Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li

When we did come across May’s, we’d do the exact same thing. We’d stop and exchange a look. Ye-Ye would raise an eyebrow. “Egg tarts or coconut bread?” 
And every time, I said, “Both?”

“I’m going to help save the bakery.” “What?” “The bakery,” I said, my voice steadying. “It can’t go. I’m going to figure out a way to help May Wong save it.” There. I said it. Now there was no going back.

It might be good to grab a map of San Francisco or look for some photographs of the city - especially if, like me, you don't live in the US or you are unfamiliar with this city.

I did read this book quite quickly. There were many plot points that felt familiar or similar to other books so while I did enjoy some parts of this story it didn't completely grab me. I have put some similar books at the end of this post.

Plot points:

• A young girl (Ruby Chu) is sent to spend the summer with her grandmother - Nai-Nai. This is partly a punishment because Ruby has been caught leaving her school at lunch time
• Ruby is carrying the burdens of grief and guilt. She is sure it is her fault that her grandfather Ye-Ye died about a year ago.
• Ruby was once best friends with her sister Viv but now that her sister is older and about to head away to college their connection seems to be gone. 
• Adding to this Ruby's best friend Mia has moved across the country and Naomi, her other friend, seems to have moved on to a different group. Ruby feels isolated and alone.
• Mum and Dad are absent from Monday to Friday because they are frantically busy with their work commitments and Ruby cannot talk to them over dinner at the weekend because they are always rushing to answer important phone calls.
• Ruby spends her weekdays with Nai-Nai and each day they go to the Seniors Centre. Ruby does make a friend but at first, she is sure she does not like Liam at all. Over time she finds out he has had some deep sadness in his life and with teamwork they bond over their shared goal of saving the bakery.

Maybe it was because after Liam and I had talked, things had changed. We now worked on stuff together and told each other all kinds of things about our families. I would never ignore him in a hallway again or tease him in my mind.

• Ruby knows she is 'grounded' but she breaks this rule by going a sleepover with Naomi. If she talks to her parents about her grandmother, they will discover this and the sleepover is a disaster.

I needed to tell Dad about Nai-Nai getting lost. And Mom. When would I mention it? I would bring it up at dinner, maybe, tonight when Dad picked me up and drove me home. But then I tried to imagine how the conversation would go. They would ask me what had happened. I would have to tell them about Naomi’s sleepover. They would get mad, I realized. My heart sank. Of course they would. They’d get angry at me and at Nai-Nai for letting me go. I didn’t know what would happen next. Would they yell at Nai-Nai? It wasn’t her fault. But would they stop letting me stay at Nai-Nai’s place? Would that leave Nai-Nai by herself again? I couldn’t leave her alone. If she was left alone maybe she’d forget more things and no one would be around to help her remember. Maybe I wouldn’t tell them, for now. I would tell them eventually. For now, I’d just keep watching Nai-Nai.

• Her grandmother is showing early signs of memory loss and later Ruby learns the words dementia and Alzheimer's.
• Mum and Dad decide Nai-Nai needs to go to an aged care facility and when Nai-Nai runs away but Ruby is able to 'rescue' her and things in her family are finally out in the open and able to be resolved.
• So by now you probably agree with me that the title is perfect - Ruby is lost and then she is found or she discovers things about herself and begins to accept the changes in her life.

Listen to an audio sample here.

Publisher blurb: Thanks to her Ye-Ye’s epic scavenger hunts, thirteen-year-old Ruby Chu knows San Francisco like the back of her hand. But after his death, she feels lost, and it seems like everyone—from her best friends to her older sister—is abandoning her. After Ruby gets in major trouble at school, her parents decide she has to spend the summer at a local senior center with her grandmother, Nai-Nai, and Nai-Nai’s friends for company. When a new boy from Ruby’s grade, Liam Yeung, starts showing up too, Ruby’s humiliation is complete. But Nai-Nai, her friends, and Liam all surprise Ruby. She finds herself working with Liam, who might not be as annoying as he seems, to help save a historic Chinatown bakery that’s being priced out of the neighborhood. And alongside Nai-Nai, who is keeping a secret that threatens to change everything, Ruby retraces Ye-Ye’s scavenger hunt maps in an attempt to find a way out of her grief—and maybe even find herself. 

Big feelings are uncomfortable but to be expected in this story of finding joy and community amid change and loss. Kirkus Star review

(While) this is not an exciting, page-turner; it's a self-contained family drama that's essentially about a grieving girl getting to know her grandmother better. It's definitely worth a read though -- Ruby's family and struggles feel real, the exploration of grief and intergenerational family relationships is touching, and the San Francisco setting sparkles. Common Sense Media

Read this detailed review from Ms Yingling and one from Horn Book Magazine.

I did enjoy the descriptions of Chinatown and also the relationships between the older ladies at the senior centre where Ruby goes each day with her grandmother. This book also explores the complexities of junior high friendships and peer group relationships. Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this story by Christina Li.

I took a bite and savored the sweet, creamy egg custard, pressing down the inkling of worry in my chest. The crust was soft and flaky and melted on my tongue. “Thank you,” I said, muffled, my mouth half-full. It was just like how I remembered it in May’s Bakery on a busy Saturday morning or on a quiet Sunday afternoon, leaning over the counter to peer at the egg tarts and sponge cakes through the glass. I took a sip of the tea and leaned back and felt warm and full.

They passed out bingo cards and chips. And right before it started, Auntie Lin leaned back to speak to May Wong. She kept her voice low, but I was just close enough to hear her say, in Mandarin, “Another kid to babysit? What are we, a day care?" ... Also: another kid? Some other grandchild was being brought here against their will? Five hours to go. The clock was literally slowing before my eyes.

Nai-Nai also didn’t do much after the days at the senior center. She used to always go on small trips and errands. Back when she was really into making clothes, she’d take me with her to the fabric store. We’d hang out for hours while she draped lengths of fabric over herself, so it looked like she had a rainbow cape. Or during her paint phase, she’d grab watercolors and have Ye-Ye and me paint with her. But now, like clockwork, we headed straight back to the apartment in the late afternoon. She wore gray sweater-vests and different varieties of handmade baggy pants. And her only hobby these days seemed to be watching TV.

Ye-Ye made me a scavenger hunt every August, the weekend before school started. There were colored-pencil marks over all of this map, a different color for every year. Dark green was last year. Gold was the year before, then red. The last time that Viv joined us for the scavenger hunts was recorded in a beautiful sky blue, looping near the ocean. Viv always liked to charge ahead with each clue, as if it was a race to finish as fast as possible. I liked to wander. And then the next year she stopped coming.

The other day, she left the package of tofu out on the counter after cooking noodles. When Nai-Nai came for breakfast, she stared at the tofu package and asked me why I’d taken it out for breakfast. Nai-Nai was always a bit scatterbrained. She often left mail and receipts out on the coffee table and left books she was reading open and facedown. But she never really misplaced things in the kitchen.

You might want to grab a copy of this book after reading Ruby lost and found:

And you want to eat a custard tart or some coconut bread and visit a Japanese stationery store to buy some of those fun animal erasers (chapter 7).

Companion books:

Tree Table Book

Talking to the Moon

Maizy Chen's last chance

Just like Jackie

Myra in the Middle by Seetha Dodd illustrated by Peter Cheong

Think about the expression cup half full or cup half empty. Myra feels as though her cup is empty. Her new baby brother has just arrived so now she is the middle kid.

"I've been the youngest member of the Menon family for seven years and nine months. So, for a minute I'm confused. Then I realise she means Zeeshan, of course. He's the youngest one now. Anya's the oldest child, but she's always been the oldest. It's only me who has to change."

You can see Myra on the cover playing soccer (football). Her parents are distracted with the new baby but they do give permission for Myra to try out for the team.

"Grace is a striker, so she will get to score the goals. April is a goalkeeper, so she must stop the other team from scoring. My heart goes THUMP THUMP THUMP. What about me? Where an I going to be?"

The coach, Mr Ellis, sends her to the middle.

"Nothing exciting happens in the middle of a soccer pitch. All I do is get the ball and pass it to Grace."

The third issue is school. Myra feels invisible and her teacher confirms this by always mixing her up with another classmate. I cheered when Myra finally found her voice and calmly wrote her name on the white board after solving a maths problem. AND the teacher was so gracious with her response too.

Myra makes a list - There are so many bad things about being in the middle - squashed in the back seat of the car with no window to look out of; ignored like piggy in the middle; invisible like the hole of a doughnut; and lost like in the middle of nowhere. I really enjoyed the way Myra set out her concerns in little tables and Venn diagrams. 

Luckily for Myra, her grandmother Muthashi lives with the family. She is so wise and she is a listener. I loved the way she used a simple cream filled biscuit to show Myra just how important the middle can be!

Soccer fans will enjoy chapters 18 and 19 which describe the match you may have anticipated from the cover. This book is easy to read with larger print, 167 illustrated pages and a fast paced honest story about fitting in and change and family. This book will be enjoyed by readers aged 7+. 

Thanks to UQP for sending me a review copy of Myra in the Middle. You can see more books illustrated by Peter Cheong here. I was lucky to do the notes for his book Every Night at Midnight for NCACL.

Publisher blurb: Seven-year-old Myra likes maths, football and things staying the same. She lives with her mum, dad, Muthashi (grandma) and big sister, Anya. Her world flips upside down when her family welcomes a new baby. Myra is now a middle child – and everyone knows middle kids always get forgotten. On top of that, Myra tries out for the school’s soccer team, only to be put in the midfield. She can’t show off her skills when nothing exciting ever happens there! What will it take for Myra to feel marvellous in the middle?

A heartfelt story for readers aged 5 to 8 about speaking up for yourself (and others!) and standing out – not by being the loudest, but by being yourself. Readings

Myra’s handwritten wordplay and puzzles; the generous use of white space; and appealing black-and-white line drawings by Peter Cheong all contribute to the text being inviting to a newly confident reader. ... This book will have broad appeal to children aged 6-8, particularly children from migrant families who will be excited to see themselves in the funny, thoughtful, chatty character of Myra. Storylinks

Large print and line spacing make Myra in the Middle a great book for young readers moving from junior novels up to longer chapter books. Myra loves maths and uses it to sort day to day problems, showing readers that Maths is present in everyday life, not just the classroom. What book Next

Seetha Dodd is an emerging children’s author who loves wordplay, humorous rhyme and lyrical prose. Her fiction has been published in The School Magazine and in print and audio anthologies by Spineless Wonders and Hunter Writers’ Centre. Drawing on her Malaysian–Indian heritage, and themes of family, identity and belonging, Seetha writes stories that empower children to challenge stereotypes and to celebrate uniqueness in all forms. She lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her husband and three children. Myra in the Middle is her debut novel. 

The Prime Minister Problem by Brenton Cullen

Wren doesn't have friends at school and in fact he is badly bullied, but he does have a truly special relationship with his grandmother. Sadly, she has a stroke, and his mum has to make the heartbreaking decision to place her in an aged care home which is 300km away. Wren is a worrier. He worries his grandmother will be lonely, he worries that they won't be able to visit very often, he worries that she might even forget him. Wren pleads with his mum to let Gran stay in their town of Fairley but there are no facilities in this small town. 

At school his grade five class are studying Australian government, and the teacher sets several assignments including writing a letter to the Prime Minister. At first, Wren decides to ask the PM to help animals that are hurt in our frequent bushfires, but when then the crisis with his grandmother takes over his family life, he starts a series of letters and emails begging the Prime Minster, whose name is Elsie Jones, to help by building a care facility in his town and he also suggests she should consider offering financial support to families caring for their elderly relatives. He does not get a reply even though he writes several times and even tries to phone the PM, but Wren is a problem solver. He cannot prevent his own grandmother from going into care but he can perhaps do something for other elderly and lonely people in his town and even better he finds a way to persuade other kids at school  to help too. Wren has found his voice!

The first half of this book is very sad - especially the parts where we read about how Wren badly is treated at school. The second half of the story, though, is emotional and uplifting. I did shed a tear or two even though the final scene felt a little 'too good to be true'. 

It is easy to identify many of the influences on Brenton in this book. One that came to my mind early in The Prime Minister Problem is the book Two Weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman. In fact, in his acknowledgement, he specifically thanks a whole bunch of authors including Gleitzman so I am sure he must have read Two Weeks with the Queen. Not related, but I noted that Wren also read Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan (2004) which I think would have appeared in Brenton's school library when he was in Grade 3 or 4. In more recent years Brenton has connected with many of his favourite Australian authors - especially those he loved as a child. You can read their endorsements of The Prime Minster Problem on Brenton Cullen's Instagram page. 

Peter Carnavas said: The Prime Minster Problem "has so much heart, really beautiful writing and some of my favourite themes: grandparent-grandchild relationships, kindness, birds, dogs, quiet kids. It’s an incredible debut from Brenton and I can sense in his writing the enormous amount of children’s literature he’s absorbed over the years."

I thought The Prime Minister Problem felt autobiographical as I was reading. Then I read this interview with Sally Odgers where he says "it isn't autobiographical - none of the things in the book actually happened to me! But the feelings and emotion and inner dialogue of my main character Wren is definitely very similar to what I felt and thought as a ten-year-old. Like Wren, I have always been a big reader; Like Wren, I hold a lot of worries and curiosities about the world. And like Wren, my grandmother was a very special influence on my love of stories." 

Here are the links I made between Brenton and his character Wren:

• Brenton also grew up in a small town in Queensland - Kingaroy population around 10,000 - so it makes sense that his first book, is also set in a small town. And being in a small town is the crux of Wren's problem because when his grandmother needs care there are no aged care facilities.
• Wren is a lonely boy who finds school very hard - sadly he is bullied by his classmates. With his love of reading and different outlook on life I expect Brenton had some similar experiences perhaps feeling like an outsider.
• On his webpage FAQ Brenton lists the Fairy Wren (bird) as one of his own favourite animals. Fairy Wrens appear in this book - you can see them on the book cover. I did wonder though, why it took Wren until age ten to ask about why his mother gave him this name - a name which has not been an easy one for a boy to navigate with his peers and I imagine also with other adults.
• I did laugh when his main character, Wren, picked up his favourite book which was Thunderwith (1999) by Libby Hathorn because Brenton lists this as one his own favourite childhood books.

It is interesting that Brenton Cullen includes a female Australian Prime Minster in his book. We have only had one woman PM - Julia Gillard was our Prime Minster from 2010 to 2013 - Brenton would have been aged around 17 and just coming of age to vote when she was in office. I think this inclusion might also relate to the way Brenton often talks on social media about the influence of three women in his life - his mother and two grandmothers and in fact their names are included in his dedication for this, his first book.

One of the most powerful scenes in this book that resonated with me was when Wren and his mother visit his Gran in the aged care home. I have talked before about visiting my own little grandmother in a nursing home when I was very young and then, very sadly, when my own mother moved to an aged care (not that there was much care) hostel. In chapter 23 Wren visits his grandmother who has had two strokes and is now in a nursing home 300km from their town.

"The lady in the bed is skinny and lost. Her eyes are blank. There's no colour in her cheeks. She lies flat, her mouth open, a spool of dribble on her chin. ... Wren's eyes move across to the milky cup of tea beside her. Grandma doesn't have milk in her tea. Beside it sites a wilting piece of toast, absolutely smothered in vegemite. She only likes a thin layer."

I am not sure that I would use The Prime Minister Problem as a whole class text but here is a link to the teachers notes. Thanks to Riveted Press for sending a review copy of The Prime Minister Problem. It will be published in late April 2026. 

This book has gentle messages about family relationships, kindness, community and the importance of knowing one person can make a difference - it just takes one step of bravery and a belief in your ideas. 

Brenton has achieved a really fine balance with his characterisations here. While characters have flaws as real people do, they are neatly balanced with their strengths and the voice is very authentic. I have no doubt that middle-grade readers will respond and connect to both the plot and the people very positively. With strong themes of empathy, friendship, loneliness, creative thinking and rising above difficulties it offers many beneficial talking points. It is a superb choice for a shared read especially if you are undertaking units around community, governance and taking action. Just so Stories

Publisher blurb: When a lonely boy’s mission to save his grandmother goes viral, it sparks a movement that reshapes his country town — and everyone in it. Ten-year-old Wren has always felt invisible. Mum is busy working two jobs, his brother has his own life, and at school, Wren hides in the library with the books his grandmother taught him to love. Grandma is the only person who truly sees him — until she has a stroke and is forced to move away to a nursing home in the city. Lonelier than ever, Wren writes to the Prime Minister for help. When no reply comes, his small act of hope takes on a life of its own — and Wren discovers he isn’t the only one who feels forgotten. As his town rallies around him, Wren learns that real solutions don’t come from politicians, but from the people who call the town home. A moving story about isolation, connection, and how one quiet voice can make a difference

Companion books:

The ACB with Honora Lee

The Kindness Project

Not Nothing

I think the class teacher in this story - Miss Peg might benefit from reading these books and then using them with her students. At times her class assignments seemed to need some serious scaffolding. I read the poster scene early in the story and was slightly horrified at the work produced by the class.

When Lightning Struck by Betsy R Rosenthal

James has lost his dad - he was killed by a lightning strike. His mum is in jail for bootlegging and she is also suffering from depression. James lives with his grandfather (Pappy) and until recently with his beloved grandmother (Abuela) but six months ago she died. Abuela was a town healer. Pappy runs the local diner and he makes delicious food for the people in the town. I loved the way James tucks into pie and hamburgers. 

There is a new kid who has moved to Odessa, Texas. He is from Ukraine and he has very little English. He is older than the kids in the class and so he is taller which is helpful for James because he is regularly tormented by a bully named Virgil and now Paul is his friend so her has someone on his side when the bullies attack. Paul's family seem very different to James. They speak a strange language (he later discovers this is Hebrew) and they observe unfamiliar customs which often include special rituals and very delicious food. They don't go to the local Christian church. 

Just before she died Abuela gave James an amulet which has a strange symbol on one side and foreign writing on the back. The Pappy shows James the family bible and it seems Abuela has a connection that goes back to 1492 when Jewish people were expelled from Spain. You can read about that in this picture book:

The Key from Spain

"Things were starting to get a little less muddy. Between the charm and the Bible with my name in it and the Hebrew writing, I felt like Abuela was sending me a message from the grave, trying to tell me that I was somebody different than I'd thought I was. And I go to wondering, too, if this news about my family's past could have something to do with me finding my purpose."

"I think your Texas Odessa is named after my Odessa because railroad workers here said this place reminded them of their home in Ukraine. ... Same name but better place for our family that Ukraine, Odessa ..."

Readers aged 10+ might gain a little more understanding about Jewish culture and the history of their persecution through this story. Paul talks about the terror his family experienced in Ukraine - a situation which has been repeated today with the Russian army. 

Our famous children's bookshop The Little Bookroom has reopened in a different location in Melbourne and I was there on their first day (not their official opening which was held two weeks later). The new owner filled several shelves with books from the previous store and marked them at 90% off the retail price and so that is how I came to find When Lightning Struck. This book was published in 2022. The ebook version is available. 

The setting for this book is Texas in 1928 but apart from references to prohibition, the Klu Klutx Klan and a few sporting heroes the parts of the story set in Texas didn't feel historical enough for me.

Here is list of other books by Betsy R Rosenthal (and there is a link to teachers notes from When Lightning Struck).

Bookseller blurb: It's 1928 in Odessa, Texas, and eleven-year-old James is struggling to find his purpose in life and to uncover a family secret. With his father struck dead by lightning and his mother in jail, he is taken in by his grandparents. Treated as a pariah at school, James is taunted as being cursed by his family's bad luck. But he finds a friend in Paul, a Russian immigrant, who is also treated as an outcast, and together, they battle the school bully. But James's life is turned upside-down yet again when he uncovers a family secret involving his beloved grandmother. His discovery leads him to find the sense of purpose he's been seeking.

Dreadful David by Sally Farrell Odgers illustrated by Craig Smith

Look closely at the cover.

David is emptying his Mum's purse all over the street.

This style of bush fence is often a feature of art by Craig Smith

I first read Dreadful David in 1984 in my first school library and decades later the words still resonate with me.

Dreadful David went to stay

With Granny for a while

His mum was glad to leave him there

For David was a trial

...

David

Made a box into a boat and 

Sailed it on the trough

The box was Granny's biscuit box

The biscuits went all soft!

He watered Granny's kitten because it seemed so small

He used up Grandad's shaving cream and overflowed the shower

He found a big new toilet roll and flushed it down the loo

Oh there was nothing horrible that David didn't do

Maybe now the text is not politically correct because Granny does eventually give David a smack on his bottom (but it didn't really hurt) but that part doesn't bother me, after all by this stage he has watered the letters in the letter box; watered the kitten; put flour and shaving cream all over the bathroom floor; and finally he's used the hose on Granny herself. I am sure most kids will just laugh over this final scene and grandparents will nod in recognition. 

Sally Odgers was born in Tasmania in 195. She began writing as a child, and her first book was published in 1977. Since then, she has published more than 400 titles, making her one of Australia's most prolific authors. Sally lives in North-West Tasmania with her husband, dogs, and a cockatoo, and she enjoys activities like walking, reading, and gardening. Sally Odgers was awarded an OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) in the 2026 Australia Day honours. ABC Hobart talked to Sally Odgers [listen from 2.07.35] - [2.17.50]

If you have worked in school libraries for a while you might recognise some of Sally Odger's older titles. I own an original illustration from Drummond. Notice some of the very famous names on these book covers - Kym Gamble; and Kilmeny Niland. I also remember reading Wicked Rose to groups of Grade 5 students when we were exploring Bushrangers.

Sally Odgers also writes the Jack Russell: Dog Detective and Pet Vet series.  Trove list 395 book titles here.

Sally's favourites among her own books include the Bandinangi Books (which continue to generate enthusiastic mail from primary school readers), Amy Amaryllis, Shadowdancers, Aurora and Trinity Street. Other books she particularly enjoyed writing include Timedetectors, Theft in Time, CD and the Giant Cat and Tasmania: A Guide (all co-written with Darrel), a picture book called Bunyips Don't and two romances for adults, both published under the pseudonym Tegan James. Shadowdancers and Aurora were both shortlisted for the 3M Talking Book Awards, Looking Out for Sam was commended in the Christian Children's Book of the Year Awards and both Amy Amaryllis and The Follow Dog have been Children's Book Council Notable Books.

The illustrations in this book showcase the work of Craig Smith and they are fabulous. If you cannot find Dreadful David look at the pages in The Wobbly Bike which have a similar setting and feel.

The Wobbly Bike

My Dog's a Scaredy-cat

Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo

"I went to stay with my Nana at her new apartment in the city. 

I love my nana but I don't love the city."

At its heart this simple picture book is about point of view. The little boy finds the city is loud and scary. But his nana says it is wonderful - bustling, booming and extraordinary.

Nana has such wisdom. She makes the little boy a cape and the next day she shows him that the city is not at all scary because he can now be brave in his fabulous cape. Now slow down and take time to really look into the illustrations because, as is the way with the best picture books, at this point the pictures go way beyond the text. 

You will love sharing this book with your young reading companion and a bonus they might hear/discover a wonderful new word - extraordinary. Nana in the city was a Newbery honour title in 2015. Unfortunately, this book is outrageously expensive here in Australia at over AUS$42. I borrowed my copy from a well-stocked school library - they were lucky to purchase this book back in 2015 for AUS$20. 

What does the Caldecott mean to you?  It means so much to know that the committee felt my book was worthy of such an incredible honor. I am just so thankful. Now, because of this silver sticker, many more children will experience NANA—Maybe even while sitting on the lap of their own Nana—and that blows me away. This book was written as a tribute to my grandmother, who I traveled to New York to visit during my childhood summers, and to my late editor, Frances Foster, who was like family to me in New York City. 

Throughout, Castillo’s soft, warmly colored art expresses the child’s changing feelings about the city while also depicting the characters’ close bond. Kirkus

Publisher blurb:  In this magical picture book, a young boy spends an overnight visit with his nana and is frightened to find that the city where she lives is filled with noise and crowds and scary things. But then Nana makes him a special cape to help him be brave, and soon the everyday sights, sounds, and smells of the city are not scary—but wonderful. The succinct text is paired with watercolor illustrations that capture all the vitality, energy, and beauty of the city.

If you read this book with a preschool or Kindy group you could compare the themes of Nana in the City with Town Mouse and Country Mouse. I have put a few picture book versions in this post. And then you can read the sequel Nana in the Country. Here is the web site for Lauren Castillo.

This is a Story; Our friend Hedgehog

See lots more Lauren Castillo books here.

Here is the blurb for Nana in the Country: When Nana comes from the city to visit her grandson in the country, the boy is so excited to teach her about all the wonderful things he does on the farm where he lives—feeding the ducks, milking the cow, even tending to bees. But to his disappointment, Nana already seems to know how to do just about everything. And she isn’t the least bit nervous about picking up bugs or easing a hen aside to collect an egg. But then a storm hits in the night, and the boy must take the lead and make sure the animals are safe and dry. And it turns out there are many more unique-to-the-country adventures to surprise his beloved Nana with.

Going Fishing with Nana by Frances and Lindsay Haji-ali illustrated by Karen Briggs

 

"As the sun rises on brand new day.

It's time to pick up Nana. We're going fishing today."

Publisher blurb: This ... children’s picture book takes readers on an exciting fishing trip with Nana in the far north of Australia. Through repetition and rhyme, readers are introduced to early education concepts such as ordinal numbers, counting by twos, and adjectives, all while seeing many cute and cheeky outback animals along the way.

Thanks to Magabala Books for sending a review copy.

Things I like about this book:

• Map end papers - this really is a mud map because for much of this journey across remote areas of Western Australia I am sure there would be no paved roads - but you could also talk to your students about the real meaning of the term mud map
• You could use the map on the end papers to compare the way we draw maps and also to locate this area on a larger map of Australia
• After talking about the map grab your copy of Are We There yet by Alison Lester or Dirt by Sea by Michael Wagner.
• I'm curious about the dedication to the children of Roper River and Manyallaluk School (perhaps the author worked there)
• Taking this book further than counting one to ten but also including the idea of doubling number gives this book scope for discussion and innovating on the text
• The inclusion of less well-known Australian birds such as jabirus and pink galahs
• It would be good to share this book with a preschool group as a way to practice counting and also introduce doubles

Things I wish the publisher had done differently:

• This book has less visual appeal because with the use of digital illustrations - although the notes say they are created "using acrylic paint on canvas paper" so perhaps it is the high gloss paper that gives the illustrations a digital feel
• I am not a fan of cartoon-style faces and eyes (especially on the frog, snake and children)

If your young reading companion is keen on fishing here are a few other titles to explore. 

Here is the companion book:

Frances Haji-Ali is an educator. She has worked in Catholic schools across the Kimberley and is currently a school principal in Perth. Frances is a non-Indigenous collaborator.

Lindsay Haji-Ali is a descendant of the Yawuru/Karajarri people of the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. He is an accomplished artist and his designs and artworks are held in private and corporate collections.

Karen Briggs is an illustrator, graphic and digital designer, and contemporary First Nations artist. She is a Yorta Yorta woman whose ancestral homeland radiates from the junction of the Goulburn and Murray Rivers in Northeast Victoria. Karen illustrates from her home in the Adelaide Hills and runs her own freelance design business. Her first book was Kick with my Left Foot written by Paul Seden, was published by Allen and Unwin in 2014, and shortlisted for the CBCA Crichton Award in 2015. Long-Listed, CBCA Book of the Year, Early Childhood, 2015. Short-Listed, Speech Pathology Book of The Year Awards - Indigenous Children, 2015.

The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson

“It means a lot to me,” she said, “you showing me the stars.” 

“It means a lot to me,” he said, “you wanting to see them.”

Before you read this book it is essential to read the introduction but I do need to say it made me cry. Katherine Paterson visited a jail many years ago and talked to a group of inmates about her book The Great Gilly Hopkins. Here is part of her introduction:

I do know that no child makes it without at least one caring adult in his or her life. ... “What’s your name?” I asked a young man handing me his book. “Oh, it’s not for me,” he said. “It’s for my daughter. Her name is Angel.” ... I wrote this book for the many Angels in our world. I hope they find it. And I hope those of us who are more fortunate will take a wiser, more empathetic look at the Angels in our midst and remember that we all are made from the same stuff, the stuff of stars.

Angel and her brother Bernie have very difficult lives. They keep moving house, dad is in jail, and mum seems to have no idea how to care for her kids so all of that responsibility falls onto the shoulders of eleven year old Angel. In the opening scene they go to the jail to visit her dad but then we learn that this will be the last visit - not because he is being released but because Verna has decided to move on again. This time, after a long drive to a remote farm house, they end up with an elderly relative Angel vaguely remembers - this is her great grandmother and things are about to become even more difficult for Angel. 

Things that I loved about the way Katherine Paterson has written this book:

• Little Bernie always repeats important words three times - he is so used to no one listening properly to what he has to say.
• I could almost taste all the food in this book - from the disgusting to the delicious. And I desperately wanted Angel to fill a glass with milk - she shouldn't have to keep worrying that there won't be enough for her brother. Luckily they do eat some delicious popsicles. 
• The Star man is a very special character who shows his love through his kind actions even though he knows his mother has decided he does not exist. Thank goodness he leaves food and milk on her doorstep each week. Spoiler alert - his funeral will leave make you cry.
• The town library (and the school library) are so important in this story as is the beautiful librarian Miss Liza. I would love to hug her tiny, damaged body. 
• Angel should not have to take on such enormous responsibilities of care for her young brother, but it is just so special the way she is always trying to keep him safe and happy - she truly loves him.
• Angels' huge toy bear named Grizzle is almost another character in the story. I loved the way he bought comfort to the kids, but I did want someone to give him a bath. 
• Even though there are really heavy themes in this book every now and then Katherine Paterson gives her read a tiny smile moment such as when Bernie says to Angel “How come you get to choose?” “Because I’m the biggest.” “You’re always the biggest.”
• There is a reference in this story to making Maple Syrup which took me right back to another book I read this year Just Like Jackie.
• I also find an old book series called The Stupids by Harry Allard illustrated by James Marshall (1974) - I didn't realise this was a real book! Well done to Miss Liza for sharing this book with Bernie - the right book at the right time!
• Miss Liza also gives Angel a perfect book - Know the Stars by AH Ray (1962). She left the library with three books and a heart too full to speak.

Here are a few text quotes to give you a flavour of this story:

Bernie was watching entirely too much television. Angel knew about the evils of too much TV for kids. It was like getting only sugar in your mental diet—like not eating all the five major food groups. Ms. Hallingford, Angel’s fifth-grade teacher, was big on the major food groups. She’d also said TV could be a really serious hindrance in a child’s mental development, in the same way not eating right could stunt your physical growth. Angel grabbed the remote and punched the red button.

“Hurry up, and I mean both of you. I swear, sometimes you kids act like snails on Valium. . . . Get a move on, will you?” How could Angel hurry? She stared dumbly into the closet. Verna had said she could take only what fit into the green plastic suitcase that Welfare had given her last year so she wouldn’t have to carry her stuff around in a garbage bag.

It was one thing to leave your kids in an all-night diner by mistake. It was something else to leave them in the country on purpose. That would be too much like Hansel and Gretel.

Everything was going to be all right. ... She knew it, sitting on those steps eating a cherry Popsicle, a real backpack on her back with books inside waiting to be read, and groceries in all five major food groups waiting to be bought. She didn’t have anything to worry about today, and she wasn’t going to get all stressed out about tomorrow. Not while she had the chill syrupy taste of a cherry Popsicle in her mouth.

But now she knew it was true. At least in her head she knew it was a fact. All the things that had happened to her and Bernie hadn’t been their fault. She was sick and tired of thinking it was her fault when they got left at cold apartments and all-night diners and grandmas ... 

Word placement is everything - and Katherine Paterson is a master of this. Look at the highlighted words in this sentence which reveals so much about young Angel and her circumstances. She is getting ready for bed - which is the lounge room couch. She does not turn on the light because that will mean trouble from Verna, her mother: She yanked hard and lifted up the couch seat, turning it into her bed. ... Then she fumbled in the top drawer of the dresser for her nightshirt, really just one of Verna’s old T-shirts, and slipped it over her narrow shoulders.

Look at this sentence too - Angel is thinking about her responsibilities and also about the time when she first held Bernie. Katherine Paterson weaves in a reference which echoes Angels new found interest in astronomy: The thrill was long gone, but the duty had become like the sun in the solar system, the center around which all the other parts of her life revolved. Without it, she would likely fly to pieces.

The heartbreaking abandonment of Angel and her brother is sure to remind you of The Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt.

I am not very good at reading chapter headings especially in a book as good as this one where I just wanted to keep 'turning the page' so anxious for the outcome. But here are some of the chapter headings so you can see they are important and have been carefully worded by Katherine Patterson: A Is for Astronomy; The Swan; Miss Liza of the Library; Know the Stars; To School We Go; Draco the Dragon; Polaris; Consider the Heavens; Galileo Galilei; Falling Stars; Stardust to Stardust; Take Something Like a Star; Shining Stars.

A gently written tale of family caught in the most corrosive of situations, this is a story of guilt and reconciliation. Kirkus Star review

Publisher blurb (from author webpage): Angel Morgan needs help. Her daddy is in jail, and her mother has abandoned Angel and her little brother, Bernie, at their great-grandmother’s crumbling Vermont farmhouse. Grandma, aged and poor, spends most of her time wrapped in a blanket by the woodstove and can’t care for the children. That’s left up to Angel, even though she is not yet twelve. In this dreary world of canned beans and peaches, of adult worries and loneliness, there is only one bright spot—a mysterious stranger who appears on clear nights and teaches Angel all about the stars and planets and constellations. Angel’s quest to carve out a new life for herself and Bernie makes for a powerful, moving story that could arise only from the keen sensitivity, penetrating sense of drama, and honed skill of master storyteller Katherine Paterson.

I follow Katherine Paterson on Facebook and a few days ago she posted an article from a US Newspaper called The Mountaineer. In their religion section the reported talked about this book - The Same Stuff as Stars - by Katherine Paterson (2002). I have read lots of her books but not this one. I shared this with my friend and she hadn't read it either so we have both decided to find and read The Same Stuff as Stars. I added it to my Kindle library and read the whole book in one day - yes, it is that good - a completely engrossing story filled with heartbreak and deep honesty.

Here is part of the newspaper article (in case the link requires a subscription):

Newbery and National Book Award honored writer Katherine Paterson (“Bridge to Terabithia,” “Jacob Have I Loved”) illustrates this in her powerful, yet bittersweet, young adult novel “The Same Stuff as Stars.” I encourage you to find a copy and enter a story that broadens your understanding of what it’s like to live in childhood poverty and to wish for words of approval — to know you are beloved when you are abandoned and feel worthless. We all need to be needed. The story also captures the vastness of the universe in which we live. ...

Now that I hope I have convinced you to read this book you will have to visit a library or read the ebook version as it is now sadly out of print (published 2002) and I couldn't find any suppliers but here is the paperback ISBN [9780544540309] just in case you have another way of searching. 

After reading this book you need to find this title by Peter Sis:

Read more here

You might also want to read the full poem: “Take Something Like a Star” from The Poetry of Robert Frost.

Companion books:

Ruby on the Outside

Alternate title The Faraway Truth

Something like home

When you Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

I used to be able to talk to her. I used to tell her everything. If this had happened a few years ago, 

I would have said, I JUST SAW A TIGER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. 

I would’ve shouted it right into her ear because I couldn’t hold it in.

Mum and her two daughters - Lilly and Sam - are moving back to live with their grandmother or halmoni (grandmother in Korean). Very gradually we are given some brief details that dad has died in a car accident. This move will be a new start for the family but more importantly it is clear Halmoni is unwell. 

Halmoni buys rice and pine nuts and herbs to cast magic, she feeds spirits, she believes in all the things you cannot see. She lives in a house at the top of a hill, a house covered in vines, with windows that watch like unblinking eyes. She is a witch, looming over the town, like something out of a fairy tale. She’s not normal. I’m not normal.

On their journey Lilly sees some thing very frightening. She knows her grandmother has told the girls stories about tigers. And now she has seen one.

I gaze out the windshield. The landscape that slips by is peaceful. Gray stone houses, green grass, gray restaurants, green forest. The colors of Sunbeam blur together: gray, green, gray, green—and then orange, black. I sit up, trying to make sense of the new colors. There’s a creature lying on the road ahead. It’s a giant cat, with its head resting on its paws. No. Not just a giant cat. A tiger.

When they arrive at the house Lilly encounters the tiger again. She makes a bargain with Lilly. If Lilly returns the stars that were trapped in jars by Halmoni then the tiger will restore Halmoni to good health. Halmoni has told Lilly the story of the Tiger and the stars. 

“I am the littlest girl in the littlest village, and I am sneaky. I hide outside the caves and wait until the tigers fall asleep, until their snores echo through the land. And then I get to work, grabbing the stars—the bad stories—in my fists, stuffing them into jars.”

“I seal jars up. Then I tiptoe away from cave, so soft, hush-hush. Before I leave, I think, I be extra safe. I make sure they don’t follow. So I take rocks from the forest, one by one, and stack them at the mouth of the cave, until they make a wall. Big, heavy wall. Until the tigers trapped inside.”

“Nothing last forever, Lily. Tigers break free. The tigers very angry. Now they coming for me. ... “They hunting me now. They don’t stop hunting.”

Lilly finds the important jars but then she has to work out how to trap the tiger in the basement. The family now live across the road from the library, so Lilly decides to go there to find out how to trap a tiger. In the library she meets a boy named Ricky. He will prove to be a new friend and a boy who can help Lilly navigate this complex time, but will she be able to trap the tiger in time? There are three jars and three stories the Tiger could tell Lilly. Sam calls her sister a QAG - quiet Asian girl - but Lilly has to find a way to break away from this label or stereotype because she is sure she is the only one who will be about to save her halmoni. And of course time is running out.

Blurb from the author page: Would you make a deal with a tiger? When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni’s Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history.   Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now, the tigers want it back. And when one of those tigers approaches Lily with a deal—return what Halmoni stole in exchange for Halmoni's health—Lily is tempted to accept. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voice… and the courage to face a tiger.

Opening sentences:

I can turn invisible. It’s a superpower, or at least a secret power. But it’s not like in the movies, and I’m not a superhero, so don’t start thinking that. Heroes are the stars who save the day. I just—disappear. See, I didn’t know, at first, that I had this magic. I just knew that teachers forgot my name, and kids didn’t ask me to play, and one time, at the end of fourth grade, a boy in my class frowned at me and said, Where did you come from? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before. I used to hate being invisible. But now I understand: it’s because I’m magic.

Keller infuses this tale, which explores both the end of life and coming-of-age, with a sensitive examination of immigration issues and the complexity of home. It is at one and the same time completely American and thoroughly informed by Korean culture. Longing—for connection, for family, for a voice—roars to life with just a touch of magic. Kirkus Star review

There is one sentence that made me gasp in this story. Over five days eleven years ago this week I sat with my mother as she was dying. Someone told me the last sense to go is hearing and so I said the same words that Lilly said to her halmoni reassuring my little mum that I too would be okay:

“It’s okay,” I whisper, leaning so close to Halmoni that my lips brush her ear. I close my eyes and breathe. Sometimes, the bravest thing is to stop running. “It’s okay if you go. We will be all right.”

I gave When you trap a Tiger four stars - I think this is because I just read a similar book or at least one with a similar plot involving a young child and their grandmother - Children of the Quicksands by Efua Traore. This meant I wasn't quite in the mood for another book of magical realism and cultural folktales even though When you Trap a Tiger is Korean and Children of the Quicksands is set in Nigeria. I did enjoy, in this latest book, the way Lilly grew in strength and also her determination in the face of terrible fear that she could and must help her grandmother. The final scene I described above also deeply moved me. I think this book is for readers aged 10+ with good reading stamina and for readers who have experienced books like this one previously. Ricky is also an interesting character. At first I thought he might have ADHD or be on the autism spectrum but then later in the story we discover he has lots of friends at school. I did find the early scene in the supermarket where his father berates him unresolved and therefore a little confusing. This may be because I read those parts a little too quickly.

When you trap a tiger won the Newbery Medal. You can see other books by Tae Keller here. If you enjoy books with folk tales woven into the narrative you might also look for these:

Where the mountain meets the moon

Zadie Ma and the Dog who Chased the Moon

A Glasshouse of Stars