Margot and the Moon Landing by AC Fitzpatrick illustrated by Erika Medina

Margot loves everything about space travel and the moon. She reads every book she can find on this topic and then she just has to SHARE everything she knows with EVERYONE. The problem is her mother has stopped listening and her teacher just seems to be quite frustrated and even angry with Margot.

Eventually, having no one listening to her, drives Margot herself crazy and she grabs her marker pens and writes furiously all over her bedroom walls. Sharing this book with your child this could be the page to stop. How will mum react? Turn the page and you will be surprised. Mum stops and takes the time to read what Margot has written. 

"Margot waited for something to happen but instead mum got very quiet. She read all the words and then read them again."

Margot tries to rub out the words, but mum stops her. She grabs a pot of paint and together they fill the wall with images of space travel and stars and then even better mum attaches two enormous sheets of paper to the walls and shows Margot that these are the places she can write anything she likes. 

Publisher blurb: Margot loves space. Astronauts, the stars, and especially the moon landing. So she can’t understand why all of her attempts to communicate her passion fall on disinterested ears. Her mom is patient but distracted; her classmates would rather play kickball; and her teacher just wants her to focus and pay attention in class. Even so, Margot wishes she never had to talk about anything but space ever again. When she wakes up one morning and discovers she can only recite Neil Armstrong’s famous speech from the moon landing, Margot realizes she has an even bigger problem. How can Margot get everyone to pay attention and—more importantly—to hear what she’s really trying to say? This powerful picture book debut plays with themes of listening and communication to highlight the importance of a space of one’s own, no matter what your passion may be. 

A charming picture book about both a child and her obsessions and frustration, anger, and repair. Kirkus

There are several valuable themes in this book, including listening, communication and forgiveness. The book’s contents cover Margot’s learning to express herself effectively and constructively, and there’s also the lesson for adults in children’s lives – to listen and allow kids to be heard and to meet where they’re at. Canadian Review of Materials (Read this review if you are concerned about the way Margot expresses her anger using strong language). 

You can probably guess why I bought this book. If you are talking about space or the moon landing or want to affirm those quirky kids in your class who obsess (in a good way) over a specific topic, then this book could be fun to share. It reminded me of the way the little girl in Agatha May and the Angler Fish by Nora Morrison knew everything about her own favourite fish. 

Here is the teacher's guide from Canadian publisher Annick Press. Erika Rodriguez Medina is originally from Mexico. She now lives in Canada. You can see some of her books here. 

If you have an older child aged 9+ who, like Margot, is fascinated by the Moon Landing they might enjoy this Australian middle grade novel. 

In the illustration I shared you can see Margot reading a book about Laika. Take a look at my blog post about this famous dog who was sent to space (warning very young children may be distressed to discover Laika did not make it back to earth). You should also visit or revisit this award-winning Picture book from Australia:

Stellarphant

Agatha May and the Angler Fish by Nora Morrison and Jessie Ann Foley illustrated by Mika Song

"Each of you scholars will research a creature that lives in the ocean. 

You'll learn all its features."

"Pick any sea-dweller from under the sun, but no two children 

may choose the same one!"

There is SO much to enjoy about this book. Agatha May is a clever child, but she is bouncing along to her own beat - I love her nonconformity. I also love her passion which in this case is for Anglerfish. Agatha waits in the line for her turn to select a fish to research:

"As Agatha listened, the tears gathered fast. She had no merit points! Her turn would be last! She was tardy and dreamy, her interests were odd, her fingers were charcoaled, her breath smelt like cod!"

I have listed this book as a picture book (fiction) but really it is both fiction and nonfiction. Agatha talks with so much authority about this fish and at the back of the book there are two pages of facts and further read. 

One of the brightest students I was ever lucky enough to work with in my Primary school was a little like young Agatha. Her schoolwork and desk were always completely messy (seemingly disorganised) but young Blair knew where everything was. I am sad to say her messy habits did infuriate her class teacher just as we see in this book with Mrs Marino. I wish I could wind back time and share this book with that teacher from my school. Blair was one of our school leaders and I know by the end of the year the teacher did come to appreciate her outstanding intelligence, but it did take a long while for him to understand this Grade Six girl. (She is now a senior associate in a legal firm).

Read more about the Anglerfish here. You might find a book in your school library about Anglerfish or a general fish book might have a chapter with details of this curious creature.

The satisfaction of seeing Agatha May rewarded for her fixation is rivaled only by Song’s marvelous watercolor embodiment of Agatha May’s untidy, obsessive self. Kirkus

The Paperchaser by Penny Hall

"Hinton could see rows of identical houses, lining neat, well-tended streets. There were children setting off to school, emptied garbage bins being taken off the footpaths, people calling early morning greetings to each other ... 'And there's a price tag. ... This estate is surrounded by an electric fence with surveillance cameras, guards, dogs - the works. so all these little nuclear families can live in the cloud-cuckoo world of their parents, even their grandparents ... And don't kid yourself it's democratically run either!"

Hinton is living in a city, it could be any city really but Australian readers will recognise Sydney, the harbour, the bridge and references to the North Shore. The time is not defined but it is the future and it feels quite dystopian. People live in fear of violent gangs, no one uses the railway system anymore, the suburbs have become gated communities and everyone has to carry some form of identification because there seem to be armed police on every corner. 

Hinton is in his final weeks of school. He just needs to sit his exams. He has a plan to attend university but even this process is now rigorously controlled by the state. The authorities will determine which course he enters based on societal need not student wishes. The years at the university itself will involve being locked away to study with no contact with the outside world. Hinton wants to study law. His idea is that to make change you have to deeply know how the system works. 

"You might think you've been in a controlled environment at school. But at university! A weekly visit from one outsider - with official approval only. The only other contact with people outside through the phone - when it's working - and letters - then there isn't a work-to-regulations ban on ... And for what? A piece of paper covered in curly writing?' Hinton drew himself up and looked down his nose at her. 'I'll have you know ... that paperchasing is an old and highly respected profession ... for me, it's a case of intellectual exercise leading ultimately to intellectual freedom."

Hinton has a part time job at a supermarket but the gangs have been watching him and now they are threatening to hurt him badly if he doesn't leave the store room door open late at night so they can steal the food and other supplies. Luckily just as all of this is happening Hinton is rescued by some young strangers and he enters a whole other world underground in the city. He finds groups of young people who call themselves Miners. They have bases all over the city and beyond and elaborate communication systems. Hinton has so many questions but no one seems willing to answer him.

This book is filled with tension and twists. I am sure it would still be enjoyed today 35 years after it was published - it just needs a fresh cover and a new publisher who is willing to take a risk. The original cover is actually terrific by Arthur Boothroyd (1910-2011) but it does give the book a slightly old fashioned look. Arthur Boothroyd did the covers for other Australian children's books such as Broome dog by Mary Small and So much to Tell you by John Marsden. 

The Paperchaser was written in 1987 and it was shortlisted by the Children's Book Council of Australia in 1988. It is long out of print but I found a vintage copy at a recent charity book sale. I remembered I loved this book and in fact I kept the copy in my former Primary school library although by now I am fairly sure it has been disposed which is a shame. 

This book does stand the test of time and it has a terrific pace. Someone commented about the pace when I mentioned I had a plan to read this book in January. I read the whole book in nearly one sitting (146 pages). I was interested to see the publisher was Walter McVitty Books. That company have disappeared now but they did publish terrific titles. I was always a little bit fascinated about Penny Hall because later in her career she went on to become the Teacher-Librarian in a fairly exclusive girls school here in Sydney, Australia. I think I met her once.

This book reminded me of these:

Taronga

The Last Human

Maurice Saxby said: "It is an extended image of alienation; the mental state when one feels a nobody; the black cloud, the wedge of ice that site close to the heart when one journeys alone. It is also a metaphysical examination of reality and unreality; a speculation ... of what lies beyond the realm of human understanding. It is a tight, tense and gripping story with a poignant and poetic ending."

Catch me if I Fall

The Dog Runner

The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley by April Stevens

Frances is a very special girl. She thinks deeply about things. She adores being outside even in very cold weather. She loves to observe nature. She has lots of questions about the world and she loves to learn new things. Her discovery of the World Book Encyclopedia is just perfect.

"They were impossible to put down. The color photos, the short paragraphs, about absolutely everything.While she could have sat at her family's big computer in the living room and probably found all this stuff, having the books to hold while she was up on the rocks made them especially perfect. Plus when she looked on line, there was too much information for her to sort through. In a book it was more pared down and not so overwhelming."

You might imagine Frances would enjoy school.  She does love her teacher Mr Stanley but the reactions of the other kids to her intelligence can be harsh.  Then things become more complicated when a new boy arrives. He seems to be even brighter than Frances and worse, the teacher is giving this boy all of his attention.

I guess you could say Frances 'dances to her own beat'.  She adores people like Margaret Mead and needs to be outside on her rocks not stuck inside where things are also hard, especially with Christinia.  Her relationship with her sister has become so difficult. They don't speak to one another at all. Her sister says she hates Frances. I found this aspect of the story heartbreaking. Frances does not understand why her sister is unkind and so different. Luckily Frances does have one very special friend - the bus driver Alvin. He is a keen reader and library user and he loves to discuss facts and philosophy with Frances. Every day she sits behind him on the bus.

"Alvin was different from any other grown-up, and at times she didn't even view him as one. He was just her friend. The only person who Figgrotten felt really understood her. The truth was, he was like that with all the kids, respectful of their true natures."

Did you read the name 'Figgrotten' in this quote.  Frances has decided to rename herself - Figgrotten.

"Her real name was Frances Pauley, which she felt didn't suit her, so she put all sorts of words together, backward and forward. Once "fig" and "rotten" rolled off he tongue together that first time, it stuck. And from then on she thought of herself not as Frances but as Figgrotten, adding the extra g because that's the growly way it sounded to her."

Frances spends hours each day up on some rocks near her house. "Some people hate being alone. Some people like it. I like it a lot' ... It was when she was around people that the feeling of being alone was a problem. The feeling of not being quite part of a group was not the best."

I love the words of wisdom from Alvin:

"Alvin do you like to be alone or do you like to be around people? 
Both. Everyone needs both. Solitude and friendship."

"Never forget that everyone needs plenty of understanding. Just as you do. Just as I do. People are very different, but they are very, very similar too."

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

One day Alvin is not on the bus. The world that Frances knows, and relies on, starts to spin out of control.

You can read chapter one on the publisher web site where you will also find an audio sample. This book moved me to tears. In fact I cried and cried. I would pair The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley with Junonia by Kevin Henkes and Jubilee by Patricia Reilly Giff.

If you read this book with a class there are some excellent character descriptions you could explore:

James - "Everything seemed to hang from him a bit: his dark brown hair and his jacket and even his jeans. He wore black-rimmed glasses that looked a bit big for him... "

Frances - "Figgrotten did not even try to manage her own hair, as it was not that kind of hair. It felt like dry grass, and after a bad experience with a burr once, she kept it shorter and most often wore a hat. It was one of those hats with the earflaps that hung down. She wore it not only to cover her hair but also because when she wore it she felt snappier."

Mr Stanley - "came into the room that morning dressed in his usual snappy outfit. Purple vest, grey tied, button-down shirt. And his shiny brown shoes that made a wonderful clean clicking noise as he walked."

Author April Stevens’ carefully crafted, beautiful prose imbues this tightly plotted, engrossing tale with weighty themes that neverfeel heavy-handed or preachy. The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley sings outheartfelt truths about Stevens’ quirky and genuine characters, who will resonate deeply with lucky readers. BookPage

A moving depiction of unique characters, grief, and the benevolent power of forgiveness.

 Kirkus Star review

FRANCES PAULEY is an exceptional book. Stevens has created the sweetest and most compelling heroine and has told her tale with such grace and beauty. Figgrotten is full of wonder and tenderness but her sadness and anger feels so very real. Grief, friendship, family, self-acceptance, and the joy of nature; FRANCES PAULEY packs it all into a short, thoughtful, emotional, and splendid novel. KidsReads

Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T Smith

This is Little Red
Today she is going to be gobbled up by a lion.

This Lion.
Well that's what he thinks is going to happen ...

Every element of this picture book is perfect. Children will love the gold details on the cover, the end papers do literally book end the story beginning early in the morning and ending in the evening and of course there is the familiar story of Little Red Riding Hood with a brilliant twist.

Auntie Rose has spots!  Little Red packs a basket and sets off past the crocodiles, giraffes, monkeys, termites, gazelles, elephants, hippos and meerkats. She sits under a tree for a brief rest before continuing her journey and this is where she meets the lion.  "In the time it took for his tummy to rumble, the Very Hungry Lion cooked up a very naughty plan."

You might think you know the rest but you will be in for a surprise involving hairstyles, teeth, nighties and doughnuts.

Take a look at my review of the first Claude book by the talented Alex T Smith.

Great storytelling braided with lively color and a culturally affirming accent makes this book a real standout. 

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

I know it is April 1st but I am going to make a huge call and say this is my book of the month. Well to be truthful I read it last week when it was still March but since I am blogging this one here tonight I have decided to grab your interest by declaring Counting by 7s is my book of the month!

How do I measure a book?  One way is via my compulsion to keep reading.  I read Counting by 7s late into the night.  When I woke around 2am I turned on the light and read on.  Over breakfast I kept reading and while I was at school I couldn't wait to arrive home so I could get stuck in and finish reading Counting by 7s.

Willow Chance is a twelve year old girl. Willow Chance is a special girl.  Willow Chance has been orphaned twice.  Willow Chance loves the number 7.  Willow Chance needs a break.

Life has thrown some hard things her way.  Her adoptive parents have died.  The school authorities have no idea about her gifted brilliance and have accused her of cheating.  The school counselor, who is supposed to help her, is himself a total loser with no skills or training to work with young students especially students like Willow.

On the other hand, through this counselor called Dell Duke, Willow meets three very special people - Nguyen Thi Mai who is fourteen and from Vietnam, her brother Nguyen Quang-ha who is fifteen and considered a delinquent and their mum called "Pattie".  Willow also meets a wonderful taxi driver. She changes his life.

On the author web site you can read Chapter One.  I am sure this will convince you that this is a splendid book.  Here is a video interview with the author.  I even found a Readers Theatre Script. Here is a set of teaching notes with links and further reading ideas.

If you enjoyed My life as an alphabet, Counting by 7s is even better. You might also enjoy The view from the 32nd floor, Liar and Spy and Signed by Zelda.  I highly, highly recommend Counting by 7s for senior Primary students.

Here is the scene where the Kindergarten teacher has been reading to the class (perhaps you can guess the name of this book?)

"I had not uttered a single syllable in my five sessions as a student, and I had no intention of doing so. 

But after days of hearing more lies from an adult than I'd been exposed to in my whole lifetime - everything from how fairies cleaned up the classroom at night to insane explanations for earthquake preparedness kits - I was at some kind of breaking point.  

So when the teacher specifically said 'Willow, how does this book make you feel?' I had to tell the truth.

'It makes me feel really bad. The moon can't hear someone say good night; it is two hundred thirty-five thousand miles away. And bunnies don't live in houses. Also, I don't think that the artwork is very interesting."

If you still need convincing read the review by the Nerdy Bookclub and here is a quote from the School Library Journal from the review by Cheryl Ashton :  Willow’s story is one of renewal, and her journey of rebuilding the ties that unite people as a family will stay in readers’ hearts long after the last page.