Windswept by Margi Preus

An inventive, memorable must-read. Kirkus Star review

Tag (real name Hyacinth nickname Tagalong shortened to Tag) is locked up at home with just her mother and a few servants. Her older sisters - Rose, Lily and Iris have been windswept. Wild storms hit this place from time to time and any children who are outside are swept away. No one knows where they go or even if they are still alive so the town has very strict rules. Children under fifteen are not allowed outside - ever!

When her mother goes out to a council meeting Tag decides to explore the hidden attic. And she works out a way to escape. She meets up with other children and joins them as they decide to travel to the distant mountains to seek out their lost siblings. Tag ties pieces of clothing together that she finds in the wardrobe and then she uses this as a rope to escape from her locked house. 

"Moving aside rolls of old wallpaper and saggy cardboard boxes. Tag reached the wardrobe. When she opened the doors, it was as if her sisters rushed out - at least, the smell of them did, as if they were in there somewhere, among their trousers and party dresses, their skirts and stockings and shoes. Tag climbed inside and sat right down among the shoes and wept. She wept ... for her sisters lost to the wind. For her father, sent to his grave. For her mother laced into a corset of grief. And for herself ... "

In this dystopian world books are banned:

"The book even smelled dangerous. It smelled of clouds and fiddlehead ferns, woodland campfires and castle kitchens. Or at least what Tag imagined those things might smell like. It was dangerous to posses an illegal book. People were sent away - banished - for the offense. Still, somehow, she found herself tucked into a corner of the attic with the book open on her lap. The light from the window cast a lemon-yellow circle on the book and left the rest of her in soft brown darkness. Tag read stories of golden birds, magic beanstalks and long-haired girls locked in tall towers. ... She encountered witches and shape-shifters, mermaids and snow snakes, dragons and people-eating giants."

There is also a political layer to this story which I really enjoyed. Here are some text quotes from the council meeting. Tag and her companions listen in while the townspeople demand some action about their children.And in this world the leaves which are swept in by the wind are currency. 

"Ren scooped a leaf off the ground and handed it to Tag. It was a leaf unlike any other Tag had ever seen or felt - leathery and a little heavier than an ordinary leaf ... 'That's currency,' Ren explained ... 'In other words, money. And really, the only people authorised to pick those up are the PTB (Powers that be) footlickers in the white jumpsuits. But everybody goes out anyway, ... They use is to pay for things. They're valuable. ... Everyone has to agree that each leaf has a certain value so you can use them to pay for things your need or want.' ... 'Where do the come from?' ... 'They blow in on the wind. That's the only time you find them."

There is also a layer of environmental consciousness in this book as the children encounter piles of rubbish and plastic on their journey. 

"She thought she had come to the piles of gold and silver likely to be found in a troll's lair. But as she rounded the corner and entered an immense chamber, she saw that what was sparkling and glinting in the smokey light of the torches were piles of broken glass and shards of plastic. The walls were covered with or were maybe made of trash: plastic packaging, plastic straws, plastic toothbrushes, toys and more toys, doodads and knick-knacks, and a mountain of plastic bags. Millions of tiny plastic particles caught the light, sparkling like mica."

And I like the final wisdom:

"You have all survived something hard, and you have grown stronger because of it. Use this strength to create a new and better life for yourselves and for all the kingdoms and their inhabitants on our one and only Earth."

Author blurb: In Tag’s world, children are disappearing. “Youngers” who venture Outside are windswept—vanishing in the swirling snow—Tag’s sisters among them. Many have tried to find the lost children; all have failed. And since the Other Times, the Powers That Be seem intent on keeping it that way. Little remains from those times: snippets of songs, heaps of plastic trash, and a few banned texts—including a book of fairytales. An unlikely crew of Youngers join forces—Boots, who can climb anything, Ant, who will eat anything, Ren, who will say anything, and Tag, who doesn’t appear to have any talent whatsoever. With their dubious skills, the (book of) fairytales, a possibly magic ribbon, and an unwillingness to accept “that’s impossible,” they set off to rescue their windswept siblings ...

