The House at the Edge of the World by Nadine Aisha Jassat illustrated by

"A memory knocks on the door of my own chest

the leaves outside the library on our last day.

The one I'd held in my hand

as I wished for hope. ...

Did I call Hope House to us? ...

Or did the house call us to it?"

Amal and her sister Sara have been forced to leave their home which was in a small-town library run by their parents. Just as it seems the family of four will have nowhere to live a letter arrives telling them they have inherited a house.

This house is, as you would guess from the title of this book, quite spooking looking. Turn the cover upside down to see the house itself. The people from the nearby town of Middle Morrow do not hold back telling the family all the legendary ghost and horror stories they associate with this house over its century long history. 

None of this adds up though because the house itself seems so welcoming of the new family. They awake to find the kettle has been boiled and the fire is lit. Over their first few days the walls appear freshly painted and somehow the ragged curtains are repaired. 

Then two very shady people arrive and tell the family that they will be evicted because they have no claim to this house - they are not related to the late owner who died ten years ago. Now the race is on. The family, and especially Amal and Sara, have thirty days to solve this mystery and prove that they should be able to stay in this house which now feels like home.

I have had this book on loan from the library where I work as a volunteer for over two months. I keep renewing the loan and then not getting on to reading it.

Today I started this 306 page book (it is a verse novel of sorts) and I finished it this afternoon. If I still worked in my school library this is a book I would heartily recommend for readers aged 10+. Kids love to look like they are reading 'long' books and at 300+ pages this book look impressive but because of the verse-novel style setting out it is a very quick read. This book is called a verse novel and that is the format but really it felt more like a regular narrative with short lines - that's not a criticism just an observation.  You can see more books by Nadine Aisha Jassat here. 

The story is presented in a verse format with eye catching ‘chapter’ headings. This creates an impression of immediacy, of easy access to reading and would indeed attract many. However, much of the verse narrative could be presented in the more conventional prose format creating a more familiar flow without losing any momentum. Books for Keeps

This book also contains (and I am happy to say all of this feels very natural) a blended family. Mum is Muslim dad is Christian. Amal grapples with fairly serious mental health issues - she has the awful anxiety messages in her mind of 'what if' which always extrapolates to bad outcomes but she also has some terrific coping strategies. I should also mention Amal's sister Sara. I have read way too many books where teenage sisters treat their younger sisters so badly. It was so wonderful to read the opposite in this book. Sara is so kind and supportive of Amal and she understands her anxiety at a deeply intuitive level. This makes a natural partnership of the two sisters as they work together to solve the issue of who should own this special house. I also love their little dog called Po Tato.

Publisher blurb: When Amal and her family unexpectedly inherit the enchanted clifftop home, they can't believe their luck. But their joy is short-lived when a mysterious couple arrives, claiming the house is theirs and giving Amal's family just thirty days to pack up their stuff and leave before they demolish it completely. The clock is ticking, and Amal is determined to save Hope House from destruction. How will she unravel the secrets of the house and its mysterious benefactor in time to save it?

Companion books:

Out of the wild Night

The Swallowtail Legacy

The Parker Inheritance

Here is the Kirkus review

The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Miri is Jewish. She has been living in Germany with her mother and father but then Kristallnacht happens in 1938 and so the family flee to Paris. Sadly, if you know your history, the Nazis arrive in Paris and so the terror continues. The soldiers arrive to take Miri and her family away but her father has already gone into hiding and Miris cannot find her mother. Their neighbour Madame Rosenbaum takes her hand and they leave together with young baby Nora. Madame Rosenbaum knows all their lives are in danger so as they are being unloaded from the bus she tells Miri to hide and run and take her baby Nora to keep her safe. Madame Rosenbaum tells Miri they will be reunited in Switzerland. Miri has taken off the yellow star and when some soldiers march towards her a young nun takes her hand and explains she belongs in the local orphanage. Miri has been rescued but only for now.

It is not safe for Miri to stay with the nuns and so she and Nora are loaded onto a truck and driven far away to a small town. Miri is exhausted from days of hiding and so she falls asleep and cannot stop the drivers who pass young Nora onto a local family. Miri is taken to another Convent School run by different nuns. Her name is changed and she has to hide her faith but she is desperate to find little Nora. There are two other older girls living in the convent over the summer - but can Miri trust these girls with the truth about her life in Paris and her faith?

There is a castle in this town which has been taken over by the soldiers. It has beautiful but badly neglected gardens - for vegetables and for flowers. Miri, now called Marie, befriends an elderly lady who asks her to tend the flower garden - actually she is very demanding - but is she a real person? Her clothes seem outdated and strange and it feels as though no one else can see her. 

Meanwhile several of the nuns are working for the resistance and smuggling Jewish people and wounded enemy soldiers over to the free side of France - the Vichy. One of the nuns is hurt and so it is Miri who takes over the nighttime task of guiding people through the castle grounds and over the bridge to safety. These scenes are so tense you will be on the edge of your seat. 

