Watson

Blurb: Jade believes she must get out of her poor neighborhood if she's ever going to succeed. Her mother tells her to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. And Jade has: every day she rides the bus away from her friends and to the private school where she feels like an outsider, but where she has plenty of opportunities. But some opportunities she doesn't really welcome, like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for "at-risk" girls. Just because her mentor is black and graduated from the same high school doesn't mean she understands where Jade is coming from. She's tired of being singled out as someone who needs help, someone people want to fix. Jade wants to speak, to create, to express her joys and sorrows, her pain and her hope. Maybe there are some things she could show other women about understanding the world and finding ways to be real, to make a difference.

Juniper Berry by M. P. Kozlowsky

Blurb: Young Juniper Berry knows her mother and father aren't the same people they used to be. Of course, they're no longer struggling actors--they're now the most famous movie stars in the world. But it's more than that. She can't shake the feeling that something isn't quite right with them. And one rainy night, in the shadowy and sinister woods behind their mansion, she discovers she's right. Now, it's up to Juniper to overcome her own demons in order to save the ones who couldn't.

Lion of the sky by Ritu Hemnani

Blurb: Twelve-year-old Raj is happiest flying kites with his best friend, Iqbal. As their kites soar, Raj feels free, like his beloved India soon will be, and he can't wait to celebrate their independence. But when a British lawyer draws a line across a map, splitting India in two, Raj is thrust into a fractured world. With Partition declared, Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim families are torn apart--and Raj's Hindu and Iqbal's Muslim families are among them. Forced to flee and become refugees, Raj's family is left to start over in a new country. After suffering devastating losses, Raj must summon the courage to survive the brutal upheaval of both his country and his heart.

Finding Orion by John David Anderson

Blurb: Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. His mother named him and his sisters after her favorite constellations, and his father makes funky-flavored jellybeans for a living. One sister acts as if she's always on stage, and the other is a walking dictionary. But no one in the family is more odd than Rion's grandfather, Papa Kwirk. He's the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Rion has always been fascinated by Papa Kwirk, especially as his son--Rion's father--is the complete opposite. Where Dad is predictable, nerdy, and reassuringly boring, Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool. Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk's death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can't help but feel that that's not the end of his story. That there's so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover. He doesn't know how right he is.

Every missing piece by Melanie Conklin

Blurb: Maddy Gaines sees danger everywhere she looks: at the bus stop, around the roller rink, in the woods, and (especially) by the ocean. When Maddy meets a mysterious boy setting booby traps in the North Carolina woods, she suspects is Billy Holcomb—the boy who went missing in the fall. As Maddy tries to uncover the truth about Billy Holcomb, ghosts from her own past surface, her best friend starts to slip away, and Maddy's world tilts once again. Can she put the pieces of her life back together, even if some of them are lost forever?

The Remarkables by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Blurb: One minute they’re there: laughing and having fun at the house next door. The next minute, the teens are gone. Like magic. Marin can’t believe her eyes. Who are they? Can anyone else see them? What makes them so happy? Marin is lonely in this new town of hers and eager to figure out more. Then she meets Charley, who reveals that he knows about these teenagers, too. He calls them the “Remarkables.” Charley warns her to stay away from the Remarkables—and him. Charley and Marin both have painful secrets they’re holding on to, but could solving the mystery of the Remarkables help them both?

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

Blurb: It all starts when six kids have to meet for a weekly chat--by themselves, with no adults to listen in. There, in the room they soon dub the ARTT Room (short for "A Room to Talk"), they discover it's safe to talk about what's bothering them--everything from Esteban's father's deportation and Haley's father's incarceration to Amari's fears of racial profiling and Ashton's adjustment to his changing family fortunes. When the six are together, they can express the feelings and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world. And together, they can grow braver and more ready for the rest of their lives.

Three strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp

Blurb: When the skies dried up, Gloria thought it was temporary. When the dust storms rolled in, she thought they would pass. But now the bank man's come to take the family farm, and Pa's decided to up and move to California in search of work. They'll pick fruit, he says, until they can save up enough money to buy land of their own again. There are only three rules at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard:

No stealing product.

No drunkenness or gambling.

And absolutely no organizing.

Well, Gloria Mae Willard isn't about to organize any peaches, no ma'am. She's got more on her mind than that. Like the secret, all-boys baseball team she's desperate to play for, if only they'd give her a chance. Or the way that wages keep going down. The way their company lodgings are dirty and smelly, and everyone seems intent on leaving her out of everything. But Gloria has never been the type to wait around for permission. If the boys won't let her play, she'll find a way to make them. If the people around her are keeping secrets, then she'll keep a few of her own. And if the boss men at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard say she can't organize peaches, then by golly she'll organize a whole ball game.

The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day

Blurb: On a hot August day in Paris, just over a century ago, a desperate guard burst into the office of the director of the Louvre and shouted, La Joconde, c'est partie! The Mona Lisa, she's gone! No one knew who was behind the heist. Was it an international gang of thieves? Was it an art-hungry American millionaire? Was it the young Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, who was about to remake the very art of painting? Travel back to an extraordinary period of revolutionary change: turn-of-the-century Paris. Walk its backstreets. Meet the infamous thieves--and detectives--of the era. And then slip back further in time and follow Leonardo da Vinci, painter of the Mona Lisa, through his dazzling, wondrously weird life. Discover the secret at the heart of the Mona Lisa--the most famous painting in the world should never have existed at all.

The In-Between by Katie van Heidrich

Blurb: In the early 2000s, thirteen-year-old Katie Van Heidrich has moved more times that she can count, for as long as she can remember. There were the slow moves where you see the whole thing coming. There were the fast ones where you grab what you can in seconds. When Katie and her family come back from an out-of-town funeral, they discover their landlord has unceremoniously evicted them, forcing them to pack lightly and move quickly. They make their way to an Extended Stay America Motel, with Katie's mother promising it's temporary. Within the four walls of their new home, Katie and her siblings, Josh and Haley, try to live a normal life--all while wondering if things would be easier living with their father. Lyrical and forthcoming, Katie navigates the complexities that come with living in-between: in between homes, parents, and childhood and young adulthood, all while remaining hopeful for the future.

Ruby on the Outside by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Blurb: Eleven-year-old Ruby Danes is about to start middle school, and only her aunt knows her deepest, darkest, secret: her mother is in prison. Then Margalit Tipps moves into Ruby's condo complex, and the two immediately hit it off. Ruby thinks she's found her first true-blue friend--but can she tell Margalit the truth about her mom? Maybe not. Because it turns out that Margalit's family history seems closely connected to the very event that put her mother in prison, and if Ruby comes clean, she could lose everything she cares about most.

The Riding Gallery by Sally Murphy illustrated by Martina Heiduczek

The horses are four abreast in 14 rows. 

There are also two hand carved wooden elephant carriages. 

One elephant is white the other is grey. 

Tell me about this merry-go-round: It was the largest portable steam riding gallery seen in Australia, with a mechanical system allowing it to carry fifty tons without noise or vibration. It carried forty-eight ornately carved horses galloping four abreast; a steam-engine of brass against a highly decorative mirrored background; twisted brass upright bars and an elaborate organ with moving mechanical figures. The carved wooden horses, imported from Germany were impaled on brass bars made in Scotland. They were brightly painted with coloured glass on their harnesses and gargoyles on the rear of their saddles. The horses were all named after popular racehorses of the time. 

The carousel and organ were installed on the Esplanade of the Melbourne bay side suburb of St. Kilda adjacent to Luna Park, the recently built (December 1912) amusement park modelled on a similar American establishment at Coney Island. The carousel travelled the rural “show circuit” during the winter months for a number of years, before being located permanently on the Esplanade at St.Kilda. Anton Weniger, a German immigrant ran the carousel until he relinquished it to William Kelly after about fifty soldiers arrived at the Esplanade in January 1916 during the First World War and attacked Weniger’s Riding Gallery because he was German. (from “St.Kilda - The Show Goes On” by Anne Longmire, 1983). It is likely that the organ facade was damaged at this time since the maker’s name (Gebruder Bruder) was emblazoned on it above the Glockenspiel. The board bearing the maker’s name and the wings, which carried the drums, are missing from those parts of the facade that still exist. Source

You can see the merry-go-round here in Canberra. 

Sally Murphy saw this actual merry-go-round in Canberra (more about how it came to be there below) and this inspired her to do some research and then create a story told as a verse novel. 

I only had enough money

for one ride.

It had to be Mr Weniger's of course.

Rory wasn't so sure.

There are bigger rides

he said.

But he followed me anyway

and I could see he was impressed

that Mr Weniger

knew me.

And let us ride for free!

Afterwards though

he said something funny.

Something that shocked me.

Something I am not even sure is right.

Mr Weniger is all right,

he said.

For a German.

The story is told in three voices - Anton Weniger, Evelyn who has moved to St Kilda from Wodonga where she previously met Anton Weniger and Rory who has three older brothers who have just enlisted. The year is 1915 and Australia is now part of the war that is being waged in Europe. 

Here are some teachers notes from the publisher. Here is a detailed review from The Bottom Shelf. There are useful references included at the back of the book.

More background information: The story begins with Herbert Thomson, born in Melbourne in 1890. By age 19, he had helped his father install machines in coal mines and built a steam engine used in a boat launch on the Yarra River. By 27, he had set up his own business producing steam engines and boilers. In July 1899, he revealed his tour de force – a self-propelled, steam-driven vehicle – or, to put it another way, Australia’s first car. It reached a top speed of 24 km/h, hit during a 56 hour, 36 minute maiden journey from Bathurst to Melbourne. The Thomson Motor Car Company was born, and subsequent models reached 40 km/h and even beat a Benz imported from Germany. The company went out of business in 1912, but not before Herbert had designed a steam-powered carousel for St Kilda beach. It was a properly international effort. The animals, including 50 horses and two elephants, were hand carved in Germany, and sit four abreast in 14 rows, while the twisted brass poles were made in Scotland. Jaunty accompaniment was taken care of by a steam-powered 69-key pipe organ, also from Germany. It drew crowds in Melbourne until September 1973, when Canberra locals collectively raised $40,000 to purchase it from a public auction. Source

Listen to this ABC interview with Sally Murphy.

My friend tells me this book will be welcomed in our New South Wales schools because one of the 'set texts' for the English syllabus is Worse Things by Sally Murphy - sorry I have not been able to find the unit of work but she explained how she creates sets of books for classrooms filled with books to further extend these prescriptive English units containing books by the author being studied or books from a related genre or theme. I hope you can hear me cheering her hard work.

Here are some other books by Sally Murphy I have talked about on this blog:

Worse Things

Pearl verses the World

Toppling

Queen Narelle

This book by Pamela Rushby would be the perfect companion book to extend readers understanding of the way German citizens were treated in Australia during World War I.

Interned

Other books about Merry-go-rounds:

Merrylegs

The midnight fair