Laughter is the Best Ending by Maryam Master illustrated by Astred Hicks

"They had sent me to a kids' camp so that I would find kid friends but I came out the other side, proudly announcing that I was now besties with an 80-year-old potential villain who was about to kick the bucket." 

Zee, short for Ziba, has a worried mother. Mum thinks Zee has no friends (this could be true) so she decides Zee needs to go to a holiday camp. This is a camp called Youth Fusion and their brochure promises the kids who attend will make new friends.

On the first night of the camp the kids are told they will play a game of 'Murder in the Dark'. They are told to form themselves into teams of four. Zee has been sitting beside a girl called Tifanee (with two ees). She is a bold confident and funny character and Zee is sure it would be good to link up with her over the five days of this camp. (By the way Zee absolutely does not want to be here). On the other side of the camp fire the girls see a couple of boys - perhaps they will join their team of four.

Then the camp authorities announce one of the kids has gone missing and so the focus shifts and Zee, Tifanee, along with twins Moses and Jonah, decide they need to find this kid. That involves searching an old run-down mansion that is rumored to house a woman who murders children and perhaps even eats them! (Yes I agree this plot line sounds okay for Primary school readers but I will explain my thoughts in a moment). 

Here are some teachers notes from the publisher. Listen to a sample of the audio.

You might like to read a few reviews:

• Kids' Book Review
• Paperbark Words (Joy Lawn) - interview
• Reading Time
• What book next

I will begin with the things I liked about this book. The cover is terrific. Use of Fluro orange is very eye catching and the title written on a pile of books links well with some aspects of this story especially the ending. The title is also perfect and enticing. And it is true Zee does laugh at the funeral (but to find out why you have to read the whole book). If you flip inside this book you can see the book design is quirky, interesting and appealing, with changes of font and you will see the way conversations are presented as play scripts. Zee makes lots of lists which appear in frames and at times these are very funny.

Now for the aspects of this story that I liked but which I think make it a better fit for a reader aged 12+.

Zee is crazy about Oscar Wilde (I am fairly sure no Primary school aged reader will have read or have any interest in him). In fact the title of this book is adaptation of a quote from The Picture of Dorian Gray "Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship and it is the best ending for one."

Zee talks about liking old language such as the writing of Jane Austen. And she recognises the camp chaos is closely like the plot from Lord of the Flies (not a book I would share in a Primary school library - I am still traumatised). 

Zee goes to high school and much of commentary about peer group relationships relates to her experiences there: "School is a cesspool of people checking each other out. Judging each other. Rating each other. And it's 99 percent based on looks .... I hate a lot of things about it, but the grotesque catwalk of who's hot and who's not bothers me most."

I really liked Zee but her tone is totally teenage: "whenever I'm dreading something, like really, truly, genuinely dreading something, whether it be the first day at a new school for zombies or root canal with a demon dentist, I get super sleepy."

Here's an example from Tifanee "I'm Tifanee by the way. Spelt with two ee's cause my parents are idiots. Any idea how we can break free from this touchy-feely hellhole?" Tifanee is an Instagram influencer.

Zee mentions her favourite poets - Kahil Gilbran; Rumi; and Maya Angelou. 

Zee and Dame Viv (she's the 80-year-old I mentioned in my opening quote) visit a state library to view a rare folio of Shakespeare's work and then they watch the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds. 

Companion books:

The Unexplainable disappearance of Mars Patel

The Parker Inheritance

Walking with Miss Millie

Laughter is the Best Ending has been listed as a 2025 CBCA Notable title BUT in my view it is in the wrong category - it is listed as a Younger Readers title but all of the content I have explained above surely shows this is a Young Adult title and it should perhaps have been entered and judged as an Older Readers book. I really did enjoy Laughter is the Best Ending but it think it better suits a High School library and High School readers. Here are the criteria for you to compare.

From the CBCA awards:

8.1 Judging criteria for CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers 

Entries in this category are books for young people aged between 13 and 18 years (secondary school 

level). Readers require a degree of maturity to appreciate the themes and scope of emotional 

involvement. Books in this category may be fiction, drama, illustrated text, poetry or graphic novels. 

Age appropriateness: The story is written in a way that would engage 13–18-year-olds (or a sub-age group within). Mature topics are explored and give the readers the opportunity to be challenged with alternative points of view or perspectives. The writing extends the reader’s experience and may help the reader understand more about themselves and the world. 

8.2 Judging criteria for CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers 

Entries in this category are books published for children in the age range from 7 to 12 years (lower to 

upper primary school level). Books in the category may be fiction, drama, graphic novels, illustrated 

text or poetry. 

Age appropriateness: The story is written in a way that would engage 7–12-year-olds. (or a sub-age group within) Light introduction of mature topics might be explored and may give the readers the opportunity to be challenged. The writing is engaging, stimulating and extends the reader’s 

experience and/or imagination. It also may help the reader understand more about themselves and the world. 

I previously read and enjoyed these books by Maryam Master:

Exit Through the Gift Shop

(I also list this as a YA title)

No words

One more thing to think about. I recently talked about endorsements on books (these are not blurbs). On the back cover of Laughter is the Best Ending it has this praise by Anna Fienberg - no problem she is a fantastic writer - but why say she is the author of the Tashi series - those books are for very young readers and have no relationship with this book by Maryam Master. I'm puzzled. 

'I found it so energising! Zee plays with words like a gymnast. We click with her from the very start - she's funny, frank, fair and feisty! This story will be a hit with young readers.' Anna Fienberg, author of the Tashi series

Queenie in Seven Moves by Zanni Louise

Let's begin with the title of this book. I thought it would be a book about chess. Yes, that famous game is mentioned, but Queenie is actually the name of the main character and seven moves refers to the way Queenie and her mum keep having to move either to a new house, or a share house and even a run-down caravan.

Homelessness is a VERY serious topic. When we meet Queenie Jean Anderson and her mum we discover they have to leave the home they have rented for many years. Queenie has named this house Peachy but the owner, who is also their neighbour and a friend, has decided to sell it and move on. Mum works in an aged care village and luckily one of the small homes in the village, named Diamonds, will be empty for the next couple of weeks so they can move in there even though this cannot become their home for very long. Once the new owner arrives in the village the mother and daughter move again into a share house with the Elliots.

"The truth is, the Elliots aren't Sarah's friends as such. Sarah's friend's neighbour's cat heard there was a family looking to share for a bit because the dad lost his job during COVID. When I quizzed mum more, she didn't know anything about the Elliots, which seems like a very dicey living arrangement." page 70

The cat heard? I am a bit confused. Also, it turns out the son of the Elliot family is a boy in Queenie's class - why didn't she recognise the surname? It is the end of Year Six so I would expect her to know the names of every student in her class. Queenie is aged eleven or twelve and so is Dory so, sorry to be negative, but I did wonder why her mum would have no concerns about a boy and girl sharing a room? 

"So, I am going from never talking to a guy-who-is- vaguely-good-looking in my life to sharing a bedroom with him."

This arrangement comes to an end quickly when the adults see Dory and Queenie kissing! Next stop - an old run-down caravan.

"Mum jostles the door of Terry's caravan. It takes a few goes, but eventually comes unstuck. True to the description, the caravan is leaky. A stream of water trickles down one wall. A line of mould decorates one of the other walls. The kitchen bench is saggy with moisture ... the place smells of mould and rotting leaf litter."

Remember my comment homelessness is a very serious topic - well I was quite dismayed by the way mum just seemed to accept living in this dreadful caravan. I expected to get some sense of her despair. Especially when all of their possessions are destroyed after the caravan collapses in the wild weather. 

There are a couple more moves after the caravan is wrecked and then finally, we reach the happy ending. I won't spoil this except to say Queenie and her mum do find a proper place to live. Can you count seven moves? Diamonds; Elliots; Caravan; Ruthie's house (the owner of the Caravan); and Dimitri's place equals five. Briefly they move to a tent so Queenie can enter a singing contest - that is move six. Then the happy ending is move seven.

I had a small problem with the Christmas scene in this book. Queenie and her mum head to a market on Christmas Day and there are lots of other people there. Here in Australia Christmas is in the Summer so a market at the beach makes sense but I am fairly sure there are no towns where a market would be held on the 25th December. Yes, there are plenty of Christmas markets, but these happen over the days leading up to big day. I guess you just need to go with the flow - the market does sound like fun with food and rides and Santa. 

"The beachside Christmas market is every year on Christmas Day. It's like an orphans' Christmas, for people who don't have big families to spend Christmas with. There are lots of tourists and young people."

I am not sure I entirely agree with these four reviewers, but I suspect this book might be a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) 2024 Younger Readers Notable title and so to balance my review comments I am sharing these links. I read Queenie in Seven Moves quite quickly and it did hold my attention, but I cannot give it five or even four stars.

Mother and daughter are enriched by the diversity of the characters they encounter with each of their moves. Their homelessness exposes them to the many definitions of homelessness. Both reassess their understanding of friendship. Queenie in Seven Moves is a compassionate tale filled with images of human kindness, and the acceptance and change that seems to surface frequently in times of crisis. Beautifully written. A great read! Kids' Book Review

Queenie in Seven Moves is such a gorgeous story and twelve-year-old Queenie is a treat with her moods and possessiveness of her mother. It's all so relatable! Little Squirrels Bookshelf

This is a book about resilience, family, friendships and self-belief. Readers will enjoy this modern-day tale of urban adventure and quiet heroism. Georgina Gye

This is a well-paced, engaging and emotionally satisfying book, that hits all the right notes (excuse the pun). But if Zanni ever gets bored with writing books, she could easily move on to song writing. The song lyrics included in the book are a clever reflection of Queenie’s experiences and emotions and add to the tenor of the story (sorry, another pun). Storylinks

Here are some other books that explore this complex topic of homelessness. You can pop each title into my side bar to read more or click this link to a post which refers to nearly all of these:

Here are some picture books about homelessness - I highly recommend you share some of these with your students:

If you are in Australia you are sure to know some of these picture books by Zanni Louise. 

And here is her new junior book series:

I read her website and a few interviews with this author and I had one question - is this her real name?  I now discover her first name is Suzannah but is Louise really her surname?  Here are some interviews with Zanni Louise - I was surprised no one asked her about the name Zanni?

Reading With a Chance of Tacos

Your Kid's Next Read episode 81

Australian Writers Centre episode 169

Positive Parenting

Hat Cat by Troy Wilson illustrated by Eve Coy

An old man lives alone. His only companions are the local squirrels. Each day he puts peanuts on his hat and then he sits still on his back verandah waiting for the squirrels to come. One day, as he lifts up his hat, he finds a young cat. He names the cat Hat, and he takes the cat inside his house. Hat becomes a new member of the family. He is fed and cuddled but he is never allowed outside because the old man is concerned that Hat might eat the squirrels. Then one day the man disappears. Some other people eventually arrive and they feed Hat but he is still trapped inside until the day when the youngest child leaves the door open.

This is a gentle story based on the author's own Grandfather and the way he fed the local squirrels after his retirement. It is also a slightly puzzling story which might lead to an interesting discussion with your young reading companion (aged 6+). Why did the old man leave? What did you think might happen when the door was left open? Can you explain the dilemma Hat faces when he does manage to go outside? How and why does the point of view change on the second last page? Who are the people who come to feed Hat?

Here is an interview with the illustrator Eve Coy. She says: I love adding in the background story through the pictures. For example the empty second chair in the sitting room shows the old man didn’t always live alone and it gently hints at an accepted loneliness without being too upsetting.

A sweet peek at the bond between a man and his cat. Kirkus

Wilson doesn’t need many words to tell the story, not only because he cleverly says a lot by saying a little, but mainly because the illustrations by Eve Coy express so much. The illustrator’s beautiful watercolour images give off a sense of tranquility all while bringing to life the love between and old man and his animal friends—this tale of patience, family, and kindness is the perfect bedtime story... DC Canada Education

This book reminded me of these:

A Home for Gnomes

Old Fellow

The Biscuit Maker

Heart and Soul

Troy Wilson says he was inspired by this book - Waiting for the Whales.

Old Fellow by Christopher Cheng illustrated by Liz Anelli

I like the enigma at the beginning of this sweet story - who is the 'old fellow'? Is the old dog or his elderly owner? It takes until the fourth spread for this to become clear - the narrator is the old man and he is having a conversation with his very old dog and they walk to their local park.

"Goodness me! We must be slow today. There are so many dogs and people here already. Look at that puppy chasing his tail. I remember when another small puppy couldn't stop chasing his tail!"

This is  gentle story of companionship and routines of love and daily walks. The text feels so personal as we 'listen in' to the conversation which I imagine is inside the old man's head. I adore the almost soft focus light filled illustrations which contain so much detail firstly inside the man's home and later around their park. In the backgrounds you can see the city buildings and construction. The variety of people who visit the park just feel natural - there is no sense of an agenda to include old and young, different cultures and abilities. You may recognise this park - it could be Melbourne or the setting could be any city. 

At one point the old man meets a friend who invites him to play a game of chess. The man asks his dog "Have we got time?"  This made me smile because if this book has a message (not that I need one) it is that the man and his dog, for today at least, have plenty of time. There will be many more days of walks to the park even though they are both old fellows.

If you are connoisseur of end papers make sure you hunt out this book - the end papers in this book are brilliant. This is a fairly new Australian children's picture book from 2022. I have not been able to talk about many of our best books over the last 12 months because I have been a Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) picture book judge but because this book was not sent to us for judging I can talk about it.

Liz Anelli’s highly expressive, richly detailed and boldly coloured warm illustrations enrich the narrative providing further clues about the relationship between the old man and dog. Children and adults alike will delight in the brilliant detail in the illustrations which offer something new to discover each time this book is revisited. Reading Opens Doors

Try to find this book in your school or local library. It would be a beautiful one to share with a young child. I well remember the old man who lived in our street when we were children. I realise now he must have been so lonely. Perhaps this book could be a jumping off point to connect with an older person in your community. Here are some teachers notes from Scholastic Australia. You can see inside this book here and Chris Cheng has a video trailer on his web page. The Biscuit Maker (see below) would be the perfect companion book. 

Here are some other books illustrated by Liz Anelli:

The Biscuit Maker

One Photo (in the US this has the title Dad's Camera)

How to be the New Person by Anna Branford

"I even have music for the beginning and the end of each video that I play in my head. And I always round it off with something like: If you would like to see more videos by Hazel Morrison, don't forget to subscribe to my channel!"

I really enjoyed reading a slim book for a change this week. I seem to have had so many 400+ page complex fantasies it was refreshing to read this book with 117 pages in about half an hour.  I am going to say, however, that being slim does not designate either a lesser story or a younger audience and once again I find myself disagreeing with the suggested age listed on the cover of my advance reader copy (8+).  I would say this book would be suit a mature reader aged 9 and even better, a reader aged 10+.  

Hazel likes to imagine she is making videos - those self help ones you have seen on YouTube.  I used to imagine, as a Primary aged kid, that someone was filming me in the school playground for a television show so this idea really appealed to me.

Here are some early example of Hazel's video ideas:

• Eight important tips for successfully buttering toast!
• Putting your hair in a ponytail: a step by step guide!
• The do's and don't's of cleaning up the sink after you've brushed your teeth - everything you need to know!

