Bob and Dob by Sean E Avery

There are words (in English) that make me shudder. I think I should make a list of them but the one from today is dobber or dob. Perhaps because I don't have siblings, the act of dobbing did not really feature in my childhood and so that might explain why this word seems so utterly dreadful to me. 

The next thing you need to know is I have a fairly finely tuned "didactic" meter. IF a book even feels slightly agenda driven I usually either switch off or just reject it. Kirkus agree Bob and Dob is not overly didactic saying: A thrilling tale with a gently conveyed moral.

These two things - my dislike of this word and my 'allergy' to didactic stories - could mean I might not enjoy this new book - Bob and Dob and yet somehow Sean E Avery pulls this off. Yes, it is about dobbing (by Dob) and there is a lesson to be learnt but it is done with a light touch, humour and appealing illustrations. Each page has a varied and interesting layout, and I do like the purple and maroon/red colour palette. 

Dobber definition: a person who secretly tells someone in authority that someone else has done something wrong.

The earliest known use of the noun dobber is in the 1830s in the UK and I am not entirely sure the word dobber is used in the US. There is also a complication with defining the word dob because search engines wrongly assume you mean the acronym Date of Birth! 

On the back cover the word dobber has an asterix and at the bottom of the cover there is a word list: blabber-mouth, big-mouth, grass, informer, nark, rumour-monger, sneak, snitch, tattle-tale, whistle-blower. (see also crying wolf). 

Here are some other synonyms for dobber:

Back to the story. Bob and Dob are brothers. 

"Dob was a small bird who enjoyed telling tales. He enjoyed telling small tales, big tales and especially enjoyed telling tales that would get his brother Bob into trouble."  Into trouble with their mother. 

And yes, as the definition suggests, he did this quietly - whispering to his mother when he saw Bob 'breaking the rules' such as flying too high or hunting for worms alone. 

Bob is fed up of course but over time his mother also gets tired of the dobbing by Dob. 

Now the story flips. It might be good at this point for you to think about the story of the boy who cried wolf. Dob sees Bob in real danger from a crocodile but now his mother will not listen. SNAP - Bob is gone. How can Dob save the day? If I was reading this book to a group I might stop at the SNAP page and ask how Dob might save the day.

This book is sure to delight your young reading companion or library group. It is noisy, funny and contains fantastic words such as outrageous, ridiculous, audacity and best of all egad! And of course, this book is sure to be a fabulous discussion starter about this important topic because I know young children often love to dob in their classmates. Congratulations to Walker Books on anther terrific book. I am sure we will see this book listed as a 2026 CBCA Early Childhood Notable. 

Here is a further quote from the Kirkus review - how thrilling to see our Australian book reach this prestigious review journal even though it is clear the word dobber is not used in the US:

Avery presents the events in carefully manipulated vignettes, employing a narrator’s description as well as word bubbles containing characters’ statements placed within the illustrations, which depict Bob as blue, Dob as red, and Mother as an imposing purple. Their every expression is captured by slight changes in their beaks, pupils, or eyebrows, indicating joy, consternation, or anger. Little ones will love reading this story and returning to find new details. Though the word dobber isn’t defined, its meaning is clear in context.

You already know I loved Frank's Red Hat by Sean E Avery.

Frank's Red Hat

Look in your library for versions of The Boy who cried wolf:

Birdie by JP Rose

"Slowly she opened one eye. She peered in the flickering light and gasped. Then she rubbed her eyes as quickly as she could with her sleeve, in case she was seeing imaginary things. She blinked and blinked again, but this time there was no mistaking it. There, right in front of her was a pony. A pony, just standing there!"

Birdie is an orphan living in an orphanage. She was left on the doorstep of a church with a note containing her name - Birdie Bagshaw and a bunch of turnips. Unlike nearly every other orphanage story I have ever read Birdie is happy and she is given care and love and even good food keeping in mind that it is just after the war and so food is scarce.

Then a distant relative locates her, and she is sent away from the orphanage in Leeds to a small mining village to live with her great aunt and uncle - people she has never met.

Right from the beginning Birdie is taunted and treated cruelly for being different. You may have guessed why if you look closely at the cover of this book. She runs away from school on the first day and finds herself under the ground in a coal mine that is due to be closed down. That is where she finds the pony. Her uncle later explains:

"I wanted to explain to't lass how brave they are. They're unsung heroes. Folk forget that without them, coal industry would have come to a standstill. And them horse and ponies gave their all. Many a man I've known has been saved by a pony."

Birdie is so worried about the pony. 

"She'd wondered what he was doing: was he sleeping, eating? Was he just wandering around in the dark tunnels. Or worse still, was he lonely like she was? Was he dreaming of faraway fields, of the sweetness of cherry blossoms, of wildflowers up to his knees, moving in the wind. Because there'd be no sunshine for him, no crisp air. Down in the mine, down in the centre of the earth, there was no day or night, only an everlasting darkness."

I almost read this book in one sitting. It is a measure of how much the story absorbed me that I rushed home from a morning appointment in order to keep reading. There are some wonderful moments in the final pages of this book and the ending will melt your heart. This story is a personal one for the author who was also a 'child of colour' living in Manchester in the 1970s. Like Birdie she was put into foster care and like Birdie she lived in a small mining village. There are also back notes about pit ponies, the history of coal mining in the UK and the special children's homes that took in children like Birdie:

"During World War Two, there were around two thousand babies born to white British women and African American soldiers, who'd been stationed in the UK ... Many of them were rejected by their families and society, not only for having a child 'out of wedlock', but for having a relationship with a person of colour."

Birdie will tug at the heart strings Books for Keeps

A superb historical adventure with a delightful heroine. ... Despite it’s often bleak setting, reading Birdie is like being wrapped in a warm blanket – warm, cost and entirely satisfying. Love Reading for Kids

Bookseller blurb: When Birdie is sent to live with her great-aunt in 1950s Yorkshire, she befriends the village's last remaining pit pony. A story of hope and courage, exploring themes of family, racism and identity. Birdie Bagshaw has never known her parents. Having grown up in a children's home for mixed race children in 1950s Leeds, now she has come to live with her great-aunt in the Yorkshire Dales. From her arrival, Birdie is treated like an outsider by the local children. When their bullying drives Birdie to hide in the nearby coal mine, she finds an unexpected rescuer in the form of Mr Duke, the last remaining pit pony in the village. As the weeks pass, Birdie forms a special bond with the spirited little pony. But his future is in danger, and Birdie comes up with a daring plan to save his life in return.

This BookTrust review has more plot details.

J.P. Rose was born in Manchester but was raised in Yorkshire after her adoption. Growing up she suffered extreme racism, though she continued to be proud of her diverse and rich Jamaican, Nigerian and Anglo-Irish heritage. She trained as an actress but eventually moved into writing, and she is now the author of numerous novels for adults. 

Troll by Frances Stickley illustrated by Stefano Martinuz

"There beneath the bridge unseen,

he found is easy to be mean.

Disguised beneath the bog and bubbles,

Troll could never get in trouble.

No one even knew his name."

Anyone that comes near his lair is subject to terrible abuse by troll. 

"I'll shove those turnips up your nose." "I'll squash your bun." "I'll spit on you. That bunch of bad weeds stinks like poo."

Then one day a little white rabbit comes along. Troll tries shouting his usual insults but instead of running away the she comes closer. 

"She pointed towards her ears and shook her head. 'I cannot hear, but please repeat the things you said. I'll try to read your lips instead."

Troll feels ashamed. He no longer wants to be mean. He practices being polite and kind and then he sets off to visit all the animals that he previously treated so badly.

You can see inside this book here. And you will want to look for other versions of The Three Billy Goats Gruff or perhaps begin by reading couple of these before you share Troll.

Publisher blurb: In this funny tale, inspired by both internet trolls and The Three Billy Goats Gruff, there is a terrifying troll that lives under a bridge. Unseen, he delights in shouting nasty things to passers-by. But when a d/Deaf bunny unwittingly faces up to him, he realises that it's not so fun to say nasty things to someone's face. Can Troll finally learn to love himself and others?

Troll is on the Empathy Lab list. This is a fabulous resource which will give you some terrific titles to consider for your school library. Read more here. 

