Children of Stone City by Beverley Naidoo

 

Publisher blurb: Set in a world where Adam and Leila and their friend Zak live as Nons under the Permitted ruling class. Then, when Adam and Leila’s father dies unexpectedly, their mother faces losing her permit to live in the Stone City with deportation to where she was born. Before music-loving Adam can implement his plan to save Mama, Zak is arrested for a bold prank that goes wrong, with far-reaching repercussions for them all . . .

This book is filled with the most dreadful undertone of fear. Adam loves to play his precious grandfather's violin. Each day he and his sister walk to school and then then walk to their music lessons but all the while they must be so careful not to meet the police and not to come face to face with Permitteds. 

Permitteds can simply take the homes of Nons and without the right paper work Nons can be banished from the city.  Adam and Leila's mum could be sent away so as the story opens we read that their father is working on gathering all the necessary papers to stop this happening then suddenly and tragically he dies. A few days later Adam sees the home of his neighbour has been taken by Permitteds and all the family possessions are strewn on the footpath. Adam is carrying his precious violin coming home from his music class when he stumbles on the scene.

"Fearing it would break open and Grandfather's violin would crash to the ground, Adam let go. He watched the stubby fingers push open each catch and lift the lid. The man's eyes rested briefly on the violin before shifting back to Adam ... what if the man just took it?"

For Adam, music is everything. It is his connection to his family history, it is his solace and he hopes his music can save his mother. He works hard with his teacher to perfect Vivaldi so he can play perfectly it at an important concert which is just one month away. 

BUT (you knew there would be a but) one day Adam and Leila meet up with their old friend Zak who has been in hiding since the eviction. While the friends are playing on Zak's skateboard at the park there is an incident with some Permitted youth. Things escalate and Adam and Zak are arrested and subjected to dreadful torture by the cruel, sadistic police. These scenes are dreadful - so I suggest his book is for mature readers aged 11+. There were times reading this book when I just had to stop and take a rest from these horrible scenes.

Beverley Naidoo says

"My concerns about this division between Permitteds and Nons stems from being born in South Africa, where I was classified at birth as a 'Permitted'. My birth certificate states 'Race: European'. Had I been born in occupied Europe in 1943m with my Jewish mother, I would have been classified as a 'Non'."

I have spent a few days in Melbourne exploring book stores. I picked this book up at a splendid store called Younger Sun. Children of the Stone City is a new book published in 2022. The story completely gripped me from start to finish.

I do have to say I do not like the US cover:

Kirkus said: Naidoo presents an evocative, heartbreaking dystopian story reflective of current and historical prejudices and injustices, addressed in her thoughtful, nuanced author’s note. Though the plot is heavy and full of trauma, the racially ambiguous characters use music, stories, and poetry to maintain hope and pursue freedom. Themes of equality, human rights, and justice prompt readers to reflect on how they can improve the world.

I absolutely loved two other books by award winning author Beverley Naidoo - The other side of Truth and Journey to Jo'Burg.

Wolfred by Nick Bland

 

This book puzzles me. A friend told me this week the Teacher-Librarian at her grandson's school offered this book as something truly special to young students in Grade One. Her grandson "won" this book and he was thrilled but really is this book for children as young as six? I know books should extend the reader's experiences but I am not sure many children would have encountered a bell boy in the lift of a very fancy hotel - do such things still exist?

Reading Time ended their review with the words: Recommended for lower primary ages.

Wolfred is given a job as a lift attendant. He is not allowed to speak or interact with the celebrity guests. His only outlet comes from writing stories each day about his observations. He posts these, via paper planes, to people in a nearby apartment building. Is this a reference to tabloid news or gossip columns? Eventually the boss, who is a real pig, discovers the stories and Wolfred is fired. On the same night the boss is pignapped and it is Wolfred who saves the day because he recognises the thieves are wearing a disguise. They are crocodiles dressed as sheep!

Wolfred is one of those books with lots of references to other books (Intertextuality). To understand the references in this book readers need to know about:

The trope of wolves in literature

How are wolves portrayed in stories? Wolves in folktales like Little Red Riding Hood, Peter and the Wolf, and The Boy Who Cried Wolf are portrayed as cruel and cunning. Phrases like “a wolf in sheep's clothing,” “throw them to the wolves,” and “cry wolf” all paint a picture of wolves as malicious creatures.

King Kong

Wolf in sheep's clothing (in this case though the baddies are crocodiles) - a reference to Red Riding Hood - their teeth and their tails were too long. And of course WolfRed - he is wearing a red suit

Little Bo Peep

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Readers also need to understand puns such as "Fancy Pants Tower"; "the boss was a pig"; and "never say boo to a ghost". The title is a play on words too.

There are visual jokes too - the lion is wearing an ermine cloak and a crown; the Fancy Pants Tower has a neon light shaped like fancy pants - is this a reference to the Trump Tower? The tortoises have lightning blot images on their caps (a reference to the hare and the tortoise by Aesop); the lift goes as high as the moon (bear in an astronaut suit) and down under the ocean.  There is an image which references Chinese New Year and the hint that a dragon set a tree outside the lift on fire. 

There is an tone to this story about the rich and poor divide and about privilege and the class system in society. You also need to notice all the pot plants that Wolfred has been cultivating. Here are some STEM ideas based on Wolfred. I recently talked about another book by Nick Bland - Walk of the Whales.

Nick Bland has another book about abuse of power and reforming of a character:

King Pig

If you use Wolfred with a group of older students - Grade 4 and up you could then look at this book:

If you want to look at another book set in a lift try to find this one which would be a better choice for a Grade One or Kindergarten reader:

We're Stuck

Blended by Sharon M Draper

"When I play the piano, I rock! It would be nice if the rest of my life came together like some kind of magical musical symphony. But, nah, not usually."

"Daddy ... Do you think people think I'm Black or white when they see me? Am I Black? Or white?"

Eleven year old Izzy/Isabella has a lot to cope with in her daily life. Dad is Black, mum is white. Mum and Dad are now divorced. The judge at the court, a man who has never met Izzy, says she must live one week with Dad and one week with Mum. This means Izzy constantly has to juggle her possessions, bedrooms, rules, relationships and even her identity. Dad now lives with Anastasia and her son Darren. Mum now lives with John Mark.  Izzy gets on well with Anastasia and especially well with Darren and she really likes John Mark but Mum and Dad cannot stop fighting especially on change-over day which happens every week.

Her one consolation is music. Isabella has real talent and passion. She is preparing for a big concert and when she practices the problems of every day life disappear. At school, though, the students are faced with some difficult conversations about race and injustice. Izzy experiences aspects of this in her daily life because she is mixed.  

This book packs a wallop right at the end - do not jump ahead but be prepared to stay for the whole ride because even though you might guess something dramatic might happen I guarantee you will not, in a million years, guess this ending.

I loved the honesty of Isabella as she navigates her complex life. I want to thank Darren for the kindness and love he gives to Izzy. And I would love a set of Mum's t-shirts - they sure are fun. If you look at the labels I have assigned this post you will see the way this Middle Grade novel (I would say for ages 10+) explores so many important issues. I do love the cover but don't be fooled into thinking this is a gentle story. 

Most people have probably already seen Blended especially in the US but I had to wait for the paperback copy to arrive here in Australia.  Hardcover US novels are way too expensive ($41!). 

You can hear Sharon M Draper reading a few pages of her book from Chapter One here. Here is the piece Izzy has been preparing for her big concert - Sonatina in C Major, op. 36, no. 1 by Clementi. When Izzy's dad proposes to Anastasia a man in the restaurant comes across with a violin to play this piece by Mendelssohn. Read this review by Ms Yingling for more plot details. Here is an interview with Sharon M Draper about her book. Colby Sharp talks about Blended. 

What begins as the story of a lively young piano player caught between two new families inexorably becomes a piercing interrogation of everyday racism that culminates in a terrifying, all-too-believable confrontation ... Kirkus Star review

I am a huge fan of Sharon M Draper.  Take a look at these books:

Stella by Starlight

Out of my Mind

After reading Blended you might look for The Watson's go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis or One Crazy Summer. 

One Crazy Summer

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

Pong and his best friend Somkit live in a jail called Namwon. Neither of them have committed a crime. They are just young, nine-year-old boys but this is their home because their mothers committed small crimes many years ago - actually nine years ago. Sadly both mothers died in childbirth so these two orphan boys have spent the whole of their lives in a jail. 

Of course I have read other books with jail setting - The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli; Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman; and All rise for the Honorable Perry T Cook by Leslie Connor but early on in this book we are given a hint of some thing very strange about this city.

"A single orb of glass swung from the mango tree overhead. Its dim Violet glow couldn't complete with the bright blaze across the river."

"Chattana is a city of light, but the light must be earned. That is why I had this reform centre (read jail) built here, away from the city. To remind the people that wickedness has a price. You see, light shines only on the worthy."

"Everything in Chattana - every orb, every cook stove, every boat motor - all of ran on the Governor's light-making powers. Once he arrived, there was no more need for fire, no more danger. The orbs lit the night; they powered magnificent machines; they had made Chattana prosperous again."

As this story open things are falling into place. The Governor has visited the jail. Everything has gone wrong for Pong and this has been witnessed by Warden Sivapan and his family. It is time to escape and right now Pong can see a way. He climbs into the garbage barrel which is heading down the river. 

By chance Pong arrives in a small village and he is befriended by a wise old monk. Pong has no idea his friendship with Father Cham will set him on a course back to the city; back to his good friend Somkit; and back to a huge confrontation with the most powerful man - The Governor. He has no idea that the girl, Nok (Supatra Sivapan daugher of former jail Warden now the Law Commissioner) who is hunting him down, will eventually become a vital friend and ally. And most importantly, Pong and his new friends will discover the truth about the lights and the way The Governor uses them to control their stratified society. It is time for the poor to rise up and challenge him.

A Wish in the Dark is my book of the year so far.  YES it is THAT good. Over the last 24 hours I kept grabbing minutes to gobble down more of this wonderful story. So many of the ingredients I enjoy in a Middle Grade book - corruption; danger; destiny; heroism; community action; friendship; a setting that makes you feel hot, cold, wet, dry, grimy and clean; and a story that employs all our senses - this book has it all. I highly recommend this book for readers aged 10+. If you work in a school library you should add this book to your shopping list. I have labelled this book as a fantasy but it also has a dystopian feel. AND as a read aloud this book will be fabulous because nearly every chapter ends with a cliff hanger. I also love books like this onr which use multiple voices or perspectives. 

Here is a video where the author talks about her book.  Read the blurb at Walker Books Australia. Read this review - Five Reasons to read A wish in the Dark. This book was awarded a 2021 Newbery Honor alongside another of Soontornvat's books, All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team. Here is an interview with Christina. And you might explore her web site. Here is a short trailer. In this video Christina reads part of her book. 

Colby Sharp (4 minute book talk) "One of the best books I have read this year ... It is an absolutely beautiful story ... It will capture your heart ... There are twists and turns that are fascinating ... I love what this book did for my heart  ...  A magical timeless story. "

Here are some text quotes which will give you a flavour of this book (which you MUST read). 

"All prisoners in Chattana were tattooed with the name of their prison. Pong and Somkit had gotten theirs when they were babies. The ink was permanent, set with the light from a powerful Gold orb owned by the Governor's office. No one could make it disappear except maybe the Governor himself."

"Shops selling orbs in every shade of red and orange lined the hall. Vendors hawked strings of Amber orbs the size of pomegranate seeds next to enormous ruby-red orbs big enough to cook soup for an army. ... He realised for the first time that each colour of orb buzzed a slightly different pitch." - Jade, Crimson, Amber and Blue.

"He watched her lift up the giant man using only her words."

"The world is full of darkness, and that will never change. Those words had kept him locked up for so long. Now Pong understood what sad cruel words they were. If you believed them, then the only way to make sense of the world was with courts and judges, rule and jails. Those were the things that kept a city orderly. They kept people in line. But by themselves, they did nothing to make the world better."

Apart from the jail books I mentioned previously this book also reminded me of the atmosphere in:

The Girl who Stole an Elephant

A Cardboard Palace (ages 12+)

Trash (ages 12+)

Ghostcloud

The Wonderling

Azaria: A true history by Maree Coote

Publisher blurb Walker Books Australia: 

A beautifully illustrated non-fiction picture book that sensitively explores the collision of wilderness and civilisation, explains a famous miscarriage of justice, and examines the role of the media in history-telling, in an appropriate manner for children. A modern day fairy tale, cautionary and unforgettable. Essential reading for students of history and the law, young and old.  When a tiny baby is stolen by a dingo, nobody will believe the truth. Prejudice, ignorance and gossip grip the nation, and the tragedy is transformed into a quest for the truth. Are you sure you know what happened? Azaria is a cautionary tale about justice, the media, wilderness, and the perils of mob thinking. Azaria forms an excellent cross-curricular resource, ideal for class discussion and activity. 

Azaria was short listed this year for our Eve Pownall Award for Information Books. A couple of weeks ago Ann James, from Books Illustrated, suggested the 2022-23 CBCA judges read an interview the Maree Coote reported in Magpies Magazine, Volume 36, No. 2, May 2021. Here are some quotes from the interview:

"The book is about innocence, ignorance and injustice."

"This is very much a story about Place, and so the rock is absolutely at the heart of things. I wanted to insert layers of meaning into the imagery, to impart that other worldly feeling one gets in that desert, that something more is going on here than meets the eye."

"My drawing style is best described as having a collage-like feel ... rough-hewn shapes overlaid on each other."

If you need to understand more about this story take a look at this report from BTN. Here is an article about Azaria written for Books Illustrated. In this video Maree reads her book and shares her motivation for writing this important story. Here is a set of very extensive teachers notes with references suited to use in High School classes. You can see other books by Maree Coote here.

Image Source: Books Illustrated

This picture book is the epitome of a top-quality informational resource with superb illustrations.  It should be essential reading for students of history and law, both young and old. StoryLinks

The large digital illustrations are fantastic at capturing the mood and the place and they support and add to the text so well. From the fabulous colours of the red desert and Uluru, the night time pictures of people looking for Azaria while the sand is covered in dingo footprints and the sad eyes of Lindy. ReadPlus

Her illustrations shimmer with the beauty of the desert; the rich colours of the natural world juxtaposed with the sombre darkness of society and supposition. Kids' Book Review

The Violet Veil Mysteries: A Case of Grave Danger by Sophie Cleverly

Fans of feisty girl heroes; detective stories; unsolved mysteries; and clever dogs will certainly enjoy this first book in The Violet Veil Mysteries series.

Publisher blurb: Violet Veil wants nothing more than to prove her worth and become her father’s apprentice at Veil & Sons Undertakers. And one rain-soaked night she gets her chance when she meets a boy, Oliver, who is wandering around the graveyard. Only, the last time Violet saw Oliver, he was indoors and very much dead, waiting to be buried. Violet has just found her first case, and it doesn’t get bigger than this: can she, with the help of her dog, Bones, help Oliver solve his own ‘murder’?

Other things you need to know about Violet:

• She is a girl living in Victorian England
• Girls are not allowed to aspire to an education and she will never be allowed to work with her father in the family Funeral business. 
• Violet's father has been accused of murder. Four men have very recently been buried in the graveyard beside the family undertaker's shop. The four men were all found in a dangerous and poor part of the town but these men, Violet discovers later, are all very wealthy.
• If Violet cannot prove her father is innocent he will hang. The police dismiss her as merely a girl who should not interfere.
• Violet is not afraid to spend time among the graves even at night - the dead feel like her friends.
• Oliver, the boy who someone has also tried to murder, needs to regain his memory but time is short. Oliver and Violet need to form a team and follow all leads to solve this terrible crime.

I read A Case of Grave Danger by Sophie Cleverly (author of the Scarlet and Ivy series) very quickly because it is a story with a terrific pace. Violet does solve this crime about halfway through the story but the police will not act without evidence. Luckily her dog Bones has a good nose for clues and luckily Violet herself is a very brave and determined young girl.

Fans of The Graveyard book by Neil Gaiman will also enjoy A case of Grave Danger. 

The Victorian setting with the morbid fascination with death, and life in a mortuary, evokes a sense of place, and oozes mystery throughout. Ashleigh Meikle

Full of mystery, excitement, adventure and suspense, this fantastic beginning to the series, sees Violet evolve and assert her individuality. Kids' Book Review

You can read the first chapter here. Or you can listen here.

Companion reads:

The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel

Violet and the Pearl of the Orient

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow

The Truth about Verity Sparks

The Case of the Missing Moonstone

Black cats and Butlers

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

There were several moments in this book when I simply gasped. The cruelty, the betrayal, the way Amal's dreams are completely crushed.

"My mother's voice told me to let this go. Something was off with this man. Let him have the fruit and walk away. But all I could see was the red pomegranate and how he grasped it in his palm as though it was already his.

I thought of my father, who had no time for my dreams. My little sisters and their endless demands. Suddenly I felt was tired. Tired of feeling powerless. Tired of denying my own needs because someone else needed something more. Including this man. This stranger."

These quotes are a good way to explore Amal Unbound. Amal goes to the market and buys the last pomegranate.  Her family are very poor. Amal has three sisters and a new baby is due to arrive soon. Everyone is hoping for a boy but Amal could never have anticipated the enormous disappointment for her mother and father when the new baby arrives - a girl. Amal loves school and she excels at her lessons. She has the dream of becoming a teacher herself one day. In the small village where Amal lives everyone is afraid of the Khan family, nearly everyone is in debit to them and they are especially frightened of Jawad Sahib. He is the man who nearly ran Amal over in his large car. He is the man holding her pomegranate. He is the man with the power to completely overturn Amal's life and dreams.

A few days after the incident with the pomegranate, Jawad Sahib arrives and to take Amal. She will be taken to his house to work as a slave. Amal's father has no money and he is in debt to this powerful and cruel man and his father Khan Sahib.

In the house Amal finds a friend and a serious enemy. Luckily she is ordered to work for Khan Sahib's wife Nasreen Baji but this means Nabila, another servant, has been displaced. Her cruel tricks, which have terrible consequences for Amal, will linger with me for a long time.

The wonderful ending will make you cheer not just because justice is served but because this outcome is the direct result of the education that Amal has had. Because she can read she can make sense of the injustices of the Khan family and she can also identify their crime.

Here are a set of teachers notes from the publisher - they are excellent. You can also read the first 20+ pages of Amal Unbound. Listen to an audio sample here. Here are a set of discussion points. I highly recommend this book for mature readers aged 11+.

Inspired by Malala Yousafzai and countless unknown girls like her, Saeed’s timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice. Kirkus Star review

A strong choice for all middle grade shelves, especially where readers are seeking stories about young girls in non-Western countries overcoming adversity. Shelley Diaz School Library Journal

Amal Unbound is a powerful page-turner about one girl's courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Kids’ Book Review

Reading this type of book, as well as historical fiction, is a great way for young readers to understand that the entire world is not exactly the way their little corner of it is! Ms Yingling

I would follow Amal Unboud with Ibqal and any books you can find (and there are plenty to choose from) about Malala Yousafzai.

If you are visiting a library you could also look for Sold by Patricia McCormick and Hidden Girl by Shyima Hall.

Detention by Tristan Bancks

I hardly know where to begin with this utterly splendid book. The story line still haunts me hours after I finished it. Reading this book yesterday consumed me. I started on my morning train, spent my day working as a library volunteer and finished the book on the train coming home. I was desperate to see how things turned out but, as with all the best books, I felt bereft once it ended. Not because the ending was sad (although there are still things to be resolved) but because the glorious experience of reading such a beautifully told and finely nuanced story was over.

Dan has a very difficult life. His home is in a run down caravan in a park filled with lost, lonely, poor and displaced people. Some are former criminals. Dan's mum is rarely home and Dad is struggling at school. He has been placed in a special class for reading. I found his description of the class so poignant and powerful:

"Miss Aston calls the class 'Reading Superstars' to try and make them feel like they're the Avengers ... Dan's embarrassed to be in a 'special class'. She can call him a superstar all she likes but he doesn't see illiteracy or dyslexia or whatever as a superpower."

Being in this class feels like detention every Thursday morning for the small group of students but for the second voice in this story detention truly is a reality. Sima and her family have been living in an Australian immigration detention facility on the mainland for over six months and this has come after their frightening escape from Afghanistan, long months in a camp in Indonesia, a frightening boat trip across the open ocean to Australia and over a year of being detained on Christmas Island. Today is the day Sima and others will attempt an escape. The detention centre is near Dan's school. The escape goes badly wrong, Sima is separated from her family and she finds herself on the run. The police are looking for Sima and Dan's school is put into lock down. Sima takes refuge in the boy's toilet. Tristan Bancks made me feel I was really there with Sima. I could smell the awful stench and feel her utter terror as she tries to prevent boys entering her cubicle.

Earlier in the day, Dan has found a dog that has been abused. He is desperate to help the dog but he has to spend the morning in class. He plans to run back to the dog as soon as this class is over but then the school alarm rings for the lock down. Dan becomes quite desperate to get away because he needs to get water to this dog. He convinces the teacher to let him go to the toilets. He hears a noise and finds Sima. Police are patrolling the school. Here is a true moral dilemma. Will Dan expose or hide Sima? Should he tell his teacher? Who is telling the truth about asylum seekers? Is it the authorities? Is it the media? Or should he believe Sima herself who explains the dangers if her family are sent back to Afghanistan.

The tension in this book is so palpable. The plot just races along and the individual voices of both characters demand to be heard. For me this is certainly a five star book. I should also mention the chapters are oragnised as alternate voices. This is a form I really enjoy and Tristan is able to give Ben and Sima distinct voices which resonate with honesty. The device of time as chapter headings also drives the story which begins at 5.28am as Sima prepares to escape through the detention centre fence. The next chapter is just 3 minutes later. Dan joins the story at 7.32am and his next chapter it 7.37am. By page 203 the time is just 12.01pm on the same day.

I suggest age 11+ for this book which means it can be an addition to a Primary School library and in fact I would like to say it should be an added to every Primary and High School library. I will make a bold prediction that Detention will be short listed for several awards in future months including the CBCA 2020 awards. Detention was published on 2nd July this year. Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my Advanced Reader Copy.

You can listen to an interview with Tristan here. This is a brilliant way to gain insights into his writing process. Also take a look at Tristan's web site.

Megan Daley said this book is OUTSTANDING and I thoroughly agree. Click here to read her review: Tristan’s writing is gripping, insightful and compassionate.

Fir for luck by Barbara Harrison

This story switches between Strathnaver in 1814 and Ceannabeinne in 1841. While travelling in Scotland I chanced upon Fir for Luck. This is a story about the Highland Clearances and I found it was a good way to gain some understanding of these events. It is 1841and Janet is desperate to join the men and boys who will spend the day gathering thatch. This event is called Bent Day and girls are not allowed to be involved. What Janet does not know is that on this day a man will arrive with a writ.  Janet and the women know it is vital no one touch this writ - it is an eviction writ. The women bravely wrestle the messenger to the ground, they light a fire and force his hand and the writ into the fire.

"You'll regret this. Leave me be! He'll only send it again.' ... I grit my teeth as I pull his arm over the fire, clawing my nails into his skin so hard he yelps in pain. ... The writ fights the greedy flames; contorts and doges, but it is no use. The fire devours it. There is nothing left but ash."

This is, of course, only the beginning. Mr Anderson, the land owner, is determined to evict these people and claim the land for grazing sheep. The violence escalates and yet the people of the village really want a peaceful solution. This seems impossible. Janet observes the adults on both sides and bravely devises ways to thwart Mr Anderson and his accomplices.

The title refers to a small sprig of fir which Janet's Grandmother has requested. "Fir for luck, all the way from the woods of Strathmore. It's supposed to be wound into each new hearth chain."  Janet and her family, including her precious Granna will need to leave their village but perhaps the luck from this piece of fir is why this process will be delayed and not filled with violence and destruction as happened in Granna's childhood back in 1814.

Here is the author web site.

This is a pleasant read and children living in, visiting or interested in the Highland Clearances will no doubt gobble it up as the action just keeps on coming and new tensions built up; exactly what young people look for in a novel. The Wee Review

Lampie and the Children of the Sea by Annet Schaap

The happy times living in the lighthouse with her mum and dad are now just memories. It is now up to Emelia, known as Lampie, to light the lamp each evening in the lighthouse she shares with her father. He can no longer climb the sixty-one steps to the top. To light the lamp Lampie needs matches. There is only one match left in the box so tomorrow she will need to cross to the shore when the tide is low. The trouble is Lampie has problems with her memory. This means the next day she forgets about those all important matches until it is almost dark. After a difficult interaction with the shop keeper's wife Lampie rushes home to find the tide has turned. The water is high. The storm is wild and it is so dark. The matches are dropped. Ships in the ocean are in danger of crashing against the rocks.

The town authorities blame Augustus, the lighthouse keeper.  His punishment is swift. He is locked inside his lighthouse and his precious daughter is removed from his care.

Lampie is taken to live in a strange house where she is expected to work as a servant. Lampie longs to return to her father. She knows this is all her fault. The grand house has a tower room with a locked door and there are rumors of a monster.

"Now that she can't see his tail, he seems like an ordinary boy. But one with green hair and pitch black devil's eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth."

Lampie is desperate to investigate and thus she finds herself in a world of circus curiosities, pirates and danger. I kept hearing the sound track to The Greatest Show as I read this section.

Lampie and the Children of the Sea has been translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson. The extra word "querido" on the Dutch cover is a Spanish word meaning cherished or dear. Read more about the process of book translation here.

You can read about the inspiration for the story of Lampie on the author web site and you can read a story excerpt here.

Books which are set in and around lighthouses always appeal to me. The Round Island light house on Lake Michigan was the inspiration for this story.

There are aspects of this book that mirror the plot of The Secret Garden. Lampie is sent far away from home just like Mary. Lampie finds her new life confusing and harsh. She hears noises in the night and visits a forbidden room where she meets a young boy who is unwell and crippled. Lampie introduces the boy to the outside world and helps to heal his broken body. But this is all too simple. There are so many interesting twists in this plot.

It’s a beautiful book about standing up against injustice, fighting for what you deserve rather than settling for what life has handed you. Above all it is about being fiercely, proudly, determinedly you.  The Booknook

I highly recommend Lampie and the Children of the Sea. I read it in one sitting and 'lived' every moment of terror and confusion along with Lampie all the while desperately hoping the injustices inflicted on her would be reversed and that she could once again join her father in the lighthouse.

Annet Schaap is a well known illustrator in Holland with over 200 titles to her credit. I was excited to discover she provided illustrations for one of my favourite Elizabeth Honey books What do you think, Feezal?  Here is the Dutch cover:

How High the Moon by Karyn Parsons

The late Agnes Nieuwenhuizen says in the introduction to her guide Good Books for Teenagers published in 1992 :

"I was especially keen to find fiction that takes risks and that challenges; that raises questions without necessarily answering them. I wanted books that entertained but also illuminated, pushed boundaries and encouraged young people to enter, through their imaginations, other times, worlds, spaces and lives."

How high the Moon is a book that fulfills these ideas/ideals.

The year is 1944. Ella is living in a small town in South Carolina. Her mother is living in Boston and rarely visits. Her father is gone and Ella is desperate to know who he is. Ella is different. Her skin is not quite so brown and her hair has softer curls. Perhaps her daddy was a white man? There is a tension in Clarendon County. Early on in this story we hear how a two young friends stumbled across a lynching.

"A tiny stockinged foot dangled directly over me.
Motionless bodies like Christmas tree ornaments, but without any sparkle or cheer. They were close to each other but not touching. ... They were all dressed like they'd just left the house to go to the store together."

"I always knew that bad things happened in the world. Even though they never touched me. But knowing it in your head is one thing. Seeing the horror of it right in front of you makes you believe in monsters."

Karyn Parsons gives her reader tiny fragments of information that reveal the tensions of discrimination. Ella and her cousin meet an older white boy on their way home from the river. They immediately lower their eyes and answer questions with the courteous 'Sir". When Ella aged 11, her cousin Henry aged 12 and Myrna aged 14 visit the general store in the town it is another scene where you can feel the tension. Even though the store owners - the Parkers "was white, they always treated us real kindly." The same cannot be said for a white woman who enters the store with the children.

When Ella is asked to join her Mama in Boston she is overjoyed but life there is way beyond her imagining. Mama has aspirations to be a jazz singer. She works all day in a factory and late at night sings in city jazz clubs.  This means she has no time for Ella. It is a mystery really why Mama wanted Ella to come to Boston. Ella has to spend her days inside their tiny apartment. Her mother never organises to enroll her in school and the secrecy around her father's identity grows deeper especially when Ella finds some hidden letters and a message on an album cover which features her mother.

While Ella is in Boston two little white girls go missing and after a long search they are found dead. Vigilantes take the law into their own hands and accuse George Stinney - a boy from the town. Myrna has been falling in love with George. Everyone knows he is innocent but the police beat a 'confession' out of him and he is destined to be hung.

"The whole town was tense. If ever I did pass a white person, I kept my head bent and walked on. You could feel the anger bubbling in the air. As far as they were concerned, a colored boy had gone and murdered those two little white girls."

Ella, Henry and Myrna share roles as narrators. I adore books like this which use different voices to tell the story.

The publisher says this book is for readers aged 9+ and Kirkus say 8+ but I have to strongly disagree. They also liken the story to Wolf Hollow, One Crazy Summer and To Kill a Mockingbird. I agree with this but these titles, along with the underlying tension and fear of reprisal against African American citizens, especially the youth, show me this a book for an older audience. How High the Moon is due for publication early in March, 2019. For me it is a ten out of ten book!

Ella’s realistic voice and passionate responses to injustices make her a credible, flawed, and likable character who sees the truth in front of her but often doesn’t recognize it. Kirkus Star review