Lucky's Star: The story of a meteorite by Mark Greenwood illustrated by Lucia Masciullo

Just what is up there in the sky? The stars and the moon are so far away but they are so fascinating. Think about how you might feel if pieces of space - a meteorite - arrived in neighborhood. How exciting to actually touch a piece of rock from outer space. If you look closely at the end papers in Lucky's Star you can see a falling star - this is the meteorite heading to earth.

Lucky's Star is based on the true story of the Murchison Meteorite. Murchison is a town in Victoria and this meteorite arrived at 10.58 on Sunday 18 September 1969. Mark Greenwood takes this historic event and turns it into the personal story of a young farm girl named Lucky. And how lucky she was to see the meteorite and also to find a small piece.

"It was warm to touch and stinky when Lucky popped it in her pocket."

I really appreciated some of the word choices in this book which is one you could share with children aged 5+ - celestial spectacle; locals gossiped; alien germs; cosmic curiositis; baffled; shallow imprints and dimples; star-white flecks; cloaked in darkness; and contraption. You can find a link to the teachers notes on the publisher web page. With young children in your library you could also talk about the way Mark Greenwood has combined a fictional character such as Lucky (think about her name) with the factual events. There are some excellent information pages at the back of this book. 

Image source: Meteorite Times

Further reading:

• Museums Victoria
• ABC Science When a space visitor came to country Victoria
• The Shepparton Advisor newspaper

Lucky decides her little piece of meteorite might mean there is a gap in the sky so she tries to send it back into space. This reminded me of these terrific star books:

Laura's Star

The Lost Star

Star in the jar

Lucky's Star was published last month by CSIRO Publishing. Huge thanks for my review copy. This book is one children in your library are sure to enjoy and it will spark curiosity plus teachers could easily make use this book as part of a mini theme on stars and space. Older children could also use this book as a jumping off point for further research. 

Here are some other books illustrated by Lucia Masciullo:

Eat my Dust

Go home cat!

The Imagineer

Finally if you wanted a fun comparison book look for this one:

It fell from the sky

Birdy by Sharon Kernot

Maddy along with her mum and brother Charlie (the Professor) have moved to a remote country town in South Australia. An utterly dreadful thing has happened to Maddy and her anxiety is so overwhelming she can no longer speak. Mum does not pressure Maddy and she has agreed to do regular counselling. Her brother, who is ten, is also supportive. He loves to collect things and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the world. One day he finds a couple of curious things, but he tells Maddy they are of no value - a small bluebird necklace, some bottle tops and the button from a pair of Levi jeans. 

Maddy needs to challenge herself and so she goes to the local general store to gather the family shopping. She is not able to speak to the shop keeper and experiences panic attacks every time she goes there but she persists. One day a young girl is behind the counter. Her name is Levi. Levi is friendly and she does not pressure Maddy once her brother explains Maddy cannot talk. It takes a lot of courage and time but eventually they become friends and Maddy begins to trust Levi - maybe she can tell Levi what has happened.

Meanwhile there is an elderly reclusive lady in the town who has suffered great losses in her life. Her husband worked at Maralinga where they did nuclear bomb testing and he died from radiation sickness many years ago. Alice has also lost her precious daughter Birdie. Birdie disappeared forty-five years ago but Alice clings to the hope that one day she will come home. Alice hurts her foot and so Maddy is asked to deliver her groceries and gradually we watch as this unlikely pair form a friendship.

Birdy is a verse novel. It is a very engrossing story which will greatly appeal to readers aged 14+. This book deals with some big themes such as sexual assault; issues of consent; anxiety leading to selective mutism; and profound grief.

I did appreciate the Australian and literary references in this book. Charlie is described as a mini-Harry Butler (I'm sure only readers of a certain age will recognise this reference); when they go for a drive one day she reads about the story of Bob the Railway Dog (see image of the picture book at the end of this post); also Maddy loves the poetry of Emily Dickinson. There are also 1970s music references such as Carole King You've got a Friend. And there are very important references in this book to the historic events at Maralinga.

Birdy is highly recommended for teens, for both its honest, heart-wrenching content and lyrical free-verse style. Read Plus

Birdy is filled with positive examples of people supporting each other through their words and kind deeds, and touches on some of the different ways of dealing with anxiety. It also addresses the harm that social media can do, and the strength of character required to counter this. The serious issues that shape Maddy and Alice’s lives (implied sexual assault and anxiety, hoarding and depression) are dealt with sensitively and eventually resolved. Read Plus

Birdy is a title on our 2025 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) short list for Older Readers. I don't usually read the books on this list because they are beyond the scope of this blog which is aimed at readers (and teachers and Teacher-Librarians) with books for ages 4-12. I picked up Birdy from the hospital library where I work as a volunteer partly because the cover is so arresting and partly because I was fairly certain the staff who catalogued this title had put in in the wrong part of our collection. They had added it to our middle grade chapter books but now that I have read Birdy I can say it is most definitely a Young Adult title. 

Read more about Sharon Kernot here. I am not sure I would use this book with a class - it feels too much like a personal journey that should be experienced by a solitary reader walking alongside Maddy and her journey to understanding and recovery, but the publisher has prepared some teaching notes if these interest you. Joy Lawn interviewed Sharon Kernot on her blog Paperbark Words. 

Awards for Birdy:

• Shortlisted, CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers, 2025
• Shortlisted, NSW Literary Awards Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature, 2025
• Shortlisted, Readings Young Adult Prize, 2024

Here are the CBCA judges comments:

In Birdy, a compelling verse novel, two heartfelt and heartbreaking mysteries slowly unfold and overlap – a powerful contemporary drama intersecting with a historical crime. The main character Maddy is a teenage girl who is experiencing selective mutism and anxiety after what she will only refer to as The Incident. Her family relocates to the country to help her recover and there she makes a surprising connection with the reclusive older woman Alice, whose daughter Birdy disappeared 45 years ago. The novel explores ideas about shame, loss and trauma, the healing power of friendship and kindness, and celebrates the ability of poetry to generate deep feelings in both the writer and reader. We witness the skillful execution of the expressive and poetic language of a verse novel, to create rhythm, pause and silence to reflect the interior mood of the character of Maddy. The language is rich, descriptive and evocative, while still being accessible for the teen audience. This book would appeal to readers who love reading realistic, contemporary, heartfelt stories, and who enjoy crime and mystery. The descriptive, evocative language and complex themes provide much scope for detailed study in a classroom environment.

Companion books:

When Maddy intrudes on Birdy's room which has been carefully preserved by her mother and left just as it was 45 years ago I thought of this older Australian book from 1991:

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

Cora Seen and Heard by Zanni Louise

"Do you ever feel like you're living inside a shell? Something hard and impenetrable? You think it's transparent - that people can see you. Then you realise they can't. No one can see you. The real you."

I read this book in one sitting and for an hour or two I was right inside Cora's head listening to her worries and the way she tries to navigate relationships with her peers and her family.

Readers who have had previous experience with books like this - realistic middle grade fiction - are sure to work out the major plot point long before the main character but that just adds to your reading enjoyment as you keep turning the pages desperate for Cora to 'see the obvious' about the old lady who lives just down the road from her new home and also understand why Elle has secrets. 

Just after grandad dies, Cora, her sister Bekah, along with mum Wendy and Dad Hank, have moved from Queensland to a small town in Tasmania. Dad has a talent for renovation, but this project could test him. They have bought an old, run down, disused theatre. In past years this was an important place in the town because it is where the famous jazz singer Clair de Lune once performed. 

Cora finds school difficult - she is always on the outside and she finds it very hard to make friends. Moving to a new school and new town Cora is determined to reinvent herself - moving from Cora 1.0 to Cora 2.0. She does have some ideas about how to do this but once again so many things go wrong. Luckily the kids in her new class, especially Elle, do know how to make a new friend and before long Cora finds herself part of a small team who are chosen to take on a community project. 

Cora 1.0 survived in her previous school by hiding out in the library. When things go wrong in the new school she finds the library again but then the Teacher-Librarian tells her the library is going to be changed into a classroom and there will be no Teacher-Librarian employed next year. Cora knows this has to be her community project. As an aside it is interesting to see which library books are mentioned in this story - Goosebumps; Heartstopper (Young Adult graphic novel); and Okay for Now by Gary D Schmidt. There are also lots of popular culture references to current musicians and bands and television shows such as The Voice. 

Here is some life advice from Cora:

• The louder your voice, the stronger you become.
• Flick your hair confidently as you follow your bestie onto the bus.
• Be amazing. You've got this.
• Find a cause.

Publisher blurb: Cora Lane gets tongue-tied, is often ignored and would rather hide in the library than step onto a stage. However, when her parents decide to renovate an old theatre in small-town Tasmania, Cora realises this is the perfect opportunity for her to reinvent her personality. Enter Cora 2.0, stage left.

When Cora quickly slips back into her old ways and has once again made friends with the librarian. rather than kids her own age, she feels lost. Frustrated she’s not the person she wants to be, she shares her deepest feelings with her imaginary pen pal. The last thing she’d expect is for her letters to go missing. And now, the real Cora Lane is about to go public, but is she ready?

This is one of those books that I have found difficult to pin down in terms of a suggested reader. Soiler alert - Cora does get her first period so that means I would say this book is for 11+. Her sister decides she is bisexual and forms a new relationship with her girlfriend. That means I would say this book is a Young Adult title. It also feels at times there is just one issue to many for the characters to grapple with - Elle has dyslexia; grandma is an alcoholic; and mum is trying to cope with the raw grief of losing her father and helping her elderly mother who now lives over 2000km away. 

The publisher offers this advice: This novel contains references to alcoholism, sexuality, puberty, abuse.

Here is a set of detailed Teacher Notes from the publisher Walker Books Australia. 

Each of these reviews has more plot details:

Brilliant in every way, Zanni Louise has created another amazing novel with a chain of personal stories and happenings about reinvention, loneliness, friendship, and family being the twine that binds things together. Kids' Book Review

Zanni Louise’s latest middle grade book focuses on the confusing feelings young people have at the age of about twelve, when primary school is finishing, when they’re hitting puberty and girls are going through lots of emotional changes and conflicts with friends and family, and where big changes can mean great upheaval – and not just a physical move or change. ... This story is as much about acceptance of the flaws in others as it is about flaws in ourselves, and the coming together of communities to celebrate the past and future. The Book Muse

What a very lovely and warm journey of self-discovery it is, and I am supremely sure that young readers will embrace this one ... Just So Stories

It was rather difficult writing the synopsis of Cora Seen and Heard as it has so many themes, all of which are explored with sensitivity, insight, and cleverly crafted writing. Reading Time

Here is another Australian book with the title Clair de Lune.  You are sure to know the famous music by Debussy but that is not especially relevant to this book because this character Clare de Lune is a jazz singer. I previously talked about another book by Zanni Louise - Queenie in seven moves. 

Companion books:

The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart

Ode to a Nobody

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead illustrated by Nicholas Gannon

When she was just five years old, Livy visited and stayed with her Grandmother in a small town in Victoria, Australia about two hours drive from Melbourne. Livy's mum is from Australia but the family now live in Massachusetts. Livy is now ten and she and her mum have come back to show off the newest member of the family - baby Beth Ann. Strangely Livy has no memories from their previous visit but something niggles at the back of her mind. Then she discovers a surprise in her wardrobe - it is Bob!

But who is Bob? Where did he come from? Why has he been in this wardrobe for five years? How come he can talk? Why is he dressed up like a chicken? How does he know so much about Livvy? Why can't Livy remember her promise to Bob? And why does he love licorice so much?

All of these questions and deeper ones about the devasting drought that is causing great hardship in this country town form the basis of this totally engrossing story which is told by the two alternating voices of Livy and Bob. (Try to find Runt if you want to read another book about this impact of droughts here in Australia). 

Inside the wardrobe Bob has some Lego to play with, comics to read, and a huge dictionary. Some of his favourite words are listed at the back of the book - brunch, eternity, library, solo and serendipity. His definitions are sure to make you smile.

I have resisted reading Bob for nearly six years! I read that it was set in Australia but knowing Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead live in America I feared it would be filled with Aussie cliches - think of Crocodile Dundee which is a movie that makes me cringe. This is absolutely not the case. Rebecca wrote her first part of the story on the plane home from Australia then she and Wendy Mass spent the next seven years creating their story.

The book is imaginative, intriguing and endearing. It is charming and funny in equal measure. It is sweet, in a myriad delightful ways. It truly touches at the same time as it entertains and surprises. It is a story that so beautifully captures aspects of both five and ten-year-old childhood that it chimes with much that is universal too. Magicfictionsincepotter

Mass and Stead’s brilliant collaboration has produced a beautiful tale of friendship, love, and the magic of childhood. Livy and Bob’s points of view alternate chapters, and each character’s personality is wonderfully realized with subtle nuances of emotion and humor. School Library Journal

Watch this video with Colby Sharp (6 minutes) where he shares his delight over reading this terrific book. Here are some teachers notes from the US Publisher Macmillan.

Anyway, I was TOTALLY TOTALLY wrong! Bob is a fabulous book with terrific illustrations and an imaginary friend who you definitely need to meet. Nicholas Gannon also illustrated The Doldrums.

Author blurb: It’s been five years since Livy and her family have visited Livy’s grandmother in Australia. Now that she’s back, Livy has the feeling she’s forgotten something really, really important about Gran’s house. It turns out she’s right. Bob, a short, greenish creature dressed in a chicken suit, didn’t forget Livy, or her promise. He’s been waiting five years for her to come back, hiding in a closet like she told him to. He can’t remember who—or what—he is, where he came from, or if he even has a family. But five years ago Livy promised she would help him find his way back home. Now it’s time to keep that promise. Clue by clue, Livy and Bob will unravel the mystery of where Bob comes from, and discover the kind of magic that lasts forever.

Awards:

• Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award
• Mythopoeic Society Book Award
• Golden Cowbell Book Award, Switzerland
• The Cartwheel Book Award for Best Non-human Character
• The Nerdy Bookclub award

If you have read any of my past posts you might know I am a little bit crazy about imaginary friends.  Here are some of my favourite books:

O'Diddy

Tish

Crenshaw

Kaline Klattermaster's Tree House

Leo and Ralph

You also need to hunt out a copy of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - I won't say why just believe me it is important.

I gave five stars to a previous collaborate between Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead:

The Lost Library

Something Somewhere by Richard Yaxley

"From his earliest memory, it had always been just his mum and him. Which was not perfect by any means, but it was okay because there was a pattern to how everything operated. Malt understood the dips and rises. ... 

How to recognise his mother's, her shifts between flashing anger or deep love, 

her wins and losses, her desire for something somewhere."

It has always been just Malt and his mother Bonnie. Their lives are unsettled, chaotic and fragmented.  Then one day she declares they are moving to Pembrook her childhood town and they are moving in with Malt's Grandmother. Malt, aged eleven, has never met his grandmother Zelda Zeglar. She lives alone in an old house with a small cherry orchard. So much is left unsaid in the relationship between this mother and daughter. It is clear Bonnie does not like her mother. There are some obviously heart-wrenching topics that neither will discuss. 

Bonnie decides Malt will not go to school so his days are spent wandering alone in the bush. He is free to roam but he is forbidden to visit a place called Bushman's Valley.

Malt and his dog Banjo enjoy exploring the countryside. Then out of the corner of his eye he thinks he sees someone. A girl appears in front of him.

"He was about to move forward when he glanced slightly to his left and saw her: a girl in a pale dress. She was standing within the trees looking in his direction. She seemed older than him, maybe fourteen or fifteen. ... She was very still and vigilant, like a wild animal checking it's surrounding. Her face was so white and expressionless ..."

At home, Bonnie declares Malt will now meet his father. Willo is the name of Malt's father. Bonnie tells Malt his father in in Greece, Alaska and other wildly fanciful places:  "his mother would spin the world globe, she'd been given as a gift on her last day of being a cleaner. when the globe stopped spinning she'd point to a country. 'There.' ... 'Don't tell anyone, but he's fighting a secret war ... "

Thinking about this book - How do you create a memorable character? 

• Give him an interesting name - as I have already said - in this book the main character is a boy named Malt. (I love the way Emily calls him Malteser).
• Give him a problem or worries or some difficulty in his life - in this case throughout his whole life Malt has tried to please his mother. He has learnt to read her moods and he knows how to carefully answer her questions. He endures her bad television and movie taste and worse, he somehow copes when they constantly have to pack up and move on in the hope of finding something somewhere. Malt has had to become a loner because they move way too often for him to form friendships. He also has no compass that might allow him to check the validity of the tales his mother spins especially about his absent father. 
• Give your readers reasons to feel deeply compassionate about, in this case, Malts welfare and awful live circumstances.

Add this this a wonderful, loving and wise grandmother and, as is often the case in books like this, add that she is able to cook delicious food which goes beyond just nourishment.

This is a thoroughly engrossing story with a plot line that you may have encountered before but that does not take away from this wonderful reading experience.

Familiar pieces of the plot that I am sure I have read in other stories:

• A lonely child encounters another child in a remote location - probably in a place he has been forbidden to visit
• The lonely child does not tell any adults about this new friend - there is strong sense this should all be kept a secret
• The new friend is somewhat mysterious. There are small pointers that something is not quite right but this is usually knowledge reserved for the reader and not the main character of the story
• The clothes of the other child are often slightly strange or old-fashioned or perhaps their manner of speaking is different (other worldly)
• The new friend is often braver and more fearless - the sense of danger is strong
• Through the course of their friendship the main character changes, growing more confident or gaining a stronger identity
• The lost child (the new friend) needs to complete a tasks or tasks to be 'set free'
• There can be themes of grief, mental health, missing children, mystery, and the setting is usually a forbidden bush land or forest

I did put the label 'ghost' on this post but please do not think of it as a lighthearted simple 'ghost' story. In fact Emily herself says she is not a ghost:

"Are you a ghost?' he whispered. 'Not in the way that you're thinking. Ghosts like that are a human invention. Believe me, there are no ghosts, not like people imagine them. None of that silly haunting stuff, like eerie noises and clanking chains ... I'm in between.  ... Ever since I left, I've been stuck in the middle."

"I'm a Middle ... which means my body isn't alive anymore, but my other part is. The trouble being, it hasn't been released to wherever the other parts go. Certain things need to happen, and until they do, I'm stuck."

After reading Something Somewhere please go back and read the first chapter 'Before'. 

One of the powerful parts of the writing in this book come from the descriptions of Bonnie and her driving. I was so sure on many occasions that Bonnie would have a major car accident. Her driving filled me with real terror. And if you need a scene for a book talk read the Christmas scene in the chapter entitled 'Puppets'. 

Another strength of this book is the way a fragment of an idea or a few words in phrase resonate with meaning. Look at these sentences:

This is the scene in his grandmother's kitchen - you can feel the possibility of kindness and comfort: "Inside the vase was a single flower, its pink petals basking within a final ray of sunlight."

And these words confirm her kindness: "she put her hand on Malt's shoulder ... It felt odd to be touched  in that way by someone else, but good because his grandmother's hand was light, like having a tiny friend perched there."

These words hint at the transience of their lives: "his mother was leaving ... Only the faint smell of her perfume lingered, and then not for long."

This is beyond my expertise, but I think Richard Yaxley included the owl as a visitor to Malt because in some mythologies such as Celtic mythology the owl "is a messenger from the otherworld, bringing knowledge and insight to humans." (Source). I also read this: "In Greek mythology, owls are associated with the goddess Athena, who is often depicted with an owl on her shoulder. Owls are seen as symbols of wisdom, knowledge, and protection in Greek mythology."

I am certain Something Somewhere will be a 2025 CBCA Younger Readers Notable title, and I do hope it is also shortlisted. In some ways this book made me think of the famous Australian movie Picnic at Hanging Rock.

It is both compelling and poignant, and the mystery unravels in a hugely satisfying way. Most of all, the reader will feel like cheering when realising that Malt will stay with his grandmother, safe and loved and nurtured, while his mother flits off into the sunset. I know I did. Just so Stories

Yaxley’s voice is compelling, you feel like you are experiencing what Malt does. ... Yaxley has a way with words that creates a world that is both believable and immersive. He knows and understands the dynamics of relationships between people and how their own life experiences and circumstances determine how they interact with others. His language choices and dialogue are strong and placed expertly in the right place at the right time. Malt has learnt to act small and knows how to react to his mother and her actions. As the story unfolds, and more characters are woven into the story little pieces of the puzzle slowly unfold. The reader is left asking the same questions as Malt. ... It is a gripping read that will not disappoint its young readers. Buzz Words

Companion books:

Ettie and the Midnight pool

Sunshine

Waiting for Normal

Small as an elephant

The Midnight Children

Pieces of Georgia

Being Jimmy Baxter

The Book of Chance

Who is Richard Yaxley?

Richard Yaxley lives in Queensland. His main writing is for Young Adults. WriteLinks have an event with Richard Yaxley in February 2025. 

• Leonardo Forever (Scholastic 2023)
• Harmony (Scholastic 2021; Long-listed for the ARA Historical Prize – CYA Section)
• A New Kind of Everything (Scholastic 2020)
• The Happiness Quest (Scholastic 2018; CBCA Notable Book for Older Readers 2019)
• This Is My Song (Scholastic 2017; ACU Book Of The Year 2019; Winner of the 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Literature; Finalist in the 2017 Queensland Literary Awards; also published in the Czech Republic by Albatros Media)
• Joyous and Moonbeam (Scholastic 2013; Finalist in the 2014 West Australian Premier’s Awards for Young Adult Literature)
• Spring Rain (Self-published 2011)
• Drink the Air (Strictly Literary: Winner of the 2010 Queensland Premier’s Award for Young Adult Fiction)
• Bloodlines (Strictly Literary 2009)
• The Rose Leopard (University of Queensland Press 2003)

Awards

• Medal in the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2011 for services to education, literature and performing arts
• Winner of the 2024 StoryLinks Short Story Competition for Fly High
• Recipient of the 2022 Queensland Writers Centre – Varuna Fellowship for Established Writers
• Judge for the 2021 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards (Children’s and Young Adult Literature)
• Recipient of a 2015 May Gibbs Literature Trust Creative Time Fellowship for the creation of This Is My Song
• Winner of the 2016 FAW NSW Walter Stone Award for Life Writing for Homecoming

The What on Earth Institute of Wonder by Lisa Nicol

Sal's dad has left. Mum, in her grief, is now focused on the moon and not her family. Roy, the younger brother, is sure the end of the world is coming very soon and so he has been preparing his survival gear. Sal has one main friend but he is a bird - a Kakapo named Hector. He just arrived in her room one day and somehow Sal can understand and speak to him - it's a mysterious gift. Then added to all of this now an elephant has arrived. A real elephant. She is huge and totally out of place in this small town. 

"She was a she, and probably around sixteen years old. Surprisingly, though, other than that, the 'experts' had little to add. Her arrival in Larry had them all completely flummoxed. This was not the type of elephant found in circuses or zoos ... These elephants were only found in the most remote and inaccessible jungles of the Congo Basin in central Africa."

The kids really want to rescue the elephant. Roy knows there is one large space in town where they could 'hide' her. It belongs to the post office and it is where the postman named Mr Longbottom lives. There are problems with this idea. Mr Longbottom is a thief, and he hates children but all the adults in the town like and respect him. Also how do they keep the elephant calm? It turns out she likes the same music as Sal's friend Bartholomew. Music like Nina Simone and also all kinds of jazz and this is the music Bartholomew plays everywhere on his boombox. But then the people of the town discover the elephant and Larry is a town that has always been down on its luck. Everyone can see ways to make money out of the elephant but Sal and her friends know all of these ideas are cruel. The time has come to rescue the elephant and take her somewhere safe - but how do they do this? Where can they take her? And what if they get caught?

"Sal cursed herself, too. For breaking into the warehouse in the first place and dragging everyone into all of this. For letting Bartholomew drive without a license. And Roy ... So much for looking after her little brother. In the back of a police car, aged eight-and-a-half? It would be hard to classify that as good care in anyone's book. ... She had failed, all right."

"Bartholomew ... He was probably in the most trouble. After all, he was the one at the wheel. He was the oldest. He was meant to be responsible. While he might have been trying to save the elephant, in doing so he'd endangered all their lives. ... But spending time with the elephant, seeing her love of music. He didn't need a book to know she felt the same things in her heart that he did."

About three quarters of the way through this book I realised I had not discovered any references to the book title. I need to tell you - don't skip ahead - this discovery does not come until the final chapter. It is a neat way of tying up the threads of the story and adding to the happy ending. 

Click on these review comments for more plot details:

Sal doesn’t just rescue an elephant. She saves her family, her friends, and her town in the process and readers cannot help but be alerted to the precarious situation of many of the world’s wildlife. With adventure, family life, humour and drama a-plenty, I heartily recommend this for your readers from around Year 4 upwards. Kids' Book Review

Lisa Nicol’s whimsical way with words is becoming the stuff of legend. Her narratives are an intoxicating mix of wonderment, cheek and incredible heart; a strange combination but one that makes her middle grade novels fulfilling and memorable. The What on Earth Institute of Wonder perpetuates this premise while managing to incorporate an African forest elephant and a New Zealand Kakapo into the same sentence, never mind the same Kombi van! And yes! I knew I was in for something special once a Kombi was mentioned. Dimity Powell

If you are looking for a fast paced, action-packed adventure book, then this is not for you. If you want a gentle and genuine book about hope and the enormous spirit that both human and animal-kind have to offer, then this is the perfect book for you. Storylinks

This delightful book from Lisa Nicol traverses a magical, animal-filled landscape, that brings anxieties and fears to life in a gentle way, that allows readers from ages eight and older to see that it is okay to be worried, that not everything is perfect. It gives a voice to the kids that might not necessarily fit in. Sal and Roy do things a little differently to other kids, and that’s what makes them special – what gives them life. The Book Muse

I picked up The What on Earth Institue in a bookshop because I recognised the name Lisa Nicol. The What on Earth Institute of Wonder was published in 2021. I wonder how I missed it and I am surprised it did not make the 2022 CBCA Book of the Year Younger Readers Notables list.  I read this on the shelf talker label in Gleebooks:

I could not love this book any more! @lisanicolauthor has once again blown our minds with a story so fabulously bonkers and so beautifully written that I had to just lie in a dark room for a good while and appreciate what I had just read…. definitely in the running for one of my favourite books of the year! Rachel Robson Gleebooks

I loved her previous book:

Vincent and the Grandest Hotel on Earth

Companion books:

The Great Elephant Chase

The Magician's Elephant

The Elephant in the Room

Singing with Elephants

Tua and the Elephant

The Girl who Stole an Elephant