The Empathy Lab annotation says: Everyone’s scared of Troll, who revels in being mean. Then a little rabbit asks: ‘you seem so cross. Is something wrong?’ which triggers real change. Troll practices saying kinder things, including to himself. About understanding yourself before you can be kind.

Inspired by internet trolls, cloaked in anonymity, he delights in shouting mean things to passersby, hurting feelings just for fun. That's until a little deaf rabbit unknowingly crosses his path and shows concern for the Troll as he looks so cross. Finally understanding the hurt his words and actions have caused, Troll learns the errors of his ways and realises his behaviour has isolated him and caused so much harm to others. Love Reading4Kids

The Kids Book Curator explains how this book can teach children about tolls and trolling on the internet. 

Games by Robin Klein

Kirsty invites Patricia to come along for a weekend in an old country home owned by her Aunt Maude. Kirsty and her best friend Genevieve are 'cool kids' who wield their power over quiet shy girls like Patricia. The three girls catch a train and then walk along undefined paths to reach this remote house. Kirsty has a plan to invite a group of boys who go to the school next door to their posh girl's academy. To fill in time (and later we discover) to scare innocent Patricia, Kirsty and Genevieve hold a seance. They tell Patricia about a woman who was murdered in the house years ago and then they weave all sort of mischief into the seance and place things around the home such as a solitary candle at the bottom of the stairs to try to spook Patricial. BUT while they are playing their game a young boy arrives. Kirsty is utterly obnoxious towards him and he flees. But did he really leave. And who replaced the fresh wildflowers Patricia picked and had placed in a vase in the kitchen with dead weeds? Who left a single white glove on the windowsill in the upstairs room where she was trying to sleep? How did the music box suddenly started playing? Why is there no one there when the phone rings? And what about the piece of paper in the typewriter which has the words "Polly put the kettle on". Oh and there is that awful lingering smell of lavender. 

There are lots of mysterious and frightening noises around the house and there is a wild rainstorm raging outside which all adds to the atmosphere of this 'ghost' story but it is also a story about these three girls - one vicious, one cool and calculating and one a gentle girl who feels out of place in the school as a scholarship student. Patricia starts out weak and compliant happy to have been invited to this weekend but as the night progresses, she gains confidence and finally enough strength to confront the cruelty of Kirsty and Genevieve. Patricia is a strong girl and way more mature - she has been caring for her mum ever since her dad died. Her mum clearly has serious mental health issues.

The chapter titles in this book add to the mystery - "This is the house that Jack built"; "Here comes a candle to light you to bed"; "Simon says"; "Hush a bye baby"; "Polly put the kettle on"; "Three blind mice see how they run"; and "I spy with my little eye."

"There is a fine build-up of suspense, and the supernatural element is created with skill. There are three levels of games played: the malicious games of Kirsty and Genevieve, which are played on Patricia; the menacing game that Darcy plays on the girls; and the fame the author plays on the reader." The Oxford Companion to Australian Children's Literature by Stella Lees and Pam Macintyre.

I have a box of older books collected from charity bookfairs, street libraries, and library discards. I found Games at the bottom of the box last week and thought I would revisit this having first read this book in 1986. 

Has this book stood the test of time? Yes, even though there are no mobile phones which modern readers might find curious. And there is a reference to AIDS. What I did discover is that this book is very much a Young Adult title - for ages 13+. It contains very strong language - oddly I had no memory of this. In fact, I had this book in my former Primary School library but after this reading I would certainly pull this book off my shelves and pass it on to a local High School. It is interesting to look at the range of covers above. The first one is the hardcover from 1986 and this is the one I had in several Primary School libraries. 

I took at The Proof of the Puddin': Australian Children's Literature 1970-1990 by Maurice Saxby to see what he thought of Games. He used these words in his descriptions:

• "cruelly repulsive Kirsty and Genevieve"
• "two obnoxious teenagers in the skillfully plotted and adeptly narrated thriller, Games."
• "a cat and mouse game."
• "Patricia is led to take stock of her life and reassess her sense of social values."
• "vicious"

Take a look at my previous post about Robin Klein. 

