Act of Faith by Kelly Gardiner

Act of Faith is a book about books, about freedom, and about friendship. It’s an adventure story set in an era when ideas were dangerous and many books were banned: 

when an educated young woman was not only unusual but sometimes feared. 

A novel for young adults, it traces the story of Isabella Hawkins as she travels across Europe in search of a place where writers are free to publish, women are able to work, 

and people are free to dream.

Publisher blurb: A story of faith, intrigue and adventure in 17th-century Europe. Ages 14+

When ideas were dangerous, one girl found the courage to act. England, 1640. Sixteen-year-old Isabella is forced to flee her home when her father's radical ideas lead him into a suicidal stand against Oliver Cromwell's army. taking refuge in Amsterdam and desperate to find a means to survive, Isabella finds work with an elderly printer, Master de Aquila, and his enigmatic young assistant, Willem. When Master de Aquila travels to Venice to find a publisher brave enough to print his daring new book, Isabella accompanies him and discovers a world of possibility - where women work alongside men as equal partners, and where books and beliefs are treasured. But in a continent torn apart by religious intolerance, constant danger lurks for those who don't watch their words. And when the agents of the Spanish Inquisition kidnap de Aquila to stop him printing his book, Isabella and Willem become reluctant allies in a daring chase across Europe to rescue him from certain death.

Act of Faith was published in 2011 but it is still available. Here is an interview with the author about the inspiration for her book. You can read a sample of this book on the publisher page. This timeline will help you identify the major historical events that link to the setting of this book. Here are some very detailed teachers notes and discussion questions. 

Read this review for a very detailed account of the plot. 

Awards

• Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Australian Book 2012.
• Highly commended, Australian Society of Authors’ Barbara Jefferis Awards 2012
• Shortlist, 2012 Gold Inky Award
• Shortlist, Ethel Turner Prize, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

The cover of this book caught my eye as I was assisting with a library stocktake (inventory) in a local school. This is not really a book for readers in a Primary School - it will better suit Young Adult readers aged 13+ mainly because it covers a complex period of world history around 1640; the print is very small; and there are some graphic details of executions. 

Here is the sequel from 2013

Bookseller blurb for The Sultan's Eyes: It’s 1648, and Isabella has made a home for herself in Venice, safe from the clutches of the Inquisition. She, her friend Willem, and their mentor, the irascible Signora Contarini, work together as printers and publishers. Their publishing house is famous throughout Europe for one title: The Sum of All Knowledge, a revolutionary book of history and philosophy that has brought them - yet again - to the attention of the authorities. Then Isabella’s nemesis, Fra Clement, is appointed Inquisitor in Venice, and vows to stamp out heretical printing. Isabella knows she will no longer be safe in the city, and, guided by their learned cartographer Al-Qasim, the three friends make their escape to the one place they feel sure Fra Clement will never follow: the fabled city of Constantinople, now ruled by the Ottoman Empire. 

They are greeted as esteemed guests, in a city where beautiful books are still written and illustrated by hand, and mechanised printing is frowned upon. Isabella and Signora Contarini are welcomed into the royal household, ruled by the all-powerful Queen Mother, Kösem, in the name of her grandson, the child-Sultan Mehmet IV, who lives in the Palace’s legendary Golden Cage. Isabella quickly becomes friends with the boy king and his elder sister and acts as Mehmet’s eyes: she reads to him and teaches them both the languages of antiquity and of Europe. Engrossed in her duties, she doesn’t at first notice that Willem is besotted with a young slave girl called Suraiya - or that Signora Contarini and Al-Qasim are involved in an underground movement to bring the printing press to the Ottoman Empire. And none of them notice the mysterious foreigners who follow their every move. For the famous Sultanate of Women is far from serene. Court politics and an impending war with Europe place Isabella and her friends in danger - from forces within the Golden Cage, and beyond.

Adult readers who enjoyed The Dictionary of Lost Words might also enjoy Act of Faith.

I am Wishing Every Minute for Christmas by Lauren Child

"I have this little sister Lola. She is small and very funny. If Lola even thinks about Christmas she can't sit still on her chair. If you breathe the word Christmas she hops up and down. If you say 'Christmas is coming' she just runs round and round."

Lola is desperate for the arrival of Christmas. She absolutely cannot wait. But it is only September. Her brother knows Christmas is a long way off but Lola has no sense of time and she simply cannot wait! Time is such an abstract concept plus there is absolutely no point in expecting Lola to be PATIENT.

Charlie has a great idea. If he can keep Lola busy with Christmas tasks the time will pass more quickly. They make Christmas lists; write Christmas cards (to everyone including Soren Lorensen Lola's imaginary friend); create decorations like paper chains and stars; then comes the decorating of the tree; and the making of an advent calendar. 

"Behind each door is a picture, if there are skates we'll go skating ..."

A new Charlie and Lola book and a new Christmas book and today is Christmas Day! Here is an interview with Lauren Child about this book which is a celebration of 25 years of Charlie and Lola. We were so lucky here in Sydney when Lauren Child spoke at our Sydney Writers Festival. 

Merry Happy Yummy Christmas to everyone. Perhaps Santa left this book under YOUR tree. 

And after Christmas you should head out to your local library to borrow and read lots more Charlie and Lola books:

Book 1: I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (2000) 

Book 2: I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed (2001) 

Book 3: I Am Too Absolutely Small For School (2003) 

Book 4: I Completely Love Winter (2005)

Book 5: But Excuse Me, That Is My Book (2006)

Book 6: We Honestly Can Look After Your Dog (2006) 

Book 7: Whoops! But It Wasn't Me!  (2007)

Book 8: I’m Really Ever So Not Well (2008)

Book 9: Say Cheese (2008)

Book 10: Slightly Invisible (2010)

Book 11: This is Actually My Party (2011) 

Book 12: Look After Your Planet (2011)

Book 13: We Completely Must Go to London (2012)

Book 14: I Completely Know About Guinea Pigs (2012)

Book 15: I Will Especially Be Very Careful (2012)

Book 16: Sizzles, where are You? (2013)

Book 17: I Absolutely Love Animals 2013

Book 18: Snow Is My Favourite and My Best (2014) 

Book 19: My Best, Best Friend (2014)

Book 20: One Thing (2015)

Book 21: A Dog with Nice Ears (2018)

Plus others.

A Song for the King by Katrina Nannestad illustrated by Freya Blackwood

Day Twelve 12 Christmas Donkeys

"Oh, how Netta loved to sing. 

From dawn to dusk. 

In villas and vineyards. 

In stables and streets. 

In taverns and tents. 

In markets and meadows. 

And from the top of the hill that overlooked the town."

Publisher 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.

Reviews:

This is a heart-warming story that will gladden the hearts of those who read it or listen to it. I loved how the narrative vividly described what was happening with the animals and how enthusiastic they are about singing and how despondent they are when they are taken to market. Blackwood’s soft water colour illustrations complement the text. The three baby animals are the focus of the story and I loved their expressions, the enjoyment they had in singing and working together. The illustrations also brought the countryside, the people and the markets to life, while adding depth with tiny details like chickens flying and a gorgeous little cat curled up on the stable. Read Plus

A book filled with love and joy to share at any time of the year. Story Links

I have talked about nearly every book by Katrina Nannestad on this blog - click on the label for this post. Read more about Freya Blackwood (our IBBY Australia honour book recipient for Banjo and Ruby Red and her book features in the IBBY Silent Books collections). Freya generously donated a postcard sized art work for our recent IBBY Australia mini masterpiece art auction - and YES I am now the proud owner.

The Keeper of the Octopus by Neridah McMullin

"Every child in the village grew up hearing the tale. It was folklore. A long time ago a shark attacked a Portablow fishing boat as a it sailed up the river with its catch. A giant octopus who lived at the river mouth fought with the shark, saving the fisherfolk and their livelihood. And from then on, an octopus had always lived at the river mouth to protect the fisherfolk from sharks. At least that was the story."

Pippy lives with her elderly great uncle. She desperately misses her mother who has died recently and also longs to talk to her father, but he has headed away to sea and has been gone for nine months. It is clear Uncle Isaac who is caring for her now, is suffering from memory loss. It has begun to feel dangerous to sail with him, but Pippy needs to do this because Uncle Isaac, like all the people in this village, rely on fishing for their income.

The village is near a cove and decades ago there was a problem with shark attacks. Pippy is sure this is not the fault of the sharks but rather a symptom of things being out of balance. There has always been the story about an octopus but surely this is just a folktale. Young Pippy discovers it is her own mother who has been the Keeper of the Octopus but now that her mother is gone destiny determines Pippy herself must now feed, care for, and learn to communicate with Octavia. Uncle Isaac gives Pippy a special talisman, a stone that she wears around her neck. It glows and helps her know when Octavia is near. She also has the diary written by generations of her ancestors which tells her how to care for and recognise the moods of the octopus. 

Then three brothers arrive in the village. They appear at first to be fishermen but then they bring back an enormous catch with all sorts of precious sea creatures - way more than the town could ever need. Pippy knows this is a wrong and dangerous practice and then she hears one of the men talking about Octavia and so she knows this will be a race against time to keep Octavia safe and to convince the town authorities that the Calamary brothers are dangerous. 

As with all great stories there were moments in this book when I gasped, when I cheered, and when I sighed. One special character, apart from young Pippy who is wise beyond her years, is her friend Wally.

"Wally had been born with a deformed foot, a foot that turned inwards and downwards, worsening as he grew older, which meant he couldn't walk very fast nor go very far. Teased at school because of his limp, Wally stuttered a little when he spoke. He never said much. But he was a child who noticed things, small things."

And there is an element of magical realism because Pippy and her uncle live with a family brownie named Ferg. He tends to the house and the cooking. I loved his way of talking he always addresses her by saying - Pippy Cocklebiddy, daughter of Claudine and he uses words like bairn, Mither, orright, and nowt. He reminded me a little of Dobbie from the Harry Potter series. 

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"There were masses of bluefin tuna, black bream, tommy ruff and kingfish; hundreds of snapper, flathead, silver perch, and graylings; and many smaller good eating fish such as garfish, whiting, salmon and trevally. There were even parrot fish, which Pippy thought was odd because everyone knew they were inedible. Portablow fishers always tossed them back into the sea. The brother hauled even more baskets onto the wharf, tipping out dozens of sharks, Bronze whalers, and even a huge basking shark ... It was beautiful but its bright blue eyes quickly faded to a dull grey, dead colour."

"Pippy felt heavy with sadness. Uncle Isaac's memory was getting worse. He'd just put both their lives in terrible danger. It was as if his brain was erasing everything he'd ever known, including her, and that was what hurt the most. She had to do more to help him, more to look after him, but she wasn't sure how much more she could do unless she was with him for every minute of every day."

This book is certain to be a 2026 CBCA Notable title in the Younger Readers category. Here is the web page for Neridah McMullin. Here is a link to some detailed Teachers Notes.  I have previously talked about Eat my Dust; Drover; Tearaway coach; Fabish the horse that braved a Bushfire; and Evie and Rhino. 

Publisher blurb for The Keeper of the Octopus: Since her father sailed away, Uncle Isaac is the only family Pippy has left. Together they spend their days fishing off the coast, until one day Pippy is knocked into the sea and rescued by a gentle, giant creature … Uncle Isaac knows it’s time to tell Pippy the truth. Pippy is the descendent of a long line of Keepers – the Keeper of the Octopus, responsible for the giant octopus who protects the fisherfolk of the village. At first, Pippy is hesitant to meet Octavia, but soon the octopus is sharing her dreams with Pippy and they recognise each other as kindred spirits. But when the Calamary Brothers come to Portablow, she learns of their search for a particular giant octopus. It's up to Pippy - and her rag-tag crew of a cat, a dog, a hobgoblin called Ferg and an albatross – to rescue Octavia from the Calamary’s clutches.

I was enthralled by this book, because it captured a timeless world with a touch of magic, coupled with a commentary on some of the issues we face today: grief, environmental issues, bullying and disability. Wally was such a cool character too, and I loved his friendship with Pippy, and that he believed her without question. This is the mark of a true friendship. It was one that I loved, and one that I think kids need to see more of in the books they read. And it’s another reason I love reading kids’ books, because they feel less judgmental and more accepting. The Book Muse

Companion books:

My Friend the Octopus

Song of a Thousand Seas

The Christmas Donkey by Donna Thornton illustrated by Lynne Pryor

Day Eleven 12 Christmas Donkeys

Blurb: Druplet, a young donkey named after a juice bump on a raspberry, lived on a raspberry farm and his wish was to one day be as special as the prize horses in a nearby pasture. As Christmas rolled around Druplet went on an adventure that saw him standing next to a baby in a manger and a young girl in funny cloths. On returning to the farm Druplet inquired what this was all about, this is when the wise barn cat shared the story of Christmas. Druplet now felt special.

The Donkey's Christmas Song by Nancy Tarfur

Day Ten 12 Christmas Donkeys

Blurb from the author web page: Under a bright star, a long, long time ago... a special baby is born in a stable, and the shy little donkey wants to be the first of the animals to sing his song of welcome. But he is afraid his bray will sound too rough. Lyrically told, and illustrated with large, richly hued images a glow with starlight, this joyous picture book is the perfect way to welcome young children into wonder of the first Christmas.

Read the Kirkus Star review.

Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson illustrated by Jane Chapman

Book seller blurb: It’s Christmastime, and Mortimer Mouse, unhappy in his cramped, cold hole, goes in search of a new home. He spies a nativity scene that looks just right for him, so he moves the statues out and settles himself into the manger! But when he hears the Christmas story being told and realizes that the statues are of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, he understands that the crèche is meant for them and returns everything to its rightful place. Then, suddenly, a Christmas miracle occurs and Mortimer discovers a new home, at last!

This book was published in 2005 but hopefully you can find a copy in a library - that's how I found this copy. Take a look at the Kirkus review.

After you have shared the nativity story with your family this Christmas try to find Mortimer's Christmas Manger. Reading this book will be made even more perfect if you also set up a nativity set in your home. My friend has a truly special one with knitted pieces and another friend has one with special European carved characters sitting in a small barn that she made herself.

Here are some other books by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman:

I previously talked about The Gift of Christmas. Here are some of her other Christmas books: