Hometown by Shaun Tan

It is within this simple narrative shell that our recognition is played with and our comprehension challenged. ... What’s going on? A passage between familiarity and strangeness is opened, and the reader cannot help but ask questions in the absence of any explanation. ... Unlike a riddle, there is no clear answer to these questions, which remain open. ... For me, a successful picture book is one in which everything is presented to the reader as a speculative proposition, wrapped in invisible quotation marks, as if to say “what do you make of this?”  Shaun Tan talking about his book The Lost Thing

The opening endpapers of Hometown and the first page turn are very important - do not rush past these. Shaun Tan himself says of his work: What I like about this book in retrospect is that it is not necessarily sequential and exploits the fact that picture books ... have no specific duration - you can look at things for as long as you want, and at any point without the pressure of linear narrative. (Source)

"Here I am. Gravity keeps me here. Or love, which is kind of the same thing. I've never lived anywhere else, and even if I did, this would always be my hometown. The place where I grew up, the place where all my family are from."

These opening words of Hometown set the scene, introduce the main character and open the potential for an issue or change or a challenge. "I've never lived anywhere else" - is that about to change?

She goes on to say:

"I also love going to my secret place. Just being alone, thinking things over. Wondering if there's more to life than this. If there's more out there for someone like me."

So, what happens? Who arrives to challenge her sense of belonging? Did you see something on the first page? 

Shuan Tan is a master of the wordless book and the wordless page spread. In this book pages like this work so well to slow down your reading pace. I found myself taking a breath as I reached each of the wordless pages and one is even surprise fold out.

A spectacularly surreal coming-of-age story about choice, family, and the gravitational pull of belonging. Kirkus Star review

In addition to the wonderful story, the art is absolutely breathtaking. It’s a lovely mix of dreamy pastel colors, surreal landscapes and characters, and delicate details that warrant reading and re-reading just to enjoy it all again and pick out things you might have missed the first time through! History that Never was

Not quite a picture book, not quite a graphic novel and not quite a comic book, and, at 136 pages, significantly longer than most books of its type, Hometown pushes back against any label or box you might find for it. Older children, teens and adults will enjoy grappling with its allegorical meanings and existential questions. Book Page

For this blog post I attended two presentations by Shaun Tan - one in Melbourne with Michael Earp from The Little Bookroom and one in Sydney by Kinokuniya where he was interviewed by Phil Lesnie. I also listed to this fabulous podcast from The Children's Book Review with Bianca Schulze listen to this (or read the transcript if you are curious about the title - Hometown). AND Betsy Bird talked to Shaun too and declared The Arrival her favourite book!! (Do spend 30 minutes, this interview is so insightful). 

Some of Shaun Tan's ideas/inspirations I learnt from his presentations are explained in this blog post from the publisher Allen and Unwin. The excellent teachers notes from Allen Unwin written by Robyn Sheahan-Bright include a very extensive reading list, websites, and links to materials about Shaun Tan. 

US Publisher blurb: If a stranger arrived and told you that the world you knew-your community, your family, and your hometown-wasn't really where you belonged, would you follow them and leave it all behind? Imagine living in a perfect world. You have a loving family, a beautiful home, awesome friends and about three hundred loyal pets. Everything is just as it should be. Until one day, when a stranger arrives. A stranger who looks just like you. A stranger with a very disturbing message . . . 

Further reading: 

Kirkus - Welcome to the Strange, Surreal World of Shaun Tan

Interview with Joy Lawn for Paperbark Words

You can see early sketches for this book on Shaun Tan's web page.

Here is a seven minute video with Shaun talking about the ideas that led to his book. 

I have a couple of favourite pages - the one where the girl and the stranger reach out to touch their hands and the pages where the girl is talking to her sister with the text "I didn't know if she would even care about my problems". And the page I would like to discuss with someone is the one where it says "I love going to school." Is this image about conformity or indoctrination? Why does the girl and all her fellow classmates have their arms in the air and why are they sitting in rows all facing the front. I am also curious about the inclusion of flowers and how such a delicate, natural object could ever be found in this desolate and 'alien' looking environment.

I hope that Hometown is a book that might be read and re-read, revealing different impressions. It can be understood in a literal or metaphorical way: a story about a girl on an alien planet, or a deeper parable about individual identity, the need to ‘feel with your head and think with your heart’, as the narrator’s adoptive mother suggests, no matter what other people say you should think, feel and do. Regardless of family, friends, religion, politics and society, young people especially must always ask their own questions and make emotionally intelligent choices. That’s not always an easy thing to do, the world being a resistant place, full of contradictions, competing principles and powerful opposing forces. But art and literature remind us that there’s always a possible way through, a good and smart and fair way, if only you can imagine it. Shaun Tan Allen and Unwin blog post

In his various talks and interviews Shaun Tan mentioned so many things - here are a few from my notes:

• His early ideas for this story first appeared in a UK Comic anthology "I fell machine". His story was twenty pages with the title "Here I am" .
• In that story the lizard like creature had a name but in Hometown they are called things.
• Notice the way mum has eight arms - mum's are so good at multitasking.
• Is Hometown Science Fiction - Yes but he didn't want to include the usual Sci Fi Tropes. Shaun also mentioned a book by Ursula LeGuin "Always coming home".
• He deliberately did not include a conventional space ship.
• He had in mind a few paintings including one by Andrew Wyeth entitled Christina's World. And others by Arthur Streeton (Gorse in Bloom), Samuel Palmer Early Morning and Monet.
• A favourite picture book is The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg. (Take a look at my blog post where Shaun Tan contributed a similar idea in a book called Ten-Word Tiny Tales). 
• Illustrations by Arthur Rackham are also an influence. 
• What if someone says your view of reality is wrong - this is a core idea in Hometown. 

