Cora Seen and Heard by Zanni Louise

"Do you ever feel like you're living inside a shell? Something hard and impenetrable? You think it's transparent - that people can see you. Then you realise they can't. No one can see you. The real you."

I read this book in one sitting and for an hour or two I was right inside Cora's head listening to her worries and the way she tries to navigate relationships with her peers and her family.

Readers who have had previous experience with books like this - realistic middle grade fiction - are sure to work out the major plot point long before the main character but that just adds to your reading enjoyment as you keep turning the pages desperate for Cora to 'see the obvious' about the old lady who lives just down the road from her new home and also understand why Elle has secrets. 

Just after grandad dies, Cora, her sister Bekah, along with mum Wendy and Dad Hank, have moved from Queensland to a small town in Tasmania. Dad has a talent for renovation, but this project could test him. They have bought an old, run down, disused theatre. In past years this was an important place in the town because it is where the famous jazz singer Clair de Lune once performed. 

Cora finds school difficult - she is always on the outside and she finds it very hard to make friends. Moving to a new school and new town Cora is determined to reinvent herself - moving from Cora 1.0 to Cora 2.0. She does have some ideas about how to do this but once again so many things go wrong. Luckily the kids in her new class, especially Elle, do know how to make a new friend and before long Cora finds herself part of a small team who are chosen to take on a community project. 

Cora 1.0 survived in her previous school by hiding out in the library. When things go wrong in the new school she finds the library again but then the Teacher-Librarian tells her the library is going to be changed into a classroom and there will be no Teacher-Librarian employed next year. Cora knows this has to be her community project. As an aside it is interesting to see which library books are mentioned in this story - Goosebumps; Heartstopper (Young Adult graphic novel); and Okay for Now by Gary D Schmidt. There are also lots of popular culture references to current musicians and bands and television shows such as The Voice. 

Here is some life advice from Cora:

• The louder your voice, the stronger you become.
• Flick your hair confidently as you follow your bestie onto the bus.
• Be amazing. You've got this.
• Find a cause.

Publisher blurb: Cora Lane gets tongue-tied, is often ignored and would rather hide in the library than step onto a stage. However, when her parents decide to renovate an old theatre in small-town Tasmania, Cora realises this is the perfect opportunity for her to reinvent her personality. Enter Cora 2.0, stage left.

When Cora quickly slips back into her old ways and has once again made friends with the librarian. rather than kids her own age, she feels lost. Frustrated she’s not the person she wants to be, she shares her deepest feelings with her imaginary pen pal. The last thing she’d expect is for her letters to go missing. And now, the real Cora Lane is about to go public, but is she ready?

This is one of those books that I have found difficult to pin down in terms of a suggested reader. Soiler alert - Cora does get her first period so that means I would say this book is for 11+. Her sister decides she is bisexual and forms a new relationship with her girlfriend. That means I would say this book is a Young Adult title. It also feels at times there is just one issue to many for the characters to grapple with - Elle has dyslexia; grandma is an alcoholic; and mum is trying to cope with the raw grief of losing her father and helping her elderly mother who now lives over 2000km away. 

The publisher offers this advice: This novel contains references to alcoholism, sexuality, puberty, abuse.

Here is a set of detailed Teacher Notes from the publisher Walker Books Australia. 

Each of these reviews has more plot details:

Brilliant in every way, Zanni Louise has created another amazing novel with a chain of personal stories and happenings about reinvention, loneliness, friendship, and family being the twine that binds things together. Kids' Book Review

Zanni Louise’s latest middle grade book focuses on the confusing feelings young people have at the age of about twelve, when primary school is finishing, when they’re hitting puberty and girls are going through lots of emotional changes and conflicts with friends and family, and where big changes can mean great upheaval – and not just a physical move or change. ... This story is as much about acceptance of the flaws in others as it is about flaws in ourselves, and the coming together of communities to celebrate the past and future. The Book Muse

What a very lovely and warm journey of self-discovery it is, and I am supremely sure that young readers will embrace this one ... Just So Stories

It was rather difficult writing the synopsis of Cora Seen and Heard as it has so many themes, all of which are explored with sensitivity, insight, and cleverly crafted writing. Reading Time

Here is another Australian book with the title Clair de Lune.  You are sure to know the famous music by Debussy but that is not especially relevant to this book because this character Clare de Lune is a jazz singer. I previously talked about another book by Zanni Louise - Queenie in seven moves. 

Companion books:

The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart

Ode to a Nobody

These Little Feet by Hayley Rawsthorne illustrated by Briony Stewart

 

This book has sweet end papers with an ownership space that says:

"These little footprints belong to:"

The text is written like a poem. Each stanza begins and ends with a repeated line.

These little feet so tiny and new.

The places they'll go the dances they'll do.

The mountains they'll climb, the dreams they'll pursue.

These little feet so tiny and new.

I often think about the process when an illustrator receives the text for a picture book. I assume this words for this book were sent on one page. Briony Stewart needed to interpret the words - she does that beautifully and she needed to position the text on each page.

This book will be given as a gift for a new baby due to be born in April this year. I have huge box of books ready for the arrival of this precious baby girl. Mum is from Bolivia so it is good to see Briony Stewart has included babies with different skin tones, a baby in hospital, and a baby with her dad. The final page acts as a recap where we can view the scattered photos from various family photo albums.

You can see inside this book on the author web page. Click here to see other books illustrated by Briony Stewart. And I talked about her work in a previous post. 

And truly gorgeous these illustrations are. Stewart’s soft and loose style brings the characters alive. The details she has added make them so real and the diversity she has injected makes this a book inclusive and welcoming. Rawsthorne has captured all the emotions of new babies coming into the world in this book. And the hopes and dreams (and curiosity) their loved ones have for their future. Add Stewart’s beautiful illustrations and you get a picture book that will be treasured by families for many years. Kids' Book Review

These little feet is a story and celebration about babies spanning several generations across one family, starting in about the 1920s or 1930s, and going through the decades towards today, with each generation exploring a different sense: feet, hands, eyes, ears, and mouths across generations of the same family. The Book Muse

Of course I will also gift these two books:

No one but you by Douglas Wood illustrated by PJ Lynch

Lynch’s softly smudged oil paintings, drenched in sun- and moonlight, match the gentle flow 

of this sensory walk through nature. Kirkus 

If I still worked in my school library, I would love to display one double page spread from this book each week. The text is a gentle celebration of small moments, quiet contemplations of the world. The illustrations are joyous and so very appealing as you would expect from PJ Lynch. And it helps that this is a big format picture book so each image has even more impact.

Here are some text samples:

"No one but you can feel the rain kiss your skin or the wind ruffle your hair. And no one but you can walk through a rain puddle in your bare feet."

"No one but you can gently hold a turtle with your own hands and count the plates on her back and the stripes on her chin, feel the hardness of her shell and the soft scratching of her claws, and imagine what a turtle's life is like as she swims back into the blue-green shadows of her world."

"And who else but you will roll a glistening dewdrop from a rose petal onto your tongue or savor a red, ripe strawberry or a golden drop of honey and know what it tastes like just to you?"

Every now and then I borrow a book from the library and wonder - how did I miss this? And then I reach for my computer to see if I can perhaps purchase a copy. Of course, this 2011 book is long out of print. If I wanted to spend over AUS$110 I could buy a new copy - I have to say I tempted.

Blurb from Walker Books: Feel the rain kiss your skin or the wind ruffle your hair. Hear the hum of a bumblebee; watch a water strider march across a pond; taste a red, ripe strawberry; whistle with a blade of grass. From Christopher Medal-winning author Douglas Wood and celebrated illustrator P.J. Lynch comes a moving look at the experiences that belong only to us, marking a place on Earth that is ours alone. After all, who but you can remember your own memories? Wonderfully evocative of nature’s sensory treasures, here is a perfect gift to share with a child — or to inspire loved ones of any age as they set out to create their special place in the world.

A Life Song by Jane Godwin illustrated by Anna Walker

This book is a gentle ode to growing up and to the emotional roller coaster of life. There are lines in this book that made me gasp. There are joyful moments and deeply sad life experiences all told so gently.

Here are some text examples:

"You get taller still, reach out with your song,

Sing it to your brother, he might hum along

At the end of each year, your grandparents as

What did you eat? You're growing so fast."

"Days pass by, your song moves on

Someone gets sick, might even be gone

You notice the clouds, you look up at the sky

This may be the first time you see grown-ups cry

And your song adds a chorus and verse."

Walker’s vivid, watercolour-style illustrations are poignant and impactful alongside Godwin’s compelling prose. Together, this duo prompts excitement for the adventure of life ahead for young readers. ... this is a story for everyone; all kinds of readers will relish in the metaphorical meaning of song. This belongs on every kid’s bookshelf.  Better Reading

See inside this book here. And take a look at this terrific review from The Bottom Shelf. 

Jane Godwin and Anna Walker have collaborated on so many wonderful books. They are a perfect partnership.

A word of caution - you will need to practice reading A Life Song aloud before you share it with a group of children. Each rhyming verse ends with a single line which you need to read slowly allowing yourself to pause before the page turn. I wonder if someone will put the words of this book to music. I'm also keen (and this is unusual for me) to see how The Storybox Library present this book. 

This book could be a gift to celebrate the arrival of a new baby or perhaps as a graduation gift. 

I am certain this book will feature in the 2024 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) awards.

Here are some companion books:

Don't Forget

Now we're Together

Dreams for our Daughters

When you're older

A Feather on a Wing

What to say when you don't know what to say by Davina Bell illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper

There are so many big emotions in this deceptively simple book: grief, loss, sadness, loneliness, friendship, new relationships, fairness, identity, embarrassment, fear, courage, sharing and change. The cover perhaps will lead you to think this is a book for a very young child but really it is for all ages. The back cover says this book is: "a warm and whimsical guide to negotiating life's little moments and big emotions with empathy, kindness and words from the heart."  I am not so sure about 'whimsical' - there is so much power in this book - it is way more than just whimsy. 

I love the tactile cover, the handwritten style font used through-out, the way the cover illustration stretches front and back and the sweet pastel illustrations which invite closer study. After spending time looking at and touching the cover the first thing you will notice are the brilliant end papers which gently reinforce the theme of this book. 

I so enjoyed following the story of each child, glimpsing each situation and then putting each story together rather like a jigsaw puzzle. Many of the illustrations are invested with very real emotion such as when the little girl wets her pants (my heart broke) and also when the cat died. The perspective on each page calls for readers to use their inference skills - readers of this book, no matter what their age, need to stop, think and expand each image to work out exactly what has happened and what might happend next. I found myself turning back and forwards following each child.  This use of a non-linear narrative will ensure a great deal of discussion as this book is shared by an adult reading to a young child. 

As I said, in this picture book you really need to ‘read’ the images. You have to look very closely at what is happening in each one to fully understand the meaning behind the words. In doing so, you also notice lots of little narrative threads that are woven throughout. Each individual character is created and developed quite subtly, and each has a very distinct personality. The life situations are also highly relatable. This is a book to linger over and to re-read and to enjoy with a child sitting side by side.

With older students it would be good to talk about the title - 'what to say' - but so much is unsaid in this book - we view the personal tragedies and then view the kindness of others - and often not one word is spoken. 

It's a collection of situations and experiences which are depicted visually along with a response that might be appropriate. The approach demonstrates kindness at all times. Kids' Book Review

'A soothing story with gentle tips on how to respond with compassion and care when life gets tricky ... The ideal book to gently encourage young readers to open up about their feelings' Sydney Morning Herald

What to say when you don't know what to say was a 2023 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) notable title. 

The way you need to follow each individual story in this book reminded me of Clive Eats Alligators and the sequels but of course this book is way deeper.

I also thought of these this book - but again it is just funny and doesn't have the emotional depth of What to say when you don't know what to say.

A better companion book would be this wonderful wordless book which you do need to add to your library:

Take a look at other books by Davia Bell. And here are books illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper. It is lucky I am talking about What to Do ...  because a second book was released just yesterday!

Now We're Together: Adventures in real life by Nicola Edwards illustrated by Jenny Bloomfield

"When we're caught up in the endless scroll and swipe, it takes effort to change our habits. It's worth it, though, because there's an incredible world out there for us to enjoy."

My blog has a few repeated topics or 'messages' one of which relates to the name of the blog - TIME. In the context of this book this means putting away those devices which swallow up your time, turning off those devices to free up your time for other things - reading, noticing, walking, talking, playing, silence, stillness, rest and again reading.

The final pages of this book have some distressing facts which I hope shock you:

"The average grown-up picks up their phone 58 times a day and spends more than three hours each day using it."

"The more we use smartphone, the more likely we are to feel anxious and depressed, especially if we spend a lot of time on social media."

BUT the author also offers advice:

"Try reading a book in bed .... you might find you get a better night's sleep."

"When you wake up in the morning, try not to look at your phone for an hour. Are there other things you could make time for instead?"

This book is unashamedly didactic right from the opening end papers where we see six windows at night and in each someone is looking at a screen to the back end paper and every scene is joyous and different. A man plays a guitar while his child sings; a lady is watering her indoor garden; two people are talking; an artist works at an easel; and a man is playing with his tiny infant. 

The title page is also quite confronting. Over twenty people are in a park, the children are playing BUT not interacting with all the adults whose faces are illuminated by the screens they are staring at. Oh and some of the children are looking at those screens too!

"We're scrolling, eyes flicking ... but what do we see? Am I seeing you? Are you seeing me?"

But what if that switch is turned off - what will they see? What will they do? What will change?

"The moon is a plant-sized pearl hanging low." "The sky's stuffed with diamonds ... " "Fireflies flutter and flitter ... " "Skies of sherbet and coral and spilt indigo, the sun drips its honey on blue tides below."

The big question about this book, though, is who is the audience? The message is an important one for adults of course but do they read picture books for advice? Older children need this message too but again this picture book might not be shared with older children. Younger children need adult intervention - adults have put those devices into the hands of tiny children and so the message about switching off and seeing other things in the world has to be initiated by the adults in their world. Younger children might enjoy this book but my real hope would be that it might open up conversations and perhaps the adult sharing this book might follow the advice it contains. 

My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has a Pinterest collection of other books on the topic of devices - unplug or turn off. This book is didactic, as I said, but the message is important and the art by Jenny Bloomfield is sublime. My poor photos do not do it justice. If I had to think of a similar illustrator I would say her style is a little like the wonderful Sydney Smith. 

Here are other books by Nicola Edwards:

Duck's backyard by Ulrich Hub illustrated by Jörg Mühle

Duck has a wonky leg so he uses a crutch. He is perfectly, perfectly happy living in his safe yard until ... Yes you knew there would be a complication and of course you anticipated what this might be from the cover illustration. A chicken arrives in the yard. Not just any ordinary chicken - a blind chicken - oh no. But wait do not feel sorry for this fellow because he is a chicken with a huge attitude and enormous confidence.

The chicken tells the duck today is the day for an adventure. Yes this is your classic optimist versus pessimist story and your classic or not quite so classic story of self discovery. Duck says NO NO NO. He will not leave his yard. The outside world is completely unsafe. The problem is the chicken needs duck to guide him since there are no guide dogs in the farm yard and so he persuades duck to step out of the yard and travel to ...

"Somewhere in the world ... there's a place where all our secret wishes come true."

The journey is filled with hazards - a dark forest, a huge ravine and an enormous mountain but at the top of the mountain an amazing discovery awaits chicken. Duck makes a discovery too - perhaps one you anticipated but still I guarantee this sweet ending will warm your heart.

Reading this book almost feels like a religious experience not that you need to be religious to enjoy this story. There are very deep themes (see my post labels) so this book will appeal to young children, older children and adults. Read the first chapter here. Here is an interview with Ulrich Hub. 

I adore books from Gecko Press. They source some fabulous books from around the world and invest in translating them for children who speak English. Duck's Backyard was originally published in German with the title Lahme Ente, blindes Huhn which means Lame duck, blind chicken so I am glad Gecko changed the title. School libraries in Australia used to be sent books from Gecko Press when Scholastic Australia had the agency now it is with Walker Books Australia so you may need to hunt out their books. When Scholastic had the agency books from Gecko Press were often included with their International standing order titles and also in the Book Club brochures. 

There is a sequel to Duck's Backyard but it is only available in German. I do hope Gecko Press decide to translate it. 

You should also read (don't wait add them to your library basket today) these books:

Yours sincerely, Giraffe

Meet you at Eight

Petra

Wolf and Dog

Bogtrotter

Bear and Chook by the Sea

Up the Mountain

Skunk and Badger

I previously talked about this book illustrated by Jörg Mühle.

Two for me, One for you

No Longer Alone by Joseph Coelho illustrated by Robyn Wilson-Owen

There are three little girls on the cover of this book - can you tell which one feels alone? Can you guess why she feels this way? 

This book is a gentle exploration of loss and grief. It was published in 2019 and I think it should be added to all Primary school library collections. The library I visit each week have shelved this with parent reference books but I do think it could be added to your general collection. 

Mum has obviously died but this is not stated anywhere in the story we just know the little girl narrator is acting differently, she is sad and confused. Others do observe her new behavious this but they don't seem to understand. Finally her beautiful father sits down with the little girl and we see all the family photos on the wall behind their lounge and as readers we begin to understand what may have happened.

"Dad says ... 'Try to be the old you, the get-up-an-go you. The loud-and-active you, the happy you, the you, you used to be.'"

"I tell him how I don't feel myself right now, how I feel different, like someone else. I tell him all the things that are worrying me, upsetting me, making me feel alone. And he listens ... like the sun listens to leaves, like the ocean listens to raindrops, like the stars listen to the glide of their plants. And right NOW starts to feel different."

Bookseller blurb: A new picture book from award-winning performance poet, Joseph Coelho. This touching picture book subtly deals with big emotions such as loss, with an uplifting and hopeful message about being yourself and the importance of family and talking about worries. Told through the voice of a little girl who is labelled as quiet and shy, No Longer Alone follows her tumult of emotions as she navigates the world around her. But when she finally shares her feelings and tells her Dad all the things that are worrying her, she no longer feels so alone. Joseph's warm, authentic voice offers an insightful take on the way children feel and how they perceive the world and it's perfectly complimented by gorgeous artwork from talented new illustrator, Robyn Wilson-Owen.

Now take at the UK cover for this book - which one do you prefer?

I have talked about another book by Joseph Coelho:

My Beautiful Voice

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur

QUESTION

BELIEVE
CHOOSE TO LIVE, CHOOSE TO LOVE

KNOW WHAT YOU COME FROM
SEEK TO LEARN
UNDERSTAND THOSE YOU LOVE
TREASURE YOUR LIFE

Elise is eleven and has moved up to middle school. Middle school is a whole different world. Elise does have a very special friend - Franklin - but now some of the things they do together somehow seem childish. On the first day of the new school Elise is given her locker buddy. She is a wretched, mean, bully girl named Amanda. 

Who can Elise turn to? The homework from school is out of control. The teachers seem disinterested and even unkind. Franklin seems slightly embarrassing yet he was once her very best friend. 

When she was just born Elise's mum died and only a few years later, her father died too - from cancer. Elise lives with her beautiful Aunt Bessie and Uncle Hugh. Bessie is a wonderful cook and Hugh has so much patience and wisdom but really Elise needs time and trust in her friends and family to work out all her life problems. The delicious food in this book reminded me of the food from the previous book Love, Aubrey. 

Adding to all of this Elise finds a key with her name on the tag. In their barn, on the top floor, there are eight doors. Over time Elise finds eight keys and discovers so much about herself, her father, her mother and life in general. The rooms are rather like a puzzle and have been set up long ago by her father for when the time was just right. The different things revealed in each room is a useful story device and one which I think readers aged 10+ will really enjoy. And yes there are only seven words in the list at the start of this post - you need to read this book to discover the eighth key.

This book was published in 2011 but it is still available however here in Australia the paperback is quite expensive so perhaps you will find this book in a library. Here are three other cover designs. I am not sure I especially like any of them but, as I said with Suzanne's first book (Love, Aubrey) I would be very happy to put this book (Eight Keys) into the hands of a sensitive reader especially one of the cusp of moving to high school.

Just over two years ago I read Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur. I ordered it because I absolutely adored two other books by Susanne LaFleur - Beautiful Blue World and Threads of Blue. At a recent charity book sale I spied this book - Eight Keys - another book by Suzanne LaFleur and this morning I picked it up to read. After an outing later in the morning I came home and finished the whole book of 214 pages. This was just what I needed - to read a whole book in a day. Lately I have laboured over several 'heavier' books which I am struggling to complete. It is so satisfying when a book just sweeps you along and you want to read and read and read until you reach the end. Oh and I also love books that make me cry (just a little).

Here is an interview with Suzanne LaFleur.

In this one, small, sweet book, everything in the world that's important is revealed. It's a book about relationships: losing them, finding them, and fixing them. Dickens library

I would pair Eight Keys with these:

Things seen from Above

Are you there, Buddha?

Aster's right good things

Pieces of Georgia

Hound Dog True

If you want to book talk Eight Keys I suggest using the scene where Elise visits her parents graves. It is sad, yes, but also uplifting and healing from the end of chapter 9 and beginning of chapter 10. 

"Is it my fault you're here?' Cold stone never answered anyone. 'Well, it probably wasn't worth it. I'm bad at everything and nobody but our family likes me. I can't even keep one friend.' I wiped my nose on my sleeve. 'I'm really sorry.' I lay down on the grass, a little closer to them.  ... (That night) I didn't dream at all. That was nice. When I woke up I felt rested ... I was thinking about Franklin. I felt so much better today, and maybe what happened really wasn't his fault. We could try again."