The Superpower that Might Matter Most by Richard Glover SMH Spectrum

Reading books to children is good for everyone involved.

I'm giving them a gift.

Later they will also read to themselves, way past bedtime, pretending to be asleep before slipping the light back on and feasting on one, or five, more chapters.

Thank you, Richard Glover, for sharing the joy and importance of reading aloud to your precious grandchildren. This piece, by Richard Glover in the Sydney Morning Herald today (12th July 2025 Subscriber link), is a perfect follow on from another that appeared last Saturday "Is it goodnight for the bedtime story?" by Lauren Ironmonger. (SMH Subscriber link) and from my blog post where I responded to another SMH piece entitled "The Final Chapter". 

If I could make one change to the heading of this SMH Spectrum piece, I would delete the word MIGHT because this does matter and it matters SO much. Sorry for all the shouting.

So, thinking about this topic first off, I am going to share a couple of personal examples from just this week. 

Example one: Lifeline run bookfairs in my area four times each year and I try to attend all of them. I especially love going through all the endless boxes of children's books because I find treasures but even more, I love doing this when I have a purpose. This week my friend needed books for her grandkid's preschool which is in a small, remote, northern NSW town. Easy! I found 35 fantastic picture books for just AUS$1 each. I know lots of these will now be read aloud to kids in the preschool and hopefully, if they have a home lending program, which you find in some preschools, a few of these books might even feature as nighttime read alouds - well that's my dream. It was also wonderful to see so many people at the fair and especially young mothers with tiny children filling up bags and strollers with piles of books.

Second example: Another friend of mine spends one day a week with her great nephew. He recently turned one. When my friend was a child, her dad read aloud every night so it is very natural for the aunt to read to this little fellow AND their house is filled with books AND even better this young fellow has learned one very important word - BOOK. He is so happy when his mum or dad or my friend sit with him on the lounge to read and reread his own favourite books. 

Third example: Another grandmother friend of mine asked her now 21-year-old granddaughter if there was a book she would like. This grandmother is a former bookseller and is a book reviewer and also a children's literature academic. Her house is filled to the brim with books. Her granddaughter asked for a specific book but she didn't remember the title - just the essence of the story - luckily this fragment was enough for her grandmother. The book was located and special memories of reading this book over a decade ago were shared. (If you are curious I have put the cover of this book at the bottom of this post).

Parents - can I just say you are truly missing out on something so easy to do with your child and if you borrow books from a library this a FREE activity and it is something you can do over and over again and you will build a beautiful relationship with your young reading companion and WOW isn't this so much better than screen time. AND this is the kind of activity, reading aloud to your child every day, that can easily fit into your daily routine - surely you have ten minutes to read a picture book. I am going to say that again - surely you have ten minutes to read a book to your child AND this is an activity that can become addictive in absolutely the best sense of that word. 

One of the biggest things I miss from working in my former school library, now that I have retired, is reading aloud to the children (of all ages from 5-12). Just like Richard, I used to love using all the voices in books. This week I talked about or revisited some old books that I read hundreds of times: The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper (Margaret Mahy); Jandy Malone and the Nine O'Clock Tiger (Barbara Bolton); O'Diddy (Joceyln Stevenson); Jeremiah in the Dark Woods (Alan Ahlberg); and of course, my all-time best ever read aloud Chilly Billy (Peter Mayle) and many many more.

I always gift books to new families in the hope that, in these families, reading a book will become a natural part of every day. This week I also talked about the revised book from Megan Daley - Raising Readers - a must read book for all parents.

Here are a few quotes from Richard Glover:

• "Oh my god, I love reading aloud."
• "Who doesn't like reading books to kids?"
• "Fun for me is precisely the phrase I'd use, whether it's the memories of reading to my own children decades ago or reading to those children's children. Often the same books, the pages all torn and tatty."
• (I need to say it is a wonderful thing to see a book all torn and tatty because this is a book that has 'lived' and not lingered on a shelf).
• "What's so good about reading aloud? The child ... is sitting still ... sitting calmy, head leaning on your shoulder, entranced. What's not to love?"
• "Books give you a shortcut into understanding the personality of the child."
• "One of the defining divisions of the future, some say, will be between those who have the concentration span to read a book (and therefore complete other life tasks) and those who need fresh stimulation every few minutes."
• "Together with their parents, I may be helping develop the one superpower that will matter."

I do wish, in a way, that Richard had not cited Toby by Margaret Wild as an example - although of course his piece is personal. I love that he shared an authentic reading experience but this is a book that, as a parent, you do need to read it first just to check that it is okay for your child. I worked with a colleague years ago who lost a family dog who looked just like Toby. She couldn't even pick up this book or put it back on a shelf. 

Richard also mentions (in case you are compiling a list) The Gruffalo (Julia Donaldson); Big Ted (a book based on the television program Play School); and Where the wild things are (Maurice Sendak)

I have been 'banging on" about this topic for years. My blog is called Momotimetoread because I had way too many kindy kids returning books to my school library only to tell me 'mummy or daddy or whoever didn't have time to read it!'  That is heart wrenching and I am going to say something even stronger - not reading to your child is a form of terrible neglect.

POST UPDATE - check out the blog post from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything. Her response reflects her deep thinking and experience with this important topic of reading aloud to children (of all ages). 

Reading with children is precious time, time that you will not get back!

Here are a few recent posts about the importance of reading to children:

• December 10, 2023, Read aloud to your child every day
• July 5, 2025, The Final Chapter SMH Good Weekend Magazine
• November 21, 2019 Reading to preschoolers (part four) and part five
• February 16, 2024, Reading is in the news they say we need a revolution - lets revolt!
• February 7, 2024, 1000 books before school

Read more about Little Blue here

If you find Little Blue why not grab a willow pattern plate to show your child and this book:

Finding books to buy in Sydney

There are terrific bookshops in Sydney that I recommend to parents, keen readers, teachers, Teacher-Librarians. One is Gleebooks - they have a fabulous and extensive book section and knowledgeable staff. The Constant Reader at Crows Nest have a full-sized store for their children's books. Even though the children's corner in their store is very small Abbey's in the city do curate an interesting selection of titles. Better Read than Dead in Newtown run regular events for children based around new books or as a way to meet an author.  If you are looking for books in multiple languages I highly recommend Lost in Books at Fairfield. For collectors Love Vintage Books in Willoughby is a terrific store with a very knowledgeable owner. For people who live in the northern part of Sydney Bookoccino is in Avalon and their bookseller has just won an award. I have only ever looked in the window of The Lindfield Learning Hub but they seem to have an extensive collection. Another charming little store (with a smaller children's section) is the Blues Point Bookshop. Kinokuniya is also an amazing chain bookstore and the one I visit the most often. 

I recently picked up a couple of catalogues filled with new children's books. It is interesting to see the titles that appear in both catalogues and also the ones that are unique. I do wonder how these choices are made. I do hope the are selected on merit and independently and not because of sponsorship by a publisher. I do know a group of our booksellers participate in making the selection for the Kids' Reading Guide:

See inside the catalogue here

See inside the catalogue here

Ruby on the Outside by Nora Raleigh Baskin

And the truth is I’ve never had a real friend. A best friend, not just a condo friend. 

I think, partly it’s because of my secret-keeping. I think the thing about having a best friend is that you don’t have any secrets, at least not from each other. 

Most girls I know, and even boys I know, have one really, really important friend 

that rises above all the others who are just regular friends.

When Ruby was just five years old her mum left her at home alone late at night. Mum has gone with her new husband and stepdad to Ruby to rob a convenience store. Guns were involved, the man fled but mum stayed beside the dying teenager. Jump forward six years and Ruby now lives with her aunt and they make a weekly visit to the prison. Ruby was so young when all this happened, but she has fragments of memory. More than this, though, she deeply misses her mother. She names her aunt Matoo - meaning second mum. Ruby learns it is best to keep all of this a secret, so she lives two lives - Ruby on the outside and Ruby on the inside. Mum will be in prison for 25 years and so Ruby will be aged 31 when she is released.

Ruby works hard to be a 'good student' and to make sense of the world. She has one friend a girl named Kristin but even Ruby knows this girl is not really a true friend. Over the summer Ruby meets Margalit and it seems she might have found that longed for true friend but navigating a friendship is new territory for Ruby and she is terrified she will 'mess it up'. 

I started this book yesterday on a bus trip and completed it this morning. I already knew some of the plot which at first distracted me but then I reached the best plot twist ever! I cannot spoil this but all my worry about Ruby and her precious new friendship evaporated.