Every school and public library will add this book to their collection and for a family it could be an amazing Christmas gift to an older child or to an adult. I am enjoying imagining all the fabulous conversations you will have with your reading companions, family or class. 

IBBY Australia are enormously proud of Shaun Tan - winner of the ALMA (Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award) 2011; Hans Christian Andersen IBBY Australia Nominee; IBBY Honour book 2010 The Arrival; Dromkeen Medal 2010; and Kate Greenaway Medal Winner for Tales from the Inner City 2020. Many years ago Shaun Tan generously gifted a limited edition print to IBBY to use as a fund raiser. You can see the image here (sorry they are all sold) and you might like to compare this with one of the girl's friends in Hometown.

Check out his web page

Sketching the streets around his parents’ house, Tan realized, “Maybe art isn’t about exotic subjects, and real science fiction isn’t about exotic interplanetary worlds. It’s about what’s right in front of you.” Kirkus

As illustrator

The Pipe, by James Moloney (1996) After Dark series

The Stray Cat, by Steven Paulsen (1996) After Dark series

The Doll, by Janine Burke (1997) After Dark series

The Half Dead, by Garry Disher (1997) After Dark series

The Viewer, written by Gary Crew (1997)

The Rabbits, written by John Marsden (1998)

The Hicksville Horror, by Nette Hilton (1999) After Dark series

The Puppet, by Ian Bone (1999) After Dark series

Memorial, written by Gary Crew (1999)

Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link (2008)

If you can find this or any of the other After Dark titles they are fabulous to read aloud to Grade 6.

As author and illustrator

The Playground (1997) After Dark series

The Lost Thing (2000)

The Red Tree (2001)

The Arrival (2006)

Tales from Outer Suburbia (2008)

The Bird King and other sketches (2011)

The Oopsatoreum: inventions of Henry A. Mintox, with the Powerhouse Museum (2012)

Rules of Summer (2013)

The Singing Bones (2016)

Cicada (2018)

Tales from the Inner City (2018)

Dog (2020)

Eric (2020)

Creature (2022)

Hometown (2026)

Do imaginary objects stand up as meaningful metaphors? Do they ‘make sense’ on their own, without being pushed. Being an artist is not about manipulating objects or an audience so much as constantly assessing a series of often accidental and mysterious ideas. Source

Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World by Phil Cummings

I am sure you do this too - trying to predict the direction a plot will take as you turn each page. I am so happy to say I was utterly wrong in this story. This tale has an enormous twist which I absolutely did not predict. The three kids in this story are on a wild ride into the unknown and as a reader you are on your own wild ride. 

Phil Cummings also deliberately ends nearly each chapter with a cliff hanger.

Here are some of the cliff hangers:

"And so ... he climbed onto the old metal steps ... and down he went."

"Bodder pushed his back hard against the splintery wood and held his breath."

"But no one, not even a child with an imagination like Bodder's, could ever predict how far his journey would take him, and what he was about to discover."

"Whatever was out there, it was restless."

"What will tomorrow bring? he wondered."

It is difficult to talk about this book because I do not want to spoil the plot twist. 

Publisher blurb: Bodder Finn, of Middle Spot Village in Alibon, is a very curious child. When his father travels to the remote coastal village of Light’s Edge, Bodder jumps at the chance to join him, along with his sister Ailie and his best friend Olo. Bodder is keen to see the Shadow Rim: the band of grey that surrounds Alibon at the edge of the orb’s light, before disappearing into the terrifying darkness of the Forever Night. But Bodder gets more adventure than he bargained for when thunderous rocks fall from the sky, making waves that sweep him, Ailie and Olo out to sea on their small boat … and plunging all of Alibon into darkness. With no light to guide them, the trio must survive the perils of the Forever Night and find their way home, without falling off the waterfall at the edge of the world …

If you are book talking Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World with your class or library group you could briefly explain the main characters - Bodder Finn, his sister Ailie, his best friend Olo and the adults - Webly (Bodder's father), Larn (Olo's father) and Tooby (the inn keeper) - and then read Chapter Eight.

You can read the first six chapters here and see a map of Alibon. And here are some discussion questions.

This is an exciting adventure story that will delight young fantasy readers. It’s full of charm, and the mysteries of the world are slowly and carefully revealed, satisfying your curiosity while raising new questions to keep you turning pages. Readings Melbourne

This is a delightful adventure filled with a gigantic twist that I didn’t see coming. Lamont

I am going to predict that Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World will be a 2027 CBCA Younger Readers Notable title. If you are looking for a story to read in your family at bedtime this is one you definitely should seek out. 

