I am sure you do this too - trying to predict the direction a plot will take as you turn each page. I am so happy to say I was utterly wrong in this story. This tale has an enormous twist which I absolutely did not predict. The three kids in this story are on a wild ride into the unknown and as a reader you are on your own wild ride.
Phil Cummings also deliberately ends nearly each chapter with a cliff hanger.
Here are some of the cliff hangers:
"And so ... he climbed onto the old metal steps ... and down he went."
"Bodder pushed his back hard against the splintery wood and held his breath."
"But no one, not even a child with an imagination like Bodder's, could ever predict how far his journey would take him, and what he was about to discover."
"Whatever was out there, it was restless."
"What will tomorrow bring? he wondered."
It is difficult to talk about this book because I do not want to spoil the plot twist.
Publisher blurb: Bodder Finn, of Middle Spot Village in Alibon, is a very curious child. When his father travels to the remote coastal village of Light’s Edge, Bodder jumps at the chance to join him, along with his sister Ailie and his best friend Olo. Bodder is keen to see the Shadow Rim: the band of grey that surrounds Alibon at the edge of the orb’s light, before disappearing into the terrifying darkness of the Forever Night. But Bodder gets more adventure than he bargained for when thunderous rocks fall from the sky, making waves that sweep him, Ailie and Olo out to sea on their small boat … and plunging all of Alibon into darkness. With no light to guide them, the trio must survive the perils of the Forever Night and find their way home, without falling off the waterfall at the edge of the world …
If you are book talking Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World with your class or library group you could briefly explain the main characters - Bodder Finn, his sister Ailie, his best friend Olo and the adults - Webly (Bodder's father), Larn (Olo's father) and Tooby (the inn keeper) - and then read Chapter Eight.
I am going to predict that Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World will be a 2027 CBCA Younger Readers Notable title. If you are looking for a story to read in your family at bedtime this is one you definitely should seek out.
When I saw Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World I thought how exciting to discover a novel by Phil Cummings whose work you are sure to know from all the picture books he has created since his first book in 1989 - Goodness Gracious illustrated by Craig Smith. (Just as an aside how lucky was Phil Cummings to have art from Craig Smith for his first book - amazing). Phil Cummings is the author of nearly one hundred books. I have talked about many of them here on this blog including one just a few days ago - Millie and the Frame of Wonder.
I also thought Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World could be a first full novel for Phil Cummings but I now discover there have been others - even some I may have read long ago The Great Jimbo Jones (Solo series); The Rented House; Angel; Danny Allen was here; Take it easy Danny Allen; A Piece of Mind; Spike (Solo series); and Chook Shed Snake (I may have missed some).
I am huge fan of maps in books, and I am sure readers will find themselves referring to this one as they follow the adventure.
Special mention - this book has such an inviting cover. The art you can see there is by Phil Lesnie and he did the map too. Phil Lesnie did the art in these picture books by Phil Cummings:
The plot of this book is not really related but as I read Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World I thought about this book by Odo Hirsch (yes, it is out of print but is sure to be in your school library):
"One bright and shimmery summer's day Skippy Gillespie went out to play with a pitter pat of his small dog paws and a scritchetty scratch of his small dog claws."
Little Blue - the baby duck - is lost and even worse she is being hunted by an enormous cat named Rocky Road Jack. Luckily Skippy Gillespie and his friend Boofa Boy Jones are able to spring into action and save the day.
Thanks to Fremantle Press for sending me a copy of this new book which has just been published. Here are the teacher's notes. Little Blue where are you? is a book I would read to a preschool group for enjoyment. There are lots of ideas in the teacher's notes but in my view it would be best select the ideas that suit your class or library group and not attempt every question or activity. This could also be a book you could adapt for a reader's theatre with older students presenting the story for the youngest children in your school. I am imagining doing this will the addition of percussion instruments as a way to add sounds to the story. Your art teacher could also use this double page spread showing sunlight on the lake as a lesson inspiration.
Publisher blurb: Skippy Gillespie is taking himself for a walk in the park – but he is not alone! Rocky Road Jack has followed him, and that nasty cat now has his eyes firmly on a tiny duckling. Will Skippy save the day, and will Little Blue ever get home to his mother?
Your young reading companion will hear some wonderful words (real and invented) in this story - shimmery, slashetty, quailed, charging, and frenzied.
It’s made for reading aloud. Morgan’s bouncy rhymes are packed with playful sound words, and we can already hear little ones joining in by the second read. It’s the kind of book that gets requested again at bedtime.
Skippy is a hero worth rooting for. When he spots a small creature in trouble, he doesn’t walk past. With his mate Boofa Boy Jones, he steps up to help. It opens up easy conversations with kids about kindness and looking out for others.
Karen Blair’s illustrations are full of movement. Ears flap, legs stretch and water swirls across the page. Some words are even drawn to look like they sound. The characters’ faces show exactly how everyone is feeling, which makes this a lovely book for talking about emotions.
The publicity notes for Little Blue mention The Detective Dog series by Julia Donaldson; Dog Beach by Julie Murphy; and the Hairy Maclary series by Lynley Dodd.
I previously talked about this book which is the first in this series also by Sally Morgan and Karen Blair which is where we first met Skippy Gillespie.
Titch (Tithonia Proudleaf) has been charged with the task of collecting the four Gems of Harmony - Clawstone, Fangstone, Dreamstone and Songstone. Titch herself cannot believe this is true but it seems she is the new Bravepaw. As this fourth book opens we read that Titch is again on her quest to find the gems - now she needs the Dreamstone and the Songstone.
"Maybe the Dreamstone would be easy to find - safe in the royal treasury. Maybe the Songstone would be there too. Maybe, with all the gems reunited, she could hand the staff to Prince Vetiver and let him battle the Deadroot. Then she and Huckleberry could go home to the Plateau, and everything would be alright again."
Spoiler alert - by page 95 Titch has the Dreamstone but finding the Songstone is going to be so much more treacherous. Titch and her two friends - Huckleberry and Briar Nettlebrush will need to return to the Plateau because it has been engulfed by an enormous crack and hordes of curseworms and then Titch learns another part of the prophecy:
Deep at the end of everything
rests the final stone.
It can only be found if you
journey alone.
United the gems
will close the crack.
But if you triumph alone,
you can never come back.
And there are also the words of the Oglethorpe prophecy:
In the time of greatest need
Pay the highest price
The purest of heart must make
The greatest sacrifice
Curseworms are dreadful but there are other horrors that emerge through the crack - Abyss Hounds and Skitterlings.
"The cloud was made up of monsters - small, leather-winged creatures with sharp claws and even sharper teeth."
Before you read this fourth book please check out my blog posts for the first three from the series. Your young reading companion will need to start at the beginning and read all four because that will make the heroism of Titch and her huge group of new friends all the more wonderful. Plus in this newest book nearly all the characters we met previously have returned including the wonderfu Earna the eaglebear and Master Sticklepin the hedgehog librarian. Here is a video review.
Bookseller blurb for Bravepaw and the Songstone of the Deep: Titch and Huckleberry have journeyed a long way from their cosy home on the Plateau - and all they want to do is go home, eat some tasty plums and play in the cooling stream. But Titch is a hero now, whether she likes it or not, and heroes do not give up, not when Alluria needs heroes more than ever before! Titch knows that there are many ways to be brave, and she has friendship, brave and true, on her side - but will that be enough to stand against the forces of darkness, when all of Alluria is cracking open? Now, at the final hour, will the prophecy be fulfilled? Can Bravepaw unite the Gems of Harmony and save the world?
This is the fourth and final book in the Bravepaw series and I have thoroughly enjoyed each of them. I actually squealed when I saw this final installment in a bookstore.
If I still worked in a school library I would love to showcase this set on a display - even their spines are special! And if I worked in a school I would really want to give this series to a class teacher as a set of books to read aloud - not to study, not to complete worksheets, just for the sheer joy of reading wonderful books which feature courage, heroism, battles, teamwork, friendship and of course a quest to save the world!
Three bad things have already happened to Odie - the worst is the third:
"When Odie turned eight, her mother - a beloved and renowned biologist - disappeared in a stampede of pink-fairy armadillos during an expedition in central Argentina."
Odie has retreated into her room and her father, in his grief, has also withdrawn. Odie is now homeschooled but wait - just in case I have made you very sad we also discover Odie has messenger pigeons. Her pigeons named Pudding and Plonk, deliver her homework to the Homely Homeschooling Assessment Centre. Odie also has her cat named Knuckles - he had been her mother's rescue tomcat. When I said Odie had withdrawn - she now lives in her room. Her father does make delicious food which is delivered via a small elevator.
"Her father was very good at making sure she had everything she could ever need. And yet, since Odie's mother had gone, he seemed as baffled by the world as Odie was afraid of it, and he preferred to spend his time alone, in the silence."
The stage is set for change - CHANGE. First of all, a strange book arrives addressed to Cadet Odie Gusberry-Smith with the intriguing title
"The Grey Beret's guide to Surviving the Odds. Volume one."