Windswept references a dozen Norwegian folk and fairy tales along with more familiar (to my eyes) tales such as Sleeping Beauty; Rapunzel; Rumpelstiltskin; Little Red Riding Hood; Snow White and Jack and the Beanstalk.

There is also a repeated refrain in this story which acts as a puzzle:

The Mountains - you'll get there too late or never at all. 

And there is a time constraint because if the mountains turn completely blue they will be too late to rescue the stolen childen.

Fairy Tale Tropes (Metropolitan Opera)

The absent or deceased mother

Many fairy tales feature young women who are, for a variety of reasons, motherless.

In Windswept, Tag's mother is not absent but she is distant and does not have a close relationship with Tag because she is grieving the loss of her other three daughters and her husband.

The wicked older woman

Be it a controlling stepmother or malicious witch, fairy tales also often include an older female figure who torments the young protagonist out of jealousy.

In Windswept these are the legendary trolls who is is rumoured have taken all the children to their mountain lair. This was the only part of the story that I found a little puzzling. The trolls, we learn, take the children because their own youngsters have been hunted and killed. The trolls use the children build up their numbers. After seven years of living with the trolls in their filthy lair the children become troll-like trolls. "The younger they are, the longer they can serve the trolls' interests."

A supernatural or magical helper

Many stories feature a magical figure who aids and protects the young protagonist. This character may take the form of a fairy godmother, a deceased ancestor or spirit, a magical animal, or an enchanted tree.

In Windswept there are three magical helpers - old women who offer advice and practical help such as a magical table cloth that produces food. 

Rags-to-riches

Many fairy tales follow protagonists who have been reduced to lowly circumstances, are held in some sort of captivity, or have been exiled and/or denied their rightful inheritance. The narrative arc of these stories often concludes with the hero reclaiming or even exceeding the social status and material wealth that was rightfully theirs.

In Windswept the children want to restore their freedom and find their siblings and discover the truth about the wind and the way their city has been controlled by draconian rules. By the end of the story the lives of these children are certainly much richer and as a reader we make the wonderful discovery about the power of stories to set the captives free. 

The motif of three

Three old women help the children; to call up the wind Tag uses a special string with three knots and Tag had three sisters who were Windswept and taken to the Trolls

They live in a world where stories and books are dangerous—there are too many ideas there. But as the kids tell stories and read from the fairy tale book, they think that maybe they can handle books—they can think for themselves, make their own judgements. Maybe the books aren’t to be feared; maybe ignorance should be the real fear. School Library Journal

It’s a classic folktale journey, with magical objects, helpful old women, gnomic advice, monsters, the unleashing of unusual talents, outwittings, and a glorious eleventh-hour comeuppance. Horn Book

Listen to a five minute audio sample which begins with the voices of a group of creatures who are gathered around to listen to the storyteller.

I really love the cover of this book and the internal illustrations by Armando Veve. Here is some more of his work:

The structure in this book where the bard tells stories reminded me of Podkin One Ear.

The Legend of Podkin One Ear

Aaron Slater Illustrator by Andrea Beaty illustrated by David Roberts

"Words drift like music. Melodious. Mild. A sweet summer song for a sweet summer child who drifts off to sleep as the cottonwoods sway at the end of the garden. At the end of the day."

"But what he loves most - what makes Aaron's heart sing - is to listen to books in the old garden swing. To write stories, he thinks, is the greatest of things."

Aaron loves stories but he finds reading and writing are complex - he can however tell wonderful stories and he can draw his ideas and luckily his beautiful teacher can see his talent. Aaron does not need to feel small - he can shine. And over time reading will become easier but for now art is the way his heart can sing.

"Like the mightiest flames that banish the dark, hope grows in the soul, from the tiniest spark. His art makes a difference. His art leads the way and helps him discover what he wants to say."

The character of Aaron is based on Aaron Douglas, an African American artist, muralist and graphic artist.

When you hold this book in your hands please take time to explore all the lively images on the front cover and back covers. You will see all the wonderful things Aaron holds in his imagination. The art in this book by David Roberts is simply marvellous. I love all these hairstyles.

Empathetic art and lyrical text blend for a touching and empowering tale. Kirkus Star review

One of the true strengths of this book comes from the beautifully composed and carefully constructed rhyme.  Writing a rhyming text requires enormous (ENORMOUS) skill.  In this article from The Picture Book Den the authors make some really important observations about this form. The words in BOLD are my emphasis:

So how do you acquire those skills? And how do you learn to tell the difference between top quality verse and terrible rhyme? The answer is straightforward, but getting there isn’t easy. You work, hard. 

You pick every word with consideration. You edit your own work ruthlessly and tirelessly. If there even might be a better alternative, you chuck out your favourite line and try a new one.

You keep all of the following in mind at every stage: plot, character, sense and logic, age appropriateness, commercial appeal, rhythm, timing, accent and pronunciation, syllables, stresses, emotional arcs, story beats, universality, originality, ...  page turns, potential changes of scene in the illustrations…

Andrea Beaty is a master of rhyme. This book could be used as an exemplar to show aspiring writer the best way to use this form. Read this and think about the genuine emotions that come from these lines:

"And he reads ... well, he tried ... but it's so hard to start with thirty-three eyes peering into his heart."

I am a bit late coming to this splendid series. There are picture books, project books and chapter books oh and even toys. Here are some of the previous titles:

David took that plain text and created a whole classroom of quirky, talented and passionate kids, each with a complete personality and backstory. He did not share that backstory with me. Still, those characters were so intriguing that I started thinking of stories for them. I followed the clues tucked into his art to figure out who these kids were and what made them tick. I wrote more stories and David created even more magnificent illustrations filled with even more clues to those kids and their personalities. Andrea Beaty

Other books illustrated by David Roberts:

Ariba: an old tale about new shoes by Masha Manapov

Marcus is so excited to have new shoes they even have flashing lights. 

Image source: Enchanted Lion

When he tells his Grandpa about the shoes, Grandpa recounts a story from long ago about another pair of shoes.

I enjoyed the way this book contains a story within a story and the final scene is sure to make you smile.

Publisher blurb Enchanted Lion: Marcus’ joy over a new pair of shoes reminds his grandfather of an old story about a boy named Ariba and his adventure-loving shoes. Every time Ariba put his shoes on, something crazy would happen. Once they even took him climbing to the peak of the yellow mountain! But one day, Ariba decides he’s going to move from his small village to the city on the other side of the mountains. When he arrives, he buys all new things—including a new pair of shoes. His new life has no room for the old pair. And yet, wouldn’t you know it? No matter what he does, the shoes keep finding their way back to him…

This story is great fun to share with young listeners, who will giggle each time the shoes make their way back to Ariba and will be delighted to recognize Ariba’s shoes at the end. Older readers will appreciate the gentle thread about staying connected to one’s roots. Kirkus Star review

Masha Manapov was born in Azerbaijan and grew up in Tel Aviv. She now lives in England. Ariba is her first book as author and illustrator. Here is an excellent and detailed interview with Masha. She mentions two of her favourite childhood books were Ronia the Robber’s Daughter and The Brothers Lionheart both by Astrid Lindgren. You can see art from Ariba here. I have one extra question for Masha - I would like to read the original African folktale or a version of this folktale which inspired her book.

If you read this book to a group of older students you could also share this photography project where Shannon Jensen took photos of shoes worn by refugees.  The images are amazing, sad, important, and are sure to lead to a deep discussion. Take a look at this post by my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything.

Here is the perfect companion read to use with Ariba:

Those Shoes

You might also look at Grandma's treasured shoes.

Girl of the Southern Sea by Michelle Kadarusman

"All you see is a poor girl ... A girl without power of choices. But you are wrong. 

I am here to live a different story. I am here to write my own story."

Nia has lost her mother and her father has begun drinking heavily to ease his grief. Nia, young brother Rudi and her father live in poverty. Each week it is a desperate struggle to find enough money for their rent payment and food. Nia's father has a small food cart from which he makes fried bananas to sell near the busy railway station. 

Nia is a clever girl. She longs to continue her education and move onto High School but this costs money and now that her father has stopped earning money due to an accident she has to leave school and attend to the food cart. 

Nia loves to tell stories and these are woven into this book. Her stories are about Dewi Kadita, Princess of the Southern Sea and are based on Javanese folktales.

Her life takes a strange turn when Nia is involved in a mini bus accident. While others are badly hurt and one boy is killed, Nia walks away uninjured. A witness to this incident - Mr Oskar a local tailor - declares Nia is now a special girl and that buying her fried bananas will bring good luck. Long queues form as people jostle to buy from her stall. Some what unwisely Nia increases her price and money begins to flow in but it is very clear this enterprise is doomed. Meanwhile her father has disappeared and Nia and her brother are struggling. Oskar, who keeps hanging around, also has his own, shocking reasons, for wanting to befriend Nia. 

It is a sharp and politically attuned work that will give readers further appreciation for the value of access to education, health care, and justice. Quill and Quire

A thought-provoking peek into a culture ... Kirkus

Here is an alternate cover. Which do you like best?

I have had such a feast of wonderful reading this week - Talking to Alaska by Anna Wolta (due out in July); Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim; Beyond Belief by Dee White; and Haywire by Claire Saxby and now I add Girl of the Southern Sea to this list.

I do need to give a violence warning for The Girl of the Southern Sea. The publisher lists this book as suitable for ages 9-13. Once again, as I often seem to do lately, I disagree. In my view this is a book for mature readers aged 11+. There is a horrific scene in this book when the crowd discover Nia is not "a lucky charm" as they had been led to believe. The mob hurl stones at her and then she is doused in kerosene. Nia survives but the horror and raw hatred of this scene lingers with me (an adult reader) many days later. 

Michelle Kadarusman lives in Canada but she was born in Melbourne. She is the author of The Theory of Hummingbirds.

Companion reads:

The Paper House

Amal Unbound

Homeless Bird

Once upon a time by Guridi translated by Alayne Pullen

 

Publisher blurb: "Bard has a unique ability! He tells the most incredible stories to the people in his village. But what would happen if one day he stopped speaking? What would life be like without stories?"

Early in his life Bard shows his love of words and eventually his ability as a storyteller. People in the village gift him words such as PLATYPUS and KALEIDOSCOPE. 

"They gave him hundreds and thousands of synonyms and millions and billions of adjectives. Bard would transform their words into stories taht carried them all away to extraordinary places."

I wonder why they gave the word 'platypus'? I did check and this is the word they use. Here it is in Spanish: Ornitorrinco

But one day Bard stops talking. He doesn't just stop telling his story he stops speaking. We never find out why. Now there is silence. There are three double pages with the word silence which shows just how profound this must feel to the village. People in the village try to work out why this is happened. It leads to a huge, loud discussion but one person stays silent - thoughtful - Ballad, the musician. The people try dressing in fancy costumes hoping this might inspire Bard. They try giving him words but the words match their mood - dull, boredom, sadness - and so are not at all helpful. 

Then Ballad has an idea. "He began playing the strings of his cello with his bow softly and sweetly."

Bard hears the sounds and utters his first word - end. Luckily it is not the end. More words come.

"The whole village drew nearer crowding round and jostling together to listen to him, because in fact the 'End' was actually just the beginning of a brand new story."

The end papers of this book contain some delightful words: people, trace, imagine, strings, music, beginning, blue, line, smile, sound, knot, silence, end. A class could use these words or simply the word 'end' to compose their own stories either written or oral. Of course you will also want to talk about the concept of a Bard and the significance of the name Ballad.

Once upon a time was first published in Spain with the title Érase. The word Érase actually means "once upon a time." You could use this book as a discussion starter with older students about the power of words, the issues surrounding silence, the importance of story as a way to build community and even the politics of silencing any one who is outspoken. Here is an interview with Raúl Guridi.

Here is a quote from Guridi:

"Storytellers are creators who search between the lines, who interpret images, who endow books with soul and life to "dazzle" listeners, to transport them to amazing worlds and remove them from their lives for a moment. For me they are essential in this society full of lies and empty words ”.

He explains the illustrations this way:

“In Érase there were three fundamental premises: blue as the base color, a Portuguese blue, a symbol of struggle, which transmits strength and calm. With pencil and ink mainly. A composition using the voids as an object of reflection. And a slow process of searching for expressions with the minimum, giving the same prominence to the text (the word) and the image ”.

Here is a review comment:

Understated, yet dazzlingly refreshing, it's a hugely original children's story that shows the value of having friends who will do anything to help out, even in the trickiest situations. Read it Daddy

Discussion points you could use with a class:

• Think about the title. When have you read the words "once upon a time". Why do you think Guridi used these words for his title?
• We think of "once upon a time" as the beginning of a written story. Bard is an oral storyteller - what does this mean? Should someone be writing his stories down? Talk about the citizens of the town and ways that could be used to encourage them to tell their own stories.
• How will things change in this community now that Bard can tell his stories again. Do you think Bard will explain his period of silence - why or why not?
• The silence in this story is very important. When is silence a good thing? When is it a bad thing?

Here are some other books illustrated by Guridi

The Seeing Stick by Jane Yolen illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini

Tuesday Treasure

Hwei - the lightless moon on the last day of the month

Ming - becoming luminous

Hwei Ming is blind. Her father the emperor offers a reward to anyone who can help her to see. Visitors come from all over the kingdom with prayers, potions, pins, incantations and spells. Nothing works. One day an old man hears about the blind princess.  He sets off on a long journey carrying a walking stick made from "a single piece of golden wood."

On arrival at the city gates the guards refuse him entry. He looks so ragged and poor. The old man reaches out to touch the faces of guards and then he sits down with his stick and his whittling knife. He shows the guards his carving of the journey he has made to Peking from his home to these city gates. The guards are entranced. His storytelling and carving are wonderful. They take the old man inside the city to show the guards at the gates to the inner city and from there he is taken to the door of the Imperial Palace.

The guards tell the emperor about the wonderful pictures carved onto the golden stick. Hwei Ming is sitting beside her father and she hears the story. She asks to see the stick.

"The old man leaned forward and petted Hwei Ming's head and caressed her cheek. For though she was a princess, she was still a child."  Placing his fingers on hers he helps her trace the stick and "see" the story. "And the princess' slim fingers felt the carved stick. Then he put her fingers onto his face and traced the same lines there. It was the first time the princess had touched another person's face since she was a very small girl."

This is a pivotal moment. Hwei Ming asks to feel the faces of those around her - the guards who are waiting close by and then her father, the emperor.

"She reached out and her fingers ran eagerly through his hair and down his nose and cheek, and rested curiously on a tear they found there. And that was strange, indeed, for had not the emperor given up crying over such things when he ascended the throne?"

You have probably guessed the rest of the story. The emperor gives the reward to the old man, the old man can now live in the Innermost City but he gives away the fortune in jewels. Have you guessed the most important thing about the old man himself?

Jane Yolen is the author of over 300 books. On her web page she talks about writing or retelling this Chinese fairy tale.

The illustrations in this book by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini are exquisite. They begin in black, white and grey but move to full colour as the old man shares his stories. Some of the richest pages are laminated giving them a beautiful texture reminiscent of cloisonne.

Image Source Books4yourkids

If you have been following my blog you will know my Tuesday Treasures are usually books that are now out of print. This edition of The Seeing Stick was first published 2009 and so it is out of print as is the earlier edition from 1977 which had illustrations by Remy Charlip and Demetra Maraslis.

I would pair The Seeing Stick with these:

The Glassmaker's Daughter

The Most wonderful thing in the World

The Black book of Colours

Girl 38 Finding a friend by Ewa Jozefkowicz

This is a fantastic thought-provoking read that will beloved by everybody regardless of age. It shows both human frailties and strengths in a blink of an eye. It is a fantastic adventure from start to finish - a book to savour and reflect upon. Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Until page 179 (Chapter 18) I didn't draw a breath reading Girl 38 Finding a friend. Then on page 179 (the whole novel is only 216 pages) I was able to sigh a huge sigh of relief.

Girl 38 actually contains three stories. First off there is the story of Kat - a story of the here and now. Her childhood friend Gemma is a dreadful girl. She is a manipulator, she is jealous of everyone and she uses her friends to attack other kids at school.  Kat knows the things Gemma expects her to do are very wrong but somehow she feels powerless to disobey.

A new boy arrives in the class - Julius. He is smart, he is a champion swimmer and Gemma hates him. The first few "pranks" are fairly harmless. Gemma gets her friends to collect maggots from a science experiment and put them into Julius's school bag. Then Gemma decides to trick Julius into thinking the school is having an dress up day in the hope of embarrassing him. This is humiliating but Julius survives. But when Julius swims faster than Gemma she decides to "really make him pay" by setting up a rendezvous with a girl who is supposed to really like him and that girl is Kat and Gemma has organised for the whole class to be there.

Meanwhile Kat has met the old lady next door and over the coming days Kat listens as Ania recounts her story as a holocaust survivor. Ania, back in Poland in World War II, watched as her best friend is taken away by Nazi soldiers. Mila has been taken to the Warsaw ghetto. Ania is desperate to rescue her but this seems impossible. Young Ania meets a solider called Sommer.  This is a story of true courage, bravery and heroism. Hearing Ania tell her story from the past helps Kat find a way to stop Gem and to reveal the truth to Julius.

The third strand of this story comes from the title - Girl 38. She is a comic strip character that Kat has been working on and the themes of finding new lands and suspicion of strangers echo the ideas explored in the other two narrative strands.

All of this sounds complicated but it is not. Ewa Jozefkowicz is a skilled storyteller and as I said I devoured this book, I despaired for Kat, I waanted to reach out and help Julius and I cheered for the actions of Ania.

I highly recommend Girl 38 Finding a Friend. This is a wonderful example of the power of storytelling.

Take a look at the art of Anna Hymas who designed the cover.

Click these review comments for more plot details:

Many books have bullying as a central theme; there are also many that deal with people and stories of the Second World War. But the telling, re-telling and listening to stories in Girl 38 ties the two themes together in a fresh way to produce a novel which eloquently explores what friendship means and what sacrifices and acts of courage need to be made when you genuinely care about someone, regardless of age or time. Just Imagine

Ewa Jozefkowicz has penned a wonderful tale, inspired by her own grandmother’s story which illustrates the lessons that we can all learn from history and examines friendship and courage on many levels. V’s View from the Bookshelves

Friendship is a precious thing and is so important, but to flourish it needs to be formed on a basis of mutual trust, understanding and affection. When these elements are not there, it is easy to feel trapped- by habit, loyalty or fear- and things can go very wrong. North Somerset Teachers Book Award

This is strong and impactful writing packaged in a simple story with mirrored events and clever plot turns. It implores us to use our time thoughtfully. Minerva Reads


I would follow Girl 38 Finding a Friend with:

The Little Riders

Honey Cake

Ewa Jozefkowicz is the author of::

Mouse soup by Arnold Lobel

Easy Fiction Treasure

Mouse Soup - the publisher blurb:

Weasel is ready for his dinner, and poor Mouse is it. Can Mouse stop Weasel from serving up mouse soup for supper? The clever mouse tells the weasel four stories to make the soup tasty—then manages to trick the weasel and get home safely.

Listen to an audio sample here.

"It has no stories in it.

Mouse soup must be mixed with stories to make it taste really good.”

“But I have no stories,” said the weasel.

“I do,” said the mouse.

“I can tell them now.”

“All right,” said the weasel.

“But hurry. I am very hungry.”

Arnold Lobel (1933-1987) is an important and timeless book creator. He won the Caldecott Medal for his book Fables in 1980. Every library should have copies of his Frog and Toad books along with Mouse Soup (1977) and Mouse Tales (1972). Luckily if you don't have them they are both still in print.

Once again Lobel demonstrates that a beginning reader can be gentle in humor, resourceful with limited vocabulary, and even subtle in simplicity. Kirkus

Mouse Tales contains seven little stories one for each mouse and one for each night of the week!

Song for a Scarlet Runner by Julie Hunt

The writing talent of Julie Hunt is certainly diverse.  She is the author of the CBCA award winning book The Coat and now we have this incredible fantasy Song for a scarlet Runner which is set in a world so beautifully crafted you will feel every bump in the road and every sound in the marshes. This title is certainly deserving of a place in the CBCA short list for 2014.

Julie Hunt takes a few pages to gently introduce the main character Peat and her sister Marlie who live an isolated life tending a small herd of cows their only visitor an aged relative who calls once a month with supplies. The Overhang, where the girls live, is between three roads - one to the Badlands, one into the marshes and one to Skerrick.

"I would never have wanted to live in Skerrick even if I had been allowed to, but Marlie would have gone back and lived there the next day if she could. She'd been born there - well we both had, but she'd lived there for six years, and I'd only been there for a day."

As the girls anxiously await the visit of Wim, a stranger arrives. His language and appearance are foreign and he seems to have some power over their animals.  Marlie is suspicious but Peat is curious.  He does not stay long and when he passes by again he does not stop. It is clear he has been beaten.  Shortly after this Wim finally arrives but she has bad news.  The stranger has infected the people of Skerrick with a deadly disease and their leader (estranged father of Peat and Marlie) is out for revenge.  This means Peat must flee her home and the only security she has ever know. With two of the paths blocked she heads to the Badlands then later to the marshes and to a destiny she could never imagine. Along the way she will make friends with some remarkable people and animals including the Sleek you see on the front cover.

Here is a short video trailer. Here are some teaching notes.  You might like to dip into the author web site. If you need to read more of the plot here is a detailed review.  Here is an interview with Julie Hunt.

If you enjoy Song for a Scarlet Runner you should also look for the Little Fur books by Isobel Carmody, Wildwood by Colin Meloy, The Stonekeeper's daughter by Linda McNabb or Tajore Arkle by Jackie French. All of these have a similar sense of place, survival, trust and friendship.

The King of the Copper Mountains by Paul Biegel

It really is a coincidence that this next book in my blog is also an old book.  The King of the Copper Mountains was first published in 1965.  It is famous and is even listed in 1001 Children's books you must read before you grow up.  It also won Children's Book of the Year in Holland.

Wikipedia likens this book to the Arabian nights and I agree.  The king is dying.  The wise Wonder Doctor must travel to a distant place to gather a special plant that will restore the King to good health. In the meantime  "The kings heart should beat soundly and evenly once a day."

To achieve this the Wonder Doctor sends a succession of wonderful storytellers to the King. "I only hope there will be enough stories for all the days I'll be away."  And so, under the careful watch of his faithful friend the hare, one by one each evening a different storyteller arrives - a ferocious Wolf, a lovesick Donkey, the fire-breathing, three headed Dragon, a Horse with golden shoes, a Rabbit of the dunes, the Sheep, ten bumble bees, two Mice, a Swallow and a Dwarf.

If you are looking for a set of short stories to read to a class The King of the Copper Mountains would be perfect. The old King is wise and generous, his castle is fabulous and Biegel weaves all these different stories together in a way that made me gasp out loud at the end.  I put this old cover here too - I like it. Do you?