Drift by Pip Harry

How did he see the video?

Who showed him?

Why did he watch it?

Does he see me differently now?

Can we ever be friends again?

Nate has moved from Singapore to Sydney. His mum has a serious issue with her spine and can no longer work. She talks about her days in terms of spoons and often by the end of the day she has no spoons left. Dad is back in Singapore but he will join them soon. Nate has to adjust to helping his mum and fitting in at a new school. He also misses the hustle and bustle of Singapore.

In the house next door there is a girl named Luna. She lives with her mum, dad and older brother. Very recently something dreadful has happened. She has been filmed and this has been shared with 'everyone'. Luna has to endure cruel comments at school and she has now lost her closest friend.

The stage is set for Nate and Luna to find each other and yes they do. Even better this story is also filled with bees and honey and first love and kindness and a glorious seaside Sydney setting. 

There are text fragments in this book that show Pip Harry 'really gets' teenagers:

After class,

the DKs invite me to sit

with their friend group for recess ...

This is the ultimate act of social rescue

and I accept immediately ...

It's Annalise

the most popular

of the popular girls.

We used to laugh when she and her mates

walked past with their

ponytails worn ridiculously

high.

Their skirts ridiculously

short.

We called them 

the Ponytail Gang.

This quote really resonates with me because I call adults who clearly succeeded at High School and who were the queens of their peer group - ponytail girls. 

There is a tiny 'throwaway line' on page 243. Luna has been absent from school for two weeks. She has been refusing to go to school refuser:

I miss face-to-face classes,

new books in the library,

the smell of the art room ...

Thank you, Pip Harry, for having a character mention the school library!

I also love the way Pip Harry makes this story unashamedly about the Northern Beaches of Sydney. She has references to the pool at Curl Curl; a market a Freshwater; Narrabeen Lagoon; Manly Dam; Avalon; Palm Beach; our beautiful flannel flowers (photo below); the Manly Corso; the local rehab hospitals at Dee Why and Warriewood; and she even adds in an echidna and a kookaburra. (I talked about this same use of the setting in The Little Wave). 

My photo of a flannel flower at Dobroyd, Sydney NSW

Also thank you for the tears I shed over this story - this reflects the beautiful honesty of the storytelling the genuine emotions of these two kids - Luna and Nate - kids I have to come to really care about. And there is also honesty in the way so many parts of this story relate Pip Harry's own real life - which is something I discovered from her talk at the library. Like Amber, Pip had major spinal surgery; like Nate and Amber, a swarm of bees did move into the walls of their home; and Pip lives in the same part of Sydney where her story is set. Oh, and Pip is a keen swimmer. In her talk she used the word authentic and that certainly applies to the tone and story she is telling in Drift. 

Luna's dad is a minor character but I love the way he is allowed express his confusion:

He comes from 

The School of Hard Knocks.

My generation Didn't Get Any Handouts.

Get on with it,

don't be a sook. ...

Why are kids so bloody anxious these days, Steph?

I don't remember anyone seeing a shrink

when I was a teenager ...

Life is hard,

out kids need to get tougher.

Am I wrong?

I bought Drift at the literary festival (see below) and came home and read the whole book in one sitting. 

Pip Harry shared the advance copy of her book with Megan Daley and her husband who is a beekeeper. They were able to check her bee keeping facts were accurate. Megan loves bees. Here is her book list for World Bee Day. Megan will launch Drift in Brisbane in mid-August. Her endorsement on the cover says: "Buzzes with warmth and the undeniable magic of bees!" Speaking of the cover - it is fabulous. Well done Astred Hicks. Pip Harry will also be presenting at events over the coming weeks in Bendigo and Adelaide. And she mentioned she is speaking on a panel about allowing children's books to deal with deep and complex issues - I would love to know more about that event. 

Publisher blurb: Fourteen-year-old Nate has just moved back to Australia and is finding it hard to navigate a new city, school and changed home life. His next-door neighbour, Luna, is dealing with her own issues: a viral video, friends who have dropped her, and a subsequent anxiety disorder. When a swarm of 20,000 bees unexpectedly settle in the walls of Nate's family's house, Nate and Luna come together to save the hive, befriending local beekeeper Tyler. Over the course of one summer, their loyalties will be tested and their lives will be forever changed.

Here is a review comment from Instagram. The themes this reviewer identifies (check my post labels) are why I think this book is better suited to mature readers aged 13+: 

Self-harm, depression, chronic pain, violence - it all sounds so heavy but in Pip Harry’s hands it is gentle and tender. These two beautiful characters are vulnerable and loving, wanting no more than to be accepted for who they are. This is not a horror story about social media, but it is a story about the healing power of friendship, in many different forms. And if you are after a book that demonstrates how sweet and thoughtful teenage boys can be, then look no further. Pip’s middle grade novels are extremely popular with kids so no doubt they will go looking for this one, but Drift is firmly YA, 13/14+. I adored everything about it. Drift will be published in August. MSW Book Lady

Companion books:

All the Blues in the Sky

Birdy

I am sure we will see Drift on the 2026 CBCA Older Readers Notables List along with another splendid YA Verse Novel I read this year - The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn.

Yesterday I attended the first Willoughby Literary Festival. My discovery of this event, hosted by the Willoughby Library in Chatswood, held over two weekends, was entirely an accident. This is where I heard Pip Harry talk about her new YA Verse Novel Dift - for ages 12+. It will be released on Wednesday this week. Pip shared her book with fifteen kids in the session today. They were fairly quiet and reticent to participate but she kept up her energy and enthusiasm for the whole hour. If you have the opportunity to have Pip Harry visit your school or library grab it with both hands - your kids will experience a brilliant and insightful session. 

I have previously talked about several books by Pip Harry and I penned a detailed profile post after her presentation at a local Teacher-Librarian conference. I have added the view count beside each title:

• The Little Wave (976)
• Are you there Buddha? (241)
• August and Jones (219)
• Over and Under (111)

Sonny and Tess by Nova Weetman

Publisher blurb: It’s the end of year 7 and Tess wants a summer job. She’s keen to earn her own money and buy her own clothes. But her mum has other ideas: it looks like Tess will be stuck at home babysitting her twin brothers. Thirteen-year-old Sonny is tired of moving around. With his dad up north, he’s staying with his uncle and aunt above their fish and chip shop. And it just so happens his uncle is hiring extra staff for the holidays. When Sonny and Tess crash into each other outside the shop, sparks and dim sims fly. Soon they’re both wondering if the other feels the same way – but, as Sonny loves to say, it’s complicated. Over hot chips and chicken salt, can these two work out what they really want?

This is a sweet story of first love set in a fish and chip shop. All three main characters have complex things going on in their lives as is often the way with Middle Grade and Junior Young Adult books.

1. Sonny (Samson) - his mum abruptly left the family a number of years ago. Dad won't talk about mum and Dad is often absent because he is a geologist who takes up work in remote locations. Sonny has changed schools too many times and he is confused about his relationship with his dad.

2. Tess (Theresa) - lives in a busy family. Mum and Dad have frantic jobs and Tess has younger twin siblings. Tess is often expected to stay home and 'babysit' this pair of wild kids. Tess wants some independence and that's why she secretly takes on a job at the fish and chip shop even though she knows her mum will go 'ballistic'.  

3. Tin and Sonny met at Kinder but then he moved away. He now lives near the fish and chip shop and so Sonny and Tin easily reconnect. Tin's dad was injured at work and so he just sits in a chair all day at home with the television on. Tin is a good friend to Sonny but equally Sonny understands things are difficult for Tin. 

Sonny especially shows a level of emotional intelligence beyond his years and I really enjoyed getting to know him through this story. I would put this book into a high school library but it could be enjoyed by readers aged 11+ as the publisher suggests. Thanks to UQP for my review copy. There are very detailed teachers notes and a book extract also on their web page. This book was released this week on 1st July. 

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"My primary school years were interrupted with trips for dad's work, so I was always stepping in and out of friendships. It's left me lacking confidence in some ways. Which is why I've decided to return to school so late in the year. I figure it's better to slide in at the tail end of the year when nobody is aware of the new guy."

"And without thinking I reach out and touch her hand, and she doesn't move hers away. Her skin is warm but I pull back because I am not sure what I'm doing."

There are a couple of other minor characters in the story Sonny's aunt and uncle - Marion and Frank.  I would love to meet Marion and thank her for her kindness and gentle care of Sonny. She treats him with such wisdom - never crowding or imposing her own views and she shows her love of this young boy in such a beautiful and heartfelt way. And in his own way Frank deeply cares about Sonny too. I loved their sparing over music on the radio.

"Frank has called me boy for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I tease him that he's forgotten my name, buy I learnt ages ago that it's just his way of showing affection. I asked him once why he chose boy as my nickname, and he said he grew up eating Sunnyboy icypoles after school - the joy of finding free stamped inside the packet has never left him. They don't make Sunnyboys now, but that doesn't stop Frank romanticising them. He's stitched together with nostalgia".

We also meet Jemma who is Tessa's school friend. I was worried when this pair had a serious argument that would be the end of their relationship - thank you Nova Weetman for the scene on pages 175-178.

This is a charming, character-driven story with refreshingly little high-stakes drama. There is emotional complexity in the way of family frustrations and challenges to friendships, but all are ultimately resolved with maturity and compromise, showcasing productive examples of conflict resolution, without being didactic. The adults are relatable, the young people feel authentic, and the first-job-first-crush set up is beautifully age appropriate for readers 11+. You’ll close the book feeling warm all over, and hungry for hot chips! StoryLinks

I really enjoy books with alternating voices - here are a few I have read recently:

Not Nothing

The Last Apple Tree

Greetings from Nowhere

I previously talked about these books by Melbourne author Nova Weetman:

The Jammer

Sick Bay

The Secrets we Keep

The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn

Sam lives on a farm. His father is a horse trainer. There has been a dreadful accident and Sam's brother has died aged only seventeen. The accident happened three years ago but Sam still has nightmares, and his mother and father's relationship has descended into fights, arguments and screaming matches. Sam tries to stay invisible. 

Julia lives next door. Her father has driven her mother away after one beating too many. He is a violent man who is fueled by alcohol. 

A foal becomes caught in the wire of a fence. Sam hardly knows Julia but together they rescue and care for the young foal and over the days and weeks their own gentle relationship begins. Sam tells Julia about his brother and also about his one friend - a boy from school who is actually not a friend - he is a dreadful bully but Sam clings to this dysfunctional relationship. But then comes the day Alex verbally attacks Julia and Sam fights back. As I reader I cheered when this toxic relationship ended. 

Julia also confides in Sam. She desperately misses her mother and is afraid of the violence from her father. Then Julia cannot take it anymore and she swallows some pills. The authorities swoop in and she moves away to live with relatives. Sam loves Julia and now she has left. 

This is important - do not let the cover trick you. Yes, this is a book about a horse and yes, it is a 'thin' book with only 117 pages BUT this book contains topics only suitable for readers aged 15+. Hopefully bookshops won't 'accidently' put this one on their junior shelves. Oh, and YES, the cover by Tannya Harricks is truly wonderful so do put this book into your high school library. Young Adult fans of verse novels and of books filled with raw emotions will devour this one.

Did you ever see the movie of Forest Gump - do you remember Jenny the young girl next door. Do you remember the dreadful violence she was subjected to by her father - that is a part of this story too. Look at the labels I have assigned to this post - violence, death, accidents ...

The Foal in the Wire is certain to be listed as a 2026 CBCA Notable. 

This is a short book, but it deals principally with big questions and sometimes intense, formative experiences. Verse novels are deceptive in what would appear to be limited space for establishing depth in a story and characters. As both a lover of poetry and young adult literature, I find verse to be the perfect form to capture a story, particularly in dealing with difficult and confronting subjects. When writing for a young adult audience, free verse perfectly conveys a character’s internal language without the addition of unnecessary explanation. Each word must be chosen carefully, and no language wasted. The impact of poetry can be remarkably strong and effective in conveying emotion, while also adhering to brevity and trusting the reader to visualise and fill in the empty space on the page.~ Robbie Coburn 

In this piece for Paperbark Words Robbie Coburn talks about his poetry and about writing this book. Megan Daley and Your Kids Next read talk about The Foal in the wire here (listen from 2.50). You can hear Megan reading the blurb. Megan likens the language choices and expressive writing in this book to Sonya Hartnett and John Marsden - that's a big call but I do agree. 

Read this interview with Just Kids Lit. See inside The Foal in the wire and read some endorsements on the publisher page. And here is an interview with Hachette. And book club notes and Scholastic notes. 

Verse novels grapple with topics like trauma and loss in different ways than prose. It’s a little more subdued and evocative, with serious undertones that show that everyone lives a different lives. They can bring emotions that teens may be feeling to light, and give them space to talk about them safely. It gives them a voice to explore these feelings; explore the things teens might experience that they don’t think they can talk about with anyone else. This makes them powerful vehicles for discussion as well. ... This is the power of verse novels – they play with emotions and pull at the heartstrings. They invest in characters emotionally. The brevity makes it work well – the details aren’t needed, because you can fill them in yourself. The Book Muse

Here is the poem that made me shudder:

my only friend at school, Alex,

always makes fun of our house

and the way it doesn't look like

other people's. ...

he makes fun of my clothes

and the food mum makes me

that I bring to school for lunch.

he tells me I should be embarrassed

that my parents are poot

and says we are bogans

for racing horses.

he says my brother

is lucky he died

so he doesn't

have to be embarrassed

by me and my family anymore.

Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King

Mac and his friends are assigned to a reading group Table 6. The way this works, their teacher. Ms Sett, gives each group a different book. They are told 'not to read ahead' and after each class session they have to complete vocabulary and response tasks. Just as an aside I do not like this format of teaching - especially the instruction 'do not read ahead'. And so I did cheer when one of the Table 6 group - Hannah Do (later we learn her real name is Hao Do) declares she has already read the whole book. In fact she has read all the class assigned books!

This group are assigned The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen (1988). Hopefully you do know this is a real book. I will confess I had not read it but it is now on my list. Here is the Kirkus Star review. And Jane Yolen writes about her book here. 

When Mac opens his copy of this book there are words that have been blacked out - we would call this a texta here in Australia but in the US it is called a Sharpie. Why has this book been censored? What do the missing words say? Mac and his friends are completely shocked and so they decide to take action. First off, they talk to the school Principal, but she just offers platitudes. So, then they make a presentation to the school board. Their local independent bookstore has their assigned book and so they can read the 'offending' passages. This content is simply about body parts and these kids can see absolutely no reason why these words are covered in rectangles. They decide to protest outside the bookshop each Saturday in the hope of raising awareness about this issue. 

Meanwhile Mac is navigating some difficult times in his family. His dad no longer lives with them but he does visit once a week. His behaviour is very strange and then his father robs their house and takes the car owned by Mac's grandfather. 

And there is also the issue of their class teacher. She has assigned herself as a rule maker for the whole town. Halloween is banned; there is a curfew of 9pm; in some streets the houses are expected to be painted white; and no one is allowed to eat junk food. Also at school girls are banned from wearing shorts even though this is okay for boys.

Objections to the town rules are presented in the form of letters to the editor. This part of the story really resonated with me. I often despair when rules at every level are set as reaction to one event. In this case some teenagers scare some little kids at Halloween so Halloween is banned - ridiculous. 

Having finished another book a couple of days ago I picked up the next one. I thought I would just dip in and perhaps read a few pages - I lifted my head around page 176 and then when I couldn't sleep, because I wanted to know how this story could possibly be resolved, I read the remaining pages, up to page 258 from 1-2am. YES this book is THAT good. And page 248 contains the best scene I have ever read in a book - it made me smile and gasp. 

Attack of the Black Rectangles was published in 2022 but the paperback edition from Scholastic has only just reached Australia. I purchased my copy for AUS$17 but I see it is offered by Scholastic Book Club here is Australia - issue 3, 2025. 

The students in this book are in Grade 6 but my recommendation is that this is a book for students in Grades 7 and 8. There is some confronting content about the holocaust and also the issue of censorship which I think better suits an older group. And of course the key text - The Devil's Arithmetic is a Young Adult title for readers aged 13+. 

Listen to an audio sample here. This is a timely and important book. It is easy to read and there are touches of humour. These kids, as Colby said (see below) feel so real. I highly highly recommend Attack of the Black Rectangles for readers aged 11+. 

Here is a quote from a review about the audio book: The group of narrators do a great job with the audiobook and King’s vivid storytelling and great characters come to life as the story unfolds. It’s a wonderful insight into the American censorship battle and shows there’s hope and always a fight to have against those who try to silence others.

Colby Sharp said: "It just so real." "I love how real this felt." "How possible it felt for kids to make a difference and for kids to find their voice and demand that they are heard." "One of the best books of the year." Listen to this audio interview at The Yarn. 

But this book is not just about book banning, it’s a moving story of a young teen boy trying to figure out who he is and navigating family, friendship, first crushes, and his own emotions as he transitions into adolescence. It’s a powerful and inspiring look at the inner lives of teen boys and it moved me at times to tears. At other times, I cheered for our Mac, who is genuine, authentic, inspiring while also being complicated, complex, at times messy and flawed. School Library Journal

Take a look at these review comments quoted on the author web page:

“Poignant, humorous, and bright . . . Whip-smart, tuned in to the mind of sixth-graders, and beautifully concluded, the novel takes a bold stand in a time of book bans and rampant censorship . . . Against the backdrop of family issues, first crushes, and the end of elementary school, this is a beacon of hope for middle grades and an object lesson in treating kids like the intelligent readers they are.”—Booklist, starred review

“[Amy Sarig King’s] respect for young people is exemplary, and her characters indelible.”—Horn Book, starred review (contains spoilers)

“Skillfully encourages keeping open minds and extending grace to the oblivious and hostile alike . . . A searingly relevant opus to intellectual freedom.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“King’s latest novel is so timely and relevant, some readers may feel like the author has been privy to what’s going on in their own schools . . . A striking book on censorship; a must-have in all middle grade classrooms and school libraries.”—School Library Journal, starred review

The Peach Thief by Linda Joan Smith

This was no place for a girl. And the longer she was here? 

The sooner they’d see that’s exactly what she was

Knowing I was travelling for over five hours on public transport yesterday I decided to add a few more books to my Kindle library. I started and ended the day reading the whole of The Peach Thief (384 pages) - such an engrossing story although at times the anticipation that something utterly dreadful was sure to happen to young Scilla Brown meant that regular intervals I had to 'close' my book and take a huge breath.

Scilla is an orphan living in the workhouse where food is scarce and the punishments are severe. She has one good friend - a girl named Emily but she has been taken away to work in a factory or in service. Then Scilla herself is taken by an older girl named Dora. Dora is a little bit like Fagan from Oliver Twist. She needs Scilla to assist her with petty crimes like shoplifting. Dora steals some rancid meat from a market stall and Scilla finds her dead under the bridge where they were sheltering through the night. Long ago Scilla tasted a peach. The beautiful sensation has never left her. She knows there are peaches in the manor house garden behind the high wall. 

She’d risk anything to taste a peach again, so ripe, so delicious— fit for a queen! And here was her chance, before her life spiraled back to the workhouse, her only choice now

Driven by hunger and her desire to find the fruit of her dreams, late at night she climbs over the wall but her feet are caught in an espaliered cherry tree and she falls to the ground and is caught.

Dora has dressed Scilla in boy's clothes and cut her hair short, so the head gardener Mr. Layton thinks she is a boy. She tells him her name is Seth Brown. Scilla is sure she will be sent straight to jail but someone she manages to convince Mr Layton that she can scrub the garden pots.  

She kept her voice low to match her boys’ cap and clothes, her shorn hair. A boy could blend in, get out of scrapes a girl might not, Dora’d always said.

The other workers seem somewhat suspicious of the newcomer so Scilla keeps her distance, but one young man seems friendly. Right from the beginning, to her absolute amazement, he helps her with her tasks. He is a very charming and very good looking fellow and gradually, as readers, we watch on as Scilla falls in love with him - but is he really being honest with Scilla and does he have some other motive for the advice her gives Scilla. Also it is a huge worry the way he invites her to join in his dangerous nighttime adventures especially when they involve stealing precious fruit from Mr Layton who has shown her nothing but kindness. 

Over time Scilla learns more and more about gardens and the wonders of turning tiny seeds in to fragile plants which then eventually provide delicious and abundant produce for the big housel. Mr Layton seems to take her into his confidence showing her the winter stored fruits and allowing her to study books from is extensive collection. He also gives her a special role on the day Prince Albert visits the greenhouses. All of this is wonderful but also dangerous because Phin, that handsome young gardener, is desperately jealous of these attentions. He is sure he is the one who will one day also become a head gardener. 

Nuanced, richly atmospheric, and exquisitely written. Kirkus Star review

Blurb from the author page: The night that workhouse orphan Scilla Brown dares to climb the Earl of Havermore’s garden wall, she wants only to steal a peach—the best thing she’s tasted in her hard, hungry life. But when she’s caught by the earl’s head gardener and mistaken for a boy, she grabs on to something more: a temporary job scrubbing flowerpots. If she can just keep up her deception, she’ll have a soft bed and food beyond her wildest dreams . . . maybe even peaches. She soon falls in with Phin, a garden apprentice who sneaks her into the steamy, fruit-filled greenhouses, calls her “Brownie,” and makes her skin prickle. At the same time, the gruff head gardener himself is teaching lowly Scilla to make things grow, and she’s cultivating hope with every seed she plants. But as the seasons unfurl, her loyalties become divided, and her secret grows harder to keep. How far will she go to have a home at last?

Here are some key quotes from The Peach Thief - the first ones are words that Scilla luckily remembers when she is in the worse position of her life accused of a series of crimes she did not commit. 

“An honorable man takes responsibility for his actions, you understand, no matter the consequences."

"You have to care about each plant ... the life and beauty in it. You have to give it what it needs to reach its full potential."

"It is our curiosity that leads us to new discoveries, to new opportunities, to what we most need to learn."

You can read some background to this story here. And Candlewick gives you the first seven chapters to sample on their webpage. There are some fun words in this book such as meddling fussock; as wick as the woods; gawped; summat; and Lorjus.

If you are looking for a character description to use as a writing model this one is great:

"The cook, Mrs Keckilpenny, was round as a teapot. Her skirts rose in the back each time she bent to check the black range at the front end of the low-ceilinged room, revealing red-and-black-striped stockings above her high-topped clogs. Her frilled cap, tied beneath her double chin, looked like a crimped crust around a great pink pie."

I had no idea there were so many varieties of peaches (back notes in The Peach Thief tells me there are 95) with beautiful names such as Royal George, Grosse Mignonne, Bellegarde. And the apples have names such as Ribston Pippins and Gravenstein. You will also read about the lengths these early gardeners went to, to grow exotic fruits like pineapples. 

Here in Australia you will have to be patient and wait to add this book to your library. The US edition published by Candlewick is way too expensive at over AUS$45+ but what I hope might happen is the book will be taken up by Walker Books in the UK and their copy will then come to Walker Books here in Australia and the price will come down. How this happens is a mystery to me, but I have seen this pattern with many other middle grade titles. The publisher says this book is for ages 8-12 but I think the love tensions, age of the protagonist and complex relationships mean it would be a better fit for ages 11+ and certainly a great read for younger High School readers. I absolutely adored this book from beginning to end. 

The Peach Thief is a debut novel for Linda Joan Smith. She has worked as a journalist specialising in writing about gardening. She mentions loving The Secret Garden as a child. 

Here are some of her favourite books that transport readers to other times and places - what a fabulous list:

• A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
• Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• Chains (and The Seeds of America Trilogy) by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
• Holes by Louis Sachar
• Okay for Now and The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
• Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
• The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak
• The London Eye Mystery and The Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
• The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
• When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
• Wringer by Jerry Spinelli

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements

Bobby Phillips wakes up one morning and he is invisible - this is not just a concept - he is invisible. No one can see him, but he is still there. If he puts on clothes his family can see the outline of his body, but he has no face and no hands. Naturally all the questions begin - why did this happen? How did this happen? How long will this last? What might happen if others especially the 'authorities' find out? Will Bobby have to live at home in his room for the rest of his life? 

In answer to the last question, Bobby is not prepared to stay home. So, after his parents head out to work, he puts on layers of clothes, a woolly scarf across his face and sunglasses and he heads to the library. No one even looks at him - this is Chicago, and it is a cold day. In the library Bobby takes off all his clothes hides them in a roof cavity in the boy's bathroom and then he sets off to explore this familiar and yet somehow now unfamiliar place. It is a lonely day for Bobby, but he makes a few discoveries about himself and about other people. As he leaves the building, with his clothes back on, he bumps into a young girl. Alicia is blind - not just vision impaired - she cannot see after a head injury. This pair seem like the perfect combination to be friends. Over the coming days Bobby tells Alicia he is invisible and together they set out to solve this mystery. 

This book is filled with science theories because Bobby's dad and Alicia's father are both scientists, but it is Bobby himself who pieces together the possible cause of his invisibility. There are complications - Bobby does have to move around the city naked, and it is cold. His parents are involved in a car accident and while they are okay both are kept in the hospital for a few days, so Bobby has to navigate his new life alone. The school and the welfare people demand to know why he is not at school. The explanations and the feisty reactions of Bobby's mum are sure to make you smile. And there is the complication of a new relationship. Alicia is still working through adjusting to her new reality and Bobby has very little experience talking to girls. I enjoyed watching the ups and downs, highs and lows, and communication mishaps of their bourgeoning relationship. 

Yes, this story is very far-fetched but it also has an internal logic that I found fascinating. This is a Young Adult book - mainly because the two main characters are high schoolers. This book was published in 2002 but I was pleased to see it is still in print. 

As always, Clements’s genius for developing credible plot lines (even from oddball premises) makes suspension of disbelief no problem. His characters, each one fundamentally decent ... are easy to like. A readable, thought-provoking tour de force, alive with stimulating ideas, hard choices, and young people discovering bright possibilities ahead. Kirkus star review

While technically I suppose you'd have to call this a science fiction novel, it is a perfect crossover book for readers who don't normally read that genre. This is a book about Bobby and what he discovers about himself, his family, and people in general. I think you'll enjoy this one. I know I did. YA Books Central

"Clements's story is full of life; it's poignant, funny, scary, and seemingly all too possible. The author successfully blends reality with fantasy in a tale that keeps his audience in suspense until the very end."--School Library Journal

The only problem with this book is that it is one that sort of defies a convincing description. I really enjoyed it-- the details are spot on, the explanations don't stretch credulity too far, and the reaction of the parents is one with which many students will identify ... Ms Yingling

I picked this book up at a recent charity book sale - mainly because I am a huge fan of Andrew Clements. This book is very different from his middle grade titles such as Frindle; The Janitor's Boy; The Jacket; The Landry News; and my own favourite Extra Credit. 

If you do need a book to read that is similar to Things not seen perhaps look for this one:

This book was the 1980 CBCA winner. Not long after I read this book I was standing in the queue for McDonald's in the city. I stood at the counter for a long time and was totally ignored by the server. It felt as though the invisibility I read about in Displaced Person had become my reality. I just checked my copy of Displaced Person and I find it interesting that this book has only 138 pages. Such a powerful story. Maurice Saxby said: "It is an extended image of alienation; the mental state when one feels a nobody; the black cloud, the wedge of ice that site close to the heart when one journeys alone. It is also a metaphysical examination of reality and unreality; a speculation ... of what lies beyond the realm of human understanding. It is a tight, tense and gripping story with a poignant and poetic ending."

Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth by Anna Fienberg

There is so much going on in the life of young Frances right now. She has moved to an outer suburb away from the busy city, to a home with a garden and lower rent. One special thing about this new place is the nearby bush.  But only a week after they arrive and begin unpacking that dad announces he has to travel overseas for his work as a journalist so now it is just Frances and her mum and the memory of her toddler brother Henry. Clearly something truly dreadful has happened to Henry but Frances is riddled with guilt and just does not want to revisit these terrible events.

Talking about this book I don't want to give too much away. You will work out some of the content from the labels I've assigned this post. Another way to introduce this book might be to look at the title. Moving to the new house means mum and dad decide to buy Frances a puppy. Picasso is her favourite artist and she has his painting Le Chien on her bedroom wall so the new pup is named Picasso. 

Visiting the beautiful Australian bush near her home Frances surveys the scene as the sun is setting and declares that moment - The Greatest Show on Earth. Here are some quotes from the text that will show you the highly evocative way Anna Fienberg describes the natural environment - trees, colours, light and shadow:

"The track turned into a spindly trail that zigzagged round rocks splotched with lichen. It was the palest olive green, thin as dried paint. ... On our right the creek trundled on, gathering into shallow pools, vanishing into mud. Trees towered above, filtering light that ended up as glitter on the water."

"After the rain the angophoras turned tangerine, their juicy pieces of bark smashed around their roots. I pressed my cheek against a massive trunk and the cold was startling."

Anna Fienberg has added some wonderful art insights into her book too - no doubt inspired by the late Kim Gamble. They met at the School Magazine where she was the editor. Kim Gamble illustrated The Magnificent Nose and Other Marvels by Anna Fienberg, which is a favourite book of mine, the Tashi series the Minton series and Joseph which was shortlisted for the 2002 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award. 

All the art Kit and Frances create surely must link with the special relationship between Anna Fienberg and Kim Gamble. It is described with so much care:

"Crosshatching ... you create a hollow with shading by doing lots of parallel strokes one way, crossed with parallel strokes the other way."

"Kit let me share his chalk pastels and showed me how to make a twilight sky. I made notes of his instructions in my sketchbook ... At home I practised sky after sky. And I learned how to make a star sparkle.With white chalk you do the blue at the top, then take one dot and make it into a cross, smearing out the points into long white lines. When you stand back it sparkles."

I finished this book this morning having started it a couple of days ago and yes I did cry but that's okay because the happy, but not saccharine, ending restored me.  Anna Fienberg adds a wonderful layer of tension to the story. I just kept reading and reading even though I knew something dreadful was going to happen. This is a five star book. It is Australian in so many ways but it is also such a heartfelt human story.

Thinking about this story one word that came to my mind was consequences. Frances is obsessed with germs and diseases because she see this as a consequence of her action or inaction with her brother Henryre. Kit worries about consequences too. He cannot reveal anything about his house or mother because in the past the consequences were dreadful. Then there is the consequence of a tiny decision Frances makes when she makes a sketch of her friend. (When you are reading this book take your time over page 140-141). 

This story is also about personal growth. We watch the trust between Kit and Frances grow and both find a way to trust each other with their deepest secrets and sadness. Kit also has such emotional maturity and his gentle advice to Frances is uplifting

Someone asked about the themes in this book on a Facebook forum and whether it was too confronting for an eleven year old reader. I’d be happy to have this book in my primary school library but I’d be recommending it to mature Grade 6 readers. Yes it’s sad and yes grief and the death of a sibling and mental health are BIG topics but that’s okay. The writing is wonderful. You just feel as though you are right in the bush with all the sounds and smells and light and shade. This is a long book so really only kids with good reading stamina and the right level of maturity will persevere. I’m sure this book will go on to win many awards and be on short lists.

This book is like a warm, comforting hug when you need a friend, and I found myself wanting to read on to find out what had happened yet at the same time, it felt like one to savour and sit with so my reading pace could match France’s pace as she slowly revealed what had happened to her brother. The Book Muse

The different ways grief is expressed is a significant theme throughout this novel but there are other important ideas upon which to reflect such as family, bullying, courage, the healing provided by nature, dogs and art therapy and loneliness. Just So Stories

After reading Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth you might like to revisit these classic Australian stories:

I do wish we could see the mural created by Kit and Frances but keen artists might like to look a little further into the art of Wang Wei.

It would be interesting to compare Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth with a 2001 novel by Anna Fienberg - Witch in the Lake. I did read that one many years ago but sadly I cannot recall much of the plot. Other companion books:

Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes

The setting for this book is Italy in 1944. Florence is occupied by the German army but the Italian resistance movement are hard at work rescuing captured prisoners and sabotaging the Nazis. Paolo is a young teen. He just cannot cope with being kept at home so each evening he takes his bicycle and he rides for hours over Florence and the surrounding countryside. His mother is English, not Italian, so she has to be extra careful and her beloved husband has left to assist with the fighting. She knows about Paolo's night time riding but she is not sure she can stop him.

One evening Paolo is stopped by some men and they give him a cryptic message for his mother. Paolo has had no idea his mother has previously helped the Partisans. On his night ride he decides he should join the freedom fighters but when he does catch up with them they attack him. Luckily he is rescued by their leader - the mysterious Il Volpe (the fox).  Little does he know their paths will cross again and even though the most dreadful things have happened Paolo can indeed be a hero on a bicycle.

"The sight of his mother in conversation with three armed men gave his stomach a lurch of fear mixed with excitement. He was pretty sure who they were. The Partisans. The men whom he had admired so much for so long but had never met until last night. And now here they were, armed, in his own back garden. He couldn't imagine why they were here or what business they could possibly have with his mother."

Two young men are hidden in the family cellar over night. Late the next night Paolo takes them to the next safe house but they have been betrayed and there is an ambush. One man is taken prisoner and Joe, the Canadian, is badly hurt. 

"He motioned for Joe to follow him but, looking back, he saw that Joe was not in a good way. He was staggering, and blood had soaked through the left arm of his jacket and was dripping down his hand. ...  The way home was the worst journey Paolo had ever made. He took the back streest out of the city dreading at every turn that they would fun into anther German patrol."

I first read about this book back when it was published in 2012 but I didn't read it back then (it is still in print and there is an e-book version). Luckily for me there was a copy for $1 at our recent Lifeline Bookfair. I have been grabbing time to read this book over the last few days but be warned this book does contain some distressing scenes and at times I just had to put it down and take a breath. I was sure Shirley Hughes would keep me and the family (mum Rosemary, Constanza and Paola) safe but, as a said, at times, the tension she created was so real and so frightening. I would recommend this for readers aged 11+ and Young Adults. 

Taut, tense and vivid, this book will bring out the hero in any young boy or girl. You can almost hear the tanks rolling by and the fighter planes zooming overhead. And it’s a nice surprise to discover that Paolo is not the only hero found in Florence. The others might catch you unaware. The story is dramatically told, with warm and believable characters. Hughes captures the fears and frustrations of a young person thrust into war. Historical Novel Society

The first novel from much-loved author and illustrator Shirley Hughes is a thrilling and moving story with a touch of romance, set against a dramatic background of war-torn Italy. Based on Hughes' own experience of visiting Florence not long after the Second World War, it is a warm, tender tale of courage against the odds, which deals frankly with the brutality of war, yet maintains a distinctive sensitivity and lightness of touch. Book Trust

If you are a fan of books about World War II especially different aspects such as the situation in Italy I do recommend this book - it is sure to be in many public libraries.  Here are some other books about resistance fighters and World War II which might be in your library.

• What about me? by Gertie Evenhuis
• The Little Riders by Margaretha Shemin
• The upstairs room by Johanna Reiss
• Letters from the lighthouse by Emma Carroll
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Belle and Sebastien

This is such a wonderful book but it is very old and long out of print.

You are sure to be familiar with Shirley Hughes and her wonderful picture books for very young children. In this video she talks about Hero on a Bicycle. 

Shirley Hughes illustrated more than 200 children's books and is one of the best-loved writers for children, with beloved classics including the Alfie and Annie Rose stories, and Dogger. She won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and was awarded the OBE for her distinguished service to children's literature. In 2007, Dogger was voted the UK's favourite Kate Greenaway Medal-winning book of all time. She passed away in March 2022 at the age of 94.

Grace Notes by Karen Comer

The only reason I gave this book four stars is because it has a very Melbourne setting and so I am not sure how well it will be understood in other parts of Australia and this probably limits sending the book to other English speaking countries. 

On the other hand this book is a splendid study of our modern times as we all negotiated Covid-19 and lockdowns, and daily government updates, and possibly even the death of a loved one. I do wish I could give it five stars because I found this story utterly engrossing. 

Grace is the third daughter in a high achieving family. Her father plays the violin beautifully but he gave up his dream to be a musician and became a communications trainer. But music is in her soul just as it is for her grandmother Ettie who was one a member of the symphony. Her mother is an international lawyer and as the story opens she has left for Italy. The date is 28th February, 2020 and the world is becoming concerned about a virus in China. Listen to the music Grace plays with her dad. 

Crux (James Michael Cruz) is an artist - he uses spray cans to create his huge works but for now he is limited to art on the garage wall because he is not allowed to buy spray cans until he is eighteen. His work is not tagging it is art. His father is a television cameraman so he is right in the thick of daily updates and news about Covid. He is also a youth counsellor. His mother loves crystals but she works as a nurse and so is all caught up in all the Covid panic, procedures and confusion.

Crux sees a YouTube video of Grace with her violin. He is invited by some street artists to assist with a huge commission piece in the city and when one guy fails to turn up, the other invite Crux to paint the violin girl.

This story is told in two voices, and it is a verse novel so it is filled with emotion. It is obvious from the beginning that Crux and Grace will meet but they will also have to navigate parents and the pandemic. The title has two meanings - grace notes are a part of music - optional but important and often beautiful. There are lots of notes in this book as Grace and Crux negotiate their new relationship, friendships and parents. They need to draw on grace to accept rules and change. They also have to convince their parents that even though they are both only fifteen they are old enough to make their own life decisions. 

"My violin always feels warm,

like there's still a breath in it

from the spruce trees,

from the maple tree,

living wood

cut down, carved out

to create a stringed voice.

There's still a life-force that sings

that can't ever be suppressed,

even when my violin lies alone in its case."

"Mum never let us wear

Disney princess dress-ups.

She never let us read

the pink-and-purple-coloured books

-a dozen in a series - 

with stories

about princesses who waited for princes

to rescue them.

So when we played princesses,

we rescued princes but refused to marry them,

fought dragons with homemade swords ... "

Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance copy. Grace Notes was published on 1st February, 2023. I highly recommend this book as a terrific addition to a High School library especially one in Melbourne or Victoria but perhaps in other parts of Australia too. I'm sure teenagers will know the name Dan Andrews and many will vividly remember zoom lessons and lockdowns and even the toilet paper stampedes. 

I can’t recommend this stunning debut novel highly enough. It explores the challenges imposed by the pandemic but is also a beautiful rendering of how much we need art to sustain us during tough times. This highly accessible story will inspire readers to think about art and its role in society. For ages 12+. Readings Melbourne

"Six days later Dan the man is up for his presser,

North Face jacket,

grim determination on his face.

I watch him from my laptop in bed,

still in my pyjamas ...

I already know what he's going to say.

He will tell Victorians,

the deflated Victorians,

the number of cases 

in the preceding twenty-four hours - 274 -

the number of death in the preceding twenty-four hours

from coronavirus - 

nine."

"Mum's face has almost permanent lines

from her PPE.

The AFL players catch planes with their families.

play footy for us.

We judge daily numbers

on whether Dan Andrews

is wearing his North Face or his suit.

We are over sourdough bread."