The Big Trip by Alex Willmore

Bear is a huge show off. He loves to "strut his stuff" and nothing is allowed to get in his way. He is thoughtless and unkind and downright rude to the other forest animals. But of course he eventually meets his match when he bumps into a huge moose. 

"Hey Bear, you can't just go around doing whatever you want, pushing everyone around.' said Moose. 'The forest is for everyone and you need to take care."

Bear cannot shift Moose so he finally steps around him all the while poking out his tongue. He does not see the slope. He falls down and down and down and lands at the bottom of a smelly swamp. 

Now comes the delicious dilemma. Bear needs help but he has been so unkind to all the other animals so of course they are not keen to bother. Luckily Moose is the voice of kindness and reason. 

"None of us are perfect, right? We all make mistakes from time to time. What do you say we help him out?"

This story could be so didactic but the illustrations, the glorious huge moose and the choice of words help to keep the story light and fun.  

"Bear was embarrassed, a little bit soggy and very very grateful. He smiled shyly, 'Thanks everyone' he said softly."

Think about the way Alex Willmore uses the words - soggy, shyly and softly.  They are perfect choices and completely change the tone of the story. It is very clear Bear has learnt his lesson.

I am very happy to tell you this 2020 book (here in Australia) is very inexpensive in paperback at less than $15. 

Here are some other books illustrated by Alex Willmore:

The Way of Dog by Zana Fraillon

"They say Cats have nine lives.

What I'd like to know as I tumble through the Sky

is how many lives do they say

a Dog has?"

Scruffity is being held in a concrete cell. He is just a pup and has been recently separated from his mother. There are nine pups in this small space. Then there are eight, seven, six and so on until Scruffity is left all alone. The owner of this ugly and dangerous place is an angry and violent man but luckily there is a boy who shows kindness to the pup. In fact he gives Scruffity his name and later, thank goodness, his freedom. But freedom comes at a price. It is dangerous in the city. The boy and his dog are now on the run. 

There is an accident and the boy is injured. Now Scruffity is on his own trying to understand and survive in the world of shoe-legs. All he has is the wisdom of the ages - the ways of dog from ancient times. 

"Dear Shoe-Legs

Are you coming? Are you? Are you?

Then shake wide awake and take my advice

throw the Burs from your fur and 

sliiiiiide on the Ice.

Come flat-foot follow and paw-pad on my way

for a I have thing

or four

to say about living this live according to

The Way of Dog."

I marvel at the way an author's brain works. The verse novel style of this book is so powerful. Every word is used so skilfully.  This is one of those special books that I would like to put into the hands of adults (and I seem to meet them regularly) who are utterly incredulous and sometimes also very negative about my passion for children's books. I am certain reading The Way of Dog would 'blow their mind' and demonstrate that the best children's books are for everyone!

This book is both a harrowing one and an uplifting one. Some pages are so hard to read but I knew I was in safe hands with this author and that she would protect Scruffity and hopefully help him find his true forever home. I highly recommend this book for readers aged 11+.

Here is some dog wisdom from this book:

"Meat is A Very Magnificent Thing. The Way of Dog is Meat."

"The Way of Dog is MyManpup"

"Run! The Way of Dog is to Run. Run. RUN!"

"To Dig is most definitely a Way of Dog too."

"The Way of Dog is to keep our shoe-legs safe."

In just one month the Children's Book Council of Australia will announce their notable titles for 2023. I am going to make a firm prediction that The Way of the Dog will be a notable title and from that list of around twenty titles, this book will go on to be short listed - one of the six top titles and in August, when the Younger Readers category winners are announced, I expect this book to be (fingers crossed) the winner!

Here is a review by a Primary school student.

What is outstanding about this engaging and emotional story is the visceral muscular poetry, crackling with energy, zooming all over the page. Fraillon captures the energy , the bounce and pounce of a young puppy, but also the loneliness and longing for family that is shared by both man and dog. ... This is the best verse novel I have read in a long time and I hope it wins every prize in the children’s literary universe. Mia Macrossan Storylinks

'Prepare to have your heart smooshed in the best possible way in Zana Fraillon’s tender and gritty The Way of Dog (UQP)...Fraillon’s unique verse novel zings with energy as she skilfully plays with language in a way that gives voice to Scruffity. His joys, losses, fears and hopes are all vividly conveyed thanks to Fraillon’s gift with words, and Sean Buckingham’s evocative illustrations. The Way of Dog has dark moments, but it’s a story that will warm readers’ hearts, not break them'  (The Sydney Morning Herald)

I think the verse novel (form) works well for something like this, because I can imagine animals might have these sorts of processes – the simple language, how they view humans as ManPups and Girlpups, what they think of what we do, wear, and the places we live – it’s their interpretation, the way they put the words they know together. It is these aspects that makes Scruffity such an engaging character – I didn’t want to leave him, because I had to know what he did next. The Book Muse

After reading The Way of Dog look for these other books with stories told from a dog's point of view:

I, Cosmo

The sequel is Everything for a Dog

For a younger reader Spunky tells all. 

For a younger reader age 6+ Choosing Crumble

Young adult novel Good Dog (contains violent scenes)

If you are not afraid of books that explore violence against dogs (for mature readers) you could also look for these:

Shiloh

The Truth as told to Mason Buttle

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur

QUESTION

BELIEVE
CHOOSE TO LIVE, CHOOSE TO LOVE

KNOW WHAT YOU COME FROM
SEEK TO LEARN
UNDERSTAND THOSE YOU LOVE
TREASURE YOUR LIFE

Elise is eleven and has moved up to middle school. Middle school is a whole different world. Elise does have a very special friend - Franklin - but now some of the things they do together somehow seem childish. On the first day of the new school Elise is given her locker buddy. She is a wretched, mean, bully girl named Amanda. 

Who can Elise turn to? The homework from school is out of control. The teachers seem disinterested and even unkind. Franklin seems slightly embarrassing yet he was once her very best friend. 

When she was just born Elise's mum died and only a few years later, her father died too - from cancer. Elise lives with her beautiful Aunt Bessie and Uncle Hugh. Bessie is a wonderful cook and Hugh has so much patience and wisdom but really Elise needs time and trust in her friends and family to work out all her life problems. The delicious food in this book reminded me of the food from the previous book Love, Aubrey. 

Adding to all of this Elise finds a key with her name on the tag. In their barn, on the top floor, there are eight doors. Over time Elise finds eight keys and discovers so much about herself, her father, her mother and life in general. The rooms are rather like a puzzle and have been set up long ago by her father for when the time was just right. The different things revealed in each room is a useful story device and one which I think readers aged 10+ will really enjoy. And yes there are only seven words in the list at the start of this post - you need to read this book to discover the eighth key.

This book was published in 2011 but it is still available however here in Australia the paperback is quite expensive so perhaps you will find this book in a library. Here are three other cover designs. I am not sure I especially like any of them but, as I said with Suzanne's first book (Love, Aubrey) I would be very happy to put this book (Eight Keys) into the hands of a sensitive reader especially one of the cusp of moving to high school.

Just over two years ago I read Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur. I ordered it because I absolutely adored two other books by Susanne LaFleur - Beautiful Blue World and Threads of Blue. At a recent charity book sale I spied this book - Eight Keys - another book by Suzanne LaFleur and this morning I picked it up to read. After an outing later in the morning I came home and finished the whole book of 214 pages. This was just what I needed - to read a whole book in a day. Lately I have laboured over several 'heavier' books which I am struggling to complete. It is so satisfying when a book just sweeps you along and you want to read and read and read until you reach the end. Oh and I also love books that make me cry (just a little).

Here is an interview with Suzanne LaFleur.

In this one, small, sweet book, everything in the world that's important is revealed. It's a book about relationships: losing them, finding them, and fixing them. Dickens library

I would pair Eight Keys with these:

Things seen from Above

Are you there, Buddha?

Aster's right good things

Pieces of Georgia

Hound Dog True

If you want to book talk Eight Keys I suggest using the scene where Elise visits her parents graves. It is sad, yes, but also uplifting and healing from the end of chapter 9 and beginning of chapter 10. 

"Is it my fault you're here?' Cold stone never answered anyone. 'Well, it probably wasn't worth it. I'm bad at everything and nobody but our family likes me. I can't even keep one friend.' I wiped my nose on my sleeve. 'I'm really sorry.' I lay down on the grass, a little closer to them.  ... (That night) I didn't dream at all. That was nice. When I woke up I felt rested ... I was thinking about Franklin. I felt so much better today, and maybe what happened really wasn't his fault. We could try again." 

How to be the New Person by Anna Branford

"I even have music for the beginning and the end of each video that I play in my head. And I always round it off with something like: If you would like to see more videos by Hazel Morrison, don't forget to subscribe to my channel!"

I really enjoyed reading a slim book for a change this week. I seem to have had so many 400+ page complex fantasies it was refreshing to read this book with 117 pages in about half an hour.  I am going to say, however, that being slim does not designate either a lesser story or a younger audience and once again I find myself disagreeing with the suggested age listed on the cover of my advance reader copy (8+).  I would say this book would be suit a mature reader aged 9 and even better, a reader aged 10+.  

Hazel likes to imagine she is making videos - those self help ones you have seen on YouTube.  I used to imagine, as a Primary aged kid, that someone was filming me in the school playground for a television show so this idea really appealed to me.

Here are some early example of Hazel's video ideas:

• Eight important tips for successfully buttering toast!
• Putting your hair in a ponytail: a step by step guide!
• The do's and don't's of cleaning up the sink after you've brushed your teeth - everything you need to know!

Hazel is navigating quite a lot in her life right now. Hazel's older sister Tess has been badly bullied at school. Mum and Dad have decided the best way to end this dreadful situation, which is affecting Tess's mental health, is to move to a new part of the city and of course to a new school. Tess will go to a new High School and Hazel will have to leave her best friend Gina and go to a new Primary School.

On her first day at the new school the scene nearly broke my heart. Hazel is assigned to sit with a group of three girls. It is clear they don't want her to join them. Then the teacher says Hazel will need to pair up with one of these girls on the class assignment which is a project about problems that affect young people. Olivia does not want to pair up with Hazel. 

Meanwhile, Mum and Dad have not really been focusing on Hazel because they are so worried about Tess:

"Hazel! Oh she's fine. We're so lucky with that kid. We never have to worry about her She's made of tough stuff.' It's funny to hear him say that about me. I think about the thick tough brown tape we used to seal up our packing boxes because ordinary clear sticky tape wasn't tough enough. .... I think about the enormous tyres on tractors and bulldozers that carry heavy giant rocks and get rained on and covered in mud and still keep going with no problem because they are so tough. Is that what dad thinks I am? Is that what he's telling Gran?"

Luckily there are two rays of sunshine in this story. One is the beautiful elderly lady next door who offers tea, biscuits and that all important listening ear to Hazel and the other is Laura - one of the three girls at her table. By the end of the book I wanted to hug Laura for her bravery and kindness.

Younger readers who enjoyed the Violet Mackerel books are sure to recognise Hazel because she has a very similar outlook on life and a lovely straightforward manner of sharing her problems. Perhaps you can join the dots and think about the title and the school project and Hazel's interest in making videos. Perhaps you can even think of the real life problem that is the focus of her film.

Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance reader copy of How to be the New Person. 

I am sure this book will be a CBCA Notable title for 2023 at least I do hope it is. How to be a New Person will be published in October, 2022. Add it to your library shopping list today!

Welcome by Barroux

 

A Polar Bear and two friends are stranded when a piece of their ice home breaks away and floats off into the ocean. 

As the trio travel their ice platform shrinks. The water is getting warmer. Luckily they bump into an island. Unluckily the cows, who live on this island, refuse to accommodation the trio. The float on. Luckily they bump into another island. Unluckily the solo Panda who lives there also refuses entry to the poor hapless polar bears. Next stop and island with giraffes. I'm sure you have guessed but the girffes won't even listen to the desperate polar bears who now have to stand on a piece of ice the size of one paw. Finally, when the ice is almost gone they reach an uninhabited island. 

The trio settle in to play and enjoy the sunshine until one day three monkeys arrive.

"Can you help us please? It looks like you've got plenty of room."

You now need to find this book to reach the all important - what happens next scene.

Welcome is available in paperback for a really good price.  If you are reading this post in 2021 click this link for a bargain.  I think this book should be an essential addition to every school library. This is one of those splendid picture books which can be read on many levels. It will be enjoyed by your youngest students and should provide some excellent discussion with older groups. Take a look at my Pinterest The Refugee Experience through Picture books. 

The best companion text is Room on our Rock.

This might look like a picture book. It might look as though it's only for children but there's a message in there that we should all take to heart. Book Bag

Welcome, is a beautiful and powerful story that considers human behaviour and its consequences. This seemingly simple tale, is, in fact, multifaceted.  My Book Corner

Inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis, Welcome stands on its own as an uplifting story of friendship and inclusiveness, but also offers an excellent means for beginning a discussion on the world events that children see and have questions about. Celebrate Picture Books

It's actually a powerful message but the way it has been thoughtfully brought across is pitch-perfect. Read it Daddy

You can read more about Barroux in my post about How Many Trees?

Something I Said by Ben Bailey Smith

"Look at any price, Something I said is a bargain, because for the same price you don't just get funny, you also get a nice double scoop of heart and high drama." Ben Bailey Smith

Carmichael Taylor is not quite a nerd and not quite the cool kid. He has a good group of friends. He comes from a fairly regular family. His days are filled with friends and school. School is okay mostly except for Geography and PE. Carmichael (or Car as he likes to be called) wishes school consisted of only one subject - English. He loves the power of words. He is talked into taking part in the school talent quest performing 'Spoken Word'. This starts out as a project devised by his English teacher and his overbearing mother, then it morphs into a punishment for leaving school without permission. But when Car finally stands on the stage his 'Spoken Word' piece turns into something way bigger than any one anticipated. Some one (his friend Alex) has filmed his standup. The standup routine was basically an attack on his family and teachers and now it is on the internet. Will Car become famous or will this backfire? Is it a good thing that the US producer of a talk show called The Missy Show has seen his performance and now wants him to travel to New York to perform on the show? 

Publisher Blurb: For thirteen-year-old Carmichael Taylor, life is one big joke - in a good way. He just can't understand why no one else seems to find everything as funny as he does. When Car is filmed stumbling into performing a piece of hilarious stand-up at the school talent show - targeting his family, school and friends - the footage ends up creating international infamy. But with the promise of fame and fortune comes trouble, and it's up to Car to decide what or who he's willing to risk to chase his comedy dream. Get ready to laugh at life with this heart-warming, unashamedly honest and hilarious look at family, friendship and what really matters.

When I added this book to my to read pile of Advanced Reader copies (thanks Beachside Bookshop)  I will confess I put Something I Said right at the bottom of my pile. Why?

• It's a long book 370 pages, and the print is fairly small
• The author is a celebrity - often books by celebrities lack quality (sorry Ben) See below for more commentary about this topic
• I recognised the author from his bio photo - he was a very nasty character in a television series (The Split). I find it hard to separate the tv character from the author. I am not familiar with his work as a rapper (Doc Brown) or his work in Children's television on the Four O'Clock Show.
• This is a book about comedians and comedy standup - not things that I'm keen on
• The main character, Carmichael is thirteen - is this a Young Adult book?

Having said made all of these points I have amazed myself. I read this whole book in just two days. I didn't laugh at the jokes but I enjoyed the poignancy of self discovery which is a major theme in the story. Perhaps this is because I do not have siblings, but I really do not like unkindness especially unkindness in a family expressed through sarcasm and smart remarks. Yes there are 'put downs' in this book but they were not overdone for 'cheap laughs'. I enjoyed watching Carmichael eventually realise his family should come first. His words are powerful - they can hurt (that's easy) but they can also heal. My only small criticism of this book is the way Ben Bailey Smith portrayed Carmichael's father Stuart. I really wanted him to discover his voice too. 

I think this book will be enjoyed by readers aged 10+. The tone reminded me of The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander. 

Celebrities writing books for kids:

The Guardian "Famous first words: how celebrities made their way on to children's bookshelves"

Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature