Nell's Festival of Crisp Winter Glories by Glenda Millard illustrated by Stephen Michael King

"On Sunday morning, Perry Angel chose a pencil from his tin of seventy-two. Its name was Bluephyre and it was the colour of a fairy wren.  Bluephyre was shorter than the other pencils because it was Perry's favourite.  He used it when he and Nell wrote haiku.  But on this morning Perry didn't want Nell to see what he was doing, so he put Bluephyre in his pocket and took it to Annie's studio.  Keeping a secret from Nell was new and strange to Perry. When he was no-one's child, he could not have imagined living with someone you could ask anything of, tell anything to. But Nell was even more than that.  She could read your heart simply by looking into your eyes."

Perry loves Nell so much and he knows she loves to dance. He devises a plan so that Nell and his other most favourite person Jenkins can dance the beautiful Tennessee Waltz.  The whole community begin to make plans for Nell's festival of Crips winter Glories but when Nell has a serious accident it seems Perry's special dream might not come true.

Glenda Millard has done it again.  This is the seventh and final installment in the Kingdom of Silk series and reading it is like looking into a glass filled with sparkling diamonds.

I have already blogged The naming of Tishkin Silk,  Plum Puddings and paper moons, and The Tender Moments of Saffron silk which has just been short listed for the CBCA Younger Readers book of the year awards.

I am a huge fan of the Kingdom of Silk series. Right now, a girl in Grade 6 and her mum are reading them and it is such a joy to see how much they are enjoying these books and also the special bond that comes when two people find a book they both love. I read a lovely quote the other day "people who know and love the same books are you have the road map to your soul."  This is certainly true for me and the glorious Silk series.

My favourite part of this book is when Nell is given a walking aid. It is called "The Intrepid.  It was cherry read with wheels and brakes and a padded eat with a basket underneath.  Nell lifted the seat and looked at the basket. 'That will come in handy for putting vegetables in when I'm out in the garden,' Nell told the physiotherapist. 'And for library books when I'm visiting people at the old folk's home."  When my mum started using a four-wheel seat walker like the one Nell has, I wanted to give it a name, but we never managed to think of one.  I think 'The Intrepid' is such a perfect name - hopefully encouraging the older person to continue a life of adventure and surprises.

Having read the final book in this series I am now going to sit down and start all over again.  It is a rare thing for me to re-read books and it is also a rare thing for me to read every book in a series, but I have adored every one of these books and am so happy I can revisit them in my school library over and over again.

The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk by Glenda Millard illustrated by Stephen Michael King

“the skill of capturing a tender moment is the most wonderful thing…. It is more like magic than almost anything else in the universe, except perhaps reading hearts or books or seeing things that other people cannot.” Nell, grandmother of the Silk family has this gift – the skill of capturing tender moments.

At the naming ceremony for Saffron everyone hopes the pages of her book will be filled with tiny tender moments “those that make the soul tipsy with ordinary happiness.”

From the first pages of this next installment in the lives of the Silk family, Glenda Millard gently weaves her magic reminding her readers about the hopes and wishes of each member of the Silk family as we have come to know them through five previous books. Saffron is the fifth rainbow girl. She is a lover of history and individuality. Each of the children in this family have special talents. In The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk Glenda Millard gives us a close look at Saffron but something has gone wrong. She has been seeing firebirds but has not yet told anyone. Then one day, as they are all gathered together baking apple pies, Saffron collapses.

Each family member also expresses concern in his or her own unique way as Saffron is taken to the Doctor Larsson – the wise local GP. Griffin confides his fears to Layla and as usual she is able to reassure him. Layla is good at asking questions and as Griffin reflects “questions are tools for discovering the truth. They can be used like a sledgehammer to smash things open, or like a candle to lighten the dark.”

Saffron needs to go into the city for tests at a hospital. It is Perry who gives the two most precious gifts of all along with something truly magical from Nell.

If you have not yet met the Silk family you should walk quietly into your nearest library and seek them out. Begin with The naming of Tishkin Silk, and follow this with Layla Queen of Hearts, Perry Angel’s suitcase, All the Colours of Paradise and finally Plum Puddings and Paper Moons.

As I jumped off a city bus yesterday, I spied a bookshop across the street. I quickly crossed the road, headed down to the children’s section, scanned the shelves and pulled out a copy of The Tender moments of Saffron Silk. because I had discovered there was a new title in this series. I began reading over lunch, read all the way home on the bus and then sat up late into the night. The writing of Glenda Millard is so special it feels like nourishment for my soul.

Here are some teaching notes.

Plum Puddings and Paper Moons by Glenda Milllard

“Magic is left over from childhood … we are all born with magic in us but many of us forget about it when we are grown up.”

When I read books to young children I often feel this kind of magic. I want to start this blog with three seemingly disconnected thoughts/events.

A young boy gave me a very special gift today – a bar of chocolate all the way from Belgium where he had recently travelled with his family.

Every so often a book arrives in our library that is so precious it leaves me breathless with anticipation. I have to begin reading straight away.

I don’t come from a large family but if I could choose a family to join this would be a very easy decision. I would choose the Silk family. They are incredibly special people who I have come to know and love through the skillful and magical writing of Glenda Millard.

Gifts? Yes I really did receive a lovely gift today. A gift chosen especially for me (a chocolate lover) and a gift given in kindness. The book that arrived today was the fifth book about the Silk family called Plum Puddings and Paper moons. At its heart I feel this book is about gifts even though the gifts are expressed as wishes. There are two kinds of wishes – those that are deep and dark and made aloud wishes that are usually for fun and not important at all. The silks call this second kind “Red kite wishes”.

Scarlett the oldest Silk sister wishes for peace in the world. The catalyst for this is a young refugee boy who has come to live in the town of Cameron’s Creek. Scarlett asks an important big question and hears the horrible truth about Anik’s family. “When I return home there is only smoke and fires. My village is burning. My house is gone. I hear guns and I run very fast.” Anik’s words spill out like hot soup. Scarlett needs to take action so she uses her worn out school tights to make wishbands. She sells these for fifty cents to all the people in Cameron’s Creek and on Christmas eve over three hundred people from the town gather in a quiet demonstration for peace.

Afterwards, in true Silk tradition, everyone gathers for a shared meal under the Cox’s Orange Pippin and for this Ben Silk has made a new table. It is so large and long nine men are needed to lift it out of the workshop. The table is made from the wood of an old bridge. Bridges have featured very prominently with us this year in school across Australia. Bridges do bring people together.

Finally I need to mention cakes, I love to cook cakes and one I regularly cook is an Armenian Nutmeg cake. Glenda Millard calls it an Armenian love cake and she kindly includes the recipe in the back of the book. I can tell you this is a delicious cake and just as delicious is the idea that Amber (another Silk sister) makes cakes to show her true feelings when words don’t come easily. Silver milk bottle tops also feature in this story and they were certainly a part of my childhood.

If you haven’t discovered the Kingdom of Silk find these books and start from the beginning this is a reading journey that will linger with you for a long time.

The Naming of Tishkin Silk, Layla Queen of Hearts, Perry Angel's suitcase, All the colours of Paradise by Glenda Millard

There are some books where the words are like golden honey spread onto warm fresh bread. That is how I feel about all four books about the Silk family by Glenda Millard. In reading order these, almost spiritual books, are The Naming of Tishkin Silk, Layla Queen of Hearts, Perry Angel’s suitcase and the newest title All the colours of Paradise.

In The Naming of Tishkin Silk we meet Griffin. At his naming ceremony his Daddy had said “We welcome you to the Silk family and offer you the name of Griffin William Silk. May you rise up on wings as the eagle and may your heart have the courage of a lion.” Naming page 63

Griffin has five rainbow sisters- Scarlet, Indigo, Violet, Amber and Saffron. Each child in the family has a special name day book with a cover carved by their father Ben and pages of paper made by their mother Annie. Layla is a very special girl who makes friends with Griffin after his first harrowing day at school. “It wasn’t Layla’s smile or her cheerful greeting or her blue, blue eyes or even her shiny black hair that made Griffin come out from under the tree. It was the daisy chain that she wore like a crown on her head…. ‘I’m pleased to meet you Princess Layla,’ he said gravely, offering his hand to the Princess. ‘I’m Griffin Silk.’” Naming page 19, 21

Another very special character in these books is the family dog called Blue. In the second book Layla needs someone special to take for Senior Friends day. She meets Miss Amelie and Layla is able to give this elderly lady unconditional love and happiness in the last few weeks of her life. “Blue saw Layla’s distress. He moved his head, left a warm patch on the old one’s lap for her and watched the comforting begin. He knew the girl was in safe hands. The old one had a kind heart. She had rescued him at birth; unwanted, deaf and the runt of the litter, and had treated him like one of her own ever since. And his boy was a fine boy. He too had loved him from the beginning. It was no surprise to Blue when Griffin put his arms around Layla.” Layla page 84

Finally in the family we have Nell, the most magical of grandmothers and a very special little foster boy called Perry Angel.

My favourite scenes in these books are the special picnic’s and breakfasts held under the Coxon’s Orange Pippin which is an old apple tree in the garden. In All the Colours of Paradise Indigo makes the breakfast and decorations. “Indigo’s world was sensational. Hanging from the stooping boughs of the apple tress were hundreds of tiny blue and purple paper cranes. Even the tiniest puff of wind made them sway gently to and fro. From a distance they looked like butterflies.” Paradise page 74

These four little books are written for very sensitive readers. They are filled with poetic language, love, sadness, laughter, beauty and warmth. These books should never go out of print and should be read by mature readers who love fine words and aspire to live in a world like The Kingdom of Silk. If you loved Sarah Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan), if you cried in Sadako and the Thousand paper cranes (Eleanor Coerr), if you treasure Hana’s suitcase (Karen Levine), if Old Pig (Margaret Wild) touched your heart then these four books, by Glenda Millard illustrated by Stephen Michael King, are meant for you.

To quote Maurice Saxby who praises The Naming of Tishkin Silk “A poetic paean of hope offering home and sanctuary to troubled souls of any age and any generation. This book nourishes the soul.”

One final quote to show the honey of this writing. This is one of my favourite descriptions : “(The Silk Road) meandered between the paddocks, a generous ribbon of gravel with a mean smear of bitumen up the middle and dribbling off the edges. Clumps of blowfly grass and scaly grey lichens trespassed undisturbed on the road’s ragged borders.” Naming page 16