Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor

"Then she used a red marker to put a big X through May 22 on the wall calendar. She had made it through another day."

Can you feel the deep sadness here? Aggie and Harold have owned the Sleepy Time Motel for decades but now Harold has died and the motel is in need of serious repairs and there are no guests and the pile of unpaid bills is growing and growing.

"Nobody had come for a long, long time. Nobody had come since when? Auggie wondered. She flipped open the motel guest book and looked at the last entry. Nearly three months ago Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Perry from Ocala Florida."

It is time for Aggie to sell her home - the motel. 

Meanwhile we meet Willow. It is Willow and her dad now because her mum just left one day. Willow has so many unanswered questions about her mum Dorothy. Her dad just won't talk about her. This is another family filled with sadness.

"His misery grew and grew until it filled up the whole house and seeped out of the doors and windows into the year. It floated over the patch of weeds that used to be flowers that Dorothy grew. It circled the swing set where willow used to play while Dorothy pinned wet sheets on the clothesline. And it snaked around the mailbox where willow waited every morning at ten o'clock."

Willow is so desperate to receive a letter from her mum she even writes them and posts them to herself. Then one morning things completely change. Her father reads an advertisement about a motel that is for sale - yes it is the Sleepy Time Motel in North Carolina. 

The third person we meet in this story is Loretta. She is also looking for some thing so she can make sense of her life. Loretta is an adopted child. She has a beautiful loving family but she really knows nothing about her birth mother.  On the day of this story though, a parcel arrives. Her mother has died and the box contains "all her earthly possessions". A tattered pincushion; a Japanese fan; a silver pocket watch; a picture of a hummingbird; a Bible; tiny scissors; a sparkly poodle dog pin; a pale blue handkerchief with the letter P embroidered in pink; a heart-shaped box made of red velvet and a silver charm bracelet. Oh and there is a photograph of a young girl about the same age as Loretta. The charm bracelet is the key to what happens next. Her mum and dad agree to visit all the places that match the charms. I imagine you have guessed that Loretta and her parents are going to end up at the Sleepy Time Motel.

Then we meet Kirby. Kirby is a troubled boy. His mum does not understand him and he does not like the latest step dad. Things have become so bad that he is now being sent juvenile detention centre/school. His step dad does not come on the long journey. The car is old and yes, it breaks down and yes this happens near the Sleepy Time Motel. Kirby is angry and desperately missing the only person who ever showed him any kindness - Burla Davis - the old lady from next door.

Now you have met all of the characters (the chapters alternate their voices) I invite you to read this wonderful story of healing and new beginnings. I am always drawn to books like this especially ones where places (and people) are in need of repairs. Oh, and this book, even though you know there HAS to be a happy ending, has just the right amount of tension to keep you flying through the pages. Hooray for Barbara O'Connor! This is resoundingly a five-star book.

I often look for character descriptions:

"Her face was lined and leathery, but her eyes were clear and sparkly. She kept pushing the stretched sleeves of her sweater up over her bony elbows."

"The one who smelled like lavender talcum powder. The one who made doll clothes out of dishcloths and cradles out of oatmeal boxes. The one who called her Lulu ..."

Here is the teacher's guide.

As these unlikely folks come together in Aggie’s tumbledown motel, they find something they need through the friendships that form. O’Connor artfully weaves together the hopes, fears, disappointments, sorrows and joys of her multi-generational cast to produce a warm and satisfying conclusion. Kirkus

Publisher blurb: Aggie isn't expecting visitors at the Sleepy Time Motel in the Great Smoky Mountains. Since her husband died, she is all alone with her cat, Ugly, and keeping up with the bills and repairs has become next to impossible. The pool is empty, the garden is overgrown, and not a soul has come to stay in nearly three months. When she reluctantly places a For Sale ad in the newspaper, Aggie doesn't know that Kirby and his mom will need a room when their car breaks down on the way to Kirby's new reform school. Or that Loretta and her parents will arrive in her dad's plumbing company van on a trip meant to honor the memory of Loretta's birth mother. Or that Clyde Dover will answer the For Sale ad in such a hurry and move in with his daughter, Willow, looking for a brand-new life to replace the one that was fractured when Willow's mom left. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that Aggie and her guests find just the friends they need at the shabby motel in the middle of nowhere.

Companion reads:

Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel

Front Desk (note this has a very different US Cover)

Louisiana's Way Home

Other books by Barbara O'Connor:

Halfway to Harmony

How to Steal a Dog

Wonderland

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis

Wish

Bird and Sugar Boy by Sofie Laguna

"AP Davies was going to get a big surprise when Bird turned up at his place. I'd knock on the door and when he answered, I'd say 'Hello, AP Davies. My name's Bird - it really is!' Then I'd show him my drawing book and maybe we'd start making plans for the sanctuary as soon as I arrived."

