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.

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars by Catherine Norton

Hester's mum has died giving birth to her twin siblings. Dad is a sailor and they have received a message that he is missing presumed dead. The five children are sent to live with a tyrannical uncle. Hester holds onto the word 'presumed'.  Surely her clever father is not actually dead but in order to find him she needs to sail across the world and to do this she needs navigation skills. In a timely coincidence she sees a sign for the placement test to attend a naval navigation school, but it is for boys. Hester is a maths genius. She disguises herself and takes and test and gains the top place and a scholarship, but the school authorities think she is a boy. Her sister works out a way for her to travel to the remote school which is part of a large estate but when she arrives, she is forced to become a maid - a servant with the lowest ranking. You will grimace as she is forced to empty very full chamber pots and carry heavy buckets of coal up many flights of stairs. She does make friends with one of the maids named Mildred and as they clean Mildred sings so beautifully this makes the tasks slightly less awful. 

One of her duties is to clean up the mess in the tutor's bedroom. It is soon clear this school master, Captain Slingsby, is a fraud. Hester is not keen on blackmail or dishonesty, but she now has some important knowledge she can use to her advantage. Her dream of attending the school can come true but then she discovers the lessons are all nonsense. 

Meanwhile the owner of the school and estate Lord Addington is building the biggest telescope. His wife is grieving the death of their only son, and she is clinging on to the hope of seeing him again because a swindler named Mr Ittish has arrived. He claims the impending meteor shower is actually the souls of the dead he is also sure the earth is flat. Lady Addington falls for all of this nonsense. 

There are 41 short chapter in this book, and you can read the first five chapters on the publisher webpage. I do appreciate the book design for Hester Hitchings and the Falling Star. Both of Catherine Norton's books are presented in sturdy hardcover editions with textured covers. 

In this interview with Kids' Book Review Catherine Norton talks about her books. 

Curious readers will want to know more about how a lodestone works, and more about Janet Taylor who was a woman astronomer in 1835. Also, they are sure to want to discover more about steam powered cars and the Leonid meteor storm "which it is estimated that thousands of meteors fell every hour." For myself I need to discover more about these two things - an orrery and an azimuth.

This is an Ornery. An orrery is a mechanical model of the Solar System 

that illustrates or predicts the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons

Girls in particular will relate to the story of Hester who must prove herself better or at least equal to boys at every turn. Her willingness to help other girls – particularly the songstress maid, Mildred – is also admirable. Science-inclined kids will also enjoy the story which includes astronomy and is linked to the development of the first telescope. Reading Time

As well as being a cracking story rich in incident and suspense, there is much fascinating detail that never overpowers the story but makes Hester’s journey all the more immediate and real. I so enjoyed reading about lodestones, star charts, an orrery, mourning clothes, shooting stars, cat-o-nine-tails and smuggling crinolines. ...  Themes of family grief, class, racism are present but the overarching theme that drives the story is the struggle for equal opportunities for girls, something that still resonates today. Story Links

Here is a detailed review from The Book Muse and also one from The Bottom Shelf. 

Blurb from the author webpage: Determined to find him, eleven-year-old Hester wins a place at Addington’s Nautical Navigation Academy, where she will learn to navigate by the stars. But the academy is just for boys, and what’s more, no one seems to be in charge. Bumbling schoolmaster Captain Slingsby doesn’t know anything about navigation. Lord Addington is obsessed with building the world’s biggest telescope and Lady Addington believes that falling stars are the souls of the dead. With the help of a lodestone, her new friends Pru and Nelson, and a dazzling meteor storm, can Hester set things right – and find her own place in the universe?

I saw an image of the cover of this book somewhere on the internet. I previously LOVED this book also by Catherine Norton but I wrongly listed it as a book the CBCA missed adding to the 2025 notables list. This first book by Catherine Norton - The Fortune Maker was published in 2023 this means it SHOULD have been a 2024 CBCA Notable!

The Fortune Maker

Giant by Nicola Skinner illustrate by Flavia Sorrentino

Dear Child,

Having a giant as your servant is an honor.

But it is also a big responsibility.

You will be paired with your giant until you turn twelve, when you will kiss them, 

turning them into stone to rebuild our island.

Sadness is not permitted at the Goodbye ceremony.

Remember: they are not your family.

You may feel fondness for your giant, but you must not mistake that for love.

FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT THE

GIANT MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Minnie is different. She lives in a very structured and controlled society. Children are given giants as servants when they are very young and then after years of time spent together, at age 12, the children have to relinquish their giant in a strange and very cruel ceremony. This town is located on an island which is regularly wracked with earthquakes. Humans live on this island, but giants live there too. In the past there have been years of dreadful wars. The humans have now taken over the island and enslaved the giants who are assigned to the children. Other 'bad' giants are forced to live in an inhospitable place on the other side of a high mountain range. Children are warned to never go there because these giants are extremely dangerous. The servant giants are assigned to the children because the Giant Management Company, who control everything, make use of a surprising discovery that if a giant is kissed by a child it turns to stone. Stone is a valuable commodity in this place because it is used to rebuild the town after the regular earthquake events.

Children learn the rules from a young age:

• Giants are your servants not your friends
• You must not love your giant
• Giants must never ask children to keep secrets
• Everyone should be happy at the Goodbye Ceremony. 
• Giants and children cannot stay together forever.
• Never go to the No-Go Mountains

Back to Minnie. She is not pretty. Her parents are poor. In fact she looks quite neglected. She is also very small and in constant pain. Twice each day she has to inject pain medications. Her father is working on ways to predict and stop the earthquakes but the authorities keep rejecting his plans. Oh, and you need to know Minnie has broken several of the rules - especially the one about loving your giant. Her giant is called Speck because she is unusually small for a giant (she is still quite enormous). As the story opens there has been one of the largest earthquakes ever. Minnie is not due to say goodbye to Speck for many months but the town rulers, have ordered all ceremonies to be brought forward to tomorrow. Minnie cannot bear the idea of turning her beloved friend into a stone statue. While playing a game, Speck has shown Minnie a route to safety. Minnie thinks if she runs away, she can delay or even stop the ceremony. Along the way Minnie makes two important new friends - a jackal she names Twist and a young rubbler named Robin. Rubblers are the lowest eschalon of this society. They dig through the rubble and assist with all the town rebuilding. It is back breaking work which even children are forced to do and their lungs are filled with dust and they live in poverty. 

Here are a few text quotes:

"Would future children of the island shudder a little too, when they passed Speck's statue. Would they look up into her stone face and know, or care, that she had looked after Minnie Wadlow, and swum in a lagoon for forty-five glorious stolen minutes. Or would they not even see her, would she just fade into the background, as many of the statues did after a while? How would they know that Speck liked watermelon slices, and broke a plate every day, and had a specially soft voice if Minnie ever cried?"

"Then she gently, put her hand on the top of his head. It was the first time she had ever touched a jackal. She let her hand stay there, and he allowed it. She took in the solidity of his skull, the warmth of his flesh, and the softness of his fur, all at one - all this strength and fragility under her fingers, and she was humbled by what he had done for her, after she had rejected him."

"There's a possibility of survival if you keep going. If you stay, you're going to get crushed. Dad always said, once things start falling, don't wait around hoping things will get better. They won't. Get out when you can."

The journey undertaken by these three is so dangerous and the final showdown and battle with the hunters intent on their capture will leave you reeling. I just raced through the final chapters - 41-53 desperate for that all important happy ending.

Publisher blurb: There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Minnie’s island. Nothing, that is, apart from the earthquakes, which pull buildings and schools and houses down on a regular basis. Luckily, the island’s inhabitants have found a way to fix their crumbling walls: giants. Giants look after human children, like eleven-year-old Minnie. When Minnie turns twelve, she’ll kiss her giant, turning her into a stone statue forever. The stone will be used to repair buildings. And there’s nothing wrong with that either . . . or so Minnie thinks. But when a dreadful earthquake strikes, Minnie realises she’s not quite ready to say goodbye to her giant – not forever – not yet. So Minnie goes on the run, betraying her parents and everyone she knows. The secrets she uncovers on her journey threaten to pull everything down: and so begins a desperate race against time in which she will confront the truth about her island, her giant . . . and ultimately herself.

Despite the playful language and imaginative setting, this book packs some serious punches as Skinner tackles unnerving concepts head on. Providing an undercurrent throughout the plot are the ongoing implications of colonisation and totalitarianism, where in this unequal society giants are forced to live either as servants or are cast out to the No-Go Mountains. ... This may sound rather heavy for a book perfect for the end of Year 4 upwards, but in the big-hearted and wildly inventive hands of Skinner such themes are skilfully and subtly explored. It is love, however, that is the real driving force behind this story – particularly the love story between Minnie and her giant Speck. A mesmerising triumph, this book would enrapture a class as a read-aloud and has enough meaty themes to make a great whole class text. Just Imagine UK

This is a long book with over 390 pages but I almost read the whole story in one day!  YES it is that good. In fact this is going onto my list of top favourites. I expect to see this book on lots of award lists. The paperback is a really good price so I highly recommend you add this book to your library shelves today! Reading this book adults might think of the movie The Help. 

Take a look at all these book covers by Flavia Sorrentino. I am now very keen to read other books by Nicola Skinner.

Starboard Kirkus Star Review; Storm Kirkus Star Review

Thirst by Varska Bajaj

If you plan to book talk this book with your students, I suggest you begin with the cover. Try to put this image up on a big screen and then look closely at all the details. We see a young girl in a school uniform holding two large clay jugs. She is looking at a ramshackle city of makeshift buildings but there is also a high-rise apartment tower in the distance. We cannot see the girl's face but the way she is standing seems to imply emotion and longing. Notice the extra words on the cover too - "Imagine a world where water is for everyone ..."  Surely that will shock your students and generate some good discussion. Colby Sharp suggests you then try to find images of modern-day Mumbai with your students so they can see the juxtaposition of high-rise buildings and the shanty towns beside them. Here is one I found. 

Minni lives in Mumbai and every day is a struggle for her family. Water is not readily available. Every day adults and children have to till their containers at communal taps and often the water only comes through as a trickle. Worse, this water is contaminated and so it is essential to boil and filter it before drinking. Minni's mum became quite ill last year from drinking the water.

Mumbai is a city of rich and the desperately poor. The rich have taps that provide cold and hot water in their own homes - they even have swimming pools filled with water. 

The monsoon is late and water is becoming even more difficult to obtain. Then Minni, her brother and another young friend witness someone stealing water - taking this precious resource with the intention to sell it to the poor of the city at highly inflated prices. Her brother and his friend have been seen by the criminals so they are whisked away to safety far from the city. Then Minni's mother becomes very ill and so she leaves to recover in the home of her sister - also far away. Minni's mother works as a servant to a rich family in one of those high-rise apartments. Her mother needs this work and so Minni is sent in her place. You will gasp with Minni when she steps inside the luxury apartment and sees carpet, and water, and possessions beyond her wildest imagination. After working for the family for many weeks, the rich father arrives home one evening. Minni only glimpsed the men stealing the water, but she recognises him straight away. How can young kids convince the authorities that they have found the water thieves - the water mafia?

This is a fairly short novel with 179 pages but it is such a powerful story. Readers will hopefully gain and understanding of life in other places and feel enormous empathy towards young Minni. It might also give them a small insight into the importance of education as a way to move out of poverty. Here is the webpage of the author. Be sure to read the "about me" section. I highly recommend Thirst - you should add this to your Primary library wish list. 

In this poignant, relatable work, Bajaj expertly depicts class and wealth differences; Minni’s worries for her mother and anger at the injustices inflicted on her community are especially moving. Kirkus

Colby Sharp - awesome, heartbreaking, read this book!

Thirst was a 2022 Global Read Aloud book. 

Here is a video of Chapter One.

Awars for Thirst:

• Texas Bluebonnet Master list 2023-2024
• Amazon Best Books of 2022
• Cynsations Best books of 2022
• Cybils 2022 Middle Grade Fiction Finalist
• Global Read Aloud, Middle Grade selection for 2022
• Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection

Companion books

Ajay and the Mumbai Sun

Ajay and the Jaipur Moon

A Long Walk to Water

The Paper House

The Runaways of Haddington Hall by Vivian French

There were times when I had to stop reading this book because such dreadful things were happening to the young main character Minnie O'Sullivan.  

Minnie lives in Victorian England. Society observes strict levels of class - servant, working class and gentry. Minnie and her mother are working class. Her mother is a laundress. Minnie is quite young but she is her mother's only helper. Payment for the washing and ironing work is their sole megre income but Minnie has an accident with the mangle and an expensive shirt is ruined. Minnie offers to apologise to the rich owner but when she meets Reverend Obadiah Marpike things completely spin out of control.

Minnie has no idea that she and her friends are about to uncover a complex sham scheme which sees this awful man fraudulently conning money from rich older ladies. The Reverend Marpike is convinced Minnie could spoil is plans so he has her thrown into Haddington Hall which is to be established as a home for wayward girls. Of course this place is utterly dreadful and Minnie is subjected to terrible cruelty.

Luckily Edith, the daughter of Lady Lavingley, is on Minnie's side and she also has the wonderful loyalty of young messenger boy Enry. The three of them need to work together and gather evidence to expose this supposed Reverend and his "New World" ruby scheme and time is running out.

This whole book reads like a melodrama in the theatre of old. You will cheer the heroes and heroines and boo when the villains appear in their scenes. Thank goodness for team work, courage, wise friends, and dogged persistence which ensures everything does work out perfectly in the end.

I really like the cover of this book - do you?  That's partly why I selected this book from the huge holdings of our Sydney bookshop - Gleebooks. The cover is by Lia Visirin. 

A high octane, high drama romp, (with) ... Irresistible characters and a compulsive plot with twists aplenty; Vivian French conjures up the very spirit of Dickensian England in a wonderful new novel for middle-grade readers. Paperbird

This book reminded me of these:

Miss Penny Dreadful and the Midnight Kittens

Thursday's Child

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow

The truth about Verity Sparks

Here is the web site of Vivian French.

Take a look at her wonderful picture book:

The Most Wonderful thing in the World

The Heaven Shop by Deborah Ellis

Binti is a character you will never forget and this compelling, compassionate story will change your perspective on the world. Allen and Unwin

Binti lives in Malawi. Daily life is a struggle and her mother has died many years ago. Somehow, though they are a happy family group who are able to make ends meet because her father Bambo has enough work in his coffin shop meaning Binti along with her older siblings is able to attend school. As a bonus, Binti works on a radio show where she is paid to take part in stories intended to help the people in her community understand health issues such as AIDS and HIV. 

Then everything changes. Bambo dies and it could be AIDS. The relatives arrive like vultures and take away nearly everything and they squabble about which relative will take Binti, Junie and her brother Kwasi. It is decided Kwasi will be sent to work for a fisherman and Binti and Junie will work in the home of an uncle. 

Uncle Wysom and Aunt Agnes treat the children as slaves. Their meagre possessions are taken away and the girls have to sleep on the floor of a storeroom. Their days are filled with cleaning and cooking preparation. Junie, who was always so smart, seems to have shut down but actually she has a plan. The men in the bar give her money. It is not stated but it is implied that this is for sexual favours. The girls hide the money carefully in their little space but one day a younger child discovers it. The girls are now accused by the aunt and uncle of theft. Junie tells Binti to run away to their grandmother Gogo. Junie herself leaves hoping to find work and to make a home for the three siblings.

When Binti reaches Gogo she really discovers the realities of poverty and also the horrible results of the AIDS epidemic. Luckily, though, her grandmother is kind, Junie is found and, while it very sad, Binti does know how to make coffins. Her father taught her and so as the story ends there is some hope that these orphan children can now find a way to survive.

The Heaven Shop was first published in 2004 which made me think it would be out of print, but as far as I can see it may still be available. I found my copy in a bookshop on sale. It had been on their shelves since 2016 and I bought it early in 2019. Back in 2005 I read The Heaven shop and yesterday I read it again.  I really enjoyed the honesty of this story even though the extreme poverty is distressing. From an historical perspective it was interesting to read about the awful prejudice sounding AIDS and the misunderstandings about the transmission of this disease. Read more of the plot here. 

Binti, like Parvana (the heroine of Ellis’s Breadwinner trilogy) before her, is a plucky, high-spirited heroine whom young readers will take to their hearts. Quill and Quire

The Heaven shop is a Young Adult title. For younger readers in Senior Primary I would look for The Paper House as a companion read:

And also Girl of the Southern Sea

Thursday's Child by Noel Streatfeild

 

"One Thursday you found me on the steps of the church when I was a teeny-weeny baby. And with me in my basket were three of everything, all of the very best quality. (There was a also a note) 'This is Margaret whom I entrust to your care. Each year fifty-two pounds will be sent for her care and schooling."

When Margaret turns ten no money arrives. The kindly village rector and the two elderly ladies who have taken care of her are forced to send Margaret to an orphanage. They are sure she will be well cared for and treated with kindness but, as is the way with most children's books about orphanages, St Luke's is a dreadful place run by a corrupt and cruel matron. 

Of course Margaret escapes along with two young boys - Peter and Horatio who are the brothers of her new friend Lavinia who now works as a scullery maid for Lady Corkberry. The orphanage is terrible but the adventures are splendid as the children are taken on board a canal boat where they walk beside the canal guiding the horse that pulls the heavy boat and at one point Margaret has to assist as a 'legger'.

As the nursery rhyme states - Thursday's child does indeed have far to go.

Monday’s child is fair of face,

Tuesday’s child is full of grace,

Wednesday’s child is full of woe,

Thursdays child has far to go,

Fridays child is loving and giving,

Saturday’s child works hard for his living,

And the child that is born on the Sabbath day

Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay

I have a memory of reading this book when I was in Grade 6 - and now I see it was published in 1970 so this is entirely possible.  When I saw this new edition in a book store last week I decided to revisit this classic story. I loved every minute inside this book and I am now looking forward to reading the sequel - thank goodness there is a sequel because at the end of the first instalment Margaret is poised to become a stage actress and, more importantly, we have not yet discovered the mystery of her heritage. Who is her mother? Why was she placed in a basket on the steps of the church? And why did the money stop coming? The first book has stood the test of time. I think Thursday's Child will be enjoyed by readers aged 10+. 

Here are some past covers of Thursday's Child by Noel Streatfeild. 

I was intrigued to discover there are so many books called Thursday's child including one by Rumer Godden, and an adult book by Sonya Hartnett.

Wonderland by Barbara O'Connor

"Holly cannoli" this is a terrific book!

The title of this book is perfect. Mavis wonders if she can make a new friend. Rose wonders if she can be brave and put her worries aside. Henry (the retired greyhound) wonders how he can find a better life away from the racetrack called Wonderland. Finally there is the wonder of newly emerging friendships

Mavis and her mother, Miss Luanne Jeeter, live on the edge of poverty. Luanne follows a pattern. She gets a job, it doesn't work out and so Mavis is forced to leave another house, another school and another town and trail after her mother in the hope things can get better.  This time they have moved from Hadley, Georgia to Laundy, Alabama. Luanne will now work in the house of Mr and Mrs Tully and their daughter Rose. Luanne is the only indoor servant so she has to do the cleaning, cooking and laundry for this very demanding wealthy lady - Mrs Tully. Needless to say Luanne hates everything abut this job and so it seems Mavis may be forced to move again.

It is the Summer holidays. Mavis and and her mother move into a small apartment over the garage. Mavis has decided Rose will be her friend.  Rose doesn't have any friends among the kids in this gated community and Mavis is a "force of nature". She is fearless and truly kind. When Mavis meets Rose's friend Mr Duffy, the gatekeeper, she can feel his desperate sorrow over the loss of his beloved dog. Mavis knows what needs to happen. She tells Rose they will form a special club - just the two of them, and then they will find a new dog for Mr Duffy.

The chapters in this book alternate between three voices - Rose, Mavis and Henry. I loved the distinct personalities of Mavis and Rose but the stand out character in this story for me is Mr Duffy. I don't live in the US but I adore his turn of phrase which I am guessing is authentic to Alabama.

"Well hot dang! We should have a cupcake party."

"Jupiter, Mars and Pluto, Rose ... You're gonna scare me right into my grave."

"Truth of the matter is, this old sorry life of mine is all vines and no taters, and even my vines aren't looking too good anymore. Ain't no dog on this earth needs a pitiful geezer like me."

"You can't keep trouble from coming, but you don't have to give it a chair to sit on."

"The corn's off the cob, Rosie. Too late to come back."

I do enjoy seeing familiar author names when I am browsing in a book shop. The bonus with Wonderland came when I spied a paperback edition for a really good price.

Take a look here to read a text extract. Listen to an audio sample.

A richly satisfying exploration of the logic and determination with which children work to make things right. Kirkus

Readers will love Rose and Mavis with all of their hearts. Colby Sharp

It's a heart tugger and a short lesson in believing in yourself and standing up for what you think is right even if it means facing your own mother.  You may need a tissue or two but you'll definitely feel like you have two new best friends  A book and a hug

Here are three previous books by Barbara O'Connor which I have shared here at momotimetoread:

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis

Wish

How to steal a dog

You might like to dip into the blog by Barbara O'Connor called Greetings from Nowhere, where she interviews authors of middle grade books.

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

There were several moments in this book when I simply gasped. The cruelty, the betrayal, the way Amal's dreams are completely crushed.

"My mother's voice told me to let this go. Something was off with this man. Let him have the fruit and walk away. But all I could see was the red pomegranate and how he grasped it in his palm as though it was already his.

I thought of my father, who had no time for my dreams. My little sisters and their endless demands. Suddenly I felt was tired. Tired of feeling powerless. Tired of denying my own needs because someone else needed something more. Including this man. This stranger."

These quotes are a good way to explore Amal Unbound. Amal goes to the market and buys the last pomegranate.  Her family are very poor. Amal has three sisters and a new baby is due to arrive soon. Everyone is hoping for a boy but Amal could never have anticipated the enormous disappointment for her mother and father when the new baby arrives - a girl. Amal loves school and she excels at her lessons. She has the dream of becoming a teacher herself one day. In the small village where Amal lives everyone is afraid of the Khan family, nearly everyone is in debit to them and they are especially frightened of Jawad Sahib. He is the man who nearly ran Amal over in his large car. He is the man holding her pomegranate. He is the man with the power to completely overturn Amal's life and dreams.

A few days after the incident with the pomegranate, Jawad Sahib arrives and to take Amal. She will be taken to his house to work as a slave. Amal's father has no money and he is in debt to this powerful and cruel man and his father Khan Sahib.

In the house Amal finds a friend and a serious enemy. Luckily she is ordered to work for Khan Sahib's wife Nasreen Baji but this means Nabila, another servant, has been displaced. Her cruel tricks, which have terrible consequences for Amal, will linger with me for a long time.

The wonderful ending will make you cheer not just because justice is served but because this outcome is the direct result of the education that Amal has had. Because she can read she can make sense of the injustices of the Khan family and she can also identify their crime.

Here are a set of teachers notes from the publisher - they are excellent. You can also read the first 20+ pages of Amal Unbound. Listen to an audio sample here. Here are a set of discussion points. I highly recommend this book for mature readers aged 11+.

Inspired by Malala Yousafzai and countless unknown girls like her, Saeed’s timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice. Kirkus Star review

A strong choice for all middle grade shelves, especially where readers are seeking stories about young girls in non-Western countries overcoming adversity. Shelley Diaz School Library Journal

Amal Unbound is a powerful page-turner about one girl's courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Kids’ Book Review

Reading this type of book, as well as historical fiction, is a great way for young readers to understand that the entire world is not exactly the way their little corner of it is! Ms Yingling

I would follow Amal Unboud with Ibqal and any books you can find (and there are plenty to choose from) about Malala Yousafzai.

If you are visiting a library you could also look for Sold by Patricia McCormick and Hidden Girl by Shyima Hall.

The Princess and the Suffragette by Holly Webb

Historic events and fictional characters are carefully interwoven to introduce a new generation of girls and boys to the struggle against inequality fought by women decades ago ... 

Library Girl and Book Boy

I picked this book - The Princess and the Suffragette -  in a bookshop recently for two reasons.  Firstly the title - I am fascinated by the suffragette movement in England prior to WWI and secondly I liked the cover but when I sat down to read it a couple of days ago I made an odd discovery.  On the cover it says "A sequel to the much loved classic A little Princess."  I had no idea about the book A Little Princess and wrongly assumed it was also by Holly Webb.  I searched all over this new book for a clue.  I looked at some bookseller sites and eventually I discovered A Little Princess is a book written by Frances Hodgson Burnett in 1905.  I wonder why the publisher didn't put this detail somewhere on the book.

This is the second 'sequel' book I have read by Holly Webb.  About a year ago I read Return to the Secret Garden - a sequel to another book by Frances Hodgson Burnett - The Secret Garden.  Holly Webb is not the first person to pen a sequel to A little Princess - I have also found a book by Hilary McKay called Wishing for Tomorrow.

Knowing this was a sequel I needed to find A little Princess.  Luckily it is available through Project Gutenberg.  I will say I do think it is essential to read this classic first or as a short cut you could read this plot outline from Wikipedia..  I found the early chapters of The Princess and the Suffragette very confusing before I realised this was a special kind of sequel.

At the end of A little Princess, Sara is rescued by her father's business partner and moves in to the house next to Miss Minchin's school and it seems her life will now be perfect.  The Princess and the Suffragette picks up the story nine years later.  In this story the main character is Lottie who was left at the school aged 4.  Now aged eleven Lottie has begun to question her situation.  Why won't her father come to visit?  Would he have abandoned her if she was a born a boy? What does her future hold?  Then she sees the school's scullery maid wearing a mysterious badge.  She demands to know the truth.  Living a sheltered life in the school Lottie knows nothing of the Suffragettes but Sally has newspapers and pamphlets and over the coming year Lottie learns about the struggle, the suffering of Suffragettes who have been imprisoned and the movement of 'deeds not words'.  She is invited to the races by Sara. It is the Derby where Emily Davison runs onto the track and is killed.  In the final fast-paced scenes Lottie discovers the truth about her mother, who she had been told was dead, and she is able to confront her absent father.

Older Primary students who enjoy historical fiction should look for this book.  I really appreciate the research done by Holly Webb.  For example she mentions this slogan.  From Prison to Citizenship.

Sally has this poster in her attic room but Lottie has no idea what it means.  Factory Acts Regulations for Women - They have a cheek. I've never been asked.

One more connection.  I have long had a memory of a Shirley Temple film where two little children are sleeping in an attic.  Someone comes in the night and transforms the space providing floor rugs, furniture and a soft beautiful bedding.  I now discover this scene is from is the movie of A little Princess. Actually there have been many movie and television adaptions of this famous book.

Holly Webb is such a prolific author.  She has written over 90 books.  Here is a review with more story details.  You can listen to an audio sample which begins from page 4.

Here are some covers for A little Princess.  It is fascinating to see the different ways illustrators and publishers have presented this book.