Welcome: a book about friendship by Alison Green illustrated by Axel Scheffler

I know it is the end of the school year in many parts of the world and here in Australia it is Winter and we are about halfway through our school year but I'd like to suggest you pop the title or cover of this book onto your list as a perfect one to read at the start of the school year.

I worked in many different schools but one thing I really loved to see or meet in my library were class groups where it was so obvious the teacher took time to create a community with her group - kids who listened to one another, kids who were kind and respectful of each other, classes where every kid felt equally important - no social isolates or queen bees. 

The words say inside this book but really it could say inside this classroom or even better, albeit an ambitious idea, inside this school:

"Inside this book we make everyone welcome. Whether you're big or small, jumpy or flappy, stompy and noisy, or a little big shy and quiet, all are welcome."

And I love the conversations you could have around this line:

"Our best friend might turn out to be someone who's very different from us."

But this book is also not saccharine. There might be times when someone does not want to share or when someone is cross or upset or gets into an argument. Of course there are ways to resolve this. 

Then "we cheer everyone on and congratulate everyone when they've tried really hard. If things haven't gone so well, we're always there with a hug or a kind word."

This book comes from Three Peas - they are a charity with gives practical help to people who had to flee their homes - refugees. We have a politician here in Australia at the moment who has no idea about the concept of welcome. I would love to gift her this book even though sadly she probably lacks the intelligence to understand the importance of the ideas in this special book. I guess this book would be way too obscure for her.

‘Now, imagine if the whole world was like this book – if everyone was kind and helpful and welcomed everyone else. Doesn’t that sound good?' Read reading hub

This book follows on from Kind:

Kind

This is the third book - it is a board book for very young children:

After by Padraig Kenny

"Tell me again how the world ended."

Jen and her father live in the world of 'our' future. All the cities have been destroyed following a huge flood and also, as Jen discovers later, a violent war. At the heart of this destruction is just one man. Edward Seacroft is a tech genius. He has developed a way to build powerful robots called Merks and then he has convinced humans to implant chips in their brains but when his plans went  badly wrong he then implemented his first contingency. 

"Seacroft was the man who invented the Hive, an artificial intelligence network that spanned the globe ... He created robots and machines that were connected via this Hive intelligence. Then he had the bright idea of also connecting humans via implants. ...  Soon the Hive became such an accepted part of life that people were given implants at birth. ... But for some reason the Hive turned on the human race ... The Meks rose up. They showed no mercy. The war was bitter and short. Then the Flood came, overloading everyone and anything connect to the Hive."

People who were too poor for the implants have survived and, as this story begins, Jen and her Father have stumbled onto a small colony. Their leader, Albert, is welcoming and Jen knows this could be a place that she will feel safe but it is vital that no one discovers the true identity of her 'father'. Also who is Albert? Is this really a utopian community? What is hidden behind that locked door? Are the people right to be suspicious of strangers? 

There are eight chilling words in chapter 18:

"Human beings are useful. Up to a point."

Jen is a character who will linger with you long after you finish this book. She is so wise and insightful but also at times witty and funny.  The idea of brain implants is explored in another very old dystopian book that I read and loved decades ago - Devil on my Back by Monica Hughes.

Okay, so I need to say I have had this book on my 'to read' pile for over six months. The cover reminded me of another book I read by Padraig Kenny and I wrongly assumed this one would be similar. I did enjoy Stitch but it was a somewhat harrowing book and so I kept waiting to feel 'in the right mood' to tackle After. 

YES as I said I was wrong. After is a gripping book with a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is not a horror story in the traditional sense such as another Padraig Kenny title - The Monsters of Rookhaven. This new book, After, has more in common with Tin published in 2018 because once again he explores the possibilities of robots and their role or interactions in our human world.

I found After when I visited an independent bookstore in Balmain. Chatting to the shop owner I mentioned I enjoy middle grade novels with a dystopian setting - she checked her database and handed me After but months later I had forgotten this conversation and I let the cover guide me, so I kept skipping past this book with the wrong impression of the contents.

Yesterday I started and finished After. I was so engrossed reading this on a bus that I totally stepped away from the 'real world' for several minutes. I love that feeling of being so absorbed in a story. 

This is science-fiction, a dystopian future, but also a message about how we care for each other, and why we do so. Just Imagine

From the outset, the reader is encouraged to question the dynamic between Jen and Father, who are wandering along a path hoping to find a better place, hunting for food and avoiding gangs of scavengers. They have an unusual relationship: Jen is an independent and clever twelve-year-old girl who seems to make a lot of the decisions for the pair, while Father is quiet, protective and obsessed with a parenting book he has read. ...  this (is a) fast-paced and action-packed take on what could be a frightening dystopian topic, that is handled in a moving and thought-provoking manner for young readers. From its gripping first line – ‘Tell me again how the world ended’ – immediately setting the scene, to the final thrilling climax, this book will open young readers’ minds to some big philosophical questions about what it means to be human, whether machines can learn to have feelings and how we treat those who are different to us. Who are the real monsters here, machines or humans?  Children's Books Ireland

Here is a radio interview with the author.

Pádraig Kenny is an Irish writer from County Kildare, now living in Limerick. Previously an arts journalist, a teacher and a librarian's assistant, he now writes full-time. His first novel Tin and recent The Monsters of Rookhaven were both Waterstones Books of the Month. He has twice won the Children's Books Ireland Honour Award for Fiction, has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards.

After is sure to make you think about similar issues to those raised in other robot books such as The Wild Robot. Jen's 'father' makes a sacrifice to save her life and the life of the people in this small community. How did the processors of a robot allow him to do this? If you are looking for other dystopian books and books about robots use the labels at the bottom of this post - this book covers lots of issues that should generate deeper discussions about technology, power, corruption, climate change, and even AI.

The wild Robot

This book also explores the issue of robots and emotions.

This book also reminded me of the pods that are found in this book:

The Raven's Song

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

AMIR: The garden’s green was as soothing to the eye as the deep blue of that rug. I’m aware of color—I manage a fabric store. But the garden’s greatest benefit, I feel, 

was not relief to the eyes, but to make the eyes see our neighbors.

This book is such an interesting discovery. It is a book for Young Adult readers but I am sure adults will enjoy the way this book is written as a jigsaw puzzle where we meet a diversity of characters all linked through their connection with a community garden. (In the UK this might be called an allotment). Seedfolks was published in 1997 - I read an ebook version. The good news is the paperback [9780064472074] from 1999 seems to be available to order from your favourite independent book seller.

Publisher blurb: A Vietnamese girl plants six lima beans in a Cleveland vacant lot. Looking down on the immigrant-filled neighborhood, a Romanian woman watches suspiciously. A school janitor gets involved, then a Guatemalan family. Then muscle-bound Curtis, trying to win back Lateesha. Pregnant Maricela. Amir from India. A sense of community sprouts and spreads. 

Characters

• Kim: A Vietnamese girl mourning her father, who plants beans to connect with him.
• Ana: An elderly Romanian woman who initially distrusts Kim but later helps tend the garden.
• Wendell: A school janitor who supports Kim and contributes to the garden.
• Gonzalo: A young Guatemalan boy who feels responsible for his uncle and finds purpose in gardening.
• Curtis: A muscle-bound man trying to win back his ex-girlfriend through gardening.
• Leona: A passionate woman who fights to clean the lot and grows goldenrod, believing it has healing properties.
• Maricela: A pregnant teen who learns to care for plants and finds hope for her future.
• Amir: An Indian immigrant who grows eggplant, sharing his heritage with others in the community.
• Tío Juan: Gonzalo’s uncle, a farmer who finds joy in sharing his knowledge with children.
• Sae Young: A Korean woman who finds solace among neighbors as she tends to the garden.

Here is the Kirkus review. There is a link to book club questions on the publisher web page. Wikipedia have more plot details. 

Listen to a discussion about his book with All Things Considered.

Quick facts (Source Audible blog)

• Seedfolks features 13 distinct narrators, each telling their own chapter of the story.
• Despite its large and diverse cast of characters, the book is only 80 pages long.
• The story is set in Cleveland, Ohio, and spans one year, from the planting of the first seeds to the following spring.
• Seedfolks was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults in 1998 and won the Buckeye Children's Book Award for ages six to eight in 1999.
• Seedfolks has been adapted into a play and performed on Broadway.
• The audiobook version features 13 different voice actors to represent each character.

Here are a few text quotes:

KIM: All his life in Vietnam my father had been a farmer. Here our apartment house had no yard. But in that vacant lot he would see me. He would watch my beans break ground and spread, and would notice with pleasure their pods growing plump. He would see my patience and my hard work. I would show him that I could raise plants, as he had. I would show him that I was his daughter.

WENDELL: There’s plenty about my life I can’t change. Can’t bring the dead back to life on this earth. Can’t make the world loving and kind. Can’t change myself into a millionaire. But a patch of ground in this trashy lot—I can change that. Can change it big. Better to put my time into that than moaning about the other all day. That little grammar-school girl showed me that.

LEONA: There were probably lots of folks who’d want to grow something, just like me. Then I studied all the trash on the ground. Don’t know why anyone called that lot “vacant.” The garbage was piled high as your waist, some of it from the neighborhood and some dropped off by outside people. The ones who don’t want to pay at the dump, or got dangerous chemicals, or think we’re such slobs down here we won’t mind another load of junk. ...  The gardeners had made some trails through it. But I knew precious few would join ’em until that mess was hauled away.

NORA: That small circle of earth became a second home to both of us. Gardening boring? Never! It has suspense, tragedy, startling developments—a soap opera growing out of the ground. I’d forgotten that tremolo of expectation produced by a tiny forest of sprouts. What a marvelous sight it was to behold Mr. Myles’ furrowed black face inspecting his smooth-skinned young, just arrived in the world he’d shortly leave. His eyes gained back some of their life. He weeded and watered with great concentration.

Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California. The son of well-known children's novelist Sid Fleischman, Paul was in the unique position of having his famous father's books read out loud to him by the author as they were being written. This experience continued throughout his childhood. Paul followed in his father's footsteps as an author of books for young readers, and in 1982 he released the book "Graven Images", which was awarded a Newbery Honor citation. In 1988, Paul Fleischman came out with "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices", an unusually unique collection of poetry from the perspective of insects. This book was awarded the 1989 John Newbery Medal. Factoring in Sid Fleischman's win of the John Newbery Medal in 1987 for his book "The Whipping Boy", Paul and Sid Fleischman became to this day the only father and son authors to both win the John Newbery Medal.