James Burdell lives with his car mechanic dad. They have a good relationship but as you read this book you will wish James could talk more with his dad - he desperately needs to understand why his mother left when he was very small. James has a very active mind. He remembers overheard conversations and fragments of phrases uttered by the adults in his life, but he constantly misinterprets these. James lives in a small town called Denham - I think it might be in Victoria. He and his best friend Sugar Boy spend their time after school and on weekends mucking around on their bikes, chasing trains and fishing. At school James is always getting into trouble - he is either daydreaming about birds or causing trouble to get a laugh out of his classmates. The teachers know he is a bright boy but they are running out of patience with his bad behaviour. 

Birds are an obsession for James. Several years ago when he was with his dad in an op shop, he spied a book - Birds: A Field Guide. This book becomes his comfort. He almost memorizes the whole thing and when he is upset or confused or in trouble, he takes out his drawing book and sketches the birds from his book. In his mind the author is a hero and so James hatches a plan to meet AP Davies. The back cover says the author lives in The Blue Mountains. James has no idea where that is but when he is told his very best friend Sugar Boy is moving to Broome in Western Australia, James decides he needs to find AP Davies. He is sure leaving will make things easier for his dad who struggles to 'make ends meet.'

"I did know I was having big dreams, and big dreams aren't the way things actually are - but why was it better to stick with the way things actually are when big dreams felt so much better? Look what AP Davies did - he lived in mountains that glowed blue and spent all his time doing bird study."

Helping in a school library at the end of last year I spied Bird and Sugar Boy by Sofie Laguna. Parts of this story have lingered with me since I first read it in 2006. When I read My Brother Ben and also The Someday Birds I struggled to think of the title of Bird and Sugar Boy but I was certain it also contained a story about a boy who loved birds and who owned a precious bird guidebook.

My Brother Ben

The Someday Birds

But the blurb did not help me: Sugar boy gave me the name Bird, otherwise I'm James Burdell. I live with my dad who has a big tattoo that says Live to Ride. He is so strong he can lift up a car, but he can't tell me what he's thinking. Maybe he's thinking about my mother who shot through. Sugar Boy is my best friend. We hang around down at the river, in the bush tunnel, or beside the railway tracks riding our bikes fast enough to beat the train. There's only two of us, but we're the whole team. I don't know what would happen if I didn't have Sugar Boy.

This afternoon I re-read Bird and Sugar Boy from cover to cover. It is long out of print, but it might still be in a school library.  I was surprised by the scenes I had forgotten and delighted to find scenes I had remembered especially the ones near the end of the story when James (Bird) finds himself in the city at night with no money, no food and desperate to find the right train to the elusive "Blue Mountains." I was also surprised by the fairly strong language used in this story - I think perhaps I read with a different eye now. This book is almost a Young Adult title and so I would say 11+. I wish I had kept my old copies of Magpies magazine because this book was featured on the cover of May vol. 21 no. 2 2006; page 16 with a review by Agnes Nieuwenhuizen. Oh, and yes this was the book I struggled to think of featuring a bird guidebook and a journey of discovery by a young boy. 

Bird and Sugar Boy was a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Younger Readers Honour book in 2007.  Here are the comments by the judges:

When his best friend Sugar Boy moves interstate with his family, Bird is devastated. The consequent feeling of rejection causes him to revisit the pain of his mother’s departure earlier in his life. The resulting intensity and struggle of his father’s devotion becomes apparent when he takes off to the Blue Mountains and is located by the network of biker friends. Bird’s obsession with Davis’s Field Guide to Birds of Australia, along with his skill in drawing and the positive support from his science teacher, offer great hope for him. Realistic depiction of male characters who are friends rather than mates is sympathetically done by this author.

The winner in 2007 was Being Bee by Catherine Bateson.  Just for interest the Picture Book winner that year was The Arrival by Shaun Tan. 

Here are some other books by Sofie Laguna:

When You're Older   The Song of Lewis Carmichael

Posted John David Anderson

Posted is set in an American middle school. The narrator is a kid who needs a tribe. He finds three friends and this means he has someone to sit with at lunch, someone to hang out with on the weekend and most importantly (even though he doesn't really talk about this) Frost needs other kids to care about and to know other kids care about him.

Characters:
Frost - real name - named after the poet Robert Frost. Frost is the narrator who explains how the posting of post-it notes began, and how it escalated into something nasty.

Bench - real name Jeremiah Jones - called Bench because in most sports he seems to be left on the bench even though he is very keen to play and has some skill. He is left out because other kids are better players.

Deedee - real name Advik Patel - fan of dungeons and dragons, Harry Potter, and dice which he uses to predict the future.

Wolf (short for Wolfgang Mozart) - real name Morgan - musical genius who wins lots of competitions but most people at school do not know about this.

Then Rose comes along. She is new. She is a girl. AND she sits at their lunch table. Bench leaves the group and Frost doesn't know what to do.  Someone puts a post-it note up in the hall on a student locker. At first the other notes that appear are innocuous but then things turn really nasty.

Do you like the cover of Posted? It caught my eye. I also knew the author John David Anderson because I just loved his book Ms Bixby's Last Day.

I think this book will appeal to junior high school students. You do need some knowledge of US High Schools and their culture but, even though I am the wrong demographic, I did read this book (369 pages) in almost one sitting.

Here are a few review comments which will give you more plot details:

The characters are all wonderfully drawn and fully realized.If anything, Frost is the least developed, but this is mainly because he is still trying to figure out who he is. Rose is terrific, and if I didn't know better, would have thought she was inspired by one of my own friends growing up. Ms Yingling

From John David Anderson, author of the acclaimed Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, comes a humorous, poignant, and original contemporary story about bullying, broken friendships, and the failures of communication between kids. In middle school, words aren’t just words. They can be weapons. They can be gifts. The right words can win you friends or make you enemies. They can come back to haunt you. Sometimes they can change things forever. YA Books Central

Kids, and the rest of the world, need more books like this one. Kirkus star review

There's a lion in the library by Dave Skinner illustrated by Aurelie Guillerey

Little Lucy Lupin - such a sweet little girl with her "darling dimples", "charming freckles", "adorable button nose". But looks can be deceiving. Lucy is NOT nice or lovely she tells lies.

"There's a lion in the library I saw him in the history section ... "

The librarian panics and shouts out an order for everyone to evacuate the library AT ONCE! The fire brigade, police and vets arrive but no lion can be found. Lucy thinks this is all such fun.

The next day she pulls the same trick on the caretaker. Surely this pretty little girl is telling the truth. He presses the alarm and once again everyone rushes outside.

On the third day she tells the coffee shop manager "there's a lion in the library." So for the third time police, firemen and vets arrive.

What Lucy has not bargained for is that these adults are actually clever. They hold a meeting, share their experiences and realise this little girl is not as innocent or truthful as she might seem. Her pretty looks are very deceiving.

Lucy heads back to the library a few days later. I imagine you have guessed - YES there is a real lion in the library - with sharp white teeth. No one believes Lucy. She may not be nice or sweet or lovely but she was delicious!

The illustrations in this book by Aurelie Guillerey have a retro look which reminded me of Roger Duvoisin. The paperback edition of this book will be available in June 2020.

Before you read There's a lion in the library I suggest you revisit The Boy who cried Wolf. Perhaps you can find a few examples and a parody or two.

I would follow this book with Whatever by William Bee (2005).  This book is hilarious. I am so puzzled as to why it was culled from my former library. If you can find this book grab it with both hands - it is truly a treasure and it is sure to become a firm favourite with your young reading companion.

You could also pick up some other funny books about the world of the library:

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

Room 117 is the last classroom in the building. It is the classroom for the left-over students and the place the superintendent sends Mr Zachary Kermit. Mr Kermit is close to retirement after 30 years of teaching. The superintendent is keen to get rid of Mr Kermit because if he retires the school district will have to pay him a pension long into the future - Mr Kermit comes from a family of long livers. Mr Kermit is also haunted by the past when he was accused (wrongly) of aiding a kid - Jake Terramova - with cheating on the National Aptitude Test. The Superintendent will NEVER forgive Zachary Kermit.

Class SCS-8 (Self-Contained Special Grade 8) is a dumping ground for failures plus Kiana.

"They're kids you've given up on. They had their chance in sixth and seventh grade and now you're just warehouseing them until they can be the high school's problem."

"How bad can these Unteachables be? Behaviour issues, learning problems, juvenile delinquents? ... Bad attitudes? The kid hasn't been born with an attitude that's half as bad as mine at this point. Face it, the Unteachables can only hurt you if you try to teach them. I have up on teaching anybody anything decades ago."

Characters:

• Mr Kermit - the teacher, nickname Ribbit
• Kiana - who is a bright and compassionate girl in the wrong class or is she?
• Parker - a boy with a heart of gold and a driving licence (provisional). He also has dyslexia and so far no one has helped him with this
• Aldo and Elaine - kids with serious anger issues
• Rahim - great at art but sleeps all day in class
• Mateo - a boy with an obsession for tv and movie characters
• Barnstorn - talented football player now on the bench with a broken leg
• Emma Fontain - the teacher in the room next door. She is enthusiastic, kind and wise beyond her years
• Jake Terramova - now owns a successful car dealership. Jake truly wants to repair his past errors and help Mr Kermit find forgiveness
• Dr Thaddeus - school district superintendent
• Mrs Vargas - school principal

Read these reviews for more plot details:

Writing in the alternating voices of Mr. Kermit, most of his students, and two administrators, Korman spins a narrative of redemption and belief in exceeding self-expectations. Kirkus

The students are lovable, and their reasons for their own issues become clear as they narrate their parts of the plot. The love, respect,and care which come to light in the story are real, and it’s easy to root for this group of misfits. NY Journal of Books

A solid, funny novel with deeper issues. Ms Yingling

Why did I pick up this book? Why did I thoroughly enjoy this book?
I have read books by Gordon Korman (Canadian author) in the past.
I really enjoy books which use multiple voices which change with each chapter and give the reader different views of the same incident.
The bright cover caught my eye.
I have been reading Middle Grade books with recent publication dates - this one is 2019.

After reading The Unteachables you might want to pick up Where the Red Fern grows so that you can understand when Aldo says: "It was Ribbit who showed me that teachers aren't always the enemy, even when they make you do work, or yell, ... If it wasn't for Ribbit, I never would have heard of Where the Red Fern grows, which I'd be done with by now if we didn't drop everything to work on the science fair. I can barely picture my life before I knew about Billy, Old Dan, and Little Ann, who feel like real people to me - except Old Dan and Little Ann, who are dogs."

I would follow this book with these:

Ms Bixby's Last Day

Because of Mr Terupt

The Fabled Fourth graders of Aesop elementary

The Junkyard wonders

Oh no, George! by Chris Haughton

Harris is going out.
"Will you be good, George?" asks Harris.
"Yes," says George.
"I'll be very good."

Your young reading companion is sure to be laughing.  It is so obvious that George will not be good! Harris leaves. George sees a cake!

What will George do?

George sees Cat! George sees some fresh soil in the flower bed. Three disasters - then Harris returns home.

"I'm sorry,"  George says. 

Harris cleans up and forgives George and the pair set off for a walk. Along the way there are so many temptations - cake, soil, and Cat. George shows amazing self restraint but then they walk past a delicious rubbish bin. George?!!

Oh no, George is available in 17 languages and it was nominated for numerous awards in 2012. Chris Haughton has some terrific activities on his web site along with a recipe for the cake! It's a Strawberry and Raspberry Cake originally made by Zoe at Playing by the Book. Here is an interview with Chris.

I have made an odd discovery.  In US editions of Oh no, George the boy's name has been changed to Harry - I wonder why?

One activity you could do with older children is to study the way Chris Haughton uses colour in his books and also the amazing power of these eyes.  Here are four sets of eyes for George:

Have you met Chris Haughton (via his books) previously? His work is the perfect combination of story, art and humour all packaged for a young child and at the same time thoroughly enjoyable for the adult reader too. Here are some of his classic books which are perfect for the preschool and Kindergarten audience. I would think all of these books would be essential purchases for ALL preschools and child care centres.

Here is the book trailer from Candlewick Press (Walker Books).

In UK there were plans for a live theatre production of Oh no, George by Can't sit Still Theatre Company but sadly the show was cancelled.

You can also read/see the whole book here.This series of books by Chris Haughton would be a perfect present for a young child aged 2-4 and all the titles are available as Board Books.

Here are some review comments for Oh no, George:

George’s crimes are ones of passion, and it’s hysterical. It resonates with anyone with blood pulsing through their veins—and especially with children, who are constantly being told what not to do. Kirkus Star review Julie Danielson

And that, I believe, is Chris Haughton’s gift. He knows how to create entertaining picture books that make light of human nature. Oh No,George! is about a dog who would really love to please his owner, Harris. If only he weren’t faced with so many temptations. My Little Book Case

Where's the baby by Pat Hutchins

Some time ago I talked about the wonderful Pat Hutchins. I mentioned this book as one of my favourites to read aloud.  The rhymes used in this book are just brilliant.

Here is part of the text:

"Where's the baby?" Grandma cried.
"In the garden," Mum replied
"Making a mess," said Hazel

What has this naughty baby been doing?

The mixture for the chocolate cake,
that Ma was just about to bake,
was tipped on the table and spilled on the floor.
There were sticky fingerprints on the door.
'He's a help in the kitchen,' said Grandma.

The baby is the star of this story but it is Grandma that I love. She sees only positive things in every disaster. Hazel is also a delight. She is the only voice of reason - she takes on a role as the adult in the room when all the actual adults seem oblivious to the truth of these catastrophes by Billy in every room in the house (except his own!).

Here is my favourite scene in Ma and Pa's bedroom:

The dress Ma was making was shorter than planned
"He can use scissors," said Grandma. "Isn't that grand!"
The scarf Ma was knitting for Uncle Fred
had been unravelled all over the bed.
Wool wiggled and curved across the floor,
and they follow the wiggles out of the door.

There are five books in the series about Billy and his long suffering sister Hazel.
1.  The Very Worst Monster
2.   Where's the Baby?
3.   Silly Billy
4.   Three Star Billy
5.   It's my Birthday

If you work with children and are looking for a book to read aloud look for Where's the Baby.  As you read watch out for the eggs in Grandma's basket along with the dreadful mess Billy leaves all over this house.  The white carpet covered in chimney soot is especially funny but might disturb some adults who like things kept clean!  Sadly Where's the Baby is out of print but you might find a copy in a well stocked library. I found my copy from a second hand book seller.  This is a ten out of ten book - hope you CAN find a copy to share with a child.

Picture day perfection by Deborah Diesen illustrated by Dan Santat

The funniest book in our school library about class photo day is Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg but now I have a perfect book to read alongside it - Picture Day Perfection.

I think of all my school photos and only one really pleased me. It was the one taken in my first year of teaching.  I even remember every detail of what I wore that day even though I am not a person who likes photos at all.

Our hero, on the other hand, loves picture day.  He has been marking off the days on the calendar, he has plans to wear his favorite shirt and the family even have a pancake breakfast tradition especially for photo day.

Of course everything goes wrong. He has the worst case of bedhead, his shirt is stained and wrinkled, there are syrup and paint disasters and the word cheese makes him turn pea green.

Yes the photo is a disaster but not in the way you might think.  This book has the perfect twist in the tale and I certainly did not see it coming.

Here is a trailer from the illustrator Dan Santat.  Here are some comprehensive teaching notes and questions. Read this blog post for ideas about how to use your ipad to create your own funny class photos.  I should also mention the end papers are a real treat.  If you have your own copy of this book there is a photo frame at the back where you can paste in your own photo.  Here is the Kirkus review.

Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale problem by Mac Barnett illustrated by Adam Rex

When I saw the cover of this book Billy Twitters and his blue whale problem I immediately thought of one of my most favourite picture books Billy's Bucket.  In addition to the main character called Billy there are a lot of things that could link these two books.  The main thing is that these boys both have gumption.

Billy's parents constantly threaten him :  "clean up your room ...brush your teeth ... finish your baked peas or we're buying you a blue whale."  Billy our narrator is, however, a very smart boy.  He knows this is impossible since a blue whale is the biggest animal in the world.  "It's not like you can just have one delivered to your house overnight" or can you?  The next page has no words just a double spread showing an enormous delivery truck arriving from the company called "Fedup delivering punishments worldwide." The delivery guy even has Fedup on his cap and in the distance you can see another man with two large flashlights directing the truck which contains the blue whale.

Mum and dad explain the blue whale is Billy's responsibility and this includes taking the whale to school. Billy tucks his skateboard under the whale and tows him with his bike up the hill.   When he arrives the science teacher is delighted.  Even though Billy enjoys talking about his whale he has to endure a hard time among his peers.  On the way home the bus breaks down but the whale saves the day.

Billy arrives home but his torture is not complete.  Dad gives Billy the blue whale owner's manual and Billy sees all the instructions for washing, waxing and checking the whale for barnacles but his biggest problem is how can he feed the whale.  He needs krill and ten thousand gallons of sea water.  How will Billy solve this problem? The ending is such a terrific twist this is a book you will want to read over and over again.

One more thing you must look closely under the dust jacket and at the marvelous end papers which reminded me of an old fashioned newspaper.  You can read about the process of illustrating this book here. Here is the web site for the author.  Extra Yarn also by Mac Barnett is a very special title which I will review in coming weeks. Here are some lesson ideas.

Definitely funny and slyly subversive.