Letters to a Dog by Piers Torday illustrated by Alice McKinley

I, for real, sat down to write a letter to a DOG. But you’re not just any dog – you’re a little brown-and-white terrier. With short legs and a wagging tail. And the softest, gentlest eyes. I don’t even know your name, but when I saw you at the dog home last week, I just knew we were going to be friends. 

This is a sweet story about a young boy - Jamie Monroe who is desperate for a dog. His mum has died and his dad has become very distant. Before going to hospital Jamie visited a dog shelter and he saw the perfect little dog. He decides to write a letter to 'Dog'. 

Letters to a Dog is a Barrington Stoke book which means it is short (72 pages) and easy to read and contains a story that will appeal to young readers - in this case aged 8+.

Blurb from author webpage: Jamie is in hospital waiting for a life-changing operation. And to make a difficult time even harder, he’s fallen out with his dad and refuses to speak to him when he comes to visit. To keep his spirits up, nurse Shirley suggests he writes a letter to the dog he desperately wants to adopt from the local dogs’ home. But imagine his surprise when Dog writes back!

Dear Jamie, Many thanks for your letter dated last Tuesday, which I can confirm has arrived. Please note that because of the large volume of correspondence being received, there may be a short delay in answering your query. Yours sincerely, c/o Cute Dogs Home London P.S. Please note that this letter has been sniffed for security and training purposes. P.P.S. Please be patient. I am a dog. But please know I am reading your letters. Every word.

Did 'Dog' really write this letter? Jamie thinks it feels a little like AI. He is totally shocked that 'Dog' has replied so he decides to write back. It is seven days until his surgery so there is a letter for each day and in each letter, Jamie shares his deep feelings about what has happened in his life and more importantly why he has stopped talking to his dad. 

This is a beautifully told, empathetic story that does not shy away from the heartbreak that families go through when dealing with loss and the different ways that people cope with grief. It also a story that shines with love, memories and promises fulfilled. Book Craic

Torday’s skill as a writer has created a lively, well-crafted story with a character who speaks directly to the young reader. The illustrations by Alice McKinley add that important visual element. The Barrington Stoke format ensures that this will attract a wide range of readers. This is an excellent addition to any library – a story rooted in a reality that will have a wide appeal. Books for Keeps

Piers Torday began his career in theatre and then television as a producer and writer. He is the author of the Last Wild trilogy, titles within which have won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the UKLA Award and nominated for the Carnegie Medal. In 2016, There may be a Castle was a Times Children's Book of the Year. In regular demand as a speaker at schools and festivals, Piers is also a reading helper with Beanstalk, a former judge on the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, a Patron of Reading at Heathmere School and a trustee of the Pleasance Theatre.

Click the label Barrington Stoke on this post to see lots more books from this excellent publisher. I was in a bookstore recently and talking to the young book seller I mentioned Barrington Stoke - she had not heard of them. I do think (if you are a bookseller) you should consider stocking some books from this series. I especially loved their YA titles which I have shared here. 

Waiting for the Whales by Sheryl McFarlane illustrated by Ron Lightburn

"When he spotted the orcas that year, he carried his granddaughter to the water's edge and held her up so she could see. And although she didn't understand, he told her all about the whales that he had watched since he was small."

The old man lives alone until his daughter returns with her baby. The grandfather and little girl become inseparable watching for whales, cooking and tending his large garden. As the little girl grows the old man grows weary until one day he dies but the little girl knows when she watches those glorious orca whales, she can see his spirit.

Bookseller blurb: Waiting for the Whales illuminates the unique friendship between grandparent and child and celebrates the restorative power of the natural world. An old man lives alone on a bluff overlooking the sea, tends his garden and waits. Only when the whales return each year to the bay in front of his cottage is his loneliness eased. Until, one day, an unexpected visitor arrives. Originally published over thirty years ago, this award-winning picture book is sure to enchant a whole new generation of readers.

Awards: 

1991 CLA Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award winner 

1992 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award winner 

1991 Governor General's Literary Award - Illustration winner 

1992 IODE Book Award - Toronto Chapter winner

2015 Today's Parent's Best Canadian Kids Books list selection commendation

1991 CLA Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award winner

1991 Governor General's Literary Award - Illustration winner

1991 Canadian Library Association (CLA) Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award winner

1992 International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Canada Canadian Picture Book Award 

2016 Today's Parent's 100 best Canadian kids' books of all time commendation

The perfect companion book is:

The Whales' Song

I was in Canada in August this year, and my friend and I visited a terrific children's bookshop on Vancouver Island in the village or town or suburb of Sidney called Tanners Books. Sheryl McFarlane lives in Victoria on Vancouver Island.

I spied another book called Jessie's Island and I purchased it then when I came home, I discovered I already own this book by Sheryl McFarlane - Waiting for the Whales - which I picked up in 1994 when I lived in Canada and had the idea to collect one book from each Providence or Territory.

Blurb: When Jessie's mother suggests they invite Thomas to visit their island, Jessie wonders glumly what she could possibly write in her letter that would sound as exciting as zoos, planetariums or video arcades. But as Jessie looks out over her island home, she sees a world of endless variety, from killer whales in the strait and bald eagles soaring overhead to anemones in tide pools and tiny hermit crabs on the shore. She thinks of countless days spent exploring, fishing, swimming and canoeing.

You can see more books illustrated by Sheena Lott here including one by David Suzuki and one about knitting which I know will intrigue my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything. 

Here are some picture books by Sheryl McFarlane:

Ron Lightburn is the illustrator of a book I used to have in my library called How Smudge Came. He also illustrated another book by Sheryl McFarlane called Eagle Dreams. You can read more about Ron Lightburn here. 

The Fabric of Us by Aditi Anand

Papa's sewing machine fills the house with sounds and colourful fabrics but one day the house falls silent. Now it is just the little girl and her Dad and the silence seems to stretch on and on. How can the little girl help restore their happiness.

I saw this book promoted on Social Media and the illustrations looked so special. This is a new book published in 2026. The paperback from Walker Books is an affordable price.  You can see Aditi Anand speaking about her book here. You can see more art from Aditi Anand on Instagram.

Publisher blurb: The sound of Papa’s sewing machine fills the family home: Snip! Whirr! Clank! Click Click Click! But one day everything changes and the house is silent... This is a poignant and moving picture book about dealing with grief and bereavement, as a little girl copes with the death of one of her fathers. The family bond over Papa’s love for sewing, and in this sensitively told story, the little girl rediscovers this hobby with her father and together, they find a way to remember Papa.

Anand’s vibrant mixed-media illustrations, full of childlike ingenuity, supplement her spare text. Visual cues such as Hindi newsprint in the collage images, Papa’s kurta and footwear, and a turbaned Sikh man in a bazaar establish the setting as India. Color is used effectively to plot the protagonist’s emotional journey. Full-bleed spreads burst with warm hues until Papa’s death, when the colorful backgrounds become steeped in gray-blue. The final illustrations of a patchwork memory piece that Dad and the child create to remember Papa cleverly combine fuchsia, orange, and yellow patterns from the fabrics worn by this family unit and signal a return to color—and perhaps even joy. Kirkus

Anand's art is absolutely beautiful. I love the collage technique incorporating swatches of text into the image, calling to mind swatches of fabric like Papa must use as a tailor. The muted tones of the illustrations also complement the tone of the story about a girl and her father dealing with the loss (or absence) of her other father. Glass of Wine, Glass of Milk

Aditi Anand is an illustrator, author, and printmaker from India. In 2024, she graduated with distinction from the MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. She is the winner of the Picture This prize and in 2024 she won the Emerging Illustrator V&A prize for illustration. The Fabric of Us is her debut picture book as an author illustrator. Here is another book illustrated by Aditi Anand:

Read the Kirkus review

Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky by Will Kostakis

"What else had I forgotten? How much of Mum had I lost without even noticing?"

The opening scene in this book is SO intriguing. Two boys are standing on a lawn in front of an elevator. By page two we discover that this elevator takes kids to the 'School in the Sky' named Manor. You can see it on the book cover (art by Hana Kinoshita Thomson). One huge complication, though, is that his boarding school is for rich kids and Otis Ottely does not come from a wealthy family. Elevators appear in random places in the town of West Orlow but luckily technology can help. The weather radar meteorologist now adds a tiny yellow dot to his weather map showing where elevator has descended in the town and, so on this day, Otis plans to board the elevator so he can join this school. There are, however, lots of holes in this plan including wearing the correct school uniform.

So, what is going on with Otis Ottley and his family? Why is he trying so hard to reach this school? In the beginning it is simply because he would like to attend a different and possibly better school but then he meets one of the students and everything changes.

His dad owns an ice cream shop but recently another business has been opened by Tabitha Tabernacle who is a Manor graduate. This means her ice cream is made with, or better yet curated, with magic. Dad keeps trying to perfect new flavours and he says there is room for two ice cream establishments in their town. But is this really true? Since the death of his mum Otis's dad has withdrawn into his own thoughts.

Otis uses a tennis ball to talk to his mum. It has a Y and an N. He asks a question, tosses the ball and reads the answer. This sounds like a good plan but sadly, Otis has begun to forget precious memories of his time with his mum. Then a boy, called Keean, lands in West Orlow. He has been or is a Manor student and he has been experimenting with something that might just help Otis but others want to reclaim this magic and so the race is on!

I read Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky three times. YES, I really did enjoy it hence the four stars BUT my reading was overshadowed by the publisher listing ages 9-13 recommended. The cover has a younger vibe, but I think this book will better suit readers aged 11+. The main characters are in High School and aged 14. The book references The Merchant of Venice (possibly no 9-year-olds will be familiar with this play); and there are a few language issues with words like pissed and sparrow's fart but on the other hand I really appreciated the sophisticated vocabulary used in this book: words like reminisced; aplomb; gregarious; incredulous; philistine; sheeny; and covert ( and there are heaps more).

The Teacher Librarian in the story is named Mr Darcey (I like this), but he specialises in giving the kids books "that are equal parts gory and romantic, and super sweary." Again, this sounds like a phrase you might use with a Young Adult audience.

I think Otis Ottley will be a perfect book for a young High School (boy) who is a reluctant (but capable) reader who is sure to be attracted by the book length - short - and perhaps the cover (although that does look a little junior to me). There are some laugh out loud moments in this story and the plot twists and turns kept me turning the pages once I conquered the rhythm of Will's writing - he is excellent at leaving a reader to 'join the dots' in the narrative and so demands that, as a reader, you do pay very close attention to every word of every sentence - this is not a book to skim and scan. Behind all the humour, there is also a layer of poignancy and desperation in this story which you can feel from the quote at the start of this post. 

Here is a quote from the Teachers Notes which contains an interview with Will Kostakis: ‘In media, we like to treat drama and comedy as silos, but in life, they bleed together, and I always want my work to honestly reflect that. Getting the balance right is something I’ve learned to do over time, choosing the right joke for the right moment, and trusting that when the book requires it, readers will engage with something serious without me clowning out.’

Bookseller blurb: Otis Ottley is an ordinary boy who yearns to go to the magic school in the sky. And he will stop at nothing to make it happen. A funny and warm middle-grade novel about finding the magic in everyday life, from a much-loved, award-winning Australian author. Otis Ottley lives in the shadow of the Manor School for Magic. Literally. It's an island hovering over his town, and he's determined to reach it. While many kids dream of roaming the prestigious institution's halls, casting spells and conjuring spectacles, Otis has a very specific mission: to seek magical help remembering something very, very important. The odds are stacked against him, but Otis will break into magic school. Or at the very least, he will break a few rules trying.

The story is slightly Harry Potterish with a magical boarding school in the sky, but it also has a beautiful heart as young Otis desperately wants to bring his mum back. I also loved his emotional intelligence as he tries so hard not to upset his dad. Will Kostakis has created a fun side kick character for Otis named LJ - his role is to act as the 'voice of reason' along with supporting Otis as he tries to reach the school and find the memories of his mum. LJ is a terrific friend.

Some of the best scenes (I know this sounds very strange) take place in the nursing home on the outskirts of West Orlow where Otis goes to visit his grandmother. She is a feisty character with huge opinions and colourful clothes. I totally related to her horror of nursing home 'arts and crafts' activities and her 'busy body' personality.

"Nan lives on the second floor in what's basically a hospital room, but she's draped doilies over everything so it feels like home."

There are also some very imaginative ideas in this book such as bilocated paper - it is paper that appears magically and then words appear as if there is an invisible person writing them. Such a fun way to communicate with no need for devices! I also like the name Otis Ottley - the alliteration and the way, when he spells his name, Otis will need to say one 't' then double 't'.

It’s funny, it’s emotional and it’s fast-paced, with short chapters that keep the story moving so readers who don’t like long books, reluctant readers or readers just looking for something a bit lighter if they have been reading a lot of longer stuff can enjoy it. ... many readers will enjoy and find something to engage with, ... there is a sense of seriousness, a gravitas running through that shapes the story and makes Otis the character he is. It helps us as readers understand him and connect to him, and for readers who may have gone through what he has, it is a solid and meaningful reminder that they are not alone in the world and what they might be going through. The Book Muse

Here are some other Young Adult titles by award winning author Will Kostakis. His first novel, Loathing Lola, was released when he was just nineteen, and his second, The First Third, won the 2014 Gold Inky Award. It was also shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year and Prime Minister’s Literary awards. Will Kostaskis won the IBBY Australia Ena Noel award in 2018.

I had this book from 2014 - Stuff Happens Sean in my previous library - I plan to hunt it out and read it because I really enjoyed the style of writing in Otis Ottley.

Today I attended an event at Gleebooks Kids where Will Kostakis talked about his new book with fellow author Jack Heath (Jack Heath also won our IBBY Ena Noel Award). 

Just stop and think for a minute about these splendid events at Gleebooks Kids. We all know how much work goes into an author visit - most Teacher-Librarians host these important events once or twice a year or maybe in some cases (in wealthy schools) once each term. But think about Rachel Robson who hosts two author/book events EVERY Saturday. Exhausting but also fantastic. 

Back to the author talk today. I actually cheered when Jack Heath listed books that may have influenced Will Kostakis - of course he mentioned the obvious one which is Harry Potter, and also Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator but then Jack Heath named the short story Smart Ice Cream by Paul Jennings. Woohoo - this is a longtime favourite of mine. I have read it to hundreds of kids in my school library.

Here is a summary of Smart Ice Cream from Unreal: An ice-cream seller called Mr. Peppi has special ice-creams that have effects such as making people happier, shortening peoples' noses, removing pimples, and making people smarter. A smart but arrogant boy who is always top of the class gets jealous, because he never ever gets any of the ice-cream and also because one of his classmates becomes as good as him, so he ruins the ice-cream business by destroying all the ice-cream except the one that makes people smarter. He then proceeds to eat that one, only to find out that it actually makes people less smart.

Through the conversation between Will and Jack we learnt that this book Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky not only had long ago origins (back when Will was in Grade One!) but that it went through many drafts and plot changes - a good lesson for young readers about the importance of patience and perseverance along with striving to make your story or book the best it can be for your readers.

A few things Will Kostakis mentioned:

• The magic in the town of West Orlow needed to sound like a natural part of everyday life.
• Otis doesn't express his feelings, but we do know them through his actions (Jack Heath pointed this out).
• Jack Heath also said that Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky has 47 chapters and 47 plot twists all in 150 pages. Then Will explained his plan was for 130 pages but he went slightly over.
• The rich vocabulary used in this story was a deliberate choice (hooray!)
• The name LJ was inspired by the child of a friend.
• Will Kostakis is an author who does his best work under the pressure of a deadline. 
• At a deeper level this story shows the rich poor divide especially between Private and Public Schools - the discussion then turned to the way this is often reflected in the school facilities such as the school library.
• The bookseller's name Arabella Moriarty was a deliberate nod to the famous Australian children's author Jaclyn Moriarty.
• New books coming from Will Kostakis - possibly a sequel to Otis Ottley; a title for the Your Kids Next Read series for young readers (Affirm Press); and a new Young Adult title. 

Questions I didn't ask today (I never ask questions which I know is silly):

Do you think kids need to know the plot of or read the play of The Merchant of Venice which you reference in your story - it seems like quite a key plot point towards the end of the book.

I loved the scenes in the nursing home - can you talk about these - for example do you have an elderly relative living in care? You created such scenes and a terrific character with this grandmother.

It sounds like your editor had a huge role in the creation of this book - can you talk a little more about how this process works?

Companion book (this is a more serious book about a boy who visits an aged care home and all the different people he interacts with):

Not Nothing

Will Kostakis is also the National Judge for the Kids' Cancer Project - Write a Book in a Day. I am one of the State level judges (Primary division).

Birdy by N West Moss

I need to try and be happier—but I don’t know how

When they told her that her mother had finally died, Birdy lay on the floor of the McGraths’ apartment (they had been next-door neighbors for Birdy’s whole life), sirens wailing outside, and thought the world would stop, but it hadn’t. After a while, she heard noise on the street below: people shouting, taxis honking. The world kept spinning. When the McGraths brought home chocolate ice cream that night, it tasted good, which was surprising. Life moved forward.

Birdy (her real name is May) and her brother Mouse (his real name is Michael) are sent to live with distant, elderly relatives named Mitzie and Shadow. Birdy is told this is temporary until a foster family can be found. She is told she will be able to stay with her precious brother - they won't be separated. But are these things true. What if Birdy and Mouse are separated? What if these strangers don't like her? 

The urgent thing was to stay together. The only thing they carried with them of any value now was one another.

She thought of saying a lot of things, like thank you for taking us and thanks for keeping us together and thank you for coming all the way to New York City even with your husband in the hospital, and for not asking a lot of questions, but Birdy hated saying thank you all the time. It made her feel needy, which she guessed she was. “Okay,” she said again, to fill the quiet of her missing thank-yous.

Birdy wondered why Mitzie and Shadow wanted them. She had thought maybe they were broke and wanted kids there to do chores. Why else would two old people take kids into their house? It didn’t seem like that, though—they didn’t seem broke.

Birdy is on high alert. She has been ever since her mum became ill. Taking care of Mouse is her responsibility. In a way Birdie has never had the chance to be a child - to play, to laugh, to make friends or to have fun. 

She tried not to think about her mom dying all alone in the hospital without the two of them there, coughing a lot probably, no one to hold her hand. The painful thoughts spooled out from Birdy like she was a ball of misery twine. She didn’t want to think about how much she missed her mother, or how mad she was at her for dying, or for being so sad, or for leaving Birdy in charge all the time. She was mad at her mother for having to work so much, and for being impatient.

As is often the way with stories like this there are so many heart-wrenching misunderstandings. These of course give this story so much tension that you will just keep turning pages desperate for that all important, happy ending.

One of the most beautiful (and teary moments) in this story comes when Birdy visits the charity shop. She is looking for new clothes but we know she also loves to read. One of the staff offers her The Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt but Birdy says no (inside my heart I was telling Birdie to say yes). 

“We just got a whole set of the Tillerman Cycle books.” When Birdy didn’t say anything, he said, “They’re old I guess, but my sister loved them. With this kid named Dicey who runs away from home with her brothers and sisters.” That sounded interesting, but Birdy tried to act like she wasn’t listening. ... “I can give you a deal if you want the set.” Birdy waved her hand and hunched over and walked as fast as she could to the register, carrying her clothes in her arms. She didn’t have seven dollars to buy all those books. Forget it. Go away, she thought. GO AWAY. ... “Hey,” he said to Birdy. “We have to make room for new books just coming in, and if you want these you can have the whole set for a dollar.” His voice trailed off. “If you want.” He waited. “I checked with my boss and she said it was fine. A dollar for all seven.” 

I guarantee you will fall in love with the characters in this story and with the kindness offered by Mitzie, Shadow and most of all by the new uncle the kids meet - a guy named Clay. Then there is teenage camp counsellor named Bruce - I just wanted to hug him for his kindness, sensitivity and emotional intelligence.

He was really looking at them, like they were the only people in the world and he was seriously interested in them. He looked at them like he had all the time in the world, like there was nothing better on earth to do than to spend time right there with them in the driveway. So, this was her mother’s brother.

I added this book to my Kindle because Colby Sharp highly recommended it and BOY oh boy he was right. N West Moss is actually Nanette West Moss and this is not her first book but it is her first Middle Grade book.

There's something oddly comforting about this story. Maybe I just want to hang out with Mitzi while she bakes in the kitchen. Ms Yingling

Bookseller blurb: Eleven-year-old Birdy and her younger brother, Mouse, have always looked out for each other. They make the perfect team: Birdy is realistic and practical, while Mouse is affable and trusting. After their mother dies of cancer, Birdy and Mouse are forced to move out of the city to the country with relatives they've never met. Aunt Mitzie and Uncle Shadow's house is full of organized chaos, and it takes Birdy time to adjust to having adults around. But the kitchen is always stocked, and both kids are allowed to play outside as often as they want. There's only one problem: it's all temporary. Their social worker has promised to find them a permanent home by the next school year, whether they want to leave or not. As the summer unfolds, Mouse starts to feel attached to their new life. But Birdy knows better-adults have never been reliable. When Birdy's fears get the best of her, she makes a big mistake that could jeopardize their future.

Here are two more beautiful quotes:

It was peaceful, like they were healing up after a long illness or something. A thought was forming in the back of Birdy’s mind (one she wouldn’t understand completely until later) that maybe sitting with your brother, or whoever loves you most in the world, is how a person grieves. Piling little rocks and leaves and feathers on top of one another can make you start to feel like your chest isn’t collapsing. While she was looking for stuff to pile on top of other stuff, she had a sense of what “better” might feel like and how to steer toward it.

It was a sudden feeling that inflated something in her, like drinking too much soda in one gulp. She didn’t want to like him. She knew that hope was a dangerous thing that could make you feel especially good and then when the truth of things came out, however high up your hope had taken you was how far down you would fall.

Companion books:

Missing May

Same Stuff as Stars

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman

One for the Murphys

The Higher Power of Lucky

Something like Home

Pictures of Hollis Woods

Strays by Gia Gordon

"How could someone dump this sweet little dog onto the street? How could someone chuck him out the window like he was a bag of week-old McDonalds? How could anyone with half a soul look into those melting eyes and not want to fold him into a love-blanket, and take him home?"

Campbell is in Grade 6. She finds it hard to concentrate at school and she has a complex relationship with her almost silent father. He works for the city animal rescue centre, except this place is not really about rescue because stray dogs and cats are only kept there for three days and then it is her father's job to decide to euthanatize them. This partly explains why Campbell's father is so distant but other dreadful things have happened and these are gradually revealed through the story - her dad was a fireman and something went badly wrong when Campbell was having her fifth birthday party but even worse Campbell's mum left the family and then (spoiler alert) she was killed in a car accident.

Luckily Campbell does have a fabulous friend at school - a girl named Luz. Luz lives with her mum, dad and older twin sisters in a busy household but Luz does not have a perfect life either. Her dad has been serving in the army and over the last ten years has rarely been home with the family. As this book opens though he has returned from his deployment and his service has ended but he is suffering from dreadful PTSD and adjusting back into his own family is difficult.

Into this mix comes a small brown dog. Campbell witnesses someone discarding him:

"I'm not expecting a beefy man-hand to reach out the window holding a tiny, squirming dog. I'm not expecting that dog to drop out of the beefy-man hand onto the sidewalk. I'm not expecting the van to speed away. I'm not expecting that teensy flash of beige-brown to take off, chasing the van."

So we have some puzzle pieces for this story which Gia Gordon neatly puts together into a very satisfying conclusion but not a conclusion you will expect at all. 

I do also need to mention the fantastic school Teacher-Librarian in this story - Miss Alba. She is kind, she listens to Campbell and she gives very practical support and access to the most perfect resources as Campbell struggles firstly to keep this little pup she names Tater Tot safe and away from her father who would be sure to take him to the dog shelter; and secondly when Campbell needs help to work out how to transport the little dog to the other side of the country - I hope that makes you even more curious about this book.  IF I was going to do further study in the field of children's literature I think there is a whole topic here about minor characters who are helpful Teacher-Librarians like Miss Alba.

"Librarians are kinda awesome that way. Because she always makes you feel like she has all the time in the world to talk to you or help you out with something even when it's her lunch hour."

Campbell is grieving in this book and her friendship with Luz is tested - the ups and downs of their relationship felt very real. I also loved the way Campbell showed really good emotional intelligence about her father and also when she saw things were hard for Luz and her parents.

Here are some poignant text quotes:

"Nothing I've ever loved wants to stay with me."

"For the first times in a few days, I feel like I can take a deep breath and blow it all the way out. For the first time since my dad left firefighting, since her couldn't work for two years, and then became head of animal control, I feel like there may be answers to the problems his job only makes worse."

"I smooth my hand over his cute little head, fun my fingers down his overside ears. Even though he's dirty and full of dried leaves and twigs, his fur is probably the softest thing I've ever touched in my whole life."

"even though I had food for him, he mostly just wanted some love."

There is a sweet little expression in this story used three times - it was not one I had heard or read before - I sit crisscross applesauce. 

Bookseller blurb: Campbell Cole has a big heart for all living things, especially strays. It might be because her father, the director of the local animal control, is as aloof as they come, so Campbell knows what it’s like to feel alone. When she spots an adorable dog being dumped on the street, the last thing Campbell can do is tell her dad. He might take the pup straight to the shelter, where new rescues have just three days to be adopted. The only person she can trust with the truth is her best friend, Luz. The more time Campbell spends trying to catch the dog, the more he starts to trust her, which is both great and terrible because Campbell knows she can’t keep him. But perhaps she doesn’t have to. With the help of Luz’s father, an army vet grappling with PTSD, she just may find a solution that benefits not only the dog, but everyone else, too.

Gia Gordon’s Strays is a beautifully written, heartfelt novel about friendship, family, and finding the courage to stand up for what’s right, that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to find a place to call home. Gia Gordon

An insightful, well-characterized exploration of love and trust. Kirkus

Readers will be drawn into this accessible, emotional story. The Horn Book

I saw this book Strays in a bookshop on Saturday a few weeks ago. It caught my eye because I had seen it mentioned somewhere, plus I do like the cover, and I am a sucker for books about dogs. Bonus - this is a very new book so you will be able to find it in your local independent bookstore. I recommend Strays for readers aged 10+. 

Companion book:

A Handful of Stars

Earlier today I read a comment on social media that if you see a dog on the cover of a book it is sure to be a sad story and the dog will die! NO. Thank goodness that is never the case in the books I read for children aged 9+.  Here are a few I love:

One Dog and his Boy

Answers to Dog

Talking to Alaska

Something like Home

Here is another book by Gia Gordon:

Six Weeks by Matt Goodfellow illustrated by Joe Todd Stanton

"I love you mum.

Please help me.

I don't know what to do without you."

There is such a level of tension in this verse novel that you just need to read on and on. Alfie lives with dad, his dad's new wife and their young baby Alice. Alfie's mum has died and early on we learn this happened when the baby was born about one year ago and we also read that Alfie absolutely never wants to see the man who lived with his mum ever again. As a reader you will have no idea what has happened between this man and Alfie but over the six weeks of the story Matt Goodfellow gradually lets us step into Alfie's life, and we can hear Alfie's questions which naturally are about life and death and we see first-hand complex human relationships along with the importance of grieving.

I have been a bit of a reading slump lately - I had a couple of new books to read and review but neither of them really grabbed me. I thought about the "Rights of the Reader" by Daniel Pennac. His number two rule is: The Right Not to Finish a Book – It is acceptable to stop reading a book at any point and his number ten rule is: The Right to Enjoy Reading – Above all, reading should be pleasurable and free from pressure. Facing a long day with a few serious life stresses I decided to put away the two books that I was struggling with and pick up Six Weeks. I knew this book would be good, but I didn't know just how good - I was totally absorbed by this story, and I read 150 pages in one gulp before lifting my head and 're-entering' the real world. Six Weeks is a winner! Please put this book into the hands of the readers in your life aged 10+. The powerful storytelling in this book 'blew me away'.

Matt is an exceptional storyteller, and his use of verse is incredibly effective at conveying Alfie’s internal world.  Books for Topics

Six Weeks is a book you have to just sit with after you've finished it so you can fully absorb everything. It's a book I hugged at the end (between the tears). It's a book full of heart-break, healing and hope.  K and O Bonkers about Books

When I’m asked about my favourite books, I always say lots of children’s books and that more adults should read them! Six Weeks is the exemplification for why I say that: it is a subject matter which hits young and old and it particularly resonates with the grief journey I’m on. Your heart will break for Alfie at the start and slowly, that love and hope will begin to be rebuilt. Matt is an exceptional storyteller and his use of verse is so effective to convey such important messages. Check 'em out books

If you read my blog you may know I am not a fan of book endorsements, but I wholeheartedly agree with the comments by these authors:

• 'Utterly magnificent' Liz Hyder
• 'Matt Goodfellow's best novel to date' Sarah Crossan
• 'Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant' Phil Earle
• 'Goodfellow has pulled off something astounding' Anthony McGowan
• All at once beautiful, tender, funny and sharp ... a triumph' Katya Balen

I adored these two previous verse novels by Matt Goodfellow:

The Final Year

Turtle Tears by Megan Albany illustrated by Paul Seden

"The turtles there cry like we do ... Except when they cry butterflies flutter around 
and drink their tears."
"Turtles live a long time ... because they share their tears."

Grief is a complex emotion and we often struggle to know how to respond. In this book Nan is deeply grieving the loss Pop. She cries a lot and her little granddaughter Ruby is not sure how to help. Then Nan talks about a holiday she went on years ago where she heard that when turtles cry, butterflies drink their tears - such a lovely image to ponder.

I love the way this book openly explores grief and tears and the way Nan is still allowed to cry - the grief has not gone away it has just eased a little. 

Gently ignoring stereotypes, the story ends on a beautifully hopeful note. It also reminds the reader that, even if you or someone you love is very sad, that doesn't mean you can't also have moments of joy and chase butterflies. Reading Melbourne

Blurb from Magabala Books: This heart-warming picture book gently reassures children that it is both natural and healthy for adults and children to cry when they are sad. Narrated from the voice of a child, Ruby, it centres on her no-nonsense Nan who is grieving for her late husband. She tells the child about the turtles she and Pop saw, while on holiday in South America. They cry tears as humans do, and butterflies drink their tears (factual). 

Thanks to Magabala for sending a review copy of Turtle Tears.

I found this information about butterflies and turtles:  Butterflies in the Amazon engage in a behavior known as lachryphagy, where they sip tears from turtles to obtain vital sodium and minerals necessary for their survival. This unique interaction sees butterflies flocking to freshwater turtles, taking turns to land on their heads and drink their tears. The sodium in turtle tears is crucial ... As butterflies drink the tears, they quickly absorb the salt and dispose of the leftover liquid through their rear end. This process allows butterflies to acquire a crucial nutrient that is otherwise difficult to find in their usual diet of plants and other sources. The butterflies’ need for sodium drives them to seek out the tears of turtles, forming a symbiotic relationship where both the turtles and butterflies benefit. While the turtles produce plenty of tears, the butterflies only consume a small quantity, making this interaction sustainable for both parties. Besides butterflies, other insects such as bees and moths also partake in tear-drinking behavior. This fascinating natural occurrence highlights the interconnectedness of different species in their pursuit of survival ...  Butterflies rely on the turtles to provide enough sodium through their tears, ensuring their continued survival, while turtles remain largely unaffected by the butterflies’ feeding habits.  

Read more here. Here is a video of lachryphagy in action (2 minute video suitable for older primary students or background information for teachers).

This phenomena of butterflies drinking tears is probably mentioned in some non fiction books about butterflies - I need to dig deeper in a library to check.

Paul Seden is an author and illustrator of picture books for young readers and he is descended from the Wuthathi and Muralag people of North Queensland. Kick with My Left Foot was a Notable Book in the 2015 CBCA Book of the Year Awards and short-listed for the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards – Indigenous Children category. Crabbing with Dad was short-listed in the 2019 KOALA Children’s Choices Award and also for the ABIA Children’s Book of the Year in 2017. Paul loves illustrated text and lives in the Top End of the Northern Territory.

The Shop Train

Megan Albany is a proud Kalkadoon woman. Megan lives in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Her debut black comedy novel, The Very Last List of Vivan Walker (Hachette 2022), was one of four works shortlisted for The Banjo Prize.

Following Grandfather by Rosemary Wells illustrated by Christopher Denise

"It was Grandfather who taught me the names of all the shells: luck shells, boat shells, comb shells, winkles, and the rare queen's teacup, which washes up only once in a blue moon."

Jenny and her grandfather like to visit their local beach - Revere Beach in Boston - and yes this is a real place.

See more pages inside Following Grandfather here

Her grandfather came to the US from Italy and as a young man worked in an Italian restaurant. Now he has retired and Jenny's parents run the restaurant. Grandfather has the time to look after and share his wisdom with Jenny but sadly he is coming to the end of his life.

Here is a special extract from this story:

"My parents worked late into the night, so it was Grandfather who spooned warm milk over my evening pudding. It was his hand that showed me how to button my buttons and how to draw J for Jenny. Into Grandfather's vest pocket went my first tooth, and to the ticking of his pocket watch I slept."

And my favourite scene is when Grandfather takes Jenny to the Jordan Marsh and Fliene department store. 

"There the latest fashions from Paris and Milan are copied exactly from the downstairs models. They are painstakingly sewn from sippets of silk and organza stolen from the main racks at night. ... I tried on every outfit and modeled them for Grandfather. He sat patiently, leaning on his mother-of-pearl tipped walking stick and examining the tailoring carefully, as if we could have afforded them."

Two names jumped out at me from the cover of Following Grandfather - Rosemary Wells (author of all those wonderful books about Max and Ruby) and Christopher Denise (illustrator of Knight Owl).

Bookseller blurb (this book is from 2012 and so is now out of print): 

Invisible to humans exists a parallel world of mice, where young Jenny misses her cherished grandfather so much that she begins to see him everywhere. Jenny is as close to her grandfather as a small mouse can be. Grandfather shows Jenny how to button her buttons and how to write her name. He passes along to her the secrets of making the best lasagna in all of Boston. And during long, shared days at Revere Beach, Grandfather teaches Jenny the names of the seashells they find washed up on shore. When Grandfather is all of a suddenly gone one day, the hole he leaves behind is too great for Jenny to fathom. Isn’t that him turning a corner, sitting on a bench, heading for the pier, walking along their beloved beach? Jenny runs after the familiar silver whiskers, hoping. ... Rosemary Wells peels back the layers of grief to reveal, at its core, something as exquisite and achingly beautiful as the rare and storied queen’s teacup seashell. Christopher Denise illustrates mid-century Boston with affection, and a mouse and her grandfather with gentle humor and unabashed sympathy.

This time spent together - old and young - made me think of this wonderful picture book:

I am an adult and I need to say that there is so much in this book that appeals to me, but I am not entirely sure if this is a book for very young readers. Not because of the content, even though the grandfather does die, but more because of the references to American culture and history and also the exploration of the concept of class and privilege. This quote explains this idea:

"I learned all the mice in the city and what they did to make a living. Grandfather tipped his hat to Senator Lodge himself and to the Cabot nursemaids, the fried-seed vendor, and the poorest rat who swept the sewers. Grandfather said hello to the world. I learned to say hello, too, in that way that made the world smile back."

Rosemary Wells expresses in a beautiful way sandcastles that are swept away by a rising tide - she calls them melting sandcastles and she also uses the delightful words 'crenellated tower' to describe the inside of one sandcastle. And you will want to think about the meaning of the title. And I do love the idea of collecting special shells. 

Following Grandfather has 58 illustrated pages so it is a very quick book to read but if you read this book aloud in your family you may find yourself explaining these things:

• Meaning of the word 'revere': to be in awe of and respect deeply; venerate
• Places - Revere Beach in Boston; Holy Cross Cathedral on Washington Street; Martha's Vineyard.
• Italian foods - biscotti, gelato, mozzarella, cappolatte anisetto, tortellini, lasagna puttanesca
• Riding in a streetcar (we might call this a tram).
• Ship names 'Leonardo da Vinci'; Titanic; Carpathia and you will want to explore the sinking of the Titanic in more detail.
• Grandfather wears spats and has mother of pearl buttons

My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything explains her reservations about the audience for Following Grandfather in her blog post. 

Beautifully written text and endearing gray-scale illustrations transport readers and add to the poignancy of the tale. The message that all people are worthy of respect is artfully delivered and the manner in which Jenny mourns her grandfather's death will evoke empathy from young readers who have suffered a similar loss. School Library Journal

Losing someone you love is always painful, but for the young such a loss can be devastating and incomprehensible. In this beautifully written and illustrated story, we come to appreciate how special Jenny’s grandfather is, and we see how the little mouse struggles to come to terms with her grief. Through the Looking Glass

Writing with tenderness and humor, Wells creates an authentic, parallel, mouse-sized world within Boston while introducing readers to human-sized devotion and grief in the fully developed relationship between Jenny and Grandfather. Kirkus

I do enjoy books about mice that incorporate the human world such as these:

A Nest for Celeste

Bless this Mouse

Secrets at Sea

Violet and Jobie in the Wild

Always Clementine

Mousenet

Umbrella Mouse