This was bound to happen - I wonder why it took so long. I began this blog in 2008 and every month I read so many books. I picked up The Night War in a school library last week and by the end of the first page I knew I had read this book already BUT when I checked my blog I had not talked about it - I wonder why. So, this morning when my city visit plans were cancelled, I sat down and re-read the whole book 273 pages - in one sitting and as you can see I gave this book five stars - yes it is that good. In fact it is an utterly engrossing story with some deliciously tense scenes. This book is perfect for readers aged 10+.

Publisher blurb: It’s 1942. German Nazis occupy much of France. And twelve-year-old Miriam, who is Jewish, is not safe. With help and quick thinking, Miri is saved from the roundup that takes her entire Jewish neighborhood. She escapes Paris, landing in a small French village, where the spires of the famous Chateau de Chenonceau rise high into the sky, its bridge across the River Cher like a promise, a fairy tale.  But Miri’s life is no fairy tale. Her parents are gone—maybe alive, maybe not. Taken in at the boarding school near the chateau, pretending to be Catholic to escape Nazi capture, Miri is called upon one night to undertake a deadly task, one that spans the castle grounds, its bridge, and the very border to freedom. Here is her chance to escape—hopefully to find her parents. But will she take it? One thing is certain: The person Miri meets that night will save her life. And the person Miri becomes that night could save the lives of many more.

Each of these reviews has more plot details:

This poignant story moves quickly but takes care to consider with sensitivity the excruciating choices Miri must make at every turn as she’s torn between choosing safety and honoring her heritage and her convictions. A gripping, humane tale that examines what war demands of children and what it costs them. Kirkus Star review

This is a story that will completely engage readers and have them yearning for Miri to survive. Readings

This middle-grade novel is fast-paced, suspenseful, and heart-wrenching. Miri is a sympathetic character who faces terrifying situations, forcing her to make life and death decisions. Her emotions are believable, admirable, and valiant. A fantastical element may catch some readers by surprise, but Bradley places hints along the way that may tip off those who read more closely. Historical Novel Society

I adored two previous books by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley:

The war that saved my life

The War I finally Won

The Silken Thread by Gabrielle Wang

Gabrielle Wang has woven together an intriguing story in her book The Silken Thread. I use the word woven because there are several story threads and yes there is also an important reference to silk and silk threads from silkworm cocoons but really the strength of this book comes from both the way she weaves in and out of the past and present lives of these two children who live thousands of kilometers apart and the way she weaves in and gives us an insight into their complex family lives.  

I am not usually a fan of timeslip stories or ghost stories. In this case, though, The Silken Thread is not quite a timeslip in the usual way because Moonie, living in Melbourne, meets Little Dipper from China so it is not a different time just a different place. 

Little Dipper lives in poverty in a small village in China. He is a clever boy and the local school principal has identified him as a student who should go to school even though he is needed at home to help with the raising of silkworms and even though the family have little or no money. Little Dipper has two, much older, brothers but more importantly he did have a precious sister. Sadly Little Tian died in an accident. Little Dipper carries a great sadness about this, but Little Tian is never far away - he is still able to talk to her. Is she a ghost? His family are very superstitious, so he keeps her visits a secret.  When he travels to his lessons with his English tutor he has a set of instructions about how to deal with two spirits - the Slurp Slap Ghost and the even more terrifying Will O' the Wisp. His grandmother gives him special food packets and his brother tells him how to avoid the danger of the marshland. You could read Chapter 20 as a way to book talk The Silken Thread - this is when Little Dipper is trapped by the Will O' the Wisp.

Moonie lives with her older sister and two younger brothers in inner city Melbourne. Her grandmother lives with them too. Her father DeDi works at the local food market selling vegetables. The year is 1932 so Australia is in the grip of the depression. Moonie's mother MaMi has become very ill and has been sent away. Moonie and her siblings do not know where she is or when she will return. Things become even harder when a strange woman moves into their house. She seems to have bewitched DeDi and she is horribly cruel to Moonie's brother Floppy (Philip).

Moonie's Melbourne house is very old and Moonie has always been able to see ghosts of the former residents so she is not too shocked when a young boy appears in her room - is he a ghost too? 

Why has Little Dipper come to visit Moonie? Is there a way these two kids can help each other? 

I expect we will see The Silken Thread on the CBCA 2026 Younger Readers Notable list. Listen to an audio sample here. 

Publisher blurb: Moonie lives in Melbourne and dreams of designing dresses for movie stars. Eight thousand kilometres away, on Chongming Island in China, peasant boy Little Dipper cares for the silkworms on his family’s farm and hopes to learn English. On the day Moonie’s beloved Ma Mi goes away, Little Dipper appears in her house. Before they can speak, he is whisked back home. Aided by a magical silk cocoon, Little Dipper’s visits become a regular event and although neither knows how or why they are connected their bond grows each time. Will the silken threads of friendship be enough to help Moonie bring Ma Mi home, or to save Little Dipper from the troublesome ghosts who stand between him and his dream of learning English?

Things I enjoyed about this book:

• The references to food especially towards the end of the story.
• The pattern of three which is how many times Little Dipper has to journey to Teacher Sun before he can finally enter her house.
• The beautiful old water buffalo named Long Ma who takes care of Little Dipper
• The descriptions of each family especially Little Dipper's family and the way they care for one another.
• The alternating voices and stories of the two main characters.
• The scene (spoiler alert) when Little Dipper defeats the 'evil' Miss Yip.
• I am intrigued by the idea of 'rural school' in Melbourne in 1932.
• There are some great little history snippets in this story about life during the Great Depression.

Here is a quote to give you an idea about life during these times:

"One of my chores is to wash the potties in the morning. Another is to cut up squares of newspaper and thread them on a string to use as toilet paper. If there is a photo of a person though, I throw that page away. I wouldn't like it if my photo was in the newspaper and someone wiped their bottom on my face. MaMi taught us to scrunch the paper up first to make it softer. Rich people, who have telephones in their houses ... use pages from old telephone books as toilet paper ... it is so luxurious ..."

Highly recommended for readers who love historical fiction, and stories of warmth, friendship and a touch of magic. Reading Time

I think this is my new favourite of Gabrielle’s books and readers from around Year 4 upwards will love it too. Just so Stories

This is an outstanding novel, full of warmth and interesting issues. A combination of linking stories within stories. The chapters are presented in alternate voices – Moonie’s and Little Dippers’. Through these individual narratives, we learn about the boy’s family life, his surroundings, dreams, and his character. The same applies to Moonie’s narrative. Beautifully introduced are Chinese customs, culture and traditions, beliefs, philosophy, and the role each person plays within the family structure. Kids' Book Review

‘The Silken Thread is a beautifully evocative sunshine burst of magical realism, illuminating the harsh and joyous realities of life in China and Australia during the Great Depression, while celebrating the hidden lives of Chinese Australians. Rich in detail, complex in theme yet delicately drawn, the novel celebrates the strange ties that bind us across cultures, time and language, highlighting the importance of learning, friendship, family and community. An enchanting pocket treasure to lose yourself in.’ – Rebecca Lim

Read this review from Storylinks which gives more plot details.

Gabrielle Wang was the 2022-2023 Australian Children's Laureate. I talk more about this here. Companion books:

Bronze and Sunflower

Two Sparrowhawk's in a Lonely Sky (five stars)

The Kite Rider

A Glasshouse of Stars

All Four Quarters of the Moon

Ties that Bind, Ties that Break

RIP Nanny Tobbins by Lucie Stevens

I don't often read 'ghost' stories because it is one of a very few genres that I do not really enjoy but the author of this book Lucie Stevens spoke at a recent conference held here in Sydney at our State Library and her brief author talk intrigued me (which I am sure was her intention).

Since I am not an expert on middle grade ghost stories I may be generalising but I thought that usually a ghost had a reason for their return. Coming back to right a wrong or assist a person from when they were alive. The young girl in this story Albertine Waldblumen had no concept of death (she is very young and naive). Adults have protected her from this.  We learn her father first off won't take her to Nanny Tobbins funeral and then we also discover she is not allowed to go near the churchyard cemetery. I suspected, correctly, that she had never seen her mother's grave. Poor child believes her mother is flying in the sky with the angels and so she spends a lot of time looking up hoping to see her. So why did Nanny Tobbins return? I guess she may have returned to help Albertine discover the truth about death or to help her in some way to cope with her new Stepmother and changing relationship with her father but that all feels a bit too vague.

Back to Nanny Tobbins (real name Nanette) who was indeed a nanny to Albertine (nick name Bert) we never actually find out about the Great Exhibition of 1851 but alas as Albertine and her new stepmother set off to attend this amazing event the story quite suddenly ends. I was very disappointed not to read about the sights and wonders through Albertine's eyes. Here is some information about The Great Exhibition aimed at youger readers. How did Nanny Tobbins die? It was a horse-riding accident but we are given no further details. I kept wondering if Albertine perhaps saw the accident or worse if she was in some way involved.  One of the gruesome aspects about this ghost is the way her head is not quite attached to her body. She also seems to attract lots of moths but just why this happens is never explained. At night Albertine is locked inside her room - I did find that quite distressing and I desperately hoped the would not be a fire in their house.  

Only Albertine can see the ghost of Nanny Tobbins, but her precious dog named Quiver seems to sense when she is here. There are a number of stereotypes in this story - the evil stepmother; the absent father; the fearful and bumbling servant; and the warm-hearted cook who makes fabulous foods for little Albertine. Of course, the spooky moments happen at midnight. The author Lucie Stevens did say she was thinking of the classic book Mary Poppins when she wrote the short piece as part of an assignment that then led to this longer novel. 

Was there really elephant at The Great Exhibition? Yes and No.  Not a living one but there was a taxidermy one. 

Image source: Victoria and Albert Museum

You can hear Lucie Stevens talk about her book here on the Podcast Your Kids Next Read (start at 15.60). RIP Nanny Tobbins is her debut Middle Grade Novel. RIP Nanny Tobbins will be published tomorrow! And she mentioned there will be a sequel next year and one of the books she lists as recent enjoyable reads was Little Bones. 

Bookseller blurb: When Nanny Tobbins fell off a horse and broke her neck, the grown-ups told nine-year-old Albertine she'd never see her beloved governess again. But it simply isn't true. For every night, when the clock strikes twelve, Nanny returns to the nursery. Yet in her new ghostly state, Nanny Tobbins quickly causes chaos in the household -- and the timing couldn't be more inconvenient. Albertine's stepmother is struggling to settle in, and Papa is much occupied working with Prince Albert on the Great Exhibition. To make matters worse, the grown-ups don't believe in ghosts at all, leaving Albertine to take the blame for Nanny's unruly antics. How will Albertine restore peace to her home before the unthinkable occurs?

RIP Nanny Tobbins is an easy book to read - I think it will appeal to readers aged 10+ but it may not be scary enough for the readers who love to find ghost stories that can tingle your spine. 

About the author: Lucie Stevens is a children’s writer who grew up in a semi-rural area of Dharug Country, north-west of Sydney. After working in Australian publishing houses for many years, she moved to Berlin, where she helped make education outreach programs for the UK and European Space Agencies. Now, having resettled in Gadigal Country, Sydney, Lucie works as a freelance editor for NGOs and not-for-profit organisations. She has authored and co-authored several books for the education market, on topics ranging from mudlarks to Mars. R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins is Lucie’s first novel for children.

I know I said at the start of this post that I don't seek out ghost stories but here are a few I have read and enjoyed (aimed at a similar audience to RIP Nanny Tobbins).

Out of the Wild Night

The Haunting of Charity Delafield

The Ghost of Grosswater

Her Perilous Mansion

Elizabeth and Zenobia

Not a ghost story but this wonderful book has a similar feel or setting

Withering by Sea

Hidden Treasure by Jessie Burton

"She was right by the water, exactly where they had seen his own mother in shadow, throwing in the Jewels ... Bo had her back to him, facing the river with her arms stretched out. And just like Billy's mother, she had the Eclipsing Moon in one hand, and the Brightest Sun in the other."

Bo Delafort is a river girl. She lives near the Thames and she and her family hunt through the debris washed up by the river hoping to find treasures. Yes this is mudlarking. And as this story opens Bo has found a real treasure. Something so valuable her family could possibly be rich way beyond their wildest dreams but Bo has no intention of selling this moon jewel. The river has spoken to Bo and given her a vision which seems to be part of a bigger story about this object. On the day she finds one part of the Jewels of the Eclipse she also meets a boy. Bo lives on the south side of the river and Billy lives on the north side. Astute readers might notice some odd things about Billy (I only made these discoveries later) but Bo feels a connection to Billy and so she eventually shares her treasure.

Meanwhile up in the big house where Billy works in the kitchen the owner Dr Frederick Muncaster is in a rage. He is desperate to find the two jewels - moon and sun - because with these he can restore his family fortunes. He scoffs at the story that there is a magical ballad that can release the power of these stones but it is that promise of power that keeps you turning the pages because this power can bring a dead loved one back to life. Billy wants to be reunited with his dead mother. Bo has just watched her loved brother march off to be a solider in World War II and now the family learn he has died but what about the mysterious Miss Alice Cressant. She has arrived as the new teacher at school and she seems to be taking a special interest in young Bo. Muncaster also has a strange lady in his life - her name is Avery Charbonnier. Billy is suspicious of her but not for any of the reasons we discover later. 

Publisher blurb: For the people who live on the banks of the Thames, the river is a living, breathing thing. It can take your treasures. It can hide your treasures. And, sometimes, it can give them back. Bo and Billy are two children who have never met. Billy is an orphan. Bo's dad died when she was small and now her brother is off to war. Both children are poor, but they have each found half of a priceless treasure, given up by the river. A treasure which – when the pieces are reunited – holds the power to give back to one of them the most precious thing they have ever lost. But should the treasure be put back together again? And why has the river given it up now?

I often read two even three books at the same time. I kept Hidden Treasure beside my bed this week and so it has taken me quite a long time to finish this book but I did enjoy taking 'small bites' of the story rather than bingeing the whole thing in one or two sessions. Last night I read the final 50 pages and the action just raced along because we had reached the all-important night of the eclipse which Jessie Burton beautifully links with the night World War I ends. As an adult reader I knew it would be impossible to bring back someone who has died but I did not predict the way Jessie Burton resolved her gripping story. 

We keep reading about the ballad the Bo needs so I was pleased to see the whole piece quoted at the back of the book. Here is an important fragment:

O Billy River, you'll never be alone!

O Billy River, I'm letting you fly home!

O Billy River, you just wait and see,

I am the River Girl and I've come to set you free!

Here are a couple of examples of the way Jessie Burton describes a character or a scene:

"The man before her was in his late thirties, as tall and broad as a prizefighter and dressed in a brown that suit that her mother would have marvelled at for the fineness of its cut. But despite its quality, Bo noticed it was worn out at the edges. The sky-blue silk tie at his neck was faded, and so was the whiteness of his shirt. ... And beneath the brim of his bowler hat, piercing her with a stare, was a pair of sinister emerald eyes."

"With a huge key he retrieved from his pocket, Kimble unlocked and pushed open a heavy door. It opened on to a small room, with a large table in the middle, upon which were two pairs of soft white cotton gloves. The room was lit b three weak electric lights screwed to the walls. It was bare, apart from the table and a bookshelf on the far wall, about eight shelves high from floor to ceiling, crammed with leather bound volumes of various thicknesses."

The reviewer at Kids' Book Review loved Hidden Treasure but I found it odd that they suggested 12+. I think mature readers with good reading stamina aged 11+ are sure to enjoy Hidden Treasure. 

A piece of ambitious storytelling, it successfully conveys the awful grief of loss, the feeling of the temptation to bring a dead loved one back, even as a ghost, is genuine. All that is wrapped up in a fast-moving adventure with child friendly central characters and baddies who really are very bad and come to a suitably unhappy ending. There’s a dramatic climax but there are twists and surprises throughout, treasures to keep readers turning the pages. Books for Keeps

There is a fierceness to Bo that makes her compelling, an irreverent heedlessness and insatiable curiosity that leads her to plough on regardless of obstacles, a trait that does her both great credit and great harm. In Billy, we find a quieter, sadder, more reserved character, one who is more worldly wise, and the pair of them make an excellent contrast. Wet Broken Things

Better Reading list three reasons to read Hidden Treasure:

• Bo and Billy feel like real kids and their journeys will make your heart ache, then soar with joy. Billy is an orphan and Bo’s family has already faced so many losses. But these two heroes are brave, kind and determined to do what’s right, no matter what. You’ll root for them from the very first page as their friendship and growth is as powerful as the treasure they’re chasing!
• If you love books with rich, detailed worlds and stories that keep you on the edge of your seat, Hidden Treasure is perfect for you. Think exciting quests, magical realism and characters you won’t forget, just like the adventures in books by authors like Philip Pullman and Katherine Rundell. You’re about to get swept up in a new classic!
• Every page is full of surprises. When Bo and Billy find the treasure pieces, things get complicated. Should they put it back together or is it too dangerous? Could it lead to something more powerful? Every twist makes the story more thrilling, and by the end, you’ll be left thinking about it long after the last page.

Jessie Burton is an author whose books include adult bestsellers The Miniaturist, The Muse, The Confession and The House of Fortune, and a previous novel for young readers, The Restless Girls, which is being adapted for a musical.

Reviewer mention Ruby in the Smoke (Philip Pullman) as a book to read after Hidden Treasure. It is many decades since I read Ruby in the Smoke, but I do remember the opening scenes were fantastic. Here is an Australian companion book:

Here is a review

Kids' Book review have more plot details

The Book Muse

The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy

"... we know Dr Ben certainly isn't perfect - we all know he has a nasty temper. 

He doesn't lose it often, but when he does watch out."

This is such a powerful story, but my descriptions might surprise you. All through the story I wanted Fern to fail. I know that sounds very strange, but she and her mother have fled the cult where Fern has lived since she was just six years old. Fern has of course been totally indoctrinated by the cult leader but readers aged 12+ are sure to insights that go beyond the way Fern sees her former life.

Opening sentence: "Before we came to live at the Ranch, Mom and I were like tumbleweeds."

Early on in the story there are hints that the leader of this place - Dr Ben - is all about control. The girls and women are all sitting in room knitting. Fern is watching her friend Meadowlark struggling with this task. When Dr Ben walks into the room everyone falls silent. 

"He drops in like this occasionally. It's never on a schedule - sometimes he'll surprise us twice in three days; other times he won't come around for months ... I'm not the only one who's nervous. I see a flash of eyes all around me, the tucking of hair behind ears and shifting of bodies."

"Everything we have - everything The Ranch provides us - is because of him. ... And as long as you live up to his ideals, life is beautiful. It all makes sense."

Dr Ben has come to summon Fern to his office. Once there he tells her it is time for her rite. He also says she should 'prepare for the unexpected.'

"After your rite, you're considered an adult, and you're entrusted with a lot more responsibility. Most of the time it happens around the spring equinox of the year you turn fifteen. But I don't even turn thirteen for another six months."

Every part of the conversation between Dr Ben and Fern feels like a manipulation. As a reader I found him very sinister right from the beginning. Something is very wrong here - he is asking her to do the rite when she is so young. The last time some kids were sent to do their rite a boy named Rain died. You will also read that Fern's mum has been put on a water diet so she can refocus her thinking. 

Have you noticed these names - Fern, Meadowlark, Rain and mum's name is Magnolia (real name Jamie Silvana) - yes everyone has changed their name when they joined this cult. 

"Choosing a new name - one that reflects the beauty of nature - is something everyone does at the Ranch. For your first few months you aren't called anything at all. Dr Ben says it's so you can 'readjust your self-perception' ... to strip yourself of your old identity entirely, so you can commit yourself to a new one. ... I'm not sure how the name 'Dr Ben' relates to something in nature, but I'm sure it does. I've always been too nervous to ask, because I bet it's short for something obvious, and I'd feel stupid once it was explained to me."