Paperboy by Vince Vawter

This was beautifully written and palpably sad. Ms Yingling Reads

Carefully crafted language, authenticity of setting and quirky characters that ring fully true all combine to make this a worthwhile read. Kirkus

Have you ever read a book where you kept anticipating dreadful events, you gasped, turned the page and then that event didn't happen but instead a few pages later the author slammed you up against a wall with something even worse? I started Paperboy late in the afternoon and read a few chapters, then read a few more at midnight and then woke up at 3am and read this book right through to the end. All the while I was holding my breath because I was so worried about 'Little Man'.

It seems amazing when I think about it but in over 32 years as a Teacher-Librarian I never had a student who stuttered but I did work with one teacher (in hindsight I think about his bravery to be a teacher and face a group of ten year olds every day) and knew a young boy when I was a teenager. As humans there are some hard things in life that we have to navigate. Sensory impairment such as hearing loss, vision loss, epilepsy, and other disabilities that can make life so complex. I found it heartbreaking to read how much 'Little Man' struggled with his stuttering. In fact the reason we don't know his actual name until the final pages of this book is because his own name is almost impossible to pronounce - it contains the most tricky sounds. 'Little Man' is a highly intelligent young boy and this book and we get to know his story because we can hear his thoughts and read his typewritten words.

His best friend has gone away for a month over summer. 'Little Man' takes over the newspaper delivery job from Art or Rat as he is known. Over the following weeks 'Little Man' meets a variety of characters. My favourite was Mr Spiro who, in contrast with his newspaper delivery boy, uses long complex sentences and shares deep philosophical ideas that come from his extensive reading and huge personal library. He shows a beautiful level of kindness and intelligent interactions with the young boy. On the other hand, the town 'junk man' is a violent individual who you will desperately want 'Little Man' to avoid. When he risks his life twice and has to confront this disgusting man I wanted to shout at 'Little Boy' to run away because I knew he was in enormous danger. You can tell I became very involved in this story.

Adding to the power of this story at the end we discover this book is based on the life of the author. Read this detailed interview. Here are some quotes from the interview:

" ... everything in the book which had to do with stuttering, was factual. I had trouble saying my name, and on more than one occasion, I would pass out because I held my breath too long trying to say my name. If you remember the scene where the boy is in the restaurant with some of his parents’ friends, and he gets embarrassed, and it all just starts coming onto him and he loses his spaghetti all over the table and everybody? That actually happened to me."

"In the past few years, I've been reading an awful lot about the covert stutterer. I should have been the poster boy for covert stuttering. I tried to hide my stutter in every way I could. I would lie about it, I would skip class, I would do anything. I would pretend I was sick; I would do anything not to have to speak in class, or in some social situation. What that did is it held me back from starting on my journey of finding my voice."

"Saying my name was my albatross. At the start of school each year, I would start going into sweats, about the middle of August. School would start the first of September, I'd start worrying about it in August because I knew the teachers would say, "Okay, everybody stand-up, tell us your name. Tell us your brother and sister’s names. What your pet is, and what you did this summer." I'd have rather been whipped 40 lashes than do that."

In terms of an Australian young adult reader this book does contain aspects of US History from the 1960s especially racial discrimination and also a few references to baseball and famous baseball players but these references did not mean anything to me, but my ignorance did not affect the way this story totally engrossed me. Listen to an audio sample of chapter one - Mam is not his mother - she is the hired help - a brave African American lady who I would love to thank for the way she loves and protects 'Little Man'. 

Blurb: Little Man throws the meanest fastball in town. But talking is a whole different ball game. He can barely say a word without stuttering—not even his own name. So when he takes over his best friend’s paper route for the month of July, he’s not exactly looking forward to interacting with the customers. But it’s the neighborhood junkman, a bully and thief, who stirs up real trouble in Little Man’s life.

Awards for Paperboy:

• A Newbery Honor Award Winner
• An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book
• An IRA Children’s and Young Adults’ Choice
• An IRA Teachers’ Choice
• A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
• A National Parenting Publications Award Honor Book
• A BookPage Best Children’s Book
• An ABC New Voices Pick
• A Junior Library Guild Selection
• An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Recording
• An ALA-YALSA Amazing Audiobook
• A Mississippi Magnolia State Award List Selection

On another level this book is also about racial discrimination. Think of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr and also the movie The Help. There are two further books in this series (both are Young Adult or adult titles) and the final one deals with the five days in April 1968 that changed the world - the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Read more here. 

I am working my way through some Newbery winners and honor books from the last 25 years. I was so lucky to spy Paperboy at a recent charity book sale and it only cost AUS$2.

Companion books:

Walking to the bus-rider Blues

Stella by Starlight

The Parker Inheritance

How High the Moon

I also found a list of Middle Grade books that feature stuttering: Say It Out Loud by Allison Varnes; The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga; and Wild oak by C.C. Harrington.

Dragonkeeper by Carole Wilkinson

A young, unnamed slave works for a tyrannical man who purports to be a dragonkeeper. At the time of this story in ancient China the current emperor as no interest in dragons. Now there are only two left, and it is up to the young slave girl to keep them alive in their dungeon home. One morning she discovers one of the dragons has died. Now the adventures begin. 

The dragon named Danzi tells the girl her name is Ping. He explains they need to travel to the ocean, and she needs to carry his dragon stone and keep it safe at all times. Ping only has one friend in the whole world - a rat named Hua. Ping only agrees to go on this journey if Hua can come too. And what a journey it turns out to be. Ping has never been anywhere since she was taken as a slave. They walk through the most amazing countryside and encounter some kindness but also lots of danger because there is a dragon hunter who wants to capture and eventually kill Danzi and for reasons Ping cannot understand he and others also want the dragon stone.

The scene when Ping sees the ocean for the first time (only a few pages from the end of the book) reminded me of the words from the Margaret Mahy Picture book - The man whose Mother was a pirate:

He hadn’t dreamed of the BIGNESS of the sea. He hadn’t dreamed of the blueness of it. He hadn’t thought it would roll like kettledrums, and swish itself on to the beach. He opened his mouth and the drift and the dream of it, the weave and the wave of it, the fume and foam of it never left him again. At his feet the sea stroked the sand with soft little paws. Farther out, the great, graceful breakers moved like kings into court, trailing the peacock-patterned sea behind them.”

You could compare these lines with the wonder of Ping:

"Something on the horizon reflected sunlight like a band of silver. As they drew closer the band became wider. ... The hill gave way to flat land. The silver strip became wider and wider and turned blue as they got closer to it. It wasn't solid, its dimpled surface was dipping and rising. ... Where the blue met the earth there were tiny rolls of white. Ping realised what she was looking at was water. It stretched as far as she could see to the north, to the south and east until it merged with the sky. Its size terrified. her."

I recently talked about reading stamina and long form reading. Dragonkeeper is 343 pages of fairly small print so a reader aged 10+ will need stamina and perseverance but the rewards are great. Luckily things are fairly well resolved at the end of this book but IF you want to re-enter the world of Ping there are several more installments. I took quite a few days to read Dragonkeeper and now I need to consider if I want to see the movie - I think it might disappoint me because there is no way the sweeping story and epic nature of this book could be effectively distilled into a 98-minute movie surely? If you are looking for a class read aloud this could be a good book to consider - but do read it for yourself first - read alouds only work if the teacher loves the book first! Do not kill the book but the teachers notes I have linked to below are excellent and have ideas you could pick and choose from. I won my copy of Dragonkeeper as part of a promotion of the movie - I am glad I set aside the time to read this sweeping adventure story. 

There are more plot details in this review.

Carol Wilkinson waves her pencil like a magic wand and creates a fantasy world set in 141 B.C. China that’s as real as your morning cup of coffee.  ... Ping and Danzi need all the goodness they can muster, because their journey and their lives are challenged by drunks, robbers, corrupt politicians and wizards of the underworld. Ping’s believability grows on you because she, like the nine- to twelve-year-old readers for whom the book is written, has flaws, limitations and self-doubts. In fact, Wilkinson gives us a character with which readers of all ages can identify. Historical Novel Society

I put three covers at the top of this post but you can see even more on Carole Wilkinson's web page. 

My favourite parts of this book were when Danzi the dragon offered words of wisdom to Ping. I am so happy to see the author of the teacher's notes took the trouble to collect these:

The teachers notes say: Danzi is constantly making intriguing statements that Ping doesn’t quite understand, for example: 

• “All answers lie beyond the gate of experience,” 
• “Composure is the master of haste,”
• “The journey of a thousand li begins with a single step,” 
• “The way of Heaven is to diminish excess.” 
• “It is because of its emptiness that the cup is useful.” 
• “Recognising one’s limitations is knowledge,” 
• “Sharp weapons are not the tools of the sage,” 
• “The skillful traveller leaves no trace,”
• “The straight path must sometimes be crooked,” 
• “Sometimes advancing seems like going backwards,” 
• “Nothing under Heaven is softer than water,” “Yet it can overcome the hard and the strong.”
• “The sapling is small, but none can defeat it,” 
• “Net of Heaven is cast wide. Though its mesh is not fine, nothing slips through.”
• “He who tries to take carpenter’s place, always cuts his hands,” 
• “The path is easy if you avoid turning off it.” 

Blurb from the author webpage: Ancient China, Han Dynasty. A slave girl saves the life of an ageing dragon and escapes her brutal master. Pursued by a ruthless dragon hunter, the girl and the dragon make an epic journey across China carrying a mysterious stone that must be protected. This is the story of a young slave girl who believes she is not worthy of a name but finds within herself the strength and courage to make this perilous journey — and do what must be done.

Here are some additional teacher's notes.

Awards:

• Winner 2018 Silver Award (Children's Book), Illustrators Australia Awards
• Winner 2014 Graham Davey Citation, Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA) 
• Winner 2013 Gold Award – Book Series, Illustrators Australia 
• Shortlisted 2006 COOL (Canberra’s Own Outstanding List) Award
• Winner 2006 Older Readers, Kids Own Australian Literary Awards (KOALA)
• Winner 2006 Kalbacher Klapperschlange Award (Germany)
• Special mention 2004 International Youth Library’s White Ravens List
• Shortlisted 2004 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards
• Winner 2004 Best Children’s Book, Queensland Premier’s Literary Award
• Winner 2004 Book of the Year (Younger Readers), Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards
• Winner 2003 Best Young Adult Book, Aurealis Awards

Check out my two previous posts:

• Read the book then see the movie
• Dragonkeeper movie review

The Robot and the Bluebird by David Lucas

The illustrations convey the robot’s simple dignity, color, perspective 
and sequencing neatly choreographing the tale’s emotional trajectory. Kirkus

"There once was a Robot with a broken heart. They did their best to fix him, but it wasn't any good. SO he was sent to sit on the scrapheap with all the other old machines."

The robot is left to rust and disintegrate until one day a Bluebird arrives. She is flying south away from the freezing winter but she needs somewhere to rest. 

"There is a space where my heart used to be' he said gently. 'You can sleep there if you like."

The little bird is warm and when she flutters it feels as though the robot's heart is singing. But she can't stay here - it is way too cold.

"Then let me carry you ... I'll carry you in my heart and shelter you from the cold and storms."

The pair set off to find a warmer place. The ending of this book will, excuse the pun, utterly warm YOUR heart!

The library I visit each week has a terrific way of encouraging the children to discover books. This library is for the youngest children in the school and so rather than have the ransack the shelves it is easier to create new book displays on every possible surface and change them each week. In addition to this, once each term, she collects all the books on two popular topics and she fills a couple of shelf tubs for the children to select topics like ballet/dance; fairies; ninja; robots; and of course, dinosaurs.

That is how I came to see The Robot and the Bluebird. One of my tasks is shelving some of the returned books. What a precious discovery this book is. The Robot and the Bluebird was published in paperback in 2008 but I did find it listed with a couple of online booksellers here in Australia. If I was still working in my school library I would most certainly purchase this book - the emotional journey created by David Lucas has deeply affected me. 

Here is the website for David Lucas. Here is a video of the book which has a good pace. Click here to see more pages and the draft illustrations.

Here are some of the review comments I found on the author web page:

• ‘A profound variation on The Happy Prince’ Geraldine Brennan, T.E.S.
• ‘David Lucas’s poetic voice makes The Robot and the Bluebird sing. Lilting cadences give this tale a lightness and a fairytale touch reminiscent of Oscar Wilde, but with a Burtonesque twist.’ Irish Times
• ‘tender, touching and hopeful... this modern fable about the power of love to regenerate unfolds at a gentle pace and to great effect.’ Julia Eccleshare, Guardian
• ‘A poignant book... its simple pictures steer the story away from sentimentality, and its readers will take a while to grow out of it.’ Daily Telegraph

The Falling Boy by David Almond

"There were battered faded signs. KEEP OUT. NO ENTRY. 

BEWARE DANGER OF DEATH. One had a silhouette of a falling boy on it."

"Beyond it was the wasteland - shrubs and scrawny trees and brambles and rubble and dusty ground. And old tombstones, lopsided, broken, lots of them topped to the earth. Then the chapel itself. Ancient, crumbling. The roof was shattered and the spire was nearly gone. Most of the windows were bricked up, the huge front door had bars and boards across it."

It is the summer holidays. Obviously these warning signs mean nothing to the local kids. In fact they have meant nothing for several generations as the graffiti inside attests. The kids call this place the Chapel of Doom. There had been plans to use it for a restaurant or a club or a community centre or a museum or even restore it as a church but nothing had happened for decades.

Joff does have a lot going on in his life - high school starts soon and worse dad is very ill. 

"I wanted this stupid rotten time to be over. I wanted to feel happy and strong like I used to feel. I wanted to be the proper Joff Johnson again."

David Almond explains he was going through his own cancer journey when he wrote this book which is dedicated to a hospital where he lives in Newcastle-on-Tyne. 

I did keep thinking something dreadful was going to happen (you need to read this book to see if I was right). David Almond gave me some serious story hints such as crows flapping out through the shattered roof as Joff enters the building. Then we read that his dad told him there used to be a golden angel on the spire but it had flown away years ago. And then these words which gave me a jolt:

"There were painted scenes high on the walls from when the church was in use. ... You could just about see the saints with bits of their halos, and angels with bits of their wings, and fragments of Heaven though God disappeared long ago."

There is also the mystery of Dawn's deceased brother. 

David Almond writes books that, while not too difficult to read, contain very deep themes that are sure to give readers plenty to think about long after the book is finished. No wonder he won the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Medal. I was left with some unanswered questions in this book - but that is a good thing - readers do not need to have all the answers. I also felt a lot of internal tension reading this book - expecting a dreadful outcome - maybe I was wrong to feel this?

I wanted to compare The Falling Boy with Skellig.

I read Skellig decades ago. It was published in 1998 and so I am sure my memories are fragmented and incomplete but I did keep thinking there are links between this newest book by David Almond - The Falling Boy and Skellig (winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year Award). 

• Both stories feature a lonely boy - Michael in Skellig and Joff in The Falling Boy
• A loved family member has a serious illness - Michael's sister in Skellig and Dad in The Falling Boy
• The boy makes friends with a girl - Mina in Skellig, Dawn in The Falling Boy
• The girl has a role in healing the boy or helping him navigate difficult times
• There are issues of bullying
• The setting in both books include an old disused building - in the Falling Boy it is an old church
• The ending of both books leave readers with a sense of hope and renewal

The Falling Boy blurb from the author page: Nothing is the same for Joff this summer. His dad is ill, his mam is working, there’s a new kid in town. He can’t wait to escape each day and explore with his dog Jet. But there’s one place he’s not allowed to explore. Above the town sits the Chapel of Doom, ancient and crumbling, with its warning signs and the legend of the Falling Boy. And when Joff’s adventures take him beyond the boundaries he discovers something unexpected, something truly magical …

There are at least two falling boys in this new novel from David Almond. The first appears in silhouette on the danger sign as Joff approaches the ruined Chapel of Doom above his village. The second is Joff himself, on the verge of secondary school, tumbling and flailing into a pit of confusion and despair as his beloved dad (perhaps a third falling boy?) undergoes treatment for cancer. If you have read any of Almond’s novels before, you might know how this might work out. Books for Keeps

The Falling Boy is about Joff, a boy in the north-east whose Dad is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer of the colon. Joff has friends, he has an enemy, and he meets a girl who doesn’t quite fit in. It is the start of the summer holidays, and Joff spends time visiting an abandoned chapel – the Chapel of Doom – the one he went to with his Dad before he fell ill, and plays there. This is where the title of the book comes from, as the chapel is rumored to have been the site of a boy falling to his death, and is now an angel. A myth? A legend? Just Imagine

Here are some books I previously mentioned for readers to explore after Skellig:

The Amazing Mind of Alice Makin

Angel Creek

The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo illustrated by Julia Sarda

Begin here with this audio sample from chapter one. When you listen, you will hear the delicious language choices used by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo - beguiling brilliance, the porcelain of the skink, overstuff sofas strewn with cushions of green and gold, the room was fille to overflowing with light almost as if someone were ... pouring molten gold, perpetually occupied. 

Marta and her mother live in the attic of the Hotel Balzaar.

"And on the dresser was her mother's brush, and beside that was an envelope that was stained and worn smooth from handling. Marta's mother's name was written on the envelope - Elena Buchelli. And below her name was Marta's name - Marta Buchelli. The exact words Marta's father had written on the envelope were: And Marta Buchelli too, of course. How Marta loved those words: of course. Of course."

"It had been over a year since they had heard anything from her father. In the meantime, Marta and her mother had moved from one place to another, trying to survive."

 There are hints in the story that her mother, who works as a maid, is not really allowed to have her child living with her. Her father is missing. All Marta has that worn out letter. Almost every day her mother instructs Marta:

"You must be quiet, quiet, Marta. Like a mouse. Do not let yourself me charmed ... 'Say you understand, Marta,' said her mother. 'I understand,' said Marta. But she did not understand. She did not understand at all."

Marta lives in a small world. There is their attic room and the one hundred and twenty-eight stairs, the hotel lobby with a clock that has a cat chasing a mouse and a painting which seems to have one wing that looks like an angel. The hotel doorman Norman does acknowledge and talk to Marta but the receptionist Alphonse pretends she does not exist. Then one day a mysterious guest arrives at the hotel. 

"Right before the clock struck noon, there was a commotion in the lobby. A gust of cold air entered, and with it came an old woman dressed in red - red shoes, a red hat and a red dress. She was leaning on a cane, and on her should there perched a massive green-feathered parrot."

Marta will now break all her mother's rules because the old woman, who calls herself a Countess, invites Marta to come to her room. Marta meets her parrot named Blitzkoff. The Countess says he can speak but Marta never hears him instead the Countess tells Marta a series of six stories. At first it seems these stories are unconnected, and they all seem to be unresolved, but Marta listens carefully and you, the reader, will read carefully, because there are connections that can be made here, and the final untold story will be the most important one of all. 

Readers, too, will enjoy piecing together the connections among the stories and will be encouraged to seek deeper truths about people and the world around them. ... A delightful, thoughtful escape to a magical world. Kirkus

I am not sure I would use The Hotel Balzaar for a classroom study - it feels like such a personal reading experience but if you skim through these teachers notes from the publisher you will gain more insights into the plot and you will see some of the glorious art by Julia Sarda. If you are looking for a present for a keen reader aged 9+ pop this book onto your list - the hardcover edition with a dust jacket would be a very special gift. 

The setting for this heartfelt story is not specified but it feels like a European city and a time perhaps fifty or more years ago. This is the second of a planned set of three books or novellas called Norendy Tales. I previously talked about The Puppets of Spelhorst. The third book will be released next year. I love the way each book features a different illustrator - book one Julie Morstad; book two Julia Sarda. I wonder who will illustrate the third Norendy Tale? Every school and public library should add this set of books to their collection alongside EVERY book by Kate DiCamillo (you probably already know I am a huge fan). Here is a long video interview where you can hear Kate talk about her book. Read this review.

The Puppets of Spelhorst

The Hotel Balzaar uses the Countess for her storytelling prowess, consolidating all stories into her character. The Puppets of Spelhorst, in contrast, integrates a multitude of characters to tell stories. Even with these two different story telling mechanisms, the story within a story pattern is consistent between the two Norendy Tales. Both feature a plot arc stretched out from story to story to story, all culminating in one fell swoop with heartwarming endings. This strategy is extremely tricky to execute, particularly for the short format of middle grade reading material. The ease with which DiCamillo whips out these two editions reinforces why DiCamillo is the supremely successful queen of this genre ... In both of these books the illustrations are abundant and add intrigue and depth to the telling of the story; both the narrative and the images pull equal weight. Both titles, it’s safe to say, are true reader delights. New York Journal of Books

A Small Collection of Happiness by Zana Fraillon illustrated by Stephen Michael King

"Hattie's father had told her then that full-moon wishes were the most powerful wishes of all ... Ever since that night, whenever there was a full moon, Hettie would push open the window. She would look at the moon and imagine she was back there on that hill with her father. And then she would whisper her strongest, most fiercest, 

most important wish to the moon."

This story is told in twenty-five parts or fragments. I cannot call them chapters as each one almost stands alone and yet of course they are interconnected and do need to be read from first to last.

The Characters:

1. Hattie

Hattie is a young girl who lives in a tall, run down, apartment building in an urban city. Hattie is a lonely girl with a lively imagination. She is in need of a friend and also an adventure. We only very briefly glimpse her mum on page 170 and we are never really told explicitly about Hattie's dad but there are fragments in this story which will tell you dad is no longer there and perhaps he has died. Hattie holds memories of their times together close to her heart. 

2. Ada

Ada is an older lady who has recently lost her partner - a woman who she loved so deeply named Bessie. Ada arrives late one night and moves into the empty apartment next door to Hattie. In her pocket she has an envelope which contains a mysterious letter. 

"No one saw Ada arrive. Not even Hettie. No one saw her drip and squelch and puddle her way through the gates and down the path. No one saw her wait and wait and wait for the elevator that had been broken for a year already and wasn't about to start working now .... No one saw her slowly drag her suitcase up the metal stairs - thump, thump, thump - to the fourth floor."

Ada seems gruff and set in her ways but over time she and Hattie somehow forge a close relationship. Ada is writing a very curious book entitled How to Live. It is filled with quirky advice (I loved this part of the story) such as:

"Spend at least a week walking in someone else's footprints."
"Go to the top of a hill and whistle your favourite song into a bottle. Leave the bottle on someone's doorstep so that when they open it, they too can enjoy the song."

3. Salim

Is a boy who is a little younger than Hattie. He has seen the footprints of the elusive panther that people think is prowling their neighborhood. His mum makes delicious soup which Hattie would love to eat. It is very clear right from the beginning that Hattie and Salim are destined to become friends even though Hattie herself would deny this. 

After Ada's arrival on the stormy night Hattie heads next door to visit her new mysterious neighbour. Over time we watch as Hattie and Ada share tiny moments of joy such as watching baby spiderlings unfurl their tiny threads and float away on the breeze; listening to the world very early in the morning before the sunrise; and collecting special objects to add to their bag - their small collection of happiness. And they both enjoy cups of tea and the Friendship Biscuits Hattie bakes - I do wish the recipe was included at the back of the book. We also watch the evolving friendship of these two, very different characters.

I am not sure I can relate too much of the plot of this book without spoiling your own reading journey. This story is told in fragments (I have used that word a few times here) and reading it felt like I was trying to catch a butterfly. You can see this beautiful creature, but it is always just out of reach and perhaps just out of focus - an exquisite tiny piece of the natural world. This book is also an exquisite piece of expertly crafted storytelling with a gentle conclusion.

Here is a text quote:

"Hettie slumped onto the couch. She ran her fingers over Ada’s patchwork quilt and wished that she had something like this, something passed down through her family. Her family was all so scattered and lost and forgotten that she hardly knew anything about them. Sometimes she felt like she didn’t really belong anywhere. She wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by a great, big, huge family. To know there was always someone to talk to, someone to go to if you needed help. Someone who had stories to pass on and secrets to share. Someone who would give her a quilt one day and who would know that she would pass it on herself."

Do not rush your reading of this story - slow down, take your time, enjoy the way each fragment (that word again) quietly reveals more about Hettie and Ada. There are page breaks between the 'chapters' and I think these are designed to help you slow down your reading.  I do hope the CBCA judges add this book to their 2025 Younger Readers Notables list.

I am not a big fan of endorsements on book covers but it is very special to see UK author David Almond says: "I enjoyed this strange, inventive and moving tale." 

Oh and I do LOVE the cover. Give it a shake when you find the book so you can also see the way the designer has included spot vanish as an added layer of sparkle. 

I can also see why the publisher thought to ask Stephen Michael King to illustrate this book - he was the perfect choice and I imagine he loved contributing to this book. You can see inside this book and read the opening pages here. And you should explore these teachers notes by Dr Robyn Sheahan-Bright. 

Robyn Sheahan-Bright says: This whimsical tale has the stamp of a classic story. It is a multilayered tale about happiness, wishes, reality and imagination, family and friendship, urban renewal, urban myths, and individual and community memory. Peopled with two memorable characters, Hettie and Ada, it powerfully reinforces the notion that both imagination and human connection can enrich and sustain a life in a myriad of ways.

This unique and quiet story reminds us that we should look for what matters in the small, everyday moments, as this can mean more to people than the big moments. The Book Muse

This is such a unique, whimsical story with elements of magical realism and captivating, often abstract ... Facebook Reading Opens Doors with Elise Ellerman

With its themes of friendship, hope and happiness, it will definitely find a place in the hearts of many young readers who enjoy a story with a difference. Kids Book Review

Companion books:

Hazel Green 

(Read the comment below from Zana Fraillon)

View from the 32nd Floor

This one is long out of print, but I constantly recommend it- hope you can find it.

The Silk family series

Anchored by Debra Tidball illustrated by Arielle Li

 

"Tug watched Ship pull out into the deep ocean. 'I'll miss you,' boomed Ship, flags waving. 'But I'll be home soon.' The gap between them widened."

After you read this book to your group go back and look at this opening sentence. Debra Tidball has carefully selected every word here. Tug has a capital letter because she is a main character and Ship also has a capital letter. Ship is heading off into the unknown - the deep ocean. Ship is large so her voice booms. And she is happy, perhaps anticipating an adventure - her flags are waving. Then we read the heart wrenching words - the gap between them widened. I have a photo of a scene like this from 1948 when my mum sailed off from Australia to the UK leaving her sister waving from the dock. It is a happy scene but also filled with emotion.

"With Ship away, the sea shone a little less brightly."

Until finally Boom Boom Boom Ship returns to the port. 

"Ship towered over Tug like a warm hug."

While Tug stayed home working on the busy harbour, Ship travelled the world but in every place Ship thought about Tug. Read these descriptions of the places Ship visits:

"I've been to the tropics, where the sea glitters like crystals and jellyfish dance in shimmering shoals."

"I've been out past the breakers where the swell pulses and grows into a wild beast that crashes over my hull."

"I was just a dot in an endless blue sea and sky. I felt lost in the inky nights speckled with twinkling stars."

When I was a CBCA judge (2021-23) I argued against listing picture books in more than one category for our annual awards so I was surprised to see we have two picture books in the Early Childhood (ages 0-6) and the Picture Book (ages 0-18) category - Anchored by Debra Tidball and The Concrete Garden by Bob Graham.  I think is this is a testament to the way a terrific picture book can work across ages - appealing to very young children and exploring deeper themes with children in Grade One or Two. I am certain this book will be selected for one of these short lists which will be announced next week. 

The Early Childhood CBCA Judges said: Depicted with sensitivity and empathy, this gentle book explores separation anxiety and associated emotions. The characters are well-defined, with Tug and Ship having a clear relationship and different roles, reflecting that of a parent and child. Tug’s insecurities and concerns are acknowledged and conveyed in a highly effective sequence of illustrations that echo the taut text. Softly blurred, circular framing of key images suggests the safety and security of a “warm hug” during difficult times. Tug’s self-talk invites discussion. Carefully selected words such as ‘pushing’, ‘pulling’, and ‘prodding’ in both the beginning and end of the story reflect the concept that life goes on. The well-realised conclusion references the title with the closing image featuring the two characters separate yet connected.

The Picture Book of the Year CBCA Judges said: This gentle, emotional story celebrates friendship which helps weather any storm and makes the world seem brighter. Small Tug learns to cope with the absence of his friend Ship who ventures on long journeys across the deep ocean, discovering that a friend’s presence remains firmly anchored in one’s heart, regardless of distance. The story’s language is evocative and rich, enlivened by literary devices such as simile, alliteration, personification and onomatopoeia. The narrative is elevated by illustrations that skillfully vary in layout and size, bound together by a softly muted colour palette transitioning from the light blue of the skies to the deeper and midnight blues of the ocean. From an appealing cover and attractive endpapers to the overall harmony between written text and illustrations, it is an example of an excellently designed and effective picture book.

Here is the webpage for Arielle Li. And for Debra Tidball. In this very brief video Debra Tidball talks about her book and her personal connections with the story. Here are some very detailed teachers notes from the publisher. The book trailer has a very appealing soundtrack and no words. It is well worth watching. Here is an interview with Debra Tidball. 

Written for our youngest readers to reassure them that even though they might be separated from a parent for a time, out of sight does not mean out of mind and that they are always anchored in the heart of the absent one regardless.  At a time when there are many reasons that separation might happen, stories like this help alleviate anxiety and confirm that the parent will return. The Bottom Shelf

Anchored may be helpful in a classroom with little ones who are missing absent parents, or in families where adults travel for work. Story Links

You can read more review extracts here. 

When I first saw this book, I thought it might be a little bit like the old series -  Thomas the Tank Engine because the ship and tug have faces and smiles, but this book is so much more. You could share Anchored in your library with students from Kindergarten up to Grade 2 but I would NOT link this book with other simple funny stories about ferries or tug boats such as Little Tug by Steven Savage; I'm Mighty! by Kate McMullan; Mighty Tug by Alyssa Satin Capucilli; Tough Tug by Margaret Read MacDonald; Fergus the Ferry series by JW Noble; or Scuffy the Tug Boat (A Little Golden Book). 

The emotional arc of this narrative reminded me of this book: