Swashbuckler by James Moloney

This is the cover of the edition that seems to still be in print

This is the original cover with art by Annmarie Scott

"If you really want to know, I'm wild, I'm mad, I'm absolutely furious with him. 

Why does he have to die? And my biggest fear of all is that I'll go up to that hospital and stand next to him and I won't be able to stop myself. I'll start shaking him and yelling at him. You see, now, why I can't go up to the hospital, don't you?"

Publisher blurb: ‘Cease and desist! Stand fast and release your prisoner!’

Peter, a new boy at Park Ridge school, is thankful to be rescued from the school bullies by Anton the Swashbuckler. Even if Anton does speak in such a weird way and wears outlandish garments. After this Peter and Anton become firm friends and discover that they each have family problems. Together they turn those problems into challenges to be tackled in true Swashbuckler style.

Here is a summary from the excellent Teachers Notes: Peter, along with his mother and two younger sisters, are forced to move house after his father gambles away everything that they own. Bitter and angry, Peter finds it impossible to forgive and accept his father back into his life. In fact, in Peter’s mind, he has no father. To make matters worse, Peter is cornered on his first day at Park Ridge school by the school’s most notorious bullies. He is rescued by classmate Anton, a self-proclaimed ‘swashbuckler’, who speaks in character and dresses in costume. Most kids at school think Anton has gone completely mad. However, this colourful facade hides the painful fact that Anton’s father is dying from cancer.

Swashbuckler was published in 1995. When I saw it in a school library recently I thought it would be very interesting to revisit this book as I remembered really enjoying it and also I think I have referenced it here on this blog several times as a companion book.

Has this book stood the 'test of time'?

Yes and no. The actual plot certainly has but possibly some of the reference feel outdated - such as watching videos; going to the video shop; using a camcorder; and there is one reference to smacking a child. None of these tiny things though, will reduce enjoyment for a reader.

What I liked about this book:

• It is fairly short with only 83 pages however the print size is too small. If this book is ever reprinted, I would like to see a larger font.
• The characters in this story are so well developed especially Peter.
• The 'authentic' weird way Anton speaks means this book would be good to read aloud. I will look for an audio book version. Here it is.
• There is a sequel so if young readers aged 9+ enjoy Swashbuckler they are sure to want to read about the two bullies Buzzard Breath and Brains and hear their perspective on the school rose bush vandalism.
• I like the cover of the newer edition.
• Both boys have different life struggles, but both need to find a way to forgive, in this case, their fathers.
• The issues raised in this book about terminal illness and an addiction to gambling are just as relevant today.
• The ending is very sad (I cried), but it is also realistic. Yes, there is a good outcome for Peter with his dad, but it is not a saccharine or silly happily ever after. 

Swashbuckler was part of a series from University of Queensland Press called Storybridge. All these years later I think short, action stories like this are needed especially for upper primary aged boys. I found this list of titles. I remember enjoying Sally Marshall's Not an Alien by Amanda McKay; Nathan Nuttboard Hits the Beach by Anthony Eaton; and I adored (still adore) The Big Bazoohley by Peter Carey. James Moloney also wrote one of my BEST ever Grade six read aloud titles - The Pipe - from the After Dark series. In 2014 I read Disappearing Act and I loved his Aussie Bites title Moving House. 

Swashbuckler won the CBCA Younger Readers category in 1996. I was interested to see James Moloney's book made several of the older readers short lists 2009 Kill the Possum; 2006 Honour title Lost Property; 2004 Black Taxi; 2001Touch Me; 1997 winner A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove; 1996 The House on River Terrace; 1995 Honour title Gracey; 1994 Honour title Dougy and in 1999 the sequel to Swashbuckler - Buzzard Breath and Brains was a Honour title. You can see many of the covers here and read more about James Moloney.

Read more here

The Young Vikings

Thoughts from a Quiet Bench by Kes Gray illustrated by Nila Aye

Publisher blurb: The Quiet Bench in the playground is the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by. It's a place to listen, think, and ask yourself questions such as . . .

What are thoughts made of?

Where does the air stop being invisible and turn into blue sky?

Can the wind blow in two different directions at once?

So next time you see someone sitting quietly, why not join them? Because there's always room for one more friend on the Quiet Bench.

This is a book you will want to add to your school library BUT I recommend shopping around because the price here in Australia seems to vary between AUS$22 up to over AUS$32. 

