One More Mountain by Deborah Ellis

I am listing this book as Young Adult because some of the scenes are confronting. I am sure many of you remember the horrific scenes of desperate people trying to flee Afghanistan in 2021. People standing in sewage trying to hold on to babies, young children and small bundles of possessions. All clutching precious passports and other papers in the hope of being able to catch a plane to freedom.

One More Mountain opens with Damsa. She has fled an arranged marriage. She is rescued by a young police woman who is also on the run. The Taliban are now in power and they are hunting women in uniform. Shauzia knows a safe place. Parvana is sheltering women, young children, her son, sister and husband. Damsa is given shelter, food, safety and the promise of a new life. But then the Taliban come knocking and they must flee.

Meanwhile Rafi, Parvana's son has gone to the airport with Parvana's sister Maryam. They plan to travel to America where Maryam hopes to become a famous singer and Rafi dreams of a career in ballet. They don't know that this is the day the airport will close and later bombs will fall. Asif, Rafi's father travels with Rafi and Maryam to the airport. He only has one leg and the journey becomes especially dreadful when they are forced to abandon their car and continue on foot. Close to the gates Asif says his goodbyes and heads away to return to Parvana but at that moment the bombs falls and he is killed.

Blurb: In Kabul, 15-year-old Damsa runs away to avoid being forced into marriage by her family. She is found by a police officer named Shauzia, who takes her to Green Valley, a shelter and school for women and girls run by Parvana. It has been 20 years since Parvana and Shauzia had to disguise themselves as boys to support themselves and their families. But when the Taliban were defeated in 2001, it looked as if Afghans could finally rebuild their country. Many things have changed for Parvana since then. She has married Asif, who she met in the desert as she searched for her family when she was a child. She runs a school for girls. She has a son, Rafi, who is about to fly to New York, where he will train to become a dancer. But Shauzia is still Parvana's best friend. And Parvana is still headstrong, bringing her in conflict with her spoiled sister Maryam. While Asif tries to get Maryam and Rafi on one of the last flights out of Kabul, the Taliban come to the school, and Parvana must lead the girls out of Green Valley and into the mountains.

One More Mountain will be published in November, 2022. I almost read this book in one sitting but several times I had to walk away to recover from the harrowing scenes. Please don't let that stop you reading this book. Yes it is harrowing but this is also an important account of recent history and the honesty of this story telling is wonderful and while the ending is not a fairy tale Deborah Ellis does leave her reader with some hope for the future. 

I loved reading that 100% of the author royalties will be donated to aid organisations who support people in Afghanistan. 

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this book:

"The only other way to get there was to wade through the little river of raw sewage that flowed through the gully. ... It was cold and disgusting and came up to his belly. ... Within minutes, the area in front of the gate was alive with surging bodies as people tried to get closer to the gate and were pushed back by those who were ahead of them  ... the stench rose with the heat. Rafi watched a man faint and slip down into the foul water."

"Parvana had lost homes, family and love, but at least she had once had those things. She still had more than most. She appreciated it all every day, knowing that at any moment, it could be snatched from her. They were all, always, seconds away from a bomb, from prison, from death."

While this book does stand alone I do think your reading will be richer if you can read the earlier books from this series. You can read about Parvana here. 

You might also look for the graphic novel of Parvana (The Breadwinner).

And I suggest this book as a companion read:

One Half from the East

My September and October reading pile

Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for these:

The Reindeer and the Submarine by Beverley McWilliams (Pantera Press)  Due November 2022.

Publisher blurb (this story is based on real events which did surprise me): An orphaned reindeer with no antlers, Pollyanna is raised by Igor, a Sámi herder, and is more at home in the company of people than other reindeer. When she discovers Igor is leaving for war, Pollyanna decides to follow, but en route, she is captured and gifted to the crew of a British submarine, the HMS Trident. Life onboard the Trident brings more than a few surprises, and Pollyanna – with her love of food – gets into all kinds of mischief. But she also makes friends, becomes part of the crew, and uses her courage and cheekiness to comfort her companions in the dark days of the war. Eventually all journeys come to an end however, and Pollyanna finds herself facing a new adventure.

One more Mountain by Deborah Ellis (Allen and Unwin) Due for publication November 2022

This book follows on from Parvana, Parvana's Jurney, Shuazia and Parvana's Promise. In Canada the first book in this series had the title The Breadwinner.

Publisher blurb: In Kabul, 15-year-old Damsa runs away to avoid being forced into marriage by her family. She is found by a police officer named Shauzia, who takes her to Green Valley, a shelter and school for women and girls run by Parvana. It has been 20 years since Parvana and Shauzia had to disguise themselves as boys to support themselves and their families. But when the Taliban were defeated in 2001, it looked as if Afghans could finally rebuild their country. Many things have changed for Parvana since then. She has married Asif, who she met in the desert as she searched for her family when she was a child. She runs a school for girls. She has a son, Rafi, who is about to fly to New York, where he will train to become a dancer. But Shauzia is still Parvana’s best friend. And Parvana is still headstrong, bringing her in conflict with her spoiled sister Maryam. While Asif tries to get Maryam and Rafi on one of the last flights out of Kabul, the Taliban come to the school, and Parvana must lead the girls out of Green Valley and into the mountains.

Berani by Michelle Kadarusman (Allen and Unwin) due for publication November, 2022

I have previously talked about The Theory of Hummingbirds and Girl of the Southern Sea. Here is the Kirkus review for Berani. 

Blurb: Malia has had a privileged upbringing in Indonesia, but since her Indonesian father died, her Canadian mother wants to return to her own family on the other side of the world. Malia is determined to stay. Indonesia is her home, and she loves it. Besides, if she leaves, how can she continue to fight for her country's precious rainforests? Ari knows he is lucky to be going to school and competing on the chess team, even if it means an endless round of chores at his uncle's restaurant. Back in his home village, he and his cousin Suni dreamed about getting a chance like this. But now he is here without her, and the guilt is crushing him. As if that weren't enough, he's horribly worried about Ginger Juice, his uncle's orangutan. The too-small cage where she lives is clearly hurting her body and her mind, but where else can she go? The rainforest where she was born is a palm oil plantation now.

Here are two books I borrowed from the Book Bunker at Westmead Children's Hospital

Sky Chasers by Emma Carroll 

This book comes from a competition which I think may have been discontinued called The Big Idea competition where you send in a great story idea and if you win a well known children's author writes your story. I love this idea. 

Chicken House blurb: Orphan Magpie can’t believe her eyes when she sees a boy swept off his feet by a kite … or something that twists and dances in the wind. She goes to his rescue only to find herself dangling in the sky. The world looks so different from on high and suddenly Magpie knows what she wants – to be the first to fly in a balloon above the King and Queen of France.

My friend the Octopus by Lindsay Gavin

Chicken House blurb: Twelve-year-old Vinnie Fyfe works in the tea-shop at Brighton aquarium, and waits for her milliner mother to return from Paris. The arrival of a giant octopus changes her life for ever. Discovering a talent for art, Vinnie begins to draw the extraordinary beast. She soon realises she can communicate with the octopus through colour and – as a gripping mystery begins to unfold – discovers what true courage really means …

Book I purchased:

Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda Cruz

Publisher blurb: After a family tragedy results in the loss of both father and home, 12-year-old Nora lives with her mother in Manila’s North Cemetery, which is the largest shantytown of its kind in the Philippines today. When her mother disappears mysteriously one day, Nora is left alone. With help from her best friend Jojo and the support of his kindhearted grandmother, Nora embarks on a journey riddled with danger in order to find her mom. Along the way she also rediscovers the compassion of the human spirit, the resilience of her community, and everlasting hope in the most unexpected places.

One Half from the East by Nadia Hashimi

Obayda's family, who live in Afghanistan, have fallen on hard times. Obayda's father has been badly maimed in a car bomb explosion and he has lost his leg, his job and his will to live.

The family are forced to move from Kabul to a small village. It is decided that one way to change their family fortune or luck will be through the birth of a son. There is a belief that having a "boy" in the family will make this happen to Obayda, a young girl aged 9, becomes Obayd. Her hair is cut, her clothes are changed and she experiences freedom for the first time.

As Obayd she can run, go outside, play wild games, climb trees, shout, avoid all family chores, eat better food than her sisters and more. But what will happen when all of this is over and she has to become a girl again?

Read an extract here.

Well-told through appealing characters, this tale sheds light from a unique cultural perspective on the link between vastly different, rigidly enforced roles for boys and girls and gender-identity issues. Kirkus

This is an excellent title that will offer students a window into life in Afghanistan and open interesting, age-appropriate conversations about gender expectations and roles in different countries. School Library Journal

Read about the author Nadia Hashimi. Here is an audio sample from pages 3-7 and set of discussion questions to use with a book group.  I held my breath right through 256 pages of this book which I read in one sitting. I was so worried this book might repeat the horrible (but important) scenes of another book I have read also set in Afghanistan which involves a girl pretending to be a boy - Parvana by Deborah Ellis which also has the title The Breadwinner.

