Silver Brook: Yumna and the Golden Horse by Yassmin Abdel-Magied

There is a lot going on in this book - corrupt developers arrive in this small English village. There are four kids - three girls and a boy - they are Muslim and related. You are sure to anticipate that the kids save the day and stop the nasty developers, but there is more to this story. These kids share great grandparent ancestors - one human one djinn - which means they have magical abilities - the boy Kareem can turn into a golden horse, one girl Nafisa can summon and communicate with birds, and the other girl Sadeeqa can summon insects. None of this 'magical' action kicks in until page 45 (I kept waiting for the fantasy) and readers need to wait until Chapter 16 to read about the djinn.

This is a very complex story, and I found the words "fantasy series" on the back cover misleading. I also wish this book had a glossary - there are lots of references to Muslim culture and religious practices (see below). Although I was keen to reach the end of this story and see how the 'magical' kids might thwart the developers and even more importantly regain the trust of their community. I did cheer when Yumna spoke out against the Maidstones.

There are themes of betrayal; endangered animals; and xenophobia. This last one is important. The developers use cunning ways to persuade the people in this village that the Muslim families are causing trouble and should be evicted. This has already happened once before to this family. 

Now back to the subtitle - Yumna does not have the magical abilities of her cousins - she aspires to be a detective which, in the context of this story, seemed to me to be a little 'childish' to me. Her part in the story at times, felt like an episode of the Midsummer Murders television series.  The Golden Horse is also referenced in the subtitle. In the story the author mentions Buraq - the mystical horse. Buraq is a mythical creature from Islamic tradition, described as a white, winged horse with a human face. According to Islamic beliefs, Buraq carried the Prophet Muhammad on a miraculous journey known as the Night Journey (Isra and Mi'raj). The journey took the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem and then ascended to the heavens.  

In his horse form Kareem is captured by the evil couple (Hector and Sybil Maidstone) and he is shackled with golden bracelets which conveniently Yumna with her detective skills can unlock! I was unsure why the Maidstones wanted the Golden Horse. 

Because Yumna does not have magical abilities she feels rejected by the other teens especially when they block her from their social media chat group. Yumna's mother was a djinn and that is given as a reason to explain why she left the Yumna and her father. At the end of this book (it will be a series) the stage is set for Yumna to now look for her mother. 

Publisher blurb: Thirteen-year-old Yumna lives in a sleepy town where nothing ever happens. So when her friends start sneaking into the woods at night, curiosity gets the better of her and she follows. There, she discovers something unbelievable. Kareem can turn into a golden horse. Sami can touch fire without burning. Even her cousin Nafisa has a strange new power. Everyone's changing . . . except Yumna. But when Kareem vanishes and a mysterious new family, the Maidstones, seem to be hiding something, Yumna is the only one asking the right questions. As secrets unravel and danger creeps closer, it's up to Yumna to rally her friends and uncover the truth. In a town full of secrets and powers, can one ordinary girl become the hero they all need?

Listen to an audio sample from Chapter One.

There is a little mild swearing in this book and as for an age recommendation I would say mature readers aged 10+. The main characters are aged 13+ and Yumna is waiting for her period to begin - she is very embarrassed when her dad tries to talk about this. 

Examples of words that are used in this book:  Fajr; habibti; abaya; Dhuhr; and Asr.  And there are prayers such as - Ya Allah, Bismillah, Allahu, Akbar! Towards the end of the story there is also a mention of Surat-al-Nas. Surah Nas is the 114th and last chapter of the Qur’an, consisting of 6 short ayats. Many Muslims recite Surah al Nas and Falaq together for protection from the evil eye, envy, black magic, and spiritual harm.

Thanks to Gleebooks Kids for sharing a copy of this book which was published earlier this year. 

These two reviews give more plot details. Here is the Book Trust review:

Themes of identity and belonging are explored in this mystery, along with true friendship, family secrets and what it means to feel that somewhere is your home.  

and the one from The Book Muse:

The mystery is unique, something I have never seen before, and I was drawn into the story, wanting to know more about Yumna, the secrets and her culture. Because it is our culture that shapes who we are and how we see or interact with the world as much as where we grow up. ... Fantasy can be written in so many ways, and I enjoy seeing how different authors navigate the fantasy genre and what they do with it. This one captured a vibrant culture, the modern world and family, community and the strength of community. It shows that it is possible to stand up to bullies and people who want to divide us whilst also showing the unity of a family and friends navigating secrets. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, the mystery, the magic, and the characters.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied has published five books, most recently Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism (Walker, 2023), named a Best Book of 2023 by School Library Journal and longlisted for the 2025 UKLA Book Award and 2024 SLA Information Book Award. Her previous books include ... two novels for younger readers, You Must Be Layla (Puffin, 2019) and Listen, Layla (Puffin, 2021). Listen, Layla was longlisted for Book of the Year by the Children's Book Council of Australia, and named a 2022 Honor Book for Children's Africana Book of the Year by the Center for African Studies at Howard University in the U.S. Her TED Talk on bias has been viewed over 2.7M times. Sudanese by birth, raised in Australia, Yassmin now lives in London.

The Lions' Run by Sara Pennypacker illustrated by Jon Klassen

Compassionate and complex. Kirkus Star review

Occupied France, 1944. Lucas Dubois lives in an abbey orphanage. There are rule and constraints but Lucas has some freedom because he works as a delivery boy for a local town greengrocer. Once his deliveries are completed he can enjoy a little free time and some fishing but on this day he sees two of the older orphanage boys stuffing some kittens into a sack. 

"When Marcel cinched the sack, Lucas squeezed his eyes shut. There was nothing he could do, either. Two against one; the two known to relish brawls. Lucas famous for running from them."

But not this time. Lucas follows the boys the bridge. He desperately tries to bargain with these bullies and hands over his precious fishing lure "but Claude didn't hand over the sack. He swung it out toward the canal and let go. Then both boys ran off laughing."

Perhaps all is not lost. Lucas grabs the bag and yes he saves all but one kitten but what will he do with the five that are left? There is an abandoned stable up in the hills above the town. To get there he has to ride past the Nazi maternity home - this is a place he visits regularly with his deliveries. On arrival at the stable Lucas makes an amazing, and life-changing, discovery. There is a horse in the stable and a girl. Alice is hiding her racehorse because:

"The Germans issued orders ... All healthy horses are to be seized for the war effort. They don't mean the racing horses still here - the Germans love their horse facing too much. But Bia doesn't race, so they would take her. They would probably use her to move artillery in Poland where the roads are gone until she was wounded or dropped dead of exhaustion. Then the soldiers would eat her."

The lives of these two kids in occupied France now collide. Lucas needs help to keep the kittens alive and safe; Alice needs Lucas to keep Bia, her horse, a secret; and then there is the further twist when Lucas steps in to help the local resistance movement helping Mme Garnier headhouse keeper at Lebensborn. 

"Lucas lay wide awake that night. Beneath his pillow was a slip of paper Mme Garnier had dropped. She had been so afraid of those Germans discovering this paper that it could mean only one thing: She was in the Resistance and it was a secret message."

As expected, this all puts Lucas in grave danger - this tension will keep you turning the pages of The Lions' Run desperately hoping Lucas, Alice, Bia and those kittens will all survive. Do NOT flip to the end of the book - the ending you will arrive at is unexpected and more.

This is the second book where I have read about the Lebensborn.

"to be accepted, the pregnant girls must pass all these tests. Not just blue eyes and blonde hair. They measure their heads, they measure the space between their eyes, everything. It's called 'Aryan,' what they're breeding for. Some with the men, the fathers ... Two blonde parents are most likely going to have blonde children."

Adding to all the complexities of this story - Lucas meets and talks with Clare, one of the young pregnant girls. As an orphan himself he is so dismayed when he hears that her baby will be taken away and she will never see him again. 