Kes Gray is an author of more than fifty books for children of all ages, including the acclaimed Daisy series illustrated by Nick Sharratt and Garry Parsons. As well as winning the Red House Children's Book Award for Eat Your Peas, Billy Bucket and Daisy and the Trouble With Zoos, Kes was noted by The Independent as one of the top ten children's authors in the UK only a year after publishing his first book. He is also the author of Zippo the Super Hippo illustrated by Nikki Dyson and the bestselling Oi Frog! illustrated by Jim Field. Kes lives in Essex with his wife, children and an assortment of animals.

I spied this book in a city bookshop. I picked it up. Read it. And sighed with happiness.  Aren't we lucky that children's authors and illustrators keep producing amazing books for our children. I don't usually give stars to picture books but as you can see I have given this five stars! Just look at this page - 

There are, of course, some poignant moments in this book when we see the child sitting on the bench and later a child playing alone but this is beautifully balanced with some laugh out loud moments and a beautiful story ending. One of the things I treasured in my former school library were the quiet loner (not necessarily lonely) younger children who came to my library at lunch time. I tried hard to put aside the endless lunch time task of book shelving and just sit with these kids to play a simple card or board game and then inviting other kids to join in. 

Kes Gray is the author a book I love to read aloud:

Billy's Bucket

Here are some other books by Kes Gray - surely you already have many of these in your school library!

Nila Aye was born in Rangoon, Myanmar, arriving in the UK at the age of three and spent most of her childhood dreaming and drawing pictures. Nila studied graphic design at Central St Martins in London, graduating in 1995. Nila is an award-winning illustrator, collaborating on many well-loved children's books including Nature Trail, People Need People, Story Soup and the Little Bugs Big Feelings series. Her love of visual storytelling and collaboration with authors continues to energise Nila in her mission to bring beautifully illustrated books to a new generation of young readers around the world.

Here is the Instagram page for Nila Aye - she has a few small videos about Thoughts from a quiet bench.

Companion book:

The Friendship Bench

Not Nothing Gayle Forman

Before I start, I want to make it clear. He did something bad. Truly bad. I don’t want you to think I’m sidestepping that, or excusing it, or even forgiving it; it’s not for me to forgive, anyhow. But I’m telling you the story so you understand how he got where he did and how I got where I did and how both of us learned to rise to the occasion of our lives.

Alex, aged 12, has done something truly awful. The judge is giving him one more chance or one more opportunity. Alex hates that word and it's one the adults seem to use way too often. Now he finds himself at the Shady Glen retirement home: The Shady Glen residents were the living waiting to die. Places like Shady Glen are antechambers of death, the last stop where you wait for the Last Stop.

Because, honestly, no one had asked him if he wanted to be here. No one had asked him if he wanted another stupid opportunity. But, remembering what the judge had said about him throwing away chances ...

Alex is assigned work in the care home. He finds the residents weird and scary but even worse there is a young girl named Maya Jade also aged 12 who is working there - not as a community service order but as a volunteer - and she is bossy and opinionated and very annoying. The facility goes into lock down and Alex is sent to deliver meals to the residents. He meets Joseph “Josey” Kravitz aged 107 AND we meet him too because this book uses that appealing plot style of alternating voices so we can hear what Alex thinks and hear Josey. This is lucky in two ways because Josey is nonverbal (at least at the beginning of the book) and Josey is able to share the things he really 'sees' about Alex. Josey also opens up to Alex and over the following months he shares his own story - a harrowing story of love, loss and the holocaust.

Alex is suffering at home. He has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle. They are cold, disinterested and show Alex no love or affection. So 'home' is a misery. 

He lived on a lumpy couch with an aunt and uncle who did not want him. He had a judge who had warned him of last chances. He might go to juvie. And his mom… He hadn’t seen her in almost a year. He didn’t know if or when he would ever see her again. How could it get more permanently bad than this?

And the new school is also terrible. 'They' decide Alex is failing and so he is given special tutoring in maths. Alex is good at maths but he has totally switched off because everything in his life is so broken. He is so angry about the tutoring and the tutor. 

This book was published in 2024 and so here in Australia the hardcover edition is priced way beyond a school library budget. I read my copy on a Kindle but hopefully a paperback will arrive eventually. Not Nothing has won a Banks Street Award - Josette Frank Award 2025.  The Josette Frank Award for a work of fiction of outstanding literary merit for young readers in which children or young people deal in a positive and realistic way with difficulties in their world and grow emotionally and morally.

