The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla

I thought my summer would be safe. 

That I’d left all my troubles behind in Texas. 

But maybe troubles trail along with me like sparks along a fuse. 

Maybe I’m the trouble. 

Bad luck all the way around. 

What if there is no safe place for me to be?

Maudie spends term time with her mum and dangerous step father and holidays with her dad in a different part of the US. Her time with her dad is joyous and calm but just as she arrives a wildfire breaks out, her dad's cabin is burnt to the ground and so Maudie and her dad are forced to move to a caravan part at the beach in California. The park is in the area where her dad grew up. Dad finds it hard to get work which means money and food are scarce but Maudie discovers she can surf. At the end of summer this town hosts a famous surfing competition and one category is beginner. The prize money would certainly help Maudie's dad - so now she has a goal - to win!

Maudie has a very dysfunctional mother (and as a said a dangerous and abusive step father). Her mother is all about fame and appearances. She tolerates her but it is so clear that she wishes Maudie could change into the perfect daughter she imagined. Her mother fancies herself as a star of social media. 

I remember once Mom told her viewers, “Imagine if your only child refuses to give you so much as a hug,” which was a lie. Mrs. Jills, my therapist, trained me up to hug. So I’ll do it. But Mom told the camera: “Having a child like Maudie? I confess, while I love her dearly, sometimes it feels like God is testing me.” Well, I sort of think maybe God is testing me, too. The year I was ten, Mom put lots of blush on my pale cheeks so I would look healthier and made me come on her show with her. She said to the camera, “Maudie’s growing up so much! We hardly ever have to deal with her meltdowns or tantrums anymore. She’s so much more under control!” Then she grabbed my hand and swung it up, as if we’d won a race. Which was weird.

Obeying Mom was my job. Obeying Mom. Obeying Mrs. Jills. And now, I guess, obeying Ron.

A perceptive, poignant tale of self-discovery. Kirkus

I like the use of the word perceptive in the Kirkus review final sentence. Maudie does have autism but she is also deeply self-aware and this helps the reader gain a deeper insight into her reactions to other people and to the changes in her life. One thing you will quickly notice is that the autism makes Maudie hyper aware of smells and sounds. 

The Australian distributor has the first five chapters of The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn on their webpage. One of the great features of this book for readers is that while there are 72 chapters each chapter is only a page or two. This book is also a hybrid with verse novel sections interspersed between the narrative pages.

Here are a few text quotes:

I hate it when Mom calls Dad a lump of clay. If that’s what he is, then Mom’s a beautiful shard of glass: so pretty, you forget about her sharp, jagged edges. I’d rather be clay, like Dad. If you’re clay, you can mold and adapt to the new. And that’s what I always do. Mold myself into this or that kind of kid. Adapt. For teachers, for Mom, for Mrs. Jills, for Ron, for the other kids at school . . . I try hard to be the right kind of Maudie for each situation, for each thing. I’ve always felt sort of ashamed of this, but maybe it’s also a skill. To remold, instead of shatter. So yeah, there may be different versions of me for different times and different people, but they’re all made from the same clay of me.

I remember Ron swearing and swooping me off the step. Don’t remember much of anything else. Just a sort of tornado of rage. His hands grabbing my arms. His blood-red face. And I remember feeling like I deserved it all. That I was a dirty, broken kid. Not a nice, capable, normal kid. That’s why my mom had to hide herself, close herself off from me. She was ashamed of me. She had given up on me. That’s why we needed Ron, I guess. Because I was too much trouble for Mom to handle alone. I was too big a disappointment.

About why Dad and I understand each other so well and have a special bond. He hyperfocuses on woodworking, I hyperfocus on reading or writing or surfing. Dad gets overwhelmed sometimes, and so do I. He has a scatter-brain about some things, and a hyperorderly brain about other things. So do I. And we both are deeply uncomfortable around new people and new situations. . . . My insides are all squiggly with strange new feelings. I’m a little irritated, to tell the truth. I wish Dad had talked more to me about this before now. It would have helped me to feel less alone.

If I still worked in my former school library I would be very keen to share this book with Grade Six students because that school was located beside the beach and many of the students were keen surfers. In The Fire, the water and Maudie McGinn, Maudie learns to surf, displays some talent, and she is mentored by a surfing champion. Every surfing scene felt so authentic.

Before I know it, I’ve paddled out past the break, my arms pumping like machines. It’s choppy out here, but I turn and watch the horizon, watch the sets, and I find my waves. I pounce on everything I can possibly ride. I feel supercharged, like I’m in some kind of high-energy trance. I fall a few times, but I definitely get in a few good runs, too.