This immersive story is driven by Lucas’ emotional yearnings and the sometimes complicated relationships among the well-drawn characters, ... the history and the specific setting are accurate and carefully delineated, creating a strong sense of place. Kirkus Star review

... this a book the reader won’t be able to put down. Historical Novel Society

Pennypacker’s tale feels both relevant and necessary. She captures the idea that bravery doesn’t always look grand or heroic; sometimes it’s found in the smallest, most private choices. A Book a Week

Please read this interview of Sara Pennypacker by Betsy Bird. The Lions' run is available in hardcover for a really good price here in Australia (shop around I've seen this book between AUS$18 and AUS$25) so I highly recommend you add this book to your library collection. The cover by Jon Klassen is perfect - you need to stretch it out to see the front and back images together. Listen to an audio sample of Chapter 5 and you can read chapters one and two here.

There are so many books for readers aged 10+ about aspects of World War II but I highly recommend you consider adding this one to your school library. The story is a powerful one and yet also very personal. Lucas is an orphan and this drives his desire to firstly help the kittens and later the baby. Alice is wise beyond her years and a character to cherish. The important work of the resistance is woven into this story and this adds a very real layer of tension. (Click the label Resistance Fighters at the bottom of this post to find other books that explore the heroism of people who worked so hard to thwart the enemy). 

Companion books:

Waiting for the Storks

All the Beautiful Things

Faceless

Birdie

I am a huge fan of Sara Pennypacker.

Pax; Pax: The Journey Home

Summer of the Gypsy Moths

Leeva at Last

Sparrow Girl

The Aerimander Chronicles Book 1: The Last Ember by Lily Berlin Dodd

Dragon stories - What do you think of when you hear that term? Journeys; friendship; heroes; saving the last of a species; a special human-dragon connection; bravery; quests; flight; a race against time; the fight of good over evil; battles; and the disproving of myths about dragons. Do any of these resonate with you?

Well in The Last Ember, yes some of this is certainly true, but so much of this book also breaks these traditional story threads.

First off dragon stories can begin with an egg. In The Last Ember there is indeed an egg but it takes a long while for the hero of this story, Eva Alexander, to realise the stone she has discovered, in a department store, is indeed an egg and not a rare mineral called Rubibium which is also a highly unstable explosive. AND the egg does not hatch (spoiler alert) until page 251 Chapter 46.

Clearly this 'stone' has fallen into the wrong hands - Eva's hands. But where did it come from? And why does a powerful man named Eoin Parnassus, Director of Kingdom Secrets want this object so desperately? Eva attends the Young Ladies Royal Academy of Science and Mathematics. Her best friend is a girl named Myrnie and both girls excel at science. It is Myrnie (Myrnabelle Wilshins) who first suspects the stone is really an egg and more importantly that it is an aerimander egg. The dragon that could hatch from this will be incredibly dangerous but also the egg itself should never be touched by human hands.

Okay, okay I warned you - do not touch this egg. Of course, Eva does touch it, albeit accidentally, and that sets off another chain of events. I won't go into too much detail but the egg is now bonded to her skin! And remember I told you Parnassus wants this egg. He knows Eva has it and how did it come to be at Bronsworth's Department store? And who killed the courier? 

Now for the next important character in this tale. Dusty is an orphan living at St. Ichabod’s Dairy Production and Home for Delinquent Boys. It is a place of cruelty as you might expect but Dusty has made a friend in the city. Dusty has joined the Thieves Union and so he has been able to steal food and medicine, making his life a little better. One-night members of the Union are called together and told they must find this 'Thing'. Dusty and his friend Cal hatch a plan to steal the thing or stone from Eva's room at the Academy but everything goes horribly wrong and now the egg is firmly attached to Eva's hand and this pair of very unlikely friends are on the run and Cal has been left behind.

This book has almost 340 pages but I read the final 150 pages in one sitting - yes this book is a real page turner. Every chapter ends on a cliff hanger - I usually find this annoying but for this book it worked really well. I feel so lucky to have read this splendid book. It came as a title from one of our Australian standing order services - Pegi Williams in South Australia and my friend, who is a subscriber, loaned me this book to read over January. Little did she know that reading this book would be such a powerful and rewarding reading experience. The chapter voices alternate and every so often an off-stage narrator pops in to add very helpful background details. These are called Interludes (I especially enjoyed Interlude VII). Listen to an audio sample here of the Prologue. Reviewers and the publisher list this book for ages 8 or 9+ but in my view the intensity of the story, the print size, the book length and minor references to drug taking, make this book one I would recommend to mature readers aged at least 10+. The torture scenes are also disturbing. Book One ends with the promise of more adventures. There is a very slight feel of steam punk to this story with the mention of zeps used by the army - I wonder if this idea will be further explored in book 2. 

Read more about Lily Berlin Dodd here.

Dodd’s debut novel is fantasy done right: Fans ... will devour this series opener, thanks to the lush worldbuilding and wry humor permeating every page. And while the story will have readers grinning, it still explores difficult topics like poverty and war with grace and dignity. ... Egg-cellent storytelling; readers will be eager for the second book. Kirkus

Dodd’s writing is incredibly engaging, allowing readers to understand the society and world she has built fully. Her interludes of information serve more as a friend offering insight rather than information loading. In Eva and Dusty she has created two great hero figures who are complex and interesting to spend time with. Even her secondary characters, including Eva’s roommate and Dusty’s best friend, are fully drawn and fascinating. Add in a potential dragon and you have a rollicking book filled with scientist girls, thieving boys and a dangerous government. Waking Brain Cells

Dark, funny, intricate, and exciting, this fast-paced action fantasy debut will thrill upper-middle grade readers who love their stakes high and their humour sharp. Readings Melbourne

Here are a few text quotes:

"The pain was instant. It was as if she had dipped her right hand into a pool of fire. No, not of fire, of molten silver, of boiled gold. It felt like her skin was bubbling, frying, peeling off ..."

"She let herself cry. Very rarely did she allow emotions to overcome her reason. (but) ... she was alone, in the cold and dark, with something dangerous and volatile attached to her skin."

Eoin Parnassus ... "at his core, he was a simply man of pure evil. He believed he was doing the right thing, as most villains do, but he also didn't particularly care one way or another."

"The infant aerimander was no bigger than a newborn kitten and similar in shape. Her legs were short and stubby, her face broad, her eyes enormous. ... On her back were the  most delicate-looking wings ..."

"I will work on you until you are crying blood, until you are kneeling in a puddle of your own fear and begging me to let you speak every worthless little secret you have ever known. Then I will kill you."

Publisher blurb: Aerimanders are extinct. Or so the government would have you think. Centuries ago, the Kingdom of Glaucus decreed the destruction of these dangerous, dragon-like creatures whose deadly flame could level entire cities and upend world orders. But when twelve-year-old Eva Alexander, a wealthy chemistry student in the city of Porttown, walks into a fashionable department store and walks out (accidentally) with the world’s last aerimander egg, everything changes. Suddenly, Eva is the target of unwanted attention—including from the Thieves’ Union, a mysterious organization with a rebellious streak and fingers in every pie in Porttown. The Union orders its youngest member, the orphaned dairy delivery boy Dusty St. Ichabod, to steal the egg from Eva. Which is far easier said than done. 

When Eva and Dusty meet one autumn night under extraordinary circumstances, an epic game of cat and mouse unfolds across the Kingdom. Initially at odds, the unlikely pair must come together to navigate a maze of sinister crime syndicates, elite boarding schools, and an incredibly slow getaway pony named Gourd—all while fighting to keep the egg out of the hands of power-hungry Eoin Parnassus, Director of Kingdom Secrets. As the duo races against time, their fates and that of the whole world are at stake. Because there’s one question no one dares to ask: What happens when the egg hatches?

Companion books:

Impossible Creatures

The Poisoned King

The Ogress and the Orphans

Cecily Sawyer How to be a spy by Iona Rangeley illustrated by David Tazzyman

"My name is Cecily Sawyer and I'm investigating the disappearance of Emmeline and Peregrine Sawyer. I know this city's mice are being used as spies 

and I know who kidnapped my parents."

Publisher blurb: Cecily Sawyer has spent the evening in the attic, training her pet mouse, Mrs Maple-Syrup – an unusually intelligent mouse, in Cecily’s opinion – when her parents disappear. Luckily, Cecily is more than ready to investigate such a thing. She has wanted to be a spy her whole life, and has all the spy handbooks, manuals and code-cracking kits a girl could need. But soon, Cecily discovers several very strange things in her city. She’s not the only spy out there – far from it, in fact. And Mrs Maple-Syrup is not the only unusually intelligent mouse…

I am not sure if this is a book that young readers aged 9+ will stick with - it has such a large cast of characters and I found the motivations of the adults, who used to belong to one organisation but who have now formed several spy agencies, very confusing. In the end I was also a little bit lost about who were the baddies. I did admire the perseverance of young Cecily and the way she used her knowledge gained from reading a large number of books about working as a spy. It was fun to read the scene when Cecily used the telephone box to transport herself to another place - you have probably seen this in a movie or on the television program Get Smart. In fact, the slapstick style of this book reminded me of a little of that show especially all of her gadgets such as a fire shooting pen and exploding cactus plant.

The organisation names were also a little confusing:

The Espionage Collective

The Intelligent Institute of Espionage and Counterespionage

The Counter Espionage Collective

The Nightcrawler Network

The United League of Reconnaissance

Cecily's books:

Espionage for School-aged Children

The Little Girl's guide to Forging your identity

Code-Breaking for beginners

The Little girl's guide to faking your death and evading your enemies

Manipulation and Intrigue

Surveillance made simple

The Little Girl's G

Thuide to scaling buildings and crossing borders

The Little Girl's Guide to plotting, meddling and coniving

The Little Girl's Guide to infiltration of a Crime Ring

The Little Girl's Guide to Common household poisons

The Little Girl's Guide to starting fires and winning them

So you're assembling a new spy organisation: What next?

You can read story sample here. This book is the first in a planned trilogy. 

Iona Rangeley is the author of this series:

In some ways the tone and format of this book Cecily Sawyer How to be a spy reminded me of this series. These are the newer covers but I do prefer the original ones:

The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe by Karen Foxlee illustrated by Martina Heiduczek

The curse: "We must find The Marigold's stolen treasure and return it before the dawn of the last day of the seventh year. If we don't we are doomed to be turned to sand."

"You are much more than your name, always remember that. All of us are a tale within a tale within a tale."

So, time is ticking. As this story begins it is the seventh year - April 4th 1719 and they only have until December 31st to complete their quest.

Every crew member (called the Worshipful Company of Uncommon Seamen) on the ship and every 'kidnapped' child is there because they possess a magical gift. With Lavender this gift is of hearing and naming the winds. You are right if you are thinking this is a very important skill on a sailing ship. 

I really wanted a character list for this book so I have created one:

• Lavender Wolfe - left at a wharf by her mother, snatched by the cook Big Agatha and taken onto a pirate ship named The Good Marchioness "the most magical and cursed pirate ship that ever sailed the seven seas". Lavender is renamed Hans Whitby (Whitby is the name of the town where she was 'found').
• Big Agatha the ogress and magical cook - she hugged "so hard that you were turned to flummery with being loved." "I can sense a teaspoonful of magic in an urchin quick as the whiskers grow on my chin. Yet I cannot say what that magic all be." 
• Colin one of the kitchen rats - he/she is especially kind to Lavender
• Poppet - another kitchen rat - he/she knows all the recipes cooked by Agatha
• Odine - a chicken 
• Samuel, Thomas, and Peter Portugal all ship's rats but none are able to complete the voyage with Lavender
• Michael - a boy who has been magically trapped in shell
• Captain Odyessia Pleasant - she is the captain of The Good Marchioness. One of her arms is a huge bird wing. "She was beautiful; a ragged scar across the left side of her face, from her lip to her missing ear, ... Captain Pleasant had a wing instead of a right arm. A large wing reached down almost to the floor, glowing coppery beneath the lanterns."
• Ginger - cat who can transform into a sailor
• Oliver de Basseterre - a baby
• The Princess with no name and her father the Wizard King
• Captain Barnabas Bloom - pirate and father to Michael. He is transformed into ... (sorry I can't tell you)
• Queniva - a sparrowhawk
• Crew - Sasha Blackhat; Jonas; Tiny Percival; Percy; Grimes and Savage
• Lyneham prisoner from the ship the pirates attacked and pillaged. (He is not to be trusted)
• The Little Duchess - Ghost-fetcher and her guardian The Dowager
• Princess Yasbel de la Esclera who has her named changed to Phillip - she has magical hair

Ships - Lady Eloise - a ghost ship which holds the spectral map; The Good Marchioness the ship carrying Lavender and others who need to break the curse; The Marigold which is the ship carrying the Princess to her betrothed and The Fair Fortune the ship of Captain Barnabas Bloom.

Recipes - all contain extra magic - I learned a new word or two in this book - ananas it's a pineapple and the word clapperdudgeon which means beggar.

Agatha calls the kitchen kids (all with boys names) rats but in fact she showers them with her love and enormous hugs. 

Text quotes:

"I never wanted to meet a ghost ship nor glimpse one from a distance. But I wanted to see the spell canister and its last spell resurrecting the princess and Michael out of the shell. I wanted Samuel and Peter and Octavius returned. I wanted everything restored, which meant me going home. I wanted more story. I wanted questions answered. I wanted to know how Captain Pleasant came to be cursed and how Ginger could turn into a cat."

"And I knew that I, Hans Whitby, previously of the pickling shelf, floor scrubber, potato peeler, spoon-shiner, still with the name of Lavender tucked safe inside me, magic porridge-stirrer, tender of wounds, meant for the sea, rescuer of prisoners and friend of a ghost-fetcher, with a tiny drop of blood from a cutlass upon my chest, climber of masts, was about to die."

This book is a huge saga - with nearly 400 pages and a myriad of characters and a complex plot. Young readers aged 10+ will need reading stamina and also plenty of time because I think you need to read this book over just two or three days so you can keep track of all the threads. I am speaking from experience because I read this book over five days in very small snatches and I kept having to turn back to previous scenes to follow all the twists and turns. There is the potential at the end of the story for a sequel but I actually hope Karen Foxlee does not continue her story and rather leaves the future adventures of young Lavender to our imaginations. 

You can find teachers notes on the publisher web page. Take a look at the labels I have assigned this post - these might give you further ideas about some of the themes (such as the importance of names and destinies) and these also hint at some major plot details.

A new book by Karen Foxlee is always something to celebrate and The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe is a wondrous and wonderful tale indeed, full of mystery and magic, inventive and memorable characters and a compelling protagonist. Story Links

This is a children’s book full of pirates and dangerous land and sea adventures. It is also a story of growing up and being there for others. It is about a growing awareness. Lavender was to learn that all of us are much more than what we first seem. We all have a tale within us. Even within the worst of us, goodness can be found. There are fair winds trapped within storms and even love hidden in bad spells. Queensland reviewer's collective

Blurb from author web page: Lavender Wolfe is a pickpurse, with a magical secret. She is all alone on a wharf when she is snatched by Big Agatha and thrown into the galley of the pirate ship, The Good Marchioness. Disguised as a boy (for only boys may live in the galley) and renamed Hans Whitby, Lavender has to make her home among the kitchen rats. However, The Good Marchioness is no ordinary no ordinary ship. Captained by Odyessia Pleasant, a fierce pirate with long blonde hair, violet eyes and a bird’s wing in place of an arm, the crew are on a desperate voyage – to find and return stolen treasure before all those who sail within the cursed pirate ship are turned to sand. Lavender included. Lavender is quick-witted and sharp as a tack, and as her magic starts to be revealed she finds herself coming under the arresting gaze of Captain Pleasant. Will Lavender help break the curse? Or will she be just another victim of this story within a story, her true identity lost to the sands of time? An adventure as big as the ocean and as warm as your heart. All aboard!

I do have to talk for a moment about pirate stories. Sadly, there are real pirates in our world we now call them people smugglers. A few of us have begun to re-think our picture books about pirates especially if members of your school community have come to Australia as refugees. Strangely I read another Australian middle grade novel with a pirate theme last month - Oceanforged my Amelia Mellior. The issue of pirates and of glorifying them in kids story books is one I need to ponder a little more deeply. This is not intended as a criticism of The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe it is just something to consider. 

Here is some further reading about this topic:

Sails and Souls: The Literary Evolution of Pirates from Simple Rogues to Morally Complex Heroes in Children’s Fiction

I am a huge fan of Karen Foxlee.  Take a look at these:

Lenny's Book of Everything

Dragon Skin (ages 11+)

A most magical girl

Ophelia and the marvelous boy

Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping by Craig Silvey

"How are you feeling?

Annie looks down.

Nobody looks back up at her.

Because there is a Runt-shaped hole in her world."

Recently Craig Silvey spoke at an event here in Sydney and a few days later I bought myself a copy of his new book (sequel to Runt). I started my reading that day but after just 31 pages I stopped. I first read Runt back in 2022 and since that time I have read hundreds of other books and so many small plot details from Runt have evaporated from my memory. Thank goodness the library where I work as a volunteer had a copy of Runt and so on Tuesday last week I revisited the first installment of Runt. With 342 pages, and a few detours into other books on my enormous to read pile, I finished Runt for the second time on Sunday morning. It is now Tuesday afternoon and I have just finished Runt the Diabolical Dognapping which has a whopping 406 pages. Readers do need knowledge of the first book about Runt to really appreciate all the twists and turns and motivations and drama of the second installment. 

Craig Silvey has done it again. He kept me reading and reading desperate to discover how all his disparate story elements could possibly reach that all important happy ending. This is also one of those books where the clock is ticking - Annie only has one month to win another competition and hopefully be reunited with her precious friend. 

This latest book is filled with heroes, tales of past deeds, deceptions, new friendships, puns, jokes, determination, and of course it culminates in another all-important dog competition. The story rips along because it stars Annie who we all adore from the first book but in this tale Runt is missing. As the title tells you - he has been dognapped. Of course, this new story does need a dog - we met this puppy at the end of the first book. She arrived with Bernadette Box - her name is Little Annie. Oh, and there is also a new competition - have you heard of this - it is called "dances with dogs" and yes, it is a real thing. Craig Silvey explained in his Sydney talk that he watched hundreds of hours of competitions so that he could include accurate details in his story.

BUT wait there is more to Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping. If you have read Runt you may have been left with a few questions - the answers to all of these and many more form the framework for the second book. I wonder if Craig Silvey is a plotter - did be map all his story threads out before writing his book?

Here are some of the questions that you might want answered (but there are lots more):

• Where was Runt before he met Annie?
• How did Runt learn to perform 'tricks'?
• What makes Runt such a loyal friend?
• Why does Runt adore Mush dog food?
• And there is question (spoiler maybe) about the real fate of the terrible villain - Earl Robert- Baron?

I love the cast of characters from Upson Downs. The policeman Detective Bayleaf reminded me of the bumbling policeman in the television show Doc Martin: Joe Penhale the local police officer in the town of Portwenn. The Mayor Barry Casserole made me think of the local politician Bill Heslop from Muriel's Wedding and also one of the pompous judges from Strictly Ballroom - Barry Fyfe with (in the movie) his silly toupee. It is easy to see that this second book is very cinematic - I know there is a movie of Runt and a play will be presented in 2026. After reading this second installment I'm sure there will be a second movie. 

In this book I also enjoyed all the puns, funny names with double meanings, foreshadowing, subplots, flashbacks and side stories, and the way Rupert Broadsheet sounds like he has swallowed a thesaurus. 

Another thing that Craig Silvey includes in his book are heaps of wonderful descriptions of clothing - they are all so 'over the top' and yet it is funny that at every author event Craig himself always wears the same plain long-sleeved navy tee shirt. Here are a few examples:

"Camilla is resplendent in a cream satin dress and a silver necklace. Doreen is vividly tropical in a teal polyester pantsuit, neon mango lipstick and polished brass seashell earrings. She has a fresh perm, a teased fringe and a voice like a started macaw."

"Barry wears a yellow shirt tucked into high brown shorts. His head is host to a thick and conspicuous toupee. His large glasses slide slowly down his nose, causing him to periodically scrunch his face in a manner that reminds Annie Shearer of a nervous rabbit."

"He wears a peach short-sleeved shirt, a eucalyptus green tie, mustard coloured shorts, white knee-high socks, black leather sandals and his official chain of office."

"The man wears a powder blue seersucker jacket, plum corduroy pants, a crisp cream shirt and leather loafers. He is tall, with ivory skin and a sensible haircut."

If you are looking for a fantastic present for a young reader why not buy both books about Runt. I adore their cover illustrations by Sara Acton, and the publisher has added a dust jacket which is a rare thing here in Australia, and the end papers are perfect and if you pop these two books side by side on your bookshelf they will look very impressive. Here is the Instagram account for Sara Acton where you can see some illustrations from the second book about Runt.  Note if you are in the US Runt has a different cover, title and a different illustrator. 

IBBY Australia are holding an online auction as a fund raiser. If you are reading this post in Australia between 14 and 28 November 2025 take a look at our Auction page. This is the illustration kindly donated to the auction by Sara Acton.

There is a link to the very detailed teaching notes on the publisher web page and also an interview with Craig Silvey and the notes also have some video links to explore.

Publisher blurb: Six weeks have passed since Annie Shearer and Runt competed valiantly at the Krumpets Dog Show. The town of Upson Downs is rejuvenated. The grass is green. The rivers are flowing. And a Tournament of Champions has just been announced, with the world's best canine talent invited to showcase their skills in the Grand Ballroom of the abandoned Robert-Barren estate. But as preparations for the event get underway, Runt mysteriously goes missing, and a trail of suspicious clues surround his doghouse. Annie's worst fears are confirmed when she discovers a ransom note with a peculiar demand: she must win it all to see her friend again. It's up to Annie and her brother Max – now an intrepid investigative reporter with the Upson Downs Speculator – to rescue Runt before it's too late.

This sequel also delivers in spades Silvey’s trademark sharp wordplay and clever wit. This story is a shining example of the power of unwavering kindness, selfless compassion and empathy. It illustrates how these virtues can be a catalyst for profound change to embrace the gift of second chances and experience life with a renewed purpose and richness. Reading Opens Doors

With a cleverly constructed plot, hilarious, corny characters, and more mysteries than you can shake a bone at, this sequel left me with warm fuzzies from top to toe. There are stories within the story which are wonderful themselves, which are then effortlessly woven into the heart wrenching finale. What Book Next

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 Girl with Wings by Jaco Jacobs illustrated by Tori Stowe translated by Kobus Geldenhuys

Wilson Taylor lives with her mum and step dad in a caravan. They never stay in one place for very long. In each small town her mum sets up a tennis camp for local kids because she is a former tennis champion. Gabriel, her step dad, is a freelance photographer. He takes photos of things around each town and then sells them as digital images for people to download. All of this means Wilson spends a lot of time on her own. Right now it is the summer holidays but in term time she is homeschooled. 

In this town Wilson meets a local boy named Errol. He tells her likes to go bird watching but we discover this is not entirely true. There are rumours of a girl who has been seen in Leseeba - a girl who has wings. Perhaps the title and cover of the book have alerted you to this plot point.

So who is this girl? We discover her name is Ava. How can it be that she has wings? Can she fly? Where does she live? And who is this man who is hunting for her? And how is all of this connected with the circus?

Now that Wilson and Errol have met Ava what will happen if her secret is revealed. Oh and you need to remember I mentioned Gabriel is a photographer. Surely a photograph of Ava will be especially dangerous.

Having now read it, I can tell you that it is quirky, fun and one of those books that while suitable for sharing in lower KS2, will also have enormous appeal in Years 5 and 6. Highly original, often surreal and, at less than 200 pages, quite a short read, this is book that is gentle and sweet and one that is filled with mystery and friendship as we meet the titular girl with wings and uncover her story. Mrs Sydney

Companion books:

Yesterday Crumb and the storm in a teacup

The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen

The Girl who walked on Air

The Girl who could Fly (US Cover)

Long Road to the Circus

I saw The Girl with Wings in a local bookstore last week and I immediately recognised the South African author Jaco Jacobs. I previously really enjoyed these two books:

A Good day for Climbing Trees

A Good Night for Shooting Zombies