There is a raw honesty in this story - both in the story from Josey and from Alex. I cannot tell you exactly what Alex did but even though it is dreadful Gayle Forman has crafted a story that builds our empathy. I highly recommend Not Nothing for readers aged 12+.

Best-selling award winner Forman interweaves the tales carefully, with striking language and depth of feeling, allowing readers to understand the characters’ changing perspectives as they learn more about themselves and open up to people around them, many of whom become advocates and friends. Powerful, heartbreaking, and hopeful. Kirkus Star review

Book seller blurb: Alex is twelve, and he did something very, very bad. A judge sentences him to spend his summer volunteering at a retirement home where he's bossed around by an annoying and self-important do-gooder named Maya-Jade. He hasn't seen his mom in a year, his aunt and uncle don't want him, and Shady Glen's geriatric residents seem like zombies to him. Josey is 107 and ready for his life to be over. He has evaded death many times, having survived ghettos, dragnets, and a concentration camp--all thanks to the heroism of a woman named Olka and his own ability to sew. But now he spends his days in room 206 at Shady Glen, refusing to speak and waiting (and waiting and waiting) to die. Until Alex knocks on Josey's door...and Josey begins to tell Alex his story. As Alex comes back again and again to hear more, an unlikely bond grows between them. Soon a new possibility opens up for Alex: Can he rise to the occasion of his life, even if it means confronting the worst thing that he's ever done?

Here are a few text quotes:

For three days the boy cleaned banisters, safety rails, doorknobs, coffee tables, more doorknobs, Rummikub sets, book spines, outdoor tables, indoor tables, outdoor chairs, indoor chairs. The bleach stung his eyes, scraped his throat, and stole his appetite. The baloney sandwich his aunt packed him went uneaten. He would’ve thrown it away except he couldn’t bring himself to throw away food.

But then, as the months dragged on, his mom started to go to one of her bad places. He could recognize the signs as easily as the freckles across the bridge of her nose. He’d wake up in the morning and find her in the same chair she’d been in when he’d gone to bed, the TV on the same channel, the dinner he’d left out for her cold on the table. She didn’t cook any meals or eat the ones he put together.

“You shouldn’t separate them, because they love each other,” he continued in a halting voice. ...  So many people in Shady Glen had lost the people they loved, because their spouses had died or their children had moved away. When the people you loved left, that love remained, floating around, desperate for a place to go. And if it didn’t find a place to go… bad things happened. Love turned into anger, fear, hate. This was something the boy at twelve knew all too well. How did the grown-ups not see this?

“I’ll tell you why!” The words felt like a rocket countdown. Ten, nine, eight… “Because everyone who has promised me an opportunity has just made things worse. When I told the people at my old school about me and my mom, they all congratulated me on doing the right thing. Because now they had an opportunity to get us some help. I thought they meant food.” His voice began to crack, but the rocket was lifting off now, and there was no turning back. “But you know what they did? They made me go live with strangers and dragged my mom to a hospital and told her she’d have to get better if she wanted to be my mom. But if you know my mom like I do, you know she can’t stand to be stuck in one place. It’s why she moved so much. It’s why during the lockdown she got so much worse.”

I have also read this story where an elderly character also shares their holocaust experience. This one is for a slightly young audience - 10+.

Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller

Magnolia was not a trench-coat-wearing, magnifying-glass-holding detective. She wore a simple T-shirt and reasonable sneakers, and her strengths were asking questions and being able to talk to people. Most importantly, for the first time in a long time, she had a friend, 

someone who believed in her before she did, which is a powerful thing.

Magnolia's parents run a laundry in New York City. Her parents are migrants from China and so this means they love living in America but they do work very very hard - seven days a week. Magnolia is not unhappy but she would love her parents to spend more time with her and also she wishes they could take a little time off now and again. 

People often leave things behind at the laundromat. Magnolia collects these strange things and she also collects single socks. She has put these on a display board in the laundromat in the hope that someone will come back and claim their sock but so far no one has done this. 

A new family move into the neighborhood and Magnolia's mum organises a visit hoping Magnolia might make a new friend. Magnolia is very inexperienced with the whole process of friendship but very quickly she and Iris do form a connection. Just before Iris arrives the board of sock crashed onto the floor and Magnolia is so upset by the way a rude customer has just treated her mum that she throws the sock board out with the trash. Iris sees the socks and comes up with a splendid plan. Perhaps Magnolia and Iris could spend their summer holidays tracking down the owners of these socks. AND so a wonder story begins - Magnolia and Iris become great friends, Magnolia makes a series of amazing discoveries about her neighbors and about her parents and their past lives and Magnolia learns that first impressions of the kids from school are not actually even close to correct.

