Best Australian Picture book part two

Sorry to sound negative but as I predicted there are books on this list that do not meet the criteria set by The Guardian Australia. There are fifty books on the list (you can see 48 of them here) - I do wonder how many people submitted titles and were they able to submit more than one? There are only two books** on this list that I have never seen. I also wonder if people were able to vote more than once? Who decided if the book was for aged 0-6 and could be read 'in a few minutes'? Why are there no books by Margaret Wild on this list except Fox which is for ages 10+? I am also concerned about the idea of a WINNER! Voting starts after 27th January, 2026.

Here are the criteria:

• Primarily intended to be read aloud to children who don’t yet read independently.
• Able to be read in a few minutes – a child’s picture book, rather than a graphic novel or illustrated chapter book.
• Written by an Australian (or someone we’ve claimed).
• Published in Australia.

Before reading any further please take a look at my previous post 

which is filled with questions and concerns.

In my previous post I listed the books that I thought should be included by The Guardian Australia - I am especially sad that Duck, Apple, Egg by Glenda Millard; Puffling by Margaret Wild; Little Humpty by Margaret Wild; Lucy Goosey by Margaret Wild; Rudie Nudie by Emma Quay; Sebastian Lives in a Hat by Thelma Catterwell; I'm a Dirty Dinosaur by Janeen Brian illustrated by Ann James; and Noni the Pony by Alison Lester.

The next step is to vote for your favourite from this list.

• 11 Words for Love by Randa Abdel-Fattah and Maxine Beneba Clarke
• All the Ways to Be Smart by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys
• Animalia by Graeme Base
• Another Book About Bears by Laura and Philip Bunting
• Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester
• Be Careful, Xiao Xin! by Alice Pung and Sher Rill Ng
• Chip by Kylie Howarth
• Come Over to My House by Eliza Hull, Sally Rippin and Daniel Gray-Barnett
• Day Break by Amy McQuire and Matt Chun
• Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
• Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles and Rod Clement
• Emergency! Emergency! Vehicles to the Rescue by Rhiân Williams and Tom Jellett
• Fox by Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks
• Grace’s Mystery Seed by Juliet M Sampson and Karen Erasmus**
• Greetings from Sandy Beach by Bob Graham
• Grug by Ted Prior
• Imagine by Alison Lester
• Jetty Jumping by Andrea Rowe and Hannah Sommerville
• John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner and Ron Brooks
• Kissed by the Moon by Alison Lester
• Magic Beach by Alison Lester
• Mopoke by Philip Bunting
• Mr Chicken Goes to Paris by Leigh Hobbs
• Mr McGee by Pamela Allen
• My Country by Ezekiel Kwaymullina and Sally Morgan
• My Shadow is Pink by Scott Stuart
• Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey
• Possum Magic by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas
• Room on Our Rock by Kate and Jol Temple and Terri Rose Baynton
• Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten by Bob Graham
• Sharon Keep your Hair on by Gillian Rubinstein and David Mackintosh
• Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury (UK Illustrator)
• The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek by Jenny Wagner and Ron Brooks
• The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base
• The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan
• The Patchwork Bike by Maxine Beneba Clarke and Van Thanh Rudd
• The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan
• The Rainbow Serpent by Dick Roughsey
• The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland
• There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake by Hazel Edwards and Deborah Niland
• This Small Blue Dot by Zeno Sworder
• Under the Love Umbrella by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys
• Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
• Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker
• Whistle Up the Chimney by Nan Hunt and Craig Smith
• White Sunday by Litea Fuata and Myo Yim**
• Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen
• Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas
• Window by Jeannie Baker
• Wombat Stew by Marcia Vaughan and Pamela Lofts

Books for older readers (these do not meet the criteria above)

Yes, they are splendid books but none of these should be included 

in this project by The Guardian Australia

Read my review here. Take special note of the labels I assigned my post.

Here is my blog post about this classic Australia picture book.

This is a book for readers aged 8+

Here is an essay by Shaun Tan where he talks about the way picture books work

Young readers will miss so much if you rush and read either of these in 'just a few minutes'

Also many of the visual concepts are very sophisticated.

Read my blog post.

This story is an allegory about identity and belonging and it is rich text to explore visual literacy

This is about the colonisation of Australia - it is not a book about cute rabbits.

Take a look at the NCACL details in their Picture Books for Older Readers database.

Here is my blog post

Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping by Craig Silvey

"How are you feeling?

Annie looks down.

Nobody looks back up at her.

Because there is a Runt-shaped hole in her world."

