The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman illustrated by Marcin Minor

When winds blow

Through Deadwood east

The undead monster waits to feast

On little bones

And braids

And toes

But don't you scream

Or its hunger grows!

While I did read this book fairly quickly over a couple of days it took me a little while to get used to the use of a girls name Clare for a male character - the undead fox.

What does undead mean? Well, when a creature dies it usually just heads off to the afterlife but there are some creatures that need help to find the right door or realm. This guiding or, as it is called here, the Ushering, is the job of the undead - in this case Clare the fox but there have been many others before him - Brickbane a fox; Eddifoot a racoon; Po an elk and Felix a moth. There are four destinations:

"Travel north from here and you'll find the realm of Peace ... for those who found joy in rest. Head east and you encounter the realm of Pleasure ... best suited to those who sought fun about all else. Directly west is Progress ... for those who loved work, service and effort. And finally travel south ... and one enters the realm of Pain."

Clare has been sending the souls who arrive at his cottage in Deadwood Forest to the 'right' door for over four years. He enjoys his work and loves tending to his extensive mushroom garden but deep in his heart he is lonely and also frightened because Brickbane told him on the night of his death that he was destined for Pain. And not only that a prophecy song is circulating:

"On All Hallows Eve, Deadwood will bring mayhem to Fernlight. And before the moon sets, one in Deadwood will vanish forever."

Then there is new arrival. It is a badger named Gingersnipes. Astute readers will realise something is wrong. Gingersnipes does not arrive in the usual way by knocking on Clare's door. When Clare sends Gingersnipes away to his assigned realm "he did not wait for the crackling sound of her departure".  This is a big mistake.

Hopefully now you have lots of unanswered questions. How did Clare die? Why did Gingersnipes arrive at this time? What does do the songs of All Hallows Eve mean? Who is the little girl with the red shoes? Can the message and advice from Hesterfowl be trusted? And most important of all what on earth is a braid?  (Of course, dear reader you know the answer to this final question but it is a mystery to Clare).

There is one very violent scene near the end of this book so I am going to say this is a book for mature readers aged 10+. 

All of this plot sounds every 'heavy' but there are some sweet touches of humour in this story and you are sure to enjoy meeting the rats at the dump named Nine and Two. The names of the mushrooms that Clare collects from the forest are also delightful. And I loved the way Clare always said 'travel true' as he sent lost souls off to their assigned realm. 

Here is a description of Clare's cottage:

"Clare, for example, had strung the ceiling with rows and rows of twine. The walls were lined with shelves crammed with jars of all shapes and colours, gathered from Deadwood Dump and filled with dried fungi. In the firelight the vessels glinted and glowed, splashing the hollow in jewelled hues."

Here is a line that made me smile - it is Gingersnipes speaking:

"I have a moose-sized bone to pick with you. Four times you sent me into that forest. And four times the coloured lights led me back here. Is this some sort of game? A test? Because I'm tired of it, fox!"

And later Gingersnipes says: "You're a tough nut to crack, Clare, and frankly I am not a squirrel!"

There is an interesting theme in this book about thirst - this is something I need to think a little more about. Being undead Clare does not need food or drink, but he makes special tea for all his visitors and so it seems important and very strange that once Gingersnipes arrives, and Clare's world shifts, he seems to be desperately thirsty all the time. 

Here is a description of Hesterfowl the grouse - "She wore a cloak of moss. A collar of bones encircled her short neck, some poor dead animal's rib cage fanning up and around her head. The feathers surrounding her eyes were smeared with berry pulp and groomed into sharp points." (I need to make special mention of the amazing illustrations in this book AND question why his name is not on the cover or title page. You can see his art here on Instagram). Marcin Minor lives in Poland.

Image source Instagram

I think it was the cover that first caught my attention. Checking some details I see the hardcover of this book arrived here in Australia in late February 2025 then, as I already mentioned I was given a generous book voucher for one of book chain stores here in Sydney - so when I saw they had the paperback which was released in April this book was an obvious first purchase.

SPOILER ALERT - Bookseller blurb: Clare is the undead fox of Deadwood Forest. Here, leaves grow in a perpetual state of fall: not quite dead, but not quite alive...just like Clare. Long ago, he was struck by a car, and, hovering between life and death, he was given the choice to either cross into the Afterlife or become an Usher of wandering souls. Clare chose the latter: stepping into a solitary life of helping souls meet their destiny. Clare's quiet and predictable days are met with upheaval when a badger soul named Gingersnipes (arrives). Despite Clare's efforts to usher her into the Afterlife, the badger is unable to find her way out of Deadwood. This is unprecedented. Baffling. A disturbing mystery which threatens the delicate balance of the living and the dead. Clare seeks the help of Hesterfowl--the visionary grouse who recently foretold of turmoil in Deadwood. But Hesterfowl divulges a shocking revelation about the badger that leaves Clare devastated, outraged, and determined to do anything to change their fate.

Read some young reader reviews - very insightful.

Heartbreaking, marvelously funny, and generously redemptive. Kirkus Star review

"I really love Gingersnaps" "A timeless book". Colby Sharp Newbery prediction.

US author Aubrey Hartman has written two books. Check out her webpage.  

Companion books:

Good Dog

Loteria

The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke

Magrit

Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French

"She never realised that she knew so little about herself, not even her name or family, or even what she looked like now that she was dressed as a girl. ... I know myself now, she thought. I can hold up a stagecoach and catch a possum and cook a pigeon pie so good the pigeon would have proudly given up its feathers for it. I know I can survive an attack by drunken men ... I can find a good life for myself. I just don't know where or what it will be."

Tigg needs money to pay the woman who was given charge of her many years ago. Ma Murphy, a 'baby farmer' was paid enough money to keep her when Tigg was small but when the money stopped coming in she took the four children in her care to the gold diggings with a plan to open a tavern. Sadly, three of these children died but young Tigg survived. In the opening scene Tigg is disguised as a boy and she holds up a stagecoach demanding money from the travellers. During the altercation she is shot in the shoulder. She manages to get back to Ma Murphy but Tigg knows she is now wanted by the police so she needs to leave and hide. She joins a young Chinese man who is escorting a large group of 'Celestials' who are travelling from Robe in South Australia to the Victorian Goldfields. She joins the group at the South Australian border. The journey is anticipated to take three to six weeks. 

I loved all the refences to food in this book especially near the end when Tigg makes two new friends in Goulburn. It was also fascinating to read about all the ways Tigg used her bush survival skills, taught to her by a young indigenous woman, to find food, shelter and even make a possum cloak while she was hiding out in the bush. There are some memorable human characters in this story such as Henry Lau who escorts her on the Long Walk, but I also loved her horse named Bucephalus. It was fortuitous that 'Gentleman Once' who taught Tigg to read and write also gave her a book entitled 'Advice for a Young Lady in the Colonies'. I laughed when Tigg remembered and perhaps misunderstood some of the 'advice' from this book. 

Tigg is an orphan but her hardships and life circumstance have made her very canny especially with 'reading people' and also with money. It was comforting to read she kept her stash of money close to her body and that she also had even more money hidden in the bush. Her dream of a family, a home, comfort and food gave me hope that Jackie French was taking me on a story journey with a satisfying happy ending. Also thank goodness Jackie French allowed Tigg to take a bath every now and again - I always worry when someone has no food, no bed, no shelter, has to contend with wild weather but even more I desperately wanted Tigg to be able to feel clean. 

The back notes in this book are essential reading - especially after you finish this novel - because the give a historical context to these events of 1800s Australia. 

Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger has been short listed for our 2025 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Younger Readers book award. I will confess that while I did adore many of Jackie French's early books her more recent titles have not quite resonated with me - but all of that has now changed. Jackie French, when writing her best books, skillfully blends masses of history research into a terrific story. At no time does this book about Tigg feel like a history lesson but of course that is exactly what it is. For example I had no idea about the Long Walk nor about the way the Chinese people set up market gardens in remote rural Australia. Sadly, I did know about 'baby farming' because decades ago I read another fiction book based on this gruesome practice - Mama's Babies by Gary Crew (2002). My only tiny criticism (echoed by the Reading Time reviewer) is that there are lots of story threads in this book and at times I did find it difficult to keep track of all the characters - a family tree for Tigg might have been helpful. 

I loved this description of Tigg's first ever hug:

"Tigg hesitated. She'd never been hugged before. She'd always thought it looked uncomfortable. She tentatively put her own arms around his waist. A hug didn't feel at all like being imprisoned in chains. It just felt warm and safe ... She stepped back after a while, wishing Advice for a Young Lady in the Colonies had told her how long a father-daughter hug should last for."

Read more about the Long Walk here

Author webpage blurb: The year is 1859 and the goldfields are filled with diggers – and danger! Orphaned twelve-year-old Tigg is the Bandicoot Bushranger, the youngest bushranger on the Ballarat goldfields in 1859. When a robbery goes wrong, Tigg must flee in disguise as one of the tens of thousands of Chinese men and boys braving heat, thirst, starvation and murderous attacks on the long road from Robe in South Australia to the goldfields in Victoria. But even further danger threatens. Who has offered a large sum of money for Tigg's capture? And is the mysterious Henry Lau a friend or enemy? To be safe, Tigg must solve the greatest mystery of all. Who is Tigg?

Here are some teachers notes. Here are the first three chapters of Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger.

This story resonates on many levels and stays in the mind long after reading its final pages. The lengthy Author’s Note is a thought provoking read either before or after reading the Tigg’s story. Story Links

The 2025 CBCA Younger Readers short list has really disappointed me. I have previously mentioned six other titles which I think better match the judging criteria for this category. 

In my personal opinion there are only two books in this selection that are worthy of our prestigious National Award - Laughter is the Best Ending and now I add Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger. To and Fro is a heartfelt personal story of identity and belonging but the silly additions of 'toilet humour' really distracted from this story for me. Aggie Flea has eight references to 'farts and farting' and Saskia Spark-Lee is a light read - perfect for newly independent readers but not sufficient depth of caliber for our award (again this is just my personal opinion).

Jackie French has talked about bushrangers in previous books such as this fairly recent one which I also really enjoyed:

Night Ride into Danger

Other Jackie French stories about bushrangers are Dancing with Ben Hall; The Night they Stormed Eureka; The Horse who bit a Bushranger; and The Secret of the Black Bushranger.

In my former library I really enjoyed exploring bushranger picture books with my Grade Five groups as a way to extend their class study of our Australian Gold Rush era. Here are a few you could share with a group in your school library (note these are all are now out of print but are sure to be found in well stocked collections). We also explored lots of materials about Ned Kelly of course.

The Oath of Bad Brown Bill

My own favourites, among the enormous number of books by Jackie French (Our IBBY Australia Hans Christian Andersen nominee in 2008) are Tajore Arkle; The Book of Unicorns (short stories); A Waltz for Matilda; The Shaggy Gully Times; The Tomorrow Book; Christmas Always comes; and Diary of a Wombat.

The Only Branch on the Family Tree by Sherryl Clark illustrated by Astred Hicks

Gemma's teacher sets a school assignment - draw and present your family tree. Everyone seems to be able to this easily - all except Gemma. Her family is just two people. No grandparents, no dad, no siblings, no cousins. Luckily Gemma is a problem solver so she decides to make a collage of pictures of 'mum and me'.

I started with the old photos

she'd put away

in boxes

and saved on the computer.

...

I found pictures of Mum

with her mum and dad

it's awful that they're gone

'they died,' she said

but then I found one photo

on the computer

that said something different.

Gemma discovers she does have a grandmother, and that she is alive, and even more surprising she does not live very far away. 

So now as a reader you will have lots of questions:

• Why did mum tell Gemma her grandmother had died?
• Will Gemma be able to find her grandmother?
• What will her grandmother say when she meets Gemma?
• Can Gemma solve this mystery and can she be brave and confront her mum about this lie?
• And are we heading for a happy ending for this family?

As with all good verse novels there is a deep emotional layer to this story. Readers aged 9+ are sure to enjoy this book and because it is so very short it is also perfect for reluctant readers. I also think this book might hook a few kids onto reading. Congratulations to UQP on the fabulous cover design - very appealing. 

This lovely verse novel from UQP and Sherryl Clark looks at family dynamics from a different perspective – about estrangement and isolation within families, because not every family is the same. ... Whilst the book doesn’t touch on the specifics of the conflict and estrangement, I think this is what makes it so much more powerful and allows readers to see themselves in this novel, especially if they have been through similar experiences to Gemma. The Book Muse

A couple of weeks ago I read Just Like Jackie. It is such a similar story and would be a perfect companion book to read after The Only Branch of the Family Tree.

Just like Jackie

I was so excited when UQP offered to send me this new verse novel by Sherryl Clark - I am a huge fan of her work and we had a brilliant day many years ago when she visited my school. I read all of these to children in my school library over many years:

This is one of my favourite Verse Novels

I need to find a copy for my own shelves

Hope you can find this one - perfect for all girls in Grade Six

Motormouth

 Mina and the whole wide world

POST UPDATE: I just discovered another book that includes the plot point of drawing up a family tree as part of a class project. I have added this book to my own "to read" list.

Publisher blurb: It’s the first week of middle school, and Ash (don’t call her “Ashley”) already has a class assignment: Make a family tree. But how can Ash make a family tree if she doesn’t have a family? Ever since she was four years old, Ash has been in foster care, living with one so-called family after another. Now she’s stuck with Gladys. And the only place Ash feels safe is in the branches of her favorite tree, drawing in her sketchbook, hidden from the view of Gladys’ son Jordan. As Jordan becomes harder to hide from, and more dangerous to be around, Ash isn’t sure who she can trust. A new friend, an old friend, some teachers at school? Sometimes the hardest part of asking for help is knowing who to ask.

Here is the Kirkus Star review.

Just like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard

First-time novelist Lindsey Stoddard hits a home run with this touching story of a rough-around-the-edges but loveable protagonist. Kids Book a Day

Her name is Robinson - that's her first name. Do not call her Robin! Robinson is a champion at playground snow baseball and an expert with car repairs. She is a feisty girl who should not be crossed but she also has a longing in her heart. Robinson knows nothing about her mother. She knows her mother died just after she was born but her grandfather refuses to talk about her. Then the worst possible thing happens at school. The teacher sets an assignment to draw and present a talk about their family tree. Robinson only has one person in her family. This assignment is NOT going to happen. She also has to contend with a bully at school and now she has been dragged into group counselling sessions with a special teacher oh and that bully kid is there too!

Meanwhile her grandfather's memory is failing. Charlie is still okay with working on cars in his mechanics business and Robinson is always thrilled when she can work there too but at other times he keeps forgetting his words and misplacing every day items such as his favourite flannel shirt. There is also a crisis on the day they are pouring the maple syrup and his hand is badly burnt. It seems certain someone will report her grandfather and they will be separated. Robinson knows she has to fight against this no matter what.

Luckily there are kind people in her life. Her friend Derek, Harold who works with Charlie at the garage, Harold's partner Paul (they are about to adopt a baby), Ms Gloria the school counsellor, and Candace another kid in the counselling group.

Here are a few text quotes to give you a flavour of this story:

"Plus the ground is thawing and the sap is running and Grandpa could use my help collecting it from the maple trees we tapped, then boiling it into syrup. School just gets in the way of the stuff worth doing."

"he didn't do anything wrong except get given a bad kid."

"It makes me wonder if she can see into Grandpa's tired memory and if she knows that sometime he leaves his keys in the refrigerator and the milk by the door."

"There are only three places in the whole world that make me feel like this, I'm not sparky at all. Third base where Jackie Robinson played; our sugar maple trees in the backyard; and in Grandpa's garage fixing something that's broken."

"I'll never be able to find any memories. And I'm scared he's forgetting his. Then I'll never know."

"Her eyes are blue. Not baby-blanket wussy blue ... they're windshield washer-fluid blue. Like they could scrub-the-streaks-and-smudges-and-bird-crap-right-out-of-you-blue."

"I can only remember my mom and feel that feeling in my gut that I get when I remember she's dead because I'm alive but I don't even know why because Grandpa is closed up so tight."

"I'm so sad at Grandpa's brain because I don't know how to diagnose his malfunction, and I don't even know if he knows that his check engine light's on."

I started this book on a long train journey and finished it the next day but here is a warning - it might not have been a good idea to read this book in public because I sobbed (twice) near the end - I am sure the person sitting next to me on the bus wondered what on earth was going on!

This book could feel too American for an Australian child but really I was fascinated to learn about the making of maple syrup and also I don't think it matters at all that I had never heard of the famous baseball player Jackie Robinson. I also had to research shoes called Air Griffeys. 

Publisher blurb: For as long as Robinson Hart can remember, it’s just been her and Grandpa. He taught her about cars, baseball, and everything else worth knowing. But Grandpa’s memory has been getting bad–so bad that he sometimes can’t even remember Robbie’s name. She’s sure that she’s making things worse by getting in trouble at school, but she can’t resist using her fists when bullies like Alex Carter make fun of her for not having a mom. Now she’s stuck in group guidance–and to make things even worse, Alex Carter is there too. There’s no way Robbie’s going to open up about her life to some therapy group, especially not with Alex in the room. Besides, if she told anyone how forgetful Grandpa’s been getting lately, they’d take her away from him. He’s the only family she has–and it’s up to her to keep them together, no matter what.

Validating, heart-rending, and a deft blend of suffering and inspiration. Kirkus Star review

Listen to a five minute audio sample. Warning there are some mildly strong language used in this book for example the words 'crap' 'effing' and 'bull crap'. 

I previously read and loved two other books by Lindsey Stoddard.  Just Like Jackie was published in 2018 it may still be available - I read a Kindle version.

Right as Rain

Brave Like That

I have also added this book to my 'to read' list as it also tackles the topic of a family tree school assignment told by a girl with no family.

Thunderhead by Sophie Beer

"The possibly dying part of the surgery didn't scare me. It was the deaf part that scared me. Life without music. Even though music is my life."

Thunderhead is a long way outside my 'reading demographic'. It is a Young Adult title and I mostly read books for ages 5-12; and it is filled with contemporary music references nearly all of which meant nothing to me mainly because I am 'too old' or I missed this experience during my own teenage years. I will say some reviewers (see the end of this post) disagree and I have seen this book recommended for ages 10+ but I think it will have greater appeal to readers aged 12+ in the early years of High School. 

Thunderhead did hold my attention but I think my reading experience was probably only set to about 30% because I could not really relate to the enormous number references to music and also, unlike most reviewers, I did find the angsty teenage friendship trials a little tedious even though I am sure this is probably how most teenagers really do feel as they navigate change and try to work out how to fit in. My own teenage years were agony but I do not want to dwell on or think about events from over fifty years ago. 

Here is the publisher blurb:

Meet Thunderhead: awkward, music-obsessed and a magnet for bad luck. Their favourite things in life are listening to records and hanging out with their best (and only) friend Moonflower. But Thunderhead has a big secret. And when Moonflower moves schools, they're faced with the reality of surviving the wilderness of high school alone. Make new friends? NOTHANKYOUVERYMUCH. As two big life events approach, Thunderhead posts playlists and heartfelt diary entries as an outlet to try to make sense of their changing world, to try to calm the storm brewing in their brain and to try to find the courage to unfurl their heart.

Here are some text quotes which did resonate with me:

"I care so much about what people think of me that it keeps me awake at night, remembering cringe, ridiculous things I've said, twisting myself inside out with embarrassment."

"Get up and speak in front of the class? I would rather eat my own shoe with tomato sauce and a pocket knife."

"Music is one of the only sources of true magic I can think of. You can put a song on and suddenly be engulfed in memories of when you discovered it or what you were doing when you first heard it. Songs are spells, woven with melody and lyrics."

"At first I was scared I was going to die. Which is a pretty heavy thing when you're still as tall as you were in Year Four. I'd like to die having reached the prerequisite height to go on a roller-coaster, thanks very much."

"Mr Dosun (the school counsellor) is a bumbling, good-natured guy who I'm fairly certain is the result of a bad magic spell and is actually a golden retriever in a human's body."

"I get so angry that I have to be a BODY. I wish I were some ethereal spirit, flitting through dimensions and the space-time continuum, not bogged down by being inside a mound of flesh that is falling apart."

"Approximately every seven years, every cell in your body has died and been replaced. ... I met Moonflower seven years ago, when we were in Year Two. In that seven years, every cell inside her body has died and been replaced by another. She is literally not the same person who I first became friends with."

The daughter of one of my friends works for our Australian radio station called Triple J - even though she is way older than the intended audience for Thunderhead I kept thinking she would really enjoy this book so I think I will send her the details. Unlike me, she is sure to know 100% of the music references and her teenage years are recent enough for the trials and tribulations of friendships and the desperate need to 'fit in' to still resonate. 

Readers can find all the songs from this book via a Spotify list but since I don't have an account with this service I was unable to add this layer to my own reading. You can however listen to samples of the tracks. There are over 180 tracks because each entry in Thunderhead opens with a list of five or six tracks that reflect the themes or her feelings as she goes through her complex life journey. 

Thunderhead is sure to be a CBCA 2025 Notable title - hopefully in the Older Readers category.

This is the album Thunderhead really wants to own:

Here is an interview where Sophie Beer talks to Joy Lawn (Paperbark Words). Allen and Unwin list some famous author endorsements for this book on their webpage. 

Click each of these review links for more plot details:

It’s a difficult review to write, without giving away too many of the secrets and twists but I can assure you that this is one fabulous and moving novel. Just so Stories

I loved this book, because it was lovingly and thoughtfully created with personal experience and excellent research. It’s one of those books that I couldn’t put down, and that comes to life vibrantly on the page. It’s full of heart and soul, music and joy, family and friends. It will make you laugh, cry, and cheer, and get into your heart and soul. Feeling seen and understood in the books you read is a powerful thing, and we need to have more awesome disability representation like this. The Book Muse

And music itself is a character in the book. Every chapter begins with a playlist – Playlist for Luck, Playlist for New Friends, Playlist for Staring Big, Awful, Scary Things Right in the Eyes. Beer cleverly establishes Thunderhead’s long term love of music via intergenerational influences to ensure the lists don’t date the book, with everything from Nina Simone, to Taylor Swift, to mxmtoon. Storylinks

Here is the webpage for Sophie Beer where you can see her previous picture books. It is fun to link her new Upper Primary/High School book Thunderhead with her work on the Little People Big Dreams title about Elton John. Sophie Beer did all the art in Thunderhead and at times this gives the book a graphic novel feel. 

Cora Seen and Heard by Zanni Louise

"Do you ever feel like you're living inside a shell? Something hard and impenetrable? You think it's transparent - that people can see you. Then you realise they can't. No one can see you. The real you."

I read this book in one sitting and for an hour or two I was right inside Cora's head listening to her worries and the way she tries to navigate relationships with her peers and her family.

Readers who have had previous experience with books like this - realistic middle grade fiction - are sure to work out the major plot point long before the main character but that just adds to your reading enjoyment as you keep turning the pages desperate for Cora to 'see the obvious' about the old lady who lives just down the road from her new home and also understand why Elle has secrets. 

Just after grandad dies, Cora, her sister Bekah, along with mum Wendy and Dad Hank, have moved from Queensland to a small town in Tasmania. Dad has a talent for renovation, but this project could test him. They have bought an old, run down, disused theatre. In past years this was an important place in the town because it is where the famous jazz singer Clair de Lune once performed. 

Cora finds school difficult - she is always on the outside and she finds it very hard to make friends. Moving to a new school and new town Cora is determined to reinvent herself - moving from Cora 1.0 to Cora 2.0. She does have some ideas about how to do this but once again so many things go wrong. Luckily the kids in her new class, especially Elle, do know how to make a new friend and before long Cora finds herself part of a small team who are chosen to take on a community project. 

Cora 1.0 survived in her previous school by hiding out in the library. When things go wrong in the new school she finds the library again but then the Teacher-Librarian tells her the library is going to be changed into a classroom and there will be no Teacher-Librarian employed next year. Cora knows this has to be her community project. As an aside it is interesting to see which library books are mentioned in this story - Goosebumps; Heartstopper (Young Adult graphic novel); and Okay for Now by Gary D Schmidt. There are also lots of popular culture references to current musicians and bands and television shows such as The Voice. 

Here is some life advice from Cora:

• The louder your voice, the stronger you become.
• Flick your hair confidently as you follow your bestie onto the bus.
• Be amazing. You've got this.
• Find a cause.

Publisher blurb: Cora Lane gets tongue-tied, is often ignored and would rather hide in the library than step onto a stage. However, when her parents decide to renovate an old theatre in small-town Tasmania, Cora realises this is the perfect opportunity for her to reinvent her personality. Enter Cora 2.0, stage left.

When Cora quickly slips back into her old ways and has once again made friends with the librarian. rather than kids her own age, she feels lost. Frustrated she’s not the person she wants to be, she shares her deepest feelings with her imaginary pen pal. The last thing she’d expect is for her letters to go missing. And now, the real Cora Lane is about to go public, but is she ready?

This is one of those books that I have found difficult to pin down in terms of a suggested reader. Soiler alert - Cora does get her first period so that means I would say this book is for 11+. Her sister decides she is bisexual and forms a new relationship with her girlfriend. That means I would say this book is a Young Adult title. It also feels at times there is just one issue to many for the characters to grapple with - Elle has dyslexia; grandma is an alcoholic; and mum is trying to cope with the raw grief of losing her father and helping her elderly mother who now lives over 2000km away. 

The publisher offers this advice: This novel contains references to alcoholism, sexuality, puberty, abuse.

Here is a set of detailed Teacher Notes from the publisher Walker Books Australia. 

Each of these reviews has more plot details:

Brilliant in every way, Zanni Louise has created another amazing novel with a chain of personal stories and happenings about reinvention, loneliness, friendship, and family being the twine that binds things together. Kids' Book Review

Zanni Louise’s latest middle grade book focuses on the confusing feelings young people have at the age of about twelve, when primary school is finishing, when they’re hitting puberty and girls are going through lots of emotional changes and conflicts with friends and family, and where big changes can mean great upheaval – and not just a physical move or change. ... This story is as much about acceptance of the flaws in others as it is about flaws in ourselves, and the coming together of communities to celebrate the past and future. The Book Muse

What a very lovely and warm journey of self-discovery it is, and I am supremely sure that young readers will embrace this one ... Just So Stories

It was rather difficult writing the synopsis of Cora Seen and Heard as it has so many themes, all of which are explored with sensitivity, insight, and cleverly crafted writing. Reading Time

Here is another Australian book with the title Clair de Lune.  You are sure to know the famous music by Debussy but that is not especially relevant to this book because this character Clare de Lune is a jazz singer. I previously talked about another book by Zanni Louise - Queenie in seven moves. 

Companion books:

The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart

Ode to a Nobody

Pablo and Birdy by Alison McGhee illustrated by Ana Juan

"I don't want any more fake stories ... I want my real story, the whole story. I only know the part that begins here, when we came floating in on the waves."

Before you read this book you might like to listen to Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan because this is the song that forms the background of Pablo's life with Emmanuel. 

As a tiny baby Pablo washed up on the beach of an island named Isla. The baby was in a small blow-up swimming pool with a lavender parrot. Fast forward and Pablo is turning ten. That day he arrived there had been a tropical storm with strong winds. The local weather reporter calls these 'the winds of change' and they haven't been seen on Isla for nearly ten years. According to local legend 'winds of change mean fortune lost or fortune gained'.  Pablo is about to turn ten. It is predicted the winds are coming. Pablo is upset with all the speculations about his origins. This birthday he is questioning everything, and he wants to know the truth. 

Pablo's best friend is Birdy. She is a parrot who washed up with him all those years ago and she is his protector, but she cannot fly and she cannot 'talk'. The tourist industry of Isla is built around another legendary parrot called the Seafaring Parrot or Seafarer. 

"Reported sightings of Seafarers were very rare, and only when the winds of change were blowing. ... But the most unusual trait of the Seafaring Parrots, according to legend, had to do with sound. Sounds exist in vibrations ... Humans with their unexceptional ears, could hear a sound at the moment it was made, and thereafter only in memory. But not the remarkable Seafaring Parrot. For them, all sound lived on for all eternity ... at any given moment a seafarer could hear and reproduce all the sounds ever made. The laughter of everyone who ever lived. The cries of everyone who ever lived."

Could Birdy be a Seafaring parrot? If she is, then she will be able to tell Pablo the true story of where he came from—of who tied him so lovingly and safely to that raft? But, if she is, that also means the second part of the Seafarer myth is true…that Seafaring Parrots will, eventually, fly away. Simon and Schuster

There are deeper themes in this book about migration and home and belonging:

"Emmanuel, why did you family leave Cuba? ... 'For the same reason that most people leave their hoe, Pablito ... To make a new life somewhere.' 'But why?' Padlo persisted. 'Why would anyone want to leave their home?' ... 'It's not always a question of want, my boy. Countries can be like families. Sometimes they argue with other countries, or the people in one country argue with each other. Things turn out bad. Life can feel impossible, whether because there's no way to make a living or there's war or, for whatever reason, they don't feel free."

I also loved the parallel story of the stray dog that Pablo eventually rescues. It always warms my heart when a dirty tangled haired stray is washed and fed and cared for. Alison McGhee gives her readers little fragments of the back story of this little dog but at the end we never really know how he came to be on Isla and how is arrival is at exactly the right time for Pablo.

A quiet, memorable, fantastical tale beautifully complemented by Juan’s illustrations.  Kirkus Star review

Above all things, this is a story with heart. Mountains of it. Pablo and Birdy are impossible not to love, and the townspeople are natural neighbors, which one wishes they could have. Pablo's search for answers, his attempts to save Birdy and the ache of discovering the truth make this an unforgettable tale. Bookworm for Kids

Here are some comprehension and vocabulary questions.

I read so many books one of my strategies to keep their plot lines clear in my mind is by try to avoid reading books with similar plot lines one after the other. With Pablo and Birdy I broke this rule - albeit unintentionally. My post yesterday talks about The What on Earth Institute of Wonder by Lisa Nicol. That book has so much in common with Pablo and Birdy:

• Both stories have a child who has be sent a special bird
• The child can communicate with their bird but others cannot
• The bird in both stories is rare and somehow living in the wrong place
• Spoken or unspoken the bird offers wisdom
• Both contain specific pieces of music
• Themes of rescue and belonging underpin both stories

I picked Pablo and Bird up at a charity book sale. It was published in 2017. It is still available. I probably won't keep this hardcover copy because I noticed it has become a little mouldy which is a shame. 

Companion books:

The Summer we found a Baby

Jubilee

Foxlight

The Pickpocket and the Gargoyle by Lindsay Eager

There are a host of very different characters in this splendid book. The setting feels like an ancient European city such as Paris or Rome and the unfinished cathedral, which has several gargoyles on the roof, is so well described I felt as though I was roaming right through the city and standing on the cathedral while I 'lived' through the whole year covered by this story. The descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells are so vivid. The derelict cathedral is at the centre of the story. It was built one hundred years ago in Odierne and is apply named Cathedral Sans Nom. A huge gargoyle observes the life of the city. He is not alone on the top of this building, but the other gargoyles are on the opposite side facing east and they shun him. Our alternate chapter narrator is the gargoyle facing west. One evening a young woman holding a tiny baby, climbs up to the roof of the ruined building in an attempt to escape the police. When she is finally cornered, she jumps into the river clutching her tiny baby. Eight years have now passed by the gargoyle still feels so much pain. His job is to protect but he failed to protect the mother and child. But what can he do. He is a gargoyle. He cannot move and he cannot talk, except to the pigeons who try to roost in his open mouth. He is powerless and deeply sad. 

Then we meet Duck. Duck is rescued as a tiny baby girl from the Saluire, the river that runs through the city. She is taken in by a gang of pickpockets and petty criminals all of whom are really children themselves. The gang call themselves Crowns. Duck does not know this yet but it is not a coincidence that the gang have moved into Odierne. The gang leader Gnat (this is the most perfect name for him) organises for Duck to work for Griselde as a baker's apprentice. His scheme is to have Duck steal bread and money to pass onto the Crowns each Saturday at the market. But Duck has a destiny. It is clear from the beginning she has a talent for baking and for creating delicious flavor combinations especially with her favourite herb - rosemary.

As I said at the beginning of this post, each of the characters in this book is so well drawn. Baker Griselde is a huge woman with enormous patience and good sense. Her journeyman Petrus is a thin suspicious figure who is always watching Duck. In the gang Ash, is both Duck's rescuer and her one true friend. Gnat, leader of the Crowns, revels in the power he wields over this group of young orphans but Duck has learnt to watch his face closely and from time to time she sees tiny hints of his true character and yearning to know about his own past and possible family. As for Duck, it is a joy to watch her transformation from a timid, almost silent child, into a young girl who learns to read, to bake and who gains enough confidence to question Gnat especially now he seems to be conspiring with the dangerous rival gang the Red Swords. 

Publisher blurb: Fished from the river as an infant and raised by a roving band of street urchins who call themselves the Crowns, eight-year-old Duck keeps her head down and her mouth shut. It’s a rollicking life, always thieving, always on the run – until the ragtag Crowns infiltrate an abandoned cathedral in the city of Odierne and decide to put down roots. It’s all part of the bold new plan hatched by the Crowns’ fearless leader, Gnat, to ensure the Crowns always have a steady supply of food and money. But no sooner is Duck apprenticed to the kindly local baker than her allegiances start to blur. Who is she really: a Crown or an apprentice baker? And who does she want to be? Meanwhile, high above the streets of Odierne, on the roof of the unfinished cathedral, an old and ugly gargoyle grows weary of waiting to fulfil his own destiny to watch and protect. Told in alternating viewpoints, this exquisite novel evokes a timeless tale of love, self-discovery, and what it means to be rescued.

I have had this book on my to read pile for many months. I picked it up a couple of times but the opening prelude to the story didn't quite grab me. This book has 448 pages and so I did keep pushing it to the bottom of the pile until this week. I did take the whole week to read this book but near the end I devoured the final chapters because they were so gripping. I was desperately hoping Duck would finally find her true place in the world even though Gnat had so horribly used and betrayed her.  After reading this book (or perhaps listening to an audio version if one is made) you will want to head off to your own local bakery so you can also devour some delicious breads in as many different forms and flavours as you can find. I recommend this book for keen readers who have good reading stamina aged 10+.

Here is an excellent review by Margot Hillel for Reading Time:

This is a book about loyalty and choices, particularly having one’s loyalty tested when required to choose sides. It is also about belonging and community; about what makes a home and what constitutes a family. It is a multi-layered book that will benefit from discussion in a class but is also a rich, individual reading experience.

"The craft of the baker is described in mouth-watering detail, and the reader gains some insight into how medieval guilds might have operated. ... Those interested in historical fiction (with a touch of magical realism) will enjoy this one." Reading Time Margaret McKay-Lowndes March, 2023.

Companion books:

The Threads of Magic

A Very Unusual Pursuit