When I saw Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World I thought how exciting to discover a novel by Phil Cummings whose work you are sure to know from all the picture books he has created since his first book in 1989 - Goodness Gracious illustrated by Craig Smith. (Just as an aside how lucky was Phil Cummings to have art from Craig Smith for his first book - amazing). Phil Cummings is the author of nearly one hundred books. I have talked about many of them here on this blog including one just a few days ago - Millie and the Frame of Wonder.

I also thought Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World could be a first full novel for Phil Cummings but I now discover there have been others - even some I may have read long ago The Great Jimbo Jones (Solo series); The Rented House; Angel; Danny Allen was here; Take it easy Danny Allen; A Piece of Mind; Spike (Solo series); and Chook Shed Snake (I may have missed some). 

I am huge fan of maps in books, and I am sure readers will find themselves referring to this one as they follow the adventure.

Special mention - this book has such an inviting cover. The art you can see there is by Phil Lesnie and he did the map too. Phil Lesnie did the art in these picture books by Phil Cummings:

The plot of this book is not really related but as I read Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World I thought about this book by Odo Hirsch (yes, it is out of print but is sure to be in your school library):

Bartlett and the Ice Voyage

Anya and the light above the ocean by Amelia Giudici

Anya's mum is a scientist. One night she does not return from her work out on the ocean, so Anya braves the night and rows out to find her.  Then something happens - a bright light engulfs Anya. Jump forward and two months later Anya is living in the home of two strangers. She has no idea what happened to the lost time and there are other puzzling things such as a doctor who visits and keep testing her, taking her blood and asking her questions about her life. She overhears a strange conversation in this austere house where she is held like a prisoner. Nothing makes sense.  It is time to run away but Anya has no idea what lies ahead or that she is about to discover another Anya - who is real and who is duplicate and what happened out there in the ocean and where is her mum?

The cover and blurb do not even slightly hint at the contents of this story - only the endorsement on the cover gives the game away but luckily I did not read this before I read Anya and the light above the ocean.

I picked up this book at The Constant Reader mainly because the cover appealed to me. I especially like the way it has gold lettering which almost sparkles when you hold it under the light.

Publisher blurb: When her scientist mum disappears one night, Anya sets out to find her in the middle of a storm. Taking a boat out to sea, she encounters a strange window of light hovering above the waves. Transfixed, she reaches out to touch it. Moments later, Anya wakes in her boat. The sea now eerily silent. With her mum still missing, Anya is packed off to stay with the odd, unwelcoming Mr and Mrs Ungsworth. Trapped under their watchful gaze, she uncovers a shocking secret: the light has split her into two people. Anya escapes and returns home – to find another girl, identical to her, living there. Confronted with this impossible situation, the girls soon realise the organisation their mum worked for, Janus, is seeking to harness the power of the mysterious light and is now after them. Thrown headfirst into the perilous world of Janus, both versions of Anya must now team up to escape them. But can Anya’s battle to find herself also lead her back to her mother?

Spoiler alert - you may have already guessed this is a Science Fiction story but I absolutely did not expect that plot twist.

I would put this book into the hands of a thoughtful reader aged 10+ and I would tell them to expect to have their mind blown! 

This book did in some ways remind me of a famous book which you may have read. It's a book I will never ever re-read - Coraline by Neil Gaiman. 

One of the most gripping and thought-provoking books you will ever read. A Paper Girl

A vivid and riveting sci-fi mystery, heartfelt and hopeful ... Book Craic

The story moves at pace, balancing tension and discovery while gradually revealing its scientific and emotional stakes. The unfolding mystery has the momentum of a thriller, yet beneath the action lie thoughtful philosophical questions about identity, memory and consciousness. What makes someone who they are, and how can we trust our understanding of ourselves or others? Despite the complexity of its ideas, the novel remains accessible and engaging for middle-grade readers, grounding its speculative elements in Anya’s emotional experience of fear, loss and determination. The result is an original and absorbing science fiction adventure that rewards careful reading while maintaining strong narrative drive. Books for Keeps

Companion book (this is very old but well worth finding):

Forbidden Memories

And look for these two books they will also blow your mind:

The Experiment

Masterminds

Anya and the light above the ocean is a debut novel for Amelia Giudici. She grew up in New Zealand and Warwickshire. She is currently based in East London where she works as a primary school teacher. Prior to teaching, Amelia studied Philosophy at Cambridge University, where she first encountered the thought problems concerning personal identity that Anya and the Light Above the Ocean draws on.

The cover illustration is by Philip Harris. I wonder why his name does not appear on the imprint page? You can see more of his art here. 

Andromache Between Worlds by Gabriel Bergmoser

 

"I'll guess you're using some kind of portal device to jump between worlds. 

And based on the fact that you're here, I'm going to guess it's guided by DNA."

In the opening scene of this book Andromache Peters is expelled from her prestigious private boarding school after being falsely accused of a series of thefts. She has in fact been set up by the class bully but in reality Andromache is very happy to leave this place (with the dreadful sounding name of Alabaster's Academy for Ladies). She is not happy, however, about meeting up with her mother. Andromache and her mother have a very fraught relationship. Her parents were highly awarded intrepid news reporters. Her mother has written several books about their exploits and she has become a minor celebrity. 

