Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky by Will Kostakis

"What else had I forgotten? How much of Mum had I lost without even noticing?"

The opening scene in this book is SO intriguing. Two boys are standing on a lawn in front of an elevator. By page two we discover that this elevator takes kids to the 'School in the Sky' named Manor. You can see it on the book cover (art by Hana Kinoshita Thomson). One huge complication, though, is that his boarding school is for rich kids and Otis Ottely does not come from a wealthy family. Elevators appear in random places in the town of West Orlow but luckily technology can help. The weather radar meteorologist now adds a tiny yellow dot to his weather map showing where elevator has descended in the town and, so on this day, Otis plans to board the elevator so he can join this school. There are, however, lots of holes in this plan including wearing the correct school uniform.

So, what is going on with Otis Ottley and his family? Why is he trying so hard to reach this school? In the beginning it is simply because he would like to attend a different and possibly better school but then he meets one of the students and everything changes.

His dad owns an ice cream shop but recently another business has been opened by Tabitha Tabernacle who is a Manor graduate. This means her ice cream is made with, or better yet curated, with magic. Dad keeps trying to perfect new flavours and he says there is room for two ice cream establishments in their town. But is this really true? Since the death of his mum Otis's dad has withdrawn into his own thoughts.

Otis uses a tennis ball to talk to his mum. It has a Y and an N. He asks a question, tosses the ball and reads the answer. This sounds like a good plan but sadly, Otis has begun to forget precious memories of his time with his mum. Then a boy, called Keean, lands in West Orlow. He has been or is a Manor student and he has been experimenting with something that might just help Otis but others want to reclaim this magic and so the race is on!

I read Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky three times. YES, I really did enjoy it hence the four stars BUT my reading was overshadowed by the publisher listing ages 9-13 recommended. The cover has a younger vibe, but I think this book will better suit readers aged 11+. The main characters are in High School and aged 14. The book references The Merchant of Venice (possibly no 9-year-olds will be familiar with this play); and there are a few language issues with words like pissed and sparrow's fart but on the other hand I really appreciated the sophisticated vocabulary used in this book: words like reminisced; aplomb; gregarious; incredulous; philistine; sheeny; and covert ( and there are heaps more).

The Teacher Librarian in the story is named Mr Darcey (I like this), but he specialises in giving the kids books "that are equal parts gory and romantic, and super sweary." Again, this sounds like a phrase you might use with a Young Adult audience.

I think Otis Ottley will be a perfect book for a young High School (boy) who is a reluctant (but capable) reader who is sure to be attracted by the book length - short - and perhaps the cover (although that does look a little junior to me). There are some laugh out loud moments in this story and the plot twists and turns kept me turning the pages once I conquered the rhythm of Will's writing - he is excellent at leaving a reader to 'join the dots' in the narrative and so demands that, as a reader, you do pay very close attention to every word of every sentence - this is not a book to skim and scan. Behind all the humour, there is also a layer of poignancy and desperation in this story which you can feel from the quote at the start of this post. 

Here is a quote from the Teachers Notes which contains an interview with Will Kostakis: ‘In media, we like to treat drama and comedy as silos, but in life, they bleed together, and I always want my work to honestly reflect that. Getting the balance right is something I’ve learned to do over time, choosing the right joke for the right moment, and trusting that when the book requires it, readers will engage with something serious without me clowning out.’

Bookseller blurb: Otis Ottley is an ordinary boy who yearns to go to the magic school in the sky. And he will stop at nothing to make it happen. A funny and warm middle-grade novel about finding the magic in everyday life, from a much-loved, award-winning Australian author. Otis Ottley lives in the shadow of the Manor School for Magic. Literally. It's an island hovering over his town, and he's determined to reach it. While many kids dream of roaming the prestigious institution's halls, casting spells and conjuring spectacles, Otis has a very specific mission: to seek magical help remembering something very, very important. The odds are stacked against him, but Otis will break into magic school. Or at the very least, he will break a few rules trying.

The story is slightly Harry Potterish with a magical boarding school in the sky, but it also has a beautiful heart as young Otis desperately wants to bring his mum back. I also loved his emotional intelligence as he tries so hard not to upset his dad. Will Kostakis has created a fun side kick character for Otis named LJ - his role is to act as the 'voice of reason' along with supporting Otis as he tries to reach the school and find the memories of his mum. LJ is a terrific friend.

Some of the best scenes (I know this sounds very strange) take place in the nursing home on the outskirts of West Orlow where Otis goes to visit his grandmother. She is a feisty character with huge opinions and colourful clothes. I totally related to her horror of nursing home 'arts and crafts' activities and her 'busy body' personality.

"Nan lives on the second floor in what's basically a hospital room, but she's draped doilies over everything so it feels like home."

There are also some very imaginative ideas in this book such as bilocated paper - it is paper that appears magically and then words appear as if there is an invisible person writing them. Such a fun way to communicate with no need for devices! I also like the name Otis Ottley - the alliteration and the way, when he spells his name, Otis will need to say one 't' then double 't'.

It’s funny, it’s emotional and it’s fast-paced, with short chapters that keep the story moving so readers who don’t like long books, reluctant readers or readers just looking for something a bit lighter if they have been reading a lot of longer stuff can enjoy it. ... many readers will enjoy and find something to engage with, ... there is a sense of seriousness, a gravitas running through that shapes the story and makes Otis the character he is. It helps us as readers understand him and connect to him, and for readers who may have gone through what he has, it is a solid and meaningful reminder that they are not alone in the world and what they might be going through. The Book Muse

Here are some other Young Adult titles by award winning author Will Kostakis. His first novel, Loathing Lola, was released when he was just nineteen, and his second, The First Third, won the 2014 Gold Inky Award. It was also shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year and Prime Minister’s Literary awards. Will Kostaskis won the IBBY Australia Ena Noel award in 2018.

I had this book from 2014 - Stuff Happens Sean in my previous library - I plan to hunt it out and read it because I really enjoyed the style of writing in Otis Ottley.

Today I attended an event at Gleebooks Kids where Will Kostakis talked about his new book with fellow author Jack Heath (Jack Heath also won our IBBY Ena Noel Award). 

Just stop and think for a minute about these splendid events at Gleebooks Kids. We all know how much work goes into an author visit - most Teacher-Librarians host these important events once or twice a year or maybe in some cases (in wealthy schools) once each term. But think about Rachel Robson who hosts two author/book events EVERY Saturday. Exhausting but also fantastic. 

Back to the author talk today. I actually cheered when Jack Heath listed books that may have influenced Will Kostakis - of course he mentioned the obvious one which is Harry Potter, and also Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator but then Jack Heath named the short story Smart Ice Cream by Paul Jennings. Woohoo - this is a longtime favourite of mine. I have read it to hundreds of kids in my school library.

Here is a summary of Smart Ice Cream from Unreal: An ice-cream seller called Mr. Peppi has special ice-creams that have effects such as making people happier, shortening peoples' noses, removing pimples, and making people smarter. A smart but arrogant boy who is always top of the class gets jealous, because he never ever gets any of the ice-cream and also because one of his classmates becomes as good as him, so he ruins the ice-cream business by destroying all the ice-cream except the one that makes people smarter. He then proceeds to eat that one, only to find out that it actually makes people less smart.

Through the conversation between Will and Jack we learnt that this book Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky not only had long ago origins (back when Will was in Grade One!) but that it went through many drafts and plot changes - a good lesson for young readers about the importance of patience and perseverance along with striving to make your story or book the best it can be for your readers.

A few things Will Kostakis mentioned:

• The magic in the town of West Orlow needed to sound like a natural part of everyday life.
• Otis doesn't express his feelings, but we do know them through his actions (Jack Heath pointed this out).
• Jack Heath also said that Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky has 47 chapters and 47 plot twists all in 150 pages. Then Will explained his plan was for 130 pages but he went slightly over.
• The rich vocabulary used in this story was a deliberate choice (hooray!)
• The name LJ was inspired by the child of a friend.
• Will Kostakis is an author who does his best work under the pressure of a deadline. 
• At a deeper level this story shows the rich poor divide especially between Private and Public Schools - the discussion then turned to the way this is often reflected in the school facilities such as the school library.
• The bookseller's name Arabella Moriarty was a deliberate nod to the famous Australian children's author Jaclyn Moriarty.
• New books coming from Will Kostakis - possibly a sequel to Otis Ottley; a title for the Your Kids Next Read series for young readers (Affirm Press); and a new Young Adult title. 

Questions I didn't ask today (I never ask questions which I know is silly):

Do you think kids need to know the plot of or read the play of The Merchant of Venice which you reference in your story - it seems like quite a key plot point towards the end of the book.

I loved the scenes in the nursing home - can you talk about these - for example do you have an elderly relative living in care? You created such scenes and a terrific character with this grandmother.

It sounds like your editor had a huge role in the creation of this book - can you talk a little more about how this process works?

Companion book (this is a more serious book about a boy who visits an aged care home and all the different people he interacts with):

Not Nothing

Will Kostakis is also the National Judge for the Kids' Cancer Project - Write a Book in a Day. I am one of the State level judges (Primary division).

The Grey Beret's guide to Surviving the Odds by Anna Battese illustrated by Erin Reeves

Three bad things have already happened to Odie - the worst is the third:

"When Odie turned eight, her mother - a beloved and renowned biologist - disappeared in a stampede of pink-fairy armadillos during an expedition in central Argentina."

Odie has retreated into her room and her father, in his grief, has also withdrawn. Odie is now homeschooled but wait - just in case I have made you very sad we also discover Odie has messenger pigeons. Her pigeons named Pudding and Plonk, deliver her homework to the Homely Homeschooling Assessment Centre. Odie also has her cat named Knuckles - he had been her mother's rescue tomcat. When I said Odie had withdrawn - she now lives in her room. Her father does make delicious food which is delivered via a small elevator.

"Her father was very good at making sure she had everything she could ever need. And yet, since Odie's mother had gone, he seemed as baffled by the world as Odie was afraid of it, and he preferred to spend his time alone, in the silence."

The stage is set for change - CHANGE. First of all, a strange book arrives addressed to Cadet Odie Gusberry-Smith with the intriguing title 

"The Grey Beret's guide to Surviving the Odds. Volume one."

Yes, this book does sound strange, but it is a perfect fit for Odie because she is a girl of facts not fairy tales. She happily reads chapter after chapter about poisonous plants, dangerous reptiles, and the antidotes for eighty-seven kinds of toxins. But can the information in this book and her newly made coat with thirty-eight pockets help with her next big life event? Her father announces they are going on a cruise. And Odie, and you as the reader, are sure to think of shipwrecks, islands, survival and perhaps the importance of making new friends with kids her age along with a baby dressed up as a chicken. Dressed up?  Yes the sinking of the ship happens on the night of the Halloween dress-up party so all kids - Baby (a chicken), Gus (dressed as the ship's captain), Sunny (a donkey pinata), and Chuck (real name Charlotte dressed in a black tulle ball gown) are in costumes except for Odie who luckily has her survival pockets.

Publisher blurb: Odie Gusberry-Smith doesn't like surprises. But when a mysterious package arrives in the mail, she finds The Grey Beret's Guide to Surviving the Odds – a book that feels like it was written just for her. Odie is going to need it, because her dad has had the ridiculous idea that they should go on a cruise. When calamity strikes (as she could have told you it would), Odie will need to use every trick in the Guide to keep herself and her alarmingly danger-prone group safe. Along the way, she might just realise that the Guide is not the only thing she can rely on…

When I read this Instagram post from Gleebooks Kids I knew this was a book I needed to read. 

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"She'd worked so hard on preparing for exactly this kind of calamity, but now that it was here, in actual real life, she wasn't quite sure what to do."

"Part of being a Grey Beret is preparing for the worst. So, when you all fell asleep, I did a risk mitigation plan. Our greatest risk was catching hypothermia from the waves and rain. Luckily I had a tarp in my eleventh pocket. Once I put it up, the risk of us catching hypothermia dropped by thirty-five percent. And then I found the space blankets in pocket thirteen, and that brought the risk down to twenty per cent."

If you are sharing this book in your library you could read Chapters 16 and 17 which is the scene where the kids are almost 'eaten' by huge plant-frogs.

This book is sure to be included on the CBCA 2027 Notables Books list. I especially appreciate the way it is designed and that it is presented in hardcover with spot varnish on the cover. I read this book from beginning to end in one sitting. Note my label melodrama - that seems like the perfect descriptor. I thoroughly enjoyed the tone of this book with Odie constantly quoting statistics and catastrophising every scenario.  And yes, we do eventually reach a happy ending, BUT I have to warn you this is part one of a planned trilogy and turning the last page you will be so keen to reach for the next book - but I cannot discover the date it will be released - sorry. 

Odie is a sweet protagonist, coping with grief, loneliness and trying to find ways to manage her ever-present fear. The world Anna Battese has created is wild and whimsical ... Readings Melbourne

I previously talked about this book by Anna Battese:

The Recorder Racket

Companion books:

The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters

The Lost Island

Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast

Giraffe Island

The Detective's Guide to Ocean Travel

Birdy by N West Moss

I need to try and be happier—but I don’t know how

When they told her that her mother had finally died, Birdy lay on the floor of the McGraths’ apartment (they had been next-door neighbors for Birdy’s whole life), sirens wailing outside, and thought the world would stop, but it hadn’t. After a while, she heard noise on the street below: people shouting, taxis honking. The world kept spinning. When the McGraths brought home chocolate ice cream that night, it tasted good, which was surprising. Life moved forward.

Birdy (her real name is May) and her brother Mouse (his real name is Michael) are sent to live with distant, elderly relatives named Mitzie and Shadow. Birdy is told this is temporary until a foster family can be found. She is told she will be able to stay with her precious brother - they won't be separated. But are these things true. What if Birdy and Mouse are separated? What if these strangers don't like her? 

The urgent thing was to stay together. The only thing they carried with them of any value now was one another.

She thought of saying a lot of things, like thank you for taking us and thanks for keeping us together and thank you for coming all the way to New York City even with your husband in the hospital, and for not asking a lot of questions, but Birdy hated saying thank you all the time. It made her feel needy, which she guessed she was. “Okay,” she said again, to fill the quiet of her missing thank-yous.

Birdy wondered why Mitzie and Shadow wanted them. She had thought maybe they were broke and wanted kids there to do chores. Why else would two old people take kids into their house? It didn’t seem like that, though—they didn’t seem broke.

Birdy is on high alert. She has been ever since her mum became ill. Taking care of Mouse is her responsibility. In a way Birdie has never had the chance to be a child - to play, to laugh, to make friends or to have fun. 

She tried not to think about her mom dying all alone in the hospital without the two of them there, coughing a lot probably, no one to hold her hand. The painful thoughts spooled out from Birdy like she was a ball of misery twine. She didn’t want to think about how much she missed her mother, or how mad she was at her for dying, or for being so sad, or for leaving Birdy in charge all the time. She was mad at her mother for having to work so much, and for being impatient.

As is often the way with stories like this there are so many heart-wrenching misunderstandings. These of course give this story so much tension that you will just keep turning pages desperate for that all important, happy ending.

One of the most beautiful (and teary moments) in this story comes when Birdy visits the charity shop. She is looking for new clothes but we know she also loves to read. One of the staff offers her The Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt but Birdy says no (inside my heart I was telling Birdie to say yes). 

“We just got a whole set of the Tillerman Cycle books.” When Birdy didn’t say anything, he said, “They’re old I guess, but my sister loved them. With this kid named Dicey who runs away from home with her brothers and sisters.” That sounded interesting, but Birdy tried to act like she wasn’t listening. ... “I can give you a deal if you want the set.” Birdy waved her hand and hunched over and walked as fast as she could to the register, carrying her clothes in her arms. She didn’t have seven dollars to buy all those books. Forget it. Go away, she thought. GO AWAY. ... “Hey,” he said to Birdy. “We have to make room for new books just coming in, and if you want these you can have the whole set for a dollar.” His voice trailed off. “If you want.” He waited. “I checked with my boss and she said it was fine. A dollar for all seven.” 

I guarantee you will fall in love with the characters in this story and with the kindness offered by Mitzie, Shadow and most of all by the new uncle the kids meet - a guy named Clay. Then there is teenage camp counsellor named Bruce - I just wanted to hug him for his kindness, sensitivity and emotional intelligence.

He was really looking at them, like they were the only people in the world and he was seriously interested in them. He looked at them like he had all the time in the world, like there was nothing better on earth to do than to spend time right there with them in the driveway. So, this was her mother’s brother.

I added this book to my Kindle because Colby Sharp highly recommended it and BOY oh boy he was right. N West Moss is actually Nanette West Moss and this is not her first book but it is her first Middle Grade book.

There's something oddly comforting about this story. Maybe I just want to hang out with Mitzi while she bakes in the kitchen. Ms Yingling

Bookseller blurb: Eleven-year-old Birdy and her younger brother, Mouse, have always looked out for each other. They make the perfect team: Birdy is realistic and practical, while Mouse is affable and trusting. After their mother dies of cancer, Birdy and Mouse are forced to move out of the city to the country with relatives they've never met. Aunt Mitzie and Uncle Shadow's house is full of organized chaos, and it takes Birdy time to adjust to having adults around. But the kitchen is always stocked, and both kids are allowed to play outside as often as they want. There's only one problem: it's all temporary. Their social worker has promised to find them a permanent home by the next school year, whether they want to leave or not. As the summer unfolds, Mouse starts to feel attached to their new life. But Birdy knows better-adults have never been reliable. When Birdy's fears get the best of her, she makes a big mistake that could jeopardize their future.

Here are two more beautiful quotes:

It was peaceful, like they were healing up after a long illness or something. A thought was forming in the back of Birdy’s mind (one she wouldn’t understand completely until later) that maybe sitting with your brother, or whoever loves you most in the world, is how a person grieves. Piling little rocks and leaves and feathers on top of one another can make you start to feel like your chest isn’t collapsing. While she was looking for stuff to pile on top of other stuff, she had a sense of what “better” might feel like and how to steer toward it.

It was a sudden feeling that inflated something in her, like drinking too much soda in one gulp. She didn’t want to like him. She knew that hope was a dangerous thing that could make you feel especially good and then when the truth of things came out, however high up your hope had taken you was how far down you would fall.

Companion books:

Missing May

Same Stuff as Stars

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman

One for the Murphys

The Higher Power of Lucky

Something like Home

Pictures of Hollis Woods

A river I must be by Kate Foster

I want to walk away.

I want to scream and shout.

I want to cry and hide.

I want to make it all go away.

But I don't.

I must get away.

I must release what's inside.

I must be strong.

I must ...

But I won't.

I can't speak.

I can't hear.

I can't feel.

In this story we are privileged to hear the inner most thoughts of Bec. At times, though, her journey feels almost way too hard 'hear'. Is there no one who understands why she feels things so acutely. Why her uniform reacts so badly against her skin? Why she finds the school rules so confusing? Why she feels the need to wear a mask and copy the facial reactions of others? And worst of all - Why her teacher seems to hate her? 

Monday means school.

School means masking.

Masking means hiding.

Hiding is exhausting.

