Rosa by Starlight by Hilary McKay

Such is the power of a story like Rosa by Starlight I had to keep putting this book down to take a break because I was so worried about young Rosa. Her despicable aunt and uncle most certainly mean to harm her. Yes I do mean murder her!

When Rosa was four her parents were killed in an accident. The kindly neighbors tried to look after her but they were elderly and she was so young. There was great relief when an aunt and uncle arrived. Now Rosa would be cared for. But who are these people? The aunt locks Rosa in her room each night. They empty the house of all clutter and memories. Rosa loved the apple tree in her garden. They chop it down. Rosa loves to read an old book of fairy tales left by her parents. Her aunt throws it away. I can hear you gasping. Luckily Rosa is a brave and resourceful girl. She learns how to climb out of her bedroom and takes solace in the quiet evenings and star filled sky. She is also able to retrieve her precious book each time it is taken. Rosa does have one friend - the cat from next door named Balthazaar.

The aunt and uncle sell fake grass (although no one is allowed to use that term). They have a plan to grow rich by selling their product all over the world and so that is why Rosa finds herself in Venice. Her aunt and uncle deposit her in an old rundown hotel - they stay somewhere else. No one speaks English but the owners of the hotel are very kind. Rosa is lonely in Venice but she does find some cats for company. Then comes the scene where she stumbles upon her Aunt and Uncle on the Rialto Bridge. 

"I believe there is a very strong current under the centre of the bridge. If we both take one arm, do you think we could manage?' ... Their voices were so calm, do detached, that Rosa couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was it a dream? Was it a joke? Why was her uncle peering earnestly over the parapet? ... 'All being well, our troubles will simply vanish, so let us make haste, my sweet."

Have you worked this out?  They plan to throw Rosa off the bridge. Luckily magic takes over ... 

Orphans in stories like this usually have to suffer some hardship - think of The Willoughbys; the children in A Series of Unfortunate Events; and The Unadoptables. But unlike these examples, where I knew the orphan or orphans would be okay - the dangers she faces and potential murder of young Rosa felt so very real - I was living in this story set in Venice with all the twisting alleys and the threat of falling into the dangerous waters of the canal. 

Bookseller blurb: Rosa lives in a world where she discovers there is magic. It arrives with Balthazar, a large black cat, just when she needs it most. Even so, it takes all her courage to stay hopeful and adventurous when her dreadful aunt and uncle move into her life. And when she finds herself abandoned in the ancient city of Venice, can magic help her then? Perhaps it can. The stars are watching, and there are lots of cats in Venice.

Reading a review of Rosa by Starlight from Just Imagine I learned a new word: chiaroscuro effect. It means the strong contrast between light and dark. Another reviewer used the words "a charming Ghibli-esque tale of a girl..."

Whilst Rosa’s story is a heart-wrenching exploration of loneliness, told through the window of magical realism, it is also a story imbued with a sense of awe and a feeling of hope.  The Venetian setting of shadows and light adds to the magic of the story and gives the reader a sense of being ‘outside of reality’ as they explore the Venice Rosa experiences from its hotels and piazzas to its bridges and waterways … and her unique bond with its feline friends. Book Craic

There are some golden moments, with Rosa desperately trying to get admitted into an orphanage or else irritating every person on her plane journey by asking the stewards to repeat their demonstration as she had not understood it first time round. The atmosphere of Venice at its most beguiling – and sometimes dangerous – is also well caught, backed up by Keith Robinson’s beautiful line drawings. Books for Keeps

Born in Boston, Lincolnshire, Hilary McKay grew up in a household of readers and read voraciously from an early age. After studying Botany and Zoology at St Andrews University, she went on to work as a biochemist, but always wanted to write. Hilary's novels have won numerous awards including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Smarties Award and the Whitbread Children's Book Award. She lives in a small village in Derbyshire with her family. She is the author of over forty books. I previously talked about The Skylarks War and I now discover there is a sequel - The Swallows Flight (Kirkus Star review). Some years ago I also read Straw into Gold. 

Companion books to read after Rosa by Starlight:

The Hotel Balzaar

Eloise and the Bucket of Stars

The Secret Starling

Journey to the River Sea

Act of Faith by Kelly Gardiner

Act of Faith is a book about books, about freedom, and about friendship. It’s an adventure story set in an era when ideas were dangerous and many books were banned: 

when an educated young woman was not only unusual but sometimes feared. 

A novel for young adults, it traces the story of Isabella Hawkins as she travels across Europe in search of a place where writers are free to publish, women are able to work, 

and people are free to dream.

Publisher blurb: A story of faith, intrigue and adventure in 17th-century Europe. Ages 14+

When ideas were dangerous, one girl found the courage to act. England, 1640. Sixteen-year-old Isabella is forced to flee her home when her father's radical ideas lead him into a suicidal stand against Oliver Cromwell's army. taking refuge in Amsterdam and desperate to find a means to survive, Isabella finds work with an elderly printer, Master de Aquila, and his enigmatic young assistant, Willem. When Master de Aquila travels to Venice to find a publisher brave enough to print his daring new book, Isabella accompanies him and discovers a world of possibility - where women work alongside men as equal partners, and where books and beliefs are treasured. But in a continent torn apart by religious intolerance, constant danger lurks for those who don't watch their words. And when the agents of the Spanish Inquisition kidnap de Aquila to stop him printing his book, Isabella and Willem become reluctant allies in a daring chase across Europe to rescue him from certain death.

Act of Faith was published in 2011 but it is still available. Here is an interview with the author about the inspiration for her book. You can read a sample of this book on the publisher page. This timeline will help you identify the major historical events that link to the setting of this book. Here are some very detailed teachers notes and discussion questions. 

Read this review for a very detailed account of the plot. 

Awards

• Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Australian Book 2012.
• Highly commended, Australian Society of Authors’ Barbara Jefferis Awards 2012
• Shortlist, 2012 Gold Inky Award
• Shortlist, Ethel Turner Prize, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

The cover of this book caught my eye as I was assisting with a library stocktake (inventory) in a local school. This is not really a book for readers in a Primary School - it will better suit Young Adult readers aged 13+ mainly because it covers a complex period of world history around 1640; the print is very small; and there are some graphic details of executions. 

Here is the sequel from 2013

Bookseller blurb for The Sultan's Eyes: It’s 1648, and Isabella has made a home for herself in Venice, safe from the clutches of the Inquisition. She, her friend Willem, and their mentor, the irascible Signora Contarini, work together as printers and publishers. Their publishing house is famous throughout Europe for one title: The Sum of All Knowledge, a revolutionary book of history and philosophy that has brought them - yet again - to the attention of the authorities. Then Isabella’s nemesis, Fra Clement, is appointed Inquisitor in Venice, and vows to stamp out heretical printing. Isabella knows she will no longer be safe in the city, and, guided by their learned cartographer Al-Qasim, the three friends make their escape to the one place they feel sure Fra Clement will never follow: the fabled city of Constantinople, now ruled by the Ottoman Empire. 

They are greeted as esteemed guests, in a city where beautiful books are still written and illustrated by hand, and mechanised printing is frowned upon. Isabella and Signora Contarini are welcomed into the royal household, ruled by the all-powerful Queen Mother, Kösem, in the name of her grandson, the child-Sultan Mehmet IV, who lives in the Palace’s legendary Golden Cage. Isabella quickly becomes friends with the boy king and his elder sister and acts as Mehmet’s eyes: she reads to him and teaches them both the languages of antiquity and of Europe. Engrossed in her duties, she doesn’t at first notice that Willem is besotted with a young slave girl called Suraiya - or that Signora Contarini and Al-Qasim are involved in an underground movement to bring the printing press to the Ottoman Empire. And none of them notice the mysterious foreigners who follow their every move. For the famous Sultanate of Women is far from serene. Court politics and an impending war with Europe place Isabella and her friends in danger - from forces within the Golden Cage, and beyond.

Adult readers who enjoyed The Dictionary of Lost Words might also enjoy Act of Faith.

Leonardo's Horse by Jean Fritz illustrated by Hudson Talbot

Image source: 14 animal sculptures from around the world

If you are reading this post in September I have just spent a few weeks in Italy - especially in Florence, Milan and Trieste and this story has been on my mind.

My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything asked me to read Leonardo's Horse because it was a book she put out on a library display in June. Sadly none of the children had borrowed it. She purchased this book in 2009 (it was published in 2001) and I can see from the date due slip it has only been borrowed three times. This is a missed opportunity for her students and their parents. This is a fascinating book and the design is surely very appealing with the book shaped like the dome that was built by Charles Dent. More about that in a moment.  Leonardo's enormous horse sculpture was not completed back in 1493. He did make a huge clay model, but in 1499 the French army arrived in Milan and they shot arrows at the statue and then it rained and this amazing twenty-four-foot model was destroyed. 

In 1977 Charles Dent read about Leonardo's horse. Like Leonardo, Charlie was a dreamer. He decided to build the horse as gift from America. In 1988 he began, firstly with an eight-foot model, then he built a dome to hold the sculpture and by 1994 they were ready cast the twenty-four foot model but very sadly Charles Dent died at the end of that year. In 1995, just as the horse was about to go to the foundry someone decided something was wrong with the proportions. 

"He looked awkward. Out of proportion. One of his rear legs appeared to be short. His eyes were not exactly parallel."

So now another artist from New York City took over the project. Nina Akamu began the whole process all over again. She studied real horses and made another clay model. Then an eight-foot horse from plaster and then a twenty-four-foot horse from clay and finally this was cast in bronze. To transport the horse to Milan it was cut into separate pieces. On 10th September 1999 the statue was unveiled in Milan. 

This book is about history, perseverance, sculptures, art, horses and dreamers. Here is the Kirkus star review of Leonardo's Horse. You can see inside this book here. And here is a CBC review.

I recently attend a terrific lecture about the Fabulous Florentines - Leonardo da Vinci; Michaelangelo; Machiavelli; Dante; Donatello; Botticelli; and other names that were unfamiliar to me such as Francesco Petrarch; Lorenzo de Medici; and Artemisia Gentileschi.  I remember watching a fascinating BBC television program called 'A Skirt through History' and one episode featured Artemisia. Here is a video for adults as background information. Exploring these famous names could be a fabulous topic to explore with an extension class in Grade 6 or a High School art class. 

Books for children about Leonardo da Vinci:

One Lone Swallow by Corinne Fenton illustrated by Owen Swan

This book is set in Florence, Italy and when you read this post I will be there! I am penning a series of posts for my blog ahead of time because it might be difficult to access a computer.

This is the story of a swallow who sets off across the city to find her mate. She has to leave her babies back in the nest and so there is a huge urgency to her quest. 

There are wonderful words in this book - lingered, ruffled, flimsy cobwebs, and silvery beams. And some beautiful phrases - writing music with her wings; beyond the charcoal edges of the ancient city; (the) blue velvet night draped whispers over the timeless city.

The swallow soars across 1805 Florence and we see cityscapes from all angles depicted by Owen Swan in soft shades of purple, tan pale blue and grey. Her mate is eventually found but he is tangled in shoemakers' twine. The female struggles to release him and at that moment a huge rat arrives - a moment of extreme danger.

This book would be so perfect when you talk about narrative arc - you could draw a graph of the way the story moves through low and high points before reaching that all important happy reunion and ending. Prescribed writing programs for children (I am not really a fan) use the term tightening tension. 

I also love the way the opening words are written in glorious sweeping calligraphy.  

Corinne’s text gently reveals the mother’s plight, with enough suspense to keep little minds guessing as to what might transpire for the lone swallow and her family. From piazzas and cathedrals to the foot of Michelangelo’s statue of David, the illustrations are rich with history, and Owen Swan gives a subdued colour palette life, placing the reader firmly in the landscape of Florence with an aerial view of the enchanting city at dusk. Reading Time

The angle of the city buildings and structures are brilliantly illustrated showing Italy 200 years ago.  The style is muted and dusky, showing iconic Italian landmarks from a birds-eye point of view, including the statue of Michelangelo’s David, as an integral aspect of the story. The book has a gentle and flowing rhythm that lends itself to a perfect bedtime read. Story Links

But it is not the courage and determination of the swallow in her mission that is the hallmark of this story, but the beautiful, lyrical description of her journey accompanied by the exquisite, soft illustrations that are the perfect match. The Bottom Shelf

Here is an interview with the author Corinne Fenton about her book. You can find other books by Corinne Fenton on her webpage. Pegi Williams page has a copy of the Teachers Notes, which were originally available on the publisher web site, for this book. 

Angelo by David Macaulay

Blurb: High above the rooftops of Rome, Angelo begins his work restoring the façade of a once glorious church. There, among the sticks and feathers, he discovers a wounded bird. Angelo becomes the bird’s reluctant savior. As the church nears completion, Angelo begins to worry about the future of his avian friend. “What will become of you? Where will you go . . . where will you . . . live?” he asks her. Through his artistry as a master craftsman he answers the questions for his humble friend and assures that he, himself will not be forgotten.

While restoring the front of a church an old master plasterer rescues an injured pigeon and over time he gently restores her health. Meanwhile we watch as he works every day to restore the fragile decorations on this old building. He works through many years until eventually he dies but in a beautiful twist he does ensure someone will notice that his pigeon friend once lived there. He makes a nest and some feathers from stucco and in the illustration we see Sylvia (the pigeon) using this nest to raise her chicks.

Here is a video reading of Angelo.

In an old Italian town Angelo, a plasterer and restorer of buildings, rescues an injured pigeon and coaxes her back to health despite ‘his professional dislike for pigeons’. In turn, though she is a bit skittish, the pigeon becomes a constant support and companion as the old man struggles up and down the scaffolding finishing work on a beautiful old church he hopes will be his crowning glory. David Macaulay’s wonderfully intricate illustrations of Italian architecture and life seen from every perspective and the quiet story of mutual concern make this book quite special. Readings Melbourne

Here are some other reviews:

• "Tender and poignant . . . Drawn skilfully and freely in pen and ink, washed with shades of blue and terracotta, the pictures are full of events and details beyond the story, and depict the rooftops, the restaurants and the light of Italy in a way that makes you long to be there Nicolette Jones - The Sunday Times
• "Macaulay refuses to be confined by the conventions of the picture book." Booklist
• "Unassuming but affecting, this tale of friendship is bound to be popular with a wide audience." The Bulletin
• "The warm, offbeat story of camaraderie and nurturing is told in subtly humorous, succinct text, but it's Macaulay's winning illustrations that steal the show." Booklist
• "These intricate drawings are suffused with soft autumnal colours that perfectly complement the beautiful story." The New York Times Book Review

David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has won numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post–Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award. 

I picked up this book for two, or perhaps three reasons. I should start by saying this is an old book from 2002 and so it is no longer in print. Now back to my reasons. Firstly, this book is by an author/illustrator who does beautiful, detailed drawings. I loved owning his book The Way things Work in my former school library. Secondly this book was set out in a library display about Italy and all things Italian and our IBBY Congress for 2024 is in Italy and thirdly I watched the Teacher-Librarian relocate this book to her popular display with books that feature pigeons which is a topic enjoyed by the children in her school. 

Then when I read this book I discovered it was set in Italy and as you read this post I am about to arrive there! I am saying this book is set in Florence but most reviewers list the setting as Rome. So here is the page from the book plus the back cover and then an image of Florence and an image of Rome.

Florence

Rome

David Macaulay books:

Song of the Dove: A love story by Errol Broome illustrated by Sonia Kretschmar

Composer Vincenzo Bellini was born in Sicily in 1801. He gave music lessons to the young daughter of the President of the Supreme Court of Naples. Her name was Maddelena and they fell in love. Alas, her parents would not give permission for their marriage, so Bellini moved to Milan where he composed ten operas for the La Scala opera house. He died in Paris in 1835. His most famous opera is Norma. You can hear a tiny sample here. 

Errol Broome takes the relationship between Bellini and Maddelena Fumaroli and uses it to develop her picture book story. In this fictionalized account Bellini tells Maddelena he will return to ask for her hand again after he composes ten operas. 

"After the tenth opera we'll be together, dead or alive."

Image Source: Sonia Kretschmar

This statement comes true because before the tenth opera is finished, Maddalena dies. Bellini had likened their destiny to be together with the pairs of doves seen in Naples. 

"In Paris, Bellini began work on the score for his tenth opera. Each evening, a white dove fluttered into his bedroom and settled on the pages of music. When he reached out to touch it, the bird disappeared."

Shortly after composing his tenth opera, Bellini dies. But in real life he had lost interest in Maddalena long before this time. 

As I am about to head off to Italy this seems like the perfect book to share. It is an Australian book and it is set in Italy and about a famous Italian. My copy came from a recent charity book sale and there is an inscription on the title page which I think might be from the illustrator herself. I have discovered Sonia Kretschmar did covers for books by Cassandra Golds such as Clair de Lune. Also, the cover the Tensy Farlow. She is also the illustrator of Do not Forget Australia which is a book you may have in your ANZAC Day collection. Song of the Dove is a NSW Premiers Reading Challenge title for grade 5 and 6 [19214].

Errol Broome (1937-2022) grew up in Perth and after an Arts degree at the University of WA, she began her career as a newspaper journalist. After starting a family, Errol decided to tackle a long-held ambition, to write a book, and began with short stories which won several prizes. More than thirty books have followed, many short-listed and winners of awards, as well as being widely published overseas. I well remember having some of her books in my former school library but oddly Song of the Dove published by Walker Books did not reach me. I do remember Gary Keebles Kitchen (I often recommended it to my library readers) and Dear Mr Sprouts which was a story told with letters. 

• Wrinkles, illustrated by Terry Dyer, Collins, 1978.
• The Smallest Koala, illustrated by Gwen Mason, Buttercup, 1987.
• Dear Mr. Sprouts, Knopf (New York, NY), 1991.
• Garry Keeble's Kitchen: How One Boy Left Home and Survived with 28 Recipes That Anyone Can Cook and Everyone Will Eat, illustrated by Maya, Random House (Australia), 1992.

• Tangles, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1993, Knopf (New York, NY), 1994.
• Rockhopper, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1995.
• Nightwatch, illustrated by Helen Brooshooft, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1995.
• Splashback: A Great Greasy Journey, illustrated by Gregory Rogers, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1996.
• Fly with Me, illustrated by Jane Walker, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1996.
• What a Goat!, illustrated by Sharon Thompson, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1997.
• Quicksilver, illustrated by Anna Pignataro, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1997.

• Tough Luck, illustrated by Sharon Thompson, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1998, published as Drusilla the Lucky Duck, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003.
• Magnus Maybe, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1998, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.
• Away with the Birds, Fremantle Arts Center Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 2000.
• Missing Mem, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 2000, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2002.

• Cry of the Karri, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 2001.
• Some Dog, Thomson, 2001.
• Ms. Yellow Teeth, Thomson, 2003.
• The Judas Donkey, illustrated by Sharon Thompson, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (Freemantle, Western Australia, Australia), 2003.
• Gracie and the Emperor, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 2003.

Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes

The setting for this book is Italy in 1944. Florence is occupied by the German army but the Italian resistance movement are hard at work rescuing captured prisoners and sabotaging the Nazis. Paolo is a young teen. He just cannot cope with being kept at home so each evening he takes his bicycle and he rides for hours over Florence and the surrounding countryside. His mother is English, not Italian, so she has to be extra careful and her beloved husband has left to assist with the fighting. She knows about Paolo's night time riding but she is not sure she can stop him.

One evening Paolo is stopped by some men and they give him a cryptic message for his mother. Paolo has had no idea his mother has previously helped the Partisans. On his night ride he decides he should join the freedom fighters but when he does catch up with them they attack him. Luckily he is rescued by their leader - the mysterious Il Volpe (the fox).  Little does he know their paths will cross again and even though the most dreadful things have happened Paolo can indeed be a hero on a bicycle.

"The sight of his mother in conversation with three armed men gave his stomach a lurch of fear mixed with excitement. He was pretty sure who they were. The Partisans. The men whom he had admired so much for so long but had never met until last night. And now here they were, armed, in his own back garden. He couldn't imagine why they were here or what business they could possibly have with his mother."

Two young men are hidden in the family cellar over night. Late the next night Paolo takes them to the next safe house but they have been betrayed and there is an ambush. One man is taken prisoner and Joe, the Canadian, is badly hurt. 

"He motioned for Joe to follow him but, looking back, he saw that Joe was not in a good way. He was staggering, and blood had soaked through the left arm of his jacket and was dripping down his hand. ...  The way home was the worst journey Paolo had ever made. He took the back streest out of the city dreading at every turn that they would fun into anther German patrol."

I first read about this book back when it was published in 2012 but I didn't read it back then (it is still in print and there is an e-book version). Luckily for me there was a copy for $1 at our recent Lifeline Bookfair. I have been grabbing time to read this book over the last few days but be warned this book does contain some distressing scenes and at times I just had to put it down and take a breath. I was sure Shirley Hughes would keep me and the family (mum Rosemary, Constanza and Paola) safe but, as a said, at times, the tension she created was so real and so frightening. I would recommend this for readers aged 11+ and Young Adults. 

Taut, tense and vivid, this book will bring out the hero in any young boy or girl. You can almost hear the tanks rolling by and the fighter planes zooming overhead. And it’s a nice surprise to discover that Paolo is not the only hero found in Florence. The others might catch you unaware. The story is dramatically told, with warm and believable characters. Hughes captures the fears and frustrations of a young person thrust into war. Historical Novel Society

The first novel from much-loved author and illustrator Shirley Hughes is a thrilling and moving story with a touch of romance, set against a dramatic background of war-torn Italy. Based on Hughes' own experience of visiting Florence not long after the Second World War, it is a warm, tender tale of courage against the odds, which deals frankly with the brutality of war, yet maintains a distinctive sensitivity and lightness of touch. Book Trust

If you are a fan of books about World War II especially different aspects such as the situation in Italy I do recommend this book - it is sure to be in many public libraries.  Here are some other books about resistance fighters and World War II which might be in your library.

• What about me? by Gertie Evenhuis
• The Little Riders by Margaretha Shemin
• The upstairs room by Johanna Reiss
• Letters from the lighthouse by Emma Carroll
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Belle and Sebastien

This is such a wonderful book but it is very old and long out of print.

You are sure to be familiar with Shirley Hughes and her wonderful picture books for very young children. In this video she talks about Hero on a Bicycle. 

Shirley Hughes illustrated more than 200 children's books and is one of the best-loved writers for children, with beloved classics including the Alfie and Annie Rose stories, and Dogger. She won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and was awarded the OBE for her distinguished service to children's literature. In 2007, Dogger was voted the UK's favourite Kate Greenaway Medal-winning book of all time. She passed away in March 2022 at the age of 94.

Tilt by Mary Hoffman

Why did I pick up this book on a recent shopping expedition?

• Firstly the cover - Tilt - great title for a book about the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• Secondly the author - I do love the writing of Mary Hoffman (I met her in London in 2012).  I always to read her book The Colour of Home to our senior classes.

The suggested reading/interest age for Tilt is 12+ but there is no reason why a senior Primary student should not read this book.

Netta (Simonetta) watches her father working on the tower at Pisa.  It is leaning but this is not the fault of her father. He is the head mason of the city but there have been other masons before him.

"Oh I know girls aren't supposed to be interested in the structure of buildings or in stone carving. But all my life I had seen my father come home from his work covered in marble dust or seen him drawing his designs for statues ... His work fascinated me, spoke to my every instinct, and I couldn't pretend to be keen on learning how to cook or clean and sew, as real daughters were supposed to."

So this book embraces themes of women's rights, science and technology, STEM subjects along with a fascinating historical setting of Pisa in 1298 all in just 92 pages.

Here are five questions with Mary Hoffman about Tilt.  Tilt is designed for readers with dyslexia. You can read more here.  You might like to read this detailed review.

The Medici Curse by Matt Chamings

Ever since I read Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet I have been interested in the idea of weaving art into a story. It is with this in mind that I picked up The Medici Curse by Matt Chamings and I was certainly not disappointed.

This book has alternating stories in each chapter. There is a modern day family on holiday in Florence with Maria the central character who is drawn to the painting of Alessandra. In the alternate chapters we read about Arnaldo the younger painter in Renaissance Florence who is working for Verrocchnio. Arnaldo is an apprentice and a friend to Leonardo da Vinci. Arnaldo is painting the beautiful, young Alessandra prior to her marriage to the very elderly Signor Paolo Orsini. The painting has two canvases linked by a arch of flowers which are held by the subject of each portrait.

This painting is, however, cursed and so when Maria’s father uncovers it under a rather plain landscape that he has purchased on impulse, a series of disasters linked to the curse befall this family. Woven into this story there are also references to the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci especially his experiments with flying and his study of anatomy. Leonardo is working on the portrait of Orsini.

This book is certainly a page turner filled with mystery, intrigue, love, feuds and sword fights. I would highly recommend it to keen readers in Year 6. I found myself reading this book every spare minute I could grab. The historical notes at the end only added to my enjoyment.

Read more at in these teacher notes.