My Brother Finch by Kate Gordon

"Tomorrow is going to be amazing. Tomorrow is going to change my life.' If I'd known then - if I'd have even had an inkling of how - I'd have torn my soul apart to protect him, to change the future, to make sure tomorrow never happened. But I had no idea. 

No control. No power. Tomorrow came. And my brother disappeared."

Born just eleven months apart in some ways Wren feels as though Finch is her twin sibling. But in other ways she has always felt displaced. Wren is a quiet girl who does not stand out whereas Finch is a loud boy who everyone immediately warms to. Even their parents seem, to Wren, to treat Finch with more love and attention. 

"We were connected, tied together, linked in a way closer than any of those kids whose siblings are their best friend. We were like twins. Like two halves. But when Finch wanted me to be his friend, I just wanted ... To be seen, by anyone else but him. To be important. To be number one."

"You are normal Wrennie. You're what you're meant to be.' I knew he meant it kindly - as a compliment in fact. But it felt like a slap. Being normal meant I wasn't like him. And everybody loved Finch. Mostly they just ignored me."

The family go on an outing to a disused coal mine. Finch is so excited to explore the ruins. Their mother is slightly overprotective but on this day their father says it is all okay and Finch should be allowed to explore a little further on his own. Within minutes, Wren who has been taking photos of the clouds with her camera, realised something feels wrong. 

These are all events from three years ago. Finch has never been found. The family members, each in their own way, are deeply grieving. There are of course several possibilities - kidnapping, misadventure or that he just wandered away. Knowing this does not help. And Wren is certain all of this is her fault. Nor does the fact that two young children disappeared that day - Finch and another younger child named Ava. 

"Dad cries all the time. He cries loudly and painfully and - I suppose he thinks - in secret behind the bathroom door."

Finch was just nine when he disappeared. Wren is now moving onto Year Seven at a different school. Her old friends, friends from Kindergarten, have drifted way. Wren's grief has also been too much for them to stay connected. On the first day of High School, though, Wren makes a new friend. Freddie is also an outsider but she is not shy or insecure like Wren. She is bold and seemingly fearless. The two girls team up for a school art project and Wren, who constantly hears the voice of Finch, somehow suggests their topic could, in part, be about missing children. Added to this the girls see another new student in the playground. A girl, maybe a year or two older, who also looks lost and alone. 

Publisher blurb: Finch and Wren were as close as a brother and sister can be. When he vanished, when they were nine years old, her world cracked in two. Finch was never found. On the same day that Finch disappeared, another girl was lost, too. Her name was Ava. Her parents were rich tourists, from Sydney. Ava’s story got all the media attention. And Finch was forgotten. But not by Wren. Never by Wren. Three years on, Finch is still with her, whispering in her ear, guiding her through life. As Wren begins high school and forms a new, bewildering friendship with a mysterious girl called Freddie, Finch is there, urging her on. To go bolder. To go braver. To grab life with two hands. When another girl goes missing – a strange girl called Johanna – Wren feels compelled to search for her. To her surprise, Freddie does, too. The two of them try and piece together who Johanna is and why she ran away. Or did she run away? Was the truth more awful? And was it all tied together with what happened to Finch and Ava?

Here are some teaching notes from the publisher. 

I just want to mention one sentence in this book - just to show the power of Kate Gordon and her writing. This description is something all Australian kids and adults will relate to:

"I look up, Ms Jermy is standing over us. ... She has bells on her sleeves, and they play music that reminds me of ice cream trucks. Of how - when we were little - Finch would always scream when he heard one, leap to his feet and run to Mum yelling 'Please! Please!' as if the ice cream from the truck was any better than the ice cream in our freezer. I guess it was. It was a bit more magical. But maybe it was only Finch who made it that way."

This book is for mature readers aged 11+. It does contain difficult themes of grief but it also has a very open ending. Less mature readers may have difficulty with the seemingly unresolved conclusion - this could be their first encounter with a book that does not neatly end with "and they all lived happily ever after." The story is told by Wren but it is interspersed with the voice of Finch presented in free verse. 

I am certain My Brother Finch will be a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Younger Readers Notable title. Kate Gordon's writing just goes from strength to strength. I think this is her best book (of the ones I have read) so far. 

My Brother, Finch brings in themes around sibling relationships and the way we see ourselves in our families, which will be relevant to young people at a time in their lives when they are forming and changing their view of themselves and the world around them. It is a special book with powerful messages and stunning use of language that will stay with you as you get on with your life. Helen Ward Writes

My Brother, Finch is an allegory to grief and loss and the oscillation between hope and hopelessness that people must feel when a loved one goes missing. How can you grieve when you never really know what happened? And how can you move on with your life, how can you let them go, when there’s a chance, however small, that they are still out there somewhere? Helen Ward Writes

This story will keep you curious until the very end. It will also pull on your heart strings. Keep some tissues handy! Buzz Words

It sensitively explores the difficulties in moving on after tragedy and is ultimately a message of hope. The reader is left with the sense that this grief never ends, but it doesn’t preclude experiencing lives of friendship and love. This exquisite, heart-warming story seems destined to win awards and will be enjoyed by readers aged 11 and older. Storylinks

My brother Finch had a big impact on me and my thoughts turned back to it for days after finishing. While reading it, I kept thinking how brilliantly Gordon has created an authentic 12-year-old character and realistic descriptions of her strong emotions, as well as believable family and friend relationships. And cleverly, too, Finch is very much a central character in the story, as part Wren’s imagination and memories. Reading Time

Award-winning author Kate Gordon tells an incredible story through both prose in the form of short sentences and clever verse. This novel will tug at your heart strings and leave you longing for closure. The ending may not be what you are expecting but the incredible use of language to explore the characters, their emotions and their struggles make this story a compelling read.  ReadPlus

Companion books:

Bird

Right as Rain

Telephone of the tree

The Probability of Everything

Picasso and the greatest show on earth

Read my blog posts about these other books by Kate Gordon:

Xavier in the Meantime

Aster's good, right things

The Calling of Jackdaw hollow

The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn

Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemani

"How can anyone draw a line

between neighbors?

between brothers?

between friends?"

"Even if all the Hindus

in the world stop liking

all the Muslims in the world,

I never will."

Raj is twelve. He is a Hindu boy who loves flying kites with his grandfather and his best friend. He dreams of winning the big kite competition. Iqbal is his best friend but he is Muslim and India is about to be divided by partition. Their precious friendship will be cut in half just as their country is divided and their homes now become places of danger and violence.  This is so confusing - it is all because some one from far away has drawn a line on a map.  

People smile with tight lips,

and it's no coincidence

that everyone is dressed in white

the colour we wear 

when someone dies.

Raj and his family become refugees and they have to move from Hyderabad in Sindh to Bombay. The train journey is dreadful and all their possessions are taken by thieves and then the most unimaginable thing happens - in the chaos and confusion Raj's sister Maja aged nine disappears.

This book is sure to make you curious about the partition of India and also about traditional Indian foods. 

We sit down

to a breakfast of dal pakwan,

the creamy-flavoured lentils,

spicy mint coriander chutney

and deep-fried crispy sweetbread

mingling in my mouth

before I swallow with relish.

... with our baskets filled with

diamond-shaped Kaju mithai.

I inhale the scent

of cashew nuts and cardamom

and hope there will be some left over ...

The blended scent

of saffron and cardamom

fills the air

as Amma prepares to slice

her freshly rolled varo.

With careful force

she cuts across the center,

and I lick my lips,

imagining the sweet crunch

of pistachios, almonds, 

cashew nuts, and poppy seeds

with hardened caramel.

The British have left India and Raj is also caught up in the politics of the times. His brother explains:

You would not be sad

if you knew what they have stolen

how they have treated us,

burning out fingers to serve 

them phulko, while they burn

our money and drink out chai. ...

They charge unfair taxes on salt,

take the cotton, spices, 

and crops from our land,

use the modern railways you boast of

to steal what is ours,

and sell it back at inflated prices ...

They keep every last rupee,

while our country starves,

they look at us like we're

uncivilized dogs ...

This is a complex story about a time in history that will be unfamiliar to most young readers aged 10+ here in Australia but it is well worth the reading journey. I am quoting in full the book description by the author:

An evocative historical novel in verse about a boy and his family who are forced to flee their home and become refugees after the British Partition of India. 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. Inspired by the author’s true family history, Lion of the Sky is a deeply moving coming-of-age tale about identity, belonging, and the power of hope.

Listen to an audio sample here. I read Lion of the Sky as an ebook. The hardcover novel with 416 pages is way too expensive for your library here in Australia. It was published in 2024 so I imagine there will eventually be a paperback edition. 

There are some powerful words of wisdom in this book:

"Holding on to your anger is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die."

"Because we don't need your kind and my kind ... only kindness."

Ultimately this is a tale about being lion-hearted, soaring after falling many times, and still reaching for the sky. It’s also about lines that divide, that cut across hearts and countries, and that are seared into memories. An exquisite, memorable story about new beginnings and the quest to belong. Kirkus Star review

Here is an interview with the author. Lion of the Sky is her debut book. 

Companion book:

The Night Diary

Shooting Kabul

Flooded by Mariajo Ilustrajo

The city carried on in its usual rhythm going up, going down. 

After all it was just a bit of water.

This is a funny book on one level but it also contains a much deeper social and environmental commentary.  If you work from the title and stretched out front and back covers you won't anticipate the plot or the surprise ending. This is a book to share with younger readers but it will also generate some deep discussion with older groups in your school library.

The blurb does spoil the ending so I am only putting extract here: Flooded is the funny and beautifully illustrated tale of animals who live in a city that is ever so slowly flooding. The flood comes gradually at first. All the animals ignore the obvious and go about their busy lives, disjointed from one another and preoccupied by their own problems. Eventually, the flood water reaches a height that they can no longer ignore and they have to work together to save their city.

Flooded is an allegory of community responsibility. Book Wagon

Stature matters here.  I don’t think I am giving away too much to say that the relative heights of the animals in the book drive much of its humour and tensions. ... For slightly older readers, there is plenty of scope for deeper exploration of the book’s themes. Further discussion will inevitably lead to climate change, environmental activism, the power of collaboration. Just Imagine

This tale of pulling together in times of need is wonderfully illustrated by an exciting newcomer using ink and graphite and digitally coloured. The text is kept to a minimum allowing the wealth of funny details in each scene to do much of the storytelling. Red Reading Hub

Flooded is a reminder to address problems sooner rather than later. It has a clear environmental message, but themes of not procrastinating or ignoring issues, and working together, can apply to many other situations as well. Kids' Book Review

Mariajo Ilustrajo is a Spanish Illustrator based in the UK. See some pages from Flooded here. Mariajo Ilustratjo will be an illustrator to watch. She is sure to give us some memorable books in the future now that we have seen Flooded which is her first published book. 

The little bit of water was becoming a huge problem and it wasn't going away. Where was the water coming from? 

And what could they do about it?

Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles

"So I'll interview everyone in Halleluia. I'll learn about the town excitements and tragedies and customs and traditions and then I'll write it all up ... but first I have to know all the facts. For instance what's the biggest thing that ever happened in this town?"

Ruby lives in Halleluia, Mississippi. Deborah Wiles gives her readers tiny hints that, in the past, there has been some terrible tragedy in this small community.  It is a tragedy that has affected everyone but in particular Ruby is deeply hurting as is her beloved Grandmother Miss Eula Dapplevine. Caught up in all of this we also have Melba Jane Latham. The only thing we know is that Ruby's Grandfather Garnet is dead as is Melba's daddy.

Ruby has one special friend - Eula, her grandmother. As the story opens the two of them raid a chicken farm and rescue three hens. These precious chickens will claim a place in Ruby's heart. She is looking forward to sharing the chicken raising with her grandmother who suggests keeping the chickens in a old greenhouse in her garden. Things become especially wonderful for Ruby when one of the chickens lays three eggs. Ruby has a very hard time coping with Melba but grandmother Eula seems to understand this offers great wisdom. At the same time, though, Eula herself is grieving and so,when invited, Eula takes up an offer to visit her son in Honolulu so she can meet her newest and second grandchild.  Ruby is so sad to say goodbye to her grandmother but the pair keep in touch with letters. This book was written before the age of email etc. It does not feel old fashioned. I found the letters themselves delightful.

Publisher blurb:  Who is Ruby Lavender? She used to have a fun life, until her Yoo-hoo-drinking, pink muumuu-wearing, best friend of a grandmother up and left for Hawaii to spend the summer with her new (smelly) grandbaby. Now Ruby is stuck in boring old Halleluia, Mississippi, reading to her chickens, sweeping floors at the general store (torture), and being tormented by the curly-haired, tip-tapping Melba Jane. In letter after letter, nine-year-old Ruby pours out her heart to her grandmother. But there is one thing Ruby cannot tell even her—the very same thing that makes Ruby take the long way home every single time and that makes her hate Melba Jane more than anyone. She’s resourceful. She’s feisty. She’s in for some big surprises. Oh, Miss Ruby Lavender—she will pull at your heart.

This unforgettable story is told both in third person narrative and through letters which Ruby and Miss Eula write to each other. All the characters in this story are full of life, practically leaping off the pages complete with their peculiarities, their hurts, and the triumphs. Looking Glass Review

I mentioned a few posts back that I have a small collection of older books picked up from a library where the Teacher-Librarian had done a thorough cull of her oldest books most of which were in very poor condition. 