I love the title - yes mum folds the washing but also Magnolia unfolds the sock mystery with the help of her friend and in the process she unfolds herself - opens herself to making new friends and opening herself to a better understanding of her parents. The chapters are named after the socks - that's fun too - The Pink Knitted Sock, The Flamingo Sock, and The Ice Cream Sock

Here are some text quotes - I highlighted so many fabulous passages in this book - that is one great feature of reading on a Kindle.

Magnolia Wu was almost ten. She was eager to turn ten, because the number 9 looked like a sprout coming out of the ground, small and easily stomped. Ten was a strong, two-digit number that looked like a sword and a shield that belonged to someone who was about to conquer the world.

To Magnolia, each sock was a mystery, and she waited for the day that their owners would return to claim them. She wondered where the socks had been, if they’d trekked through mud or snow, climbed a flowering hillside, or danced on Broadway stages. But so far no one had come back, the socks forgotten or replaced by whatever other important things adults were out there doing.

When Magnolia saw the laundromat through a classmate’s eyes, she became self-conscious of the smallest things. The Christmas ornaments dangling from their potted plants year-round. The statue of Guan Gong in his shrine, surrounded by oranges and burning incense set out as offerings. The pile of strangers’ underwear stacked on the counter. The recycled peanut butter jars they used as pencil holders. The way her dad wore a Snoopy sweater and floppy sandals, while other dads strode down the street buttoned up in crisp collars and polished shoes.

So I’m going to help you return each sock to its rightful owner, and you’re going to show me around New York City.” It had never occurred to Magnolia to take action to return the socks herself. She thought of life as something that unfolded around her and happened to her while she was content being an observer.

Suddenly, with a knapsack of socks on her back and a friend by her side, Magnolia felt like anything was going to be possible this summer.

Magnolia had never had a best friend and didn’t know the responsibilities of her new position. How did best friends make up? Did they shake hands or high-five? Did fighting mean the end of things? Did people recover from these kinds of wounds?

Wildly funny, charming, and deeply heartfelt. Kirkus Star review

Today I took a bus ride to the city. If the bus driver gives me a fairly calm trip I can read a book on my Kindle. I started Magnolia Wu Unfolds it all and I was transported. I read half of the book on the way into the city and the other half on the way home. THIS BOOK IS FABULOUS. Sorry to shout. No wonder it won a Newbery honour. Now for the sad news. So far this book is only available as a hardcover edition and so here in Australia it is way too expensive (AUS$40). There is a paperback edition [9780593624531] but it does not seem to have arrived here. I am not a fan of the cover - but please do not let this stop you hunting out this book. 

Here is a quote from the author: Remember, stories can be found everywhere in your life. Pay attention to the details in your day-to-day routines and the people you interact with; build adventures out of them. Celebrate your history and connectedness. I hope you can tell how much I enjoyed writing this whimsical, emotional, slightly nonsensical story, spending time with two girls who are capable of solving the impossible. You can too.

You can read a sample of this book on the publisher page. Here are some teachers notes from the US publisher. I follow a children's book discussion group on Facebook - we used these questions for our discussion.  Here are a few questions and my answers:

1. Iris brings in the sock board from the street, saying she wants to help find the socks’ missing owners. This idea surprises Magnolia because “it had never occurred to Magnolia to take action to return the socks herself. She thought of life as something that unfolded around her and happened to her while she was content being an observer” (p. 24). Do you recall times, as a child, that life unfolded around you? As an adult? Were there times when you took action instead?

I’m probably more of an observer but if someone suggested taking action like Iris I think I’d join in.

2. Magnolia is embarrassed after suggesting the wrong spelling for a word in Lisa’s crossword puzzle. However, Lisa says her error was “a creative act” and evidence of how smart she is (p. 36). How might our mistakes show our imagination and intelligence?

I love authors who create characters with emotional intelligence. Readers of this book will see a “different” way to react. Hooray!

3. While searching for the owner of the flamingo sock, Magnolia and Iris run into Aspen, a boy from school. How does Aspen act toward Magnolia and the laundromat? The story about his stuffed animal Otto and Magnolia’s father explains the reason for his actions but doesn't excuse the racist taunts and bullying. What is Miller trying to show child readers in this scenario?

Everyone has two sides. Humans are complex! I loved discovering his “soft side”.

4. Aspen tells Magnolia and Iris that flamingos are naturally gray but turn pink after eating shrimp. He says, “Flamingos become what they consume,” and Iris writes him a note that says she hopes he stays gray (pp. 86–87). What does she mean by this? What are some things you consume (literally or figuratively), and how have they made you who you are?

I really do not enjoy books that are overly didactic but this scene does not feel like that at all. I loved the quiet wisdom of this idea. And he way Magnolia and Iris have to take a journey to find this reflects in a small way the enormity of the journey to understanding taken by Aspen.

I have two favourite picture books about visiting Laundromats - A pocket for Corduroy; and Knuffle Bunny. Small confession - I am slightly crazy about socks and I do have quite a large collection including some special ones from Japan and some I bought in Paris! Last year I visited a wonderful Laundromat in Portsmouth Laundrycare (145 Albert Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea PO4 0JW, United Kingdom). I highly recommend them if you are in the area.

Here is a poem about missing socks:

The Missing Sock by Angela Wybrow

This afternoon, I had quite a big shock: 
I discovered that I have a missing sock! 
I put my socks inside the washing machine, 
But now one sock is nowhere to be seen.

I started my hunt earlier - had a scout around, 
But, as yet, the missing sock is still to be found.
It's not hung on the line or the clothes airer.
It needs to be reunited with me: its wearer.

The socks were one of my favourite pairs: 
Light blue with a snowy white polar bear.
They also had stars sewn with silvery thread.
I've looked on the floor and inside my bed.

With a missing sock, I've no peace of mind; 
That missing sock, I simply need to find.
It has to be somewhere within the house -
Or maybe it has been stolen by a mouse! 

That poor little sock is all lonely and lost; 
I'll do anything to retrieve it: whatever the cost.
I'm feeling quite upset, as I really do hate
The thought of it coping without its mate.

With the missing sock, I am quite obsessed, 
And, until I have found it, I will not rest.
That missing sock, I will keep looking for
Until it's safe and sound back in its drawer. 

Willow Bright's Secret Plot by AL Tait

Mum has died. This happened when Willow was only five years old so for many years it has just been Willow and her dad and their life together in rural Australia but now things have changed, and Willow has been sent to live with her Aunt Cressida and her cousin Fleur. The property where her father worked has been sold and dad is working far away hoping to save enough money so he and Willow can be reunited. 

Willow finds city life hectic and confusing. She is really struggling to fit in, and Aunt Cressida seems to have so many rules. Even worse though, her cousin Fleur is simply horrible. AL Tait describes Fleur's behaviour so well that on page 10, I just had to stop reading and take a break from this book. I do not react well to unkindness.

Back to the story. In the opening scene, there is a carnival or fete at the school. One of the attractions is the petting zoo. While Willow is standing in the line for fairy floss, a young calf escapes from the small 'zoo' enclosure. Willow is a farm girl. She knows this calf is frightened and also it is clear he is heading towards some small children playing in sand pit. Willow springs into action, she grabs a rope and lassos that renegade calf. Surely, she is hero - she saved the day - but this is not the reaction of the people in the crowd. I gasped! Reading aloud the first chapter of Willow Bright's Secret Plot could be a great way to book talk this title with your upper primary library group. You can hear AL Tait (Allison Tait) reading her chapter here.

The runaway calf could be an isolated incident, but other strange things have been happening at school. And some other things are going on in this community. One thing Willow really needs is to find a quiet place with trees and nature. Taking an early morning walk each day she discovers an overgrown plot of land. The house appears to be empty. Willow makes a plan to visit this special place every morning. She thinks she could even begin to tame this wilderness but then she meets the old man who does live in the house. He does not know this, but he might be able to help with her plan to run away back to her former home because he will pay her to restore his garden. Willow is well on track to implement her plan when unexpectedly she makes new friends, and she finds a way to navigate the changes in her life. 

There is a scene in this book that I think will linger with me - Willow tries to talk to her new friend (from page 114 onwards). Cos (short for Cosette) has already decided Willow believes Martin, Cos's brother, is guilty of the petty crimes around the neighborhood. Willow tries desperately to explain why she is visiting but she is extra nervous because her aunt has forbidden her from visiting this house. It is all so complicated. All Willow wants is to invite her new friend to help with the garden but Cos just closes the door and storms off.

The awkwardness of making friends and growing up, and learning to speak about your feelings or acknowledge them, and about finding out that people do care, and sometimes, it might take us, and everyone around us, time to understand. Because nobody can adapt to changes automatically when it comes down to it. And this book shows that sometimes, working out what to say and how to say it can be the hardest thing to do. The Book Muse

In some ways the transformation of the garden reminded me of the classic book (a firm favourite of mine) The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The restoring of the garden leads to a healing of Willow and also of the garden owner Mr Belrose. I also like the double meaning you can interpret from the title and the words 'secret plot'. 

Here is a description of Mr Belrose:

"The man was older than his strength and voice suggested ...This man had wiry, white eyebrows that were almost as wild as what was left of his hair, and he was wearing a wrongly buttoned, checked pyjama shirt atop navy trousers and his boots. But he had the kind of warm, brown skin that suggested hours spent outdoors ... and the way the deep wrinkles fanned out around his blue eyes suggested he spent more time smiling than frowning."

And here is a description of why Willow enjoys her early morning solitude:

"The early morning had always been Willow's favourite time of the day. At Jack's Creek, it was the only time cool enough to walk anywhere, and it was then that Willow would stroll across the verdant grass square that surrounded the homestead, past the point where the sprinklers kept it green, and out into the wild, dusty expanse beyond."

Did you notice the word 'verdant'? I am always happy when authors use rich language in a story. 

Bookseller blurb: ‘I feel her in the breeze that makes the dahlias bob, and in the scent of the roses …’ After moving to the city from the country, Willow Bright feels like she’s lost her mum all over again―and landed on another planet. Her clothes are wrong, her taste in music is wrong, and even the food she eats is wrong. But when Willow spots a pattern in a series of puzzling accidents and mishaps, she forms an unlikely friendship―and finds new purpose. Can Willow solve the mystery and find room to be herself along the way? Or will her plot to run home to the wide-open spaces and memories of her mum land Willow in even more trouble? 

The town planning/corruption layer of Willow Bright's Secret plot made me think about a very old Australian classic book - The Battle of the Galah Trees by Christobel Mattingley (1973).   

Companion books:

Huda was here

Out of the Wild Night

The Secret library of Hummingbird House

Cicada Summer

A good day for climbing trees

Meet the illustrator Binny Talib

Image Source: Telerah Public School Instagram

Binny Talib has illustrated over 30 books here and internationally, ranging from picture, baby board, non-fictions and chapters. She is an award-winning children’s book illustrator. Binny was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for her illustration of Hark, It’s Me, Ruby Lee by Lisa Shanahan and this book also received an honour award by the CBCA. Binny has illustrated picture books for a range of publishers, including Scholastic, Hachette, Ladybird, Allen and Unwin, YoYo Belgium, Auzou France, Little Tiger Press (Two Sides with Polly Ho-Yen) and Oxford University Press.

Bookseller blurb: Jasper has just moved to a new school and feels invisible. Next door Juniper is afraid of creatures lurking in the shadows at night. When Juniper writes a letter to the night creatures, it mysteriously lands on Jasper's bed. Jasper knows what he must do. A story of fears, friendship and a little bit of outer space.

I went to a book launch at Gleebooks for this new book - The Letter Writer - by Binny Talib.  Congratulations to Rachel Robson always works so hard to make these events exciting for the children who come along. This Saturday morning event was packed with enthusiastic readers. And there were fun craft activities for the children and colourful cupcakes too. 

I love receiving letters and posting greeting cards. Many years ago, I set up a pen pal activity for a Grade 3 class in my school and a class in Pennsylvania - it was terrific. And in my very first year of teaching, forty years ago, I sent a letter to each of the children in my own Grade 3 class at the end of our first term together. Many of the parents commented that this was the first letter their child had ever received - this was long long before the advent of email of course. 

Here is one of my favourite books about letter writing (apart from the Jolly Postman series by Allan Ahlberg):

A Letter for Leo

I left with a few unanswered questions about Binny Talib so I did some internet digging tonight.

Unanswered questions:

• Is her name Binny short for a longer name such as Benita?
• How did illustrating for other authors help you on your own journey to becoming an author/illustrator?
• Her early books just used the name Binny - why did she change this?
• Does she write letters herself and post them in envelopes? Do you think this is still a good form of communication? A project between school classes inspired by this book was mentioned this morning but I have not been able to find a web link about this to share. 
• Binny gave the children, who had their book signed, a gift bag with a 'real stamp' inside - was this a real stamp I did find an image (see below) but I cannot find any details on the Australia post page. 

Image Source: Binny Talib Instagram

Here are some things I discovered about Binny Talib:

• She also designs wallpaper, cushions, textiles, mugs, toys and greeting cards.
• Her studio is in Sydney - right in the CBD.
• She made tiny envelopes for the end papers in her new book.
• Her first book was Origami Heart. (She did do a small self-published book first)
• The Letter writer is her second book as author and illustrator.

 

This might seem odd but I didn't think of Binny Talib as an Australian illustrator until very recently but of course that was silly because I really enjoyed this book Hark it's me Ruby Lee which was a CBCA Honour Book.

Hark, It's me Ruby Lee!

I think I made this mistake because I also enjoyed this book from the Little Gems series which I am sure come from the UK.

Two Sides

Here is a 2019 interview with Binny Talib. And here is one from 2023 with Kids' Book Review. You can hear Binny talking about her work on the podcast Reading with a Chance of Tacos. 

Here are the teachers notes (published 2023)

Blurb: Shout-outs to 50 awesome Australian women with easy-to-read biographies of their incredible achievements. From Cathy Freeman to Turia Pitt, Edith Cowan to Julia Gillard, Mum Shirl to Vali Myers, plus rally car drivers, molecular biologists and more, this book is a celebration of women in all fields, from all walks of life, and from Australia’s past and present. (2018)

Moon Rabbit by Natalie Russell

Moon Rabbit is a little like the famous story of Town Mouse and Country Mouse. Little Rabbit lives in the city. Her days go well as she enjoys all the sights and sounds and shops of the city but when evening comes she feels a little lonely. One day she goes to the park and hears some sweet music. She falls asleep in the sunshine but when she wakes up it is nighttime. She can still hear the music so she picks up her book and follows the sound. She is surprised to meet another rabbit. A brown rabbit. And he is playing a guitar. The pair quickly form a sweet friendship and enjoy their days together but when Little Rabbit looks back over at the city she feels homesick. The brown rabbit and white rabbit say goodbye and Little Rabbit heads back to the city but there is the promise that one day soon Brown Rabbit will come for a visit. Here is book two!

This story is fairly simple but it is sure to appeal to a preschool aged child. What really stood out of me when I saw it at a recent charity book sale were the scrumptious illustrations. The Kirkus reviewer said exactly the same words:

What really stands out are the gentle black-lined drawings resting comfortably in a patchwork of printed images. Vintage-looking patterns decorate shades, vases, even trees and create an experience as pleasant as tea and a scone. Kirkus

My copy of Moon Rabbit was published in 2011 (paperback edition) so it is long out of print. I love the way the cover has silver varnished letters and the way the moon looks like a patchwork. The cherry blossoms on the cover and end papers give this book a Japanese feel although Natale Russell lives in Dundee Scotland. Natalie Russell is also the illustrator of a series of book by Kobi Yamada - Because I had a teacher; Because of you, Mom; and Because of you, Dad. 

Here are some other books by Natalie Russell.

Laughter is the Best Ending by Maryam Master illustrated by Astred Hicks

"They had sent me to a kids' camp so that I would find kid friends but I came out the other side, proudly announcing that I was now besties with an 80-year-old potential villain who was about to kick the bucket." 

Zee, short for Ziba, has a worried mother. Mum thinks Zee has no friends (this could be true) so she decides Zee needs to go to a holiday camp. This is a camp called Youth Fusion and their brochure promises the kids who attend will make new friends.

On the first night of the camp the kids are told they will play a game of 'Murder in the Dark'. They are told to form themselves into teams of four. Zee has been sitting beside a girl called Tifanee (with two ees). She is a bold confident and funny character and Zee is sure it would be good to link up with her over the five days of this camp. (By the way Zee absolutely does not want to be here). On the other side of the camp fire the girls see a couple of boys - perhaps they will join their team of four.

Then the camp authorities announce one of the kids has gone missing and so the focus shifts and Zee, Tifanee, along with twins Moses and Jonah, decide they need to find this kid. That involves searching an old run-down mansion that is rumored to house a woman who murders children and perhaps even eats them! (Yes I agree this plot line sounds okay for Primary school readers but I will explain my thoughts in a moment). 

