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

My Brother Finch by Kate Gordon

"Tomorrow is going to be amazing. Tomorrow is going to change my life.' If I'd known then - if I'd have even had an inkling of how - I'd have torn my soul apart to protect him, to change the future, to make sure tomorrow never happened. But I had no idea. 

No control. No power. Tomorrow came. And my brother disappeared."

Born just eleven months apart in some ways Wren feels as though Finch is her twin sibling. But in other ways she has always felt displaced. Wren is a quiet girl who does not stand out whereas Finch is a loud boy who everyone immediately warms to. Even their parents seem, to Wren, to treat Finch with more love and attention. 

"We were connected, tied together, linked in a way closer than any of those kids whose siblings are their best friend. We were like twins. Like two halves. But when Finch wanted me to be his friend, I just wanted ... To be seen, by anyone else but him. To be important. To be number one."

"You are normal Wrennie. You're what you're meant to be.' I knew he meant it kindly - as a compliment in fact. But it felt like a slap. Being normal meant I wasn't like him. And everybody loved Finch. Mostly they just ignored me."

The family go on an outing to a disused coal mine. Finch is so excited to explore the ruins. Their mother is slightly overprotective but on this day their father says it is all okay and Finch should be allowed to explore a little further on his own. Within minutes, Wren who has been taking photos of the clouds with her camera, realised something feels wrong. 

These are all events from three years ago. Finch has never been found. The family members, each in their own way, are deeply grieving. There are of course several possibilities - kidnapping, misadventure or that he just wandered away. Knowing this does not help. And Wren is certain all of this is her fault. Nor does the fact that two young children disappeared that day - Finch and another younger child named Ava. 

"Dad cries all the time. He cries loudly and painfully and - I suppose he thinks - in secret behind the bathroom door."

Finch was just nine when he disappeared. Wren is now moving onto Year Seven at a different school. Her old friends, friends from Kindergarten, have drifted way. Wren's grief has also been too much for them to stay connected. On the first day of High School, though, Wren makes a new friend. Freddie is also an outsider but she is not shy or insecure like Wren. She is bold and seemingly fearless. The two girls team up for a school art project and Wren, who constantly hears the voice of Finch, somehow suggests their topic could, in part, be about missing children. Added to this the girls see another new student in the playground. A girl, maybe a year or two older, who also looks lost and alone. 

Publisher blurb: Finch and Wren were as close as a brother and sister can be. When he vanished, when they were nine years old, her world cracked in two. Finch was never found. On the same day that Finch disappeared, another girl was lost, too. Her name was Ava. Her parents were rich tourists, from Sydney. Ava’s story got all the media attention. And Finch was forgotten. But not by Wren. Never by Wren. Three years on, Finch is still with her, whispering in her ear, guiding her through life. As Wren begins high school and forms a new, bewildering friendship with a mysterious girl called Freddie, Finch is there, urging her on. To go bolder. To go braver. To grab life with two hands. When another girl goes missing – a strange girl called Johanna – Wren feels compelled to search for her. To her surprise, Freddie does, too. The two of them try and piece together who Johanna is and why she ran away. Or did she run away? Was the truth more awful? And was it all tied together with what happened to Finch and Ava?

Here are some teaching notes from the publisher. 

I just want to mention one sentence in this book - just to show the power of Kate Gordon and her writing. This description is something all Australian kids and adults will relate to:

"I look up, Ms Jermy is standing over us. ... She has bells on her sleeves, and they play music that reminds me of ice cream trucks. Of how - when we were little - Finch would always scream when he heard one, leap to his feet and run to Mum yelling 'Please! Please!' as if the ice cream from the truck was any better than the ice cream in our freezer. I guess it was. It was a bit more magical. But maybe it was only Finch who made it that way."

This book is for mature readers aged 11+. It does contain difficult themes of grief but it also has a very open ending. Less mature readers may have difficulty with the seemingly unresolved conclusion - this could be their first encounter with a book that does not neatly end with "and they all lived happily ever after." The story is told by Wren but it is interspersed with the voice of Finch presented in free verse. 

I am certain My Brother Finch will be a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Younger Readers Notable title. Kate Gordon's writing just goes from strength to strength. I think this is her best book (of the ones I have read) so far. 

My Brother, Finch brings in themes around sibling relationships and the way we see ourselves in our families, which will be relevant to young people at a time in their lives when they are forming and changing their view of themselves and the world around them. It is a special book with powerful messages and stunning use of language that will stay with you as you get on with your life. Helen Ward Writes

My Brother, Finch is an allegory to grief and loss and the oscillation between hope and hopelessness that people must feel when a loved one goes missing. How can you grieve when you never really know what happened? And how can you move on with your life, how can you let them go, when there’s a chance, however small, that they are still out there somewhere? Helen Ward Writes

This story will keep you curious until the very end. It will also pull on your heart strings. Keep some tissues handy! Buzz Words

It sensitively explores the difficulties in moving on after tragedy and is ultimately a message of hope. The reader is left with the sense that this grief never ends, but it doesn’t preclude experiencing lives of friendship and love. This exquisite, heart-warming story seems destined to win awards and will be enjoyed by readers aged 11 and older. Storylinks

My brother Finch had a big impact on me and my thoughts turned back to it for days after finishing. While reading it, I kept thinking how brilliantly Gordon has created an authentic 12-year-old character and realistic descriptions of her strong emotions, as well as believable family and friend relationships. And cleverly, too, Finch is very much a central character in the story, as part Wren’s imagination and memories. Reading Time

Award-winning author Kate Gordon tells an incredible story through both prose in the form of short sentences and clever verse. This novel will tug at your heart strings and leave you longing for closure. The ending may not be what you are expecting but the incredible use of language to explore the characters, their emotions and their struggles make this story a compelling read.  ReadPlus

Companion books:

Bird

Right as Rain

Telephone of the tree

The Probability of Everything

Picasso and the greatest show on earth

Read my blog posts about these other books by Kate Gordon:

Xavier in the Meantime

Aster's good, right things

The Calling of Jackdaw hollow

The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn

The Fortune Maker by Catherine Norton

"It meant living in the cheapest room in Silvertown, in a house on Pilchard Street at the very end of a terrace that tilted towards a lake of dark, oozing run-off from the coal tar factory. Their room had one tiny window they had to keep closed against the stench, especially in summer, and tide water seeped up through the floorboards all year round. Silvertown itself was built on a boggy bit of land between the river and the docks, in the shadow of dozens of factories that filled the streets with the foul stinks of sulphur, tar and the boiling bones and guts of slaughtered animals."

Maud Mulligan lives in desperately poor circumstances in a London slum. The year is 1913 - think about the significance of that date - suffragettes; Emaline Pankhurst; World War I is not far off; and the Industrial Revolution means thousands of people have come to London and many work in very dangerous factories. Maud might have a tough life, but she also has a dream to leave the slums and travel with her father to a better place. In their lodgings they have a jar and every day for the last seven years she has been saving so that one day they can buy two tickets on a streamer to somewhere else. Sadly, this cannot happen because the very old building where they live falls into the Thames. The money is gone. Then her father is killed by an elephant that was being winched off a ship down on the docks. He was knocked into the river and drowned. Now Maud has no family, no home, no money and only the clothes she had been wearing the day her home fell into the river.

Maud and her father had been living in an unused pantry in the home of Mrs Wray. Her husband is a violent man and for a while Maude manages to keep out of his way but then she is discovered and so now she is forced to live on the streets. 

This is a time of superstition. Maud is desperate to know the future. 

"Underneath the river, between the factories on the north bank and the gun yards on the south, there was a tunnel. ... for a few pennies you could find out your future."

In a heartbreaking scene we see Maud exchange her mother's beautiful green shawl so she can learn about her future. 

"How will I get out of Silverton?"

"Ruin! You will lose everything."

What does this prophecy mean? Maud is kidnapped by a man connected with a factory that makes dyes. The rich owners have also consulted a fortune teller - a famous and rich one. Somehow the colour yellow is important, as are chemistry lessons. Maud will escape, then be recaptured, then escape again. Along the way she meets rich people, corrupt people, and surprising new friends. She is even caught up in a suffragette protest march - a violent one. And there is another layer over the top of all of this which is hinted at on the cover. Maud herself is able to see the future - this is a gift but it could also put her in grave danger.

Maud is told to predict the colour that will be in fashion next year.

"Maud carefully lifted the crystal ball from the velvet-lined box and carried it to an armchair. ... She gasped when the flames flickered and changed. They became a column of figures, so indistinct as to be almost silhouettes. Even so, she could tell they were not ladies but men, moving slowly forwards and swaying.  ... The dying men were sucked abruptly into the ground."

All she can see is grey and black and mud and sludge. What does this mean?

This book has 312 pages and I read it all on one day - yes this book is THAT good. The final sentence made me gasp! I sincerely hope this book has been entered in our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) awards and if it has, I am certain it will be a Younger Readers Notable title and almost certainly a short-listed book too. I am surprised I haven't heard more people talking about this book which was released in August, 2023. That said, do take a look at all the positive comments on Catherine Norton's web page. I also really like the cover - in fact that is what drew me to this book when I saw it in a local independent book shop. Catherine Norton's book Crossing was a 2015 CBCA Notable but I somehow missed reading it. 

Publisher blurb: London, 1913 Twelve-year-old Maud Mulligan knows there's no future for her in London, in the rat-infested slum where she grew up. But in the tunnel under the river are fortune tellers, Seers, who will tell your fortune for a few pennies. And then there is Mr Mandalay, Seer to the king and anyone else rich enough to afford him. When Mr Mandalay sees Maud in a foretelling for a wealthy factory heiress, she believes Maud can save her family from financial ruin. But how? And why? In a world shaken by suffragettes, scientists, and the threat of war, what could a girl like Maud do to change anyone's future - or even her own?

This is a mystical adventure about strength, determination and changing times. Full of optimism even in the most desperate of situations, it shows how survival can be achieved through the worst or best experience, depending on the strength within to face whatever you are dealt. A stunning, eye-catching cover equals the fantastic read. Kids' Book Review

This reviewer inhaled this book - I did too. 

Serious themes of grief and loss, gender roles, power and resilience underpin this adventure but never overburden this exhilarating roller coaster read. The writing is assured, rich in historical detail, and enlivened by delightful insights into character. ...  I inhaled this book in one sitting and I think many others will do the same. ... Its high production values indicate the publishers think they have a keeper and I agree with them. Story Links

This story feels like the writing of Charles Dickens. You could share some children's abridged versions of his famous stories with your child after reading The Fortune Maker.

Here are some teachers notes from the publisher. You can read chapters one and two here. 

Companion books:

My Friend the Octopus

The Runaways of Haddington Hall

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow

The Truth about Verity Sparks

Withering by Sea

Counting on Grace

I was a Rat or the Scarlet Slippers by Philip Pullman

I was a Rat or the Scarlet Slippers is a classic book. I was sure I had talked about it previously here. It is a book I regularly recommended as a class read aloud for Grade 4 or 5. 

Publisher blurb: Standing in the moonlight was a little boy in a page's uniform . . . 'Bless my soul'! said Bob. 'Who are you?' When a small boy turns up on the doorstep of old Bob the cobbler and Joan the washerwoman, all he can tell them is 'I was a rat!'. But who is he really, and where has he come from? A wonderful, funny, surprising and sharply-observed re-telling of Cinderella.

