No Purchase Necessary by Maria Marianayagam

I got to the section with the Mercury bars and stared at the chocolate bar in front of me, my heart pounding so loud I was sure Scary Al could hear it from behind the till. I glanced up at the cash register. Scary Al was ringing up a customer. I should do it now, I told myself, but my hands trembled in my pockets. What on earth was I doing? This was not me. ... “Some people must steal to survive,” I whispered to myself. I needed to do this to survive Bridge Creek. I’d find a way to pay for it someday.

Ajay and his family (father, mother and younger sister) have come to America from Sri Lanka. Amma and Appa have very high expectations for their children. Ajay does not want to disappoint them, so it seems easier to tell them a lie about the grade for his poetry assignment. His father expects Ajay to always score over 90 but for this assignment, set by Ms Livingston, where students had to respond to the Robert Frost poem ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay', Ajay scored 79. This lie, telling his parents he scored 90, is the first of many. You could think of the term 'slippery slope'.

Ajay is a new student at Bridge Creek Middle School. Jacob is also fairly new too, but Jacob is a bully and has already acquired a couple of thuggish friends. Early in the story there is a terrible scene where Jacob sees Ajay eating a Sri Lankan Sandwich: 

"Just as I was about to take a bite of my sandwich, Jacob walked up with his goons. He stopped in front of me, blocking out the daylight, and my insides went as cold as my outside. He looked at my sandwich and scrunched up his face. “What’s this stinky sandwich, Uhh-jay?” That also wasn’t my name. ... “Swi Lunk what?” Jacob howled. “What kind of meat is that?” Brad and Eric snickered again. ... “Yeah, it’s gross,” I said, and immediately felt guilty. It was my favorite. “You should throw it out,” he said as he munched his chocolate bar mindlessly. I’d never tried a Mercury bar, and here he was chewing it like a piece of stale gum. He was testing me, and I was ready. I needed to prove to Jacob Underson that I could be cool. Carefree. I shrugged. “Okay.” I walked over to the trash can and threw out my uneaten sandwich. Jacob smirked, then turned around and walked away."

From that day on it broke my heart to read that Ajay always bought a simple ham and cheese sandwich to school. He also cleared his locker every day and carried every book home just in case he needed one for a school assignment. Ajay puts so much pressure on himself. Thank goodness he does excel at maths and karate. 

It's that chocolate bar that leads to the next problem and the incident that 'snowballs' into so many terrible lies and dilemmas for Ajay. Jacob tells Ajay to steal a Mercury Bar from Scary Al's store. Ajay is terrified but also desperate for approval so he takes the chocolate and stashes it in the waist band of his trousers. Jacob is 'mock' horrified and he tosses the treat away. When Ajay picks it up he finds he has won the prize. But how can he claim this million dollar prize when he didn't buy the chocolate; and how can he tell his parents; and what about Scary Al, the store owner - surely, he will contact the police; and then there is the complication of his new friend Mindy - the way all of this happened this chocolate bar should have been her purchase. Oh and what do the words "no purchase necessary" actually mean?

There is so much tension in this story which is driven by the complex moral dilemma of what to do if you win one million dollars but actually it seems impossible to claim the prize.

Here are a couple of text quotes:

My throat tightened. That was the thing about Appa and Amma. They could be one hundred percent scary and one hundred percent loving at the same time. And maybe we were all like that. Not a list of things, but a messy pile—jumbled, overlapping, and contradicting.

I wanted to tell them about the chocolate bar, but my heart started palpitating when I thought about it. I couldn’t. The right thing to do was to let it go, I decided. I’d paid Al back. I wasn’t redeeming the prize. It was time to move on and start over. But for some reason, it still felt like I had miles to go before I got some sleep.

I had all these rituals because I wanted my life to be perfect. Perfect student. Perfect son. Perfect everything. And what about my life was perfect anymore? Nothing. I was a thief. And now I’d nearly killed someone.

He cleared his throat. “We put high expectations on you because we don’t want you to ever struggle the way we have. We do it because we want you to have better lives than we’ve had.” He turned to Aarthi. “But maybe, somewhere along the way, we became too hard on you.”

For more plot details read this detailed plot summary by Ms Yingling - I love her final comment:

This made me SO anxious the whole time I was reading it, which just shows how good the writing was, but it was not a good feeling! I thought of a dozen different ways that Ajay would have been able to claim the prize, and it was frustrating when he didn't take any of my advice! 

Here in Australian you will need to wait to read this book. I read an ebook version. The print copy (256 pages) is only in hardcover so far and it is very expensive but hopefully a paperback edition is planned. This book will be devoured by readers aged 10+ and it fits that expression "windows and mirrors". For some this book will be a window into the life of a migrant family and the cultural expectations of parents and while others are sure to relate (mirrors) to the pressures placed on Ajay and his sister and the unfairness of the way Amma and Appa are treated in their new country. 

Maria Marianayagam lives in Alberta, Canada: "My stories call upon a childhood and adulthood of multiple identities. I am a Canadian who was born in India. I am a Catholic but also Tamil Sri Lankan. I love writing but have a degree in chemical engineering. We all contain multitudes–and I draw on our intersections to inspire, empower, and engage young readers."

The novel’s plot twists will especially entrance and surprise younger audiences and those able to suspend disbelief and go with the flow of this completely age-appropriate and appealing story. Utter fun. Kirkus Star review

No Purchase Necessary is a warmhearted coming-of-age story about figuring out who you want to be and standing up for what’s right. Marianayagam has crafted an enjoyable, humorous, and thoughtful story that sheds light on immigrant struggles and the pressure kids face to be like their peers. Reading Middle Grade

Bookseller blurb: Ajay Anthonipillai has a million-dollar problem. Ajay has lived his life dutifully following the rules set by his Tamil parents.

• Rule #3: Straight As only
• Rule #5: There is no such thing as a no-homework day.
• Rule #10: Never watch scary movies.

However, moving to a new school gives Ajay a new rule to follow: Get on seventh-grade all-star Jacob Underson's good side. When Jacob asks him to steal a Mercury bar from Scary Al's convenience store, Ajay feels this is his chance to finally "get cool" and stop eating alone. But Jacob rejects the stolen chocolate bar, leaving Ajay to unwrap it and discover that it contains Mercury's Twenty-fifth Anniversary Grand Prize...one million dollars. Faced with an extreme dilemma, Ajay will have to bear the weight of his actions and battle his morality in deciding whether to claim the prize that may change the life of his family forever.

There are some interesting book and poetry references in this story. Ajay loves The Hardy Boys book series. Mindy loves Nancy Drew. Ms Livingston sets assignments on famous poems by Robert Frost: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening; and The Road Not Taken.

Companion books:

Scar Town

The Eleventh Trade

These two are for younger readers:

Bored Book One: Milo finds $105

Mr Chickee's Funny Money

The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner

Twelve weeks. 

46 peaks. 

Finish by Labor Day 

and all the charges go away.

A local youth has been arrested for vandalizing St. Mary’s Cemetery over the holiday weekend. Lake Placid Police responded to a complaint of someone kicking headstones shortly after 4:00 p.m. on Friday.

• Why did Finn do this?
• What will be the consequence?
• What do we know about the grave?

School is not easy for Finn either. And now he is told he has to complete catch up work for English and PE. Here is his English assignment:

Poetry Project: What Makes a Hero?   Assignment: Draft, revise, and edit a collection of at least twenty poems about people you consider to be heroes. You may write about anyone who inspires you, living or dead. Your collection should begin with an introduction poem and must include at least five different poetic forms (haiku, sonnet, acrostic, concrete poem, found poem, riddle poem, erasure poem, free verse, magic 9, ode, pantoum, sestina, villanelle). Be sure to make use of poetic devices such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, similes, and metaphors. Have fun!

Finn's dad is famous in this town because there is a photo of him rescuing a girl after the tragedy of 9/11. Of course that was years ago. 

I see that photo in my sleep. 

Every detail. 

Dad’s black coat white with ash. 

His hair. 

His face. 

Like a statue carved in cold gray stone, 

lines chiseled in his forehead, 

around his eyes. 

Muddy tear streak down his cheek 

as he ran from the North Tower. 

He had a survivor! 

He was carrying her in those strong statue arms. 

Her leg was bleeding and she wore 

one red shoe, 

the other lost somewhere 

in the ashes, smoke, and screams.

The punishment for the vandalism is to climb 46 mountains. Finn is angry about his dad - but what has happened? You will adore meeting all the people who climb the mountains with Finn - they are compassionate and wise and quietly help him to make sense of his life and his personal tragedies. Oh and the dog is wonderful! I also loved the way Kate Messner structured this story. 

You will NOT be able to put this book down. It is such a page turner. Highly recommended for readers aged 10+.

Blurb from the author page: Finn Connelly is nothing like his dad, a star athlete and firefighter hero who always ran toward danger until he died two years ago. Finn’s about to fail seventh grade and has never made headlines . . . until now. Caught on camera vandalizing a cemetery, he’s in big trouble for kicking down some dead old lady’s headstone. But it turns out that grave belongs to a legendary local mountain climber, and her daughter makes Finn an unusual offer: climb all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks with her dead mother’s dog, and they can call it even. In a wild three months of misadventures, mountain mud, and unexpected mentors, Finn begins to find his way on the trails. At the top of each peak, he can see for miles and slowly begins to understand more about himself and his dad. But the mountains don’t care about any of that, and as the clock ticks down to September, they have more surprises in store. Finn’s final summit challenge may be more than even a hero can face.

Here are some text quotes:

She’s the prosecutor in charge of my case. There might not be a court appearance after all, she says, and I’m so relieved I miss what comes next but I snap to attention when she rattles off the price of the headstone I busted: $2,600 for a weathered hunk of rock.

It’s called PTSD. (That’s Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, in case you’re wondering.) But if you’re a 9/11 firefighter’s kid you already know those letters, learned them with your ABCs, when you learned not to ask questions in September. When you learned how to make your own lunch and sign your own permission slips, and pretend everything was all right.

Some Awards:

• New York Times Bestseller
• USA Today Bestseller
• National Indie Bestseller
• Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2025
• School Library Journal Best Books of 2025
• Kirkus Best Books of 2025
• Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books, 2025
• 2026-2027 Texas Bluebonnet List Nominee
• 2026 Charlotte Huck Honor
• 2026 NCTE Notable Novels in Verse
• Best Kids’ Books about Mental Health 2025, Child Mind Institute

The first-person narration vividly conveys a disgruntled teenager’s feelings, including moments of humor and contemplation. The novel wrestles with loss and legacy intertwined with weighty events, challenges, and themes—PTSD, alcoholism, toxic masculinity—and their resulting impact on Finn’s emotional well-being. The supporting characters are encouraging adult role models. Characters present white. An adventurous work whose authentic voice celebrates the outdoors and everyday heroism. Kirkus Star review

As I read this book, I was in awe of Messner’s skill. She combines so many disparate elements into a book that feels organic and beautiful. Her use of a verse novel format makes so much sense here, allowing us to feel what Finn does even as he is in denial about much of it. His poetry project weaves its way through the verse, capturing his voice and rage. Finn can’t see himself through most of the book, can’t see the people around him and their support, can’t see his father and the truth about him, can’t find his way through. This is a book about what nature can do for a person who is lost and not looking to be rescued. It is a book about the various ways that heroes enter our lives, the forms they take that are unexpected and sometimes drooling dogs, the connection that can result in shared experiences. It is about so much at once and yet again, is superbly focused and deftly written.  Waking Brain Cells

Companion books:

Not Nothing

Duck's backyard by Ulrich Hub illustrated by Jörg Mühle

Duck has a wonky leg so he uses a crutch. He is perfectly, perfectly happy living in his safe yard until ... Yes you knew there would be a complication and of course you anticipated what this might be from the cover illustration. A chicken arrives in the yard. Not just any ordinary chicken - a blind chicken - oh no. But wait do not feel sorry for this fellow because he is a chicken with a huge attitude and enormous confidence.

The chicken tells the duck today is the day for an adventure. Yes this is your classic optimist versus pessimist story and your classic or not quite so classic story of self discovery. Duck says NO NO NO. He will not leave his yard. The outside world is completely unsafe. The problem is the chicken needs duck to guide him since there are no guide dogs in the farm yard and so he persuades duck to step out of the yard and travel to ...

"Somewhere in the world ... there's a place where all our secret wishes come true."

The journey is filled with hazards - a dark forest, a huge ravine and an enormous mountain but at the top of the mountain an amazing discovery awaits chicken. Duck makes a discovery too - perhaps one you anticipated but still I guarantee this sweet ending will warm your heart.

Reading this book almost feels like a religious experience not that you need to be religious to enjoy this story. There are very deep themes (see my post labels) so this book will appeal to young children, older children and adults. Read the first chapter here. Here is an interview with Ulrich Hub. 

I adore books from Gecko Press. They source some fabulous books from around the world and invest in translating them for children who speak English. Duck's Backyard was originally published in German with the title Lahme Ente, blindes Huhn which means Lame duck, blind chicken so I am glad Gecko changed the title. School libraries in Australia used to be sent books from Gecko Press when Scholastic Australia had the agency now it is with Walker Books Australia so you may need to hunt out their books. When Scholastic had the agency books from Gecko Press were often included with their International standing order titles and also in the Book Club brochures. 

There is a sequel to Duck's Backyard but it is only available in German. I do hope Gecko Press decide to translate it. 

You should also read (don't wait add them to your library basket today) these books:

Yours sincerely, Giraffe

Meet you at Eight

Petra

Wolf and Dog

Bogtrotter

Bear and Chook by the Sea

Up the Mountain

Skunk and Badger

I previously talked about this book illustrated by Jörg Mühle.

Two for me, One for you

Eggs by Jerry Spinelli

 

Publisher blurb “ Nine-year-old David is sad and angry - his mother has recently died in a freak accident and now he has to live with his grandmother, as his father is too busy to care for him. Then David meets thirteen-year-old Primrose, who has no dad, and a neglectful and eccentric mother. Together these two damaged children help each other to find what is missing in their lives...”

This book is a harrowing one to read. That’s why I’m saying senior primary or young adult even though the main character is only nine years old. My comment here though, is that David felt much older than nine and his unkindness and almost cruel treatment of his grandmother was hard to read.  I would  list this book for 12+ even though Kirkus (quoted below) list this book as 8-12).

Here is a quote from the Kirkus Star review:

"With strong characterisation of major and minor characters and a light, poetic touch, Spinelli deftly handles themes of friendship, family, loss and resilience in a story that will long linger in the hearts of readers. Elegant and memorable."

This book was published in 2007 so I imagine it is long out of print but the ebook version would be available.  You can read more plot details here in the Book Bag review.

The Crocodile who Didn't like Water by Gemma Merino

Do not rush into this book - turn the first pages slowly. You will see a basket of eggs. Nearly all of them are blue but wait one is white. Then on the next page the basket is picked up by a large crocodile wearing red ankle length lace up boots. 

"Once upon a time, there was a little crocodile. And this little crocodile didn't like water."

He watches his brothers and sisters swimming but he would rather climb a tree. Little crocodile saves his money from the tooth fairy and he buys a rubber swim ring but this doesn't really solve his problem. Little crocodile just does not fit in and he is growing way bigger than the others. Then one day he sneezes a huge sneeze and wow - he breathes fire. 

Now turn to the final end paper - a dragon wearing red rubber boots is reading a book "The Dragon who didn't like Fire" and she has her basket of eggs - nearly all of them are white but tucked in you will spy one blue egg. What will happen next?

There are a lot of picture books with a similar theme or focus to this book - The Crocodile who didn't like Water.  These are questions all children ask at some time:

Where do I fit in?

Why am I different from ... ?

What is special about me?

Is this really my family?

I found this list of 25 themes in Children's literature and quite a few of them apply to this book:

Family Relationships; Accepting Differences; Bravery and Courage; Self-Concept; Perseverance and Persistence; and Growing Up. 

