Advance Reader Copies
Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for these titles:
The Magic of Magnolia Moon by Edwina Wyatt illustrated by Katherine Quinn 155 pages
Sequel to The Secrets of Magnolia Moon
Due for publication October, 2021
Walker Books blurb: For Magnolia Moon, magic is a way to solve problems. And when you're starting a new class at school and your best friend doesn't live across the road anymore, problems seem to come easily. In her latest adventure, Magnolia Moon invents everyday magic to help her navigate the pitfalls of friendship, school, family, and being ten. A lyrical and imaginative tale which highlights everyday wonders through Magnolia's curious and observant nature. This magical adventure follows on from The Secrets of Magnolia Moon, but can also be read as a standalone. Presented in sumptuous hardback, an ideal gift for imaginative young readers. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Sara Pennypacker.
Ghostcloud by Michael Mann (debut novel) 330+ pages
Publisher blurb (Hachette/Hodder): A riveting, magical adventure set deep underneath a richly reimagined London, Ghostcloud follows the adventure of twelve-year-old Luke when he meets Alma - a girl who is a ghostcloud - and teaches him to ride the clouds high above the city. Twelve-year-old Luke Smith-Sharma shovels coal under a half-bombed, blackened power station. With his best friend Ravi he keeps his head down, hoping to one day earn his freedom and return to his family, while avoiding the wrath of the evil Tabatha Margate. When he tries to help new girl Jess, Luke is punished and sent to clean the sewers of the haunted East Wing, a place from which few return. Whilst serving his punishment, Luke realises he can see things others can't in the power station: ghostly things. He befriends a ghost-girl called Alma, who can ride clouds through the night sky and bend their shape to her will. But when Luke discovers the terrible truth of why Tabatha Margate is kidnapping children and forcing them to work in the power station, Alma agrees to help him and his friends escape. Will Alma convince the ghost council to help their cause? And can Luke find his voice, while trying to find a way home?
Medusa by Jessie Burton illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill 200+ pages Young Adult title
Due for release November, 2021
I have put two covers above - the Advance Reader copy cover (which I really like) and the cover you will see in stores.
Publisher blurb Bloomsbury: A dazzling, feminist retelling of Greek myth from the internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturist, stunningly illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill. Exiled to a far-flung island by the whims of the gods, Medusa has little company except the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. But when a charmed, beautiful boy called Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is disrupted with the force of a supernova, unleashing desire, love and betrayal…Filled with glorious full-colour illustrations by award-winning Olivia Lomenech Gill, this astonishing retelling of Greek myth is perfect for readers of Circe and The Silence of the Girls. Illuminating the girl behind the legend, it brings alive Medusa for a new generation.
Picture books on my reading pile:
I collect picture books by Bob Graham and this is one I did not have.
How the Sun got to Coco's House by Bob Graham (here is my review)
Blurb from Walker Books: While Coco sleeps far away, the sun rises up behind a snowy peak and casts its mellow dawn light for the wandering polar bears. It skims across the icy water, touching a fisherman's hat and catching for a moment in the eye of a whale. The sun races through the countryside, greeting snow cats and bears. High over a desert it meets the rain in a halo of colours... The sun leaps whole countries, chasing the night, before bursting at last in a fanfare of warm golden light through Coco's window!
In a few weeks I have been asked to talk about International picture books following on from two previous presentations on this topic. I have placed an order for a few additional titles and three arrived this week:
Over the Rooftops under the Moon by Jon Arno Lawson illustrated by Nahid Kazemi
Here is the Kirkus review. Nahid Kazemi was born in Iran and now lives in Montreal. Jon Arno Lawson is best known for his wonderful book Footpath Flowers or Sidewalk Flowers depending where you live.
Jacket blurb: "You can be far away inside, and far away outside.' So begins an unusual bird's journey to self-understanding. Sometimes, even without visible change on the outside, everything can feel different inside. But it is these imperceptible changes that are so often at the heart of who we become."
Refugees by Brian Bilston illustrated by Jose Sanabria
The end papers of this book are utterly amazing. So much symbolism in two images. I loved the cover of this book which I saw when I was researching Jose Sanabria. The format of this book is similar to Room on our Rock by Kate and Jol Temple (Australia) but for a much more mature audience.
Google Books blurb: Refugees is a book of two voices. The first one sees the people fleeing from war and persecution and asks, "Why here? Why my country?" It is a feeling many people share. It is one of fear and suspicion. But when you read the text the opposite way, a new voice emerges. It says, "Why not make them welcome?
Middle and Senior Primary novels purchased.
I recently WON a very generous Book Voucher to use at Beachside Bookshop by entering a competition from Kids_Books_we_Love. Here is their Instagram link and their blog. Here are the books I picked up today:
Mina and the whole wide world by Sherryl Clark
I am a huge fan of verse novels, and have read many by Australian author Sherryl Clark to classes in my library such as Farm Kid; Runaways; and Motormouth.
Publisher blurb UQP: Mina wants her own bedroom more than anything else in the whole wide world. And it’s almost ready! Just one more lick of sunny yellow paint and it’s hers. But when Mina's parents take in an unexpected guest, they give her room away. At first, Mina is too upset to speak. She doesn’t care that this new boy, Azzami, needs a place to stay. At school, the other kids call Azzami names, and Mina wishes he’d stand up for himself. Then she sees his drawings, and for the first time really thinks about the life of the quiet boy in front of her. Here is a story about finding friendship where you least expect it and making room for everyone across this big wide world.
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo illustrated by Sophie Blackall
I have read every Kate DiCamillo book. I adore her writing. This book has been on my list ever since Kate DiCamillo first mentioned it was coming soon. It arrived in Australia this week and as a bonus this is a scrumptious hard cover book with a dust jacket, art by Sophie Blackall and golden end papers decorated with seahorses. I can hardly wait to begin this reading adventure.
Publisher blurb Penguin Random House: In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood, and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret, one that imperils them all—for the king of the land seeks just such a girl, and Brother Edik, who penned the prophecy himself, knows why. And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories—powerful tales-within-the-tale of queens and kings, mermaids and wolves—ventures into a dark wood in search of the castle of one who wishes her dead. But Beatryce knows that, should she lose her way, those who love her—a wild-eyed monk, a man who had once been king, a boy with a terrible sword, and a goat with a head as hard as stone—will never give up searching for her, and to know this is to know everything. With its timeless themes, unforgettable cast, and magical medieval setting, Kate DiCamillo’s lyrical tale, paired with resonant black-and-white illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall, is a true collaboration between masters.
Egg Marks the Spot by Amy Timberlake illustrated by Jon Klassen
This is also a scrumptious hard cover book with a dust jacket and end papers which you will love.
Having read Skunk and Badger back in 2020 I always planned to read the sequel.
Publisher blurb Allen and Unwin: Buried in the heart of every animal is a secret treasure. For rock scientist Badger, it's the Spider Eye Agate he found as a cub, stolen years ago by his crafty cousin, Fisher. For Badger's roommate, Skunk, the treasure is Sundays with the New Yak Times Book Review. When an old acquaintance, Mr. G. Hedgehog, announces his plan to come for the Book Review as soon as it thumps on the doorstep, Skunk decides an adventure will solve Badger's problems as well as his own. Surprisingly, Badger agrees. Together they set off on an agate-finding expedition at Badger's favourite spot on Endless Lake. But all is not as it seems at Campsite #5. Fisher appears unexpectedly. Then a chicken arrives who seems intent on staying. Something is up! Indeed! Secrets, betrayals, lies … and a luminous, late-Jurassic prize.
Pony by RJ Palacio
Like most children's literature fans and middle grade readers of the last few years I loved Wonder by RJ Palacio. All of the book reviewers I follow from the US have been raving (yes raving) about Pony. I don't usually spend this much on books for myself but since I had that generous prize money I decided to indulge myself. The hard cover edition of this here in Australia is $27.
Publisher blurb Penguin Random House: When Silas Bird wakes in the dead of night, he watches powerlessly as three strangers take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool . . . who happens to be a ghost. But then a mysterious pony shows up at his door, and Silas knows what he has to do. So begins a perilous journey to find his father - a journey that will connect him with his past, his future, and the unknowable world around him.
The Song of Lewis Carmichael by Sofie Laguna illustrated by Marc McBride
The blue printing intrigues me and flipping through the pages I like the look of the art by Marc McBride.
Publisher blurb Allen and Unwin: Matthew stood on the snowy peak and stared out at the world spread before him. Every picture in his books had been limited by the size of the page, contained within frames. Here, there was no frame. Here, the picture didn't end. Beyond those icy plains, the sea, and beyond the sea, a land that floated on the ice, drifting northwards. Matthew put the binoculars to his eyes and saw valleys and cliffs and rivers all made of snow. Everywhere was white. Matthew has dreamed and read and thought about the North Pole for as long as he can remember. And he has done it secretly. It is a place that cannot be tarnished by the world in which he lives - a world in which he struggles to find answers and make friends, while everything seems to come easily to other children. But one day, a crow called Lewis Carmichael lands at Matthew's window - a crow who believes in Matthew in the most simple and ordinary ways. Soon, the unexpected voyage of a lifetime begins, and it will change everything…
The Middler by Kirsty Applebaum
I didn't buy this one today but I wanted to add it here because I am reading this book right now and seventy pages in I am utterly hooked! I have read two other books by UK author Kirsty Applebaum - Troofriend and The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke.
Publisher blurb Allen and Unwin: The Middler is a gripping story of forbidden friendship, loyalty and betrayal set in a near-future world.'I was special. I was a hero. I lost the best friend I ever had.' Eleven-year-old Maggie lives in Fennis Wick, enclosed and protected from the outside world by a boundary, beyond which the Quiet War rages and the dirty, dangerous wanderers roam. Her brother Jed is an eldest, revered and special. A hero. Her younger brother is Trig - everyone loves Trig. But Maggie's just a middler; invisible and left behind. Then, one hot September day, she meets Una, a hungry wanderer girl in need of help, and everything Maggie has ever known gets turned on its head. Narrated expertly and often hilariously by Maggie, we experience the trials and frustrations of being the forgotten middle child, the child with no voice, even in her own family.
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