Recently Craig Silvey spoke at an event here in Sydney and a few days later I bought myself a copy of his new book (sequel to Runt). I started my reading that day but after just 31 pages I stopped. I first read Runt back in 2022 and since that time I have read hundreds of other books and so many small plot details from Runt have evaporated from my memory. Thank goodness the library where I work as a volunteer had a copy of Runt and so on Tuesday last week I revisited the first installment of Runt. With 342 pages, and a few detours into other books on my enormous to read pile, I finished Runt for the second time on Sunday morning. It is now Tuesday afternoon and I have just finished Runt the Diabolical Dognapping which has a whopping 406 pages. Readers do need knowledge of the first book about Runt to really appreciate all the twists and turns and motivations and drama of the second installment. 

Craig Silvey has done it again. He kept me reading and reading desperate to discover how all his disparate story elements could possibly reach that all important happy ending. This is also one of those books where the clock is ticking - Annie only has one month to win another competition and hopefully be reunited with her precious friend. 

This latest book is filled with heroes, tales of past deeds, deceptions, new friendships, puns, jokes, determination, and of course it culminates in another all-important dog competition. The story rips along because it stars Annie who we all adore from the first book but in this tale Runt is missing. As the title tells you - he has been dognapped. Of course, this new story does need a dog - we met this puppy at the end of the first book. She arrived with Bernadette Box - her name is Little Annie. Oh, and there is also a new competition - have you heard of this - it is called "dances with dogs" and yes, it is a real thing. Craig Silvey explained in his Sydney talk that he watched hundreds of hours of competitions so that he could include accurate details in his story.

BUT wait there is more to Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping. If you have read Runt you may have been left with a few questions - the answers to all of these and many more form the framework for the second book. I wonder if Craig Silvey is a plotter - did be map all his story threads out before writing his book?

Here are some of the questions that you might want answered (but there are lots more):

• Where was Runt before he met Annie?
• How did Runt learn to perform 'tricks'?
• What makes Runt such a loyal friend?
• Why does Runt adore Mush dog food?
• And there is question (spoiler maybe) about the real fate of the terrible villain - Earl Robert- Baron?

I love the cast of characters from Upson Downs. The policeman Detective Bayleaf reminded me of the bumbling policeman in the television show Doc Martin: Joe Penhale the local police officer in the town of Portwenn. The Mayor Barry Casserole made me think of the local politician Bill Heslop from Muriel's Wedding and also one of the pompous judges from Strictly Ballroom - Barry Fyfe with (in the movie) his silly toupee. It is easy to see that this second book is very cinematic - I know there is a movie of Runt and a play will be presented in 2026. After reading this second installment I'm sure there will be a second movie. 

In this book I also enjoyed all the puns, funny names with double meanings, foreshadowing, subplots, flashbacks and side stories, and the way Rupert Broadsheet sounds like he has swallowed a thesaurus. 

Another thing that Craig Silvey includes in his book are heaps of wonderful descriptions of clothing - they are all so 'over the top' and yet it is funny that at every author event Craig himself always wears the same plain long-sleeved navy tee shirt. Here are a few examples:

"Camilla is resplendent in a cream satin dress and a silver necklace. Doreen is vividly tropical in a teal polyester pantsuit, neon mango lipstick and polished brass seashell earrings. She has a fresh perm, a teased fringe and a voice like a started macaw."

"Barry wears a yellow shirt tucked into high brown shorts. His head is host to a thick and conspicuous toupee. His large glasses slide slowly down his nose, causing him to periodically scrunch his face in a manner that reminds Annie Shearer of a nervous rabbit."

"He wears a peach short-sleeved shirt, a eucalyptus green tie, mustard coloured shorts, white knee-high socks, black leather sandals and his official chain of office."

"The man wears a powder blue seersucker jacket, plum corduroy pants, a crisp cream shirt and leather loafers. He is tall, with ivory skin and a sensible haircut."

If you are looking for a fantastic present for a young reader why not buy both books about Runt. I adore their cover illustrations by Sara Acton, and the publisher has added a dust jacket which is a rare thing here in Australia, and the end papers are perfect and if you pop these two books side by side on your bookshelf they will look very impressive. Here is the Instagram account for Sara Acton where you can see some illustrations from the second book about Runt.  Note if you are in the US Runt has a different cover, title and a different illustrator. 

IBBY Australia are holding an online auction as a fund raiser. If you are reading this post in Australia between 14 and 28 November 2025 take a look at our Auction page. This is the illustration kindly donated to the auction by Sara Acton.

There is a link to the very detailed teaching notes on the publisher web page and also an interview with Craig Silvey and the notes also have some video links to explore.

Publisher blurb: Six weeks have passed since Annie Shearer and Runt competed valiantly at the Krumpets Dog Show. The town of Upson Downs is rejuvenated. The grass is green. The rivers are flowing. And a Tournament of Champions has just been announced, with the world's best canine talent invited to showcase their skills in the Grand Ballroom of the abandoned Robert-Barren estate. But as preparations for the event get underway, Runt mysteriously goes missing, and a trail of suspicious clues surround his doghouse. Annie's worst fears are confirmed when she discovers a ransom note with a peculiar demand: she must win it all to see her friend again. It's up to Annie and her brother Max – now an intrepid investigative reporter with the Upson Downs Speculator – to rescue Runt before it's too late.

This sequel also delivers in spades Silvey’s trademark sharp wordplay and clever wit. This story is a shining example of the power of unwavering kindness, selfless compassion and empathy. It illustrates how these virtues can be a catalyst for profound change to embrace the gift of second chances and experience life with a renewed purpose and richness. Reading Opens Doors

With a cleverly constructed plot, hilarious, corny characters, and more mysteries than you can shake a bone at, this sequel left me with warm fuzzies from top to toe. There are stories within the story which are wonderful themselves, which are then effortlessly woven into the heart wrenching finale. What Book Next

Paperboy by Vince Vawter

This was beautifully written and palpably sad. Ms Yingling Reads

Carefully crafted language, authenticity of setting and quirky characters that ring fully true all combine to make this a worthwhile read. Kirkus

Have you ever read a book where you kept anticipating dreadful events, you gasped, turned the page and then that event didn't happen but instead a few pages later the author slammed you up against a wall with something even worse? I started Paperboy late in the afternoon and read a few chapters, then read a few more at midnight and then woke up at 3am and read this book right through to the end. All the while I was holding my breath because I was so worried about 'Little Man'.

It seems amazing when I think about it but in over 32 years as a Teacher-Librarian I never had a student who stuttered but I did work with one teacher (in hindsight I think about his bravery to be a teacher and face a group of ten year olds every day) and knew a young boy when I was a teenager. As humans there are some hard things in life that we have to navigate. Sensory impairment such as hearing loss, vision loss, epilepsy, and other disabilities that can make life so complex. I found it heartbreaking to read how much 'Little Man' struggled with his stuttering. In fact the reason we don't know his actual name until the final pages of this book is because his own name is almost impossible to pronounce - it contains the most tricky sounds. 'Little Man' is a highly intelligent young boy and this book and we get to know his story because we can hear his thoughts and read his typewritten words.

His best friend has gone away for a month over summer. 'Little Man' takes over the newspaper delivery job from Art or Rat as he is known. Over the following weeks 'Little Man' meets a variety of characters. My favourite was Mr Spiro who, in contrast with his newspaper delivery boy, uses long complex sentences and shares deep philosophical ideas that come from his extensive reading and huge personal library. He shows a beautiful level of kindness and intelligent interactions with the young boy. On the other hand, the town 'junk man' is a violent individual who you will desperately want 'Little Man' to avoid. When he risks his life twice and has to confront this disgusting man I wanted to shout at 'Little Boy' to run away because I knew he was in enormous danger. You can tell I became very involved in this story.

Adding to the power of this story at the end we discover this book is based on the life of the author. Read this detailed interview. Here are some quotes from the interview:

" ... everything in the book which had to do with stuttering, was factual. I had trouble saying my name, and on more than one occasion, I would pass out because I held my breath too long trying to say my name. If you remember the scene where the boy is in the restaurant with some of his parents’ friends, and he gets embarrassed, and it all just starts coming onto him and he loses his spaghetti all over the table and everybody? That actually happened to me."

"In the past few years, I've been reading an awful lot about the covert stutterer. I should have been the poster boy for covert stuttering. I tried to hide my stutter in every way I could. I would lie about it, I would skip class, I would do anything. I would pretend I was sick; I would do anything not to have to speak in class, or in some social situation. What that did is it held me back from starting on my journey of finding my voice."

"Saying my name was my albatross. At the start of school each year, I would start going into sweats, about the middle of August. School would start the first of September, I'd start worrying about it in August because I knew the teachers would say, "Okay, everybody stand-up, tell us your name. Tell us your brother and sister’s names. What your pet is, and what you did this summer." I'd have rather been whipped 40 lashes than do that."

In terms of an Australian young adult reader this book does contain aspects of US History from the 1960s especially racial discrimination and also a few references to baseball and famous baseball players but these references did not mean anything to me, but my ignorance did not affect the way this story totally engrossed me. Listen to an audio sample of chapter one - Mam is not his mother - she is the hired help - a brave African American lady who I would love to thank for the way she loves and protects 'Little Man'. 

Blurb: Little Man throws the meanest fastball in town. But talking is a whole different ball game. He can barely say a word without stuttering—not even his own name. So when he takes over his best friend’s paper route for the month of July, he’s not exactly looking forward to interacting with the customers. But it’s the neighborhood junkman, a bully and thief, who stirs up real trouble in Little Man’s life.

Awards for Paperboy:

• A Newbery Honor Award Winner
• An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book
• An IRA Children’s and Young Adults’ Choice
• An IRA Teachers’ Choice
• A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
• A National Parenting Publications Award Honor Book
• A BookPage Best Children’s Book
• An ABC New Voices Pick
• A Junior Library Guild Selection
• An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Recording
• An ALA-YALSA Amazing Audiobook
• A Mississippi Magnolia State Award List Selection

On another level this book is also about racial discrimination. Think of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr and also the movie The Help. There are two further books in this series (both are Young Adult or adult titles) and the final one deals with the five days in April 1968 that changed the world - the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Read more here. 

I am working my way through some Newbery winners and honor books from the last 25 years. I was so lucky to spy Paperboy at a recent charity book sale and it only cost AUS$2.

Companion books:

Walking to the bus-rider Blues

Stella by Starlight

The Parker Inheritance

How High the Moon

I also found a list of Middle Grade books that feature stuttering: Say It Out Loud by Allison Varnes; The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga; and Wild oak by C.C. Harrington.

The Girl with Wings by Jaco Jacobs illustrated by Tori Stowe translated by Kobus Geldenhuys

Wilson Taylor lives with her mum and step dad in a caravan. They never stay in one place for very long. In each small town her mum sets up a tennis camp for local kids because she is a former tennis champion. Gabriel, her step dad, is a freelance photographer. He takes photos of things around each town and then sells them as digital images for people to download. All of this means Wilson spends a lot of time on her own. Right now it is the summer holidays but in term time she is homeschooled. 

In this town Wilson meets a local boy named Errol. He tells her likes to go bird watching but we discover this is not entirely true. There are rumours of a girl who has been seen in Leseeba - a girl who has wings. Perhaps the title and cover of the book have alerted you to this plot point.

So who is this girl? We discover her name is Ava. How can it be that she has wings? Can she fly? Where does she live? And who is this man who is hunting for her? And how is all of this connected with the circus?

Now that Wilson and Errol have met Ava what will happen if her secret is revealed. Oh and you need to remember I mentioned Gabriel is a photographer. Surely a photograph of Ava will be especially dangerous.

Having now read it, I can tell you that it is quirky, fun and one of those books that while suitable for sharing in lower KS2, will also have enormous appeal in Years 5 and 6. Highly original, often surreal and, at less than 200 pages, quite a short read, this is book that is gentle and sweet and one that is filled with mystery and friendship as we meet the titular girl with wings and uncover her story. Mrs Sydney

Companion books:

Yesterday Crumb and the storm in a teacup

The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen

The Girl who walked on Air

The Girl who could Fly (US Cover)

Long Road to the Circus

I saw The Girl with Wings in a local bookstore last week and I immediately recognised the South African author Jaco Jacobs. I previously really enjoyed these two books:

A Good day for Climbing Trees

A Good Night for Shooting Zombies

The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart

"The feeling that woke Ravani Foster on this moonlit night? 
It was loneliness."

"This story, like all stories, is about choices. And Ravani in that moment, chose to not hide. Instead he raised his hand in a silent wave. 

Sometimes, when two lonely souls find each other, there is a reaching out. 

The girl bought her own hand up. But not in a wave. She raised a single finger to her lips. She made no sound, but there was no mistaking what she was saying: Shhh."

Ravani lives in a town named Slaughterville. Yes, it is a small town with an abattoir and this place is the main employer. Ravani's dad works there, and I do need to give a warning that sensitive readers might find the early scenes in this book very distressing but stick with me this book is fabulous!!

Late one night Ravani sees a strange scene outside from his upstairs window. Ravani lives at the end of a dead-end street called Offal Road. Up until this night the house next door has been empty. The old man who previously lived there, he was the local undertaker, has now moved into an aged care home. As Ravani Foster, who has woken in the middle of the night, looks out from his room he sees a large white truck arrive, and from out of the back step seven children ranging in age from five or six up to sixteen or seventeen. The final child, a girl about his age, takes a little longer to emerge. There are no adults.

"Her hair, which was tied back with a black ribbon, looked silver in the moonlight. But Ravani thought that in the sunlight it would look gold. She wore blue jeans and a white T-shirt. One hand held a suitcase, just like the other children, but the other held something else: A white umbrella. The lacy, pretty kind that fancy ladies carried at fancy events like horse races or country picnics. ... She looked left, and then she looked right, and then she looked up."

These children, especially that girl, are set to change Ravani's life and later even the whole community. 

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but this book feels like a jigsaw - you need to pay attention to every little piece because Dan Gemeinhart very cleverly and neatly ties all the pieces together into a very, very satisfying ending. 

Here are some important text quotes:

"The cow watched his approach. Its ears perked up. Ravani stopped in front of the condemned creature. He put his hand on the barbed wire and looked into its eyes. There was a sparkle there. A warmth.  ... Ravani looked around quickly. There was no one in sight. ... A choice was made. A mistake, perhaps, but a choice to be sure. Ravani undid the latch."

"I'm not looking for a friend' she said. 'Me neither,' he lied."

"Tears spang hot to Ravani's eyes. Tears because Donnie's knee hurt, tears because he had dirt in his mouth, tears because he was tired of the cruelty and the loneliness, and tears most of all because he knew it was no use. That no matter what he did, no matter what he did or didn't say, that he would always be the sparrow caught in the kestrel's claws."

"He was tired to his soul of being lonely. And he'd thought for too long: Someday. Someday I'll be happy. Someday I'll have a friend."

"The first secret is that I have secrets ... the rest you'll have to wait for."

"The paper was long - really four of five pieces taped together. Drawn all the way down it, in ruler perfect neatness, were piano keys. Pencil lines marked the ivory keys, black keys scribbled dark with black crayon. 'This is my practice piano,' Virginia said ...'It's almost as good as having a real piano.'"

I also love some of the words and expressions used by Virginia - bullspit; no sweet Juniper; cheese and rice Rav - I said a spider not a rattlesnake; and holy spit, mister. Oh and the character names like Hortense Wallenbach - editor of the local newspaper and Mrs Grunchly - boat race official. And when Rav's mum invites Virginia over for piano lessons the piano I sighed with happiness. Oh, and each kid has a special talent - thank goodness for this. (You might relate this to Savvy by Ingrid Law).

Bookseller blurb: In the dead of night, a truck arrives in Slaughterville, a small town curiously named after its windowless slaughterhouse. Seven mysterious kids with suitcases step out of the vehicle and into an abandoned home on a dead-end street, looking over their shoulders to make sure they aren't noticed. But Ravani Foster covertly witnesses their arrival from his bedroom window. Timid and lonely, Ravani is eager to learn everything he can about his new neighbors: What secrets are they hiding? And most mysterious of all...where are the adults? Yet amid this shadowy group of children, Ravani finds an unexpected friend in the warm and gutsy Virginia. But with this friendship comes secrets revealed—and danger. When Ravani learns of a threat to his new friends, he must fight to keep them safe, or lose the only person who has ever understood him.

The place names in Slaughterville set the tone for life in this town - Carcass Creek; Skinister Slaughterhouse; and Red River.

Ranani loves birds - try to find Twitch by MG Leonard. And the way the children are being hunted reminded me of the movie scenes with Robert Helpmann from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

Listen to an audio sample from page 2 onwards. In this interview Dan talks about his book. And here is Dan reading his first few pages. Here are some very detailed teachers notes. 

Reading a book like The Midnight Children I marvel at the imagination of authors like Dan Gemeinhart. This is a story of extreme contrasts, of the deepest of friendships and it is an exploration of complex relationships.

A story of fierce friendship, bravery, loyalty, and finding—or making—a place to belong. Kirkus Star review

Colby Sharp 'This is the book that will stay in their heart. ... from the opening pages you will know that this book is special! ... Read it, it's PERFECT.'

Stop and look at the cover - a young boy has filled a jar with fireflies, his face is bathed in their light, it is very dark and we assume very late. Stretch out the cover - there are five other children watching this boy - hidden among the trees. The boy looks quite well dressed whereas one of the other children is wearing patched pants that are perhaps too big or too small. 

One of the things that happens when you read lots of books (from around the world and from here in Australia too) is you start to 'know' some authors and this makes it easy to anticipate a terrific story. I was so keen to read this book I bought it in hardcover so here in Australia it cost over AUS$30. I do hope a paperback edition is released so you can add this to your own shelves or library collection.  I also adored this book by Dan Gemeinhart:

The Remarkable story of Coyote Sunrise I really want to read the sequel Coyote Lost and Found

Years ago, I read another book by Dan Gemeinhart and then I am so happy to say I convinced a Grade Six teacher to read it to her class - and everyone (children and teacher) enjoyed it! This is important because this teacher (as with many others) was locked in to reading the same books to her class year and year - I rejoice that I expanded her horizons just a little.

The Honest Truth

Here is the third book I have read by Dan Gemeinhart - but I need to give a warning - there are some very violent parts to this story - it was a harrowing book to read but it also a very powerful story of redemption that is sure to linger with you.

Good Dog

Read these quotes from Dan Gemeinhart about his writing - ithey resonates with me:

I do agonize over every line, and I do a lot of cutting things out and putting things back in and changing things out and all that kind of stuff, trying to make it right, especially for a young reader. Like, I take that responsibility really seriously, that these kids have a lot going on in their lives, these younger readers, and a lot you’re competing with, you’re competing with sports in school and PlayStations and all these things and Tik Toks, phones and all that stuff. And so, I want my books to be books that young readers enjoy, and they want to read the next chapter, and they’re drawn into it to the magic of the story. And I don’t want to waste their time because they’re pretty busy.

So, one of my steps of revising, because I’ve got three kids, is when I finish a rough draft, I then read it out loud to my family because we read books together every night anyway. And so, when I finish a book okay, now we’re going to read Dad’s terrible rough draft, and reading it out loud is a great way to find those false notes where it looks good. You on the page, in your head, it sounded fine, and then you read out loud, and it sounds fake, or it sounds cheesy, it sounds too much, or it just sounds false.

... books aren’t just a great way to spend a summer day or to entertain you. Like, you can learn something, you can say something, you can really experience something bigger than yourself through stories.

Companion books:

The Greatest Show on Earth

The Collected works of Gretchen Oyster

The truth as told to Mason Buttle

When Zachary Beaver came to Town

The Wall Between Us by Dan Smith

Anja and Monika are best friends. They live in Berlin and it only takes a few steps to cross the street to see each other ... until!  The year is 1961. It is August 13th.

1. How will I see Monika if there's barbed wire right along the middle of the road.

2. How will Otto get back home? (Papa says Ottos will be find. He says cats are cleverer than the devil and that they can find a way through anything.)

3. How will Uncle Konrad get to work?

4. What's going to happen now?

The answer to question four forms the content of this book. We read journal entries by Anja and letters from Monika although sadly these cannot be delivered.

"At midnight on 13th August, 1961, East German authorities built a barrier of barbed  wire and cinder blocks to stop their citizens from leaving. ... The Berlin wall was approximately 155 kilometres long and (it) was five metres high in some places. .... Approximately 200 people were killed trying to escape from East Berlin to West Berlin. At midnight on 9 November 1989, restrictions were ended and people were finally free to pass through the Berlin Wall."

Read an extract from the first chapter here. And here is a very detailed review with text quotes and images. 

This is a compulsive, nuanced and relevant tale, about an important period of recent European history.  Historical Novel society

From the beginning of the story, we are aware that Anja and Monika get arrested for their crimes. Each journal entry or letter is preceded by a Ministry for State Security case file note. These detail Anja and Monika’s arrest in the Autumn of 1961. What we are yet to discover is what the two get up to and how they get found out. Smith presents us with one great big jigsaw puzzle and piece by piece, we have to ascertain how the arrest will unfurl. Just Imagine

I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through this gripping first-hand account which relates the events between 13th August and 7th October - the date of Anja's arrest. I highly recommend this book for readers aged 10+. It was published in 2023 by Chicken House in the UK. This publisher always deliver splendid books for middle grade readers. 

Bookseller blurb: A stunning, exciting story from acclaimed author Dan Smith - author of the Carnegie Medal-nominated Nisha's War. BERLIN 1961 Anja and Monika live opposite each other. They play together every day, with Otto the cat. One night they wake up to bangs and shouts. Soldiers are building a huge barbed wire fence between them. A terrible forever wall that gets longer and higher until it divides the whole city. On the East side, Monika is scared - neighbours are becoming spies and there are secret police everywhere. It's Anja who spots that Otto has found a way across. If he can visit Monika, then perhaps she can too. But Anja gets trapped and there's no safe way back . . .

I also enjoyed this book by Dan Smith:

She Wolf

Ajay and the Jaipur Moon by Varsha Shah

"Space offers us new worlds to conquer, new territories to colonize, and endless resources to take."

These are the words of Mrs Surya. At first they sound glorious to the audience and to the team of kids who have come to meet this famous millionaire but slowly the truth behind this sentence is revealed. You could use this sentence to introduce this book to your readers aged 10+. Think about the words conquer, colonize and take. Colonize is especially poignant when you consider this book is set in India and they were colonized by the British.

Now look at this statement by Mrs Surya:

"As you know, the WECU corporation own factories across the globe. With the willing support of politicians, I will move them into space so that they no longer pollute our world. No longer bogged down with laws and human rights, these factories will be a blueprint for oligarchs everywhere."

The words 'human rights' should chill you. In the first book the workers in the T-Shirt factory were subjected to horrid working conditions. In this second book we meet the slum kids of Jaipur. Their leader, a girl named Laxmi is missing one finger as a result of working in a jewelry making factory. You should review the UN Rights of the Child with your class. 

Now read Chapter 28 - and think about the consequences of Mrs Surya vision of space, her assumed role as leader, and the way she uses words to manipulate the kids and later her press conference audiences. Even her office, with the glass floor and the way the door snaps shut are all about control and power. When you are reading this book notice the references to her eyes - "windows to her corrupt soul."

Ajay and his team of street kids work hard to survive living on the streets of Mumbai. The produce a newspaper which last year led to some fame but as time has passed people are no longer interested in reading the news and printing their paper each week is a huge struggle without a proper printing press. But buying a new press means they need a lot of money. Then Ajay reads about a competition to find a meteorite that has crashed into the earth. Whoever finds it will be given a tour of the new space research base in Jaipur. 

Ajay has a talented team of friends: Vinod is a wonderful cook; Yasmin, safely away from the dangerous T-shirt factory is a very fine artist; Saif is an apprentice engineer who can solve any engineering problem; and Jai is a first-class cricketer.

Working as a team I was sure these kids would find a way to travel from Mumbai to Jaipur, and I knew they would find a way to win this competition. BUT standing in their way there are difficulties, lies, betrayals and corrupt adults. Saif finds the location of the meteorite but as they arrive in Jaipur his tools are stolen. This is just the first disaster. In fact, there are so many twists in this plot I began to think these kids would not survive let alone succeed.

If you read this book in a class you will want to add in some research about Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858-1937) Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), and Asima Chatterjee (1917-2006). Along with the astronaut Kalpana Chawla (1962 -2003).

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose is one of the most prominent first Indian scientists who proved by experimentation that both animals and plants share much in common. He demonstrated that plants are also sensitive to heat, cold, light, noise and various other external stimuli.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam served as the president of India from 2002 to 2007. He began his career designing helicopters for the Indian Army as an aeronautical engineer for the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). In 1969, he was moved to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), where he served as project director on SLV-III, the nation's first satellite launch vehicle, which was successful in putting the satellite Rohini into a near-Earth orbit in 1980.

Asima Chatterjee was an Indian chemist noted for her work in the fields of organic chemistry and phytomedicine. Her most notable work includes research on vinca alkaloids, and the development of anti-epileptic and anti-malarial drugs. She also authored a considerable volume of work on medicinal plants of the Indian subcontinent.

Kalpana Chawla was American astronaut who died in the Space Shuttle ‘Columbia’ disaster. Born in Karnal, India, she was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. In May 1997, she went on her first space mission, travelling for fifteen days in the Space Shuttle Columbia flight STS-87. In 2003, she travelled once again into the space aboard ill-fated Space Shuttle Columbia flight STS-107.

You can read chapter one on the Chicken House page. 

This is an exciting and beautifully written and illustrated book for children aged eight and upwards. It could be the starting point for discussions about what friendship means to them and how they relate to each other’s varying interests and future plans. School Reading List UK

Alongside action and humour are serious socio-political messages. The power imbalance between rich and poor is a significant theme and there is mention of child labour and exploitation. There are many points in the book that would prompt deep discussions. ‘What defines where someone belongs?’ asks Ajay. He later comments, ‘All that matters about a society is the way it treats its most vulnerable.’  The children’s achievements (in the face of adversity) and their tight friendship makes Ajay and the Jaipur Moon an empowering and heart-warming read. Just Imagine

You could also use this book to discuss the depiction of a character - Mrs Surya. Her clothes are both interesting and obscene when you think about the poverty experienced by the kids in this book. She reminded me of the evil woman in Beetle Boy by MG Leonard.

"Her eyes were the colour of warm caramel ... her smile eclipsing the sun.

"She turned and gave a magnetic smile that he was sure was just for him! She looked magnificent as she went to stand on the podium ... wearing a silver sari encrusted with scales of diamonds that blazed in the light of the chandelier."

"Up close, glittering from head to toe, with silver star earrings, and the border of the sari snaking around her, she looked even more striking."

"Mrs Surya glittered from head to toe in a lace sari that was encrusted with diamonds and looked like the clouds of the milky way. ... she looked like a figure spun from light."

This is the second book about Ajay and his newspaper The Mumbai Sun. I loved the first and this sequel did not disappoint.

Ajay and the Mumbai Sun

Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Manifest verb: to show something clearly, through signs or actions

Manifest adjective: easily noticed or obvious

It's taken me a few days to read this 2011 winner of the Newbery Medal and I am glad I didn't rush because this book does require some concentration as we shift between 1917-1918 and 1936 and also juggle a myriad of small town sightly eccentric characters. I finished this book around 2am last night and on page 320 I gasped out loud because Clare Vanderpool made me care so much about the people of this town and, well I can't tell you what happened on October 28th, 1918 only to say this is a very sad moment and a powerful turning point in the story. Another marker of a great story to me is when I finish my journey, in this case to Manifest, I then am so keen to think of another reader who will enjoy this book - that's one of the many things I do miss about working in a school library. 

Here are a few of the characters:

• Abilene Tucker, a brave 12-year-old girl.
• Shady Howard, pastor, bootlegger and owner of the home where Abilene lives in Manifest
• Gideon Tucker, father of Abilene.  He sends her to Manifest. [absent parent]
• Miss Sadie Redizon, a mysterious Hungarian fortune teller who only tells stories about the past.
• Jinx, a boy that comes to Manifest.
• Soletta (Lettie) Taylor, Abilene's friend who is helping find the Rattler and Ruthanne's cousin
• Benedek (Ned) Gillian, friend of Jinx

Minor characters

• Hattie Mae Harper, the town's newspaper reporter who helps Abilene research her family's past.
• Sister Redempta, the town's school teacher nun, also helps with other affairs.
• Mr. Underhill, an undertaker
• Velma T Harkrader, chemistry teacher
• Eudora Larkin, president of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Manifest

Publisher blurb: The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I’d seen only in Gideon’s stories: Manifest—A Town with a rich past and a bright future. Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was. Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.” Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colourful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.

The mementos in the box are a fishing lure; a tiny doll from a nesting set; a silver dollar; a skeleton key and a cork. "To me they were like treasures from a museum, things a person could study to learn about another time and the people who lived back then." And that's exactly what happens. Abilene loses her father's lucky compass in the local graveyard. It turns up in the home of Miss Sadie hanging from the roof of her verandah. Abilene breaks a huge pot in the garden when she climbs up to retrieve her precious compass and so as payment she has to do chores and gardening for Miss Sadie. Over the coming weeks Miss Sadie tells Abilene stories of the town specifically events of 1917-1918 and each story mysteriously mentions one of the objects from that cigar box she found under the floorboards at Shady's place. I do enjoy stories that feel like making a jigsaw. It is not until you reach the end of the story that the whole picture is revealed - this is very satisfying. 

Listen to an audio sample from chapter one. Ms Yingling did not really like Moon over Manifest but she does give a good story summary as usual. 

I just can’t even begin to tell how enamoured I am of this book. It is one of those deceptively simple slow-burning stories: the kind that needs to be savoured little by little so that the reader can truly absorb its subtle themes and its hidden meanings. It features stories within stories and the power that those stories hold in preserving memory as well as changing the future of a place. The Book Smugglers

Kirkus star review.

Clare Vanderpool is an American children's book author living in Wichita, Kansas. Her first book, Moon Over Manifest, won the 2011 Newbery Medal, becoming the first debut author to achieve the feat in thirty years. I am now very keen to read her second book published in 2014

Here is a list of Newbery winners from 2001 onwards:

• A Year Down Yonder (2001)
• A Single Shard (2002)
• Crispin (2003)
• The Tale of Despereaux (2004)
• Kira-Kira (2005)
• Criss Cross (2006)
• The Higher Power of Lucky (2007)
• Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! (2008)
• The Graveyard Book (2009)
• When You Reach Me (2010)
• Moon Over Manifest (2011)
• Dead End in Norvelt (2012)
• The One and Only Ivan (2013)
• Flora & Ulysses (2014)
• The Crossover (2015)
• Last Stop on Market Street (2016)
• The Girl Who Drank the Moon (2017)
• Hello, Universe (2018)
• Merci Suárez Changes Gears (2019)
• New Kid (2020)
• When You Trap a Tiger (2021)
• The Last Cuentista (2022)
• Freewater (2023)

These might seem like strange choices but here are some companion reads:

Pony

The Parker Inheritance

One came home

Someplace to call Home

Walking with Miss Millie

Three times Lucky