Hazel is navigating quite a lot in her life right now. Hazel's older sister Tess has been badly bullied at school. Mum and Dad have decided the best way to end this dreadful situation, which is affecting Tess's mental health, is to move to a new part of the city and of course to a new school. Tess will go to a new High School and Hazel will have to leave her best friend Gina and go to a new Primary School.

On her first day at the new school the scene nearly broke my heart. Hazel is assigned to sit with a group of three girls. It is clear they don't want her to join them. Then the teacher says Hazel will need to pair up with one of these girls on the class assignment which is a project about problems that affect young people. Olivia does not want to pair up with Hazel. 

Meanwhile, Mum and Dad have not really been focusing on Hazel because they are so worried about Tess:

"Hazel! Oh she's fine. We're so lucky with that kid. We never have to worry about her She's made of tough stuff.' It's funny to hear him say that about me. I think about the thick tough brown tape we used to seal up our packing boxes because ordinary clear sticky tape wasn't tough enough. .... I think about the enormous tyres on tractors and bulldozers that carry heavy giant rocks and get rained on and covered in mud and still keep going with no problem because they are so tough. Is that what dad thinks I am? Is that what he's telling Gran?"

Luckily there are two rays of sunshine in this story. One is the beautiful elderly lady next door who offers tea, biscuits and that all important listening ear to Hazel and the other is Laura - one of the three girls at her table. By the end of the book I wanted to hug Laura for her bravery and kindness.

Younger readers who enjoyed the Violet Mackerel books are sure to recognise Hazel because she has a very similar outlook on life and a lovely straightforward manner of sharing her problems. Perhaps you can join the dots and think about the title and the school project and Hazel's interest in making videos. Perhaps you can even think of the real life problem that is the focus of her film.

Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance reader copy of How to be the New Person. 

I am sure this book will be a CBCA Notable title for 2023 at least I do hope it is. How to be a New Person will be published in October, 2022. Add it to your library shopping list today!

Bibi by Jo Weaver

How wonderful to read a book an elderly character which does not end with sadness of loss. 

Bibi "had been with the flock for as long as anyone could remember, and was older than anyone knew." 

With age has come wisdom and it is Bibi who guides the young ones as they dance across the water; as they build nests for their young; and it is Bibi who tells the flock they need to move because the water in their lake is drying up. 

The adult birds can fly but the chicks need to walk. One little chick named Toto collapses so Bibi gathers all the chicks and she tells them a story while Toto rests. Eventually they all make it safely to the lake and that much needed water. More time passes and Bibi knows soon it will be time for the whole flock to leave. The little chicks can now fly but Bibi is old and struggling. This time it is Toto who offers the wisdom that Bibi just needs time to regain her strength. Once she feels better we witness a miracle:

"One by one, the flamingos took to the sky, until it was Bibi's turn to try. She whispered one last goodbye to the lake, stretched out her wings and ran .. and she flew!"

Blurb: Wise old flamingo Bibi has been with her flock for as long as anyone can remember. Follow her journey in this beautifully illustrated celebration of old age and community from the talented creator of the award-winning picture book Little One ... when one little flamingo starts to fall behind, Bibi teaches everyone a valuable lesson about community and the importance of being there to help one another in times of need.

See illustrations by Jo Weaver here. When you pick up Bibi take time to linger over the beautiful end papers which are filled with enormous pink feathers. 

I would pair Bibi with Lucy Goosey.

 A couple of weeks ago my friend set up a display of flamingo books and I was quite thrilled and surprised to see she had so many titles celebrating this fabulous bird.

This is one book from a series. Hotel Flamingo 

There are several book in this series

This is one book from a series

Here is a collage of photos of flamingos from the UK where they celebrate International Flamingo Day on 23rd April.  In the US there is also a National Flamingo Day and on a different date a Pink Flamingo Day!

Mr Putter and Tabby pour the tea by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by Arthur Howard

 

I have mentioned the Mr Putter series in a previous post.  I adore these beginning chapter books. The stories are warm, there is just the right amount of text, they do contain 'chapters' and the colour illustrations add to the humour and emotion of the stories. I think all Primary school libraries should add the full set of these to their collection. In every way these book are perfect for newly independent readers and as a bonus they are books their parents will enjoy too. There are twenty-five Mr Putter stories and they range in price here in Australia from $11 to $14 each. 

Here are some of the titles: Mr. Putter & Tabby Bake the Cake,  Mr. Putter & Tabby Fly the Plane, Mr. Putter & Tabby Pick the Pears, Mr. Putter & Tabby Row the Boat, Mr. Putter & Tabby Take the Train, Mr. Putter & Tabby Toot the Horn, Mr. Putter & Tabby Walk the Dog, Mr. Putter & Tabby Stir the Soup, Mr. Putter & Tabby Make a Wish, Mr. Putter & Tabby Catch the Cold, Mr. Putter & Tabby Feed the Fish, Mr. Putter & Tabby Paint the Porch, Mr. Putter & Tabby Write the Book, Mr. Putter & Tabby Spin the Yarn, Mr. Putter & Tabby See the Stars.  Mr. Putter and Tabby Clear the Decks, Mr. Putter and Tabby Run the Race.

In Mr Putter and Tabby pour the tea we meet Tabby - this is the first book in the series.

"The shelter man brought Mr Putter the old yellow cat. Its bones creaked, its fur was thinning, and it seemed a little deaf. Mr Putter creaked, his hair was thinning, and he was a little deaf too. So he took the old yellow cat home. He named her Tabby. And that is how their life began."

You can see many pages from this book here. Here is an audio sample.

Heart and Soul by Carol Ann Martin illustrated by Tull Suwannakit

Charlie Wintergreen loves to play his trumpet and remember the past when he played in a dance-band. His companion now is a small scruffy dog called Louis that he has rescued from the Dogs' Home. Louis, named perhaps after Louis Armstrong, loves to sing along with Charlie.

One night Charlie becomes quite ill and he is taken away in an ambulance. Louis has lost his best friend. 

"So Louis became a street dog, a scrawny, no-name stray. He learned to scavenge and scrounge for food. He slept in dark corners at night."

Louis keeps looking for Charlie. Then on Christmas Eve he hears a musician. Pete is a busker. He makes a living playing his trumpet out in the street. Louis joins in with his song and soon the pair have a heap of coins in Pete's busker's hat. Pete takes Louis home to his share house and they become partners. This is a small town and word of their music reaches the matron at the Rowantree Nursing Home. Pete and Louis are invited to play for the residents on Christmas Day. You have probably guessed there is an old man in the home "an old man in a wheelchair (who) lifted his trumpet and started to play."

Image Source: Tull Suwannakit

Given the current social situation and the coming together to protect elderly members of our population, this book unknowingly expresses the value we place in our wisest of community members.   Reading Time

I would read this book with some jazz music playing in the background. You might talk to your young reading companion about soul music and the expression to play music with your heart and soul. It might also be good to compare Louis with other "famous" stray dogs in Australian Picture books such as Mutt Dog and Reggie Queen of the Street. I'd also recommend taking a look at the wordless book Stormy. Carol Ann Martin lives in Tasmania and her husband is a jazz musician!

I am gathering books published in 2020 which might be added to the CBCA Notables list which will be announced at the end of February. Fingers crossed Heart and Soul makes the cut.

It is so sad when an elderly person is moved into a care home and I know a children's picture book or novel cannot undo the difficulties or hurt of this situation but books like Heart and Soul and others I have placed here might help a young child explore their emotions and hopefully ask questions if they have an elderly relative in this situation.

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

Newspaper Hats

A home for Gnomes

A Rabbit named Harris

The ABC with Honora Lee