"My mother no longer looked much like the famous photos, but that didn't make her any less of an impressive figure. She might had traded in her goggles and leather jackets and gyrocopter for rectangular glasses and suits and limos, but there was still a presence that she practically radiated, somewhere between a sun you didn't want to get too close to and a planet drawing you in. Maybe it was the knowledge of everything she had done. Maybe it was the fact that she was my mother."

Andromache does not appreciate having to live in the shadow of her famous parents and she is constantly aware that her mother is disappointed with her. There is also the mystery of her father who she has been told died when she was just two years old - twelve years ago. 

On her return home from the school, Andromache overhears a telephone conversation between her mother and a man called Cavanaugh Rogers. She knows this is about her father. He died when she was so young and her mother never talks about him but Andromache really wants to understand what happened. Late that night, with the help of another rebellious school friend Rylee, Andromache heads off to Precipice Laboratories - the place where her father, she's been told, died. 

Very quickly things escalate in the laboratory. Andromache meets Cavanaugh Rogers and he shows her his invention which can take a person to another parallel world. Why is this hugely significant? Because her father is not dead - he is in another world. There are thousands of other universes but with the addition of DNA the device can take Andromache to her father - of course this is not straightforward. The concept of other worlds is a complex one but it all about possibilities. 

Think about key moments in history: "If humankind never discovered fire. If Alexander the Great had lived longer and kept conquering. If William Shakespeare had never published a word. If, at a key point, history had chosen a different fork in the road. What would those worlds look like?"

The time travel device is called the Locksmith. It pierces Andromache's skin and then it latches onto her body. She and Rylee and Cavanaugh's apprentice Tobias step through the doorway that opens when the Locksmith is activated. Their mission is to find Andromache's father. They meet giant crabs, pirates, ferocious dinosaurs, London in a very different form (think steam punk) and a megalomaniac Pharoah. They find themselves in enormous danger, in prison cells and Andromache meets "other" versions of herself. The DNA idea is a curious one. Yes, Andromache shares her DNA with her father but there are others too. Surprises are in store. Luckily, it is easy to return to our world using the Locksmith until they reach the tech-powered new world in Egypt. 

There is a huge twist at the end of this story which I am sure most readers will not anticipate and the very final scene is perfect - no need for a sequel - the story is complete.

Here are a few text quotes to give you a flavour of this writing:

"She was familiar. Really familiar ... It had taken far longer than it should have to recognise her. But then. I had never once seen myself looking like that.  ... she was older. Not by a lot, maybe three or four years, but she stood a little taller than me and the way she carried herself was more ... adult, somehow. Looking at her, I felt like a gawky, clumsy kid. But as intimidating as she was to take in, there was also a weird kind of rushing exhilaration to it. Was she what I would grow into?"

"I had to know more. Not just about the other me, but about this world. It seemed incredible so far; beautiful and strange with wild technology and laws that looked as bizarre as they did brilliant."

"Everything I'd grown up believing had been destroyed, and I had nothing to take its place. Maybe, maybe, I could live with knowing my parents weren't good people. Maybe part of me would be relieved by it, because it would shatter the impossible stories I'd always had to live up to. But worse than that, was what I had discovered about myself."

Just a trivial point - The arch villain in this book is named Vincent Black - I kept thinking of the Harry Potter character Sirius Black. 

Perhaps you are wondering about the name Andromache - it is pronounced An-drom-mack-key. Listen here. 

• In Greek mythology, Andromache was the wife of Hector. Hector is one of the major characters in the Illiad.
• The name means 'man battler' or 'fighter of men' or 'man fighter' (there was also a famous Amazon warrior named Andromache).
• In Greek mythology, the people of Athens were at one point compelled by King Minos of Crete to choose 14 young noble citizens (seven young men and seven maidens) to be offered as sacrificial victims to the half-human, half-taurine monster Minotaur to be killed in retribution for the death of Minos' son Androgeos. Andromache, daughter of Eurymedon was one of the victims.
• It can also mean courage.
• And it is "a really annoying name that parents should think twice about naming their child."

Huge thanks to Three Sparrows Bookshop for this Advance Reader copy. I actually didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. Why? I thought it was a Young Adult title but now I would say it is for 11+. And I am not usually a fan of timeslip stories but this one is very well constructed, intriguing at times especially with the way the time device works, and it's an engrossing story. The writing really put me right inside each of the alternate worlds especially the one with the vicious dinosaurs! Andromache Between Worlds is due for publication in February 2024 (Harper Collins). Gabriel Bergmoser talks about his book here. You can read the publisher blurb in my recent blog post. 

The first timeslip story I remember reading where the characters went back to various times in past history was this very old, long out of print, junior, funny book:

The Callers by Kiah Thomas

"Everything I have ever known is a lie,' said Quin, finally admitting out loud the truth that had been building inside him since he'd arrived."

"His heart beat faster as they neared the field from earlier, and he quickened his pace. On one level he understood that his being Vine-touched was an impossibility, but on the other hand he seemed to have grown a plant simply by touching it."

I am going to begin here by restating the labels I have listed for this book - Science Fiction; Dystopian World; Control; Politics; Betrayal; Corruption; Thieves; Other Worlds; Consumerism; Exploitation.  Are you beginning to get a sense of this story. Some reviewers and book sellers list this book as a fantasy but I think Science Fiction is a better choice of genre. 

In the world of Quintus Octavius, a place called Elipsom, very special people have the gift of calling. If they want something they can "call" it into existence.  There are rules about this but everything they have comes from calling. In this society there are people who do not agree with this way of life. These people live as outcasts in the Spurges. Quin has read a little about this place because one day his friend Milo just disappeared from school. Quin now knows people who "move to the Spurges and willingly live a life without Called Provisions" have all their data removed from the Council's system. They give up access to the food supply and central medical services.

So we have a stratified society but there is another layer to discover. On the other side of this planet is a place called Evantra. This is the place where things actually "come" from and the people who live there are almost like slaves under control of Callers from Elipsom. 

Quin finds himself in Evantra and he discovers the truth but why is he so special? What can one young boy do to right this dreadful wrong? 

I read this book in one sitting - it is the perfect page turner. I absolutely guarantee you will be sitting on the edge of your seat and when the action takes a huge twist in Chapter 16 you will be gasping for breath hoping everything will be okay for Quin and Allie. (I confess I actually had to take a quick look at the last page just to reassure myself ... well I won't spoil the ending).

As a bonus Kiah Thomas (this is her debut novel) gives all her characters creative names which perfectly match the Science Fiction focus of this story. In Elipson we have Davina - Quin's sister; Adriana Octavius - Quins mother and Chief Councillor. Milo Valerious and his mother Cecelia live away from Elipson in the Spurges. And in Evantra we meet Allie; Marcus; and Demetrius. I am also very keen to see a rhinodrite but you will need to read The Callers to discover what they are.

The action will keep readers avidly turning pages ... Kirkus

This book will be published in May, 2022.  Thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance reader copy. The ending hints at a possible sequel but I actually don't need this - it is just fun to imagine the new and much better future that awaits Quin and Allie. I have included the UK and US covers at the top of this post. Which one do you prefer?

This book reminded me a little of the Edsel Grizzler series by James Roy.  

People who enjoyed The Giver by Lois Lowry will want to read The Callers and you could also look for this older book by Monica Hughes:

And this book could also be linked with:

And if topics like control, stratified societies and dystopian worlds interest you try to find:

Where the River runs Gold

Begone the Raggedy witches by Celine Kiernan

When I love a book I usually fly through the pages. That didn't happen with Begone the Raggedy Witches which has taken me several weeks to read. Many of the review points made here resonated with my experience of this book. There are however, some clever plot ideas in this story and some memorable characters especially Mup and her new friend Crow.

Mup (her real name is Pearl) lives in our world with her mum (Mam) Stella, her Dad, and her little baby brother named Tipper. They have a loyal old dog called Badger. Aunty Boo, who has been protecting the family, has just died. Then the witches arrive:

"There were men witches and women witches, and they leapt from branch to branch, racing along at tremendous speed. They were nothing but shadows among shadows, so that Mup had to strain her eyes to see them."

Mup has no idea about her mother and her heritage. Stella is the sister of the evil queen. Dad has been taken as a way to lure Mam over the border. Mup follows her taking her dog and her baby brother who is luckily transformed into a young puppy which means Mup does not need to carry him or worry about food etc. Aunty Boo is now has a ghost like form and she comes along to help Mup and rescue Mam. 

The evil Queen (who is somewhat like the Snow Queen or the Queen from the Narnia series) has murdered hundreds of citizens and imposed dreadful rules on people who do not conform to her rules. People are forced to speak in rhymes, dancing and music are banned as are colours. This reminded me of the Chain of Charms series by Kate Forsyth. Also Fire Girl and Fire Witch which are set during the time of Cromwell (links below).

The use of rhyme as a means of controlling communication is central to maintaining the Queen's hold on her subjects. If they don't speak in rhyme, this alerts the Raggedy Witches to their whereabouts. If they do speak in rhyme, the constraints that places on real communication keep the outlaws in their place. Reading Zone

Mup must journey to the castle to rescue her dad and find her Mam. Of course all of this is also leading to a huge confrontation with the Queen. Read more plot details in this Book Bag review. 

Publisher blurb:  When witches kidnap her dad, Mup is swept up in a wild tide of magic that carries her to another world. Can she reunite her family and find her way back? On the night that Aunty dies, the raggedy witches come for Mup’s family. Pale, cold, and relentless, the witches will do anything for the tyrannical queen who has outlawed most magic and enforces her laws with terror and cruelty — and who happens to be Mup’s grandmother. When witches carry off her dad, Mup and her mam leave the mundane world to rescue him. But everything is odd in the strange, glittering Witches Borough, even Mam. Even Mup herself. In a world of rhyming crows, talking cats, and golden forests, it’s all Mup can do to keep her wits about her. And even if she can save her dad, Mup’s not sure if anything will ever be the same again.

I would recommend this book for readers aged 10+ with reading stamina and readers who enjoy fantasy (with a touch of humour - Tipper made me laugh). 

Companion reads:

The Wild West Witches

Fire Girl and the sequel Fire Witch

The girl who drank the Moon

This is the first book in a trilogy. Here are the next two books:

A Clock of Stars: The shadow moth by Francesca Gibbons

There are so many delicious words in this book.  Are you curious to know what a zpevnakrava might be?  You need to read A Clock of Stars: The shadow moth to discover the answer.

Imogen and her younger sister Marie have a contented life with their mum. From time to time mum has had boyfriends but she has assured Imogen "it will always be the three of them. No matter what."

Mum goes on a date with Mark. Imogen dislikes him immediately especially when a beautiful moth flutters into the house and Mark offers to get rid of it. Imogen rescues the moth but she is rude to Mark and now she and Marie are in trouble with mum. The two girls are sent to spend the afternoon with their grandmother who takes them to a local cafe. Imogen wanders outside and she sees 'her' moth again. She follows it across a wild garden (no tresspassing). The moth leads Imogen to a tree and in the bark of the tree she sees a door. It is locked but the moth enters the lock and the door opens. Marie has been following her sister and now the pair find themselves in a very strange and extremely dangerous place. All of this happens in the first six chapters. There are 104 chapters in this book plus a prologue and an epilogue. My advance copy has 540 pages and chapter six ends on page 37. This means most the action in this story takes place in the "other world" the place the girls have entered on the other side of that door.

The title might be a way I can talk about what happens next.  The shadow moth is a rare moth called a mezi můra.  It has been sent on an errand by leader of the skretch. King Drakomor, uncle to Miro, has stolen a precious stone, from the skretch, called the Sertz Horta. This has thrown the lands into turmoil. The skretch need this stone to be restored and so they are attacking the City of Yaroslav. They come every night and the people are terrified.

Imogen and Marie arrive as evening is falling and they are pursued by these terrifying creatures. Luckily Miro (Prince Miroslav Yaromeer Drahomeer Krishnov, Lord of the City of Yaroslav, Overseer of the Mountain Realms and Guardian of the Kolsaney Forests) hears them pounding on his castle door and he rescues the sisters. Miro is a lonely boy and he is happy to have new friends. Imogen and Marie are confused about this strange place but they have one driving motivation - to find that door and return their mother. Imogen tries searching alone late one day. She witnesses the capture of a lensi called Lofkinye Lolo. Lofkinye has been put in the castle dungeon called Hladomora Pits.

The three children need to rescue Lofkinye because they are sure she can help them meet Maudree Král but why should she help this pair of human children? Is it safe to head into the icy Klenot Mountain? How will they travel to this distant place?

Now onto the clock - The Clock of Stars.  This is a special object but for years it has been broken. When the girls and Miro pledge to help each other the clock comes back to life. When it chimes different objects emerge via a mechanism rather like a cuckoo clock. These seem to be warnings of things to come. I wanted Miro and the girls to take more notice of the clock but all three are simply puzzled by what they see - two little girls; a wooden skeleton dancing; a woman in a pouffy dress who throws them a kiss; and a tiny boy wearing a crown who seems to be fighting an invisible force.

I love this invented world and all the invented language. You have already read some of the interesting names, strange objects and place names. There are also flying animals called velecours which cannot be tamed and another animal the great bear Medveditze. King Drakomor is not an especially evil character rather he is very greedy which is why he has stolen the Sertz Horta. The King does, however, have plans to marry Anneshka Mazana and she is utterly evil. She orders the murder of Miro and has his loyal companion Yeedarsh killed.

Delicious fairy tale style details - Anneshka orders the guards to kill Prince Miro but when they say should they bring back his heart she says no - they could easily bring her an animal heart and she wouldn't know the difference. Anneshka herself is somewhat like the Snow Queen with her plans for power.

Can you imagine reading a novel with 540 pages in just two sittings?  Surely that shows you THIS book is a page turner! The Shadow Moth will be released in hardcover and paperback editions in early October, 2020.  Often words from a publisher can be slightly exaggerated but not in this case. I heartily agree with these words from Harper Collins:

Thrilling, sharply funny, and with characters you will fall in love with, A Clock of Stars is a timeless fantasy from an astonishing new voice. Harper Collins

This is the first book in a planned series of three but I am happy to say the final scenes in The Shadow moth are resolved and so I won't mind waiting for the next instalment - Francesca Gibbons (thank you) does not leave her readers hanging. The writing in this book is so taut and the imagined world so detailed and interesting I was amazed to discover this is a debut novel for Francesca. Isn't she lucky to have the hugely talented Chris Riddell as the illustrator. Huge thanks to Beachside Books for my Advance Reader copy.

Endling Book Two - The First by Katherine Applegate

"We know that Murdano flights for human dominance, even if it means destroying all other species. And we know that if Kazar prevails, he will do no better. Fools, both! Do they not understand that every creature is connected to all others. Do they imagine that annihilating some species and enslaving others will not spread sickness and despair through all living things." Grendwallif (Natite)

"For too long our leaders have rules with lies and deceptions. The people - the common folk who farm and fish and make things with their hands - are never consulted, merely controlled. I would change that, Byx. But nothing is possible without truth. Truth is everything." Khara

How wonderful to re-enter the world of the dairne Byx and her faithful friends especially wobbyk Tobble and felivet Gambler along with their human companions Khara and Renzo.

"My strong, loyal, fierce friends. How I love them all! I've lost count of the times they've kept my spirits high on our quest to find more diarnes."

While I do love and admire Byx my favourite character is Tobble:

"Tobble, you are a wise young wobbyk. In any war, it is good to have someone ask the hard questions, the ones that defy easy answers."

In my post about Endling Book One - The Last I said:

"Byx is convinced she is not the last. There must be other dairnes somewhere. But how will Byx find the others? Who will help her? And can she trust her companions?"

All these questions apply to this second installment. As the story opens the group of friends are heading towards an island called Tarok. The difficulty is that this is a moving island and it will be difficult to locate and difficult to access.  Once again there are so many dangerous places and creatures to navigate - under ground, in caves, through horrible "forest like" places and under the sea. My paperback copies of this series do not contain maps but I suspect there are maps in the hardcover editions. I saw this map on the trailer.

Back in 2018 when I read Endling Book One - The Last this second installment was 130 days away. This is why I often struggle with reading series. Having loved the first book I am keen to read the second but by the time I can obtain it, so much time has passed I feel my memory of book one, along with my enthusiasm to continue the story has often waned. There was no need to worry this time. Katherine Applegate included enough plot details to refresh my memory and she also makes this second story so utterly thrilling I was once again swept up into this amazing world. I especially loved the changes in Byx herself as she grows in confidence and the crafting of relationships between these disparate individuals.  When Byx finally talks to Tobble, acknowledging Tobble has been feeling rejected and unwanted now that Byx has found Maxyn (another Dairn), I sighed with happiness when Byx says to Tobble:

"Don't ever doubt that you are my dearest friend."

In my previous post I mentioned the amazing animals created by the imagination of Katherine Applegate. In this second installment there are more utterly amazing animals but I also loved the way her characters have knowledge of the plant life in this world.

"We spent the night near the beach in a small grove of dendro trees. I went in search for wood for a fire, as the serrated yellow dendro fronds create too much smoke when they burn."

"Those are hotwort elms ... sturdy as they come."

"we'd begun to think about dinner. Tobble, having noticed a scraggly bush whose leaves he claimed would enhance the flavour of our meal, had scrambled to the top of a dune."

Here is an interview with Katherine Applegate by Mr Schu.  Listen to an audio sample from Chapter Two.

Click these review quotes for more plot details OR better yet just grab the first two books in the Endling series and READ them!

Themes of conservation, war, and human trafficking are skillfully interwoven into a world of magic and wonder. This second installment will have readers salivating for a third. … Simply sublime. Kirkus Star review

Applegate delivers an action-packed middle-grade sequel in a uniquely other worldly setting, with characters that are relatable, cute and fuzzy, along with having goals as they learn to hold onto hope. YA Books Central

The train to impossible places : A cursed delivery by P.G. Bell

"For the first time, she realised how impulsive and unplanned this all was, and began to feel scared. She was clinging to the outside of a train - a magic train, if such a thing were possible - hurtling through a tunnel that shouldn't exist, on its way to who knew where? Her parents couldn't help her. She was alone, and already in danger."

Here are two covers for the same book. The top one is from UK and the bottom from US. As usual I ask the obvious question -  which one appeals to you?  I was given an advanced reader copy of The Train to Impossible Places - A Cursed Delivery so I am also seeing these covers for the first time. The cover from my copy appears at the end of this post.

I have just lifted my head from reading this truly inventive rollicking adventure - the first in a new series. I don't often make this comment but this book would make a brilliant movie. The writing is so cinematic.

"Two long silver strips winked up at her from the carpet. They lay side by side, a metre or so apart, and seemed to come into the house from underneath the front door. ... They were train tracks."

"A mighty old steam locomotive towered over her, hissing and shuddering, and belching yellowish stream from its chimney. It was bigger than any locomotive Suzy had seen before - at least, bits of it were. To her eyes it looked like a large train had smashed into several smaller ones ... none of the drive wheels quite matched, and the cylindrical belly of its boiler was too fat at the front and too narrow at the back."

Suzy has a huge surprise one evening when a train smashes in to her house and yes it is running on train tracks which are running through the lounge room and right into the kitchen. Her mum and dad seem to be asleep on the couch. Suzy is a student of physics and so her mind races with all the impossible elements of this scene but there is no time for questions. The train is already late and it is leaving. Curiosity over-rides her fear and Suzy jumps aboard. This is a mail train delivering letters and parcels all over the Union.

On board the train Suzy meets the trolls Fletch - engineer,  JF Stonker - driver, Wilmot - postmaster and Ursel - a huge bear who is also the stoker. The engine runs on fusion bananas. Crazy!

The postmaster has an important delivery to make. A parcel for Lady Crepuscula. And yes she seems to be as evil and creepy as her name suggests. She lives in the Obsidian Tower which is guarded by hundreds of life-like statues reminiscent of the statues surrounding the home of the White Witch in Narnia. Suzy takes the oath:

"Do you solemnly swear to uphold the ideals of the Impossible Postal Express, risking life, limb and sanity in the execution of your duty?"

It all sounds daunting but Suzy agrees to take on the role of postal assistant. Her first delivery should be straightforward but Suzy forgets she needs a signature on her delivery form. Crepuscula opens her parcel and it contains a snow globe with a small frog inside. When Crepuscula walks away to get a pen the frog calls out to Suzy and tells her his tale of imprisonment, royal connections and the impending danger facing the Union. Suzy grabs the snow globe and flees the tower and so the chase is on.

There are some really funny moments in this story (trolls live under bridges) and terrific inventive ideas but the part that appealed to me the most was the underlying political context and the commentary on our own modern society. The ether web has taken over giving instant communication. "It's changed everything." The Impossible Postal service used to deliver ten million messages each day and used almost two hundred trains. Now "we're lucky to get a thousand messages a day."  And there is only one train riding the rails and just one Postmaster - Wilmot.

If you pick up this book and need to be sure it is right for you I suggest you read Chapter 18 The Vault of Secrets.  There is a delightful scene in this chapter where Suzy is initiated as a true postie using the very first troll stamp ever printed.

For teachers there are fabulous descriptions in this book.

Crepuscula : "was a little old lady ... she leaned on a cane for support. She wore a dress of heavy black lace that fell all the way to her feet, with a knitted black shawl pulled tight around her shoulders. Suzy caught the discreet glint of a pearl necklace beneath it. Her hair was silver, and her skin so pale it almost glowed, like the desert sands far below. She studied Suzy with piercing lilac eyes."

The Lunar Guard at the Ivory Tower : "They were all young women, wearing matching silver jumpsuits beneath plate armour and heavy utility belts. They all wore their hair in a pageboy cut, each dyed a different colour - she saw acid green, fire-engine red and neon blue ... Each of them carried a chunky silver plasma rifle, and Suzy got the distinct impression they knew how to use them."

Readers do need to be prepared to put in some time with this story. It is 340 pages and moves along at the same pace as the train gaining momentum as the story reaches the final adrenaline filled scenes. The UK edition of this book is hardcover with a special image under the dust jacket. You can read a text extract here.  You can read an interview with the author. Your next book could be The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel.  If you enjoy books with invented worlds, wild rides on crazy forms of transport and truly heroic characters you should also read Nevermoor - The trials of Morrigan Crow.

All aboard for an adventure like no other—readers will be delighted to learn it’s just the first.  Kirkus

It's a beautiful engineered story full of whimsical characters and industrious landscapes that would not be out of place on the set of a magical film. Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books

The Song from Somewhere Else by AF Harrold illustrated by Levi Pinfold

First of all a warning. The Song from Somewhere else is a book for a very mature reader in my view - I found the bullying scenes raw and confronting. I remember when this book was released in 2016 I was unsure whether to purchase it for my school library.  Having at last read this powerful story I do think it is suitable for a Primary library but I would restrict the loans to Grade 6 students.  I found these comments by one reviewer which confirm my feelings :  a palpable sense of dread, mystery and growing up ...

Francesca, known as Frank, has been having awful confrontations with a bully called Neil Noble and his two henchmen although she has no idea why they keep attacking her. There is also a boy at school called Nick Underbridge.  He is the outsider. He is shunned by the other children. They think his size is odd and his smell strange but it is Nick who bravely comes to her after an especially horrid attack by Neil.  Now Frank is torn.  Can she be friends with Nick? What will the others say? Then when she visits his home she hears the most beautiful music :

"No piece of music she'd ever heard on the radio or in the background of a tv show had ever made her feel so special, had made her feel so cared for, so improved.  ... that music. There was something in it, ... that lifted her spirits, that made her feel light and hollow and almost happy."

Frank is so curious about this music that she overcomes her inner voice and visits Nick again. Discovering the source of the music is a shock. There are connections to another world and now she has knowledge of a deep secret that must not be revealed.  The cruelty of Neil becomes extreme and to her horror Frank is forced to reveal Nick's secret. The battle between good and evil cannot be avoided but will Nick survive, will he forgive her, will Frank forgive herself?

The action in this tightly constructed story takes place over just five days and you will be on the edge of your seat and, perhaps as I was, also filled with horror as Frank endures the physical torture inflicted by Neil and her own personal torture as she struggles with her conscious.

You might like to read my review of The Imaginary another book by AF Harrold. There is a strong connection between these two books especially in the scenes of battles between good and evil.  For readers who want to explore other books which explore the violence inflicted by bullies you might look for The Present Takers by Aidan Chambers, Benjamin Dove and Wolf Hollow.  You might also look for an old book called Under the Mountain by New Zealand author Maurice Gee which has this same concept of other worlds.

The publisher web site has a first chapter extract and teacher notes.  You can see some of the brilliant art from this book below and on Levi Pinfold's web site.  I was excited to read he is from Australia. By chance the next book on my reading pile is also illustrated by Levi - The Secret Horses of Briar Hill.  Here is a Q&A with Levi.

Here are some reviews and it is interesting to see all have listed a younger recommended age group :

• Kirkus
• Kids' Book Review
• School Library Journal