Awards:

• American Library Association Schneider Family Book Award
• Children’s Literature Council of SoCal Juvenile Fiction Award
• Publishers Weekly Starred Review
• NY Public Library Best Book
• Bank Street Best Book (starred for outstanding merit)
• Cybils Awards Finalist
• Oklahoma Sequoyah Award Finalist
• Alabama Yellowhammer Award – Honor Book
• 2024 Dog-Eared Book Award Winner
• “Reading MG” Top 15 Books of the Year
• Imagination Soup Best Books of the Year
• Mr. Colby Sharp’s Best Books of the Year

Bookseller blurb: Maudie always looks forward to the summers she spends in California with her dad. But this year, she must keep a troubling secret about her home life—one that her mom warned her never to tell. Maudie wants to confide in her dad about her stepdad's anger, but she’s scared. When a wildfire strikes, Maudie and her dad are forced to evacuate to the beach town where he grew up. It’s another turbulent wave of change. But now, every morning, from their camper, Maudie can see surfers bobbing in the water. She desperately wants to learn, but could she ever be brave enough? As Maudie navigates unfamiliar waters, she makes friends—and her autism no longer feels like the big deal her mom makes it out to be. But her secret is still threatening to sink her. Will Maudie find the strength to reveal the awful truth—and maybe even find some way to stay with Dad—before summer is over?

Read this detailed review from Ms Yingling. And here is an audio interview with the author.

Here is a quote from the interview:

I wanted it to be a book of hope and overcoming and realizing how important it is to speak out. And I guess maybe that’s partly from my own. I got diagnosed on the autism spectrum as an adult, and it took me a while to be able to speak out about it myself. And once I was able to talk about all the failures and the struggles of my past and what brought me to this point and all that stuff, it’s just so healthy to be able to talk about that, just to be open.

Given the physical and verbal abuse Ron has apparently dished out regularly, being trashed by waves is kid’s play for Maudie. It sure feels like Maudie has found her passion, and it is easy to imagine her and Dad together full-time, living in this great coastside town. Could that ever really happen? You can’t help wondering and hoping for a big break for Maudie and Dad (and a few broken bones for Ron). A Book and a hug

I picked up The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn because I previously really enjoyed this book by Sally J Pla:

The Someday Birds

Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

Ministers and priests and Buddhist monks and talk-show hosts—all those people who are supposed to be real smart and wise and stuff—always say dumb things like “Money isn’t everything,” or “The best things in life are free.” 

But they’re wrong. Money is everything. The best things in life aren’t free.

I hate Sam 'cause he beats Mom. I hate him even more for beating me. I hate Mom for beating me. And I hate her even more for going crazy all the time. I hate that they don’t have money. I hate that they always fight about not having money. I hate that all the kids at my school seem happy all the time. Sometimes I hate the whole world. Sometimes I don’t know who to hate. I guess, most of the time, I just hate myself.

Rex lives with his mum, her partner Sam and their son Ford. It is a home filled with violence, neglect and often there is no food. School is a refuge for Rex, but it is also a tough place with traps and rules. Thank goodness Rex does make a friend - I just wanted to hug this kid named Ethan. Ethan just accepts Rex - no judgement - only genuine kindness. His grandmother is also someone wonderful but sadly her daughter, Rex's mum utterly rejects her help and even throws away all clothes, toys and the groceries she brings on her visit.

Even though his situation is utterly dreadful Rex has intelligence and integrity. He does understand his mother, he tries to help her, and he would deny this, but he deeply cares about his much younger brother. I was sure Rex would make something more of his life - it is fantastic to read that he wants to succeed at school and while he knows others have a way better life than his I felt certain Rex would be okay. 

Here are some text quotes (note this book has strong language and explicit violence) - I really enjoyed taking this journey with Rex. I recommend this book for readers aged 13+. Free Lunch was published in 2020 and it is still available in paperback. There is a sticker on the front cover because this book won the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award.

It’s not just Mom’s fault—it’s mine too. I shouldn’t have raised my voice at her. I really do try to be a good kid, but sometimes I get so angry. Everything turns red. Feels like my blood is on fire and I’m going to puke or pass out or . . . I don’t know. Next thing I know, I’m screaming so hard. But that’s all I do is yell.

This year was supposed to be great. It’s only the first day, and everything is falling apart already. Yesterday, I was so excited. Now, I’m angry and pissed off and alone. All ’cause of . . . ’cause of what? I come to school with a black eye and have to beg for a free lunch. It’s bull crap. No one should have to ask for handouts. No one. Especially not kids. Now everyone knows I’m nothing but trailer trash.

I hate that Mom and Sam are in charge of me. Adults aren’t always smarter than kids. I’m always doing stuff that parents should do. Like hooking up the wires for the TV or the stereo, or jump-starting a car. That stuff is easy for me. Mom doesn’t even know how to make toast, and I can cook, like, twenty kinds of meals, even stuff without recipes. Plus, I know a bunch of facts ’cause I read a lot. I for sure know more than Sam. He can barely write a full sentence. Sometimes he has me fill out job applications for him. And I’m good at math. Mom has me double-check hers in her checkbook all the time.

Mom’s bedroom is empty except for the mattress and the box spring under it, and the metal frame under that. Some clothes are in the closet on wire hangers. There’s a fan in the corner. That’s it. No photos. No albums. No books. No jewelry box with a ballerina in it. No tin of little keepsakes. My mom doesn’t have anything.

I think about how we were homeless for one night, and that was awful. But now we have a roof over our head. And Sam and Mom never let us starve, even if we have to do without TV or a toaster for a little while. Mom didn’t sign me up for the Free Lunch Program to punish me. She did it so I could have food.

I guess I should have realised this book is a true story because the name of the author and the main character match, but it just didn't occur to me until I read the heart wrenching afterword.

Bookseller blurb: Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex’s mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind him as he tries to explain to the cashier that he’s on the free meal program. The lunch lady is hard of hearing, so Rex has to shout Free Lunch is the story of Rex’s efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade—who to sit with, not being able to join the football team, Halloween in a handmade costume, classmates and a teacher who take one look at him and decide he’s trouble—all while wearing secondhand clothes and being hungry. His mom and her boyfriend are out of work, and life at home is punctuated by outbursts of violence. Halfway through the semester, his family is evicted and ends up in government-subsidized housing in view of the school. Rex lingers at the end of last period every day until the buses have left, so no one will see where he lives. Unsparing and realistic, Free Lunch is a story of hardship threaded with hope and moments of grace. Rex’s voice is compelling and authentic, and Free Lunch is a true, timely, and essential work that illuminates the lived experience of poverty in America.

Ms Yingling has written a very thoughtful review of Free Lunch - please take the time to read it. 

A mighty portrait of poverty amid cruelty and optimism. Kirkus Star review

There is a rawness to Ogle’s writing, an honesty that shines on the page. His weaving in of hope makes reading this book possible, not leaving the reader to languish in the haunting and horrible world he writes of. That hope is vital for the character of Rex too, it keeps him making new friends, finding a way forward, and being willing to change himself to make his family better. Profoundly honest and full of heart, this book is one that all teachers and librarians need to read to understand the children they serve.  Waking Brain Cells

Here are some words from the author about his life:

The worst part of living like this is thinking as I did—that I was alone, that I was shameful, and that I had less worth because of the situations into which I was born. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. No child should feel alone. Or ashamed. Or worthless. They need to know that their circumstances are not their fault. ... No matter how bad your circumstances may seem, things can change. And until they do, no one can take away your most powerful gift—your ability to hope for the better.

Companion books:

The Other Shadow

Orbiting Jupiter

Gossamer

One for the Murphys

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

Where do dreams come from? For myself, my dreams are really vivid stories, and I have several each night - many are repeated scenes and many involve dangerous situations such as being lost or in an out-of-control car or with no way to make a phone call home. Perhaps our dreams come from the tiny creatures in this book but where do they get the ideas to create our dreams? Littlest One is learning to do this. Each evening she goes with her teacher and she practices touching objects very softly, using her gossamer touch, so she can gather happy memories. These are then threaded together and sent into the ears of the humans in the house.

Who lives in this house? There is an older lady who is living alone but then a young boy arrives. He is coming for foster care. He has been so badly damaged, and his response is to react to everything with violence. Littlest One and Thin Elderly work hard to gather tiny fragments of happiness for young John but there is danger and it is close. Have you considered nightmares - these are given to us too, but these come from Sinisteeds. Littlest One can hardly bare to think about these awful creatures and knows she and Thin Elderly will need to work really hard to protect John from revisiting his worst experiences.

Each morning Littles One and Thin Elderly return to their gathering place called The Heap:

"This gathering, this dwelling place where they slept now, heaped together, was only one, a relatively small one, of many. It was a small subcolony of dream-givers. Every human population has countless such colonies - invisible always - of these well organised, attentive, and hard-working creatures who move silently through the nights at their task. Their task is both simple and at the same time immensely difficult. Through touching, they gather material: memories, colours, words once spoken, hints of scents and the tiniest fragments of forgotten sound. They collect pieces of the past, of long ago and of yesterday. They combine these things carefully, creating dreams."

This book is a strange mix of magic and sweet fairy-like characters juxtaposed against extreme domestic violence that has been metered out to a very young child and his mother. There were times, reading this slim novel of 140 pages, that I just had to walk away and take a breath. I would recommend this book for mature readers aged 11-12+. If you believe in magic and crave stories with a happy ending this might be a book to explore.

Wikipedia have a detailed entry with the full plot of Gossamer and a character list. You can see other books by Lois Lowry here - of course you probably know her famous titles such as The Giver; Number the Stars; and I have talked about Tree Table Book; Bless this Mouse; The Windeby Puzzle; Gooney Bird Green; The Willoughbys; and the sequel The Wiloughby's Return.

Publisher blurb: Where do dreams come from What stealthy nighttime messengers are the guardians of our most deeply hidden hopes and our half-forgotten fears This imaginative novel from New York Times bestselling author Lois Lowry confronts these questions and explores the conflicts between the gentle bits and pieces of the past that come to life in dream, and the darker horrors that find their form in nightmare. In a haunting story that tiptoes between reality and fantasy, two people—a lonely, sensitive woman and a damaged, angry boy—face their own histories and discover what they can be to one another, renewed by the strength that comes from a tiny, caring creature they will never see.

For such a slim work, the characterizations of Thin Elderly and Littlest are strong—she the sprightly little girl learning her trade, he the bemused and patient elder. The prose is light as gossamer; the story as haunting as a dream. Kirkus Star review

Kirkus gave Gossamer a star but Ms Yingling had the opposite reaction. 

Companion book for younger readers:

The Night Fairy

The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn

Sam lives on a farm. His father is a horse trainer. There has been a dreadful accident and Sam's brother has died aged only seventeen. The accident happened three years ago but Sam still has nightmares, and his mother and father's relationship has descended into fights, arguments and screaming matches. Sam tries to stay invisible. 

Julia lives next door. Her father has driven her mother away after one beating too many. He is a violent man who is fueled by alcohol. 

A foal becomes caught in the wire of a fence. Sam hardly knows Julia but together they rescue and care for the young foal and over the days and weeks their own gentle relationship begins. Sam tells Julia about his brother and also about his one friend - a boy from school who is actually not a friend - he is a dreadful bully but Sam clings to this dysfunctional relationship. But then comes the day Alex verbally attacks Julia and Sam fights back. As I reader I cheered when this toxic relationship ended. 

Julia also confides in Sam. She desperately misses her mother and is afraid of the violence from her father. Then Julia cannot take it anymore and she swallows some pills. The authorities swoop in and she moves away to live with relatives. Sam loves Julia and now she has left. 

This is important - do not let the cover trick you. Yes, this is a book about a horse and yes, it is a 'thin' book with only 117 pages BUT this book contains topics only suitable for readers aged 15+. Hopefully bookshops won't 'accidently' put this one on their junior shelves. Oh, and YES, the cover by Tannya Harricks is truly wonderful so do put this book into your high school library. Young Adult fans of verse novels and of books filled with raw emotions will devour this one.

Did you ever see the movie of Forest Gump - do you remember Jenny the young girl next door. Do you remember the dreadful violence she was subjected to by her father - that is a part of this story too. Look at the labels I have assigned to this post - violence, death, accidents ...

The Foal in the Wire is certain to be listed as a 2026 CBCA Notable. 

This is a short book, but it deals principally with big questions and sometimes intense, formative experiences. Verse novels are deceptive in what would appear to be limited space for establishing depth in a story and characters. As both a lover of poetry and young adult literature, I find verse to be the perfect form to capture a story, particularly in dealing with difficult and confronting subjects. When writing for a young adult audience, free verse perfectly conveys a character’s internal language without the addition of unnecessary explanation. Each word must be chosen carefully, and no language wasted. The impact of poetry can be remarkably strong and effective in conveying emotion, while also adhering to brevity and trusting the reader to visualise and fill in the empty space on the page.~ Robbie Coburn 

In this piece for Paperbark Words Robbie Coburn talks about his poetry and about writing this book. Megan Daley and Your Kids Next read talk about The Foal in the wire here (listen from 2.50). You can hear Megan reading the blurb. Megan likens the language choices and expressive writing in this book to Sonya Hartnett and John Marsden - that's a big call but I do agree. 

Read this interview with Just Kids Lit. See inside The Foal in the wire and read some endorsements on the publisher page. And here is an interview with Hachette. And book club notes and Scholastic notes. 

Verse novels grapple with topics like trauma and loss in different ways than prose. It’s a little more subdued and evocative, with serious undertones that show that everyone lives a different lives. They can bring emotions that teens may be feeling to light, and give them space to talk about them safely. It gives them a voice to explore these feelings; explore the things teens might experience that they don’t think they can talk about with anyone else. This makes them powerful vehicles for discussion as well. ... This is the power of verse novels – they play with emotions and pull at the heartstrings. They invest in characters emotionally. The brevity makes it work well – the details aren’t needed, because you can fill them in yourself. The Book Muse

Here is the poem that made me shudder:

my only friend at school, Alex,

always makes fun of our house

and the way it doesn't look like

other people's. ...

he makes fun of my clothes

and the food mum makes me

that I bring to school for lunch.

he tells me I should be embarrassed

that my parents are poot

and says we are bogans

for racing horses.

he says my brother

is lucky he died

so he doesn't

have to be embarrassed

by me and my family anymore.

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Kira has been a lost child. She has been rescued by Cady and her son Jude but she still has scars - visible and invisible that have damaged her from her time 'alone' in the wilderness. 

Cady is an expert with training and using tracking dogs. Kira, perhaps because of that time spent alone surviving in the wild, has a special bond with the dogs especially a rescue dog named Saskia. Cady has been called to the small town where she grew up because a very young girl named Bella is missing. But as the story unfolds finding this missing girl is not the only reason Cady needed to come home.

This is one of those stories where reading feels like viewing a television show. Nearly every character has a back story and as a reader you will want to know more about each key person and discover how they are interconnected. Of course, the plot is also driven by the desperate need to find young Bella. 

Readers who enjoy survival stories and who have a special affinity with dogs are sure to love this book. The ending will be a surprise and as with all good Young Adult titles there are still a few loose ends. 

I recommend this book for readers aged 13+ mainly because there is a very violent scene towards the end when Kira is taken for interrogation by the local sherif. He is a vicious and nasty man who exposes parts of Kira's story that are utterly dreadful and harrowing. If you look at my labels for this post you will have a better idea of some of the issues raised in this story.

I bought this book by accident but I am glad I found and read it. I was browsing one of our city bookstores (Abbey's York Street). As usual I had found one book to buy but I decided I needed two! Abbey's have a good shelf of front facing newer titles and this one caught my eye. I thought I had heard of the author Jennifer Lynn Barnes but in fact she is new to me. High School readers, this is a Young Adult book, are sure to have heard of her book series The Inheritance Games. The Lovely and the Lost was published in 2020 but my copy is the UK 2025 edition. 

You can read a long description of the plot on the US publisher page. 

Blurb from the author page: Kira Bennett's earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own or what she had to do to survive, but she remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue. Along with Cady's son, Jude, and their neighbor, Free, Kira works alongside Cady to train the world's most elite search-and-rescue dogs. Someday, all three teenagers hope to put their skills to use, finding the lost and bringing them home. But when Cady's estranged father, the enigmatic Bales Bennett, tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child, Kira's memories threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. As the danger mounts and long-held family secrets come to light, Kira is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her adopted family, her true nature, and her past.

How did I decide this was a Young Adult title? What are some things I should have noticed?

• The print size is very small
• The bookshop price sticker (these are always worth exploring) says "Young Adult Fiction"
• The cover endorsement - 'A propulsive mystery-thriller ... You will cling to this book until you reach the end' Maureen Johnson - not a name I know - this should have been a strong hint

The hardcover edition of this book certainly has a Young Adult image:

Raven Winter by Susanna Bailey

Billie and her mum have moved out of the family home because dad has been sent to jail following a crime involving money (sounds like a white-collar crime). Now mum has found a new partner but he is a horrible and aggressive man who holds an enormous amount of power over her mum. He has excluded their friends and he demands the house be kept spotlessly clean. He has 'hidden' all of her dad's possessions in the garage. Dad loved the outdoors and especially birds and he and Billie share a very special bond and so Billie desperately misses him and she is sure he has no idea that they have moved. She is also certain mum and dad can get back together and that dad can help mum understand Daniel is dangerous. 

Billie decides she needs to find her dad and this decision becomes even more urgent when she discovers letters from her dad hidden in a box under her mum's bed. When she first leaves home she finds a young raven with an injured wing. She abandons her plan and smuggles him into her room. Luckily this is the week Daniel is not home because he is a long-distance truck driver. For her second attempt to run away she decides to look in those boxes in the garage. Daniel is away again and she wants to find her dad's bird books but just as she is unpacking the boxes Daniel arrives home. His violent reaction is utterly terrible. So now Billie really does have to go. But how? Her new friend Nell has accidentally offered the perfect way to do this and Billie now has to stowaway as Nell and her grandmother drive to a market near where dad has been staying. 

Blurb: Ever since Billie’s kind and nature-loving dad went to prison, her life has lost its shine. And now, Mum’s new boyfriend has moved in and home is full of sharp-glass silences. Billie’s never felt more alone. Until one day she discovers an injured young raven and in nursing him back to life, Billie finds friendship, hope and a letter that might bring her one step closer to reuniting with Dad. Raven Winter is the story of friendship, family and the belief in a very special relationship with a young raven set against the beautiful and the wintery backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales.

This is a harrowing story, but I was sure Susanna Bailey would provide a happy ending or at least the glimpse of a better future so I kept reading Raven Winter even though at times I just had to stop, walk away and take a breath. This is a book for a very mature reader aged 11+ and not recommended for sensitive readers. Read a text sample here. 

Raven Winter does suggest domestic abuse and a parent who is absent due to being in jail – tough topics – but I think it is done sensitively and gently. ...  The bigger theme of the book in my view though is how children can find comfort in nature, how non-judgmental animals can help a child who feels alone, and how caring for someone or something outside of themselves, can be cathartic. Julia's Books

There are many strands to this powerful story and binding them together is a celebration of nature and its power to heal: what the author has achieved is a fine balance between sadness and beauty. Not everything is resolved but father and daughter are reunited and there’s hope for the future. There’s also a reassuring message to any reader in a situation similar to Billie about the importance of going to a trusted adult for help. Red Reading Hub

Companion books:

Dragon Skin

The Star outside my window

Here are other books by Susanna Bailey

Little Sure Shot by Matt Ralphs

Annie lives in Ohio. Her real name is Phoebe Anne Mosey. She lives with her Pa, Ma, four older sisters, a baby sister and a young brother. They are poor but surviving and this is a loving family. Annie is a little different from her siblings because she loves to go out with Pa hunting and he can see she has skill so he is teaching her, even though she is only six, to load his gun and how to shoot wild animals to give the family food. 

Pa sets out one day with grain for the Mill but on his return journey the weather takes a terrible turn and Pa arrives home frozen and desperately unwell. The family all try to keep him alive in the hope that he might recover but sadly, after a few months Pa dies. Things now become desperate and so Ma is forced to give her baby to a childless couple and then she decides Annie will need to go to the Infirmary. Luckily the people there are kind and Annie can eat well and have some freedom but all of this is cut short when a farmer requests a girl to come and help his wife with her new baby. Annie does not want to go but there is a promise of $2 to be sent to her Ma each week. 

Mr and Mrs Grace are despicable people. They starve Annie and beat her but she stays and tries to survive in this horrible place because she knows the money will be helping her family. Little does she know (spoiler alert) no money is actually being sent. Eventually the violence becomes so bad that Annie runs away back to the Infirmary. Now her luck and fortunes change. Annie is very skilled with a gun and this comes to the attention of a local butcher. He enters her in shooting competitions and she begins to win some money - enough money to help her family. Then Annie comes to the attention of a hotel owner and he takes her to see a sharp shooter called Frank Butler. From there she goes on to meet Chief Sitting Bull (yes this really did happen to Annie Oakley) and later Buffalo Bill or Wild Bill Cody. She joins his show with her new husband Frank Butler and she then travels all over the US, Canada and even Europe.  

Publisher blurb: Annie’s family work hard to survive on their Ohio farm. Annie’s happiest when hunting game with her pa, and she doesn’t care one bit that it’s not the kind of thing girls are meant to do. When tragedy strikes, the family is thrown into deepest poverty. Until one day, Annie dares to pick up Pa’s old rifle, and find a way to feed her starving family. As the family’s fortunes worsen, Annie is sent away to work, and life becomes an ever greater struggle. Yet Annie has the courage and pluck to survive – and her brilliance with a rifle starts to gain her more than just turkeys for the pot. Can Annie’s amazing skills take her all the way to fame and fortune?

Little Sure Shot is the story of Annie Oakley but readers will not know this until the final pages and the Afterword. I really enjoyed this story of courage and survival. As a young reader I loved books set in the pioneering days of the US such as the Little House books and Children of the Oregon Trail. Readers who enjoy stories about real people are sure to enjoy meeting Annie. I was totally caught up in her story. I sat down to read a few chapters of Little Sure Shot just after breakfast today and I then I kept reading right to the end (287 pages).

I do need to give a warning - the book is filled with guns and shooting and also the domestic violence in the scenes with Mr and Mrs Grace are very distressing. I would recommend this book for mature readers aged 11+.

Shot-through with courage and adventure, Ralphs’ rendering of Oakley’s incredible rags-to-riches story is an inspiration. Love Reading4Kids

Read more about Annie Oakley:

National Women's History Museum

History.com

Companion read:

May B: A novel

Matt Ralphs is the author of Fire Girl and Fire Witch - two books which totally engrossed me. Little Sure Shot is very different in setting and style but it is just as engrossing. 

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D Schmidt

Inside the front cover of this book there are seventeen powerful endorsements for this book. Here are a few:

"Schmidt writes with an elegant simplicity in this paean to the power of love" Kirkus Star review

"The poetic and uncluttered prose of this short beautiful novel resonates for a long time" Book Trust

"This is a phenomenal book. One of the best-crafted, most heartrending novels I've read this year ... the prose is stark, impeccable, faultless" Minerva Reads

Jack's parents agree to foster a young boy called Joseph Brook. Jack is in Grade Six and Joseph is in Grade Eight. Jack lives on a dairy farm in Maine and right from the start his parents expect Joseph to assist with the milking - morning and night. Terrible, terrible, terrible things have happened to Joseph but his healing begins when he forms a relationship with a very special cow called Rosie.

In chapter one we discover some of Joseph's story but as his trust in his new family develops we discover so much more - filling out these brief facts:

• Joseph has been in Juvenile detention.
• Something bad happened there and one of the other kids gave him some powerful drugs and Joseph had a very violent reaction against one of the staff - trying to kill her.
• As a result of this Joseph was sent to jail - to a place called Stone Mountain. 

"He won't talk about what happened to him there. But since he left Stone Mountain, he won't wear anything orange. He won't let anyone stand behind him. He won't let anyone touch him. He won't go into rooms that are too small. And he won't eat canned peaches. ... (and) he has a daughter."

"He looked like a regular eighth-grade kid at Eastham Middle School. Black eyes, black hair almost over his eyes, a little less than middle for height, a little less than middle for weight, sort of middle for everything else."

Jack and Joseph share a room. Jack is only twelve but he shows enormous wisdom in the way he treats and talks to Joseph. I loved the gentle unfolding of their relationship.

Read more plot details in the review by The Book Bag.

There are scenes that will linger forever with me from this book. I love Jack and his family, I want to thank the social worker for all her efforts to help Joseph and huge thanks to Gary D Schmidt who has written a tragic story but one with so much hope for a better future for little Jupiter - Joseph's daughter. I'm also cheering for the wonderful teachers - the maths teacher, the PE teacher and the English teacher. 

"Mrs Halloway in language arts was calling on him a lot - I think because she saw him reading Walden. She asked him if he liked it and he said he'd already read it once and he was reading it again, and she asked if he had read her favourite Thoreau book, A week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, and he said 'A Week on the what?' and she took him to the library and they checked it out together. You know how teachers are. If they get you to take a book they love, they're yours for life."

I started this book on my train journey this morning and devoured 60 pages of the 182 then on the return journey I finished the whole book which was wonderful but I was crying on the bus - luckily it was fairly empty. Some months ago I compiled a list of books that made readers cry - I can see Orbiting Jupiter is already on that list suggested by one of the people who joined that Facebook thread. 

This is a YA novel and I would say it is for ages 13+. I picked this book up at a recent charity book sale. It was first published in 2015. If you can't find a print copy there is an ebook version and an audio book version. 

I previously LOVED The Wednesday Wars by Gary D Schmidt:

The Wednesday Wars

Here are some Middle Grade novels about Foster Families:

One for the Murphys

The Star outside my Window

When Friendship followed me Home

Grace Notes by Karen Comer

The only reason I gave this book four stars is because it has a very Melbourne setting and so I am not sure how well it will be understood in other parts of Australia and this probably limits sending the book to other English speaking countries. 

On the other hand this book is a splendid study of our modern times as we all negotiated Covid-19 and lockdowns, and daily government updates, and possibly even the death of a loved one. I do wish I could give it five stars because I found this story utterly engrossing. 

Grace is the third daughter in a high achieving family. Her father plays the violin beautifully but he gave up his dream to be a musician and became a communications trainer. But music is in her soul just as it is for her grandmother Ettie who was one a member of the symphony. Her mother is an international lawyer and as the story opens she has left for Italy. The date is 28th February, 2020 and the world is becoming concerned about a virus in China. Listen to the music Grace plays with her dad. 

Crux (James Michael Cruz) is an artist - he uses spray cans to create his huge works but for now he is limited to art on the garage wall because he is not allowed to buy spray cans until he is eighteen. His work is not tagging it is art. His father is a television cameraman so he is right in the thick of daily updates and news about Covid. He is also a youth counsellor. His mother loves crystals but she works as a nurse and so is all caught up in all the Covid panic, procedures and confusion.

Crux sees a YouTube video of Grace with her violin. He is invited by some street artists to assist with a huge commission piece in the city and when one guy fails to turn up, the other invite Crux to paint the violin girl.

This story is told in two voices, and it is a verse novel so it is filled with emotion. It is obvious from the beginning that Crux and Grace will meet but they will also have to navigate parents and the pandemic. The title has two meanings - grace notes are a part of music - optional but important and often beautiful. There are lots of notes in this book as Grace and Crux negotiate their new relationship, friendships and parents. They need to draw on grace to accept rules and change. They also have to convince their parents that even though they are both only fifteen they are old enough to make their own life decisions. 

"My violin always feels warm,

like there's still a breath in it

from the spruce trees,

from the maple tree,

living wood

cut down, carved out

to create a stringed voice.

There's still a life-force that sings

that can't ever be suppressed,

even when my violin lies alone in its case."

"Mum never let us wear

Disney princess dress-ups.

She never let us read

the pink-and-purple-coloured books

-a dozen in a series - 

with stories

about princesses who waited for princes

to rescue them.

So when we played princesses,

we rescued princes but refused to marry them,

fought dragons with homemade swords ... "

Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance copy. Grace Notes was published on 1st February, 2023. I highly recommend this book as a terrific addition to a High School library especially one in Melbourne or Victoria but perhaps in other parts of Australia too. I'm sure teenagers will know the name Dan Andrews and many will vividly remember zoom lessons and lockdowns and even the toilet paper stampedes. 

I can’t recommend this stunning debut novel highly enough. It explores the challenges imposed by the pandemic but is also a beautiful rendering of how much we need art to sustain us during tough times. This highly accessible story will inspire readers to think about art and its role in society. For ages 12+. Readings Melbourne

"Six days later Dan the man is up for his presser,

North Face jacket,

grim determination on his face.

I watch him from my laptop in bed,

still in my pyjamas ...

I already know what he's going to say.

He will tell Victorians,

the deflated Victorians,

the number of cases 

in the preceding twenty-four hours - 274 -

the number of death in the preceding twenty-four hours

from coronavirus - 

nine."

"Mum's face has almost permanent lines

from her PPE.

The AFL players catch planes with their families.

play footy for us.

We judge daily numbers

on whether Dan Andrews

is wearing his North Face or his suit.

We are over sourdough bread."

Mary Underwater by Shannon Doleski

I mentioned this book was on my November and December reading pile. I only just picked it up last night (it is January) and I finished in today - YES it is that good.  This story is confronting but it is also a gentle story of first love and somehow those tender scenes balance out the horrible violence by Mary's father.

Mary's father has been in jail. This means things are slightly less fraught at home but as the story opens he has been released and Mary knows things will soon turn bad - very bad. Her father is a violent man and he takes his anger out on his wife and daughter. Every day, every single day, Mary lives in fear of what this man might do to her. This means her school work is suffering. The nuns in her Catholic school have noticed and social workers are involved but Mary is desperate not to be sent to foster care. 

The science teacher sets a group assignment and a boy in Mary's seventh grade class, Kip Dwyer, asks to be her partner. Together they build a model submarine but that is only the beginning. Mary wants to do something bigger, something more heroic like her personal hero Joan of Arc. Mary also wants to escape from her father.

Interspersed through the book are extracts about Joan of Arc and her amazing life. 

Kip and Mary, with the help of new friends, work together to build a real submarine. This part does seem rather fanciful but I did find it quite fascinating (Ms Yingling agrees). Especially since I recently read another book about life in a submarine. (The Reindeer and the Submarine by Beverley McWilliams)

Here are some text quotes from Mary Underwater:

"He leans over and pulls me up by my hands. He doesn't drop them, and my palm is pressed warm against his. So warm. We are glued together. ... "Can I hold your hand when we walk back?' I nod because I don't trust myself to talk. He can."

"I panic, jumping up. After midnight with the boy I, well, I don't know. The boy I like. That seems dangerous. Handing him my heart, the one beating wildly against my ribs, seems dangerous."

"You deserve kindness, just like everyone else in this world. You're just not used to it ... You are worthy, Mary.' 'Worthy of what?' My heart feels like it's been split open. ... 'Everything , honey. Happiness. Love. You deserve it all. Your parents forgot to tell you that."

A ruggedly heartwarming tale of resilience and romance. Kirkus

The violence balanced against hope and the importance of terrific friends that are explored in this book reminded me of this wonderful Australian book:

Dragon Skin

I do not want you to worry about the domestic violence in Mary Underwater but I do wish the cover was a little less junior looking. I suggest this is a Young Adult book for readers aged 12+. The violence is truly terrible but the tenderness of first love is utterly beautiful. Here is the moment of their first kiss:

"I kiss Kip Dwyer on the mouth. And it is a little messy. But. It is starry nights on a bridge. And fireworks. Warm hugs on porches. It is floating and flying and drifting. It is perfect."

Here is the web site for US author Shannon Doleski. There is a link to hear the author read her first chapter. 

Just a quick note about my blog goals. In 2022 I completed 405 posts. I did have a goal of 4000 posts by the end of 2024 but I think I might need to extend this out to 2025. As of today I have had 896986 hits on my blog (nearly made the million - I am amazed) and 2786 posts. I've been visiting an older lady this week and today she asked me if I was famous - so funny - but I do hope you find my blog musings, and book choices useful what ever your circumstances - teacher, Teacher-Librarian, parent or even perhaps author. Thanks for dipping into my blog from time to time. Huge thanks to the people (including some amazing authors) who drop by with comments - these make my heart sing. 

Dragon Skin by Karen Foxlee illustrated by Dale Newman

Look at this wonderful opening sentence:

"She didn't want to go home and that's why she found it."

This is a powerful opening sentence that just demands you read on (and on and on). What is happening at home? Is it something bad? What did she find? Who is this girl? Where is she? 

Home? Read on and see how Karen Foxlee is a master of word placement and choice:

"Matt would have come home and the screen door would have slammed hard and his tool bag would have crashed down on the kitchen bench. They would have flinched ... "

"Matt liked Pip in her room with the light off and the door closed so he could have her mum all to himself. He didn't like any competition. Competition made him angry."

"Now he was sitting drinking his coffee and scrolling through Facebook and stealing all the oxygen. Her mother and her had to survive on small sips of air."

"He was dangerous like hairpin bends in the road."

"Matt was made complete out of anger. He was an armour of anger and he had anger blood and he had a heart that was solid anger."

Now we know why Pip doesn't want to go home. Home is not a safe place. Pip knows her mother feels this too but leaving will take great courage.  In the meantime what has she found?

"I will save you.

I will help you.

I will fix your wings.

I was chosen."

Pip has found a baby dragon. 

I adore the way Karen Foxlee references Australia in her story. Mika tells Pip they might be bunyips at the waterhole. If this book is taken up by a US publisher I wonder what they will make of bunyips!

There is just so much to love about this book. The writing is powerful. The title is perfect and contains more than one meaning which will be revealed as you read. And this whole book is utterly brave! Karen Foxlee creates the most amazing tension in this story. Yes I've shared enough text with you so you know about Matt and his temper and way of controlling her mum but there is also the tension about Pip's friend Mika. I am not going to spoil this important story strand. And there is the little dragon himself. Pip names him Little Fella. He has come into Pip's life at just the right time. She has something to love and in turn this tiny creature helps her navigate this year of loss and fear. Little Fella also helps her make special new friends. I read one reviewer (Goodreads) who said summed this book up perfectly "So lovely, so heart-breaking and then heart-mending."  My only other personal comment about this book is that I deeply hope the terrible violence she describes in the relationship between Matt and Pip's mum was not based on any aspect of Karen's own life.  

I'm in love with this book. Dragon Skin is surprising, beautiful, unique. The characters are wonderfully drawn - tough but vulnerable, hurt but hopeful, damaged but strong. They've lodged themselves in my heart forever.' Katrina Nannestad

Dragon Skin will be available from tomorrow and I am certain it will be listed for many awards here in Australia and perhaps beyond. School libraries who subscribe to standing order services will receive this book in their book package but if you are in a library, and you don't purchase books this way, I strongly suggest you add Dragon Skin to your book shopping list NOW!  And YES this is a book for Upper Primary (mature readers aged 11+ look at the labels at the bottom of this post) and High Schools too. I am also thrilled that this book is such a great price at less then $20 for the hardcover. 

A friend from our IBBY committee sent me an Advance Reader copy of Dragon Skin and then the publisher Allen and Unwin (thanks go to Yvette Gilfillan) sent me the finished copy which is a beautifully designed hardback with an embossed cover. Take a look at this twelve page chapter sampler. 

Karen Foxlee books just get better and better.  Take a look at some here:

Lenny's Book of Everything

A Most Magical Girl

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

Companion reads:

A Game of Fox and Squirrels

One for the Murphys

The Star Outside my Window

One more thing - you already know I am obsessive about covers.  Here is the paperback cover for the UK edition of Dragon Skin due out at the end of October.