One Half from the East is aimed at a younger audience and so the are no hints of the scenes with the Taliban or the dreadful fear Parvana has of discovery especially when she has to perform important bathing rituals in front of men and boys. Those are the scenes from Parvana that linger with me years later. 

Read more about bacha posh:

NBC News; Jan 16 2022

University of Melbourne

The Someday Birds by Sally J Pla

 

Charlie has difficulties. His condition is not given a label in the story. Some reviewers say he is autistic. Whatever the issue, Charlie has set up some good coping strategies when sensory overload threatens to engulf him. Loud noises; strange tasting foods; and change can upset him. But he is a boy who has developed a deep understanding of himself - he accepts his own limitations and anticipates when life circumstances will be difficult. Charlie also has a quirky sense of humour which I loved.

Charlie's mum died when he was small so now we have a family of four. Older sister Davis; twin brothers Joel and Jake; and Dad.  Unfortunately Dad is now in hospital following a terrible incident in Afghanistan where he was working as a journalist. Gram has moved in to help the family but Dad's injuries are so complex the doctors decide he needs to be transferred to a different hospital.

Gram goes with Dad to Virginia. The babysitter has an accident and so Gram sends the mysterious Ludmila to look after the kids. Davis decides Ludmila is dangerous and so late at night she packs up her brothers and with the help of her flaky boyfriend Jonathan Dylan Daniels the group of kids set off to drive across the country so they can all be with Dad. 

Gram knows they are coming and so she organises for Ludmila to find them after the car driven by Jonathan Dylan Daniels crashes. He leaves the group and Ludmila takes over driving an old camper van. Gram says:

"The tests continue, it's all status quo here, so don't rush. These poor kids have seen nothing but a waiting room all summer ... so why don't you help them have ... fun. ... Do some things, find ways to at least enjoy the trip."

Ludmila asks the kids what they would like to do, where they would like to go. Charlie has a list of birds that he and his Dad made in the hope they might see them someday. There are eight birds on the list: Bald Eagle; Great Horned Owl; Trumpeter Swan; Sandhill Crane; Turkey Vulture; Emu; Passenger Pigeon; and Carolina Parakeet.  This seems impossible because two of these birds are extinct and one is in Australia! Charlie also has a secret ambition to meet his bird expert hero - Tiberius Shaw PhD. And so the journey begins.

Each chapter opens with words of wisdom from Professor Shaw:

"Human and bird behaviour share similar qualities when it comes to the issues of family and survival."

"Change is possible. It is not to be feared."

Australian readers will need a US Map to follow the journey of Charlie and his family from California to Virginia. Here is a very generous chapter sample (chapters 1-6) from the publisher. This book trailer, which you could use with a senior primary class in a book talk, gives you a good overview of the story. I highly recommend this book for readers aged 10+. One of the really satisfying aspects of the storytelling in The Someday Birds is the ways all the little coincidences line up - a bit like putting pieces into a jigsaw puzzle and with each addition you begin to see the whole picture. One example is when Charlie finds the personal diary of Professor Shaw very early in the journey. This sets things up so beautifully for an utterly perfect ending.

Hopeful, authentic, and oddly endearing. Kirkus

Hop in the RV with this ragtag group and enjoy the ride. Book Page

Throughout this delightful story, you’ll never guess what waits around the next bend in the road. But I can promise that readers of all backgrounds and ages will be entertained, moved, challenged and uplifted by what they find there. Nerdy Book Club

I would pair this book with The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise.

The most beautiful village in the world by Yutaka Kobayashi translated by Mariko Shii Gharbi

The village people of Paghman in Afghanistan grow beautiful produce - plums, pears, pistachios, and cherries. In summer after the harvest Yamo's father takes his sweet fruit to the market. Usually it is older brother Haroon who accompanies his father but this year Haroon is not here.

"There is a war in Yamo's country. And his brother is a soldier."

When Yamo, his father and Pompa the donkey arrive at the market they set up a stall. His father will sell the plums and he tells Yamo to walk around the town to sell the cherries.  Yamo has been practising his call "Cherries here! Sweet little suns! Cherries from Paghman!" At first no one seem interested but finally a little girl buys some and from then on the cherries sell quickly. When all of the cherries are sold. Yamo races back to tell his father. They enjoy a bite of lunch and then work hard to sell the rest of the plums. On the way home his father tells Yamo he has a surprise gift. It is a pure white lamb.

