Flying Through Water by Mamle Wolo

We all grabbed bailing vessels. Thunder cracked, and lightning streaked across the sky like a celestial tree revealing its branches for a split second. I felt as though I were caught in a different dimension where death was as present as life, and everything was elemental and terrifying.

I thought about this world and the things we humans struggled for, and all the ways in which we imprisoned ourselves, and each other. It seemed to me that greed was just as much of a prison as poverty, only worse. Here I was alone on this island in the middle of nowhere, stripped of whatever meager possessions I had ever owned. And yet in nature’s heart I felt liberated and endowed with a splendor beyond anything humans could ever purchase. 

What greater wealth was there in this world than freedom?

This story is told in three parts. Sena describes his life in Ghana and his special relationship with is grandfather who tells him stories of his village life before the artificial creation of Volta Lake and the Akosombo Dam. Sena lives with his mother, sister and baby brother. They are very poor but he has been able to go to school. His education is not perfect and the teachers are often absent and they do beat the students but if he can sit the final exam there is the promise of further education and hopefully a better life for his family. But there is a young man who visits their village with promises to the young boys of work and money and perhaps even adventures. Sena is suspicious of this flashy man who they call 'Jack of Diamonds' and he has heard stories of boys sent to work with cattle - boys who are given little or no food and forced to work in dreadful conditions. Sena is determined not to follow this path but then his grandfather dies, his mother is gravely ill with malaria and his best friend declares he is heading away to work because he is sure the promises from 'Jack of Diamonds' are true. 

Sena loves his family and he really wants to help them so after his final exam he leaves a letter under his sister's pillow and he heads off - what he does not know is that this will be a journey into hell. So begins part two. Sena is taken to work as a slave for a cruel master catching fish and diving deep into treatrous waters to untangle the fishing nets. He is given virtually no food, he is beaten and the group of about ten boys are forbidden to talk to each other except about their tasks. Yes this is illegal human trafficking. Can Sena escape? Where will he go? What will happen if he is caught? He does befriend one of the boys and then that boy is killed - possibly murdered by their master - so now Sena must leave. He arrived at this place terrified of water and unable to swim. After several months of this cruel work he can now swim but he is still terrified of the dark water and the waves and he has not learned how to float. Part 3 is all about survival because he does find his way to a small deserted island with only monkeys for company but of course he must also find a way to get back to his family. He also carries huge guilt about the boys he left behind and he has made a new wonderful discovery of a special and rare underwater animal - the lake Manatee. The book ends with a sense of hope for the future for Sena himself but also for other trafficked boys and hopefully also for this very special wild creature who is also trapped in the waters of this lake.

Here are a few text quotes from this book:

Treatment by teachers: The humiliation hurt almost more than the lashes, but I hardened myself to it even though it upset me that the teachers beat us when they knew how hard our lives were. They knew we weren’t late out of laziness or what they called I-don’t-care-ism. But I got used to that too—the callousness of powerful people and the way they didn’t care what was fair.

Kekeli - a description: She had a round face, and when she smiled it was as if the distance between her lips and chin had been measured with a protractor and traced with a compass, their curves were so perfectly parallel. Her laughter was like that of a baby discovering funniness for the first time and too little to contain it. She could spark off the whole class.

Grandfather the storyteller: He said stories took us where our legs couldn’t go and showed us what our eyes couldn’t see, and that the best thing about books was that they were still there when storytellers were gone. I could see what he meant when I thought that one day, he wouldn’t be here to tell us stories anymore—a prospect I quickly banished. I loved his stories more than any I’d read in books.

Jack of Diamonds: Everyone was excited and following his every move, but something in me held back. I wondered if I was the only one to whom his mannerisms seemed somehow familiar, as if he’d studied them on someone else, like Shatta Wale or Burna Boy. Perhaps I was just being silly, but it made me uneasy that we couldn’t see his eyes, because he never took off his sunglasses. And it was amazing how he kept that black jacket on in this heat.

Publisher blurb: Sena treasures his life in rural Ghana-playing soccer, working the family farm, striving to do his best at school-but he is increasingly aware of his family's precarious security in the face of poverty. When an alluring gentleman comes to town to befriend local teenagers, offering promises of a better future, it only takes one more unsettling turn of events to send Sena into the clutches of human traffickers. Sena's ordeal, escape, and remarkable survival makes for a page-turning adventure of self-discovery and empowerment.

Searing and eye-opening, readers will devour Sena’s story in a day. School Library Journal

Wolo skillfully sheds light on the horrific practice of the trafficking of children, and the grim situations many are forced to live and work in—but she also tells a story of hope and perseverance. The vividly described settings include imagery that paints the scenes for readers as the story unfolds. A powerful look at human suffering and the will to survive. Kirkus Star review

Jack of Diamonds turns out to be a pied piper for a human trafficking network and thus, Sena finds that he has been sold into indentured labour to a fisherman who employs a motley crew of children, some as young as three, in a bid to compete with foreign trawlers working the Volta Lake. Cold and brutish, Sena’s master is a formidable antagonist, the like of which populates Dickensian novels, but the real villain here is the systemic poverty that has left intergenerational scars and threatens the possibility of a future for its under aged victims, who are malnourished, overworked, and constantly exposed to the risk of drowning. The Lagos Review

Fans of Hatchet and A Long Walk to Water will find Flying Through water an engrossing book. Sadly I have no idea how I discovered this book - I must have seen it recommended somewhere.

Listen to an audio sample here. This book only in hardcover so far is too expensive here in Australia (AUS$32.50) but I read a copy on a Kindle.

I recommend this moving and atmospheric story for readers aged 12+ especially those with an interest in social justice. Your senior students could also investigate the work of our Australian organisation that assists victims of modern slavery - The Freedom Hub.

I recently read this book which also explores the topic of human trafficking:

Stitched up

A Different Pond by Bao Phi illustrated by Thi Bui

"a powerful, multilayered story about family, memory, and the costs of becoming a refugee". Kirkus Star review

"Both my parents worked multiple jobs to survive and support us in a country whose people did not understand why we were here at best, and blamed us for the aftermath of the war at worst. My father would sometime take us fishing with him, before the sun came up - for food, not for sport." Bao Phi

A Different Pond won a Caldecott Honour in 2018. I would share this book with older readers aged 10+. 

Bookseller blurb: Acclaimed poet Bao Phi delivers a powerful, honest glimpse into a relationship between father and son and between cultures, old and new. A Different Pond is an unforgettable story about a simple event--a long-ago fishing trip. As a young boy, Bao Phi awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. A successful catch meant a fed family. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam. The New York Times has said that Bao Phi's poetry "rhymes with the truth." Together with graphic novelist Thi Bui's striking, evocative art, Phi's expertly crafted prose reflects an immigrant family making its way in a new home while honoring its bonds to the past.

Image source: Let's Talk Picture Books

Spare and simple, a must-read for our times. Kirkus Star review

Can I recommend you read this book more than once. There are plot fragments in so many of the lines of text - small statements that belies huge issues or past stories.

Read these and in brackets I have added my interpretation:

"In the kitchen the bare bulb ... " (The family cannot afford to add decorations such as light covers and it may be that they are renting this very basic home).

"to me his English sounds like gentle rain". (This boy is proud of his dad and he intuitively understands his dad has had to learn a new language in this strange land. It is fantastic that this young boy can ignore the awful comments by the school bullies).

"I got a second job". (Dad is hard working and really wants to provide for his family. He is willing to work long hours and on weekends so their fishing expedition has to happen well before dawn. We also read that mum has to work all day on Saturday too).

"I feel the callouses on his hand when he squeezes mine". (Dad is hard worker - and his work is a form on manual labour. I wonder if, given different opportunities he might have been able to complete higher levels of education and perhaps have a 'better' or more highly paid job).

"One day, his brother didn't come home". (This is a fragment about the events of the Vietnam war and the devastating impact of this on his father).

"I wonder what the trees look like at that other pond in the country my dad comes from". (This sums up the power of this story).

Companion books:

Read more here.

CATastrophe! A story of patterns by Ann Marie Stephens illustrated by Jenn Harney

"Patterns are the foundation of which math is built. Catastrophe cleverly shows the importance of patterns as ten cats and two fish make a splash in this hilarious adventure story."

This book is a wonderful discovery and it would be perfect for your preschool collection. Catastrophe was published in 2021 and it is still available but here in Australia it is over AUS$32. I have talked about books that explore patterns in previous posts, but this book takes a very different approach. 

The cats line up to board their boat ready for their fishing expedition (after all cats love to eat fish). Their life vests form a pattern - orange green orange green orange green green green green orange. Oh no this pattern needs fixing. The cats quickly rearrange themselves and now everyone is standing in line and the pattern is perfect. In the canoe the kittens begin to row - row row meow row row row meow row meow meow. Oh no they are just going in circles. The captain tells his crew to find the core pattern - row row meow row row meow row row meow. And so their trip continues. Can they catch those fish or will their boat capsize? What a CATastrophe! Luckily they have a warm camp fire, s'mores and their cosy beds to return to - mmm purr purr mmm purr purr mmm purr purrr mmm purr purr.

Publisher blurb: Nine kittens go on an exciting boating adventure that’s a (funny) catastrophe in this playful picture book that demonstrates the key math concept of patterns. A crew of hungry kittens and their captain head to the lake to catch some dinner, but the fish have surprises in store for them. Even before the cats encounter the fish, they run into trouble. What happens when confused kitties paddle every which way? Or when they all lean in the same direction? A pattern is needed to avoid a catastrophe! Patterns are the foundation on which math is built. Using strong rhythm, clever wordplay, and countable characters, CATastrophe! is a fun read-aloud that also shows what patterns can do. Helpful backmatter will deepen readers’ understanding and challenge them to find more patterns in this book and in our world. There’s also much to find in the illustrations—including a dragonfly and worm that each appear twenty times.

Ann Marie Stephens specializes in books that explore maths concepts (see below).  At the back of this book, Catastrophe, she explains the patterns she has used in her crazy story. You can hear Ann Marie talking about her book here. 

Stephens deftly incorporates the concepts of patterns and pattern cores into her simple tale and includes an enjoyable explanatory page at the close as well as integrated seek-and-find challenges. Harney’s bright, energy-filled cartoons are a great match and maintain a fine balance of cute, color, comedy…and cats. Kirkus

Here is the website for the illustrator Jenn Harney.

Music and poetry contain examples of patterns. In poetry we can describe rhyming lines using pattern labels.

Images from: Family friendly poems

Here are some of the patterns in music:

Image source: Jooya

Other books by Ann Marie Stephens:

Bird and Sugar Boy by Sofie Laguna

"AP Davies was going to get a big surprise when Bird turned up at his place. I'd knock on the door and when he answered, I'd say 'Hello, AP Davies. My name's Bird - it really is!' Then I'd show him my drawing book and maybe we'd start making plans for the sanctuary as soon as I arrived."

James Burdell lives with his car mechanic dad. They have a good relationship but as you read this book you will wish James could talk more with his dad - he desperately needs to understand why his mother left when he was very small. James has a very active mind. He remembers overheard conversations and fragments of phrases uttered by the adults in his life, but he constantly misinterprets these. James lives in a small town called Denham - I think it might be in Victoria. He and his best friend Sugar Boy spend their time after school and on weekends mucking around on their bikes, chasing trains and fishing. At school James is always getting into trouble - he is either daydreaming about birds or causing trouble to get a laugh out of his classmates. The teachers know he is a bright boy but they are running out of patience with his bad behaviour. 

Birds are an obsession for James. Several years ago when he was with his dad in an op shop, he spied a book - Birds: A Field Guide. This book becomes his comfort. He almost memorizes the whole thing and when he is upset or confused or in trouble, he takes out his drawing book and sketches the birds from his book. In his mind the author is a hero and so James hatches a plan to meet AP Davies. The back cover says the author lives in The Blue Mountains. James has no idea where that is but when he is told his very best friend Sugar Boy is moving to Broome in Western Australia, James decides he needs to find AP Davies. He is sure leaving will make things easier for his dad who struggles to 'make ends meet.'

"I did know I was having big dreams, and big dreams aren't the way things actually are - but why was it better to stick with the way things actually are when big dreams felt so much better? Look what AP Davies did - he lived in mountains that glowed blue and spent all his time doing bird study."

Helping in a school library at the end of last year I spied Bird and Sugar Boy by Sofie Laguna. Parts of this story have lingered with me since I first read it in 2006. When I read My Brother Ben and also The Someday Birds I struggled to think of the title of Bird and Sugar Boy but I was certain it also contained a story about a boy who loved birds and who owned a precious bird guidebook.

My Brother Ben

The Someday Birds

But the blurb did not help me: Sugar boy gave me the name Bird, otherwise I'm James Burdell. I live with my dad who has a big tattoo that says Live to Ride. He is so strong he can lift up a car, but he can't tell me what he's thinking. Maybe he's thinking about my mother who shot through. Sugar Boy is my best friend. We hang around down at the river, in the bush tunnel, or beside the railway tracks riding our bikes fast enough to beat the train. There's only two of us, but we're the whole team. I don't know what would happen if I didn't have Sugar Boy.

This afternoon I re-read Bird and Sugar Boy from cover to cover. It is long out of print, but it might still be in a school library.  I was surprised by the scenes I had forgotten and delighted to find scenes I had remembered especially the ones near the end of the story when James (Bird) finds himself in the city at night with no money, no food and desperate to find the right train to the elusive "Blue Mountains." I was also surprised by the fairly strong language used in this story - I think perhaps I read with a different eye now. This book is almost a Young Adult title and so I would say 11+. I wish I had kept my old copies of Magpies magazine because this book was featured on the cover of May vol. 21 no. 2 2006; page 16 with a review by Agnes Nieuwenhuizen. Oh, and yes this was the book I struggled to think of featuring a bird guidebook and a journey of discovery by a young boy. 

Bird and Sugar Boy was a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Younger Readers Honour book in 2007.  Here are the comments by the judges:

When his best friend Sugar Boy moves interstate with his family, Bird is devastated. The consequent feeling of rejection causes him to revisit the pain of his mother’s departure earlier in his life. The resulting intensity and struggle of his father’s devotion becomes apparent when he takes off to the Blue Mountains and is located by the network of biker friends. Bird’s obsession with Davis’s Field Guide to Birds of Australia, along with his skill in drawing and the positive support from his science teacher, offer great hope for him. Realistic depiction of male characters who are friends rather than mates is sympathetically done by this author.

The winner in 2007 was Being Bee by Catherine Bateson.  Just for interest the Picture Book winner that year was The Arrival by Shaun Tan. 

Here are some other books by Sofie Laguna:

When You're Older   The Song of Lewis Carmichael

Catching a Story Fish by Janice N Harrington

'You'd talk the whiskers off a catfish,'

Grandpa says, 'and the shine 

off a new penny.'

I like to talk.

I like to spin stories,

this-is-what-I-did stories,

this-is-what-I-saw stories,

stories to make my brother giggle-bouncy

and wiggly as a worm,

stories to make my Daddy lean in

and hold me octopus-tight,

stories to make Mama's eyes

shine birthday-candle bright.

My name is Katharen but my friends and family call me Keet - Keet Keet Parakeet.

"I used to be Keet-Keet Parakeet.
I used to talk to anyone.

I used to talk anywhere.

But now at school,

words are peanut-butter sticky

and tight was lids on pickle jars."

This seems like a perfect book to end my reading year. It is a verse novel and I adore this genre. It is a book that I knew nothing about, so it is a surprise discovery. This is a book that celebrates the power of storytelling and the importance of courage to use your voice. I love the new friendship between Keet and Allegra. And the paperback edition (2023) of this book has just been published so we can afford to buy it here in Australia. There is even a poem you could use from this book when you talk about our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) 2024 slogan - Reading is Magic. 

Ms Lindle is the school Teacher-Librarian:

"Ms Lindle won't mind.
She says getting lost in a book
is a magic trick
which means that I'm a wizard."

I love Ms Lindle.  When Keet enters a story competition I can hear her warm voice when she says:

"It's a good story, Katharen.'

'Really?' I ask,

'Absolutely-truly-ruly-

no-mistake-for-certain,' Ms Lindle says."

Moving house is hard for Keet and at school the other kids tease her southern accent:

"Grandpa, the kids say I talk funny.

They laugh at my words.

They're mean. Grandpa. And I don't like,

I don't like, I don't like school at all."

Blurb from the author webpage: Keet knows the only good thing about moving away from her Alabama home is that she'll live near her beloved grandfather. When Keet starts school, it's even worse than she expected, as the kids tease her about her southern accent. Now Keet, who can "talk the whiskers off a catfish," doesn't want to open her mouth. Slowly, though, while fishing with her grandfather, she learns the art of listening. Gradually, she makes her first new friend. But just as she's beginning to settle in, her grandfather has a stroke, and even though he's still nearby, he suddenly feels ever-so-far-away. Keet is determined to reel him back to her by telling him stories; in the process she finds her voice and her grandfather again. This lyrical and deeply emotional novel-in-verse celebrates the power of story and of finding one's individual voice.

Keet's is a simple and familiar-feeling story, but one that is understated, fully realized, deftly written, and utterly absorbing ... School Library Journal

Awards

• Winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People
• Arnold Adoff Poetry Honor Award

Janice N Harrington includes ten different poetry forms in her story and these are listed at the back. 

"This lyrical novel in verse effortlessly weaves together multiple poetry forms to introduce readers to Katharen, called Keet, a young girl who loves to talk and spin stories.... The poems effectively convey conflicting emotions; different styles (haiku, concrete, blues, etc.,) express moods and nuances without being distracting."  Booklist

New Girl Blues

I got the New-Girl blues.

I got those back-to-school and don’t-want-to,

do-I-have-to-Mama? do-I-have-to? blues.

Blues in my thinking, blues

in my walk. Blue and lonely lonely

because of my New-Girl talk.

I got the New-Girl,

don’t-want-to-go,

don’t-make-me-go blues.

You could use this book with a class as a way to explore poetry forms plus there is a wonderful public speaking topic idea - The Dream Report.

I would pair this book with:

The One Thing You'd Save

The Real Winner by Charise Neugebauer illustrated by Barbara Nascimbeni

"Nobody wants to play with me. Humphrey wasn't surprised. Rocky turned everything into a contest, and if he didn't win he whined and cried."

Humphrey is a patient friend. He is not concerned about the way Rocky behaves. He is a kind soul who moves gently through the world. As Humphrey and Rocky head down to the river Rockys races ahead keen to be first to arrive at the bridge but Humphrey sees a little bird that has fallen out of the nest. He lifts it up carefully and places it back safely in its home. So Rocky is first to arrive at the bridge (but does this matter?). Then they come to a stream. Rocky is sure he can be the first to reach the other side. Humphrey hears someone crying. It is a little lost duck. 

"Gently, Humphrey guided the little duck around the rocks ... Swim, little duck, swim."

So again Rocky wins and he is first across the stream. At the fishing pond Rocky is sure he will catch the first fish. A small frog needs to be rescued from a bucket, so Humphrey stops fishing and helps the tiny creature. The pair of friends then sit on the bank together but the fish are not biting today so Rocky suggests they should climb into a boat. Again, there are no fish. Rocky is beside himself - he just has to catch a fish, the first fish. Luckily Humphrey is wise and patient. He tells Rocky to slow down, to stop worrying about winning and think about the fish. And yes - Rocky catches a fish - just a small one. 

"Congratulations, Rocky. You caught the first fish. You win."

But something is wrong. Rocky looks unhappy. 

"Rocky thought about the little fish squirming to free itself from his grasp. He thought about the little bird, the little duck, and the little frog. Humphrey had been their friend."

What discovery has Rocky made? YES!! winning isn't everything. And then he tosses the little fish back into the river. 

Yes, this story is didactic, but it is also a warm-hearted and gentle story about patience and friendship and kindness. And the illustrations are bold and very appealing. I especially like the way Barbara Nascimbeni shows Humphrey and Rocky at the end of the day bathed in moonlight. 

I'm sure you might have guessed but yes sadly this book is out of print (published in 2000) but it is so brilliant I just had to share it here. Once again, we have the publishing company North South and their commitment to bringing children the best European books. The original title was Wer gewinnt?

Take a look here to see art by Italian illustrator Barbara Nascimbeni.

There are two other books in this series about Humphrey - I do hope they will be in the library where I found The Real Winner. One day I will visit the International Youth Library in Munich - I am sure they will have a huge collection of all the wonderful books published by North South.

Santa's gift

On the back cover it says The Real Winner is a Michael Neugebauer Book. I did a little digging and discovered another book with this label that I used to enjoy reading to Kindergarten groups in my school library  - How will we get to the beach. And also the wonderful Non-Fiction title Precious Water a book of thanks. FInaly I am really keen to find this third book by Jane Goodall - The Eagle and the Wren - it is another North South Book and is listed as a Michael Neugebauer Book. 

The Baker by the Sea by Paula White

We have fish merchants, and smokers that smoke the fish, blacksmiths and basketmakers, butchers and bakers. There are cosy cafes and tiny shops that sell everything you might need. 

Every aspect of life in this village revolves around the sea. There are fishermen, net makers, sail makers, boat builders, coopers who make the barrels for the pickled fish and young girls who process each catch ready for pickling. 

"The sea is the beating heart of all he we do."

But this boy's father is not a fisherman. He is the town baker. The boy is not sure this is as important as being a fisherman but his father explains how everyone enjoys his baking - the boat builders buy bacon butties from the cafe, the fisher-girls enjoy piping hot buns to warm their fingers, and out at sea the fishermen dip their biscuits in their hot tea.

"I look at my father and feel proud. For without the bread, buns and biscuits, ... the people of the village could not go on as they do. When I am older I am going to be a baker, just like my father, in the village by the sea."

Bonus - there is a recipe at the back of the book for hot coconut buns - yum.

The Baker by the sea was short listed in 2023 for the Klaus Flugge Prize.

The Baker by the Sea has wonderful illustrations done in black and white pencil with pale blue spot colour. 

Relying upon a limited palette of greys and tonal blues for the most part (except for the warm yellow glow of the baker’s oven), her visual and written narrative crosses over the village, passing over the bustle of residents’ hard-working day-to-day lives and its centring around the fishing trade. Books for Keeps

The Baker by the Sea celebrates those small-village communities in which everyone worked hard together and looked after each other. It is quite poignant that the village then has been lost to the elements but perhaps readers can take something from the idea that something special happens when communities come together. Books for Keeps

I highly recommend The Baker by the Sea for your school library. Read it for Father's Day; read it for the junior history topic Life in the Past; read if your class are talking about workers in the community; but most of all just read it for pure enjoyment. 

The perfect companion book would be:

Grace and the Christmas Angel by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker illustrated by Jane Ray

Bookseller blurb: It's Christmas Eve. The tree is decorated, the presents are wrapped and it's a big day for Grace. She is singing a song in the nativity show, and her fisherman daddy has promised to be back in time to watch her. But when a storm blows up at sea, Grace walks out on stage to find Daddy is not there. She's very worried. But luckily, Grace has someone watching over her. Will Hope, the Christmas Angel, be able to help Daddy get home safely for Christmas morning?

Grace and the Christmas Angel was published in 2021. This book is the first in a planned series entitled Guardian Angels. The two covers above are the paperback and hardcover editions. 

The illustrations by Jane Ray are truly special in this longer format picture book which will be enjoyed by readers aged 8+. It would make a beautiful family read aloud book.

Read more about books by Jane Ray here. 

Here are two other books I enjoyed where children take part in a Nativity play:

Angel Mae

Shine

My Brother Ben by Peter Carnavas

It is the summer holidays. Luke is in Grade 6 so he will return to his old school in late January but his brother Ben is moving on to High School. These months are a time of change for Luke. His father has left the family and moved far away to the other side of the country. Ben, who has always been his best friend, is changing in ways Luke finds confusing. Luke needs to hold onto the things that keep him steady. He loves birds, he knows all the birds around Cabbage Tree Creek. He can identify their songs and his favourite book is the battered-up guide book given to him by his Aunty Gem. They regularly go on bird finding expeditions - and these days are filled with joy.

The prologue to My Brother Ben is so dramatic. Luke sees a bird in the middle of a busy road. It is a magpie that has been hit by a car. Just as Luke reaches to touch it, his brother swoops in and rescues him from a speeding car. In a beautiful moment they discover the precious bird is not dead and from then on Maggie becomes Luke's best bird friend.

Someone has abandoned a small white rowing boat in a yard near their house.  The brothers have shared dream:

"I got it all worked out. We'd take off from our jetty, head straight across to the other side. You can find that bird you saw today and all its friends. Then we'd go south, away from the Jumping Tree, all the way past the old windmill ... Follow that bend to The Pocket. We'd fish all day, catch flathead and bream ... a whole bucketful. We'd camp on the bank and cook fish and fall asleep under the stars."

But this is the summer of change. Luke has his birds and Ben seems to be distracted by a new girl who has moved into their town. Then a competition is announced

"The competition was being run by the local council, just for kids under fifteen. You had to make something that celebrated Cabbage Tree Creek. ... but the most important detail was the prize: a three metre fishing canoe, with paddles, life jackets and the chance to name the boat. They'd paint the name on the side for you."

Luke and Ben are desperate to win. 

"When you open your eyes to birds, the world opens itself in return."

When you read this book you will want to also grab any version of an Australian bird guide book. Here are a couple I found:

Or you could use this poster from The Guardian which shows the Australian Bird of the Year 2021:

The writing of Peter Carnavas just gets better and better. He has created such an authentic relationship between Luke and his older brother Ben. Oddly, I kept hoping nothing terrible would happen in this summer time story. At nearly every turn of the river I thought Ben or Luke would have a life changing or even fatal accident. I guess I have read too many books like this marred by tragedy. Instead I discovered a warm, realistic story about two boys who live near a river, share their dreams, and jokes and who deeply care for each other. I guarantee you will fall in love with this place, with the lives of these boys and with this quiet, careful exploration of Luke and Ben and their summer by Cabbage Tree Creek. 

This is a quintessential Australian story set in a small country town with bush nearby to explore and the creek where the boys swim and dream but it is also a book with universal themes of growing up, facing fear, self discovery, change, sibling relationships, and the importance of the natural world. 

‘How I love this book. Peter Carnavas is a wizard with words and a master of character, and his affection for Luke and Ben and the simple, complicated stuff of brotherhood shines through on every page. If you’ve ever had – or been, or known! – a brother, the ebbs and flows of their relationship will ring absolutely true and linger long past their story’s end. My Brother Ben is absolutely bursting with heart, and with the kind of quiet power of the very best books, the ones that leave an indelible mark. I didn’t know I needed a book about brothers, birds and boats; now I wonder how I was ever without it. What a glorious exploration of boyhood and brotherliness, of trust and truth and strength and steadfastness; please give My Brother Ben to all the boys in your life, and all the girls too.’ Meg McKinlay

I have never made this comment about a book before but I do wish UQP had considered producing this book as a hardcover. My Brother Ben has all the qualities of a classic children's book and while the paperback edition is, of course, very affordable for families and keen readers I would love to see a longer lasting edition of this book which could become a treasured one to keep. Paperbacks usually have paper that gradually yellows over time and aged paperbacks loose their appeal. This book is sure to be one on the CBCA 2022 notable list. 

Companion reads:

Twitch 

Half a Chance

Henry Hoey Hobson

The small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis

The Grand Genius Summer of Henry Hoobler

Scarlet Ibis

One last thing.  Years ago I read another book involving a bird guide book. It was an Australian book. It was for Upper Primary readers. The boy in the story loved his bird guide book and he longed to meet the author - a university academic. In my memory, the boy travels from a country town into the city, he arrives at night and he does eventually meet the author of his favourite book.  I am continuing my search for this book. If anyone can help please let me know in the comments. I know this sounds like The Someday Birds but it is a much older book and it is Australian.