Thank goodness Bec does have one glorious outlet - she loves sport and more especially she loves and excels at gymnastics. Even better at gymnastics Bec is able to almost let her guard down as she spends precious time with her one true friend Clover. Sadly though, Clover attends a different school which means she cannot support Bec in the hostile school environment.

Bookseller burb: Rebecca Tapia has started at a prestigious new school and is overwhelmed by the rules and expectations. With her mum away and her dad facing challenges of his own, Rebecca's only way of surviving is to mask her autism.

My uniform suffocates me.

I fasten the top button,

yank at the cardboard collar,

adjust the cardboard sleeves,

retie the striped tie,

tightly

for good measure.

Strips of cloth

around necks.

Why?

I picked up this book in one of our large city chain bookstores and read the whole book in one sitting. Yes, it does have 260 pages, but the verse novel format and compelling story mean you will just fly through this heart wrenching story even though at times I did have to stop and take a breath.

I'm no one.

And no one listens

to fussy

little

girls

like me.

If you work in a High School library go out now and grab this book - this is an essential purchase. I also expect to see this book listed as a 2027 CBCA Notable title. Kate Foster has completely embraced the verse novel form for this book - it is hard to believe this is her first foray into this style of writing. 

Is anyone else always

aware of their heart 

beating?

Can anyone else always

feel their clothes and skin

touching?

Does anyone else always

have to concentrate on

breathing?

Does anyone else always

have a mind constantly

wandering?

Can anyone else always

sense the presence of others

living?

Is anyone else always

fit to burst form so much

thinking?

The teacher in this book - Mrs Rivers - is despicable and this might seem strange, but I am glad Kate Foster resisted the idea of her redemption. I can only hope (spoiler alert) that the school Principal now has enough information to remove this dreadful person from the school and even from the profession of teaching!

Click on this review from The Book Muse for a detailed plot summary: (The verse novel is) a gorgeous way of telling this story, and vastly different to Kate’s previous work. All of her books feature autistic characters, and each character’s autism is different. Yet telling this story in verse form felt very suitable, because it gave Rebecca’s story the voice and gravitas it needs to have the great impact it had on me and that I hope it has on younger readers who might be able to see themselves in Rebecca or understand what being autistic might be like for their friends. It’s powerful in its quiet way, yet also a loud advocate for autistic people and what they go through each day.

You may know I am not a fan of endorsements and there are so many on the first six pages of A river I must be, but I did find myself agreeing with so many of the comments by well-known Australian writers. Here are a few quotes:

"Tender, honest, heart-wrenching ..." Sarah Armstrong

"a pummeling rapid of sadness and joy, anger and celebration, churning and thundering ... it will leave you breathless." Sophie Beer

"Kate Foster's words are a lyrical advocacy for inclusivity, and Bec's story will offer hope and understanding to many young readers." Karen Comer

"We are in desperate need of voices like this that uplift and make visible, the lived experience of disability while highlighting what discrimination and allyship looks like." Shirley Marr

Here are the teachers notes from Scholastic.

Age recommendations: Here we go again - please, please publishers don't suggest young readers for books that are clearly intended for a Young Adult audience - ages 12+. The publisher says 10+ but I suggest this is a book for a High School library not Primary. I am SO pleased to see this book on the High School list of the Scholastic Standing order. 

Like a river,

I must keep flowing,

finding a way through

if I want to survive.

I will adapt

no matter the pain this causes me.

I will paint on a mask

and hide my struggles.

But can I be strong

like a river?

I previously talked about these books by Kate Foster:

The Unlikely Heroes Club

Small Acts

Strays by Gia Gordon

"How could someone dump this sweet little dog onto the street? How could someone chuck him out the window like he was a bag of week-old McDonalds? How could anyone with half a soul look into those melting eyes and not want to fold him into a love-blanket, and take him home?"

Campbell is in Grade 6. She finds it hard to concentrate at school and she has a complex relationship with her almost silent father. He works for the city animal rescue centre, except this place is not really about rescue because stray dogs and cats are only kept there for three days and then it is her father's job to decide to euthanatize them. This partly explains why Campbell's father is so distant but other dreadful things have happened and these are gradually revealed through the story - her dad was a fireman and something went badly wrong when Campbell was having her fifth birthday party but even worse Campbell's mum left the family and then (spoiler alert) she was killed in a car accident.

Luckily Campbell does have a fabulous friend at school - a girl named Luz. Luz lives with her mum, dad and older twin sisters in a busy household but Luz does not have a perfect life either. Her dad has been serving in the army and over the last ten years has rarely been home with the family. As this book opens though he has returned from his deployment and his service has ended but he is suffering from dreadful PTSD and adjusting back into his own family is difficult.

Into this mix comes a small brown dog. Campbell witnesses someone discarding him:

"I'm not expecting a beefy man-hand to reach out the window holding a tiny, squirming dog. I'm not expecting that dog to drop out of the beefy-man hand onto the sidewalk. I'm not expecting the van to speed away. I'm not expecting that teensy flash of beige-brown to take off, chasing the van."

So we have some puzzle pieces for this story which Gia Gordon neatly puts together into a very satisfying conclusion but not a conclusion you will expect at all. 

I do also need to mention the fantastic school Teacher-Librarian in this story - Miss Alba. She is kind, she listens to Campbell and she gives very practical support and access to the most perfect resources as Campbell struggles firstly to keep this little pup she names Tater Tot safe and away from her father who would be sure to take him to the dog shelter; and secondly when Campbell needs help to work out how to transport the little dog to the other side of the country - I hope that makes you even more curious about this book.  IF I was going to do further study in the field of children's literature I think there is a whole topic here about minor characters who are helpful Teacher-Librarians like Miss Alba.

"Librarians are kinda awesome that way. Because she always makes you feel like she has all the time in the world to talk to you or help you out with something even when it's her lunch hour."

Campbell is grieving in this book and her friendship with Luz is tested - the ups and downs of their relationship felt very real. I also loved the way Campbell showed really good emotional intelligence about her father and also when she saw things were hard for Luz and her parents.

Here are some poignant text quotes:

"Nothing I've ever loved wants to stay with me."

"For the first times in a few days, I feel like I can take a deep breath and blow it all the way out. For the first time since my dad left firefighting, since her couldn't work for two years, and then became head of animal control, I feel like there may be answers to the problems his job only makes worse."

"I smooth my hand over his cute little head, fun my fingers down his overside ears. Even though he's dirty and full of dried leaves and twigs, his fur is probably the softest thing I've ever touched in my whole life."

"even though I had food for him, he mostly just wanted some love."

There is a sweet little expression in this story used three times - it was not one I had heard or read before - I sit crisscross applesauce. 

Bookseller blurb: Campbell Cole has a big heart for all living things, especially strays. It might be because her father, the director of the local animal control, is as aloof as they come, so Campbell knows what it’s like to feel alone. When she spots an adorable dog being dumped on the street, the last thing Campbell can do is tell her dad. He might take the pup straight to the shelter, where new rescues have just three days to be adopted. The only person she can trust with the truth is her best friend, Luz. The more time Campbell spends trying to catch the dog, the more he starts to trust her, which is both great and terrible because Campbell knows she can’t keep him. But perhaps she doesn’t have to. With the help of Luz’s father, an army vet grappling with PTSD, she just may find a solution that benefits not only the dog, but everyone else, too.

Gia Gordon’s Strays is a beautifully written, heartfelt novel about friendship, family, and finding the courage to stand up for what’s right, that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to find a place to call home. Gia Gordon

An insightful, well-characterized exploration of love and trust. Kirkus

Readers will be drawn into this accessible, emotional story. The Horn Book

I saw this book Strays in a bookshop on Saturday a few weeks ago. It caught my eye because I had seen it mentioned somewhere, plus I do like the cover, and I am a sucker for books about dogs. Bonus - this is a very new book so you will be able to find it in your local independent bookstore. I recommend Strays for readers aged 10+. 

Companion book:

A Handful of Stars

Earlier today I read a comment on social media that if you see a dog on the cover of a book it is sure to be a sad story and the dog will die! NO. Thank goodness that is never the case in the books I read for children aged 9+.  Here are a few I love:

One Dog and his Boy

Answers to Dog

Talking to Alaska

Something like Home

Here is another book by Gia Gordon:

Baby by Patricia MacLachlan

A searching, beautifully written story. Kirkus

Larkin lives with her artist mother, father and grandmother Byrd on an island (perhaps it is Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard). The island is overrun with visitors each summer so the residents really enjoy the quieter times when all the mainlanders have left.

We ate dinner as the sun set; candles on the table, the dinner a yearly celebration that tomorrow the island visitors would leave. The seasons on our island rose and fell in a rhythm like the rise and fall of the tides. Autumn was ours with quick colors, leaves flying until they were gone and we could see the shape of the island. The land rose and fell, too, from the north point where the lighthouse stood, curving down into valleys like hands holding pond water. Soon winter would come, the winds shaking the windows of the house, the sea black. Herring gulls would sit out of the wind on our porch, watching for spring that would come so fast and cold, we would hardly know it was there. Then summer, visitors would come off the ferry again, flooding us, the air heavy with their voices. And again, at summer’s end they would be gone like the tide, leaving behind small signs of themselves: a child’s pail with a broken handle, a tiny white sock by the water’s edge. Bits and pieces of them left like good-byes.

But have the summer visitors all left? At the end of chapter one Patricia MacLachlan hints that change is coming and it is coming tomorrow. The family and Larkin's special friend Lalo return from their tradition of farewelling the final ferry to find a baby on their doorstep.

“I cannot take care of her now, but I know she will be safe with you,” Papa read. “I have watched you. You will be a good family. I will lose her forever if you don’t do this, so please keep her. I will send money for her when I can. I will come back for her one day. I love her.”

Sophie's mother loves her baby but she has had to leave her behind. Papa warns Larkin the baby's mother will return.

“I like Sophie,” I said. “I don’t love her.” “Don’t,” said Papa. “Don’t love her.” He sighed. “I like her too,” he said after a moment. “Mama will love her soon,” I whispered. “If not already,” murmured Papa. “I’m scared,” I said after a while. “For Mama.” There was a silence.

There is a hint of sadness to come on the opening page of this book - it is a quote from a poem:

I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground. So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind: Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned. —from “Dirge Without Music” Edna St. Vincent Millay

This family are carrying a deep sadness. Mama and Papa won't talk to Larkin about her baby brother who only lived for one day. He never had a name and Larkin never saw his little face.

A tiny stone sat there, surrounded by big headstones with angels and flowers and names engraved on them. There was no name on the tiny stone, just the word BABY and a date that showed that the one buried there had only lived for one day.

A great topic for a PhD could be the portrayal of librarians, school librarians and Teacher-Librarians in middle grade books. I adore Ms Minifred she works at Larkin's school. She is a minor but also important character. She loves words, poetry (spoiler alert there is a love story in this book too) and Rebel (who) had come to the island with his Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he was eighteen and had never left. That was fifteen years ago. We had seen pictures of him then, and he hadn’t changed. He was still thin, and his hair stood straight up. He had a mysterious tattoo on his arm that said “Wild Eunice.”

I often think about collecting the opening sentences of books - perhaps using them as a way to share books with readers or even as writing inspiration. Here is the opening sentence of Baby:

In the evenings my father danced.

Here is another beautiful sentence: Byrd lifted Sophie and whirled her around until Sophie laughed. A small island plane flew over our heads and away. And Byrd’s pearls broke, showering Sophie and falling over the meadow grasses like tears.

Publisher blurb: Larkin's family welcomes Sophie into their home, caring for her and teaching her games and new words. They come to love this baby as their own, all the while knowing that eventually Sophie's mother will return one day to take her from them.

The writing in this book is so far above nearly every book I have read over the last few months. I read a huge number of kids books and while many are okay and a few are good, none quite reach the heights of the exquisite writing in this book. It should not have taken me so long to read Baby which was published in 1995. My friend first mentioned it back in 2012 when she read my post about the most famous Patrician MacLachlan book Sarah, Plain and Tall. The label on this post will take you to lots of other Patrician MacLachlan titles. In this post from 2020 I talk about themes in her books such as music, poetry, questions, and family relationships. You might also notice many books include loss. 

Awards for Baby by Patricia MacLachlan:

• WINNER 1994 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
• WINNER 1996 South Carolina Children’s Book Award
• WINNER 1994 Texas Bluebonnet Award

There are only a handful of children's middle grade authors that I put into the category of superb - Patricia Maclachlan; Kate DiCamillo; Sara Pennypacker; Kevin Henkes; Patricia Reilly Giff; Katherine Paterson; Jason Reynolds and Katherine Applegate from the US. Katherine Rundell and Onjali Q Rauf from the UK. And Zana Fraillon, Judith Rossell, Deb Abela, Tristan Bancks and Shirley Marr from Australia.

Companion books:

The Naming of Tishkin Silk

The Summer we found the baby

Foxlight

Here is the full poem by Edna St Vincent Millay:

“I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground. 

So it is and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind: 

Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned 

With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned. 

Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you. 

Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust. 

A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew, 

A formula, a phrase remains, - but the best is lost. 

The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love, - 

They are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled 

Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not approve. 

More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world. 

Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave 

Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind; 

Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave. I know. 

But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.”

The Boy and the Dog Tree by Fiona Wood illustrated by Judy Watson

"You desire to know why I have come to you. It is simply this: when called upon by a child in need I emerge from the tree ... Your sadness and fears called me. .... You await the return of your parents and fear for their safety. You are tormented daily by your enemy."

Begin with the title. The boy - his name is Mitch. The Dog Tree. There is a tree in the bushland behind gran's house that looks, well a little, like a dog. Mitch loves dogs. He has wanted one his whole life. He also loves this tree. Climbing the tree after he and his sister move in with Gran, he makes a wish that will change his life and help him adjust to the complex challenges and changes in his life.

Characters:

Mitch is unhappy about moving to a new city - Sydney to Melbourne. He is worried about fitting in at a new school. He desperately misses his parents who are overseas shooting a movie. And all he has ever wanted is a dog - a dog of his own. 

Mitch has a fantastic younger sister named Regi. I love the way her personality is totally the opposite of Mitch and yet he has no resentment about this. 

Gran is also wonderful. She is a scientist but I was entirely wrong about her reaction to Mitch's story about the arrival of his dog and I cheered over the scene where she meets Argos. Gran is also, and I love this discovery, a fantastic cook. 

Dido is a great friend. She understands the dynamics of the peer group and is also brave enough to help Mitch (spoiler alert) when he needs help to rescue Argos.

Argos has lived many lives. He has a delightful formal and old-fashioned way of speaking. He uses words like 'tarry not'; 'twas upon a platter'; and 'thus do I know'. He is also very wise and of course a truly loyal friend. "Mitch could name a hundred dog breeds, but he'd never seen anything quite like this wild, majestic creature. ... It was a bit like a wolfhound, but more solid. Fur as black as liquorice, tanged and long. Up on its hind legs it would tower over the tallest of men." Argos also makes a couple of very astute comments about adults and their use of mobile phones! He also smells wonderful. 

Seb Anders is the class bully. If you have encountered bullies in other books be warned Seb is among the worst. He takes every opportunity to taunt and hurt Mitch. There is an early scene in the book where Seb takes Mitch's lunch box and he tips everything into the dirt and then stomps on the food. 

Ms Zwerger their teacher has decided the class will live 'unplugged'. Such a terrific idea. You will enjoy reading about the activities she sets her class. 

I feel so very lucky to have read this book a few weeks before it is due to be released (3rd March). Huge thanks to Gleebooks Kids for entrusting me with an advance reader copy of The Boy and the Dog Tree. I know it is early in 2026 but I am going to predict this book will be devoured by young readers aged 9+ and it surely will be selected as a 2027 CBCA Younger Readers Notable title - YES it is THAT GOOD.

Bookseller blurb: Magical. Whimsical. Wild. This exceptional middle-grade novel about the special bond between a boy and his dog will set your heart free.

'So, are you my dog?' Mitch asked, in a whisper.

'No,' said Argos. 'But you are my boy. For a time.'

Mitch's life has been uprooted. Instead of the whole family moving to a new city, Mitch and his sister are staying with their gran, while their parents have been delayed working on other side of the world. He's struggling to fit in at school, with the resident Grade Five bully picking on him. The one thing that would make his life better is a dog, if only he could persuade his parents. Then Mitch discovers an old oak tree that seems to ... growl. And one night, a huge, strange dog-like creature emerges from the trunk. His name is Argos. He has been bound in the tree by 'history, mystery, magic and chance', and he is here, for a time, to help Mitch find his way. But being different can be dangerous, especially for a wild and wilful beast like Argos ... While at first Mitch looks to Argos for friendship and protection, there comes a time he must stand up for this magical creature who has changed him forever. A heart-lifting tale of friendship, courage and belonging by three-time CBCA Award-winning author Fiona Wood.

It was wonderful read that Mitch is a boy who is 'allowed' to express his emotions:

"When he was as high up as he could go and settled in a comfortable crook (of the tree) he let himself cry. This was quite the year of crying. He had honestly expected to be crying less as he got older not more. These days he cried because of how he felt ... In the categories of crying, today was a simple hold-it-together-all-day-then-let-it-out cry. It didn't last long and he felt much better afterwards."

UQP have some excellent teacher notes and discussion questions to use with The Boy and the Dog Tree including suggesting students could research the names Argos; Calliope; and Ceberus. 

The teachers notes list all these themes for The Boy and the Dog Tree: 

• Friendship 

• Belonging 

• Confidence 

• Courage 

• Compassion 

• Integrity  

• Loyalty  

• Perspective 

• Prejudice 

• Bullying 

• Magic 

• Dogs

I am not usually a fan of endorsements but Peter Carnavas is SO right when he says: ‘A beautiful book, filled with courage, magic and a huge ancient dog to wrap your arms – and your heart – around.’

I was interested to read an interview sent to me by UQP with the author Fiona Wood (she previously has won the Older Readers category in CBCA Book of the Year Awards for Wildlife; Cloudwish; and Take Three Girls). She says her inspiration for her middle grade book came from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis; Five Children and It by E Nesbitt; and her first encounter with a magical tree was The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton. As I read The Boy and the Dog tree I also thought of another classic - Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce. 

"The genesis of this story was an old oak tree whose trunk was gnarled into a shape that reminded me of a dog. Every time I walked past it, I wondered when, how and why a dog - or the spirit of a dog - might be trapped within the tree."

Companion books:

One Dog and His Boy

The eyes and the Impossible

Elf Dog and Owl Head

A Different Dog

Talking to Alaska

The Hounds of Penhallow Hall

The Dream Dog

The issue of bullies looms large in this book. I appreciated the way Fiona Wood gives her readers a small glimpse into why Seb might behave like this in the scene where we witness the actions of his mother the Mayor but she doesn't 'reform' or 'redeem' him. Please note some of these books below contain confronting scenes of bullying and are intended for an older audience:

Swashbuckler

The Night Bus hero

The Truth as told to Mason Buttle

Running my own race

Chapter 39 has a tender scene where Mitch thinks about the time his dad helped him overcome his fear of the dark. I know this is a picture book for younger children but I immediately thought of this favourite:

Martin Waddell

And the scene (sorry another spoiler) when the family go to the dog home or rescue centre is sure to remind you of this classic Australian picture book:

Let's get a Pup