"It will be the first sheep his family has ever owned."

So far this sounds like a book you could share with a younger child aged 7+ but the words on the next page suggest this book is better suited to an older primary group:

"In the winter, the village was destroyed in the war. It no longer exists."

The most beautiful village in the world is the first book in a series of three - the series is called Yamo's Village. 

This unusual picture book gives child readers a glimpse into life in Afghanistan, specifically the village of Paghman. Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

I suggest trying to find all three books. Here is the Kirkus Star review of Return to the most beautiful village in the world.

Yutaka Kobayashi from Japan is a "frequent visitor to the Islamic countries of Asia and the Middle East ... and the main themes of his words reflect these visits."  Dust jacket burb.

The most beautiful village in the world is a truly international book - Japanese author, set in Afghanistan, and the English edition is published in New York.

Here is the Japanese title:   せかいいちうつくしいぼくの村

My October reading pile

October in Australia is spring and while some children will "celebrate" Halloween at the end of the month this is actually a month of flowers, two weeks of school holidays and the beginnings of warm weather and longer days. I have a good collection of books to read this month especially some promising Middle Grade novels which I am listing here. But first off a wonderful poetry book.

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright: An animal poem for every day of the year selected by Fiona Waters illustrated by Britta Teckentrup

One of my most treasured books in my own collection is I am the seed that grew the tree: A nature poem for every day of the year selected by Fiona Waters illustrated by Fran Preston-Gannon. I was very excited when Nosy Crow announced the arrival of this new anthology with the bonus of illustrations by the wonderful Britta Teckentrup. Now I have another 366 poems to enjoy over this month and beyond. Watch the trailer. Here is the poem from today (26th September)

At the bottom of the garden by Grace Nicols

No, it isn't an old football

grown all shrunken and prickly

because it was left out so long

at the bottom of the garden.

It's only Miss Hedgehog

who, when she thinks I'm not looking

unballs herself to move ...

like bristling black lightning.

The Someday Birds by Sally J Pla

Blurb: "The Someday Birds is filled with humor, heart, and chicken nuggets. Charlie's perfectly ordinary life has been unravelling every since his war journalist father was injured in Afghanistan. When his father heads from California to Virginia for medical treatment, Charlie reluctantly travel cross country with his boy-crazy sister, unruly brothers, and a mysterious new family friend. He decides that if he can spot all the birds that he and his father were hoping to see someday along the way, then everything will turn out okay."

Someplace to call home by Sandra Dallas

Blurb: "In 1933, what's left of the Turner family - twelve-year-old Hallie and her two brothers - finds itself driving the back roads of rural America. The children have been swept up into a new migratory way of life. America is facing two devastating crises: the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Hundreds of thousands of people across the country have lost jobs. Driven by severe economic hardship, thousands of people take to the road to seek whatever work they can find, often splintering fragile families in the process."

Advance Reader Copies - Books that are coming out soon...

Glassheart by Katharine Orton - due for publication on 5th November, 2020

Blurb: "Through the glass, the magic is waiting... Nona and her uncle travel everywhere together, replacing stained-glass windows in war-torn buildings. When a mysterious commission takes them to the lonely moors of Dartmoor, Nona discovers a wild and powerful magic which threatens everything. Can Nona protect those she loves – even if it means fighting darkness itself?"

I am excited to read this because I really enjoyed Katharine's earlier book Nevertell (although I am not sure why I haven't talked about it here).

The Unexplainable disappearance of Mars Patel by Sheela Chari. Due for publication October, 2020

This book is based on a serialised podcast for children. 

Blurb: "Mars Patel’s friend Aurora has disappeared! His teachers are clueless. His mom is stressed out about her jobs. But Mars refuses to give up—after all, his own dad disappeared when Mars was a toddler, before he and Ma moved to Puget Sound from India. Luckily, Mars has a group of loyal friends eager to help—smart Toothpick, strong and stylish JP, and maybe-telepathic Caddie. The clues seem to point toward eccentric tech genius (and Mars’s hero) Oliver Pruitt, whose popular podcast now seems to be commenting on their quest! But when the friends investigate Pruitt’s mysterious, elite school, nothing is as it seems—and anyone could be deceiving them. Slick science, corporate conspiracies, and an endearingly nerdy protagonist make this first book in the series a fresh, exciting sci-fi adventure"

The Forest of Moon and Sword by Amy Raphael Due for publication January 2021

Blurb: "Twelve-year-old Art lives in a small village in Scotland. Her mother has always made potions that cure the sick, but now the townspeople say she is a witch. One cloudless night, Art's mother is accused of Witchcraft, arrested, and taken from Scotland to England. Art mounts her horse, taking a sword, a tightrope, and a herbal recipe book, and begins a journey through wild forests to find her mother before summer solstice, using nature's signs and symbols to guide her. On her journey, Art will discover what sacrifices she will need to make to be reunited with her mother - and to alter the fate of women everywhere. But will she reach her, before it's too late?"

Amari and the night brothers by BB Alston Due for publication late January 2021

Blurb: "Quinton Peters was the golden boy of the Rosewood City low-income housing projects, receiving full scholarship offers to two different Ivy League schools. When he mysteriously goes missing, his little sister, 13-year-old Amari Peters, can’t understand why it’s not a bigger deal. Why isn’t his story all over the news? And why do the police automatically assume he was into something illegal?  Then Amari discovers a ticking briefcase in her brother’s closet. A briefcase meant for her eyes only. There was far more to Quinton, it seems, than she ever knew."

Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for these advance copies.

The Eleventh Trade by Alyssa Hollingsworth

Before you read The Eleventh Trade please try to read Sonam and the Silence. This will help you understand the importance of the rebab and why the loss of this precious instrument is so utterly dreadful.

Sami and his grandfather have arrived in America after a long journey from their homeland in Afghanistan. The other members of the family are all dead. Sami and his grandfather have spent time in wretched circumstances in Istanbul, Athens and Iran.  Finally they have somewhere safe to live in Boston. Baba (grandfather) is a skilled musician but he now plays his beautiful antique rehab in the subway to raise money for food and living expenses.

"Back in Afghanistan, before the Taliban came, Baba was a famous performer. People would pay thousands of Afghanis to hear him play."

As the story opens Sami has arrived at the subway. His grandfather leaves Sami for a moment to go to the bathroom.

"I flick my fingers over the rehab's three main strings. The mulberry wood base presses into my chest. ... The pegbox at the end of the neck is carved in a flower design, with one end chipped where Baba dropped it in Iran. The tassel - woven by my grandmother in blue and white string with red beads - swings as I adjust the rebab in my lap."

Sami is transported by his own playing to memories of his mother (mor) and father (plar). His eyes are closed and while he plays someone snatches the rebab from his hands and runs away. Sami chases the teenager but the precious instrument is lost. Sami feels enormous guilt. He has badly let his grandfather down.

Sami has felt utterly alone at school but one boy, Dan, offers to help him. Dan finds the rebab for sale on the internet at a guitar shop but when Sami goes there the owner demands $700.  Now go back to the title and the word "Trade".  Sami begins to trade things to make the money so he can retrieve the rebab.  The shop owner gives him one month. These are the twenty eight days of Ramadan. If Sami can raise the $700 he can give the rebab back to Baba as an Eid gift.

Alyssa Hollingsworth allows the reader to slowly discover what happened to Sami and his parents in Afghanistan. It is a heart wrenching but important story.  Along the way Sami makes new and wonderful friends and he does raise, with a huge effort, the necessary $700 but when he arrives back at the guitar store the rebab has been sold.

I read this book in three huge gulps - up to chapter 9 in one breath, then on to the end of chapter 19 and finally one more breath to reach the end of this utterly splendid book. You can hear a radio interview with Alyssa here. Here are a set of teachers notes from the publisher.  This is a book you must put on your own "to read" list.

I would pair The Eleventh Trade with No Ballet Shoes in Syria.

Both a quest story and a friendship story, this book brings to life the traumatic reality refugee children experience in a world filled with borders and walls. Kirkus

Readers will cheer Sami on in his quest and cry with him when he shares his worst experiences. A true read for empathy and a great story of our times. Book Murmurmation

Sonam and the Silence by Eddie Ayres illustrated by Ronak Taher

Powerful, emotional and stunningly beautiful. 

A picture book not easily forgotten.  Kids' Book Review

Music is forbidden, but that's when we need it most. 

But you can only hear music if you listen 

with all your heart. page 10

I am going to begin talking about this book by focusing on the musical instrument played by Sonam. There are much deeper themes in this book but I was so interested to make some discoveries about the rubab.  At the back of Sonam and the Silence book Eddie Ayres, who works for ABC Radio, says:

"Just think, without the rubab we wouldn't have the violin."

These words lingered with me long after reading this book, as did many other aspects of this moving and important story.

I have done a little preliminary research about the rubab. First off there are a few different spellings depending on where the instrument is found - rubab, rabab and rebab. The instrument that predates our modern violin was played with a bow. You can see it in action here. The original rubab comes from Afghanistan, it is a lute-like instrument and the word rebab means "played with a bow."

Music is all around us in the modern world. In supermarkets, in cars, through headphones on a bus, at concerts and in homes but in Afghanistan in from 1996 until 2002 music was prohibited. Eddie Ayres arrived in Kabul in 2015 to work at the National School of Music. This story of Sonam and her discovery of the power of music was inspired by his real life viola student.

When Sonam turns seven she must cover her hair and go off to work selling chewing gum to people travelling in cars. These are dangerous and desperate times. The market place is loud and noisy but amid all this Sonam hears a sound "that seems to come from the trees, from the earth, from the heart. A whisper."  She follows the thread of sound and finds an old man sitting under some trees - pomegranate and mulberry trees. In his hands he is holding a rubab.

"Music. This is what nobody in her country is allowed to hear. This sound which makes Sonam feel she is both up amongst the stars and deeper than than the tree roots, this is music."

The old man gives Sonam the instrument he played as a child. It is carved from a single piece of mulberry wood. Hearing the music, playing the music, gives Sonam hope and happiness but this is short lived. Her brother discovers her secret. He needs to protect Sonam. He takes away her rubab and forbids her to sing or hum. Sonam has lost her protection from the world. She becomes sad and withdrawn. Finally she decides to go back to the garden where she met the old man. He is gone but there is a  piece of fruit on the pomegranate tree. She gathers the seeds and goes home to plant them. Digging in her own yard she makes an amazing discovery. There is a wooden box hidden under the earth. It is her rubab.

I have found two very different sets of teachers notes for this book. Both are well worth exploring and will give you deeper insights into the themes and illustrations in Sonam and the Silence.

• Allen and Unwin notes
• Children's Books Daily notes

Magpies magazine volume 34, issue 1, March 2019 contains a wonderful interview with Eddie Ayres and Ronak Taher by Joy lawn. I was amazed to discover Eddie and Ronak have never met although did extensively collaborate on this book. Sonam and the Silence is an important book and an emotional and uplifting story. This book is one of the twenty CBCA Picture book of the Year Notable titles for 2019. Surely it must be selected for the CBCA Short list (announced 26th March). I would share this book with a group of older Primary students but it is included on the Grades 3 and 4 Premier's Reading Challenge list.

There is also an iTunes ebook version of Sonam and the Silence.

You could follow Sonam and the Silence with Ada's Violin by Susan Hood, Silence by Lemniscates or for an older class The Red Piano by Andre Leblanc.

Image source: https://glamadelaide.com.au/book-review-sonam-and-the-silence-by-eddie-ayers/

ANZAC Day - a book list

Image Source: Avalon Public School art class (Mrs Julie Thorby)

ANZAC Day is commemorated next week and in our school students prepare and present a moving service each year.  We have so many excellent books suitable for all ages in our library which allow students to gain some understanding of the events surrounding World War I and II along with other more recent conflicts. Some focus on individuals, others on major events such as the landing at Gallipoli while others explore courage and heroism.  I have included a little quote from each book to give you an idea of the tone and content. Blue links will take you to more details on this blog.

My Grandad Marches on ANZAC day by Catriona Hoy and Benjamin Johnson
"He wears his best jacket and has shiny medals on his chest.  He doesn't have much hair on his head but he does have a big moustache."

Only a Donkey by Celeste Walters illustrated by Patricia Mullins
"I was a donkey who served in a war that was fought long ago in a place far away, and many young soldiers who fell would have died, except for one man who just followed his heart.  At the sound of his voice I was willingly led.  With his hand on my halter, sure-footed I trod."

The Bantam and the solider by Jennifer Beck illustrated by Robyn Belton
"Food became scarce, and Arthur and his companions collected grubs and worms for Bertha from the muddy banks of their clay prison.  And she rewarded them.  In the midst of a raging battle, when the sky was crisscrossed with fire, Bertha laid a warm brown egg.  When Arthur found it, he hugged the little bantam to his mud-caked jacket."

Gallipoli by Kerry Greenwood illustrated by Annie White
"The ANZACs had been at Gallipoli for months now.  The weather was hot, and they were sweaty and dirty. Insects bit them day and night.  Sometimes they got letters and presents from home. Bluey opened a parcel wrapped in brown paper with string. 'Fruit cake and tins of apricot jam!"

The house was built in a day Anzac cottage by Valerie Everett illustrated by Barbara McGuire
"A proud community gazed upon its achievement. On a street in their suburb stood Western Australia's first Gallipoli memorial, a house that could never be sold.  The Australians who fought and died would live on in their hearts and memories..."

ANZAC Biscuits by Phil Cummings illustrated by Owen Swan
"The farm was quiet.  Rachel and her mother were in the kitchen.  The fire crackled and Rachel was warm.  'Let's make some biscuits for Dad,' her mother said.  'Yes, let's!' Rachel cried."

"Snow was falling.  The solider turned his back to the bitter cold. He lifted his collar and lowered his unshaven face to feel the warmth of his own breath."

In Flanders Fields by Norman Jorgensen and Brian Harrison-Lever
"A brightly coloured robin is trapped.  One wing is flapping helplessly. The bird is unable to free itself from the tangle of deadly barbs."

Photographs in the mud by Dianne Wolfer illustrated by Brian Harrison-Lever
"Hoshi and Jack stared into each other's eyes. Then Hoshi rolled closer, groaning with the effort.  Scalding pain burned across his chest as he held out the picture."

Present from the past by Jennifer Beck illustrated by Lindy Fisher
"Princess Mary, who was the only daughter of the King and Queen of England at the time, decided that she wanted to give a special present to all the allied troops serving overseas."

Anzac Day parade by Glenda Kane and Lisa Allen
"Sixty years since he saw the battle when ninety-three mates got blown away by cracking mortar and machine gun rattle, now names on a plaque at the RSL."

The Red Poppy by David Hill illustrated by Fifi Colston
"Of course! The puppy would show they were near a patch of flowers. Jim put the flower into the pouch too, then looked into the dog's eyes.  'Hurry, Nipper.' The tail wagged again."

Lofty's mission by Krista Bell illustrated by David Miller
"Sorry, lad.' Frank McNamara was firm.  'The army needs top homing pigeons as messengers. Your Lofty, Number 371, is our best squeaker ... just what they need up in New Guinea." You could pair this book with Flapper, VC by Mark Wilson. 

Meet the ANZACS by Claire Saxby illustrated by Max Berry
"The ships docked at Cairo after six long weeks at sea.  The Australians and the New Zealanders set up camp side by side, close to the pyramids.  The air swirled hot and fierce, full of sand."

Lone Pine by Susie Brown and Margaret Warner illustrated by Sebastian Ciaffaglione
"The soldier looks down.  He stoops and plucks a pine cone that is still clinging to a branch.  Holding it up, he breathes in the fresh clean scent of pine. He thinks of his mother's garden where he used to play with his brothers.  The soldier slips the pine cone into his pocket.  It is a reminder of this sad day."

Do not forget Australia by Sally Murphy illustrated by Sonia Kretschmar
"Billy tried to imagine what it would be like to have your home destroyed, or to have no school to go to every day. And he wondered if there was anything he could do to help the kids of Villers-Bretonneux."

Memorial by Gary Crew illustrated by Shaun Tan
"But the tree's a memorial,' I say. 'The same as the statue - except the tree's alive and the statue's just rock and concrete. And the tree's full of birds and fruit bats and possums. Whole families, like ours.  The council wouldn't cut the big tree down, would they, Old Pa?" You could pair this book with Only a Donkey by Celeste Walters illustrated by Patricia Mullins.

The Poppy by Andrew Plant
"The poppies nod in the winds that blow over the Somme.  Their petals turn the fields red where once they were stained with the blood of the fallen."

Harry and the Anzac Poppy by John Lockyer
"A small wooden box was on the floor beside the chair.  Harry picked it up.  'What's this, Grandma?' Grandma Kate ran her fingers over the scratched lid.  'Do you know anything about World War One?' she asked."

Simpson and his Donkey by Mark Greenwood illustrated by Frane Lessac
"Jack was responding to a cry for help when he came upon a donkey cowering in a gully of pines."

The Afghanistan pup by Mark Wilson
"The solider suddenly stopped.  Just where he was about to dig was a little dog. covered in sand.  The pup wasn't moving, so the solider brushed away the dirt and discovered wounds on its legs and side. He could see that the wounds were badly infected ... He wiped the dust from the pup's face before dripping some water from his canteen into the animal's mouth.  It was soon time to go, so the solider picked up the pup and carried it to his truck."

Vietnam Diary by Mark Wilson
"Jason sat bleary-eyed in his foxhole early one morning as the sun burst through the trees.  But something wasn't right.  There was no noise.  Then suddenly, explosions erupted throughout the camp."

The Anzac puppy by Peter Millet illustrated by Trish Bowles
You might like to read my review.

A day to remember by Jackie French illustrated by Mark Wilson
You might like to read my review.

I was only Nineteen by John Schumann illustrated by Craig Smith
"Townsville lined the footpath as we marched down to the quay. This clipping from the paper shows us young and strong and clean. And there's me in my slouch hat, with my SLR and greens. God help me, I was only nineteen."

Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon illustrated by Henri Sorensen
You can read the lyrics here.  This book is one of my favourites. You could pair this book with Shooting at the stars: The Christmas Truce 1914 by John Hendrix.

Why are they marching, Daddy?  by Di Burke
Madi is watching the parade with her father. "Why are they marching, Daddy?" she asks. Madi's father tells his daughter the story of Anzac.  He talks about war too: "Is war bad?" asks Madi... Daddy answers by talking about the good and bad. The reasons and the consequences. He talks about freedom. This little book addresses the big issues simply and clearly. It's a great book to talk about what we are commemorating on the 25th April every year. In some Australian Primary libraries this book will be available in a Big Book format.

The Fair Dinkum war by David Cox
"Everybody had air-raid shelters at home, too.  Some were just trenches, like our, that filled with water when it rained.  But some kids had air-raid shelters they could boast about, with cups and plates and cupboards full of canned food that would last for weeks."

What was the war like, Grandma? by Rachel Tonkin
"There were posters pasted up warning of spies. Some people were so frightened they thought there were spies everywhere.  Albie Sodablom from the petrol station was beaten up because his name sounded foreign.  He changed it to Albie Blom.  Our family doctor, Dr Danzeigre screwed a new brass plate to the wall outside his surgery saying 'Dr C Danbyy' in case people turned against him too."

Here is my Pinterest book collection of ANZAC Day books (edited April 2021)

Click here to read more details from My Little Bookcase blog.

Image Source: Avalon Public School art class (Mrs Julie Thorby)

Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai

When I read a book I usually trust the author - he or she will make everything all right in the end but with this book I was so devastated by the opening scene I just had to skip to the last page to make sure.

The title of this book Shooting Kabul has two meanings. If you look very carefully you can see a piece of film surrounding the title.  Fadi has a precious camera and if he can shoot a winning picture he might get back to Kabul.

Fadi, his mother Zafoona, his father Habib, older sister Noor and baby sister Mariam need to flee from Afghanistan after Habib is asked to work for the Taliban against the Americans.  The family had been living in the US but returned to Afghanistan hoping to assist their people but instead the regime has become completely repressive - no books, music, movies, photography or even kite flying.  Girls cannot go to school and life is extremely dangerous.

As the family reach their transport - provided by a people smuggler who has demanded a high price for his services - Fadi loses his grip on Mariam's hand and the family drive away without her. At this point I could hardly keep reading.  I was so worried about this little six year old girl.  The family arrive in America but poor Fadi is so riddled with guilt.  Everything reminds him of his precious sister.  Weeks go by and still she is not found even though everyone is looking.  Fadi starts school and encounters some truly horrible bullies.  This was another scene in Shooting Kabul that I almost could not read. I knew those bullies would beat Fadi and worse they might discover the box of treasures he has carried for Mariam.  Then Fadi hears about a photographic competition.  The prize is a plane ticket to India.  Fadi knows if he can get to India he can then set off over the border to look for his sister.

Here is an interview with the author. You can read more details of the plot here.  Here is an interesting way to present this book - a glog.

I highly recommend Shooting Kabul.  It is a heart-wrenching story told with compassion and insight. I read the whole book in one sitting and for me that is a sure fire way to know I enjoyed a book.

After reading this book (which I highly recommend you do) you might look for Soraya the storyteller by Rosanne Hawke, Boy overboard by Morris Gleitzman, Oranges in no mans land by Elizabeth Laird, Extra Credit by Andrew Clements and The colour of Home by Mary Hoffman.

One more thing all through this book Fadi makes links to a book he is reading - From the Mixed up files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler so you might like to check that one out too.