Six Weeks by Matt Goodfellow illustrated by Joe Todd Stanton

"I love you mum.

Please help me.

I don't know what to do without you."

There is such a level of tension in this verse novel that you just need to read on and on. Alfie lives with dad, his dad's new wife and their young baby Alice. Alfie's mum has died and early on we learn this happened when the baby was born about one year ago and we also read that Alfie absolutely never wants to see the man who lived with his mum ever again. As a reader you will have no idea what has happened between this man and Alfie but over the six weeks of the story Matt Goodfellow gradually lets us step into Alfie's life, and we can hear Alfie's questions which naturally are about life and death and we see first-hand complex human relationships along with the importance of grieving.

I have been a bit of a reading slump lately - I had a couple of new books to read and review but neither of them really grabbed me. I thought about the "Rights of the Reader" by Daniel Pennac. His number two rule is: The Right Not to Finish a Book – It is acceptable to stop reading a book at any point and his number ten rule is: The Right to Enjoy Reading – Above all, reading should be pleasurable and free from pressure. Facing a long day with a few serious life stresses I decided to put away the two books that I was struggling with and pick up Six Weeks. I knew this book would be good, but I didn't know just how good - I was totally absorbed by this story, and I read 150 pages in one gulp before lifting my head and 're-entering' the real world. Six Weeks is a winner! Please put this book into the hands of the readers in your life aged 10+. The powerful storytelling in this book 'blew me away'.

Matt is an exceptional storyteller, and his use of verse is incredibly effective at conveying Alfie’s internal world.  Books for Topics

Six Weeks is a book you have to just sit with after you've finished it so you can fully absorb everything. It's a book I hugged at the end (between the tears). It's a book full of heart-break, healing and hope.  K and O Bonkers about Books

When I’m asked about my favourite books, I always say lots of children’s books and that more adults should read them! Six Weeks is the exemplification for why I say that: it is a subject matter which hits young and old and it particularly resonates with the grief journey I’m on. Your heart will break for Alfie at the start and slowly, that love and hope will begin to be rebuilt. Matt is an exceptional storyteller and his use of verse is so effective to convey such important messages. Check 'em out books

If you read my blog you may know I am not a fan of book endorsements, but I wholeheartedly agree with the comments by these authors:

• 'Utterly magnificent' Liz Hyder
• 'Matt Goodfellow's best novel to date' Sarah Crossan
• 'Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant' Phil Earle
• 'Goodfellow has pulled off something astounding' Anthony McGowan
• All at once beautiful, tender, funny and sharp ... a triumph' Katya Balen

I adored these two previous verse novels by Matt Goodfellow:

The Final Year

One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Daddy says Momma (Sylvia), Lettie, Silas and Elijah are going to move. It is time to have their own land and not have to work for some else. There is no more slavery. It is time to be truly free. The journey will be long, but they have shelter in their covered wagon, and they will not be alone - this family group will travel with others all determined to reach Nebraska. Ten families heading West out of Mississippi to take advantage of the land promised by the Homestead Act of 1862. But food will be short, along the way small towns will charge enormous prices for basic supplies and there are dangerous rivers to cross. Luckily along the way they do pick up a young woman who is hard-working and wise. And when a dreadful catastrophe befalls the family, young Philomena is able to step in and help with their two faithful mules Charly and Titus. 

All the land you want 

Free 

he said to me 

All we got to do is go on and get it 

Take what’s ours 

I looked down at the paper 

that didn’t say none of what he was 

Any colored who want it 

Come with some money too right? 

I looked at his eyes 

shining in the lamplight 

bright 

Who was I to dim their light? 

To take from him what white men 

masters 

loss 

and years of fieldwork left of him 

He asked pointing down at the paper 

And they even give you a wagon?

Here is what they pack: 200 pounds of flour 10 pounds of rice 5 pounds of coffee 25 pounds of sugar 1 bushel of beans 20 pounds of salt 1 bushel of cornmeal 1 keg of vinegar 100 pounds of bacon 25 pounds of dried fruit Daddy’s good rifle and gunpowder two pistols lard, candles, lye powder matches and soap frying pans and a coffeepot our old stew kettle and Momma’s sharpest knife nails one washtub A tent and blankets blankets for Charly and Titus plus their feed too even the cradle Momma wanted was packed in tight.

The journey could take four or five or even six months. This story is about the journey not the destination but readers are left with enormous hope that the family will prosper in their new home. 

From where we sat we could see the lantern lighting up the cabin and imagine the warmth inside our new home in the West in Nebraska with a fire in the hearth and beds stacked with quilts Silas, Elijah, Momma and Miss Pratt inside But me and Sutter liked it best curled in close together warming each other best as we could in the tent Momma let me pitch outdoors.

