Cornbread and Poppy at the Museum by Matthew Cordell

Each year at this time Betsy Bird (School Library Journal) posts 31 lists over 31 days. This is such a generous series of posts and a rich source of new books to discover.  Here is her list of Easy Books and Early Chapter Books. The list has 25+ titles. I would also add all three books in the Cornbread and Poppy series to this list. I have talked about this series previously.

In this newest installment (published 2023) Cornbread is so excited to receive an invitation to the gala function at the Moonville Museum. A new surprise exhibit will be revealed. Cornbread loves so many of the museum displays. It is a favourite place to visit where he can see:

Toothbrushes through Time; Molds and Fungi; Insect specimens; Antique cheese graters; and the Mummified peanut (this is my favourite item).

His invitation to the Founders Gala is for Cornbread and a guest. Gourmet cheeses, nuts and juices will be served. Fancy attire is required.

Naturally Cornbread has invited Poppy but she is not really keen on events like this and has no interest in museums. She does put on her "glamorous dress with sparkles" and great-great-auntie Twick's fancy hat. Little does she know this hat is of great significance and yes there is a museum disaster but everything is neatly resolved in the end - thank goodness. 

Bookseller blurb: Cornbread LOVES spending time inside. Poppy does not. Cornbread ADORES in-depth research. Poppy does not. Cornbread is THRILLED to visit The Moonville Museum. Poppy…is not. But Cornbread and Poppy are the best of friends, so when Cornbread is invited to attend the Founders Gala to see the unveiling of a surprise new exhibit, Poppy agrees to be his guest. Their evening is full of spectacular treasures, including hand-carved hairbrushes, diamond-encrusted perfume sprayers, and a solid gold ice cream scoop. What other wonders will these mice discover? 

The friends’ charming camaraderie shines in this sweet, gently humorous early reader ... No need to visit a museum to find an exhibit of best friendship; see it on display right here. Kirkus

After or even before reading this book it would be terrific to take your young reading companion to a local museum so they gain a sense of how the displays are set out and perhaps encounter some new vocabulary. Reading this book you may need to talk about the idea of a gala and also ancestry. Your family might also adopt a new expression 'Cornbread cleaned up nice!' 'Poppy cleaned up nice!'

I recommend shopping around for the Cornbread and Poppy books. I picked up my paperback copy in a city bookstore today for just AUS$13 but one of our popular Australian online booksellers lists this book at nearly AUS$19.  Do think about adding this series to your school library. Young children who are just ready for easy/beginner chapter books also need books with terrific stories that are fun and worth reading. Listen to Matthew Cordell talking about his book series.

A truly great easy book must use literally the simplest of words to convey a title so interesting that it makes a child want to know how to read. Betsy Bird

Here are the three Cornbread and Poppy books that have been published and the newest one which will arrive in 2024.

The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke by Kirsty Applebaum illustrated by Matt Saunders

Back cover blurb: What if you could save lives? What if, with just the touch of your hand, you could stop an animal, or even a person, dying? You'd do it, wouldn't you? But what if it meant you got older each time? Older and older ... until you had not time left yourself. Would you do it then?

Lonny lives with his father, grandfather and younger brother, Midge, in a remote part of the forest. Very early in the story you will get the sense that this family are hiding. As the story opens Lonny comes upon a rabbit that has been attacked by a fox. The rabbit is only minutes away from death. There is a strong buzzing in Lonny's head. Lonny has a special power. He reaches out and gently touches the rabbit. As Lonny watches the wounds are healed and the rabbit jumps up and hops away. But as you read in the blurb above there is a price for this healing. Lonny has aged a little more. He is twelve but he looks and sounds much older. This is not the first time he has touched a dying creature.

The family are only just surviving in their remote hide away. Mr Quicke repairs old pocket watches but there as not too much demand for these. When a fox kills all but one of their precious chickens Lonny decides to head into the nearest town called Farstoke for work. The lady who buys the repaired watches offers to take him and Midge also tags along. When they arrive in the city everyone is preparing for a festival - the festival that celebrates Lifelings. People in Farstoke have created stories about Lifelings. Many people probably don't even believe they are real but Lonny is a Lifeling and Alison, mother of his new friends Erin and Katy is gravely ill. Click these review quotes for more plot details.

Sometimes middle grade literature can pose the biggest questions with such grace, and this is one of those titles. Did you Ever stop to Think

As with all of Applebaum’s works, friendship runs strongly as a theme throughout with the constant pull of opposing forces drawing the reader into the action of the story – safety and freedom, life and death, friendship and isolation.  Just Imagine

Have you read Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt?  This book poses similar questions about power over life and death. 

The Life and Time of Lonny Quick is one of those books that became my reading obsession last week. I kept trying to snatch reading minutes so I could find out what would happen to Lonny. I want to give this book five stars but, while the ending was very, very dramatic, the final pages were a little too perfect (and devastating) but having said that please please don't let that stop you reading this wonderful and thought provoking book. I also had a few unanswered questions about Lonny's grandfather - but again this is not meant to be a criticism. 

Nosy Crow blurb: Lonny is a lifeling. He has the power to heal any living creature and bring it back from the dead. But he pays a price for this gift – by lengthening the creature’s life, he shortens his own. So Lonny has to be careful, has to stay hidden in the forest. Because if people knew what he could do, Lonny would be left with no life at all…

You can read the first few pages on the Nosy Crow web site. This book was published only two days ago (as I pen this post). The paperback edition is fairly expensive but I do highly recommend this book for readers aged 10+.  With just 270 illustrated pages and a very fast paced plot this is a book you will want to devour in one or two sessions. Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance copy of The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke.

One more thing.  Have a think about the title.  The Life - Lonny's life - and time - time is precious, time is short, we all live one life - of Lonny Quicke.  If you think about the bible words "the quick and the dead" quick in this context means alive and quicken (verb) means revive or make alive. 

I loved a previous book by Kirsty Applebaum - Troofriend. And I have just ordered her first book The Middler. 

Matt Saunders (illustrator of The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke) also designed the cover for The Threads of Magic.

The moon over High Street by Natalie Babbitt

I picked up The Moon over High Street because I read Tuck Everlasting in my very first school library and it is a story that has lingered with me for over 30 years.  If you have an ambition to be a writer (perhaps for children) I would recommend looking for this book also by Natalie Babbitt.  What struck me as I read The Moon over High Street were all the decisions I seemed to hear Natalie Babbitt making about her characters - the path seemed to divide for them so many times.

Joe has lost both of his parents but he was so very young when this happened it is not really a source of sadness.  He has a loving Gran who has cared for him for his twelve years.  They had planned to travel to see their only other relative Aunt Myra in Midville but Gran has broken her hip and will need time to recover so Joe travels to Midville alone on the bus.  Living in this same town is a self made millionaire named Anson Boulderwall.  He is originally from Poland and his name is really Anselm Boldivol.  Mr Boulderwall is concerned about succession planning.  His only daughter (now an adult and married) has no interest in his business.  He invented the "swervit" which is used in engines all over America and this has made his millions.  When he meets Joe and hears his name Casimir he hatches a plan.  Casimir is a Polish name.  Joe is an orphan and he seems to be a very bright boy.  Without talking to Joe, Mr Boulderwall plans an education for Joe and a life journey filled with money and prestige but is this what Joe himself would choose?

Looking at those plot decisions:

• Joe expects to feel uncomfortable with Aunt Myra - instead she has his perfect room ready and on the first night they eat pizza and ice cream followed by breakfast the next day: "Pancakes and bacon, Joe ... Hope you like them.' Like them! Who didn't? ... There was orange juice, too, and butter and maple syrup and they sat down and began to eat as if they'd been together every morning of their lives."
• Joe expects to miss his friends especially Emily Crouse - instead there is a huge friendly family living next to Aunt Myra and Beatrice is just his age.  She takes him on a town tour on the first day and the two become instant friends.  Beatrice provides a fresh view in the face of Joe's reticence to talk about his future plans.
• I expected a disaster.  Gran is sent a letter from the lawyers of Mr Boulderwall outlining his plan for Joe. She quickly organises to come to Midville and meet him face to face.  I thought oh no, there will be a car accident and Joe will have to face these adults alone but no Gran arrives safely and she takes a tough stand with the presumptuous millionaire.  "My grandson is not for sale. Not now, not ever. ... Joe's dream is to learn things. Discover things. ... No, my grandson is not for sale. And neither, by the way, is the moon.  Goodbye."

I love the little touches in this writing such as this description of the hall mirror in the big house :
"On the wall behind the table, an immense and heavy mirror framed in fussy gilt curlicues frowned out at them as if to say they should keep their reflections to themselves."

Here is a book talk from Scholastic.  Here is an interview with Natalie Babbitt about her book. Read an extract from Chapter 2 here.  Sadly Natalie died in 2016 so this is her last book.

Read some reviews
Kirkus
Book Page
Jen Robinson's Book Page