Every element of the picture book is in play here -- endpapers that foreshadow the big reveal and cheekily suggest an epilogue; touches of red in the largely green world that mark our hero as an outsider (viz. his tiny red rubber boots); page design that makes us feel his loneliness; emotion-steeped characters whose dot eyes convey trepidation, shock, joy, tentativeness, exhilaration; just enough typographical shenanigans; a pared-down text with one perfect neologism.  Horn Book

This book is filled with humour, but it is touching as well. It is one of those books that leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling and a smile on your face. 'The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water' is a beautiful story about finding your own wings. It is perfect for children who feel like they just don't fit in. It shows them sometimes being like everyone else isn't the most important thing. Sometimes you just need to stretch your wings and be yourself. Book Bag

You can see Gemma talking about her book. Here are the three other books in this series by Gemma Merino:

The most obvious comparison book to go with The Crocodile who didn't like Water is The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen. 

Here are some other books to explore:

Happy Hippo

Little Platypus

The Ugly Duckling

Little Nelly's Big Book

The Calling of Jackdaw Hollow by Kate Gordon

In the book The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn we meet Wonder's special friend - a crow named Hollowbeak. In this newest book, fans of this series can now discover more about the young boy Jackdaw Hollow - a boy who will become Hollowbeak.

This newest instalment begins with a prologue. Here we read about Jackdaw's tragic beginning. His beautiful parents are killed on a stormy night and baby Jackdaw, who is now an orphan, is taken to Direleafe Hall. He is given in the care of Mrs Beekman who runs this school for girls. Jackdaw is a boy and a baby but Mrs Beekman agrees to take him.

"But now ... Now, Mrs Beekman had a boy. And he was to be her son. Mrs Beekman looked down at this baby - her new baby boy - and finally, after all those years, she felt something inside her crack and the almond within it was sweet. She felt joy returning to her soul. It might be mad peril, sure enough, but loving this boy might be the making of her."

Jackdaw has a happy childhood. He is a keen student and he is deeply loved by Mrs Beekman but something is missing in his life. He is sure he needs a calling or a purpose. Why did he survive when his parents both perished? He meets three young girls who also live at Direleafe Hall. They are ghosts and they befriend Jack and encourage his friendship with a young local girl called Angeline. Angeline is suffering but she has a plan to run away - to run away and join the circus. Is it up to Jackdaw to rescue Angeline? Is this his true calling?

Kate Gordon creates memorable characters in this book especially Jack himself of course but also young Angeline who is both brave and vulnerable, suffering horribly and yet also optimistic. I also loved the distinct voices of the three ghosts - Nell, Lucy and Florence. As for scenery, the idea of cartwheeling through a field of tulips is so appealing. 

"The girl in the tulip field turned, heels over head, like foam-topped waves rolling to shore. Above her moonlight made the shape of her, the paleness of her, more stark, more visible. She seemed at odds with the landscape. A thing outside, separate. Above it all."

Can you see thistles on the cover? 

"Hope is a tulip in springtime. Hope is a thistle that grows through the cracks, that grows on mountainsides, where nothing else will grow. Hope is a bird that takes flight, over and again, even though flying seems an impossible thing. Even though it's dangerous. Hope is a baby who survives."

The Calling of Jackdaw Hollow will be available on 29th March. Huge thanks to University of Queensland Press for this advance copy of this book. I recommend this book for readers aged 10+. even though this is officially the third book in this series I would actually recommend you could begin the series here. 

Here are the three books in this series by Kate Gordon. Look closely and you can see a seasonal reference in the background of each image - Winter (Book One The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn); Spring (Book Two The Ballard of Melody Rose); Summer (Book Three The Calling of Jackdaw Hollow).  This makes me wonder if Book four is planned. 

Kate Gordon lives in Tasmania and she won the IBBY Australia Ena Nöel award in 2016. Since then her writing seems to have gone from strength to strength.

Aster's Right Good Thing

Xavier in the Meantime

The Song of Lewis Carmichael by Sofie Laguna illustrated by Marc McBride

"Two days to fly by balloon to the North Pole. Not possible."

In the middle of the night a crow taps on Matthew's window. Matthew actually met this same crow who has a broken wing earlier in the day. Outside Matthew sees a huge hot air balloon. The crow, who introduces him self as Lewis Carmichael, tells Matthew to hurry because it is time to head off to the North Pole. 

Matthew is a lonely kid who feels as though he does not fit in. School is hard, his parents seem over protective and relationships are complicated. Books are his solace and he especially loves to read about the world of the Arctic. He has read about the freezing temperatures, amazing wild creatures and the barren landscape. Could this invitation be part of a dream? Matthew is not sure but he tentatively climbs out of his upstairs bedroom window and climbs aboard the balloon.  

There is a third, unseen character, in the story who has outfitted the balloon with everything Matthew and Lewis Carmichael will need for their journey - warm clothes, food, water, a small stove and a good supply of tea. Matthew is not used to drinking tea but Lewis Carmichael insists they enjoy this warm beverage at regular intervals and Matthew finds comfort in the warmth and companionship.

"Who was it that said tea lifts the drinker to the realms of the gods? I drink it from takeaway cups in the park. Leftovers. You know, the last drops in the cup. But if I could have my own cup - what a treat.' Matthew found tea leaves in the box. He boiled water in the second tin pot and added the leaves. Then he poured the dark brew into two cups and placed one of the cups before Lewis."

Lewis Carmichael is truly special. He takes every opportunity to praise and encourage Matthew and gradually as they journey to, and arrive in, the Arctic, Matthew grows in confidence. 

Here are some of the supplies in the balloon:

"Matthew looked in the trunk. He found brown knee-length boots, lined with fur, and gloves made from the same padded, shiny material as the coat. There were boxes marked food and water. There was a small gas stove ... in the same box as dishes and cutlery, a frying pan, and a daypack a little like his own school bag. There was a second cylinder of gas, an enormous padded silver blanket, and a small leather case (where) he found a pair of black binoculars ... "

Now onto the title - Lewis Carmichael sings a song as a way to encourage Matthew:

In all the world, beneath all the skies,

All the skies, I never did see, never did see

I never did see, in all the world,

In all the lands, just this one.

This one boy ...

I'd love to hear the tune. 

The other very special feature of this book is the wonderful art by Marc McBride. It is quite different from his work you may have seen previously in books by Emily Rodda. The text is printed in blue and illustrations in this book are made from very fine lines in the same shade. It is easy to see that the style of illustrations he has created for this book echo Marc's admiration for the work of Edward Ardizzone.

Image Source: Marc McBride

You can read the first eleven pages of The Song of Lewis Carmichael here. In this interview with Joy Lawn at Paperbark Words, Sofie Laguna and her husband Marc McBride talk about their book. And in this podcast Sofie and Marc talk to Middle Grade Mavens. 

Click these review quotes to read more praise for this wonderful adventure:

Marc McBride’s illustrations shine within Laguna’s emotive and elegant poetic prose, which like music, skips, rises and falls. Two immensely gifted creators, collaborating to produce a novel of the utmost beauty. Kids' Book Review

This is an adventure story with a difference although it has a classic feel to it particularly the elements of the boy pitted against the natural world. It will be enjoyed by middle-primary readers and will also be one of those read-alouds where the listeners always ask for ‘just one more chapter’. Margot Hillel Reading Time

I agree with Margot Hillel also says: Lewis’s broken wing, that prevents him from flying, is a metaphor for Matthew’s inability to ‘spread his wings’ and take risks. 

In her interview with Joy Lawn, Sofie mentioned this book:

When I was a child, about nine years old, I read a book called ‘Una and Grubstreet’, by Prudence Andrew. The story is about a lonely girl, Una, who finds a lost baby she believes is neglected. Una is guided by her friend, a little wooden bear that speaks to her, called Grubstreet. The novel has stayed with me all my life. I realise as I write this, it has had a direct influence on me.

Addition to this post:

Joy Lawn, in The Australian newspaper September 11-12, 2021 wrote her review of this book and I would like to give you a few quotes. The article is entitled "A song of many colours". 

"an allusive, timeless fable that will be savoured by young and older readers. It is multifaceted and thought-provoking, with the tone and style of a classic."

"The writing is lit with perfectly paced images of the land, sea, ice and the natural world; the moon, sun and stars; the Milky Way and Northern Lights; birds and feathers and the succouring balloon."

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

 

The year is 1871. The place is Placid, Wisconsin. The event is the arrival of huge flocks of pigeons. The mystery concerns the dead body bought back into town by sheriff McCabe. The twist comes when Georgie, sister of Agatha, refuses to believe this body, which they are burying today, is actually Agatha.

Georgie is carrying huge guilt. Her sister Agatha seemed set to marry young Billy McCabe but then the older man, Mr Olmstead comes courting and it seems Agatha prefers his company perhaps because he owns a huge library of books in his hotel. Georgie sees Agatha kissing Billy and she decides to tell Mr Olmstead. Shortly after this, Agatha disappears. Then days later the sheriff arrives with that body. Georgie is determined to uncover the truth. She thinks she can do this alone but in reality she will need help but is Billy McCabe the right person to join her journey?

Here are some text quotes which show the quiet wisdom of Georgie:

"As for particular clothing, I decided to wear my split skirt. I planned on travelling by horseback, and sidesaddles seemed precarious. Doesn't a person have more chance of staying on top of a horse with one leg over each side? I didn't want to perch; I wanted to clamp. Not that I'd ridden a horse before, but some things make sense."

"If you only talk to nice people you won't find out the half of it. Nice people either keep their noses so clean they hardly know a thing, or they conveniently forget what they know and fill their heads with daisies. You've got to talk to the rude ones as well."

"Seemed like I'd lived two lifetimes already. My first thirteen years took an uneventful forever, but this second lifetime? Why, it took all of three days: Billy and I had left on a Saturday night. I'd met a cougar on Sunday. I'd been in Dog Hollow on Monday. And today was Tuesday. On Tuesday I'd been to the nowhere place and Garrow farm, made a marriage proposal, and found money in a cave. Would this Tuesday never end?"

The pace of this story seems to match the ride taken by Georgie on the back of a mule she names Long Ears but then Amy Timberlake pulls her reader up with such a jolt. Chapter sixteen contains a wonderful and dangerous twist and then we have (in my book on page 188) the most amazing shoot out scene. I forgot to mention Georgie is a crack shot. Georgie sure is one character you will never forget. As Besty Bird says in the School Library Journal "I like children’s books that sock you in the gut."

Georgie's story will capture readers' imaginations with the very first sentences and then hold them hostage until the final page is turned. Kirkus star review

The author seamlessly introduces food, clothing, transportation and societal manners from the time period, allowing readers to learn about the era without even realizing it. Book Page

The author beautifully combines sadness with humor and it is hard not to develop a fondness for Georgie, who readily admits to her failures. Through the Looking Glass

I mentioned pigeons.  The pigeons in this book are passenger pigeons which are now extinct. At the back of One came home there are details of the millions of passenger pigeons that used to take over enormous nesting areas in the US.

In 1871 their great communal nesting sites had covered 850 square miles of Wisconsin’s sandy oak barrens—136 million breeding adults, naturalist A.W. Schorger later estimated. Audobon

Several reviews suggest The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate as a companion read to go with One came home.

I loved Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake and I was keen to read other books by Amy, so I popped One came home onto my wish list. One came home won a Newbery honor in 2014 and it is a very different book from Skunk and Badger but I am thrilled to have discovered it. The winner in 2014 was Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, written by Kate DiCamillo; with honors to Doll Bones, written by Holly Black; The Year of Billy Miller, written by Kevin Henkes; Paperboy, written by Vince Vawter; and One came home.

Just in case You want to Fly by Julie Fogliano illustrated by Christian Robinson

Just in case you want to fly

here's some wind and here's the sky

There is some lovely advice for a young child in this book. My favourite page is the honey for your tea.

Image Source: Book Read Aloud for Kids!

In this book we have the wonderful pairing of poetic language by Julie Fogliano matched with bold illustrations by Christian Robinson all presented on a large white background. I was so lucky to hear Christian Robinson speak at the USBBY Conference in Austin, Texas in 2019. He has such an impressive body of work. Students of book design should begin with this book. The text is placed so carefully on each page, there are pages with multiple images, pages which spread across the whole double spread and some that are placed on one side of the double spread with the text placed opposite and two pages are designed with a different background. The quilt on the last page works as a memory of all that has gone before.

I would gift this book to a young child starting school; a Grade Six student about to head to High School; or even a University graduate.

In this video Julie and Christian talk about Just in case You want to Fly.

It’s a book full of delights and wonders. Waking Brain Cells

A tender, contemplative picture book about growing up and parents giving their children the gifts – no matter how quiet or small – to succeed and navigate the world on their own. Skylight books

Zanzibar by Catharina Valckx translated by Antony Shugaar

Zanzibar has has a happy life until now.  His special skill is making delicious mushroom omelettes but one day everything in his world is thrown into confusion when a reporter arrives looking for a story. I love the name of the reporter (he is a lizard) - Achille LeBlab. You might think about the Greek story of Achilles and the idea of vulnerability. There is also the fun LeBlab - perfect surname for a newspaper reporter.

"I'm writing a feature for my newspaper. I'm looking for exceptional characters. Do you do anything out of the ordinary?"

Zanzibar sings for the reporter but it just sounds like a crow going CAW CAW CAW which makes sense because Zanzibar is a crow.  The reporter does not think this singing is worthy of his report nor is he interested in omelettes. Zanzibar goes to bed that night feeling defeated but in the middle of the night inspiration strikes.

"I haven't done anything remarkable yet, but it's never too late! I'm going to lift a camel! That's it! I'll lift a camel in the air with just one wing."

Zanzibar was originally published in French with the title L'incroyable Zanzibar. I love the way Gecko press source and translate books like this so we can enjoy them here in Australia. Catharina Valckx has been nominated several times for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Award.

I recommend you add Zanzibar to your read aloud pile.  Here are some comments by the reviewer at Readings in Melbourne:

This quirky little gem of a book, with its delightful language, humour and simple childlike illustrations, is guaranteed to engage young readers. Accompanied by a wonderful cast of animal characters, Zanzibar discovers what it means to be extraordinary while learning to value the simple everyday things. At its core, this charming tale is also a celebration of the importance, support and encouragement of friends.

You can read more plot details in this Kirkus review.

May B by Caroline Starr Rose

Ma and Pa want me to go

and live with strangers.

I won't go.

There are so many reasons why I was attracted to this book. It is a verse novel and I adore this genre. The setting is the prairie which is a place that fascinates me. I think this fasciation goes back to my childhood reading and enjoyment of the Little House on the Prairie. Finally this is an emotional story where the main character shows enormous resilience.

May B is sent away to live with Oblingers. Her family are so desperately poor that they accept money for her services. Mr Oblinger has a new wife.  "The brides not settled ... she's missing home." The new home is a soddy or sod house with dirt floors, thick walls and often only one window.

You can read more about the construction of a sod house here.

May B packs her few clothes, her only book and her slate. May B is desperate to learn to read. May B and her father travel the fifteen miles to the isolated home. Mrs Oblinger is not welcoming. It is clear she is desperately unhappy. Her treatment of May B seems almost cruel at times.  Then one day her demeanour changes. She asks for some biscuits and says she will take a walk. Later in the day May B finds a note:

Mr Oblinger,
You've been so kind,
but I can't stay.
I'm taking the train
back to Ohio.
Please understand.
Louise.

Mr Oblinger leaves immediately to retrieve his young wife. May B waits and waits but the pair never return.  What will May B do? She is supposed to stay here until Christmas. It is late August. In every direction the prairie looks the same. If she tries to walk home she is sure to become lost. Winter is approaching and supplies are running out.

Here are a set of teaching notes. These would be useful if you wanted to read May B with a Book Discussion group. I especially appreciated finding a comprehensive list of all the vocabulary used in this book and some background reading about life on the frontier.

I would pair this book with Sarah, Plain and Tall and Black-eyed Susan by Jennifer Armstrong. If you want to explore the topic of dyslexia you might like to read The wild book by Margarita Engle.

Kirkus use the word "extraordinary" in their star review:

As unforgiving as the western Kansas prairies, this extraordinary verse novel—Rose’s debut—paints a gritty picture of late-19th-century frontier life from the perspective of a 12-year-old dyslexic girl named Mavis Elizabeth Betterly… May B. for short. Kirkus

May B. can and will succeed. If she fails, she knows that she'll get up, shake off her disappointment and move forward until she finds her own place where earth meets the sky. Clear Eyes Full Shelves