There are three voices in this verse novel so you do have to pay attention at the start of each section or chapter. It is very significant that these are three women - Lettie is a young girl born after the end of slavery but also born into a time when women are expected to marry, have children, and of course have no rights and no vote. Her mother Sylvia is brave and loyal to her husband but she has to sacrifice so much to make this enormous journey to find a place her husband believes will be 'a promised land'. Philomena is a young, newly trained teacher who values her independence. She has been promised a teaching job in Nebraska and for Philomena this means she can support herself without the need for a husband. 

When I was in Primary School (Elementary) here in Australia I read and loved, like so many kids of my generation, books about American pioneers such as Little House on the Prairie and all the sequels but even more I loved Children of the Oregon Trail. That goes part of the way to explaining why I simply devoured One Big Open Sky. As usual I have no idea how I came across this book and then why I added it to my 'to read' list as a title I could pop on my Kindle. I started this book on a two-hour bus and train journey and then completed it on the way home. I am happy to see the paperback edition of this book is available [9780823460625].

Publisher blurb: Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free—or cost them everything they have—in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement. 1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their very own plot of land. But Thomas’ hopes—and mouth—are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger.

This map shows their journey:

This is a beautifully crafted novel in verse: Cline-Ransome once again demonstrates her incredible literary skills as characters’ personalities are revealed by their actions. The intergenerational voices provide depth as the events unfold, and the emotionally resonant writing is rich in details that add texture and meaning to this unique depiction of African American homesteaders that’s full of resilience and hope. Kirkus Star review

The vast amount of walking, the limited food supplies, the dangerous river crossings, and the various other threats to survival are all fascinating; I loved this type a book when I was in elementary school because I liked to think how I would fare under similar circumstances. Lettie is keeping notes about the journey and logging costs, and I love how interested she is in the one newspaper that her father buys for her. Philomena is a fantastic character who is taking control of her own life, and even finding romance with another traveler who accepts her as an equal. The challenges of the journey are not sugar coated at all ... Ms Yingling

In the final analysis, the entire book emphasizes the bonds of family, both immediate and extended. This exquisite novel is geared for children 8-12 years but can be cherished by readers of all ages. A classic, and in a perfect world it would be required reading in all elementary schools. Historical Novel society

Awards:
A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

Winner of the Virginia Library Association Cardinal Cup Award

A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

One of Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids

A CSMCL Best Multicultural Children’s Book of the Year

An ALSC Notable Children's Book

A CLA Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts

Companion book:

Prairie Lotus

Away by Megan E Freeman

“For several months, the governor’s office and the Colorado Investigation Bureau have been monitoring a series of credible threats across Colorado. 

On Friday, we received intelligence of an imminent threat jeopardizing the safety of thousands of residents. We immediately launched a noncombatant evacuation operation named Operation Relocate Freedom. 

We do not know how long evacuations will last, and the state remains on emergency alert.”

Each section in this book begins with a definition such as this one:

There are four kids voices in this hybrid verse novel and Megan E Freeman makes it easy to keep up with each kids because they each use a different form of writing. The kids are Ashanti Johnson, aged 12, her mum is a doctor; Grandin Stone, aged 14 - his parents are farmers; Harmony Addams-Paul, aged 12 - she aspires to be a journalist, she has a fabulous teacher and mum her is a pastor; and Teddy Brenkert, aged 11 - he is homeschooled and lives with his grandmother who is a local amateur theatre producer. All of these kids live in Colardo. Ashanti and Grandin use free verse to tell their story; Teddy writes film proposals and scripts and often references famous classic movies and as you would expect Harmony writes as though her pieces are ready for publication in a newspaper. Then comes:

These four kids plus Harmony's little sister Pax, are thrown together when everyone in their area is evacuated due to some unexplained toxic danger. Along with many other people they are taken to a holding camp where they are given food and safety but no one is allowed to use a mobile phone, the authorities do not answer any questions and they are kept there for over two years!

“This is the Colorado National Guard. Mandatory evacuations are now in place for your area. Proceed immediately to designated embarkation zones for further instructions. Local law enforcement will provide additional guidance specific to your location. ... The specific cause of the evacuations is not yet known, but there are unconfirmed reports of a pipeline explosion, possibly multiple explosions. Sources at the state capitol say a major threat could be imminent, and terrorism has not been ruled out."

"Cell phones have been compromised and are not safe to use. As a matter of state security, all cell phones must be deposited in designated receptacles located throughout the station. Compliance is mandatory."

These kids all have talents which when combined are able to work out not just what is going on but also how to inform the adults and how to expose the conspiracy and they also luckily do find a few left-over pieces of technology which they are able to put to good use.

We are going to be muckrakers. Shine a light on what’s wrong in the world. ... Journalists who specifically investigate and report on stories to expose corruption or exploitation or other stuff like that. They rake the muck of society.

As you might expect there are lots of theories and rumors about why whole communities have been evacuated:

One girl said she’d heard a train carrying chemicals had derailed. Another heard there had been explosions in a mine shaft and a dam had broken. Someone else said a pipeline had burst. A kid from the Western Slope insisted “nonhuman biologics” were colonizing remote parts of the Rocky Mountains. One boy said his mom thought it was a nuclear accident, like the ones in Fukushima and Chernobyl. Do we even have nuclear reactors in Colorado? I have no idea.

Publisher blurb: After an imminent yet unnamed danger forces people across Colorado to leave their homes, a group of kids including an aspiring filmmaker and a budding journalist find themselves in the same evacuation camp. As they cope with the aftermath of having their world upended, they grow curious about the mysterious threat. And as they begin to investigate, they start to discover that there’s less truth and more cover-up to what they’re being told. Can they get to the root of the conspiracy, expose the bad actors, and bring an end to the upheaval before it’s too late?

Away is the companion volume to Alone - companion volume means while you do need to read BOTH books the order does not matter. 

Alone

In my review of Alone I said: I did want that all important happy ending but somehow the final three pages let me down. I wanted to know more. I need know why!

And now I do know why because I have read Away.

A couple of weeks ago I had a long ten-hour journey by bus, plane and train. It is always SO good when I have an engrossing and brilliantly constructed book like this to pass the time. I absolutely devoured Away. You can see I have given Away five stars but I do agree with Kirkus who say: The plot and the whole scenario require a major suspension of disbelief, but to readers who can roll with it, Freeman delivers an engaging tale in which young crusaders strive to overcome both parental passivity and corrupt authorities to discover and expose a dastardly scheme.

Here is a long interview with Megan E Freeman where she talks about Away and Alone. You can either listen or read the transcript. 

Awards for Away:

• Instant New York Times Bestseller ​
• Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2025
• Amazon Best Book of 2025
• Barnes & Noble Children's Book Award Shortlist
• Golden Kite Award Finalist
• Reading the West Awards Shortlist
• TOME Society Junior Book Award Winner
• KNEA Reading Circle Choice for 2025
• Colorado Children's Book Award Shortlist
• Horace Mann Upstanders Award

This unique story is about friendship, survival, and how curiosity can lead to revelations, and the power of hope. Away was hard to put down because you need to know what is happening and why. Youth Services Book Review

The voices of the different characters are all very unique, and they are easy to tell apart. ... This is a good choice for readers who like dystopian books ...

The voices of the different characters are all very unique, and they are easy to tell apart. Ashantae doesn't use capitalization and references lots of mythology, Grandin is very matter-of-fact, Teddy often frames scenes as storyboards or film scripts, and Harmony's point of view is delivered in letters or news reports. The evacuation is realistically portrayed; if someone came to my door and told me I had to leave, and I saw all of my neighbors packing up, I probably would, too. Camp Rogers slowly evolves over the long time that people are there, with everyone pitching in to help out. ... This is very different from Alone, but readers who picked up that story will find it interesting to see what the experience of others who were not abandoned was. Ms Yingling

Spirit of the Crocodile by Aaron Fa'aoso, Michelle Scott Tucker and Lyn White

The crocodile’s eyes were yellow, slit by a vertical pupil. 

The creature remained perfectly still, but it throbbed with life. 

Ezra felt goosebumps in spite of the afternoon heat, 

and took a few steps back.

‘Is that thing looking at you?’ asked Mason.

‘Nah. How could it be?’

It took me many days to read this book but I am not the target audience. I did find myself wondering though, why Spirit of the Crocodile has been short listed by the CBCA even though I think it was a good choice for their Notables list and secondly, I wonder how many readers (target audience ages 10+) will have enough reading stamina to stick with this story right to the end. Spirit of the Crocodile has been short listed by the CBCA as I mentioned and by ABIA and for the Queensland Literary Awards and it was awarded Highly Commended in the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards. It clearly appeals to many adult judges of book competitions here in Australia. I have made some suggestions of extracts you could use to entice readers in your library to read this book later in this post because there are some moments of good tension which young readers will enjoy. 

Here are the CBCA judges comments:

Publisher blurb: Twelve-year old Ezra is an ordinary boy who lives on Saibai, an extraordinary Australian island. He loves a laugh, he loves his family, and - almost more than anything - he loves a dare. But when one of his dares goes wrong, Ezra realises he needs to make some decisions about helping out and measuring up. He learns that there's more than one way to look at, well, nearly everything. And as ever-increasing climate disasters threaten Saibai, Ezra and his best mate Mason must draw on their resilience and courage to help the community survive a massive out-of-season storm. Set in today's Torres Strait, Spirit of the Crocodile is a captivating novel that explores the importance of culture, community and place to a carefree kid on the cusp of growing up.

Strengths of this story/book:

• An appealing cover
• The decorations used to fill the cover title lettering and chapter headings (check out the link to the blog Paperbark Words to read more about this - see below)
• The exploration of extended family relationships in indigenous communities
• The family relationships, sibling relationships and friendships - I especially love Ezra's little sister Tarzie.
• Descriptions of the island landscape and village

"Saibai's tiny village of maybe a hundred buildings perched on the northwest coast of the island. The village looked out to sea on one side and was hemmed in by bird-filled brackish lagoons on the other. Mason's home and the airport were at one end of Main Road. The other end of the road ran past the jetty and the council depot before finishing at the cemetery."

• Details of indigenous cultural practices and beliefs

"Ezra looked at the evening star, knowing it was part of the Koedal constellation and thinking about how he himself belonged to that crocodile clan. He thought about what Mum had told him - that Koedal was fierce and fast moving, but patient and knowledgeable as well. When Ezra's male ancestors died they became part of the Koedal constellation. when Ezra's time came, he would too."

• Ezra is so proud of his mum (and dad).

"Ezra's mum Zipporah, a teacher's aide, worked in the junior classes at the school on Saibai. Zippie was a tall, intelligent woman, full of enthusiasm and energy. With her beautiful green eyes, not a few of the littlies in her classroom were madly in love with her. She was studying part-time and online to become a fully qualified teacher."

Here are some very detailed teachers notes from the publisher (via Pegi Williams). 

Here is the author talking about his island. Further thoughts:

This quote could be a good discussion point with your class:

"the conversation sometimes veered off into a discussion about marine pollution; about which containers sank straight away and which ones kept floating for weeks; about how many and what a menace they were; about the impact of other discarded objects like fishing gear, and plastics, and household rubbish."

Ezra has a different experience of moving from Primary to High school - leaving Saibai and heading to Thursday Island. I imagine most readers of this book will have no idea about this and again this could be a good topic to discuss especially since this experience is not unique to Australia - I met a family on Fair Isle (Scotland) and their son was about to head away to his high school in Lerwick having just finished Grade 6.

It is vital to explore the topic of global change, and the dangers and evidence are a daily and terrifying reality for island communities such as this one on Saibai I did find this aspect of the story 

"He knew that the seawall, seemingly so solid and sturdy, was in fact a desperate attempt to keep the remaining community safe from the encroaching waters of the sea. Two years ago he'd seen a tide come up so high that the sea water sloshed right over the wall and inundated the gardens of many of the houses fronting Main Road. It was as if the wall wasn't even there."

"The whole world knew that islands like Saibai were in danger - that special tress like his were in danger, that houses like Mason's were in danger - and no one in charge was doing a thing to stop it. They said all the words, but they never did anything real. Nothing."

Here is another quote which you could use for a discussion with an older group of students:

"What it might give me is an easier way through to the whitefella world ... So I can learn how to use their stuff to help our people. Like Eddie Mabo did. Like the uncles achieved in the High Court. I want to learn how to use their rules, their laws, their knowledge."

The action in this story really does not 'heat up' until page 175+ of the 242 pages. This makes me wonder if readers aged 10+ will 'stick with' this book right to the end. There are a couple of terrific scenes earlier in the story though. If I was sharing this book with a group in the library here are a couple of the scenes you could use for a book talk: When Ezra dives under the truck pages 101-103 and the awful incident with the spear fishing 'gun' pages 155-157.

Joy Lawn from Paperbark Words talks to the creators of this book.

It is books like this about community and culture that truly showcase what a different culture is like, what they contribute and how they bring two worlds together to create lives filled with joy, family and everything they need to live. It acknowledges the conflicts and knowledge gaps, and shows that using what you have at hand can be the best way to work towards making a difference. The Book Muse (this review has a good plot summary).

Spirit of the Crocodile is, in many ways, an extremely relatable, age-old story exploring the pain and excitement of growing up. However, its evocative descriptions of island life, kinship systems, trilingual code-switching, cross-cultural negotiation, and community resilience also offer a generous and original insight into Torres Strait culture. Story Links

There is real tension which the authors bring to a head and then resolve beautifully. The Australian Legend

Here is a 12 minute ABC Pacific radio review.

Companion book to read after Spirit of the Crocodile:

Swimming against the Storm

Having now read all six of the CBCA 2026 Younger Readers shortlisted titles I cannot help but observe that the CBCA Younger Readers short list for 2026 does seem to be a little contrived because the choices by the judges seem to fit into very specific categories. One graphic novel - Inked; a junior chapter book for the youngest readers - Tim tie-your shoelaces; a verse novel - Little Bones; the action thriller Run by Sarah Armstrong; a realistic fiction title The Paperbark Tree Committee; and one indigenous title - Spirit of the Crocodile.

Radiant by Vunda Micheaux Nelson

Sometimes 

I want to be white. 

White— 

like new snow 

or angel wings. 

White— 

like fresh milk 

or cumulous clouds. 

White— 

like just-washed sheets 

dancing on the clothesline. 

White— 

a full moon on a clear night.

Cooper is named after her Grandfather. I do like to think about names. Her name could be a source of teasing or worse but no, the bullying all relates to the colour of her skin mainly from one boy in her class. She is having a hard time in school - firstly with a dreadful bully named Wade Carter and also with her teacher Mrs Keating. But Cooper has a goal to shine:

I look up “shine” in the dictionary. It means a lot of good stuff. The kind Mama means: “To radiate. To give off light. To be made bright by polishing. To sparkle and shimmer with luster." It means brilliance and splendor. —That’s what I want. I want to shine. To be brilliant. To be radiant. “Radiant” is one of the words.

To shine at school means scoring good grades and 'winning' over Mrs Keating. At times this seems to be an almost impossible goal.

Then there is Wade who takes every opportunity to be so nasty to Cooper. Spoiler alert - in stories (and maybe in real life too) there is often a deeper reason for the bullying - and in this book it is true that Wade is going through some very tough stuff at home but I have to say I found it very hard to be sympathetic (even when his mum died). 

I wish Wade hadn’t heard me say I want to shine. I wish I hadn’t said it out loud. I do want to shine. I want to shine so bright, so bright that I blind Wade. Color blind him.

I wonder, is Wade scared? Scared of me? Or is he just mean?

Cooper, quite rightly, would like different colours for Crayola crayons - different colours to use for skin tones. This could be a good discussion point with a reading group. 

And why does my skin matter so much? Nobody cares if I wear a red blouse or a blue one. Why should they care if I wear black skin or white skin or purple skin?

Then for Christmas Cooper is gifted a small transistor radio and she also discovers the famous pop group - the Beatles. 

Kate and I read about John Lennon Paul McCartney George Harrison and Ringo Starr (with two r’s). We learn some new British words, like “gear” and “cuppa” “lift” and “kip.”

It is also an important turning point for Cooper when another 'black' student arrives in her class. I loved this boy - he is confident, he is kind, He is so proud of his heritage and most of all he is so friendly to everyone. 

There are references to other books in Radiant - The Wizard of Oz; Charlotte's Web; and Langston Hughes poetry. 

Australian readers will be unfamiliar with many of the historical references in this book - the assassination of JFK, Martin Luther King Jr, and the Klu Klux Klan along with all the references to racial discrimination but many kids will identify with Cooper's need to find herself, her voice, her own place in the world and her desire for representation - where are the kids like her in stories and films. They will also cheer as she conquers school and gains good results on her end of year report card. I would share this verse novel with mature readers aged 10+.

Publisher blurb: As school begins in 1963, Cooper Dale wrestles with what it means to “shine” for a black girl in a predominantly white community near Pittsburgh. Set against the historic backdrop of the Birmingham church bombing, the Kennedy assassination, and Beatlemania, Radiant is a finely crafted novel in verse about race, class, faith, and finding your place in a loving family and a complicated world.   Cooper’s primary concern is navigating fifth grade, where she faces both an extra-strict teacher and the bullying of Wade Carter, the only child of a well-to-do white family, whose home Cooper’s mother cleans for extra income. How can she shine when her mother works for the meanest boy in school? To make matters worse, Cooper quietly wishes she could be someone else. It’s not all bad, though. Cooper and her beloved older sister have fallen for the Beatles, and Cooper is thrilled to have something special they can share. And what she learns about her British idols adds new complexity to Cooper’s feelings about race.

This verse novel examines complex themes of identity, forgiveness, self-love, and self-actualization through writing that’s accessible to young readers. Nelson intentionally and deftly uses details to situate the novel with history, and she’s crafted an endearing, three-dimensional protagonist in Cooper, whose voice and authentic struggle to make sense of her experiences will resonate in a work that presents fertile ground for discussion. Kirkus

Companion books:

One Crazy Summer

Blended

Ten years ago I read another book by Vunca Micheaux Nelson - Possibles.

Once upon Tomorrow by Karen Comer

 "She was not sure if her tapestries of truth could restore the kingdom."

There are three voices in this YA verse novel. Miri aged 18 lives in 2025; Aleita aged 16 lives one hundred years into the future in 2125; and Sylvie is a girl from the famous fairy tale - Rumpelstiltskin. She is called The Girl at the Threshold. She is tasked with weaving a tapestry for the King.

"Fairytales, I whisper. Fairytales in a hundred years, no matter how messed up the world, whether there's another pandemic or bushfires over half the world or there are no polar bears left, people will still need stories - and fairytales are the truest of stories."

Sylvie's story:

"I am here to weave the King's three tapestries, to show past, present and future of the kingdom .... But you must know this: it is dangerous for a girl to tell the truth."

The king is displeased with the first tapestry - he throws her into a dungeon. She spins the straw and ...

"The straw flowed into fibre, into .... gold. She was spinning gold. The brittle straw became pliable strings of gold through her hands, around the stone, around the stick.. Gold - she had turned her craft of truth into gold."

"You have made me a hero and therefore, I will make you a queen. But should you make me a fool with the third tapestry, I will make you a grave"

Aleita's story:

The imagined future in this book is a dreadful place. Women live in fear of assault and rape; people have a chip in their brain and are regularly jolted with advertising. When Aleita, for example, looks in the mirror it tells her she is using too much shampoo and that orange makeup does not suit her face. Aleta 2125 works at EveNet . They are working to counteract beauty jolts, consumerism calls, home jolts (household and childcare duties) fertility jolts (to increase the declining population).

"Jolts ... they're getting more invasive, you know, particularly for women. A jolt to stop at a bar and have a drink by yourself, just when a football match has finished and there's a crowd of men looking for ... "

"It is illegal to send jolts without an accompanying vibration". 

"I'm seriously considering deactivating my implant as soon as I turn eighteen. I'll go and find a group of non-neurals, live with them on the margins, knit scarves in exchange for food."

The jolt has - "urged me to test for a new virus, suggested I trial an herbal tab for emotional healing. I try to imagine receiving jolts only a couple of times a day. What I could do with clarity of mind, focus, hours and hours between jolts, to create and daydream and think. Gold."

"If my implant is responsible for my most shallow, surface thoughts, then technically I should be able to find some depth - and my own thoughts - without it?"

Once upon Tomorrow is also a Love letter to libraries of all kinds! 

"Libraries are safe havens - legislated to protect humans from neural implant jolting and personal data harvesting. Libraries are one of the last places you can talk freely. You can be yourself in a library."

"More people should spend time in libraries so that the atmosphere of possibilities and problem-solving and perseverance can soak into more people"

Other reviewers are sure to talk about the symbolism of gold and weaving which appears all through the story. For example there is a mention of a gum tree in WA (2025) that has traces of gold in its leaves and of course Sylvie weaves straw into gold. And there are echoes of weaving in the 2025 setting in the wool shop which people visit to seek advice about their knitting.

And there are feminist themes too: "the miller's daughter, although praised for her talent, was still known by her father's occupation."

Here are some of my random details about the invented words used in this book, the setting and more:

• Transport: louzes are a form of high speed on demand possibly robot driven or automated vehicles and a MOT is a photo.
• Other terminology: online is called onliq. I guess we might call this social media. There are also matribots and sisbots - or robots programmed by external organisations. Hali is a robot - a sisbot - who is assigned to work with Aleta.
• Setting: Melbourne - Yarra River and Castlemaine.
• Contemporary issues from 2025 Mushroom murders; and the role of VCE (exams) in the lives of High School students
• Contemporary book authors - Charlotte Wood, Helen Garnder, Marcus Zusak, Sally Rooney, Tara jane winch, Tim Winton, Nagi cookbook
• Human burial in 2125 - is composting - cremation too much carbon, very few coffins are used "instead we allow our loved ones to compost, to nurture the Earth, to grow a tree."
• CJ, a boy from 2125, is sent to work at Honeycomb childcare - we are told they only want perfect babies now. We learn this place used to be a woollen mill and the carers are called matribots. 
• As well as the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin this story has references to Jung and also the three fates: "Clotho, the spinner who weaves together the thread of life; Lachesis, the allotter who decides how long the thread will be and Atropos, the cutter who snips it."

One of the most dreadful scenes in this book happens near the end (spoiler alert). The authorities who control Hali (the sisbot) instruct Aleta to cut her own flesh

"I grip those scissors, open them up as wide as I can, hold my left arm upright, run both points down the skin on the inside of my arm. Up and down, up and down, up and down. The blood runs from my wrist to my elbow, onto the floor, onto the remains of Mum's scarf. ... Hali is still watching me, eerily quiet."

The audience for this book is Young Adult readers aged 16+. Once upon Tomorrow has 360 pages of fairly small print but more than that I am sure my rambling comments here demonstrate that this is a very complex story. It did capture my attention for several days and even now, a few weeks later, some of the scenes are still on my mind. I think mature readers who have reading stamina are sure to find the ideas in this book intriguing and engrossing. It is due for publication in late April 2026. Thanks to Gleebooks Kids for sharing their advanced reader copy with me. 

Publisher blurb: Miri, an eighteen-year-old hopeful Jungian student, discovers she's pregnant in 2025.

Aleita, sixteen, shelters in the library, the one place free of jolts to her digital implant in 2125.

Interwoven between them stands Sylvie, spinning tapestries to save her life and the kingdom. Sylvie exists in the pages of a mysterious fairytale titled The Girl at the Threshold. Miri, Aleita and Sylvie each need to make a choice in their search for the truth. All three are connected through time by heartbreak, a desperate need to save the environment and a search for family and community. An expansive verse novel about the parallel journeys of three extraordinary girls carving out their own histories - and each other's.

Before reading Once upon Tomorrow it could be helpful to read a few versions of Rumpelstiltskin.  

After reading Once upon Tomorrow, I found a couple of other books for a YA audience based on this fairytale.

I have also read these books by Karen Comer.

Grace Notes

Sunshine on Vinegar Street

The idea that people have chips implanted in their brains was explored in this book from 1984 - it is a story that still haunts me.

Rumpelstiltskin by Mac Barnett illustrated by Carson Ellis

Employing a conversational style, Barnett offers a fresh and immensely entertaining take on an old story Kirkus Star review

Hopefully you do know the Grimm Brothers fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin but if you don't you could read this version. 

The best picture books are a partnership between author and illustrator. Carson Ellis has so carefully crafted amazing illustrations for this book and Mac Barnett adds a delicious layer of humour. 

"Her father, a poor miller, was a nice enough guy but he had a big mouth."

"My daughter ... She's really great' (It's true. She was.) ... And ... 'she can spin straw into gold.' (Of course, she couldn't.)

"And soon the queen had a child, a boy she named Tom. (A pretty nice thing to do all things considered.)

The list of names are sure to have your students or young reading companion in fits of laughter - Baxter, Thaxter, Cuthbert ... and Mac! to name just a few. 

Vocabulary: bragged, retinue, sauntered, and chalice. 

Publisher blurb: Once upon a time there was a clever girl with a not-so-clever father. When her father claims she can spin straw into gold, the king forces the girl to perform this impossible task. She has no other choice than to accept a strange deal from a mysterious little man. But when he arrives and attempts to collect the debt, the fiendish trickster Rumpelstiltskin discovers that he is the one who has been tricked! 

This is the second in the groundbreaking new collection of masterfully retold fairy tales crafted by one of today's most celebrated and esteemed authors, Mac Barnett, paired with the stunning illustrations of the acclaimed and award-winning creator, Carson Ellis. With Barnett's signature pacing and wit, his subversive storytelling style and narrative voice, and Ellis's stunning folk-art style, this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin will introduce this classic story to a new generation of readers!

Think about the language used on this page: The little man swept into the room. 'And if I do it once more,' said the man, 'what will you give me?' The girl shook her head. 'I have nothing left. I gave you my necklace. My ring. I am bereft.' And she paused to consider her fate. But the little man smiled. 'I'll make you a deal. If you become queen, give your first child to me.' Well, who knew if that would ever happen. So the girl said, 'Deal.' And the man spun the straw into gold."

After you read and re-read Rumpelstiltskin you should take a look at this interview with Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis and have the book beside you so you can see the images and decisions they are discussing. And then take this deep dive into the illustrations. In this video Mac and Carson talk about their book. Sadly our Australian copy of this book has no dust jacket but if you live in the US be sure to look for the case reveal. 

A great new Rumpelstiltskin version for every library. Waking Brain Cells

Carson Ellis’s painterly gouache illustrations, inspired by 18th century fairy tale art and portraiture of the Renaissance era are a great complement to the telling, while the black and white illustrations resemble wood-block prints. Red Reading Hub

It would be good to share this book with a high school group. For example you could talk about the way this image is reminiscent of well-known paintings of the Madonna and child. Take a look here.

I highly recommend you share this picture book by Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis with the students in your library (ages 9+). Hopefully you will have time to read the book, then go back and look at each page and talk about the decisions made by Carson Ellis and also it would be fantastic to then read a couple of other illustrated versions of this fairy tale (see below). Here is a very useful set of teaching ideas from the publisher Scholastic. See lots more Mac Barnett books here. I especially recommend one of his older titles - Billy Twitters and his Blue whale problem. Here is my Meet Mac Barnett post. 

I was slightly shocked when Colby Sharp talked about reading Rumpelstiltskin to his Grade Five class only to discover many/most of the group were not familiar with this fairy tale - I do hope he has now shared other versions with his class and perhaps gone even further and delved into other 'important' fairy tales that readers need to know. There are so many references to fairy tales in literature, in advertising and in cartoons. We do kids a disservice if we don't build up their field knowledge of this important cannon. By coincidence I have just read Once Upon Tomorrow which is a book for readers aged 16+ and which interweaves the story of the miller's daughter and the character of Rumpelstiltskin. This brand-new dystopian verse novel is by Australian author Karen Comer. 

See inside this version here

Look for this fairy tale version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff also by Mac Barnett with his friend Jon Klassen:

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Here are two books illustrated by Carson Ellis:

I am Ray's Imaginary Friend by Brian Moses illustrated by Bethan Welby

Ray needs help. That is the purpose of an imaginary friend and that is why Jacob arrives. Ray is desperately upset because his family are moving away from their small village to a larger town. Ray loves his house and his school and his friends. Change is hard and Ray is determined to make his parents change their minds but nothing seems to be working. Jacob cannot makes things better he can only listen and watch and this is especially awful when Ray runs away. 

The family do eventually move and even though Ray would not admit this it is all not quite as bad as he expected. His dog likes the backyard, the kids at school let him join in with their soccer game and he actually scores a goal. Over the days and weeks Ray begins to settle in and then the war in Ukraine begins and mum and dad decide to help by offering two of their spare rooms to a woman and her son.

When I saw I am Ray's Imaginary Friend (released March 2026) in a large chain bookstore the cover caught my eye and then flipping the book open I saw it was a verse novel and I really love that form. I read the first page and then thought - no I am not sure about this book (I will explain this in a moment) but the cover kept drawing me in so I quickly (in the store) googled a few book reviews and when I read one of the reviews I have quoted below I knew I had to read this book.

I did enjoy I am Ray's Imaginary Friend but it didn't quite have enough of an emotional impact for me. It took me until page 110 to really settle into this story. 

Initially with the focus on the humour found in the name of the village in which Ray’s family live, Pratt’s Bottom, the reader expects this to follow a particular route. However within a few pages this gradually develops into a story with a focus on anxiety and empathy and with the wise, witty and appealing imaginary friend narrating offers hope and guidance to young readers who may feel as Ray does. The big themes incorporated into the story are dealt with in an age appropriate and gentle manner increasing the encouraging and comforting tone of the writing. In addition to the potential house move, the experience of a homeless man and a Ukrainian family seeking refuge feature in the plot but this never feels like an “issues” book that may overwhelm youngsters. A Library Lady

The village where Ray lives is called Pratt's Bottom and I thought oh no this will be another 'toilet humor' story but NO I was wrong. In the UK villages are called ... Bottom because this word means bottom of the hill or bottom of the valley. Here are some real villages with this name: Green Bottom (Cornwall); Hammer Bottom (Sussex); Scratchy Bottom (Dorset); Paradise Bottom (North Somerset); and Honey Bottom (Berkshire).  There are lots in the USA too!

And Pratt's Bottom is a real place: Pratts Bottom is a village in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. The village's name is derived from the Pratt family who lived in the area in the 14th century, and "bottom" in this context refers to a valley or hollow. Prior to the 19th century, the village was even on a toll road between London and Hastings, frequented by smugglers and highwaymen, with Dick Turpin himself a rumoured patron of the local pub.

Australian readers aged 9+ might ask about the football (soccer) aspect of this story. Ray is fiercely loyal to Manchester United or Man U. The kids in his new school go for Man City (Manchester City) or Arsenal or Liverpool. 

Quietly brilliant, this is a book that explores coping with change and becoming mentally stronger and the powerful influence of empathy. The latter in particular is brought out beautifully in Bethan Welby’s black and white drawings. It’s a must read ... Red Reading Hub

Read an interview with the author. I do love the illustrations in this book by Bethan Welby. Her work reminded me of our wonderful Australian illustrator Ann James. 

Here are some other books about imaginary friends that I highly recommend:

O'Diddy 

(My most favourite read aloud about an imaginary friend but sadly long out of print)

Leo and Ralph

Bob

Crenshaw

Tish