I do need to say Fern does not even know the word cult let alone have any understanding of what this means. That word is not mentioned until page 242. When she and her mother escape and re-enter the 'real world' there is so much that Fern (her real name is Frankie) has to learn. The children don't go to a regular school at The Ranch. It's purpose is to raise:

"A generation who will understand how to live in harmony with the land. How to be ready to survive the fallout of war, climate change, of disaster. I do not take this responsibility lightly. Because it's coming, sooner than society thinks. And to survive you need to be tough. You need to go through the gauntlet of hardship and come out the other side stronger."

Think about all the things Fern might not know - computers, American history, money, the enjoyment of reading a fiction story, sweet treats like croissants, and that television is not dangerous. She also encounters lots of new words such as Amish, VIP, tag sale, marzipan, and bewildered. Thank goodness for Fern's new friend Eddie, for her wonderful science teacher and for library books and helpful librarians. 

When Fern and her mother reach the other side of America, Fern begins to plan their return. In her mind life at the Ranch was good and that is the place where she felt cared for and supported.  She knows there are no mobile phones (not true) at the Ranch and no computers so she decides she should write a letter to Dr Ben. The post office lady cannot help and of course stamps and envelopes require money. Then she realises she does not have an address. She is enrolled at school and another student reluctantly shows her how to search the internet. Fern finds the name of a local private detective but when she visits his office he asks for $300. How can Fern raise that much money? Luckily Mum didn't pick this town by chance - she knows a lady who lives there. Bab's is so kind. She offers Fern a job clearing out the old rooms above her tearooms. But all of this takes time. Fern is in a rush to get back to the Ranch but this time allows her to grow in her realisation that perhaps life was not quite so perfect and that Dr Ben was not trustworthy - but then she does post that letter, and her world comes tumbling down. I think I held my breath through the final chapters of this book I was so worried about Fern.

I sometimes wish I could have read a book for kids that I’ve encountered today as a child myself. This is one of those books. At what point does the average reader figure out that Fern may be in the wrong? When do their loyalties switch to the mom? Do they ever? While the adults amongst us are screaming “DON’T GET IN THAT VAN!” at the book, do kid readers feel the same way? I can’t help but think that this book would be an amazing bookclub read with children. Their reactions would be incredible.  ... Fuse8 Betsy Bird - please read her whole review!

Betsy also says: It’s a cleverly written and supremely literary story, while also remaining pretty gripping in its telling. Trust me, you won’t know what hit you after you finish it.   

A strong, emotionally intelligent story. Kirkus Star review

The Wrong Way Home is an unforgettable, propulsive story of a girl learning to trust her inner voice. With a fresh premise, compelling characters, and an atmospheric setting, this book is impossible to put down. It tackles cults, a rarely mentioned subject in children’s literature, with age-appropriate sensitivity and is sure to spark plenty of discussion in and out of the classroom. Reading Middle Grade

I learnt a new word in this book 'kasha' - it is a type of buckwheat.

Here is an interview with the author Kate O'Shaughnessy (note this page is full of advertising). And here is her web page where you can find her other books. 

Publisher blurb: Twelve-year-old Fern believes she's living a noble life--but what if everything she's been told is a lie?  This is a huge-hearted story about a girl learning to question everything—and to trust in herself. Fern’s lived at the Ranch, an off-the-grid, sustainable community in upstate New York, since she was six. The work is hard, but Fern admires the Ranch's leader, Dr. Ben. So when Fern’s mother sneaks them away in the middle of the night and says Dr. Ben is dangerous, Fern doesn't believe it. She wants desperately to go back, but her mom just keeps driving. Suddenly thrust into the treacherous, toxic, outside world, Fern can think only of how to get home. She has a plan, but it will take time. As that time goes by, though, Fern realizes there are things she will miss from this place—the library, a friend from school, the ocean—and there are things she learned at the Ranch that are just...not true. Now Fern will have to decide. How much is she willing to give up to return to the Ranch? Should she trust Dr. Ben’s vision for her life? Or listen to the growing feeling that she can live by her own rules?

I read an ebook copy of The Wrong Way Home. Here in Australia this book will be available in June [9780593650769]. Watch this video where Colby Sharp talks about his reaction to this amazing book. The wrong way home is a 2025 Newbery Honour book. 

The most obvious companion book in my view is this very old Australian title:

People might Hear You

The House Trap by Emma Read

Claude and his sister Amity are moving to a new part of the country. Claude was Deliah's best friend but over the last year while they were both in Grade seven things have changed. This is so confusing for Deliah. Now Claude seems to be friends with an awful bratty boy named Sam. 

On the day the story begins the four kids are sent out of the house to 'play' but with the added warning not to go into Badwell Woods. Of course anyone who has read a book with a premise like this will expect the kids will ignore this warning and go into the woods. Somewhere deep in the forest they find an old mansion. It looks neglected on the outside but the inside is very strange. There is even a container of ice which holds drinks but clearly no one is home. Then the door slams shut and the four of them are trapped. This house is full of tricks, puzzles and danger. These four children have to find a way to mend their relationships and solve a series of puzzles and yes, at times, it feels like their lives are really in danger. Along the way they meet a young ghost named Hypatia. It was her father who made all the traps and puzzles back in 1930. In subsequent years other kids have also been trapped in this house. Claude, Deliah, Amity and Sam meet two of them who have been stuck in the house for twenty years. The other kids have all disappeared.

Read an extract on the Chicken House webpage. Here is the very brief blurb: Deliah, Sam and Claude follow little sister Amity inside a mysterious mansion. But no sooner have they found her than the floor beneath their feet starts to twist and turn: the house rearranges itself like a giant Rubik's cube. To escape, they must solve the puzzle and the century-old mystery of a girl who disappeared ...

Reviewers liken this book to Jumanji and in fact that famous book is mentioned at one point. I did know all the kids would be safe but there are moments in this story where the dangers they encounter are truly terrifying. I suggest this book for readers aged 10+. Oh and these are modern kids from 2020 but conveniently they all have to leave their mobile phones at home. Sam smuggles his in his pocket but mysteriously it does not work in this strange house. 

A fabulous twist on a timeless haunted house adventure ... (It's) Scooby-Doo meets The Mysterious Benedict Society via Escape Room. Full of friendship, teamwork and logic versus instinct - all wrapped up in a book with thrills, heart and bags of atmosphere. Perfect for readers aged 9 and up. GLORIOUSLY SPOOKY AND UTTERLY SPLENDID.' Hana Tooke, author of The Unadoptables. Reading Zone

Emma Read's no holds barred use of descriptive language allows the reader to see, hear and even smell the malevolence of Manvers Hall. Many female readers will relate to the main character, Deliah; she loves maths and riddles but is often mocked and considered 'nerdy'. It's wonderful, therefore, that Deliah's penchant for puzzles is the group's salvation; a powerful embodiment of feminism and a strong reminder to be happy in the skin that you are in. Reading Zone

Here is the website for Emma Read.

Companion books:

Floors

Her Perilous Mansion

Small Change for Stuart

Out of the Wild Night

The Parker Inheritance

Escape from Mr Lemoncello's Library

The Great Fox Illusion

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Something Somewhere by Richard Yaxley

"From his earliest memory, it had always been just his mum and him. Which was not perfect by any means, but it was okay because there was a pattern to how everything operated. Malt understood the dips and rises. ... 

How to recognise his mother's, her shifts between flashing anger or deep love, 

her wins and losses, her desire for something somewhere."

It has always been just Malt and his mother Bonnie. Their lives are unsettled, chaotic and fragmented.  Then one day she declares they are moving to Pembrook her childhood town and they are moving in with Malt's Grandmother. Malt, aged eleven, has never met his grandmother Zelda Zeglar. She lives alone in an old house with a small cherry orchard. So much is left unsaid in the relationship between this mother and daughter. It is clear Bonnie does not like her mother. There are some obviously heart-wrenching topics that neither will discuss. 

Bonnie decides Malt will not go to school so his days are spent wandering alone in the bush. He is free to roam but he is forbidden to visit a place called Bushman's Valley.

Malt and his dog Banjo enjoy exploring the countryside. Then out of the corner of his eye he thinks he sees someone. A girl appears in front of him.

"He was about to move forward when he glanced slightly to his left and saw her: a girl in a pale dress. She was standing within the trees looking in his direction. She seemed older than him, maybe fourteen or fifteen. ... She was very still and vigilant, like a wild animal checking it's surrounding. Her face was so white and expressionless ..."

At home, Bonnie declares Malt will now meet his father. Willo is the name of Malt's father. Bonnie tells Malt his father in in Greece, Alaska and other wildly fanciful places:  "his mother would spin the world globe, she'd been given as a gift on her last day of being a cleaner. when the globe stopped spinning she'd point to a country. 'There.' ... 'Don't tell anyone, but he's fighting a secret war ... "

Thinking about this book - How do you create a memorable character? 

• Give him an interesting name - as I have already said - in this book the main character is a boy named Malt. (I love the way Emily calls him Malteser).
• Give him a problem or worries or some difficulty in his life - in this case throughout his whole life Malt has tried to please his mother. He has learnt to read her moods and he knows how to carefully answer her questions. He endures her bad television and movie taste and worse, he somehow copes when they constantly have to pack up and move on in the hope of finding something somewhere. Malt has had to become a loner because they move way too often for him to form friendships. He also has no compass that might allow him to check the validity of the tales his mother spins especially about his absent father. 
• Give your readers reasons to feel deeply compassionate about, in this case, Malts welfare and awful live circumstances.

Add this this a wonderful, loving and wise grandmother and, as is often the case in books like this, add that she is able to cook delicious food which goes beyond just nourishment.

This is a thoroughly engrossing story with a plot line that you may have encountered before but that does not take away from this wonderful reading experience.

Familiar pieces of the plot that I am sure I have read in other stories:

• A lonely child encounters another child in a remote location - probably in a place he has been forbidden to visit
• The lonely child does not tell any adults about this new friend - there is strong sense this should all be kept a secret
• The new friend is somewhat mysterious. There are small pointers that something is not quite right but this is usually knowledge reserved for the reader and not the main character of the story
• The clothes of the other child are often slightly strange or old-fashioned or perhaps their manner of speaking is different (other worldly)
• The new friend is often braver and more fearless - the sense of danger is strong
• Through the course of their friendship the main character changes, growing more confident or gaining a stronger identity
• The lost child (the new friend) needs to complete a tasks or tasks to be 'set free'
• There can be themes of grief, mental health, missing children, mystery, and the setting is usually a forbidden bush land or forest

I did put the label 'ghost' on this post but please do not think of it as a lighthearted simple 'ghost' story. In fact Emily herself says she is not a ghost:

"Are you a ghost?' he whispered. 'Not in the way that you're thinking. Ghosts like that are a human invention. Believe me, there are no ghosts, not like people imagine them. None of that silly haunting stuff, like eerie noises and clanking chains ... I'm in between.  ... Ever since I left, I've been stuck in the middle."

"I'm a Middle ... which means my body isn't alive anymore, but my other part is. The trouble being, it hasn't been released to wherever the other parts go. Certain things need to happen, and until they do, I'm stuck."

After reading Something Somewhere please go back and read the first chapter 'Before'. 

One of the powerful parts of the writing in this book come from the descriptions of Bonnie and her driving. I was so sure on many occasions that Bonnie would have a major car accident. Her driving filled me with real terror. And if you need a scene for a book talk read the Christmas scene in the chapter entitled 'Puppets'. 

Another strength of this book is the way a fragment of an idea or a few words in phrase resonate with meaning. Look at these sentences:

This is the scene in his grandmother's kitchen - you can feel the possibility of kindness and comfort: "Inside the vase was a single flower, its pink petals basking within a final ray of sunlight."

And these words confirm her kindness: "she put her hand on Malt's shoulder ... It felt odd to be touched  in that way by someone else, but good because his grandmother's hand was light, like having a tiny friend perched there."

These words hint at the transience of their lives: "his mother was leaving ... Only the faint smell of her perfume lingered, and then not for long."

This is beyond my expertise, but I think Richard Yaxley included the owl as a visitor to Malt because in some mythologies such as Celtic mythology the owl "is a messenger from the otherworld, bringing knowledge and insight to humans." (Source). I also read this: "In Greek mythology, owls are associated with the goddess Athena, who is often depicted with an owl on her shoulder. Owls are seen as symbols of wisdom, knowledge, and protection in Greek mythology."

I am certain Something Somewhere will be a 2025 CBCA Younger Readers Notable title, and I do hope it is also shortlisted. In some ways this book made me think of the famous Australian movie Picnic at Hanging Rock.

It is both compelling and poignant, and the mystery unravels in a hugely satisfying way. Most of all, the reader will feel like cheering when realising that Malt will stay with his grandmother, safe and loved and nurtured, while his mother flits off into the sunset. I know I did. Just so Stories

Yaxley’s voice is compelling, you feel like you are experiencing what Malt does. ... Yaxley has a way with words that creates a world that is both believable and immersive. He knows and understands the dynamics of relationships between people and how their own life experiences and circumstances determine how they interact with others. His language choices and dialogue are strong and placed expertly in the right place at the right time. Malt has learnt to act small and knows how to react to his mother and her actions. As the story unfolds, and more characters are woven into the story little pieces of the puzzle slowly unfold. The reader is left asking the same questions as Malt. ... It is a gripping read that will not disappoint its young readers. Buzz Words

Companion books:

Ettie and the Midnight pool

Sunshine

Waiting for Normal

Small as an elephant

The Midnight Children

Pieces of Georgia

Being Jimmy Baxter

The Book of Chance

Who is Richard Yaxley?

Richard Yaxley lives in Queensland. His main writing is for Young Adults. WriteLinks have an event with Richard Yaxley in February 2025. 

• Leonardo Forever (Scholastic 2023)
• Harmony (Scholastic 2021; Long-listed for the ARA Historical Prize – CYA Section)
• A New Kind of Everything (Scholastic 2020)
• The Happiness Quest (Scholastic 2018; CBCA Notable Book for Older Readers 2019)
• This Is My Song (Scholastic 2017; ACU Book Of The Year 2019; Winner of the 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Literature; Finalist in the 2017 Queensland Literary Awards; also published in the Czech Republic by Albatros Media)
• Joyous and Moonbeam (Scholastic 2013; Finalist in the 2014 West Australian Premier’s Awards for Young Adult Literature)
• Spring Rain (Self-published 2011)
• Drink the Air (Strictly Literary: Winner of the 2010 Queensland Premier’s Award for Young Adult Fiction)
• Bloodlines (Strictly Literary 2009)
• The Rose Leopard (University of Queensland Press 2003)

Awards

• Medal in the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2011 for services to education, literature and performing arts
• Winner of the 2024 StoryLinks Short Story Competition for Fly High
• Recipient of the 2022 Queensland Writers Centre – Varuna Fellowship for Established Writers
• Judge for the 2021 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards (Children’s and Young Adult Literature)
• Recipient of a 2015 May Gibbs Literature Trust Creative Time Fellowship for the creation of This Is My Song
• Winner of the 2016 FAW NSW Walter Stone Award for Life Writing for Homecoming