Yes, this book does sound strange, but it is a perfect fit for Odie because she is a girl of facts not fairy tales. She happily reads chapter after chapter about poisonous plants, dangerous reptiles, and the antidotes for eighty-seven kinds of toxins. But can the information in this book and her newly made coat with thirty-eight pockets help with her next big life event? Her father announces they are going on a cruise. And Odie, and you as the reader, are sure to think of shipwrecks, islands, survival and perhaps the importance of making new friends with kids her age along with a baby dressed up as a chicken. Dressed up? Yes the sinking of the ship happens on the night of the Halloween dress-up party so all kids - Baby (a chicken), Gus (dressed as the ship's captain), Sunny (a donkey pinata), and Chuck (real name Charlotte dressed in a black tulle ball gown) are in costumes except for Odie who luckily has her survival pockets.
Publisher blurb: Odie Gusberry-Smith doesn't like surprises. But when a mysterious package arrives in the mail, she finds The Grey Beret's Guide to Surviving the Odds – a book that feels like it was written just for her. Odie is going to need it, because her dad has had the ridiculous idea that they should go on a cruise. When calamity strikes (as she could have told you it would), Odie will need to use every trick in the Guide to keep herself and her alarmingly danger-prone group safe. Along the way, she might just realise that the Guide is not the only thing she can rely on…
"She'd worked so hard on preparing for exactly this kind of calamity, but now that it was here, in actual real life, she wasn't quite sure what to do."
"Part of being a Grey Beret is preparing for the worst. So, when you all fell asleep, I did a risk mitigation plan. Our greatest risk was catching hypothermia from the waves and rain. Luckily I had a tarp in my eleventh pocket. Once I put it up, the risk of us catching hypothermia dropped by thirty-five percent. And then I found the space blankets in pocket thirteen, and that brought the risk down to twenty per cent."
If you are sharing this book in your library you could read Chapters 16 and 17 which is the scene where the kids are almost 'eaten' by huge plant-frogs.
This book is sure to be included on the CBCA 2027 Notables Books list. I especially appreciate the way it is designed and that it is presented in hardcover with spot varnish on the cover. I read this book from beginning to end in one sitting. Note my label melodrama - that seems like the perfect descriptor. I thoroughly enjoyed the tone of this book with Odie constantly quoting statistics and catastrophising every scenario. And yes, we do eventually reach a happy ending, BUT I have to warn you this is part one of a planned trilogy and turning the last page you will be so keen to reach for the next book - but I cannot discover the date it will be released - sorry.
"They were so brave ... the bravest goats in the world! And I want to be just like them."
Now read the opening sentence of Kid:
"There once was a small goat who lived on a farm, not far from the rugged mountain."
Ask yourself some questions - will this small goat have an adventure? will he travel to the rugged mountain? what will he find there? does he have a good life on the farm? are there any other goats there? does 'not far' mean this story will involve a journey?
Life on the farm is good. There are cows, sheep, pigs and hens. Oh, and of course there is a small goat - a young goat - a kid named Kid.
"He was barely taller than the hens, and not just because he was young. He was a small breed of goat - a miniature - so even when fully grown he would hardly peek over a bale of straw. For now he was still a kid, with gangly legs, ears that stuck out and two bumps on the top of his head. He couldn't see them but he knew they were there, and he dreamt that one day they would grow into big curved horns, strong and majestic."
Kid has dreams - big dreams. And these dreams are linked with the story of his parents. This is the story Audrey, one of the hens, tells him night after night. His parents were Buck and Bess and they heroically saved the farm from a fox but by chasing the fox they jumped over all the fences and "no one ever saw those brave goats again." Bess and Buck left their baby behind in the care of Audrey. "And you've been stuck with me ever since."
Kid has the care and friendship of Audrey and also of Harriet, a whitish-pink pig. So, the story is set. Kid would like to be heroic like his parents. He is sure his parents are living in the nearby mountains. Audrey needs to protect her young charge just as she promised his mother all those years ago and Harriet is keen to experience new tastes in the wild. But of course, there is a problem - well there are lots of problem but the biggest one of all is Farm Law. Note the capital letters.
"Farm Law says that any animal who leaves the farm can never come back ... They'll bring danger to the farm - predators, or sickness from the wild."
"The adventures of Buck and Bess played in his mind. He had loved the stories, so wild and exciting, but he always dreamt that one day they would return to the farm. Now he knew he would never see them again, all because of a big white dog who didn't like goats."
Kid will not be stopped. Ma, the big white farm dog will not stop him. He jumps over the fence and ...
There are some sweet words of wisdom in Kid:
Audrey: "I was scared and I didn't want you to go. But then I asked myself what was more important: to follow the rules or follow your dreams?"
Audrey: "The world hasn't ended. You have a home and friends who love you - even when you're miserable. I didn't raise you to blob around like a snail without a shell. Get up and do something."
Cow: "Gavin (the great hawk) said you will find your family ... on the mountain."
I think I held my breath through the final chapters of this book - I know Peter Carnavas is a trustworthy author and he would give me that all important "happy ending", but I was so worried about little Kid - would Ma let him come back to the farm?
Publisher blurb: This is the story of a small goat called Kid. Ever since his parents chased away a fox and never returned, Kid has stayed with Audrey the hen in the chook yard. Audrey tells him stories of his mum and dad’s daring and bravery. She says they live on the nearby mountain, and Kid longs to leave the farm to find them. And then, one day, he discovers he is big enough to jump the fence … Will a wild adventure up the mountain help Kid find where he belongs?
Here is the trailer - this is sure to make you fall in love with this book:
This book will be published next week - do not wait - run to your independent bookstore or local library and order a copy of Kid by Peter Carnavas. I really wish I lived in Queensland so I could participate in some of the launch events for Kid. Huge thanks to UQP for sending me an advance copy of Kid. I devoured it in one sitting and then went back and read it all again today. There are extensive teachers notes for Kid BUT really my suggestion is just read this book - to your young reading companion, to your class or to your library group. Don't dissect it - just enjoy the writing, the friendships, and the very special voice of young Kid.
In the UK Kid from Pushkin Press has a slightly different cover. I love talking with students about covers - design, appeal, font choices and the way covers can influence our reading choices. The US edition will come from Groundwood Books in 2027! Kid is published in hardcover and the beautiful pastel colours reminded me of my old copy of Heidi (I have put this image at the bottom of this post).
The publisher and Peter Carnavas himself (quite rightly) links Kid with two very famous books:
Peter Carnavas says: After writing my last book, I promised myself I’d take a quiet break from writing,
but then a small goat trotted into my thoughts. I’m not sure where he came from but I remember what I was doing at the time – I was reading Edwina Wyatt’s book Cub and Brown. Edwina’s story has nothing to do with goats but for some reason, halfway through reading, I put down the book, opened my sketchbook and drew a goat. Up until now, my novels have centred around quiet children and relationships, so I wanted to try something different with my goat – I wanted an adventure! I started drafting ideas based on the structure of the hero’s journey: I gave him a call to action, a merry band of accomplices (each with their own strengths), a wise elder, a series of trials and an exciting climax.
I really appreciate having maps in books. The map at the beginning of Kid reminded me of this book:
Kid is published in hardcover and the soft pastel colours used on the cover reminded me of my old copy of Heidi. Just a small observation of mine - Kid doesn't have any actual links with Heidi!
Maggie is an orphan. All Maggie Appleton has is a letter written by her mother that she must deliver to a stranger but on the way the letter is taken by a policeman/detective. Maggie is distraught but she continues her journey through London having just escaped from the workhouse only to make the surprising discovery that the man who was supposed to get this letter now works as a valet for the famous explorer Phileas Fogg. I need to tell you that all of this action takes place over the first 25 pages.
Maggie is swept up into the famous journey around the world and, as you are sure to have already guessed, and time is ticking because this unlikely crew have to be back in London in just 80 days. Maggie also needs to get her important letter back from , but she needs to keep Mr Fogg away from the Detective Fix because she knows it is not true that Phileas Fogg stole thousands of pounds from the bank. Has he been framed?
If you love trains, ships, catastrophes, wild story twists, and heroes you will devour this debut book by Nat Harrison. I read the whole book of over 300 pages in one day - yes, it is that good. This book could also be a terrific family read aloud. Oh, and I love the gold embossed cover. There are world maps scattered through this book but I would also suggest you might grab a real, old-fashioned, atlas so you can follow the around the world journey in more detail. Your young reading companion is sure, also, to ask questions about the way time works in the world and how you can jump days when you travel from west to east.
Book seller blurb: It is 1872 and, when Maggie Appleton's beloved mother dies, she is left with nothing but a letter for a mysterious stranger called Passepartout. With nowhere else to turn, Maggie seeks out Passepartout and, in doing so, is drawn into an adventure beyond her wildest dreams. Together with Passepartout's employer, the enigmatic Mr Phileas Fogg, Maggie journeys to Italy, India, Hong Kong, Japan and America, in a daring race against time to win the wager Mr Fogg has accepted. But with a bank robber on the loose, an angry Inspector on their tail and unread secrets in her mother's letter, Maggie soon discovers that there is much more at stake than keeping on schedule to win the bet. Who can she really trust - and will she ever find out where she truly belongs?
Like other readers who pick up this book I have not read the Jules Verne classic - Round the World in 80 days - so my knowledge of the plot was somewhat limited. I am telling you this because your young reader aged 10+ can easily read this new book The Girl who Raced the World with absolutely no idea about the original story. They are sure to enjoy this action-packed adventure. Some readers though might, after reading this book, which is based on the famous 1872 book, want to hunt out the Jules Verne story or perhaps read an abridged version or listen to it as an audio book. Huge thanks to Gleebooks Kids for sharing this new book with me. The Girl who Raced the World is available in paperback but if you find the hardcover edition you must lift the dust jacket - there is a terrific surprise under the cover.
I now discover I have read several books with covers designed by Tom Clohosy Cole. (Cobweb; An Elephant in the Garden; Clifftoppers). Here are some teaching ideas to use with The Girl who Raced the World.
The sequel to The Girl who Raced the World is due later this year:
Set on a fascinating yet hostile alien planet, this pulse-pounding, high-stakes, elimination-quest novel will have readers on the edge of their seats. HM Waugh
Groups of kids who live on different planets are sent to complete a trial as a way to enter the Starquest Academy, an exclusive institution dedicated to training future Planeticians. The title uses the word surface because on one level the surface of this planet is terrifying and dangerous beyond almost your wildest imagination. The danger is mostly from enormous 'man eating' plants. Yes I did say plants! And there are also huge man-eating insects too. If you fall into one of the plants it immediately starts to digest you. The word surface, though, also refers to the way these kids judge each other. How much each of the kids in the group we are following are prepared to reveal to the others - to go under the surface. One kid is not who he seems, one kid has dangerous extra powers, and one kid is utterly selfish and out to win at all costs including jeopardising the lives his own team mates.
"During the trials, candidates will be judged on their ... courage, teamwork, innovation and exploration. Assessors will be looking for resilience, assertiveness, empathy and creativity."
Adding to all this pressure the kids are being watched and filmed and this is broadcast on televisions all over the universe. Every kid in this team has watched all the previous trials. They know the rules, they know how easily they can be eliminated. Every moment, every interaction has to be carefully enacted because they are being watched. And this is a race because they have to reach the end in just three days so they can be picked up and return to safety. Survival means looking out for yourself but one of the rules is about teamwork and co-operation. What should they do if helping the team stands in the way of winning?
Bookseller blurb:
Three days, three clues, one hungry planet.
Constant surveillance.
The entire universe watching every move.
Some will shatter. Most will fail.
A select few will make it through, instant celebrities.
Welcome to the Surface Trials. The only way into Starquest Academy. For Amethyst Antares, Starquest Academy offers an escape from the prison of her home planet. For Rian - the uber-famous and expertly-disguised heir to the universe's two greatest dynasties - failure to get into his own academy is not an option. And Deneb? Well, he's an outlier... But this year not everything goes to plan, and Amethyst and her squad find themselves playing for more than Starquest admission. To survive, they'll have to outsmart carnivorous creatures, share dangerous secrets, maintain trust and embrace the most shocking truth in the galaxy. Set on a fascinating yet hostile alien planet, this pulse-pounding, high-stakes, elimination-quest novel will have readers on the edge of their seats.
Here are a couple of text quotes:
"Panic flooded him, and he fought it back, knowing they were already being watched. Wherever they were about to land, he had to believe he had the skills to make it."
"Daneb shot out, slime oozing all around him, the goo dotted with carcasses of breeders and viperwasps and other unrecogisable things. "
"There were no such things as alien ruins. Through all the worlds that humans had spread to, no hint of other human-level intelligence had ever been found. That's what gave humanity the right to take over all these new planets."
I was interested to read this book because it was a 2026 CBCA Younger Readers Notable title but I am going to say right up front this is book will much better suit an older reader aged 12+. Reviewers consistently compare this book to other YA titles - The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner.
Here are the CBCA Judges' comments:
I seem to have read quite a few Science Fiction books recently. Here are a few:
HM Waugh is a children’s author, educator and environmental scientist with a long-term love of wild places and outdoor adventures. She has been kidnapped twice, handled dragons for a job, and dreams of one day blasting into space. Her books mix humour, danger and friendship with a dash of science and imagination.