I first read this book back when it was published in 1999. I am happy to report it is still in print and in paperback and available for a reasonable price too. Oddly there was so much of the plot I had forgotten. Some of the scenes are actually quite confronting.

Here are a few text quotes to give you an idea of this book:

"Standing in the moonlight was a little boy in a page's uniform. It had once been smart, but it was sorely torn and stained, and the boy's face was scratched and grubby."

"Joan came to the table with a bowl of warm bread and milk. She put it in front of the boy and without a second's pause he put his face right down into the bowl and began to guzzle it up directly, his dirty little hands gripping the edge of the table."

"The poor little boy was an orphan, and grief had turned his mind, and he'd wandered away from the orphanage he must have been living in."

"As soon as he saw the pencils, he fell in love with them. His whole heart longed for them. So while the lady and Bob and Joan leant across the desk talking, Roger's hand crept off his lap and slowly, carefully, over to the jar. ... (eventually) they all turned to Roger. He looked up, pleased to be noticed, but a little guilty too. The stump of the pencil was just sticking out of his mouth, and he quickly sucked it inside and pressed his lips together; but the lead had marked his mouth, and there were little flecks of red paint all round it too."

Bob and Joan take the little boy, now named Roger, to the council, to the orphanage, to the police, and to the hospital but no one seems able to help and no one has reported a missing boy. The hospital advise sending the little boy to school but that is a disaster. Roger has no pencil so the teacher makes him stand in the corner. Then when she threatens to strike him he bites her hand. Roger is taken to the headmaster.

"No one had ever heard a scream like that. When a boy went to be caned, he tried as hard as he could to make no noise at all, and some of the toughest ones managed to stop themselves from even whimpering ... But not even the most babyish victim would have screamed as long and as wildly as Roger was screaming."

Roger is so frightened he runs away. Luckily the police catch him after he knocks into a stall at the market, and he is taken back to Bob and Joan. Rumours about this strange boy begin to circulate and he comes to the attention of the Philosopher Royal. He tells Bob and Joan Jones that he will take the boy to the palace so he can study him further. This pompous man bamboozles the cobbler and his wife so they agree to let Roger go just for the day with the promise he will return in the evening but once again Roger is terrified this time by a cat and so he escapes back into the city. 

At this point the story becomes quite sinister. Roger is taken by a man who displays curiosities. Usually his exhibits are fakes but Roger keeps insisting he was a rat and so the man named Mr Tapscrew sets up a horrible cage and puts Roger into a dirty rat costume and then puts him on display. 

"We still need a bit more filth and squalor. It looks almost respectable in there. We need mud and rotten vegetables. We need dung, really, but there's a limit to what the public will stand, more's the pity ... We'll have a feeding time, every hour on the hour."

(Language warning) "Oh, shut up, you sanctimonious little mumper! Just remember - snarl and snatch and threaten. Else I'll pull your bloody nose off. Now the next lot of punters'll be in any minute, and I want 'em horrified and disgusted. ... He kicked Roger for good measure, and went out."

Then Roger comes to the attention of a thief rather like Fagan from Oliver Twist. He takes Roger away from the fair and puts him to work with his gang of house thieves. Of course all of this is very confusing for Roger and things go badly wrong with the burglary when Roger is left in the kitchen with all of the food - dried spaghetti, figs, cream crackers, dried beans, and lastly some chillies. The water has been turned off and Roger's throat is on fire so he plunges his head into a large barrel. It is water but when the water meets dried food it is another disaster.

"Something strange was happening inside him. He staggered slightly on the ground and listened to his stomach. All kinds of bubblings and gurglings and swooshings and bubblings were taking place, as the cascade of water met the dried beans and the rice and sloshed about among the bits of spaghetti."

The police arrive to catch the thieves, Roger bites the police man and fees again. This time into the sewers underneath the market place. Then the really serious and dangerous rumours begin about a dangerous rat boy - half human half rat. A reward is offered for his capture and Roger find himself in jail - naked and afraid. 

How can this story have a happy ending? Why does Roger keep saying 'I was a rat?'  There are clues along the way in the form of newspaper articles about a ball and a girl and a prince and slippers and midnight - perhaps you can put this puzzle together.

You migth like to look for the audio book of I was a Rat read by the terrific actor Robert Glenister. This book was first published in 1999 but it is still available in paperback for a good price. Philip Pullman is a famous UK Author - read more on his web site.

Poppy and Rye by Avi illustrated by Brian Floca

 

In my last post I talked about Poppy by Avi which is the first book in this series from 1995. Books from this series are all still in print but they may be a little difficult to source here in Australia sadly.

Poppy has discovered the truth about Mr Ocax and now, after a fierce battle, she has defeated him and he is dead. Poppy has a wonderful, if somewhat cantankerous, new friend - Ereth - a porcupine. Ragweed is now gone but Poppy feels it is important to find his family and tell them what happened.

She sets off on the long journey and some what reluctantly her friend Ereth agrees to accompany her. On the way Poppy meets a mysterious mouse who looks exactly like Ragweed. 

"Almost overwhelmed with emotion, Poppy closed her eyes, spun, dipped, and danced some more. Then she opened her eyes. Standing before her was a mouse. Poppy gasped. For one indescribable moment she thought it was Ragweed. The mouse before her had the same orange-coloured fur. His whiskers were fair. His tail was not very long. His ears were small and round. ... Now the strange mouse extended his paws. Without a word he gently took Poppy's paws in his. At his touch Poppy felt a tingle ripple through her body. It was as if a feather had stroked her from her tail to her nose."

This stranger mouse then disappears but when Poppy finds Ragweed's family she sees him standing at the back of their tunnel home. She discovers his name is Rye. Rye, however has his own problems. He is sad to hear Ragweed has been killed but at the same time he is relieved that he no longer has to live under the shadow of his parents number one son. Rye decides this is the moment he should prove himself. Some beavers have set up a dam and the mouse family have been forced to flee their home. Rye finds a way into the den of the beavers but he is captured and held prisoner. Brave Poppy risks her own life to save Rye. She has fallen in love with him ever since they danced in the forest.

There are some very dramatic scenes in this book and the boss of the beavers Caster P Canad - the dam builder - has such a distinct and quirky character. Here is a sample from one of his speeches:

"Great balls of fire ... they're going to topple that boulder. If it comes down it'll hit the dam. It's ufair. It's wrongheaded. It's a matter of life and death. .... For the honour of Canad's Cute Condos ... we've got to draw the line somewhere. Give me a dam or give me death! Go the whole hog! Go for broke! Fight tooth and tail! Charge!"

Here are some review comments for Poppy and Rye. 

Waiting for the Storks by Katrina Nannestad

"Then he takes a smaller tool, like a ruler with little sliding bits, and measures my ears 

and ear holes and earlobes, the thickness of my lips, the distance between my eyes, 

the length and width of my nose and lots of other bits in between. 

Herr Doktor takes one last lap around me, staring, then declares, 

'It is a perfect head!"

Krakow, Poland is a dangerous place. Zofia Ulinski, her Mama and Tata (father) know there are huge risks now that the Nazis have invaded their city. Zofia and her family are Catholic not fewish but these German conquerors have banned so many every day things.

"They marched into Krakow, acting as though it was their city, not ours. ... they started closing libraries and schools, radio stations and newspapers, synagogues and universities ... burned books (and) ... started rounding up teachers and writers and doctors and artists and priests and professors and sending them off to concentration camps."

Tata is a tailor and he is also working for the resistance. As this story opens there are some parcels that need to be delivered. Mama and Zofia offer to take them and of course they promise to stay in the shadows and avoid crowded busy streets. They carry the carefully wrapped parcels in two baskets. One parcel contains a green striped velvet suit for Mr Wojcik. It is almost impossible to find materials for new clothes so this strange colourful suit has been made from his dining room curtains. On their way to make their deliveries they meet three German soldiers. I think I held my breath through the whole scene as the SS guards ripped open the parcels and threw their precious contents onto the muddy gutter. Zofia knows should stay quiet, she should not draw attention to herself but this is all so outrageous. She screams stop - and she screams it in German. 

"The first soldier puts his finger under my chin and lifts my face. He gazes into my eyes and his smile widens. ... The second soldier pulls off my headscarf. He takes one of my long blonde plaits in his hand and holds it out. All three chatter about my clear blue eyes, my pale skin, my shiny golden hair."

What does all of this mean? Read this statement (found on the very first page of this book):

"I really do have the intention to gather Germanic blood from the whole world, to rob it, to steal it wherever I can. Heinrich Himmler, Commander of the SS, 1938."

Little eight year old Zofia has no idea that she is about to be kidnapped, taken to Germany, held in an orphanage where she will be re-educated as a perfect German child.  In this horrid place the children (all blonde and perfect) are given clothes, shoes, and plenty of food but the punishments are brutal and their are constant medical and psychological tests. She will be told, over and over again, a new story about her life and a will be given a new name and new identity. And of course there is the constant cry of Heil Hitler. 

During one of the medical examinations, an important doctor arrives - Doctor Engels (adult readers are sure to shudder at the mention of this infamous name). He takes a special interest in young Zofria who is now named Sophia Ullman. 

"Once I was Zofia Ulinaki, a stupid Polish pig. Now I am Sophia Ullman, a good German girl, a princess, with a perfect head, golden hair, blue eyes and hairless arms."

Doctor Engels takes Zofia to his home. Bavaria looks like the land of fairy tales. At his farm she meets her new Mutti (mother).

"This is just like a fairy tale where a girl thinks she's an orphan but, after many years of hardship is found by her mother and father and not only are they kind and loving, but they are also the queen and king of a very grand kingdom. Of course this isn't a fairy tale. This is a lie. The girl is me and I'm not an orphan or a long-lost princess, but a Polish girl who already has a mother and a father. But the lie is all I have. It's the only thing that will keep me safe".

Yesterday I picked up Waiting for the Storks and by 8pm I had read the whole book - yes it is, as I expected, another fabulous page turner from Katrina Nannestad and another book where she gave me an insight into an aspect of history - specifically of World War II and dreadful programs in Germany, which were entirely new to me.  Each section of the book is prefaced with a question which mirrors a game Zofia used to play with her parents - a game of choices:

• Cream on your salami or gravy on your poppyseed cake? Make a choice!
• German or Polish? Make a choice!
• Real life or a fairy tale? Make a choice!
• A sausage dog in a bonnet or a cat in a cardigan? Make a choice!
• A happy traitor or a miserable hero? Make a choice!
• A crimson spotted velvet skirt or a green striped velvet coat? Make a choice!

There were times in this book when I was SO tempted to jump to the end. I always know I am safe inside a middle grade book and that the author will protect me (and keep the loved character safe) but I deeply feared a sad ending. I just couldn't imagine how Zofia could possibly escape from this dreadful situation return to her real life. I am going to predict that this book will be a Children's Book Council of Australia Younger Readers notable title and I am sure it will also be short listed (6 books). 

Nannestad refuses to patronise her readership (while remaining age-appropriate) and her clarity and emotional intelligence will make it easy for younger readers to put themselves in Zofia’s shoes. Sydney Morning Herald

I think this is a powerful and important book that can start conversations and introduce readers to a different aspect of history that they may not know about or know much about – and that is why I love Katrina Nannestad’s historical fiction books. They give voices to people who might have been left out of history and allow us to gain insight into important history that might not be taught often. The Book Muse

Further reading:

US Holocaust Memorial Museum

The Lebensborn program also became involved in the kidnappings of thousands of foreign children. During the war, the SS sought out ethnic Germans living in foreign countries and “repatriated” them to the Third Reich. Thousands of children—mostly from eastern and southeastern Europe—were kidnapped because they had German ancestry or simply the “appropriate racial features.” The Lebensborn program then helped place these children with German families. Adopting families believed that the children had been orphaned by the war.

New York Times, November 2006

Teaching notes for Waiting for the Storks from the publisher

When you share this book or gift or borrow this book for a mature reader aged 11+ try to also find a copy of the Aesop fable - The Fox and the Stork.

You will want to read these previous books by Katrina Nannestad which also explore the impact of events during World War II on young children. I love these covers by Martina Heiduczek. This morning I discovered the Star review by Kirkus of We are Wolves. 

We are Wolves

Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief

In all three novels Nannestad shows the intense personal cost to children caught up in wars not of their making, forced to adapt and become strangers to their true selves in order to survive. Storylinks

Carefully and sensitively written, meticulously researched, the whole is a dissection of how the choices we make every day affect our lives and the lives of those we love. This (Waiting for the Storks) is the bleakest of these three novels but also the most powerful, most moving and most memorable. Storylinks

Image Source: Facebook

The Wintrish Girl by Melanie La'Brooy

"After eleven long years, the most famous day in the Empire of Arylia had returned. Today would be filled with celebrations and feasting and the all-important Talisman ceremony, during which young Arylians would be matched to their lifelong Talismans by the powerful Casket of Fate."

So lets look more closely at this text quote:

What are the Talismans? They can be any kind of useful object - a weapon, clothing even a musical instrument. each one is linked with magic or marvellance. Talismans allow citizens to defeat the Malevolents.

How does the Casket of Fate work?  On the day of the ceremony, every child reaches into the casket and takes out their talisman. Seraphine will not pull out a talisman. Instead she will receive the Orb and Scpetre which gives her power as a future ruler.

Who is Penn? How is she connected with Princess Seraphine? Penn is a knot sister. Princess Seraphine is too young to rule so for now Regent Gertrude is in charge. A knot sister is a child born on the same day as the Princess. Up until now Penn has lived in the castle and shared lessons with Seraphine. Now Penn lives with Goody - an old woman - she is from Wintrish but she can still talk. All other Wintrish are mute - they are The Grey Ones. Penn and Seraphine wear knot bracelets. These cannot be destroyed or removed. Penn is now training in Quintessence or spell making because she has been banished from the palace. 

Things to fear - the Panthera - a great beast that sleeps at the foot of the throne. This creature is kept asleep using Marvellance. The lava river. 

Non Human Characters - the Clock Immemorial. It is given to strange pronouncements that oddly might be true. A dragon who is afraid, desperately afraid of unicorns. Bestials - a half and half creature such as half Bloodhound and half Vampire Bat. Implings - small creatures with webbed feet, bat-like ears and shrill voices. The Huggle Beast named Ned. He is a true friend. 

Eslit -  the ruling council of Ayrlia. There are thirteen members and each belong to one of the Talismanic Guilds - weapons, treasure, lore and art. 

This is a new children's book by Australian author Melanie LaBrooy and it will be published by UQP tomorrow. Do you like the cover?  I'm not so sure this cover will entice young readers to pick up this book but I do hope I am wrong. With over 400 pages The Wintrish Girl is a long book but it is a rewarding one. I enjoyed the world building, the small touches of humour, the heroism of Penn and the loyalty of her new friends Juniper and Arthur. This book has been created by someone with an enormous imagination. 

The Wintrish Girl will be enjoyed by fans of Nevermoor - The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend along with these:

The Trials of Morrigan Crow

The Wild Magic Trilogy

The Girl who Drank the Moon

Prisoner of Ice and Snow

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy