No Room for a Mouse by Kyle Mewburn illustrated by Freya Blackwood

My favourite parts of this book are the cross section illustrations of the huge house and the kindness of Christopher. It is not directly stated but clearly Mrs Fizzletum has become homeless even if the reasons are fanciful and fun:

"I gave my pot plants too much food. ... Now my house is a jungle, and a boa constrictor has swallowed my keys."

Similarly Melody Mistletoe and her family now live at the bus stop. 

"I forgot to turn the taps off in the bath. ... Now our house is an ocean, and there are oysters growing in our beds."

I also love the way everyone contributes to the house and mum finds delightful things such as freshly baked scones but she is so busy that she does not think to ask where they have come from. 

Book seller blurb: Christopher lived with his mum and his best friend, Sneaky, in a house with more rooms than Christopher could count. This charming story about Christopher, his mother and his mouse Sneaky will delight children of all ages. Christopher’s mother is so busy working for the pigeon post that she doesn’t notice when Christopher invites an amazing variety of people to share their enormous house. There’s Mrs Fizzletum, Melody Mistletoe and her family, Maestro Bambonium and his Grand Pandemonium, Ringmaster Fergus and the Sawdust Circus — so many people that there is no room for Sneaky!

This book is a new discovery for me even though it was published in 2007. I have previously talked about Freya Blackwood. Kyle Mewburn lives in New Zealand and is the author of many picture books. She won the Joy Cowley Award (presented by Storylines Children's Literature Foundation of New Zealand) in 2005 and won both the Picture Book Category and the Children's Choice Category with Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! at the 2007 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. No room for a mouse won a Storylines Notable Book Award in 2008.

When the orchestra move into the house it reminded me of another book by a New Zealand author - Margaret Mahy:

The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper

You might also be lucky and have a very old book by Bob Graham:

Giraffe Island by Sofia Chanfreau illustrated by Amanda Chanfreau translated by Julia Marshall

Vega lives on an island with her father. Her grandfather lives nearby. The island, when viewed from above, is shaped like a giraffe.

"there's an island shaped like a giraffe - it you look at it from above or on a map and use your imagination. It has three legs and a small tail, a large body and a long neck which ends in a head. In the middle of its body is a big lake, called Giraffe's Heart. The water in that lake is as sweet as lemonade ..."

The main town on Giraffe Island is called Capital City not because it is the capital but because the word capital means head and that's where the town is located - on the head of the giraffe. I guess you can already anticipate this will be a very inventive and imaginative story. 

Vega has a special gift. She can see all sorts of fantastical animals. Her father cannot see them but luckily she shares this gift with her grandfather and he has lots of these creatures in his wonderful garden. Her father likes things to be organised and he strictly keeps to a routine - even with the sequence of their meals and he won't answer any questions about her absent mother. Verga can read his moodsby looking at his eyebrows. When they eat dinner together he draws a chalk circle around the table (this seems very curious) and he always sings a special goodnight song but just lately all of these routines have changed after a strange woman arrives. Everything about her feels cold. There's even ice forming beside her white car. Verga used to share all her school news with her father every night. She has just been given a letter from a pen pal and she is so excited about all the possibilities of a new friend but her father is so changed, and he seems so distracted that she decides it might be better not to tell him. 

At least Vega can talk to her Grandfather Hector (even though he also won't talk about her mother). On her visit Vega hears something moving under the blueberry bushes and then a boy emerges. His name is Nelson and he also goes to her school. They are in different classrooms side by side and their teacher Ms Hum runs between the two rooms to teach both groups. (I love this idea and the classroom names are also very different). Nelson is a collector and he has a special book where he keeps notes of his curious discoveries. He also carries an old tape recorder and he uses it to record laughter. He has 33 laughs in his collection.

"There was something about Nelson that made Vega want to tell him everything. He was like a hungry puppy, pouncing on everything and gobbling it up. Like a waterfall that never stopped. He never frowned when he explained something like the other children at school. And there were no clouds above his head either."

Together Vega and Nelson begin collecting facts. Vega's pen pal lives with a circus troupe. Vega's grandfather Hector seems to have a connection with circuses. They closely examine an old photo of Vega's mum and find more hints. Then Vega and Nelson they decide they need to make the journey to the mainland because Janna, the pen pal, and her circus will be performing there. Vega has never taken the long ferry trip across the open sea but there is no need to worry because Hector has the most amazing car called a Muffinmobile. Yes it does make muffins, but it can also travel on land and on the water. The journey is wild but they do arrive at the circus eventually. That is great but Dad and Viola (that freezing cold woman) have followed them. Vega is sure she will uncover the truth about her mother and her past by asking questions at the circus but they have to hurry and so far none of the performers, interviewed mainly by Nelson, seem able to help.

You have already worked out this is a quirky book. The lake tastes like lemonade. In the town where Vega lives there are a number of disused factories. Think about these hamsters!

"Many of the buildings' windows were broken and you could glimpse old, rusted machines inside that no one knew how to use anymore. Rats and voles had built nests inside the furnace and control rooms, and escaped hamsters used gears and old conveyor belts as exercise equipment."

I love the names of the animals invented for this book: frudbimbles, spoonlurks, fasterer, trunktoothed rumpling and fourfentipedes. The black and white art in this book is also very special - it reminded me of the drawings by Judith Rossell in her Withering-by-sea books. You can see the illustrations here. 

You can read Chapter Two here. 

There were two things that drew me to this book when I saw it on the shelf at a local book shop - Three Sparrows.  Firstly, the publisher is Gecko Press - they always deliver fabulous books. Secondly when I saw the words "winner of the Finlandia Junior prize" on the back cover I knew this was a translated book. If you think about book translation, especially of a novel like this with over 200 pages, the book has to be worth this process. I have no language skills but I can appreciate that it must take hours and hours to translate a book - maintaining more than the words - keeping the spirit and essence of the story. Read more about the translation of this book here. This book originally comes from Sweden.  I have included the cover at the bottom of this post. When I see a book has been translated I usually discover a fabulous story - that is certainly true of Giraffe Island. 

I highly, highly recommend Giraffe Island. It would be a perfect book to read aloud to your child or to a Grade 4 or 5 class. 

This is the first children’s novel for primary and Intermediate readers that I have read for at least a year and I can assure you that you will not read a better story this year. It is a fantasy adventure mystery story with a dose of magic thrown in. ... Once you start will will not put it down. Bobs Books Blog

Full of magical realism, this story is fun to read, fascinating to look at and will capture your imagination. This is a book that is all about family, love and friendship. Giraffe Island was the winner of the Finlandia Junior Prize and was nominated for the Nordic Council Children’s Young People’s Literature Prize. It deserves a place on your bookshelf and in your heart; it is a truly magical read and I am so glad that I got to read it. Just Imagine

Publisher blurb: Far away in the middle of the sea there is an island shaped like a giraffe. Nine-year-old Vega lives there with her father and grandfather—a gardener and former ringmaster. Their shed—the Paraphenalium—is filled with every possible thing you didn’t know you needed. Vega’s bathroom is home to a gray bear with shampoo-lathered fur, and every day she talks with the asphalt beaver and crosswalk zebra on the way to school. Her best friend is Nelson, who observes things others don’t notice and keeps a notebook of mysteries and facts. Vega and Nelson set out to save Vega’s father and find her mother in a search that leads them to a unique circus and unexpected answers.

Companion book:

The What on Earth Institute of Wonder

North and the Only One by Vashti Hardy

This book was among the new titles in the Book Bunker library at Westmead Children's hospital where I work as a volunteer. I previously read a short book by Vashti Hardy - The Griffin Gate.

Rose wakes from a vivid dream that seems to be about her life in the past. A few days ago she had woken up to find herself in a house she does not recognise. She meets Mother but again has no recognition of this person. Life is comfortable and she does have the beautiful companionship of her dog whose name is North but there is always this niggling feeling that someone important is missing. She needs her memories. She needs to remember her past. This dream, as with other dreams, has been so vivid and so she gets of out of bed and quietly goes to Mother's room keen to talk to her about the forest scene and house she has seen in her dream.

If you are book talking this book with your library or class group I would read pages 29-31. This is from page 31. 

"She strode, forward, stopping midway down the bed. Mother looked so peaceful. Her cheeks brushed with white, hands neatly by her sides. Moonlight glinted on something in mid-air to the side of her. At first, Rose thought it must be a moth, but then she realised it was some sort of aerial line or string in  between her and Mother. How curious. She reached towards it to check she wasn't imaging it, and ran her fingers gently along the wire. It was definitely a cable. She looked back to the wall and saw it was plugged into a charging point ... Rose froze. It didn't make sense. She looked at the charging point. She looked at Mother. A shudder ran through her, her heart rate escalating. It was impossible. Mother was plugged in! ... A person didn't need to plug themselves in. Not someone of flesh and bone like Rose. Mother was something else."

I did read this book in almost one sitting but it is a long book (340 pages) so I imagine it will suit a reader who enjoys Science Fiction and a reader with strong reading stamina. The story does take quite a few unexpected twists and turns and, as is often the way with Science Fiction, you do need to suspend disbelief especially in relation to the human need for food. The premise is that Rose is the only or the last human and yet at every turn someone is able to supply her with water and food albeit only small quantities. Clearly Humanoid Robots do not need food so I was somewhat confused about why this was so readily available - but as I say, you just need to let that thought go. I did enjoy the early hint that Mother was not quite 'right' but that scene I quoted above still gave me a huge jolt!

The other part of this story that was a little bit strange - but many young readers won't notice this - is the use of names relating to the invention of the computer - Ada (Lovelace); (Charles) Babbage; and Alan Turing.  There are also layers of Pinocchio and I am sure choice of the two furliths (robot animals) that help Rose - fox and rabbit - have some literary significance. There are also references to Alice in Wonderland, The Nutcracker, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet.

In some ways this book made me think of an old movie called Logan's Run and even the famous book The Giver by Lois Lowry. 

Bookseller blurb: Twelve-year-old Rose can't remember anything before last week, when she woke up  not knowing her own name, her own house, or even her own mother. The only thing Rose recognized was her puppy, North. But Mother patiently explained everything - well, not everything. Not the real-feeling dreams Rose has about a mysterious forest she half-recognizes. Or why she is not allowed to stray beyond the garden, out into Luminelle, the vast city surrounding them. Mother is kind and helpful, but Rose can't shake the feeling that something's not right. Or maybe it's everything that's not right?
But then, when Rose flees to the outside world with North, it quickly becomes clear to Rose that she is different. And for reasons she doesn't understand, she's dangerous. On an unforgettable journey of discovery, Rose uncovers life-altering truths about the city she's in, the people around her ... and ultimately herself.

Bookwagon recommends North and the Only Star hugely. This superbly intelligent story is ideal for enquiring, inspired readers. What a magnificent story.

Vashti Hardy has done it again – combining STEM and a futuristic vision with a heartfelt story that leaves readers thinking long after the book is closed. Yet North and the Only One is a completely unique story. It feels different from Vashti’s other adventures. With so much emotion and so much unknown, readers become a part of Rose’s search for truth. Scope for Imagination

Here is the web page for the author Vashti Hardy. She lives in West Sussex.

The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas by Kimberly Willis Holt

As I began to read The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas yesterday I realised I need to revisit the first book from this two book series - When Zachary Beaver Came to Town.  I re-read my blog post but it did not have enough information so yesterday I read both of these books from cover to cover in one sitting. That's 227 pages plus 311 pages. I am glad I did this because, while the second book could perhaps stand alone, you will have a far richer reading experience if you can read both of these books one after the other so that all the small plot details fit together. 

This second book, published in 2021, is set about 25 years after the first. Back in 1971 a trailer pulled up in the Dairy Maid parking lot. Inside is a young boy - he is being used as a circus curiosity - billed as the "Fattest Boy in the World". Over the next few weeks Toby Wilson and his best friend Cal make friends with Zachary. His owner/manager/guardian has left him behind in the trailer. Paulie Rankin has headed away to find more circus acts. Zachary has some food and books to read but it does feel as though he has been abandoned. The local police Sheriff Levi arrives after a window is broken on the trailer. the sheriff tells Toby and Cal that Zachary will have to placed in foster care if Paulie doesn't return by the end of the week.

Now moving onto the second book. Toby has married Tara (she's the younger sister of Scarlett. Toby had a huge crush on Scarlett). Toby and Tara have two daughters - Rylee and Mayzee. Mayzee is six years old and little like Tara was in the first book - loud, brave and a born performer. Rylee, aged 12 is more reserved. She is starting Grade 7 and her dad will be her history teacher. Rylee has one true friend - a girl named Twig. Sadly Twig has just returned from a trip to Spain. Now she no longer talks to Rylee and worse she seems to want to hang out with the class bully. 

After 9-11, a young boy and his mum have moved from New York to Antler in the Texas panhandle. Joe and Rylee slowly become friends and Joe opens up about his grief and past life. When Joe hears about Zachary Beaver he tells Rylee they should try to find him. Rylee is worried Zachary might now be dead but Joe encourages her and together, using the brilliant services of the local reference librarian, they piece together the life of Zachary from 1971 to 2021. I imagine you are guessing there will be a happy ending but SO much happens before we reach the end of this engrossing story of small town life and the colourful characters who live there.

Read more plot details in the Kirkus review. Ms Yingling comments on both stories here. Listen to an audio sample which begins on page 4. Kimberly Willis Holt explains the inspiration for her story. 

This is the first middle grade novel that I have read that deals with the events of September 11th, 2001. I am sure there are tons of others, just as there lots of books coming through now dealing with the Covid 19 pandemic, but so far this is my first book that touched on 9-11. 

I fell in love with a whole town. Becky's book Reviews - me too especially Miss Myrtie Mae Pruitt; Miss Earline the real estate agent; Ferris from the Bowl-a-Rama cafe; and Opalina Wilson (Rylee's grandmother and Toby's mum).  Oh and I'm keen to try a Snow Cone especially a Bahama Mam flavour. I'd also love to have seen the hundreds of ladybirds that were released over the cotton fields (from the first book).

You should also read this book by Kimberly Willis Holt:

Blooming at the Sunrise Motel

The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen by Deborah Abela

 

This is the second time I have read this book and the second time I have talked about it here on my blog. After I read Deborah Abela's latest book - The Book of Wondrous Possibilities -  I had my eye out for The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen which I read back in 2010. By chance I spied a copy at a recent charity book sale and it was only $2. I am happy to say, though, this book is still in print so you can buy a copy for yourself, your reading companion and your school library. It may already be there because it was a CBCA Notable in 2010.

I suggest you begin by reading my previous post. In this new post I am just going to quote some of the text to give you a flavour of this wonderful rich writing:

Lucien B Crook (the aptly named villian): "His black hair was waxed into a neatly coiffed wave and sat obediently beneath a stiff hat. He stood tall. Some might have described him as good-looking. His trim face was cleanly shaven except for a pencil-thin moustache drawing a neat line beneath his tapered nose."

Take a minute to think about the word choices used here by Deborah Abela: coiffed, obediently, stiff, pencil-thin, tapered nose. 

Mrs Sneed (teacher) : "was a tall, colourless woman, except for the splatter of red paint now on her dress, parts of her face and tightly wound hair. Even her silhouette was harsh, a collection of strict and measured lines. She likes maths not children."

The opening sentence of this book is brilliant: "The girl lay in her coffin with a faint smile on her powder-white face. She had been carefully laid out. Gentle hands smoothed down her white silk dress,k combed her soft curls and brushed on her make-up so that her cheeks look like two faintly pink cherry blossoms."

Mayor Finnigus Bog "wasn't a thin man and, in point of fact, he'd been called, in not-so-polite circles, pudgy, rotund, even chubby. Some say he was worn into shortness by the controlling nature of his wife. Others said it was because his pockets were heavy from the weight of too much money."

This is a story that will quickly become a family favourite. Kids' Book Review

This is a wonderful book and Abela herself is the real magician. Sandy Fussell

Long Road to the Circus by Betsy Bird illustrated by David Small

 

"I'll do it,' I just repeated, then turned to him with a smile, 'I'll ride your darned ostrich."

Suzy Bowles wants her life to be exciting. She has no plan to stay in this tiny rural town any longer than she has to so when her uncle arrives and then heads off each day to an unknown destination, Suzy just has to follow along.

"Following Uncle Fred was probably the most exciting thing I'd done in my whole life, and I was only doing it because I could already see what a dang-blasted boring summer I was doomed to have."

Her discovery is amazing. Uncle Fred is working for a larger than life lady named Madame Maranette. Of all the possible things she might have seen you would never have expected ostriches (but of course you have seen the cover of this book!). Madame has a plan to make a world record by using one ostrich and one horse to pull her carriage at the St Joseph's County Fair parade. Over the next few months Uncle Fred has the task of training this crazy ostrich named Gaucho.

Suzy can see an opportunity here so huge it practically knocks her off her feet. IF she can ride this ostrich then someone might notice her and heck she might be asked to join the circus and thus escape Burr Oak.

I have had this book on my to-read list ever since I saw that the super talented librarian and blogger and podcaster Betsy Bird had written a NOVEL!! Here in Australia the hardcover edition of this book costs over AUS$35 and the paperback won't arrive until August SO when I was planning a trip away from home I decided to buy some ebook editions of books on my wish list and that meant I could include this one.

There are some wonderful descriptions in this book of the characters (teachers take note):

Madame - "Her perfectly coiffed hair was up, a sheer blinding white from root to tip, capped off with an enormous hat sporting what had to be an ostrich plume. She wore a velvet dress and jacket that suited her stature and poise. Her back was ramrod straight, giving her an imperious gaze ... "

I kept track of some of the delicious words used in this book - I think they might give you an insight into the flavour of this writing - the whole book has such a distinct voice:

no-good stinking brother; cool clear salve; ignoring my petulance; he stopped caterwauling; what the heck had distracted him from my vengeance; think twice about being a hooligan; complete and utter bafflement; esoteric knowledge; lessons on comportment; an ornery personality; patience for the rigmarole; flaunting my hijinks; corvid gleam; direst of circumstances.

You can read a generous book extract here.

Betsy Bird is a librarian - I love her descriptions of the librarians in her book, the enthusiasm of the library staff and even the temperature when you enter a library on a hot day:

"the temperature turned from light broil to a mere chill in just a few steps past the doorframe."

I highly recommend Long Road to the Circus.  Pop it on your book wish list now. It would be a terrific book to read aloud in a classroom or a family and as a bonus some of it is TRUE!

Here is a long interview with Betsy talking about her book and you can see some of the illustrations too. She also imparts heaps of wisdom about libraries.

A wonderful character piece. Kirkus

The Girl Who Walked on Air by Emma Carroll

 

Louie is found in a basket outside a circus caravan. Is it her destiny to join the circus and become, one day, perhaps perform that all important showstopper? Louie has so many unanswered questions about her mother and why she left her at the circus. Louie has become deeply angry that she was left behind rather like a lost umbrella. 

In secret Louie begins to practice walking on ropes. She dreams of becoming a high wire walker but the circus owner Mr Chipchase forbids her to perform. He even makes her wear a hat and when she does appear in the ring with her dog she is covered with a huge baggy clown costume.

Louie idolises a man called Blondin - the hero of Niagara. She dreams of performing just like him. Then one day a young many arrives at the circus. He previously worked for the famous Mr Wellbeloved. His name gives will give astute readers an important clue. This man is not loved. He is a tyrant and his plan to gain fame and fortune mean he is happy to risk lives. He has his eyes on Louie and she falls for his tricks. Louie travels to America and within days finds herself walking across a tightrope over the famous and deadly falls.

"The first few steps took me out over the trees. Guy ropes led off sideways like giant ribs. I went slowly, feeling with my feet, letting the rope get used to me. The trees gave way to rocks, then water. The air grew cool. I smelled river. The roar of water made my ears sing. A few more steps and I stopped. The balance pole dipped left, then righted itself as I shifted my weight to look about me."

This is a gripping mystery for ages 10+. 

I think that readers who enjoy stories about adventure, friendship, determination and learning never to give up hope will love it too. The Book Bag

Tightrope-walking is surely one of the most magical skills. The balance and concentration needed to walk, skip, jump on a wire thinner than one’s wrist is fascinating. And Emma Carroll does a wonderful job of bringing the magic of the circus to life – the showstopping glamour as well as the behind-the-scenes clamour. Jo Cotterill

The Girl who Walked on Air is Emma Carroll's second novel. It was published in 2014 but is still available. I have read and enjoyed many of her more recent books:

The Little Match Girl strikes back

Letters from the Lighthouse

Sky Chasers

The Week at World's End

In Darkling Wood

You could explore these picture books after reading The Girl who walked on Air:

The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean

Friday Old Favourite

In ancient China superstitions are part of every day life. The gods might be watching you and so it is important to be careful. For example Haoyou wears a "brass collar his mother had put round his neck (it) was supposed to fool the gods into thinking he was a dog not worth picking on."

Haoyou lives on the coast. Traders fill their ships with goods to sell across the sea. It is important to know a voyage will go well so they use kites to test the wind but these are not ordinary kites. Haoyou sees his own father tethered to the kite.

"With a noisy rattle, the wind-tester shed gravity and rose into the air on a gust of wind, tautening the rope. ... his father plunged towards him face-first, eyeballs straining their lids, arms spread wide, head and shoulders buckled outwards from the hurdle."  "Somewhere during the flight, his heart, over crammed with fear, had burst like a sack of grain and his spirit had been spilled into the path of the prevailing easterly winds."

Why has this happened? The evil Di Chou wants to marry Haoyou's beloved and beautiful mother. Di Chou truly is the murderer but no one will believe a young boy such as Haoyou. He is determined to keep his mother safe and his cousin, the wise Mipeng, agrees to help. What follows is a wild romp involving a kidnapping, a circus, a meeting with the great Kublai Khan and numerous thrilling, dangerous and heart-stopping flights for Haoyou himself.

Fast-paced and densely plotted, absorbing, and at times even hilarious. Kirkus Star review

I first read The Kite Rider in 2001 and the images in this story lingered with me so strongly that I longed to read it again. I even purchased a brand new copy because I wanted to add this book to my own ever expanding shelves. Listen to an audio sample here from Chapter One. Take a look here to see the vast number of children's books by Geraldine McCaughrean. I have a plan to re-read another of her past titles - Pack of Lies.

Here are some past cover designs.  If you used this book with a senior primary class it would be great to talk about the power of covers, to discuss the decisions made by book designers, and to think about how much to reveal through a cover. I do like the newest cover above designed by Melissa Castrillion. You can see some of her work in the book Kind. She also did the cover for A pinch of Magic.

You might like to follow this book with these:

A single Shard

The Kite Fighters

Shoestring the boy who walks on air by Julie Hunt illustrated by Dale Newman

An extraordinary graphic fable about a boy who inherits a dangerous musical gift, from a multi-award-winning author. Allen and Unwin

A gripping illustrated adventure about a travelling circus troupe, a future-telling macaw and a cursed pair of gloves that Shoestring must conquer once and for all. A companion to the award-winning KidGlovz. Allen and Unwin

Shoestring has joined the Troupe of Marvels. He has an amazing act using an invisible tightrope. He seems to walk on air and his performance always thrills the crowds BUT the gloves are back. These gloves are dangerous. They control and manipulate the wearer. Why are these gloves so powerful? Who is the evil Madame Adamantine? Why is she so set on revenge? And most importantly can these dreadful gloves ever be destroyed?

Here is the publisher blurb:

"Shoestring loved the sudden intake of breath when he stepped onto the rope. The upturned faces of the audience made him think of coins scattered at his feet, more coins than he had ever taken when he was a pickpocket.'

Twelve-year-old Shoestring is leaving behind his life of crime and starting a new career with the Troupe of Marvels. Their lead performer, he has an invisible tightrope and an act to die for. But trouble is brewing - the magical gloves that caused so much turmoil for KidGlovz are back.

When he's wearing the gloves, the world is at Shoestring's fingertips. It's so easy to help himself to whatever he likes - even other people's hopes and dreams. But when he steals his best friend's mind, he's at risk of losing all he values most."

I think the most inventive part of this story for me came when Julie Hunt revealed the source of the thread used to make the gloves.  The friends journey to a remote place called Spindle Reach. It is located beyond the town of Loom.  (I love those names). The troupe meet three ladies Peg, Fray and Twill. They tell the group they need to talk to Braid. Things have gone terribly wrong in their world and all of the threads are breaking. There can be no new cloth. Madame Adamantine has caused all this:

"I knew I could make that thread. When I plucked a silver hair from the old woman's head and plied with the coloured rays. But as soon as the job was finished I wished I hadn't done it. I don't know why the woman wanted the thread but it can't have been for any good purpose, because since then no thread will hold. Even the spider's webs break."

Here is the book trailer.  You can see some of the amazing art in this book by Dale Newman. If you loved Wonderstruck and The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick you will really appreciate the wonderful black and white pencil art in Shoestring the boy who walks on air. 

Parts of this story reminded me of Holes by Louis Sacher and also the betrayal and powerful friendships echoed another book I read very recently - Skycircus by Peter Bunzl.

Julie Hunt’s storytelling is captivating; she creates dark-edged adventures with echoes of folklore. A colourful cast of characters and a vivid setting transport the reader into a world of circus, music and magic. Books and Publishing

I thoroughly enjoyed Shoestring the boy who walks on air. Julie Hunt has an amazing imagination and her descriptions of place are so vivid. I made this same comment previously when I talked about her book Shine Mountain. Shoestring the boy who walks on air can stand alone but I think your reading experience will be more rewarding and far richer if you try to read the earlier volume KidGlovz first.

You can read the background to each story on Julie's web site:
Background to KidGlovz
Background to Shoestring the boy who walks on air

I then recommend you go back and read The Coat which inspired Julie to think further about these sinister gloves.

Skycircus by Peter Bunzl

Skycircus is book three in the Cogheart series. I will confess I often start series but rarely keep going. Clearly this is not true for the Cogheart books. They are wonderful. When I spied book three in a store late last year I didn't even look at the price sticker (who cares how much it cost I needed to read this book) and this week, with great anticipation, I dived back into the steampunk world of Lily, Robert, and their mechanical fox Malkin.  Here the four book in the series:

As the title suggests the friends end up at the circus but this is a sinister circus where the acts are hybrids - half human half machine. Lily is tricked into attending the Skycircus which is being held near her home. It is the night of her fourteenth birthday and she is in a bad mood because it seems her father is distracted with other matters and her birthday celebration has been overlooked. When a mysterious invitation arrives in a parcel Lily does not hesitate. She does not think about consequences. She does not smell a trap - but you will! She asks her friends Robert and Tolly and her mechanical fox Malkin to come too.

Here is the invitation:

This all seems okay BUT on the bottom is a message for Lily:

"This VIP ticket entitles Lily Hartman and three friends to visit us and receive answers. 
PS Angelique would like to meet you after the show."

Answers? Also included with this circus invitation Lily has been sent a diary written by her late mother. This is so wonderful because Lily's father doesn't talk about Grace since her death seven years ago.  There is a letter with the book and this is why, as a reader, I was yelling at Lily NOT to go to the circus.

"We have a simple question, and it's one that's not a trick:
Some us are wondering what it is that makes you tick?"

Lily has a cogheart - a mechanical heart. Her heart is supposed to be a secret. It somehow never needs winding and it will never stop - a perpetual motion machine. Others would love to know the secret that makes this device tick.

The three friends do go to the circus along with Malkin and YES it is a horrible trap and the plan by the circus boss Madame Lyons Mane is truly dreadful.

A rollicking adventure story helmed by a plucky, imperfect heroine, a diligent, caring friend, and a smart-aleck fox, skycircus embeds its rich steampunk europe with issues of body and identity that are relevant in the modern zeitgeist. Forewordreviews

This is a grand book with a plot as tense as tiptoeing the tightrope, and bold narration that shouts as loudly as the red and white stripes of the circus tent. Minerva Reads

An exceptional adventure, wonderfully told, this book is a complete joy from start to finish and i just can’t recommend it enough. Booklover Jo

Skycircus can stand alone but I highly recommend you do try to read the preceding books -  Cogheart and  Moonlocket  - The strength of this writing comes from the team work of the friends, the determination of Lily to help others and the way Peter Bunzl gives the reader hints which are rather like the background music you might hear in a movie or television program. Think of the music track that lets you know something bad is about to happen but you are powerless to prevent it. This book also made me think of The Greatest Showman - the movie.

Here are a few text quotes to give you an idea of this idea - one word or two can turn an simple sentence into something quite sinister:

"In the sky, the grey scudding clouds were rimmed with gold, like sweat-stains on the silk lining of an old hat."

"His ghostly face was white with powder. A black make-up snake squiggled round one eye and a painted teardrop fell from the other, making him look positively frightening."

"When she'd leaned in close to whisper, the aroma had cut through the sawdust and animals smells of the circus ring. It lingered like a memory Lily couldn't quite place, faint and out of reach."

"The grey murk descended again ... he shivered at the odd slimy feeling of it against his footpads."


In this video Peter talks about Skycircus. Click here to see the cover come to life!

Here are some books I would suggest you look for after reading Skycircus:

Circus of Thieves and the Raffle of Doom

Fizzlebert Stump the Boy who ran away from the Circus

The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen

Moonlocket by Peter Bunzl

Jack Door has broken out of prison. He is a dangerous criminal convicted of stealing the Blood Moon Diamond from Queen Victoria. Lily's friend Robert has no idea but his life is entwined with Jack. Once again we find Robert and Lily are chasing and being chased across London accompanied by Malkin - mechanical fox.

Moonlocket is the second book in the Cogheart Adventure series which began with Cogheart. There is just the right amount of recapping so Moonlocket can stand alone but most curious readers will surely want to discover more about Lily especially after reading the first sentences:

"In her short life Lily Hartman had come back from the dead not once, but twice. Neither time had been particularly pleasant."

I really enjoyed the first installment so I was keen to own book two and three. I now discover Peter Bunzl has just published the fourth installment - Shadowsea. This is a terrific series for Middle Grade readers with just the right amount of tension, heroes who make you cheer, baddies who make you hiss and wonderful loyal friends. At times the story feels like an old fashioned melodrama where the dastardly villain keeps appearing intent on capturing Robert and retrieving the precious diamond which has been missing for fifteen years.

Peter Bunzl has activities for each book on his web site. You can read a sample of the text here which begins with the prologue where Jack is escaping the prison.


You know it’s a “tockingly” good steampunk mystery when the dastardly escaped criminals who stole from Queen Victoria are somehow connected to the hero’s mysterious, long-lost mother. Kirkus

Drawing on wondrous details and strongly motivated characters, Moonlocket is a caper with heart. Foreword reviews

The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell

From the first pages I knew I was going to love this book. Vita travels to 1920s New York with her mother. Her beloved grandfather is alone in the world now because his wife, Vita's grandmother, has died. Vita bursts into her grandfathers tiny apartment and he greets her with her nick name - Rapscallion. I adore the ring of that word - here it is again Rapscallion. Vita has a talent and a handicap - perhaps these things balance each other out. Her talent is accurate throwing of small objects such as stones. She can be so precise that right at the start of this book she hits the head of a seagull in flight - not to kill it but to send it away from the young crow it is attacking. Later she throws stones at the mathematical centre of her wardrobe door. She seems to do all of this with ease and we learn she does this because it allows her to think and solve problems. Her disability comes from the polio she contracted as a young child.

"Her left calf was thinner than her right, and her left foot curved in on itself. ... She could run, though it made the muscles pull and burn ... she never breathed a word about that particular pain."

Vita has a very serious problem to solve. Her grandfather used to live in a castle on the Hudson River in New York city but recently a millionaire con man by the name of Victor Sorrotore has swindled Grandpa and he no longer has his castle home. But there is more. Grandpa explains there is an emerald pendant hidden in the castle. It is worth thousands. Vita now knows what to do. She must get inside the castle, find the emerald, present it to Grandpa and he can buy back his castle and his happiness will be restored.

Vita knows what has to be done but she needs help.  She spies two boys outside her window. They are both quite small and she watches in amazement as one jumps right out of a third storey window onto a thin mattress. These boys are circus performers. Vita, Arkday, Samuel and a girl from the streets called Silk form a gang with the purpose of 'stealing' back the emerald but first Vita must deal with Sorrotore.

You need to understand this man is thoroughly evil. He is a gangster. In his office Vita sees two tortoises. They have rubies and diamonds set into their shells spelling out the words Imperium (power) and Vita (life).

"Doesn't it hurt them?" asked Vita."
Sorrotore replies:
"Hurt them? Don't be crazy - they're animals."

I read this book compulsively on a long plane flight and then felt sad, as I do with all fabulous books, that the glorious experience of reading was over. For a few hours I was with Vita. I felt her heartache and her excruciating pain. I held my breath each time she encountered Sorrotore and I cheered at the wonderful team work and loyalty of her friends as they race to retrieve the emerald.

Something you need to know about Katherine Rundell. She likes to truly experience the activities and actions of her characters. She once ate a tarantula so she could accurately describe the taste for her book The Explorer. For this book, The Good Thieves, she wanted to know about tight-rope walking. At the Sydney Writers Festival this year she told her young audience how she has broken 'all' her toes trying to walk across a rope in her own living room. I remembered author Michelle Paver talked about this same idea at an event I attended in 2000. Michelle talked about her series The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. For her books, Michelle swam with killer whales and she learned to skin and dismember elk and reindeer not wasting any part of the beast - a skill vital to the survival of the Inuit people. These stories, which show a true passion for authenticity by Katherine and Michelle, just captivate me.

I absolutely adore the writing of Katherine Rundell.  A few days ago our ABC Radio National included an interview with Katherine where she talked about why adults should be reading children's books. Of course she said all the things I believe but far more eloquently. Listen here from 43 minutes into the 57 minute program. I love that she mentions A Wizard of Earthsea.

Talking about Children's Literature here some of Katherine's words from this interview:

"A casket of wonders" "galvanic kick that can change your life" "precision of language" "distillation" "condense your writing into something sharp" "a bright bold way to think about the things that are most important to us"

Here is hardcover edition of The Good Thieves:

You can listen to an audio sample here from page 5 until the early in Chapter Two. In this video Katherine reads an extract which really demonstrates the way this story is so action packed. This book reminded me of The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo and The Billionaires Curse by Richard Newsome. You might also look for The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke and an older Australian title The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen by Deb Abela.

Click on each of these quotes for more plot details of The Good Thieves.

Narrow squeaks aplenty combine with bursts of lyrical prose for a satisfying adventure. Kirkus

There are twists and turns but not a page is wasted. Fabulous, interesting and genuine characters paired with a clever edge-of-your seat plot make this one a cracker!  Readings Melbourne

As always, Rundell’s writing is swift and breathless, propelling the reader through the text like a glider through air, swooping and diving in and out of the plot, with short paragraphs and snippy dialogue. She uses simile and metaphor with the precision of a knife thrower. She cuts through excess, landing each word with specificity and wisdom. Minerva Reads


Other books by Katherine Rundell I have mentioned in this blog:

• Rooftoppers
• Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms
• The Explorer
• The Wolf Wilder