Growing Home by Beth Ferry illustrated by The Fan Brothers

The only thing to note about Number 3 Ramshorn Drive was the big oak tree in the front yard—and what went on inside. I can promise you it won’t be what you are expecting. Unless of course you are expecting a story about two plants, a spider, and a magical fish tank. Oh, and cheese puffs—lots and lots of cheese puffs. 

If you’re expecting that, then this is the story for you.

And don’t forget, hope is like a hook ... 

Once it catches hold of you, it doesn’t easily let go.

First off I need to say this book will be nearly impossible to find here in Australia unless, like me, you are prepared to read an ebook version. If you do find the book [9781665942485] the price of the print edition is way too high for a school library at over AUS$32 for this 272pg middle grades illustrated novel. Hopefully there will eventually be a paperback edition for a better price AND booksellers will bring it here to Australia (hint hint Gleebooks Kids).  

Here is a list of the characters in this book. I am sure you will find it hard to imagine how there could possibly be a story that connects them - a goldfish named Toasty; an ivy pant in a pot named Ivy; a spider named Arthur; a violet plant in a pot named Ollie; a canary named Sunny; and a bee named Louise. Listen to this podcast. And here is part two of that same podcast. 

Jillian's parents run an antique store. They have dreams of 'making the big break' and finding an antique worth tons of money. Right now this is even more important because Mr and Mrs Tapper have made some unwise decisions, borrowed too much money from the bank and now they are in real danger of having no money and perhaps no home.

They regularly visit garage and farm house sales and that is where they found the very curious octagonal-shaped fish tank (that is where Toasty lives). The parents, however, have no idea that someone else wants this tank nor do they know it has magical properties. 

Jillian is desperate for a pet but Toasty the fish is all she is allowed to have until she finds Ivy. Yes, Ivy is an indoor plant, but Jillian loves her and talks to her. In fact, Toasty is becoming quite jealous about their relationship. Also, Ivy is sure SHE is Jillian's favourite.

Mr and Mrs Tapper bring home an old large desk from a bookshop - the house is filled with the antiques the collect. What they do not know is that a little spider has made the desk his home and even more importantly (but I cannot tell you why) this desk also contains a very large, very old, first edition (hint) book.

So in this story there will be heroism, teamwork, everyone will make new friends, and of course you will be smiling over the glorious happy ending. This is a perfect book to share with readers aged 7+. 

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this story:

Ivy was the small houseplant who sat on the kitchen table. She had three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name. “Good morning, Ivy!” Jillian sang. “Who’s ready for some sunshine?” Jillian had never actually announced to anyone that Ivy was her favorite, but Toasty could tell. Actions speak louder than words. So do singing and dancing and kissing. Jillian picked Ivy up and danced her to the window, where the sun could kiss her leaves. The sun had never kissed Toasty’s fins or his face or his tail. Not once. Not ever.

“A goal of the day keeps the boredom away!” she said. ... “ROY is the beginning of the rainbow,” Ivy explained. “It stands for red, orange, and yellow. I’ve decided my goal of the day is to find something for each color of the rainbow.”

Despite not being her favorite, Toasty loved Jillian. She might have questionable judgment when it came to favorites, but she was always doing something interesting. And when you’re a goldfish—even a goldfish in an octagonal tank—interesting is important. Toasty couldn’t wait to see what was in the box. He was sure it wasn’t cheese puffs, but as we’ve said, hope is like a hook, and Toasty was hooked on cheese puffs. And hey, weirder things have happened.

And in that moment, Arthur realized that he, too, had a superpower. It was reading. Which explained why there were so many books in the world. Everyone wanted a superpower.

You will remember that Toasty does not have very good manners. It’s still up for debate as to why that is, but it is a fact. Toasty felt like his home was being overrun by strangers. First a spider, then a violet, and now a bee. Enough was enough! “Manners, schmanners. What’s next, a horse?”

“Friends, schmends,” Toasty muttered. “Cheese puffs are better than friends.” “Nothing is better than a friend, Toasty!” Ivy admonished.

Listen to an audio sample here. And I found a video of Beth Ferry reading the opening chapters of her book.

One of my favorite things about this book is the abundance of wordplay the author uses. Whether your kid is an English nerd or just loves a funny book, they’ll have plenty to giggle about while reading this one. It features a truckload of puns, new vocabulary words taught to readers as they read, and beautiful illustrations to bring each chapter to life. Reading Middle Grade

"Ferry has presented a wonderfully imaginative story with magic, mystery, and adventure, set almost entirely in one setting (goldfish tanks don’t move that easily). In addition, detailed pencil illustrations by the talented Fan brothers are sprinkled throughout, and these add whimsy to the novel’s delightfully expressive animal and vegetal protagonists, especially Toasty, with his signature bowler hat and perpetual frown." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Kirkus review: Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. ... The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. ... The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo ...

This book will be a really terrific family read aloud. I suggest you buy a packet or two of cheese puffs - Toasty loves these and because he kept talking about them I started to want to eat some too. I am not sure what we call these here in Australia but I found this packet which is sold at our local supermarkets. 

You can read more plot details here. 

Bookseller blurb: Ivy is the beloved houseplant of young Jillian Tupper of Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, much to the constant dismay of Toasty the goldfish, who is technically the family pet—swimming in his special place of honor, the antique octagonal fish tank—and should be the most loved. It seems that's how the cookie (or cheese puffs, in Toasty's case) crumbles in the curious Tupper household, but soon a sequence of thrilling and magical events challenges that way of life forever. First, there's the arrival of Arthur, a knowledgeable spider with a broken leg and a curious mind, hidden in an old typewriter. Then Jillian throws everyone for a loop when she brings home dear, sweet Ollie, a school houseplant who just wants to be friends and sing. When Toasty splashes the plants with his tank water out of frustration, the friends learn that they can do magical things—like lift heavy objects and turn things invisible! It turns out Toasty's fishtank isn't just for fish; it was made by a curious inventor who gave it special powers that, in the wrong hands, could disrupt everything forever. And a curious man with purple shoes just so happens to want that tank at any cost. Can Ivy, Toasty, Arthur, and Ollie grow to be friends in time to work together to save their beloved Tupper family from utter ruin?

I have previously talked about lots of book illustrated by The Fan Brothers and also Beth Ferry (check out her page about Growing Home) and see all her books here.  I am excited to meet The Fan Brothers at the 2026 IBBY Congress on Ottawa. 

A Strange thing Happened at Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga

I LOVE books with twists and turns and gasp aloud moments and there are plenty of those in A Strange thing Happened at Cherry Hall.

Here are some text quotes which will give you an idea about the plot of this book:

The day the painting was stolen from the museum was the warmest day that Maple Lake had had so far that year. The sun beamed down on the garden. That heat and goldenness radiated into Agatha’s burrow.

The stolen painting was called Untitled. Literally. That was its name. Its name was its lack of name.

The girl didn’t speak like most of the kids he knew from school. And there was a lilting quality to her voice. It reminded Rami of something from an old movie. It was then that Rami noticed the girl’s feet. She wasn’t wearing any shoes. Which would’ve been strange enough on its own, but upon second glance, it was obvious that her feet were not touching the floor. She was floating. Barely. But she was floating. Rami screamed.

So who is this girl? How is she connected with this theft? How can Rami prove his mother is not involved? Why did someone take this fairly obscure painting? Who is the artist? Is there a way Rami and his new friend Veda can talk to her? The museum director is acting suspiciously - is she the thief? And how is a turtle part of this intriguing story?

Listen to an audio sample here. This review from Ms Yingling has plenty of plot details. 

Publisher blurb: A painting has been stolen…! When Rami sees a floating girl in the museum, he knows he has seen her somewhere before. Then he realizes: She looks just like the girl in the painting that has gone missing. But how does her appearance connect to the theft? Agatha the turtle knows—she has been watching from the garden. But she can’t exactly tell anyone…can she? Will Rami, with the help of his classmate, Veda, be able to solve the mystery? The clues are all around them, but they’ll have to be brave enough to really look.

Colby Sharp has talked about this book SO enthusiastically and last year he read it as a class read aloud. Sadly, here in Australia it is way too expensive for your school library BUT I am certain a paperback will appear soon.

I loved the little observations by Jasmine Warga:

(He also frequently wondered if things would be better for him socially if his name ended with a y instead of an i.)

She had that accent that most rich people do, where it’s impossible to know where they are originally from, but you know that they are fancy and well educated.

Talking with Veda sometimes felt like drinking straight out of a hose—it all came at you very fast, at full blast. But he was finding it was pretty nice to be in the splash zone.

A slowly unfurling delight. Kirkus Star review

"Warga’s lighthearted mystery [is] tempered by witty banter, a touch of whimsy, and just enough suspense to make it a page-turner." — Horn Book Magazine

Other books about art theft and thieves:

The Calder Game

Masterpiece

From the Mixed up files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler

I previously read this book by Jasmine Warga - FIVE STARS.

A Rover's Story

And this one:

Other words for Home

The Peach Thief by Linda Joan Smith

This was no place for a girl. And the longer she was here? 

The sooner they’d see that’s exactly what she was

Knowing I was travelling for over five hours on public transport yesterday I decided to add a few more books to my Kindle library. I started and ended the day reading the whole of The Peach Thief (384 pages) - such an engrossing story although at times the anticipation that something utterly dreadful was sure to happen to young Scilla Brown meant that regular intervals I had to 'close' my book and take a huge breath.

Scilla is an orphan living in the workhouse where food is scarce and the punishments are severe. She has one good friend - a girl named Emily but she has been taken away to work in a factory or in service. Then Scilla herself is taken by an older girl named Dora. Dora is a little bit like Fagan from Oliver Twist. She needs Scilla to assist her with petty crimes like shoplifting. Dora steals some rancid meat from a market stall and Scilla finds her dead under the bridge where they were sheltering through the night. Long ago Scilla tasted a peach. The beautiful sensation has never left her. She knows there are peaches in the manor house garden behind the high wall. 

She’d risk anything to taste a peach again, so ripe, so delicious— fit for a queen! And here was her chance, before her life spiraled back to the workhouse, her only choice now

Driven by hunger and her desire to find the fruit of her dreams, late at night she climbs over the wall but her feet are caught in an espaliered cherry tree and she falls to the ground and is caught.

Dora has dressed Scilla in boy's clothes and cut her hair short, so the head gardener Mr. Layton thinks she is a boy. She tells him her name is Seth Brown. Scilla is sure she will be sent straight to jail but someone she manages to convince Mr Layton that she can scrub the garden pots.  

She kept her voice low to match her boys’ cap and clothes, her shorn hair. A boy could blend in, get out of scrapes a girl might not, Dora’d always said.

The other workers seem somewhat suspicious of the newcomer so Scilla keeps her distance, but one young man seems friendly. Right from the beginning, to her absolute amazement, he helps her with her tasks. He is a very charming and very good looking fellow and gradually, as readers, we watch on as Scilla falls in love with him - but is he really being honest with Scilla and does he have some other motive for the advice her gives Scilla. Also it is a huge worry the way he invites her to join in his dangerous nighttime adventures especially when they involve stealing precious fruit from Mr Layton who has shown her nothing but kindness. 

Over time Scilla learns more and more about gardens and the wonders of turning tiny seeds in to fragile plants which then eventually provide delicious and abundant produce for the big housel. Mr Layton seems to take her into his confidence showing her the winter stored fruits and allowing her to study books from is extensive collection. He also gives her a special role on the day Prince Albert visits the greenhouses. All of this is wonderful but also dangerous because Phin, that handsome young gardener, is desperately jealous of these attentions. He is sure he is the one who will one day also become a head gardener. 

Nuanced, richly atmospheric, and exquisitely written. Kirkus Star review

Blurb from the author page: The night that workhouse orphan Scilla Brown dares to climb the Earl of Havermore’s garden wall, she wants only to steal a peach—the best thing she’s tasted in her hard, hungry life. But when she’s caught by the earl’s head gardener and mistaken for a boy, she grabs on to something more: a temporary job scrubbing flowerpots. If she can just keep up her deception, she’ll have a soft bed and food beyond her wildest dreams . . . maybe even peaches. She soon falls in with Phin, a garden apprentice who sneaks her into the steamy, fruit-filled greenhouses, calls her “Brownie,” and makes her skin prickle. At the same time, the gruff head gardener himself is teaching lowly Scilla to make things grow, and she’s cultivating hope with every seed she plants. But as the seasons unfurl, her loyalties become divided, and her secret grows harder to keep. How far will she go to have a home at last?

Here are some key quotes from The Peach Thief - the first ones are words that Scilla luckily remembers when she is in the worse position of her life accused of a series of crimes she did not commit. 

“An honorable man takes responsibility for his actions, you understand, no matter the consequences."

"You have to care about each plant ... the life and beauty in it. You have to give it what it needs to reach its full potential."

"It is our curiosity that leads us to new discoveries, to new opportunities, to what we most need to learn."

You can read some background to this story here. And Candlewick gives you the first seven chapters to sample on their webpage. There are some fun words in this book such as meddling fussock; as wick as the woods; gawped; summat; and Lorjus.

If you are looking for a character description to use as a writing model this one is great:

"The cook, Mrs Keckilpenny, was round as a teapot. Her skirts rose in the back each time she bent to check the black range at the front end of the low-ceilinged room, revealing red-and-black-striped stockings above her high-topped clogs. Her frilled cap, tied beneath her double chin, looked like a crimped crust around a great pink pie."

I had no idea there were so many varieties of peaches (back notes in The Peach Thief tells me there are 95) with beautiful names such as Royal George, Grosse Mignonne, Bellegarde. And the apples have names such as Ribston Pippins and Gravenstein. You will also read about the lengths these early gardeners went to, to grow exotic fruits like pineapples. 

Here in Australia you will have to be patient and wait to add this book to your library. The US edition published by Candlewick is way too expensive at over AUS$45+ but what I hope might happen is the book will be taken up by Walker Books in the UK and their copy will then come to Walker Books here in Australia and the price will come down. How this happens is a mystery to me, but I have seen this pattern with many other middle grade titles. The publisher says this book is for ages 8-12 but I think the love tensions, age of the protagonist and complex relationships mean it would be a better fit for ages 11+ and certainly a great read for younger High School readers. I absolutely adored this book from beginning to end. 

The Peach Thief is a debut novel for Linda Joan Smith. She has worked as a journalist specialising in writing about gardening. She mentions loving The Secret Garden as a child. 

Here are some of her favourite books that transport readers to other times and places - what a fabulous list:

• A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
• Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• Chains (and The Seeds of America Trilogy) by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
• Holes by Louis Sachar
• Okay for Now and The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
• Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
• The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak
• The London Eye Mystery and The Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
• The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
• When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
• Wringer by Jerry Spinelli

The Midwatch by Judith Rossell

"Good gravy. What is actually going on here?"

"Holy mackerel"

Getting kicked out of one orphanage and being sent to another is absolutely the best thing that could ever have happened to Maggie. Yes, I did say the 'best thing'. Sister Immaculata delivers Maggie Fishbone to The Midwatch Institute for Orphans, Runaways and Unwanted Girls. 

Maggie's first impression is that this is a thoroughly dreadful place. I have emphasised some of the words in these quotes to give you an idea about this place:

"The woman frowned, let them in, the closed the door behind them with a heavy thud."

"They were wearing long, grey hooded cloaks, and they walked silently past with their eyes down."

"The gloomy organ music echoed around the hallway. Maggie could feel the sadness seeping into her like a trickle of cold water."

"The woman opened the door into a large, shadowy room full of tables and chairs."

"At the far end of the room was a platform, where an extremely tall lady, as upright as a ruler, was playing the organ. She had a grim expression and a black eye-patch and she wore an old-fashioned black gown that reached to the ground."

You now have an impression of The Midwatch but I have to tell you that you are entirely mistaken. Maggie Fishbone, Nell Wozniak and Sofie Zarescu - the three new girls - are all in for a huge shock. All of those sights and sounds from the first scene are designed to trick the outside world and especially people like Sister Immaculata. 

What is really going on in this place? How are the activities connected with the night monster - a creature that has been attacking people in the Northside of the city.  Why do the girls need to learn codes, German, fencing and even stranger subjects like Hiding and Observing? Why has the librarian Dr Entwhistle been hurt and where is Miss Fenechurch? Surely she was just using the library for innocent plant research. 

Judith Rossell is so skilled at world building and she also knows how to write about delicious food.

"The hot chocolate was rich and delicious and quite different from the watery cocoa they sometimes had at the orphanage."

"Maggie hesitated, then took the closest cake, which was shaped like a frog. It was sweet and crumbly and filled with strawberry cream. She finished it in three slightly messy bites."

"Maggie was very hungry, despite all the cakes. They filled their plates with stew, mashed potatoes and green peas."

"On Sundays, there was no morning bell and no lessons, and there were hot cinnamon waffles with maple syrup for breakfast."

If you look at my labels for this post you will see Steampunk because the world of this book is somewhere in the past and perhaps set in a city a little like London or maybe New York (there are two lions outside the library), but this place also has some modern technology and of course airships like the one you can see on the cover. Here is another illustration:

I don't usually quote cover endorsements but I totally agree with Jaclyn Moriarty:

"A cracking concept, sensational characters and absolutely smashing pictures. The Midwatch is the cat's pyjamas."

I can't recommend The Midwatch highly enough. Pop it on your Christmas shopping list and your school library wish list. If your school library buys the Standing Order service from Scholastic, or the Lamont Standing order, or the standing order from Pegi Williams then you will already have a copy of The Midwatch. Why not take it home to read over the Christmas break - you are sure to thoroughly enjoy this clever, page-turning story. And I love the way the publisher Hardie Grant has produced this book as a scrumptious textured hardback.

I am certain The Midwatch will feature in our 2025 CBCA Younger Readers award lists - Notable title and Shortlist and it would not surprise me if this book is even the winner!

POST UPDATE - This book didn't make the CBCA short list - I am so shocked and desperately disappointed for Judith Rossell. Today (6th May, 2025) I saw this book has now arrived in the US. It has a new cover, amended title and a glowing STAR review from Kirkus:

Cinematic, amusing, and exciting: a slightly subversive, 

delightfully empowering, all-around winner.

Australian review comments:

The biggest children's book of the year! The Midwatch is the long-awaited new middle-grade novel from internationally bestselling author–illustrator Judith Rossell. Readings Melbourne

... even the women running the Midwatch have their secrets and connections that nobody really knows about. This is a fun novel, because it uses the girl detective trope well, and plays with it. It allows the girls to be brave and doing things that nobody expects them to do whilst finding ways to blend in with the society. ... This amazing book is one that has something for all readers who come to this book, and is magical for all ages. The Book Muse

This is a rollicking adventure and mystery that has surprises on every page. Judith Rossell has again created an amazing world that you will easily get lost in. Maggie and her classmates are smart, funny and full of life and the Institute has such brilliant classes! A fast-paced and thrilling story that is sure to be a firm favorite, as the girls prove that they are not to be underestimated, and that friendship and trust and determination can overcome even the most scary situations. I absolutely loved this book and it will suit curious minds, 10 years and older. Lamont Books

Companion books:

Cogheart

The Unadoptables

Sweet Adversity

The Runaways of Haddington Hall

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Crookhaven The School for Thieves

Here are other books by Judith Rossell - she also did the splendid art in her book and I am lucky to own a small piece from Withering-by-Sea.

Withering-by-Sea

Wormwood Mire

Wakestone Hall

A Garden of Lilies

The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival

From the opening lines of this book a reader will know this will be a story filled with raw emotions, pain and sadness but hopefully also, well, hope!

"This is no fairy tale. Not unless it's one of those really old fashioned ones, where basically a whole load of terrible stuff happens to some poor unsuspecting kid. ... But you know what? Even in those stories where people get ripped in half, chewed up and spat out, eventually there's a happy ending. And that's the difference, see? Because this is just my life, and nothing's guaranteed."

Will is a high school student. He lives with his dad who has lost his job and has been in a workplace accident. Mum left some time ago and she lives in a different part of the city with her new partner. There is no money which means there is very little food and certainly no extras - go back and read the title - Will IS wearing the wrong shoes. No, this does not mean they are not the latest fashion though of course that is true. But there is more to it. These shoes are wrong because they are old, second hand, and have a split in the sole. When it rains, and it seems to rain quite a lot in this story, Will's feet get wet. His feet are cold and Will is cold and he is also hungry. These shoes also mean he stands out at school and is an easy target for bullies and cruel comments. Will also has no school supplies, and his school bag is from years ago. His one consolation is that he loves to draw. But as the story opens Will bumps into the school bully. It is raining, his shoes are wrong and then Chris Tucker (the bully) grabs Will's bag and his precious notebook filled with drawings is thrown into a puddle. And this is only the first of a series of utterly dreadful events.

Will does have one true friend but Cameron has such different life circumstances. His family are well off. He lives in a large comfortable home, and he has plenty to eat and he has in fact just been given expensive new shoes. In an act of kindness Cameron offers his old shoes to Will, but Will cannot see this as a kindness. He thinks Cameron's offer comes from pity. Will is way too proud to accept charity and so this precious friendship is shattered.

Meanwhile Will gains some information about Chris Tucker. He sees him being recruited into a gang of older kids who commit crimes around the town such as shoplifting and probably worse. Chris suddenly changes his manner towards Will. He seems to understand what it is like to live on the 'wrong side of town'. But Will needs to be careful because Chris has his own purposes for befriending Will and before too long Will is going to find himself in a shop stealing something for Chris. 

Tom Percival does give his readers one tiny glimpse of hope early in this story when Will sees a huge and majestic owl. Later in his art class at school he draws this special creature and his art teacher pays Will a huge compliment.

"That's incredible,' says Mr Prince. 'Really, it's remarkable ...' His warm deep voice pauses ... Usually I'm about as happy to get a compliment as a cat is to be sprayed with cold water, but on this occasion I smile. He's right. It really is something special - even I can see that."

Then there is the good news about an art competition with a huge money prize but remember those opening sentences I shared at the start of this post. Perhaps real life is not actually about happy endings?

Books enable us to see into lives we have no awareness of, and they also can reflect our own situations back at us, making us feel seen. I hope that any child who reads this book and is currently struggling will take Will’s resilience, determination and hope to heart and will keep going, keep working as hard as they can to do the best that they can, despite the obvious unfairness of it all. Tom Percival in The Big Issue

You will hold your breath reading this book. In fact I had to keep putting it down and desperately hoping other terrible things would not happen to Will. I am so glad I have read this book. The writing is so powerful - I was hugely invested in Will. I wanted to help him, talk to him, comfort him and guide him to stop and think about his choices and reactions. I kept hoping he would reach out to the adults in his life - his dad (he thinks he needs to protect him); his mum and her partner; and his teachers especially his wonderful art teacher. 

Huge congratulations to Tom Percival on his first full length novel. Here is an interview with Books for Keeps. The interview says:  ‘Realistically I wanted it to be a good story, a good journey, for people to feel transported. I want them to feel Will is real, that they’ve met him and understand him a bit. I want people like Will to feel seen, for people to make an effort to understand them even if they’ve misjudged them, and I want the Wills to feel that they’re right to be angry, that things aren’t fair and shouldn’t be like that.’

I picked this book up from one of our large chain bookstores in the city. They have a display shelf as you walk into the children's book section with the new release titles. The bottom shelves are usually Middle Grade and Younger and then as you go up the shelves the titles move to Young Adult. The Wrong Shoes was on a low shelf BUT from my reading I'd like to suggest it is a Young Adult title - I would say 12+. 

It is, at times, quite a dark tale. I felt so desperately sorry for Will, and his emotional turmoil is so raw sometimes it's very moving. And yet there is always this glimmer of hope underneath. The hope of things turning out for the best in the end. The story ends in a positive manner, but gratifyingly without an unbelievable 'everything is brilliant' ending, making it a more realistic and therefore satisfying conclusion. The Bookbag (this is a fabulous review but she suggests ages 9+ but I think this book is way too confronting for that age.)

• ‘An extraordinary, powerful and moving book that has the potential to change lives.’ Hannah Gold
• ‘Every chapter is full of experience & empathy & most importantly, heart’ Phil Earle
• ‘Reading fiction is about walking in the shoes of people whose lives are very different to ours and allowing more readers to see themselves in stories. The Wrong Shoes is the perfect example of both – the right book at the right time’ Tom Palmer
• ‘A brilliant book – such a perfect marriage of words and illustrations and an important story told with real heart’ Christopher Edge
• ‘A hopeful, honest, big-hearted read. You’ll be rooting for the main character, Will, from the very first page . . .’ Clara Vulliamy

Here are some other books I recommend. They are all for readers aged 11+ but they have similar themes and tone:

The Truth as told to Mason Buttle

Shelter

A different dog

Night bus Hero

As right as rain

I recognised the author Tom Percival on the cover of The Wrong Shoes.  I really enjoyed some of his previous picture book titles:

The Invisible

The River

The Sea Saw

Herman's Letter

Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar by Emily MacKenzie

 

"Ralfy dreamed about books. In fact he didn't just dream about them ... he wanted to read all the time."

Adults will adore Ralfy's book list with titles such as:

• Around the field in 80 days
• The Secret Vegetable Garden
• The 39 Lettuces
• The Hoppit
• Warren Peas 
• Gone with the Carrots
• The Rabbit, the Fox and the Wardrobe

"He made lists of all the books he had read (and gave them carrot ratings). He made lists of all the books he wanted to read (and placed them in category order). He even made lists of books to recommend to his family and friends."

Now go back and re-read the book title - Wanted!  Yes Ralfy is a book thief. 

"He crept off with comics and cookbooks, dashed away with dictionaries and nabbed novels and pinced poetry."

Did you need a sentence to demonstrate alliteration - surely this one is perfect.

Who is Ralphy robbing?  Young Arthur has tons of books but he notices some favourites are missing. Arthur sets up a surveillance using his camera, notebook, chalk, sticky tape and a torch. He sits up waiting with snacks and his teddy bear for company. Late that night Ralfy arrives he takes yet another book and hops away. Arthur tries to tell adults what has happened but no one believes him especially not the police. 

Luckily for all the book owners though, Ralfy makes a big mistake. Unluckily for Ralfy the next house he tries to rob belongs to PC Puddle - the policeman Arthur had phoned earlier. The police use a lineup of rabbits wearing 'I love books' T-shirts and a conveyor belt of carrots and books to identify the thief. 

Ralfy is found - and he confesses but all Ralfy really wants is lots of books. Arthur (and every reader) has the answer. Ralfy needs a library card!

This book was published in 2015 but it is still available. It would be a good addition to your school library and a fun book to read at the start of the year as you are encouraging your students to use your library, read and borrow often! Here is the website for Emily MacKenzie. She lives in Scotland. Here's a video of Emily reading her book Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar.

MacKenzie’s text is sweetly amusing without being precious, and smart without being over-the-heads of children. Her watercolor and ink illustrations provide a pleasant, cartoon-like background to her story. The pictures perfectly accompany the text on the page without distracting from the plot. When you stop to appreciate the sophisticated ease of MacKenzie’s writing and illustrating style, it is hard to believe this is a debut book. The Children's Book Review

MacKenzie combines story and illustration with brightness, action, and intrigue, keeping the pace moving while endearing this fluffy burglar to readers. Much of the illustrative humor is geared toward older bookworms, with famous titles adapted to long-eared persuasions: Warren Peas, for example, and The Rabbit with the Dandelion Tattoo, ensuring that adults will stay as engaged as little listeners will. This will be a raving favorite for fans of books about books as well as older readers who can appreciate the library humor. Kirkus review

There are three books in this series - the newest one The great library rescue will be published in April, 2024.

Beware! Ralfy Rabbit LOVES books. He loves nothing more than finding a quiet spot and reading. But things aren't so quiet anymore … Rodney, Ralfy's new baby brother, is making sure of that. And when Ralfy discovers a huge bite-mark hole in one of his favourite books, things go from bad to worse. Who could be behind the biting? Ralfy Rabbit is determined to find out!

Help! Ralfy and his little brother Rodney LOVE reading - so when they hear that their local library is closing down, they know they have to do something. According to the librarian, it would take a magic dragon to save the library - so Ralfy, Rodney and their friends set off to find one! Will Ralfy find the magic dragon? Or is there - just maybe - another way to bring the town together and save the library for everyone?

Scar Town by Tristan Bancks

 

"The three of us lean on our handlebars, breathing and sweating hard, late afternoon sun pinkening our skin and the sky. We stare at the house that's poking from the water about fifty metres from shore - weatherboards caked in mud and water weed, a ragged monster rising from the deep. Only the attic and half a storey below are visible above the waterline."

You could introduce this book using this sentence. What do we know? There are three kids - perhaps they are friends. A house is rising out of the water. Why? What could have caused this? How does the phrases 'a ragged monster rising from the deep' make you feel? Does this change the things you anticipated about this story? Think about the contrasts here - extreme heat and (possibly) murky water.

Will is with his friends - twins Dar and J. J's real name is Juno but watch out she will punch you if you call her that name. This house, rising up from the lake, is so tempting. It is part of the old town that was flooded to make way for a new dam many years ago but with the drought the town is slowing reappearing. J is clearly the leader of this group, and she declares they all need to swim out to the house to investigate. Will is cautious but he decides to follow his friends. Inside the house they make two life changing discoveries - money, lots of it, and human bones. 

Scar Town feels like a real place - this is the prophetic nick name of Scarborough. Perhaps you have seen towns like this where there is a new town built beside an older town which is now submerged under a lake. The town has been 'drowned' to allow a dam to be built. An example of this is Adaminaby, a small farming town nestled in the Snowy Mountains on the border between New South Wales and Victoria states, was submerged under 30 metres of water in 1957 when the local valley was dammed to form the man-made Lake Eucumbene. In 2007 Australia was under drought conditions and so slowly the old town began to reveal itself. This is exactly the scene in Scar Town.

Will's father was the town cop. Seven years ago he, and nine other people, disappeared. Will and his mum have stayed in the town but their anger over the inaction of the authorities who never seemed to fully investigate what happened gives this whole story an undertone of grief, blame and unresolved anger. There is also a layer of decision making/moral dilemma. Should Will tell the police, or his mum or someone important about the money? Is it possible those bones might be his dad? Why is so hard to say no to J? Is this whole mystery way too big for three kids to handle?

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavor of the story:

"We've come across plenty of bones in the past year with the drought. Some famers had to walk away from their properties, leaving cattle to die. But these look different, and I wish like anything that we'd just taken the money and run."

"I want to shout at her that it might be my dad in that wall, but I know she'll tell me that's the perfect reason to go back to the house, and I can't do that. I want to keep my share of the money as much as she does. If I could find out what happened to my dad and use the money to help get mum and me out of Scar Town, my life would be two hundred per cent better."

"When mum first told me my dad had disappeared, I thought she was saying he'd become invisible. Being a cop, my dad was already a superhero, but invisible! That was next level. I used to set a place at the table for him and tell guests not to sit in a certain seat because Dad was sitting there. It wasn't my mum's favourite thing. I don't know how many times she explained he wasn't invisible. He was gone."

I often make predictions for our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) awards. I am absolutely certain Scar Town will be on the 2024 Younger Readers Notables list, and the short list and at this stage (there are still a few reading months to go) I am going to predict Scar Town will be the 2024 winner!! Yes, it is that good and YES you need to read this book and put it into the hands of your mature readers aged 10+. Here are some Teachers Notes for Scar Town. Listen to an audio sample. Read the first few pages here including my text quote at the start of this post. 

Short, punchy sentences, along with realistic dialogue create instantly relatable, believable characters. Tristan has a way of weaving words into graphic vividly cinematic scenes full of tension and strong emotion.  Serious themes of friendship, family, and loss underpin the fast paced action making this much more than just a thrill ride read. Story Links

Bancks has again written an un-putdownable read that races along and puts the reader firmly in the position of having to consider what they would do if they were in that situation. By creating characters that are, in so many ways, just like them, Bancks hooks the reader into being more than just an observer, and places them in the position of having to take a stance. The Bottom Shelf

I have enjoyed EVERY recent book by Tristan Bancks:

Two Wolves

Detention

Cop and Robber