The moon over High Street by Natalie Babbitt

I picked up The Moon over High Street because I read Tuck Everlasting in my very first school library and it is a story that has lingered with me for over 30 years.  If you have an ambition to be a writer (perhaps for children) I would recommend looking for this book also by Natalie Babbitt.  What struck me as I read The Moon over High Street were all the decisions I seemed to hear Natalie Babbitt making about her characters - the path seemed to divide for them so many times.

Joe has lost both of his parents but he was so very young when this happened it is not really a source of sadness.  He has a loving Gran who has cared for him for his twelve years.  They had planned to travel to see their only other relative Aunt Myra in Midville but Gran has broken her hip and will need time to recover so Joe travels to Midville alone on the bus.  Living in this same town is a self made millionaire named Anson Boulderwall.  He is originally from Poland and his name is really Anselm Boldivol.  Mr Boulderwall is concerned about succession planning.  His only daughter (now an adult and married) has no interest in his business.  He invented the "swervit" which is used in engines all over America and this has made his millions.  When he meets Joe and hears his name Casimir he hatches a plan.  Casimir is a Polish name.  Joe is an orphan and he seems to be a very bright boy.  Without talking to Joe, Mr Boulderwall plans an education for Joe and a life journey filled with money and prestige but is this what Joe himself would choose?

Looking at those plot decisions:

• Joe expects to feel uncomfortable with Aunt Myra - instead she has his perfect room ready and on the first night they eat pizza and ice cream followed by breakfast the next day: "Pancakes and bacon, Joe ... Hope you like them.' Like them! Who didn't? ... There was orange juice, too, and butter and maple syrup and they sat down and began to eat as if they'd been together every morning of their lives."
• Joe expects to miss his friends especially Emily Crouse - instead there is a huge friendly family living next to Aunt Myra and Beatrice is just his age.  She takes him on a town tour on the first day and the two become instant friends.  Beatrice provides a fresh view in the face of Joe's reticence to talk about his future plans.
• I expected a disaster.  Gran is sent a letter from the lawyers of Mr Boulderwall outlining his plan for Joe. She quickly organises to come to Midville and meet him face to face.  I thought oh no, there will be a car accident and Joe will have to face these adults alone but no Gran arrives safely and she takes a tough stand with the presumptuous millionaire.  "My grandson is not for sale. Not now, not ever. ... Joe's dream is to learn things. Discover things. ... No, my grandson is not for sale. And neither, by the way, is the moon.  Goodbye."

I love the little touches in this writing such as this description of the hall mirror in the big house :
"On the wall behind the table, an immense and heavy mirror framed in fussy gilt curlicues frowned out at them as if to say they should keep their reflections to themselves."

Here is a book talk from Scholastic.  Here is an interview with Natalie Babbitt about her book. Read an extract from Chapter 2 here.  Sadly Natalie died in 2016 so this is her last book.

Read some reviews
Kirkus
Book Page
Jen Robinson's Book Page

Ballerina dreams by Michaela Elaine DePrince pictures by Ella Okstad

I am on the hunt for easy to read beginning chapter books WITH a worthwhile/good/engaging story.  I have found one here.  This little book ticks quite a  few boxes

• Ballerina Dreams is a true story (read more at the back of the book)
• Ballerina Dreams is about ballet which is a popular subject with young students
• Ballerina Dreams is very easy to read but does not use simplified language
• Ballerina Dreams has perfect and colourful illustrations
• Ballerina Dreams contains real emotions

Michaela lives in Sierra Leone. Blowing in the wind one day she finds a magazine picture of a beautiful ballerina :

"She wore a short pink dress that stuck out around her in a circle. She had pink shoes on her feet and stood on the tips of her toes. She looked very happy."

Michaela now dreams of ballet. But she lives in an orphanage in one of the poorest countries in the world and worse she has a skin condition called vitiligo which means she has white marks on her brown skin.  The wonderful thing is the way none of these things matter.  Michaela is adopted by Elaine DePrince in America.  She attends ballet classes and through hard work and determination achieves success at the highest level.  You can read more about this here.  Adult ballet fans might also enjoy the book Hope in a Ballet Shoe.  My friend at Kinderbookboard has a good selection of other ballet stories for you children to enjoy.

At its heart is the core message that hard work and determination are the keys to making any dream come true.   Kirkus

Ballerina Dreams is a wonderfully uplifting story about what must have been a truly difficult upbringing. Yet, it is told in such a gentle manner that always leaves room for hope and understanding.   Read and Seek

The evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

"It turned out to be not a book at all but a wooden box trickily carved and painted to look like a calf-bound volume. Strange, I fiddled with it and found the catch and the box opened. Inside was a waxed paper parcel containing a thick roast beef sandwich. ... Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life really."

This is a description of a gift to Callie (Calpurnia Virginia Tate) by her Grandaddy.  None of her six brothers have even dared to talk to him but over the summer of 1899-1900 Callie ventures into his world - his workshop, his scientific endeavours and discovers her own passions and curiosity.  She reads the work of Darwin and her grand father shows her how to record her observations in her notebook - how to observe the world.

In 1899, though, a young lady is expected to learn sewing, knitting, cooking and housekeeping. Callie is eleven, almost twelve, and she has no interest in these things.

"My biscuits were like stone, my samplers askew, my seams like rickrack. ... My mother's life was a never-ending round of maintenance. Not one single thing she did ever achieve but that it had to be done all over again, one day, one week or one season later. Oh the monotony."

Callie does her best to rage against her mother's expectations so she can follow her desire to study plants and animals.  She has a warm relationship with her brothers but they do not share her interest. The title is simply perfect as we watch Callie evolve into a different girl aided by the gentle and wise encouragement of her precious grandfather.  Each chapter also begins with a quote from Darwin's famous book The Origin of the Species.

You can see this book is a Newbery honor book. I read all 338 pages in one day - yes it is that good!

Here is an excellent and very detailed review in the School Library Journal.  Read about Jacqueline Kelly and the sequel to The evolution of Calpurnia Tate.  Take a look at the Kirkus star review.  here is an interview with Jacqueline Kelly well worth reading.  Listen to this audio sample taken from page 14.

As an added bonus there are some wonderful words in this book :

quadroon
pestiferous
chivvied
repose
citadel
tenuous
perspicacious

I would follow this book with Chains and of course the sequel - The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate.

Set in a time of great change, this story combines humor, beautiful writing, and unforgettable characters, to give readers a book that they will remember long after 

the last page is read.

Frog find a place by Sally Morgan and Kzekiel Kwaymullina illustrated by Dub Leffler

Who am I?

What are my talents?

Can I fly?

Is life better over there?

Where do I fit in?

There are so many children's picture books that explore these questions especially the question about flying.  My favourite also features a frog - Frog is Frog by Max Velthuijs.  Here are some other books that explore this theme and the theme of identity :

"When frog was a tadpole, a moonbeam sliced through the murky water of his pool and lit up his tiny tadpole face."

Thus begins a quest by Frog to reach the moon.  He enlists the help of three others who live near his pond. Firstly Spider who suggests making a ladder of ferns. Next Possum who suggests swinging from a vine and lastly Crow who suggests making a set of wings.

After each of these suggestions fail to work the wise old Owl returns.  Frog feels utterly defeated. "Sad and tired, Frog perched on a branch in the middle of his pool. " Owl advises him to look again.  Frog looks into the water. At last he can be with the moon and the stars.  Sometimes the things we are looking for are much closer than we realise.

Frog finds a place is another book from our CBCA 2016 Notable list.

Here is a set of detailed teaching notes.