I read Love, Ruby Lavender when it was first published in 2002 and my memory is that this was a wonderful story. Today I re-read Love, Ruby Lavender and I am sighing with happiness.  This is a beautifully told story filled with genuine emotion. This is a book about relationships, and guilt and healing. I am so happy to see it is still available.  I am also so happy I was able to spend today reacquainting myself with Ruby. You will fall in love with the chickens too!

You can see three covers above.  The collage art cover is by Britta Teckentrup. Here are a set of Book Club questions to use with Love, Ruby Lavender.

I would follow Love, Ruby Lavender with The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley.

I have talked briefly previously about another book by Deborah Wiles - Each little bird that sings.

Aster's good right things by Kate Gordon

Blurb: "I can't let go of them - the good, right things - because if I do I'll turn into a cloud and I'll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing. Eleven-year-old Aster attends a school for gifted kids, but she doesn't think she's special at all. If she was her mother wouldn't have left. Each day Aster must do a good thing - a challenge she sets herself, to make someone else's life better. Nobody can know about her things, because then they won't count. And if she doesn't do them, she's sure everything will go wrong. Then she meets Xavier. He has his own kind of special missions to make life better. When they do these mission together, Aster feels free, but if she stops doing her good, right things, will everything fall apart?"

The reviewer at Little Big Reads sums up my reaction and perhaps difficulty with this book which is a rewarding one to read but at the same time the journey is harrowing. Rebekah Lyell says : "If you’ve been there, I feel like your experience of the story will be different from others that read it."

In this first person narrative we can see right inside Aster. She is a deeply sensitive girl who finds so many aspects of her life extremely difficult. Aster is good at communicating with us (the reader) about her inner most thoughts and deep sadness but she is not good at communicating with her dad or other close family members. Instead she blames herself for every wrong thing and works hard to protect her dad by assuring him that things are going okay when clearly they are not. The biggest wrong thing of all is that Aster's mother left the family when Aster was ten and the real heart break around this is that Aster blames herself. We are not told much about Aster's mother but it is very clear she has serious mental health issues. For personal reasons I found some parts of this story very confronting but the writing is so beautifully crafted and the relationships so beautifully explored and so I do recommend Aster's good right things for sensitive readers aged 10+. If you have read The illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson you will have some idea about the tone and themes of this book. The difference here is that it is Aster herself who is also struggling with depression. 

By coincidence as I have been writing this post (over a couple of days because I have found it difficult to express my ideas) ABC All in the Mind presented this program - "Parenting with a mental illness". In this interview the author Michelle Vasiliu talks about her book, her children and her experiences.

I do find books which touch on issues of mental health and mental illness "hard" to read.  I'm thinking of books like The Elephant by Peter Caarnavas; The Red Tree by Shaun Tan; The illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson; Nest by Esther Ehrlich; and Against the Odds by Marjolijn Hof; 

Kate Gordon interviewed by Megan Daley:  If you could have one wish for the world what would that be? Just more kindness. More understanding and acceptance of difference. Everyone has value and a place in this world. 

The book has some heavy hitting themes - parental separation, mental health, friendship, fostering and neglect, identity, growth, change - but Gordon handles it with care and love. NZ Book Lovers

I am so delighted that Aster’s Good, Right Things exists. I hope it (and similar books) can introduce the reality of childhood mental illness and the importance of being gentle with children like Aster. Laura's Adventures in Literature

I fell in love with Aster, and wanted to hug her, Xavier and Indigo. I wanted to reach into the book and help them, to be there for them. The Book Muse

I would pair Aster's right good things with these:

The secrets we keep by Nova Weetman

An astute reader will pick up the early hints about the truth of Clem's life circumstances in this book The Secrets we keep.  You might not completely guess the truth but you may be suspicious that all is not quite as it seems.  Do not flip to the back of the book.  It is worth taking the journey with Clem as she comes to terms with her complex family life and recent tragedy.

"My mum died,' I say, causing Ellie to stop in the middle of the basketball courts.  ... I have a yucky metallic taste in my mouth.  Why did I have to start here?  Why did Mum have to come into my story now?"

Clem (Clementine) is the narrator.  Her house has burned down.  She and her dad have moved into a drab and tiny flat in a new area and Clem has to begin at a new school.  It is near the end of Year Six and she has left behind her best friend and lost all her precious possessions in the fire.  Dad will not talk about mum.  The reasons are complex.  Clem needs to face her fear and find forgiveness.

This is a book about fitting in.  It is also about truth.  Here is the author web site.  For more information read this review.  Older students might like to compare The secrets we keep with The Illustrated mum by Jacqueline Wilson and Starry Nights by Judith Clarke.