The Deadly Diamond by Mark Greenwood

"To this day the deadly diamond retains a spooky reputation as a stone with an ominous sparkle and the power to bring tragedy to anyone who touches it. But does its ownership bring death, dishonour, disgrace or financial ruin? Can the curse of the most famous jewel in the world be reconciled with reality when many of its owners have lived long and generally prosperous lives?"

Our story of this famous diamond - variously named the Blue Diamond, the French Blue, and the Hope Diamond - begins in India at a diamond mine in 1642. We are not told in detail, but it is very clear that conditions at this mine must have been utterly terrible. Mark Greenwood does mention snakes and overseers and the use of children in the mine. No one is exactly sure, but this diamond was part of a temple idol before it was stolen and then passed through the hands of thieves, con men, nobility, an extremely rich socialite, a famous jeweler and finally presented to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History which is where you can see it today and from that link you can see many of the aspects and short videos of this story that are mentioned by The Deadly Diamond including the regular postal envelope that was used to send it to the museum - an amazing story. Take a look at these images. 

This is a slim book but such a page turner and readers are also supplied with a timeline, glossary and extra reading list so curious minds can explore this topic further. If I was sharing this book with a group of students (Grade 5 or 6) I think I would begin by showing the tiny diamond in a ring I wear every day using this as a way to talk about diamonds and their value and origins. You could share this ABC television series "Stuff the British stole" with a High school group. There is an episode about a diamond from South Africa and also one about the Koh I Noor diamond. Both are rated PG. I highly recommend The Deadly Diamond as a perfect addition to your school library or pop this title on your Christmas present list - it would be an especially great gift for a boy aged 10+. This book has big print and white pages and a few actual photographs/portraits of the famous people who were involved or who owned this diamond. 

Further reading:

• Diamond facts for kids
• Science Kids
• Science for kids club
• Only Natural Diamonds

Many of my reviewing colleagues receive advance copies of new Australian titles but up until this week I only received books from one Australian publisher. Now I can add two more to that list including the publisher of this book - Fremantle Press. I recently talked about their new verse novel Trapped by Julia Lawrinson.

Mark Greenwood has done an enormous amount of research for this book The Deadly Diamond. I simply gobbled up the whole book in one sitting - readers aged 10+ are going to love this book and I am sure the rest of the series are fabulous too. I have another one - The Wooden Horse - ready to read next. Here is the full series called History Hunter:

On the publisher page you can read an extract from The Deadly Diamond and find very detailed and useful teachers notes. There is one word missing from the glossary which your students may need to check - loupe.

I was so interested to read all the ways this stone was cut and changed and reduced in size. I also had no idea about the colours of diamonds - white, yellow, red, dark grey, orange, red, apple green, pink and most desirable of all, the blue.

"The diamonds that came from the fabled mines of Golconda were highly valued. Local rulers jealously guarded the source and kept the largest diamonds for themselves. The radiance of these diamonds was legendary. Many believed they contained a supernatural force. Prized for colour, clarity, size and beauty some were as pure as a drop of dew."

Try to find these two books as companion reads:

The Blood Stone

The Mona Lisa Vanishes

This is not about diamonds, but it has the same narrative nonfiction style 

and the same assortment of 'shady' characters.  Highly recommended. 

This form of narrative non fiction is not new but I have not seen any other books in this form for many years. In my previous school library I had other books like this on a range of topics but they are all now long out of print. One series were called True stories published by Allen and Unwin: Stoked! Real Life, Real Surf; Bog Bodies: Mummies and Curious Corpses; Wrecked: Mysteries and Disasters at Sea; Kimberley Warrior: The Story Of Jandamarra; and Soccer: Great Moments, Great Players in World Football. And we also had the It's True series.

Your students who enjoy books that use this form of narrative to tell a true story might find the "I Survived" series in a school or local library. I also had a series called Mega Bites published by Dorling Kindersley in my previous school. 

My Friend the Octopus by Lindsay Galvin illustrated by Gordy Wright

"I peered into the top of the hollow pearl. A glint so bright it was as if sunbeams had been captured and sealed inside."

Vinnie (Lavinia) Fyfe works with her mother in a London milliners shop. The year is 1893.  Vinnie is skilled with drawing and her mother uses/exploits this skill to design new hats which she sells to very wealthy customers. Vinnie is not unhappy but Rosamund Fyfe has very strict ideas about behaviour and class. Vinnie has no idea about the level of control her mother has always exerted over her until, just before dawn one day her mother whisks Vinnie away to Brighton leaving her with a distant cousin Aunt Bets. Aunt Bets runs a tea room above the Brighton aquarium. Vinnie is told Rosamund needs to go to Paris and so for the first time in her life Vinnie is left alone. 

"Being Mother’s constant companion meant that I was never really alone, and the thought of finding my own way to the aquarium filled me with new dismay, mainly at myself. I now realised I’d got to twelve years old utterly ill-equipped to deal with this adventure."

On the day of her arrival at the aquarium a new exhibit has arrived - a huge octopus. Vinnie is fascinated by this amazing creature. It takes some bravery but she discovers she has a talent for drawing more than hats. Her sketches of the octopus even appear in a local newspaper. 

This is a story set during Victorian times so of course there is a villan - Mr Jedders - a former employee of their Grosvenor Square shop. He is pursuing Rosamund but Vinnie has no idea why but his manner and violence are very frightening. Luckily Vinnie makes two new, clever, resourceful and wise friends - a young boy called Charlie who is the nephew of Mr Lee head of the aquarium and a young very well educated African girl called Temitayo. The group make a horrible discovery about the green colour used for fabric and ribbons used on the hats her mother makes.  Readers are given a glimpse into the terrible highly dangerous working conditions of children who labour to make this sort-after shade. 

I read this book in one sitting (256 pages). The plot just races along with perfect twists and a heroine who must succeed. The octopus itself is also an interesting character because every animal lover will desperately hope this wild creature can be released back into the ocean. Confinement in a small tank seems so cruel. 

Lindsay weaves mysteries together with ease while immersing us in some of the darker sides of Victorian society, one of which there are sadly all too real comparisons to make with modern day fast fashion – something which is bound to be a talking point beyond the book. Miss Cleveland is Reading

Here is an interview with the author which gives some very interesting insights into the research behind this book. I hope you love the book cover as much as I do. Well done Chicken House - this cover is perfect. Read this review by Lily and the Fae which has an in depth analysis of the plot and links to slavery, class and fashion. 

I loved the tea shop in this book and the scene where they eat Battenberg cake and at the back of the book there is a recipe for petit fours - yum. There are also a couple of terrific scenes in this book about bicycle riding in skirts and bloomers and sea bathing huts on wheels. And the back has extensive notes explaining the historical background used for this story. 

My Friend the Octopus is children’s historical fiction at its best. Lindsay Galvin brilliantly evokes the Victorian era, encompassing fashion, leisure activities, attitudes to women, and the disparity between rich and poor. Victorian Brighton comes alive with its bathing huts, the aquarium, and Italian ice cream served in shells. Get Kids into Books

I am keen to read another book by Lindsay Galvin:

The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel by Nicki Greenberg

Patricia Stark, known as Pepper, is the daughter of Captain Stark commander of the RMS Aquitania. Pepper longs to travel with her father across the ocean from London to New York. It is the 1920s - the age of luxury ocean travel especially for those lucky enough to travel in the First Class where there are scrumptious fixtures and delicious gourmet meals. Quite unexpectedly Captain Stark presents Pepper with a ticket. This is a huge surprise because early on in the story she had tried to stow away on the Aquitania. She was caught and her father was so angry with her but the ship steward Rory Lyons talked him round and so now she can travel.

When Pepper boards the ship she marvels at the beautiful interiors and the glamorous passengers. One of these is the famous actress Perdita West. She is wearing or a better word might be flaunting, the priceless Saffron Diamond. Of course if you have read other "whodunit" stories or you are a fan of Agatha Christie, you will guess at once that this diamond is sure to be stolen.

Pepper has made some great friends onboard. A young boy called Toby who is travelling with his blind father; Sol another young boy who is travelling to New York in the hope of becoming a pastry chef; and a third class passenger an aspiring young singer called Norah.

You will find yourself racing all over the ship with this group of kids trying to locate the villain. Adding to the pressure, Pepper knows her father is in danger of losing his job as Captain of this Cunard Line ship if the diamond is not found before they arrive in New York.

The subtitle on the cover of my advance copy of The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel says:

The thrilling new Middle Grade Novel

AND I totally agree.  This story is thrilling!  And it is a perfect book to put into the hands of young readers aged 10+. Add this book to your personal or library shopping list - it is due to be released on 23rd February, 2021. I am going to make an early prediction that this book will be added to the CBCA 2022 Notables and from that list onto the Younger Readers Short list. YES it is that good. Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my Advance copy.

The other aspect of this book that I really appreciate is the rich vocabulary used by Nicki Greenberg. For example - indecorous; languishing; exclusive; tactful; viscous; quizzical; and apoplectic.

My copy of this book was an advance one so I am not supposed to do text quotes but I can't resist sharing the description of this scrumptious dessert served on the first night at sea especially since it involves a lighthouse:

"There were wonderful individual gateaux shaped like tugboats. Spun sugar blossomed from their chocolate funnels, and each was bobbing on a layered wave of raspberry mousse and pearly meringue. A sparkling croquembouche lighthouse was presented to each table, and bowls piled high with whipped cream and dishes of perfect strawberries were offered alongside."

Pepper's governess relies on a book called The Lady's guide to Ocean Travel. Nicki Greenberg used a real book called Ocean Notes and Foreign travel for Ladies by Kate Reid Ladoux published in 1878 as her inspiration.

Here are the pages from the Table of Contents from the original book:

One more thing. I have a personal connection with ocean travel albeit a little later in history and not as a first class passenger, my late mother (coincidentally named Nora) travelled by herself in 1948 just after WWII on an ocean liner to England. Reading The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel I kept imagining her in the background of many scenes.

I would pair this book with The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow and Pearl in the Ice.

Moonlocket by Peter Bunzl

Jack Door has broken out of prison. He is a dangerous criminal convicted of stealing the Blood Moon Diamond from Queen Victoria. Lily's friend Robert has no idea but his life is entwined with Jack. Once again we find Robert and Lily are chasing and being chased across London accompanied by Malkin - mechanical fox.

Moonlocket is the second book in the Cogheart Adventure series which began with Cogheart. There is just the right amount of recapping so Moonlocket can stand alone but most curious readers will surely want to discover more about Lily especially after reading the first sentences:

"In her short life Lily Hartman had come back from the dead not once, but twice. Neither time had been particularly pleasant."

I really enjoyed the first installment so I was keen to own book two and three. I now discover Peter Bunzl has just published the fourth installment - Shadowsea. This is a terrific series for Middle Grade readers with just the right amount of tension, heroes who make you cheer, baddies who make you hiss and wonderful loyal friends. At times the story feels like an old fashioned melodrama where the dastardly villain keeps appearing intent on capturing Robert and retrieving the precious diamond which has been missing for fifteen years.

Peter Bunzl has activities for each book on his web site. You can read a sample of the text here which begins with the prologue where Jack is escaping the prison.


You know it’s a “tockingly” good steampunk mystery when the dastardly escaped criminals who stole from Queen Victoria are somehow connected to the hero’s mysterious, long-lost mother. Kirkus

Drawing on wondrous details and strongly motivated characters, Moonlocket is a caper with heart. Foreword reviews

Dixie O'Day and the great diamond robbery by Shirley Hughes illustrated by Clara Vulliamy

Dixie O'Day and the great diamond robbery is the second book in this appealing junior series. You might remember I recently talked about Dixie O'Day in the fast lane.

This second installment does not disappoint.  Dixie and his faithful friend Percy set out for the Hotel Splendide.  It is indeed a splendid place but sadly our heroes are not given a warm welcome.  On their journey they were forced off the road and Dixie's car is now covered in dust and mud.  Their near traffic accident is caused on the road to the hotel by none other than the famous Peaches Miaow.  Dixie is totally unimpressed by her fame and entourage but Percy is besotted.

At dinner that night Peaches "swept into the dining room wearing a silver satin dress and a smile as dazzling as her diamond necklace."  As you will have guess from the title these are the diamonds that will be stolen.  On their second night at the hotel a robbery takes place.  Dixie and Percy have previously made friends with a well mannered gentleman named Mr Canteloe.  As they tour his home and venture into some tidal caves beneath his cellar they find the diamonds.  Now comes the dilemma. How will Percy, Dixie and Mr Canteloe prove they did not commit the robbery themselves?

My favourite part of this book comes near the end when the hotel staff return Dixie's car.  "I've had it cleaned and polished for you, Sir ... and may I say what a great pleasure it is to see a car like yours on the road these days."

As I said in my previous review there are some terrific little extras in this series.  The book opens with an interview :

"What do you always pack in your suitcase?
DIXIE : My hot-water bottle, a choice of smart ties and my copy of 100 country walks.
PERCY : Plenty of chocolate."

At the back of the book you will find sample pages from book 3, a quiz, a maze puzzle and a map of Brightsea - location of the Hotel Spendide.  This book is also just seven chapters - one for each night of the week perhaps.

In this review you can see inside the three books from this series.

Hold fast by Blue Balliett

This book epitomizes why I love my job and why I love reading children's books and why I feel so lucky to have access to brilliant authors like Blue Balliett.

I have shared this experience previously but once again I sat down on Sunday intending to read a few pages of Hold Fast before getting on with other tasks.  Needless to say the tasks are still waiting.  I read through the afternoon, the early evening, late into the night, over breakfast and again the next night.  In short I devoured this wonderful book.

You can read the reviews below to find more about the plot I am just going to share two quotes from this book.  The family in this book consists of the father called Dashel, Mum called Summer and their children Early - so named because she was born when her parents were still in high school and her brother Jubilation or Jubie for short.

"Early learned form her dad that a dictionary is a powerful and underestimated kind of book.  First of all it has the shortest stories in the world, and thousands of them: stories with sounds, changing shapes, history and mystery. Open anywhere and you'll find layers of meanings.  Choices.  And when you put a word in your Word Book, you can pick what you want from the definition, like picking flowers from a garden."

"Imagine if you couldn't head home when you left your office tonight or if your kids couldn't head home after a day at school. No matter what age you are, you need a place to rest where you feel like you belong. A place to have friends and be with family, a place to feel safe and private, a place to make plans, a place to dream. A place to put down some roots, or as my dad used to say "A place to go and grow."

Here is a detailed review from the New York Times.  Here are some teaching notes.  Finally here is a brilliant audio interview with Blue Balliett.  This is a twenty minute program but I really recommend you find time to listen.

I have read and loved every single book by Blue Balliett - make sure you borrow one from a library as soon as you can - you will not be disappointed.

Enthralling and satisfying

The Blood Stone by Jamila Gavin

The blood stone is a diamond that becomes part of a fabulous jewel. “The whole effect must be white …he surrounded the diamond with white stones : white jade, white sapphire, crystal, moonstones and pearls interspersed, to emphasise its whiteness with contrasting tiny rubies, amber and emeralds, as if remnants of rainbows were trapped within the white water of the diamond.”

The maker of this marvelous pendant is Geronimo. He is the father of Flippo but in an odd twist of fate this father and son have not met. Flippo was born eight months and thirteen days after his father left for Hindustan. So now you should be able to guess this will be a story involving a quest.

Elisabetta, Carlo, Giuseppe, Sofia and Gabriella along with their mother Teodora are now living under the tyrannical rule of Bernado Pagliarin. Greed and power are his motivations so when he discovers Teodora has this fabulous jewel called The Ocean of the Moon his true nature rises and he will stop at nothing to own it. Pagliarin is, however, not the only man who wants to posses this exquisite diamond and so the chase is on. Flippo journeys from Venice to India and Afghanistan. He is taking The Ocean of the Moon to pay a ransom so his father will be freed from prison but carrying a jewel of such value is far to dangerous so Carlo arranges to have it sewn into his skull!

If you want to read another book with a similar flavour look for The Thief Lord by Zizou Corder. 

I am reading books by the authors who will speak at the IBBY Congress in London. I have already talked about one other book by Jamila Gavin but I must say The Blood Stone is even better. I think I almost held my breath through the whole book feeling so anxious for Flippo and all the danger he faces. Jamila Gavin gives you such rich insights in to the smells, scenes and tastes of all the exotic places we journey to in this book.  The words on the front cover are so true this is "a fabulous epic novel".  I recommend you grab this one quickly you will not be disappointed.

The Billionaire's Curse by Richard Newsome

I think fans of Indiana Jones will love The Billionaire’s Curse even though it is quite a predicable story with a heap of loose ends and in spite of a fairly unappealing (to me) cover.

Our hero Gerald (awful name but it has an important family connection) suddenly becomes the richest thirteen year old on the planet when he inherits twenty billion pounds… a house in Chelsea, the manor near Glastonbury, shares in the family company – the inventors of the tea bag staple, an island, a yacht, an aeroplane and various artworks. Gerald also inherits two mysteries. He needs to find out who murdered his aunt Geraldine and who has just stolen the Noor Jehan, the most valuable diamond in the world, from the British museum.

This robbery forms the basis of the first chapter and then we switch focus to Gerald and his appalling mother and long suffering father as they prepare to fly to England for the funeral and more importantly the reading of the will.

The last third of the book is particularly like an Indian Jones thriller as our hero and his two friends solve a puzzle to find a missing casket which it seems is more valuable than the diamond. In fact the diamond is the key that opens this casket which is rumored to hold the Holy Grail. I guess we will discover more about this in the second installment.

There are some terrific descriptions in this book and I especially liked the Young Billionaire’s survival kit left to Gerald by his aunt. “He tore the flap and pulled out a small leather wallet. He flipped it open, let out a low whistle and counted out two thousand pounds in crisp new notes. He also pulled out a black American Express card, with a neat Gerald A Wilkins embossed on the front….. every young billionaire needs some walking-around money.” Page 79

The intrepid heroes find the clues lead them to an exclusive gentleman’s club in London. “The floor was an intricate parquetry in a pattern of roses and ivy. In the centre was an enormous green carpet with the letter R woven in red in the middle. Long-green-and-gold-striped drapes lined the tall Georgian windows, blocking all outside light…. The place reeked of a mixture of wood polish, stale cigar smoke and privilege.” Page 145

This book contains nothing new for readers of detective stories but it is still a terrific read, fast paced, funny at times, filled with coincidences and three very brave and resourceful kids who work really well as a team. There are also rats, some knife slashing, murders and a cast of characters most of whom are not trustworthy. I hope we can read more about the butler Fry in the second installment.

You can read more about the Australian author who I have just discovered won a huge prize for this first novel. The second book is not yet published but you should keep your eye on the author web site for more details. You can also read the background to the writing and character names.

You should read this book to find out about tea bag staples - this is such a hilarious idea but it is how the Archer family have made their fortune. This book will appeal to readers in Years 4-6.