Bookseller blurb: Ruby's mom is in prison, and to tell anyone the truth is to risk true friendship in this novel that accurately and sensitively addresses a subject too often overlooked-from the author ofThe Summer Before Boys. Eleven-year-old Ruby Danes is about to start middle school, and only her aunt knows her deepest, darkest, secret: her mother is in prison. Then Margalit Tipps moves into Ruby's condo complex, and the two immediately hit it off. Ruby thinks she's found her first true-blue friend-but can she tell Margalit the truth about her mom? Maybe not. Because it turns out that Margalit's family history seems closely connected to the very event that put her mother in prison, and if Ruby comes clean, she could lose everything she cares about most.

Hopefully your students who read this book will not have had the same experience of weekly visits to a prison or correctional facility or jail but sadly this is a reality for some children. I used to be a Teacher-Librarian in a town with a maximum security jail. There are parts of this story that will break your heart but I promise the ending will help heal it. 

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this heartfelt first person narrative.

We put all our belongings in a locker, showed our IDs. But we still had to go through all the security: the metal detectors, the wand search, the hand stamp, the gated doors, the big black bars, the hand stamp check, the sign-in, more bars, and finally we got to the visitors’ room where we were assigned to a table.

So lying in the dark, I try to smile. I force my mouth to turn up at the corners. I think I am smiling and I wonder what my mother is doing. She is in her cell by now, the steel bars pulled shut and locked. Maybe she is asleep. Maybe she is thinking about me. I try to smile but I feel the wetness leaking out of my eyes and dripping down my cheeks onto my pillow. I miss my mother so much.

I’m sure it’s raining in Bedford Hills, too, and that thought comes into my head but I know if my mother is in her cell, she can’t see it. I wonder if she can hear it. I wonder if there are other ways to know if it’s raining. Can she hear it? Do the COs come into work and talk about the weather? What is it like not to see the sky when you wake up in the morning?

I rack my brain. I consider every possibility for how to live with this terrible truth and not lose my very first, very best friend. For a crazy second, I want to call my mom—which, of course, I know I can’t do—like I used to when I was little. I want her to put her arms around me and make everything all right. Or at least tell me what to do. And then I realize my mother can’t fix anything. Because she’s the one who broke it.

The officer behind the glass stamps my hand with an invisible stamp. Today it is the right hand. Yesterday must have been left. I am not sure why they switch it every day, but I am sure it has something to do with preventing the prisoners from getting out. Or the wrong people from coming in. ... Here there is a little machine that you have to put your hand under and suddenly, there it is, the glowing stamp they just put on your skin. I used to think that was so cool, so magical. Not anymore.

Visitors are not allowed to wear green, but that’s not a problem for me. I’ve made sure I don’t own one green thing. Not a shirt, or a sweater, a sweatshirt, or pants. Not even green socks.

A deeply compassionate exploration of an experience underrepresented in children’s literature but overrepresented in the real world. Kirkus

Australian readers may not be familiar with the game Ruby plays with her friend - carrom. It is a board game. Read more here. Also, you will want to read one of my favourite books - Sarah, Plain and Tall. 

Here are some other books I have read with jail settings:

A Wish in the dark

The Warden's Daughter

Born Behind Bars

All Rise for the Honorable Perry T Cook

From the desk of Zoe Washington (The Faraway Truth)

The Amazing Spencer Gray by Deb Fitzgerald

"It wasn't a decision; there was no choice. 

Spencer was going to have to go and get help himself."

Blurb from the author page: Spencer Gray is twelve — finally old enough to join Dad in his glider. His mates are going to be so jealous! Going up is awesome. Spencer can’t believe they’re actually there; can’t believe he and his dad are flying in an aircraft with no engine high above the earth, the paddocks green and yellow squares below them. Crazy. And, as it turns out, it is. When disaster strikes the glider mid-flight, Spencer will need to be nothing short of amazing.

I was sent a copy of The Amazing Spencer Gray by Fremantle Press. This is not a new book. It was first published in 2013, but it has been reissued with a new cover. It was shortlisted in 2016 for the West Australian Young Readers’ Book Awards. The second book is The Spectacular Spencer Gray (here is the 2017 Reading Time review).

Here is the original cover from 2013. I have talked before about a useful lesson you could plan for your school library where you compare covers such as these and lead a discussion about student preferences and reasons for liking one cover over the other:

I also found this cover which might be the one from the US:

Boys who enjoy adventure stories are the intended audience for this book (ages 9+) but if I was sharing this book in my former school library I would encourage readers to either be prepared to read 74 pages before the action kicks in or if this seems too hard I think it would be okay to jump to chapter 17 and read on from there. The glider accident is probably not going to be a surprise for readers who read the book blurb. Reviewers mention Hatchet (the ultimate plane crash survival story as a similiar title but I am not sure I would link The Amazing Spencer Gray with that classic book which I think better suits an older audience. When I worked in a Canadian High School, Hatchet was a Grade 9 text and amazingly in 1994 the small class of students all took turns to experience flight in a small plane. I am not sure this would happen now.

There are a few chapters towards the end of this book where the action switches back to mum and Spencer's younger sister Pippa. I found these a bit of distraction from the main action of the plane crash and Spencer's need to help his father and also summon help - the big dilemma to stay or go. I also wondered why Spencer did not use the lunch box that mum had sent with sandwiches to collect water but that is just a small niggle.

One more thing - I need to give a fairly serious content warning. On page 110 you will find the word 'spaz'.  In Australia this is a derogatory term that in the past was used to label people who had limited movement similar to people with cerebral palsy. I am sure Deb Fitzgerald did not intend this level of disrespect, but use of this word did somewhat shock me.

Companion books (for readers aged 10+):

 

Swimming against the Storm

Raven's Mountain

The Explorer

I previously enjoyed this book by Deb Fitzpatrick:

At my door

Raising Readers: How to nurture a child's love of books revised edition by Megan Daley

In March 2019 I talked about the first edition of this book Raising Readers by Queensland Teacher-Librarian Megan Daley.

Raising Readers (2019)

Fast forward six years and Megan has revised and updated her book which I see was reprinted in 2022 and 2023. The first edition had 246 pages the new one has 266 pages so clearly there is more content.

Just perusing the table of contents, I can see some of her changes. Chapter 2 Reading and School has been given a fairly big makeover; Chapter 10 in the original edition is now Chapter 4 - Picture Books (Reading the visuals). Her list of genres now includes Narrative Non Fiction. Not surprisingly the chapter entitled Multimodal Reading now has the addition of podcasts (you probably know Megan is part of a team that present a podcast entitled "Your kids next read").

That is all I am going to say as a comparison between the two editions of this important book except to say the booklists contain lots of new titles and many of the expert voices have changed. Here are a few text quotes (different from the ones I shared previously) that resonated with me:

"Books that your child has chosen from the school library are for sharing with a loved adult and are usually a read-aloud experience until your child is reading independently. Even then reading aloud to your child is something I encourage well into the upper primary years and beyond."

"Why anyone would want to leave picture book behind is beyond me. They are works of art and the best way I know to enhance and teach visual literacy. The language in picture books is often complex and the storylines sophisticated and thought-provoking." My words - keep reading picture books to all ages even at a senior high school level - click on my sidebar label Senior Picture Book. And the best picture books are filled with amazing art (illustrations) too.

"Many of us know from anecdotal evidence that sustained and regular reading as well as reading for pleasure, contributes to positive academic outcomes. ... We want young people to be highly literate and critical consumers of words; from the novels they read to environmental signage on the streets to marketing images and the analysis required for understanding of complex ethical issues."

"Narrative non-fiction is particularly well-suited for children because it taps into their natural curiosity and love for stories and it can make complex subjects more accessible."

"Readers require sustained concentration to read and make meaning from literature. They need time to reflect and appreciate the nuances in language; we might call this deep reading, or slow reading or mindful reading ... Many readers have experienced times when they suddenly realise they have lost many hours in a good book having been in a state of 'flow'. Megan concludes chapter 12 with a short list of books that encourage mindful practices. (My friend has over 180 books to read if you are exploring mindfulness). 

Megan talks over a few pages about Wordless Books. IBBY celebrate these with fabulous collections which are used with refugee children on the island of Lampedusa. Read more here and take a look at my Pinterest which is always expanding (sorry to confuse you with a different term IBBY call these 'Silent Books' even though we know they are far from silent!

If you own this book (or the earlier edition) make a copy of pages 4-5 (new edition) and include that copy if you are gifting books to a family with a new baby. 

Thanks to University of Queensland Press (UQP) for sending me an advance copy of Raising Readers. When you click the publisher link you can read an extract from Raising Readers and also see some past review comments.  The new edition will be published at the end of July 2025. If you need a gift for a family or to celebrate the arrival of a new baby grab this book to add to your gift. If your library has the first edition of Raising Readers consider updating to the new edition. If you have not seen the earlier edition quickly add this new book to your own book wish list. This, as I said in my previous post, is an easy book to read with practical ideas for your school library and for your home.

You might like to visit a previous post of mine from last week which is a further exploration of some issues raised in Megan Daley's Book - The Final Chapter.

CBCA Tasmania (Used with permission)

Into the Bewilderness by Gus Gordon

"Maybe we're missing out on something here in the woods? What if there's something else out there? Beyond the trees. Beyond the horizon, where the sun goes down into the ground for the night and the moon is released from the big box in the sky."

"One cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."

Don't you just love that word in the title - Bewiderness - your young reading companion might anticipate that the two characters on the cover are bewildered and that they are either IN or travelling TO the wilderness.

Blurb from author webpage: In the Bewilderness, life is good. Best friends Luis (the large furry one) and Pablo (the small furry one) spend their days wandering through nature, playing songs on the guitar, and eating Slow Joe McNally’s pinecone porridge with their neighbors. When dreamer Luis receives an unexpected invitation to attend a performance of The Weary Mermaid in the big, bustling city, he finds it hard to ignore the allure of the bright lights. Luckily, he doesn’t have to go it alone—and it’s a good thing, because it’s a long journey through the Bewilderness, and Luis has many questions. Will they meet laser-eyed gargoyles, zombie chickens, or tyrannical cow rulers? Will they get there on time? Why is quicksand so slow if it’s called quicksand? Thankfully, with his grumpy but loyal best friend by his side, they’ll soon find out. ... Or will they?

This is a story of two unlikely friends - a bear and a mole. It is a 'grass is greener' story and it is also a tale of true friendship. If you are sharing this book with a young group of students, you could perhaps also look at some versions of Town Mouse and Country Mouse. As is often the way with unlikely friends stories this pair have contrasting personalities. Pablo is slightly cynical and verbose while Luis is naïve about the world especially the world beyond their woods. In another way this story also has deeper themes about our need for cultural experiences, rich lives and perhaps even deeper - it could be about the meaning of life itself - but maybe I am getting too carried away. 

Gus Gordon has included such a rich vocabulary in this book - mostly spoken by Pablo. 

sophistication backwater; behemoth; wayward; disoriented; rabid; ravenous winged creatures; repressed society; wanderlust; preordained; elegant chaos; immeasurable; and manifestation of intellectual achievement. So, this graphic novel and the tone of the humour will suit readers aged 9 or 10+.

It is fun the way the pair of friends 'rib' each other with their ascribed nicknames of Furball and Turnip. I also enjoyed the wordless pages - a chance to slow down and just see their world.

"Well Furball, we're off to see what the Big City has to offer. Will it be a vast wealth of culture and energy or a bottomless pit of despair?' 'There could be pretty lights ...!' 'That hide a broken-down society crippled by expectations of grandeur."

The Kirkus review of Into the Bewilderness is so insightful. The reviewer likens Pablo and Luis to Laurel and Hardy and I learned a new word for their friend Ray who is perhaps a yeti or a bigfoot. Kirkus use the word cryptid. Cryptid: an animal (such as Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster) that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist.

Appealing, colorful artwork complements the philosophical, character-driven plot, including stunning two-page spreads that showcase the wonder of the woods and a sparkling night sky. With gentle humor, the author explores themes of curiosity, friendship, and the value of different perspectives. School Library Journal

This is a delightful and wacky graphic novel that will have adventurous spirits of all ages smiling as they follow this charming pair. The book doesn’t talk down to readers, containing impressive vocabulary and concepts that work on a number of levels. It’s a gorgeous little hardback and an absolute joy for ages 9+. Readings Melbourne

Here is the US cover with some tiny changes - I wonder why? The endorsement is from Sergio Ruzza - I do love his books (see them at the bottom of this post).

I read Into the Bewilderness in one huge gulp. It took me just over an hour to devour the 180 pages. I laughed and I gasped - there are two gasp-worthy scenes in this story. Gus Gordon is the author and illustrator of over 80 books, and he should be very proud of his first graphic novel which I know took many hours to create. You can see his work in progress on Instagram.

One of my favourite moments is when Pablo and Luis arrive in the Big City. They are hungry. Luis would like a tuna fish sandwich and Pablo would like some pecan pie. Turn the page and we see them standing outside a business named Tuna Fish Sandwich and Pecan Pie Restaurant - perfect!

You can see inside Into the Bewilderness here. 

Joy Lawn interviewed Gus Gordon and asked him about his book - here are a few quotes by Gus from her blog Paperbark Words:

This bear and mole deserved a larger story. So, I decided to sit down and write one chapter, and see where it led me. I did a lot of research, looking at other graphic novels, from here and abroad. I really hadn’t looked at many before, but I must admit that it felt familiar, in a sense, and once I began to flesh out the story, things kind of fell into place.

The wonderful thing about the graphic novel format is that it’s incredibly versatile. As long as the story is progressing, it doesn’t matter how you tell it visually. It embraces almost all the elements of storytelling. Much like a picture book, you can use the page space to breathe, and slow the pace down, not a single panel in sight. Perhaps a bird slowly making its way down over the forest below for pages and pages. Or, conversely, you can use multiple vignettes to speed the story up.

Home is always a powerful notion in stories, and it features heavily in Into the Bewilderness, as I mentioned earlier. A familiar theme that has been pointed out to me from readers, as a recurring feature of my stories over the years, is the theme of loneliness. That in the end we are alone in this world, and despite the undeniable importance of family and friends, it’s up to us to make the most of our short lives. 

When the pair of friends travel to the city to see a show I thought of this wonderful book:

And the expression of true friendship and an adventure in a big city (Gus says he was thinking of Detroit but I thought of New York) reminded me of this special book also by Gus Gordon:

Herman and Rosie

These are books by Sergio Ruzzier - he did the endorsement on the US cover of Into the Bewilderness.

Read more here.

Sonny and Tess by Nova Weetman

Publisher blurb: It’s the end of year 7 and Tess wants a summer job. She’s keen to earn her own money and buy her own clothes. But her mum has other ideas: it looks like Tess will be stuck at home babysitting her twin brothers. Thirteen-year-old Sonny is tired of moving around. With his dad up north, he’s staying with his uncle and aunt above their fish and chip shop. And it just so happens his uncle is hiring extra staff for the holidays. When Sonny and Tess crash into each other outside the shop, sparks and dim sims fly. Soon they’re both wondering if the other feels the same way – but, as Sonny loves to say, it’s complicated. Over hot chips and chicken salt, can these two work out what they really want?

This is a sweet story of first love set in a fish and chip shop. All three main characters have complex things going on in their lives as is often the way with Middle Grade and Junior Young Adult books.

1. Sonny (Samson) - his mum abruptly left the family a number of years ago. Dad won't talk about mum and Dad is often absent because he is a geologist who takes up work in remote locations. Sonny has changed schools too many times and he is confused about his relationship with his dad.

2. Tess (Theresa) - lives in a busy family. Mum and Dad have frantic jobs and Tess has younger twin siblings. Tess is often expected to stay home and 'babysit' this pair of wild kids. Tess wants some independence and that's why she secretly takes on a job at the fish and chip shop even though she knows her mum will go 'ballistic'.  

3. Tin and Sonny met at Kinder but then he moved away. He now lives near the fish and chip shop and so Sonny and Tin easily reconnect. Tin's dad was injured at work and so he just sits in a chair all day at home with the television on. Tin is a good friend to Sonny but equally Sonny understands things are difficult for Tin. 

Sonny especially shows a level of emotional intelligence beyond his years and I really enjoyed getting to know him through this story. I would put this book into a high school library but it could be enjoyed by readers aged 11+ as the publisher suggests. Thanks to UQP for my review copy. There are very detailed teachers notes and a book extract also on their web page. This book was released this week on 1st July. 

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"My primary school years were interrupted with trips for dad's work, so I was always stepping in and out of friendships. It's left me lacking confidence in some ways. Which is why I've decided to return to school so late in the year. I figure it's better to slide in at the tail end of the year when nobody is aware of the new guy."

"And without thinking I reach out and touch her hand, and she doesn't move hers away. Her skin is warm but I pull back because I am not sure what I'm doing."

There are a couple of other minor characters in the story Sonny's aunt and uncle - Marion and Frank.  I would love to meet Marion and thank her for her kindness and gentle care of Sonny. She treats him with such wisdom - never crowding or imposing her own views and she shows her love of this young boy in such a beautiful and heartfelt way. And in his own way Frank deeply cares about Sonny too. I loved their sparing over music on the radio.

"Frank has called me boy for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I tease him that he's forgotten my name, buy I learnt ages ago that it's just his way of showing affection. I asked him once why he chose boy as my nickname, and he said he grew up eating Sunnyboy icypoles after school - the joy of finding free stamped inside the packet has never left him. They don't make Sunnyboys now, but that doesn't stop Frank romanticising them. He's stitched together with nostalgia".

We also meet Jemma who is Tessa's school friend. I was worried when this pair had a serious argument that would be the end of their relationship - thank you Nova Weetman for the scene on pages 175-178.

This is a charming, character-driven story with refreshingly little high-stakes drama. There is emotional complexity in the way of family frustrations and challenges to friendships, but all are ultimately resolved with maturity and compromise, showcasing productive examples of conflict resolution, without being didactic. The adults are relatable, the young people feel authentic, and the first-job-first-crush set up is beautifully age appropriate for readers 11+. You’ll close the book feeling warm all over, and hungry for hot chips! StoryLinks

I really enjoy books with alternating voices - here are a few I have read recently:

Not Nothing

The Last Apple Tree

Greetings from Nowhere

I previously talked about these books by Melbourne author Nova Weetman:

The Jammer

Sick Bay

The Secrets we Keep

New books coming soon

I collect books by Bob Graham and so I am thrilled to see he has a new book coming out 1st September 2025. I almost need a new set of bookshelves to hold all his titles.

Blurb: At the end of a dark and lonely street sits a little house that glows from within. Look through the window, and you might see the Andersons… Mum, Dad, Milly, Sonny, Jonas, and of course Maggie the dog! And don’t forget Grandad – with music in his fingers and magic under his hat. No, really! The children aren’t sure if they believe their Grandad’s fantastical tales – “Oh, Grandad! You’re joking!” they cry. But they really won’t believe what happens when Grandad slowly takes off his hat… From this warm and loving house at the end of the street, dreams take flight and light the way to a brighter tomorrow. A heartfelt tale of hope and love, perfect for children and grandparents to share together, written and illustrated by master storyteller Bob Graham.

I was given a very generous book voucher recently for a mainstream chain bookstore. I know this sounds crazy but I am sightly worried about how I am going to spend this. Luckily, I do have three years but when I enter this particular store I mostly walk out empty handed - and that is a rare thing with me and a bookshop! So I need to compile a list of books that MIGHT be available from this store - their rules say I have to spend the voucher in person, not online, and I am not sure if they would be prepared to order in titles for me from the US or UK. My "Want to read" picture book Pinterest collection has 1800 titles and my "Middle Grade to read" has 340 titles. I have some of the books on both lists. 

Today I checked a different online bookseller and using filters I found some new books that will arrive here in Australia over the next three months. With my money I can probably buy around 8 books so I seem to have a found a few I might buy.

The Enchantment of Golden Eagle was published 1st July 2025 Margaret Wild is the author of over 80 books (I could not find the exact number). She previously teamed up with Stephen Michael King for the books Piglet and Papa; Piglet and Mama; and The pocket dogs (and sequels). 

Blurb: One day, Ella and her little brother Leif found a fledgling with a broken wing. They took him home, wrapped and fed him, and watched over him for seven days and seven nights. In time Golden Eagle was well enough to fly away, but he loved the children, so he promised to stay with them at the edge of the dark forest. Until one day, the wind whispered and the breeze caressed his feathers, and Golden Eagle forgot his promise ...

I am a massive fan of Sophie Blackall. Her lighthouse book is one of my most treasured titles and I am so excited she has done the art for the new Kate diCamillo book. If we were dogs is the companion text to If I was a horse. If we were Dogs will be published on 26th August 2025.

Blurb: If we were dogs, what kind would we be? I'd be a big dog! And you'd be a little dog.Woof!

Join two friends as they bark and growl, woof and howl - and maybe even quack - in a romp that makes room for everybody's ideas. Sophie Blackall unleashes an exuberant game of pretend that explores navigating friendship and celebrates boundless imagination.

This is the third Norendy Tale. I previously loved The Puppets of Spellhorst illustrated by Julie Morstad  and The Hotel Balzaar illustrated by Julia Sarda    Lost Evangeline will be released here in Australia on 27th October, 2025.

Blurb: When a shoemaker discovers a tiny girl (as small as a mouse!) in his shop, he takes her in, names her Evangeline, and raises her as his own. The shoemaker’s wife, however, fears that Evangeline has bewitched her husband, so when an opportunity arises to rid herself of the girl, she takes it. Evangeline finds herself far from her adopted father and her home, a tiny girl lost in the wide world. But she is brave, and she is resourceful, and with the help of those she meets on her journey—including a disdainful and self-satisfied cat—she may just find her way again. Return to the magical land of Norendy in this third original fairy tale by renowned storyteller Kate DiCamillo, perfect for savoring alone or for reading aloud with someone you love. Graced with exquisite black-and-white illustrations by Sophie Blackall, this timeless story of a girl and her father will make you believe in the impossible.

Zeno Sworder won our CBCA Picture Book of the Year award in 2023 (I was a judge) and now we have his newest book which I am sure will be a multi layered story with fantastic illustrations. Take a sneak peek on the publisher page (Thames and Hudson). There will be a Melbourne launch of this book on 7th September at Readings Carlton. 

From Zeno: This is a book where the tree is the protagonist and hero. As we all tumble towards an increasingly digital, atomised and urbanised world I wanted to make a story about the natural world that touches on ideas of interdependence, metamorphosis and impermanence. Trees make all of our lives possible but they are often absent from stories because we tend to only care and feel for characters that are like us. This story aims to bring trees alive for young people by telling an imaginative story rooted in recent scientific discoveries about the social lives of trees and their abilities to communicate, learn and feel. The story covers the entire span of an individual tree's life and the intimate relationships it shares with the forest and the creatures that it nourishes and houses.

Due for release in Australia on 25th August 2025. I do hope you have seen other books illustrated by Marc Martin such as A River and Every child a Song. I am so lucky to have a limited edition print of one of his illustrations from Max.

Publisher blurb: As the sun slowly rises, many things happen in a small window of time. The world comes alive with the actions of animals, plants, clouds, and sky. A deer drinks, an owl wakes, a dandelion shimmers in the light. A ladybug climbs, a fish jumps, birds call in a chorus. Geese fly away in formation. A flower blooms. Beautifully illustrated with glowing imagery and written with a charming simplicity holding appeal for new readers, Marc Martin’s ode to the slow-blooming beauty of a sunrise and the life that unfolds in its radiance narrows the lens to show the wonder of time passing.

Publisher blurb: When Mommy Boar sends her little snufflebugs to explore the forest for the first time, she cautions them to stick together. After all, the Big Bad Wolf could be near! But Hogbert’s keen nose has other ideas, and after following a trail too far, he finds himself trembling alone in fear. What’s that rustling in the leaves? Just a little red squirrel on her way to visit her sick granny! What’s that growl coming through the trees? Just a snoring white doe who took a bite of an apple that made her sleepy! With each temporarily scary encounter, Hogbert finds that the world is a less frightening place, and that the same sense of smell that led him into trouble may just lead them all out of it again.

Sydney Smith is the 2024 winner of the Hans Christian Andersen award. I am excited to see him again. He was a keynote speaker at the IBBY Congress in Trieste and he will be a speaker at the next IBBY Congress in Ottawa. I would love to own every book he has illustrated. Island Storm will be released in Australia on 29th September 2025.

Publisher blurb: Can you tell when a storm is coming? Can you feel the wind coming and growing? Do you hear the branches bouncing together, hear the whispers of the wind through the leaves? Join in the journey as two siblings bear witness to the steady start, thrilling apex, and gentle end of this island storm. They’ll shelter soon, but first they want to feel it all.  

Look at this combination - Katrina Nannestad and Freya Blackwood. I do have a great collection of Christmas stories but I am very keen to see this one when it is released on 30th September 2025.

Blurb: Netta the donkey loves to sing with her friends, Esther the sheep and Uzi the camel. They frolic around town from dawn till dusk, braying, bleating and gurgling. But sadly, not everyone likes to listen. Netta falls silent until something so wondrous happens that her song bursts forth once more.

This was published in March in the US. It has not yet come to Australia but I hope I can buy it somewhere. This is not a picture book - it is a junior novel (272 pages) but with illustrations by the fabulous Fan Brothers. The hardcover is expensive but perhaps one day a paperback will be issued. Here is the Kirkus review. 

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

I am in love with this cover and I am such a fan of heartwarming stories about dogs. I am excited to see this is available at Abbeys bookstore in the city so I will head in there next week!

Blurb: Ten-year-old Rhys really loves dogs. When he finds a lost black Labrador with big conker eyes and ears like soft velvet, he can’t quite believe his luck. Nobody comes forward to claim Worthington, giving Rhys the perfect opportunity to prove he’s a good owner. But when Rhys moves to London to live with his estranged dad who hates dogs, Rhys decides to keep Worthington secret. Struggling to connect with his dad in a new city, Rhys takes comfort in Worthington. But he soon discovers that looking after a secret dog is anything but easy, and he knows that before long he’ll have to confront his fears and find a way to tell Dad…