Azizi and the Little Blue Bird by Laila Koubaa illustrated by Mattias De Leeuw translated by David Colmer

"Not that long ago, in a country that still exists today, Azizi was relaxing in an orange tree."

Azizi hears his father hanging portraits in their lounge room. They are huge and portray very ugly people. His father explains he has to hang them - these are the two rulers Tih and Reni. The family have to appear to be loyal and at all times they have to be careful about what they say incase 'the walls have ears'.  Readers will begin to feel the oppression and fear of their lives, and this is only page two!

"Tih and Reni ruled the Land of the Crescent Moon with an iron hand. And they stuffed their stomachs full from early in the morning until late at night. ... (their) courtyard was filled by an enormous white cage that had all of the country's blue bird locked up inside it."

I would stop reading at this point (sorry to interrupt the story), but can you anticipate an act of heroism? Also why are they locking up all the birds? Why would these cruel rulers be afraid of little blue birds? What power might the birds have? (twitter, twitter!)

As Tih and Reni grow in power (and size) the people seem to shrink and almost disappear. Then one day a blue bird lands on the window ledge of Azizi's house. Azizi and his mother have made garlands of jasmine which they attached to twigs tied together with red threads. The little blue bird tells Azizi to gather the jasmine and join all the threads together. It is time to fly to the castle. Azizi is now so small that their sewing needle is almost like a sword. Remember how big Tih and Reni have become - their bodies are like huge balloons. 

"swift as an arrow, Azizi and the little blue bird drilled a hole right through Tih and Reni. Everything the greedy rulers had stolen exploded into the sky like giant fireworks, and the key to the big white cage shone among the vases, carpets, and dishes."

The little blue bird and Azizi set all the birds free.  I love the final sentence:

"And as Azizi and the little blue bird did somersaults in the star-filled sky, the sweet smell of jasmine rained down over the Land of the Crescent Moon."

The blue birds are representative of Twitter, and the widespread censorship of the internet by various governments during the revolutions – when I worked this out, suddenly the story made a whole lot more sense, and became more than just a poetic tale.  Bookseller NZ

I picked this book up at a recent charity book sale. I wonder who previously purchased it here in Australia. This book was originally published in 2013 in Flemish with the title Azizi en de kleine blauwe vogel by Book Island. There are teachers notes on the publisher page. You could use this book with students aged 10+ as a good discussion starter. The book size is extra large and the illustrations are colourful, appealing and very detailed. 

Bookseller blurb: Azizi lives with Umma and Baba in a country ruled with an iron fist, whose leaders capture all the blue birds and lock them up in a white cage in the courtyard of their palace. While the rulers swell and bulge like hot air balloons, stuffing their stomachs from morning till night, the people shrink and suffer until they are almost invisible. One day, when Azizi is no bigger than a pine nut in a glass of mint tea, a little blue bird escapes from the cage. Determined to live in fear no longer, Azizi and the little blue bird set out on a journey to free the people of their cruel and greedy rulers and bring peace to the land once more. This contemporary fairy tale of freedom against oppression is inspired by the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia.

This gorgeous story is reminiscent of traditional fairy tales, with a brave hero, evil villains and a plucky sidekick. The descriptive writing is superb, conjuring images of a warm land bathed in sweetly scented air that is slowly turning into a place of hardship and oppression. Book Trust

From The Book Trail: In 2010 the Jasmin revolution in Tunisia inspired Laila Koubaa to write the story of Azizi and the little blue bird. Inspired by the Arab Spring and the blue birds of Twitter… Crescent Moon – The setting of the novel is a despotic place where every household must display their pictures; free speech is stifled, and the people live in abject fear. The rulers decree that all the blue birds in the land must be captured and locked in a big cage in the courtyard of the palace. But one day, a tiny blue bird escapes and flies to Azizi’s house…. Despite his young age Mattias De Leeuw (1989) is one of the most prolific illustrators of his generation. He is a talented artist who can create a character in a few quick lines. Some reviewers call him the Flemish Quentin Blake.

Here is a list of some similes found in this book:

• as small as a pine nut in a glass of mint tea
• poppies glittering like red diamonds
• like a knight on horseback
• swift as an arrow
• like giant fireworks
• danced like palm trees
• curled like calligraphy

I wonder if this might be a book you could compare with this title from our CBCA 2024 short list which also explores the power of social media.

That Bird has Arms

One More Mountain by Deborah Ellis

I am listing this book as Young Adult because some of the scenes are confronting. I am sure many of you remember the horrific scenes of desperate people trying to flee Afghanistan in 2021. People standing in sewage trying to hold on to babies, young children and small bundles of possessions. All clutching precious passports and other papers in the hope of being able to catch a plane to freedom.

One More Mountain opens with Damsa. She has fled an arranged marriage. She is rescued by a young police woman who is also on the run. The Taliban are now in power and they are hunting women in uniform. Shauzia knows a safe place. Parvana is sheltering women, young children, her son, sister and husband. Damsa is given shelter, food, safety and the promise of a new life. But then the Taliban come knocking and they must flee.

Meanwhile Rafi, Parvana's son has gone to the airport with Parvana's sister Maryam. They plan to travel to America where Maryam hopes to become a famous singer and Rafi dreams of a career in ballet. They don't know that this is the day the airport will close and later bombs will fall. Asif, Rafi's father travels with Rafi and Maryam to the airport. He only has one leg and the journey becomes especially dreadful when they are forced to abandon their car and continue on foot. Close to the gates Asif says his goodbyes and heads away to return to Parvana but at that moment the bombs falls and he is killed.

Blurb: In Kabul, 15-year-old Damsa runs away to avoid being forced into marriage by her family. She is found by a police officer named Shauzia, who takes her to Green Valley, a shelter and school for women and girls run by Parvana. It has been 20 years since Parvana and Shauzia had to disguise themselves as boys to support themselves and their families. But when the Taliban were defeated in 2001, it looked as if Afghans could finally rebuild their country. Many things have changed for Parvana since then. She has married Asif, who she met in the desert as she searched for her family when she was a child. She runs a school for girls. She has a son, Rafi, who is about to fly to New York, where he will train to become a dancer. But Shauzia is still Parvana's best friend. And Parvana is still headstrong, bringing her in conflict with her spoiled sister Maryam. While Asif tries to get Maryam and Rafi on one of the last flights out of Kabul, the Taliban come to the school, and Parvana must lead the girls out of Green Valley and into the mountains.

One More Mountain will be published in November, 2022. I almost read this book in one sitting but several times I had to walk away to recover from the harrowing scenes. Please don't let that stop you reading this book. Yes it is harrowing but this is also an important account of recent history and the honesty of this story telling is wonderful and while the ending is not a fairy tale Deborah Ellis does leave her reader with some hope for the future. 

I loved reading that 100% of the author royalties will be donated to aid organisations who support people in Afghanistan. 

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this book:

"The only other way to get there was to wade through the little river of raw sewage that flowed through the gully. ... It was cold and disgusting and came up to his belly. ... Within minutes, the area in front of the gate was alive with surging bodies as people tried to get closer to the gate and were pushed back by those who were ahead of them  ... the stench rose with the heat. Rafi watched a man faint and slip down into the foul water."

"Parvana had lost homes, family and love, but at least she had once had those things. She still had more than most. She appreciated it all every day, knowing that at any moment, it could be snatched from her. They were all, always, seconds away from a bomb, from prison, from death."

While this book does stand alone I do think your reading will be richer if you can read the earlier books from this series. You can read about Parvana here. 

You might also look for the graphic novel of Parvana (The Breadwinner).

And I suggest this book as a companion read:

One Half from the East

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Girl who Stole an Elephant

A Cardboard Palace (ages 12+)

Trash (ages 12+)

Ghostcloud

The Wonderling

Suri's wall by Lucy Estela illustrated by Matt Ottley

The poignancy of this story comes from phrases such as

"The wall was Suri's only friend"

"She watched the other children playing in the courtyard.  

She was different to them."

"Her heart ached to join them."

"For a while Suri let herself cry."

One day Suri discovers she is now tall enough to look over the wall.  A little child asks Suri what she can see.  At this point in the book I am sure your students will gasp but I suggest you stop and ask for ideas from the class before turning the page. One thing to notice is the way Matt Ottley beautifully changes the colour palette as Suri describes the scene she 'sees'.

Read more about Matt Ottley.  Here is a comprehensive set of teaching notes with questions for each page of the book.  If you have a subscription you can view this book on The Storybox Library.

Take some time to read the author web site and view the video of her book launch which explores the idea of walls.  Here is a detailed review.

Suri's Wall is a title from our CBCA 2016 Notables list. I am certain it will be among the six short listed titles which will be announced in May.

This book would be a useful addition to an ethics class.  It raises questions about truth versus deception.  You might also like to compare Suri's wall with Journey by Aaron Becker.

Espousing the importance of hope in the face of destruction and dislocation, this is very much a tale for our time. Estela's haunting text, with its folktale cadences, examines the gulf between reality and imagination, despair and hope, 

and the ultimate resilience of the human spirit.