Here are some teachers notes from the publisher. Listen to a sample of the audio.

You might like to read a few reviews:

• Kids' Book Review
• Paperbark Words (Joy Lawn) - interview
• Reading Time
• What book next

I will begin with the things I liked about this book. The cover is terrific. Use of Fluro orange is very eye catching and the title written on a pile of books links well with some aspects of this story especially the ending. The title is also perfect and enticing. And it is true Zee does laugh at the funeral (but to find out why you have to read the whole book). If you flip inside this book you can see the book design is quirky, interesting and appealing, with changes of font and you will see the way conversations are presented as play scripts. Zee makes lots of lists which appear in frames and at times these are very funny.

Now for the aspects of this story that I liked but which I think make it a better fit for a reader aged 12+.

Zee is crazy about Oscar Wilde (I am fairly sure no Primary school aged reader will have read or have any interest in him). In fact the title of this book is adaptation of a quote from The Picture of Dorian Gray "Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship and it is the best ending for one."

Zee talks about liking old language such as the writing of Jane Austen. And she recognises the camp chaos is closely like the plot from Lord of the Flies (not a book I would share in a Primary school library - I am still traumatised). 

Zee goes to high school and much of commentary about peer group relationships relates to her experiences there: "School is a cesspool of people checking each other out. Judging each other. Rating each other. And it's 99 percent based on looks .... I hate a lot of things about it, but the grotesque catwalk of who's hot and who's not bothers me most."

I really liked Zee but her tone is totally teenage: "whenever I'm dreading something, like really, truly, genuinely dreading something, whether it be the first day at a new school for zombies or root canal with a demon dentist, I get super sleepy."

Here's an example from Tifanee "I'm Tifanee by the way. Spelt with two ee's cause my parents are idiots. Any idea how we can break free from this touchy-feely hellhole?" Tifanee is an Instagram influencer.

Zee mentions her favourite poets - Kahil Gilbran; Rumi; and Maya Angelou. 

Zee and Dame Viv (she's the 80-year-old I mentioned in my opening quote) visit a state library to view a rare folio of Shakespeare's work and then they watch the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds. 

Companion books:

The Unexplainable disappearance of Mars Patel

The Parker Inheritance

Walking with Miss Millie

Laughter is the Best Ending has been listed as a 2025 CBCA Notable title BUT in my view it is in the wrong category - it is listed as a Younger Readers title but all of the content I have explained above surely shows this is a Young Adult title and it should perhaps have been entered and judged as an Older Readers book. I really did enjoy Laughter is the Best Ending but it think it better suits a High School library and High School readers. Here are the criteria for you to compare.

From the CBCA awards:

8.1 Judging criteria for CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers 

Entries in this category are books for young people aged between 13 and 18 years (secondary school 

level). Readers require a degree of maturity to appreciate the themes and scope of emotional 

involvement. Books in this category may be fiction, drama, illustrated text, poetry or graphic novels. 

Age appropriateness: The story is written in a way that would engage 13–18-year-olds (or a sub-age group within). Mature topics are explored and give the readers the opportunity to be challenged with alternative points of view or perspectives. The writing extends the reader’s experience and may help the reader understand more about themselves and the world. 

8.2 Judging criteria for CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers 

Entries in this category are books published for children in the age range from 7 to 12 years (lower to 

upper primary school level). Books in the category may be fiction, drama, graphic novels, illustrated 

text or poetry. 

Age appropriateness: The story is written in a way that would engage 7–12-year-olds. (or a sub-age group within) Light introduction of mature topics might be explored and may give the readers the opportunity to be challenged. The writing is engaging, stimulating and extends the reader’s 

experience and/or imagination. It also may help the reader understand more about themselves and the world. 

I previously read and enjoyed these books by Maryam Master:

Exit Through the Gift Shop

(I also list this as a YA title)

No words

One more thing to think about. I recently talked about endorsements on books (these are not blurbs). On the back cover of Laughter is the Best Ending it has this praise by Anna Fienberg - no problem she is a fantastic writer - but why say she is the author of the Tashi series - those books are for very young readers and have no relationship with this book by Maryam Master. I'm puzzled. 

'I found it so energising! Zee plays with words like a gymnast. We click with her from the very start - she's funny, frank, fair and feisty! This story will be a hit with young readers.' Anna Fienberg, author of the Tashi series