Snoop by Gordon Korman

This story is a wild romp - yes, it is filled with improbabilities but I am sure readers aged 10+ will enjoy 'snooping' with Carter - watching all the improbable things that are happening in his small town you just have to be prepared to suspend your disbelief.

Carter has two broken legs thanks to an accident while skiing with his father and Martin his younger brother. Who caused the accident? Well Martin was just learning to ski but, yes, he did crash into Carter but why didn't Carter just step out of the way. Well Carter was watching a video his phone. 

Now Carter has two broken legs and is confined to a wheelchair. He can't even get back to his bedroom because it is up the stairs, so he has to 'live' in the guest bedroom which smell like onions because it is beside their kitchen.

At first Carter survives his enforced time at home by watching videos on his laptop and phone. Carter discovers he can watch more than silly dance routine videos - he can watch the live cameras from around his town. This is only the beginning of his snooping. He finds a way to access more private cameras inside shops. This is a small town, and Carter begins to notice the behaviour of various people. The pregnant lady with her mischievous toddler at the park, the two owners of rival cafes who seem to be determined to sabotage one another, and then he starts watching a man who seems suspicious and a red car that sits in the same spot with the driver inside. 

Now take a look at the cover - about a third of the way into the book I finally thought about the cover. That is a red panda - an endangered animal Why are endangered animals roaming around his town? Carter's tech is taken away by his photographer mother. Is there a way he can still spy on the town and on his classmates.

There is an appropriate layer in this story about the dangers of addiction to devices but, while this is an important message, it did not feel too didactic in this story and in fact it is good to view the way Carter is able to change is own relationship with his phone and laptop especially after he is forbidden from using them. Read more about this here. Gordon Korman is a Canadian author. He has written over one hundred books. 

Blurb from author page: If Carter hadn’t been checking his phone, he might have seen his brother coming down the ski slope. And if Carter had seen his brother in time and avoided the crash, he might not be stuck at home for weeks, with both legs in casts. He’s never been so bored. Just to connect himself to the world, he starts checking out the live feeds from cameras around town. Before he knows it, he’s hooked – watching his classmates when they don’t know he’s looking, spying on neighbors, and discovering some other highly unusual things – things that no one else is noticing. Things that just might be illegal. But the biggest problem is once you start snooping, the hardest thing is to look away.

Korman dishes up an expert mix of entertaining foolery, peer and family dynamics, and cautionary messages about both the ethical nuances of online snooping and the hazards of jumping to conclusions. Kirkus

Here are some other books I enjoyed by Gordon Korman:

The Unteachables

Masterminds

Criminal Destiny

Shipwreck; Survival; Escape 

There are three books in this series The Island Trilogy - perfect for reluctant boy readers

Look for the others too - The Titanic Trilogy, The Dive Trilogy, and The Everest Trilogy.

Queen of Thieves by John Rundberg translated by Annie Prime

“They’re going to live in a place called the Apple Farm,” whispers Margit. “They call it that because the house is surrounded by apple trees. In May the trees are white with flowers, and by summer, they’re covered with apples as sweet as sugar. They’ll all live together in a big house. The ground floor is Henrietta’s. Rufus, Kristina, and Ossian each have a room upstairs. The sea is so close you can smell it, and it’s light blue and crystal clear, not gray like the water here. And no one will ever go hungry ’cause there are chickens on the farm and wild raspberries growing everywhere.”

First off, I suggest you go back and take a look at my post about the first book from this series - The Moonwind Mysteries. I think this second book (2024) can stand alone but your reading enjoyment will be made all the richer if you can meet the characters and setting in Stockholm in the first book. 

The Night Raven

Mika lives in an orphanage. She has been there so long that now she is given responsibility for care of the young children. The kids trust her and usually tell her everything but then she sees two of the young children sneaking away. She follows them into the city and sees them enter a building only to emerge some time later in finer clothes. Ossian is being sent away to work for a foster family but he has run away, Rufus has found an apprenticeship as a chimney sweep, Kristina is acting very strangely - she clearly has a secret, and baby Nora is not well. 

As a reader I was sure the woman who promised a kind of utopia (described above) to the orphans should not be trusted but I had no idea about the diabolical robbery she had planned and of course no reader will ever guess the amazing way Mika working with Constable Hoff will manage to thwart her.

Here are a few text quotes:

“As previously reported, the Vega expedition is on its way home and currently located near Copenhagen. The scientist Nordenskiöld was the first explorer to sail through the so-called Northeast Passage. In addition to many scientific discoveries, it is rumored that the expedition has collected spectacular gifts from the many nations it has visited.

“Sweetheart, all I have to do is look at you; you’re like an open book. I see you sitting at the edge of your seat, as if you have no right to be here. And I know you work night shifts for a pittance with a wicked drunkard. But that’s not why I’m curious about you. I want to know why Constable Hoff sought you out in the first place. And what happened when your little mission ended? Were you hoping it would lead to something more?” The hairs on the back of Mika’s neck stand on end. It feels like Henrietta is looking straight into her. Reading her thoughts, the ones she’s never dared speak aloud. “Such a pity that Constable Hoff wasn’t who you thought he was,” says Henrietta sympathetically. 

“I knew you’d come.” While they are hugging, Mika notices a familiar figure behind Kristina. A tall, thin boy with dark, curly hair is sitting at the table in the living room. It’s Ossian. He briefly raises a hand in greeting and then turns away in shame. Mika wants to tell him she’s not angry with him, but then she hears the clacking sound of high heels, and Henrietta appears. As always, she’s wearing one of her long-sleeved dresses with lace trim. When Henrietta sees Mika, she is suddenly on her guard. Collectedly, she leans forward and whispers something to Kristina, who disappears into the living room and closes the door. With one quick snap of her elbow, Henrietta conjures a knife out of her left dress sleeve and holds the handle in her palm. With her back against the wall, she leans forward and vigilantly scans the stairwell.

Valdemar listens intently all the while. When Mika is done, he sits quietly. “How can she steal the gem in a room full of guests?” he asks finally. “The House of Nobility is always guarded. There will be guards inside and outside the hall.” “I don’t actually know,” admits Mika. “The kids are helping Henrietta with the performance. My job is to pick the lock to the Great Hall and steal the coat of arms.” The kitchen chair wobbles under Valdemar’s weight as he leans back and pensively strokes his beard. “So, in summary: you have no evidence and no idea how the theft is actually going to take place.”

The Vega crew are sitting at the head table; she recognizes Nordenskiöld from the newspapers. The king and queen are sitting at the head of the table closest to Henrietta. Next to the royal couple is a lower table displaying some of the items from the expedition. Mika sees sculptures, parts of a suit of armor, a bow, bowls, and various kinds of tools. In the middle of the table is a velvet pillow, and on top of the pillow sits a magically shimmering gemstone—the Magatama. ... She sees Kristina’s hair standing up straight from the centrifugal force. The blue line of a bulging artery in her throat. The white tablecloth on the head table. A disturbance to distract the audience. In that moment, Mika realizes the extent of Henrietta’s diabolical plan. The distraction isn’t going to come from a spilled wineglass. But from a torrent of blood.

Here is a review with more plot details.

A captivating game of cat and mouse. Kirkus

Listen to an audio sample here. This book was previously published as Tjuvdrottningen.

Bookseller blurb: After a merciless winter, spring has sprung in 1880 Stockholm, and the city awaits the arrival of the SS Vega, the first ship to have sailed the Northeast Passage. Life is busy at the orphanage, but twelve-year-old Mika quickly notices that the older orphans are up to something—and it doesn’t look good. When Constable Hoff approaches her with information about thefts around the city, Mika becomes even more concerned about what the other kids are up to—and what they might be planning for the Vega celebration. The police will have no sympathy for orphans, and she’d hate to see her friends condemned to life in jail. But Mika soon finds herself in a bind she can’t get out of—one that could condemn her own life. Can Mika uncover who is really behind the thefts in the city and keep her friends safe, without getting caught?

Johan Rundberg is an award-winning author of children’s books who lives in Stockholm. He has written picture books, early readers, and middle grade, including Kärlekspizzan, Knockad Romeo, and the series Häxknuten. In 2021, he was awarded Sweden’s most prestigious literary prize, the August Prize, in the children’s and YA category for Nattkorpen, the original edition of The Night Raven, the first book in the Moonwind Mysteries series. Nattkorpen was also the winner of a Swedish Crimetime Award in the children’s and YA category. There are now four books in this series published in Sweden.

Criminal Destiny Masterminds Book 2 by Gordon Korman

The first installment ended on a cliff hanger - actually they had driven over a cliff as the five, now four, kids managed their escape from Serenity. Today I read the second book in this series all in one gulp. I thoroughly enjoyed the premise and roller coaster ride of the first book but for my taste the second spent a bit too much time on recapping book one. 

I do agree with Kirkus who said of book two: Oddly paced with little payoff, this sequel falls victim to middle-volume slump.

Later this week I will dip into book three and hope all of the crazy parts of this story are somehow resolved.

So, what has happened here. Some crazy scientists masquerading as parents have set up a perfect small town. Four of the kids have discovered the truth that they are actually clones and these people are not their parents and the kids themselves ARE the experiment. What is this experiment? Is criminality inherited or acquired? These kids are clones of very dangerous criminals. The town that has been raising them has kept them completely sheltered from the outside world. Even the sports they play have been selected because they don't contain violence. All internet information is also censored.

The kids have escaped after hatching an elaborate plan - they are all criminal masterminds after all. Now they need to expose what has happened AND try to secure the release of the other kids. They decide to track down the other scientist who was part of this project but pulled out. She is a mega rich lady living several hundred miles away. They do reach her, but she won't help although luckily she does give them some money. Next the kids decide to track down one of the criminals. In a crazy scene they head back to Serenity, discover it is deserted, the find a list of their clone 'parents' in the trashed factory and set off again in another stolen car - yes I told you these kids have criminal skills even though they are only 14. 

They do find the jail, they do find the prisoner, they also find their friend Hector who they thought had died during their original getaway but of course in this roller coaster thriller nothing goes completely to plan. AND yes book two ends on another cliff hanger although this time it is not a cliff thank goodness. You can see the ending of book two from the scene on the cover!

Read more here on the author page. Here is the trailer:

This series is great for the phase between reading middle grade and young adult, so if you're a fifth, sixth, or seventh grade, this will be very enjoyable.  Ponderings of a bibliophile

Cat-and-mouse chase scenes deliver the thrills as the kids try to keep half a step ahead of their pursuers, while the sheltered escapees’ rude introduction to the outside world is rife with comedic confusion, from discovering the joy of junk food to untangling the mysteries of idiom. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Run by Sarah Armstrong

Cas (short for Casper) has experienced some dreadful things in his short life. He is only twelve. His mum left him and his dad when Casper was just four years old. He has no real memory of her, but he has so many unanswered questions. Did she leave because he did something wrong? Does she miss him? Where does she live now? Cas is left with his dad but that's when life becomes even harder because dad cannot cope. He does not buy food, he has no job and he shows no affection towards his young son. Cas is forced to scavenge for food in dumpsters. If anyone offers him the tiniest touch of affection it almost overwhelms him. Eventually Cas is sent to live with Mel - his father's sister and his aunt. She tries hard and is able to give Cas a stable home but then, unbeknown to Cas, his father wants to resume contact. Mel organises for Cas to spend a day with his father but he absolutely does not want to go. At the last minute Mel is unwell and so she sends Cas with her former partner Kimberley. 

Cas is seething, so when Kimberley's car veers off the road, Cas takes his chance and dives out of the car and runs away. Note the title of this book - run! Cas is now running. He thinks of the way people survive on television series like Alone. Of course, he lacks skills and equipment, and he knows he has put himself into a dangerous situation and then he meets three people - a father and his two daughters. They have been living in the bush for two years but why? And who are these people? Can he trust them? How will he find his way home without them? But then there is a major landslide and it seems he is stuck. 

Waking up in the middle of the night and wanting to keep reading is a sign of a great book. I started Run at about 9pm one night and by the middle of the next day I finished off the whole book. I think this action thriller will greatly appeal to readers aged 10+. It is a survival story but is it also a story about forgiveness and about 'growing up'.

Publisher blurb: Cas thought running away from home would solve all his problems. But he didn’t count on getting hopelessly lost in the tangled Australian bush. Alone and afraid, Cas has given up all hope of rescue when he stumbles upon a strange family hiding out in the wilderness. He won’t survive without their help. But when he discovers they’re also on the run – from something so big, they won’t even talk about it – he realises his problems are just beginning …

This is a fast-paced survival story that also manages to thoughtfully address themes of family and forgiveness. Set in the bush, it’s an exciting read filled with strong, memorable characters. The plot is gripping, yet written with sensitivity and an inclusive approach. Readings Melbourne

Without giving away too much that would spoil the suspense or the story itself, it really has many layers and moral dilemmas entwined throughout and will have you questioning what you would do if you were not only in Cas’ situation, but also that of Mack, Pearl and Viv. And then there are the feelings and emotions that his family and friends are going through, not knowing where Cas is, or if he is even safe. A suspenseful and fast-paced story of survival, with many twists and turns, but also a story of family, friendship, trust and belonging, and is suited to those in lower secondary and also to those in upper primary as well. Lamont

Companion reads:

The Honest Truth

Cop and Robber

Being Jimmy Baxter

The Lovely and the Lost

Sunshine

Pax

A Different Dog

The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicolas Day illustrated by Brett Helquist

Who stole the Mona Lisa?  This book is a fantastic mystery/detective story. By the end you might discover the answer to this age old question. 

Publisher blurb: On a hot August day in Paris, just over a century ago, a desperate guard burst into the office of the director of the Louvre and shouted, La Joconde, c’est partie! The Mona Lisa, she’s gone! No one knew who was behind the heist. Was it an international gang of thieves? Was it an art-hungry American millionaire? Was it the young Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, who was about to remake the very art of painting? Travel back to an extraordinary period of revolutionary change: turn-of-the-century Paris. Walk its backstreets. Meet the infamous thieves—and detectives—of the era. And then slip back further in time and follow Leonardo da Vinci, painter of the Mona Lisa, through his dazzling, wondrously weird life. Discover the secret at the heart of the Mona Lisa—the most famous painting in the world should never have existed at all. Here is a middle-grade nonfiction, with black-and-white illustrations by Brett Helquist throughout, written at the pace of a thriller, shot through with stories of crime and celebrity, genius and beauty.

Here is a detailed summary of the plot.

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of the writing in this book - it is funny at times, and shocking and interesting and even matter of fact. 

None of them saw the man leave the closet. But if any had, they might not have noticed. He was wearing a white smock, the uniform of the Louvre maintenance workers. It was a suit of invisibility. He was too normal to be noticed.

The Mona Lisa was gone for over twenty-four hours before anyone realized it was gone. If not for the persistence of Louis Béroud, it might have been days. It might have been a week. The theft of the Mona Lisa—the art heist of the century—was discovered because Louis Béroud got bored. The Louvre was lucky.

Everyone in Paris could tell you it was obvious what had happened. It was just that everyone told you something different was obvious. It was blackmail, obviously. It was sabotage, obviously. It was the work of a madman, obviously. It was the work of an extremely wealthy man, obviously.

I especially love the way the narrative flipped between scenes and characters and also back to the time of Leonardo himself. 

Back in Florence, he hears from a silk merchant who wants a portrait of his wife. And in 1503, Leonardo, after turning down far more prestigious commissions, after expressing little interest in painting at all, says yes to Francesco del Giocondo. No one knows why. If Leonardo met Lisa before he took the commission—we don’t know whether he did—maybe he saw something in her. Something that took him beyond financial calculations. Or maybe not. Why this woman? It ranks among the greatest mysteries in the history of art.

I read The Mona Lisa Vanishes last year (on my Kindle) while traveling. Over the coming days and weeks I am catching up on all the books I still need to share. I highly recommend The Mona Lisa Vanishes for readers aged 11+ and then you should plan a trip to an art gallery or even better time in Paris to see the actual painting and all the other treasures in the Louvre. The narrative style combined with all the actual facts of the case plus lots of background information about Leonardo make this book an engrossing one to read.  

Awards: The Mona Lisa Vanishes won the Robert F. Sibert Award and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for nonfiction. And A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year • A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year • A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year • A Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Best Book of the Year • Booklist “Top of the list—Youth Nonfiction” 2023 • NPR "Books We Love" 2023 • New York Public Library Best Book of 2023 • Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2023 • The Week Junior “The Fifty Books Kids Love Most”.

A multistranded yarn skillfully laid out in broad, light brush strokes ... Kirkus Star review

Colby Sharp talks about this book - I agree with so many of his thoughts - so many things you will learn about this painting and its rise to fame and the myriad of characters involved in the theft. 

I am quoting the entire School Library Journal review:

Most readers will not know that the Mona Lisa painting was once stolen from its home at the Louvre. This nonfiction middle grade book contextualizes this historic moment with world events. The publicity that surrounded the theft only added to the painting’s fame. Readers will learn of the heist, discover new connections to other artists, and find out fascinating details and facts of the long-ago crime. Moving back and forth between the caper and the life of Leonardo da Vinci, the text takes readers around the world figuratively and literally. Day writes in a pleasant conversational style, addressing readers directly. The story moves along at a reasonable pace and includes many historical figures; the abundance of cultural references makes the story challenging, but interesting.

Take a look at my previous post about Leonardo's Horse. You might like to explore these books too:

The Night Raven by Johan Rundberg translated by Annie Prime

"Everyone in the city has heard of the Night Raven. The murderer was on the loose for four years. The first victim was a girl a couple of years older than Mika, then two men murdered in the same way. The nickname came from the way the criminal seemed to flutter aimlessly through the night, swooping down on innocent unfortunates ... In the end the killer was caught red-handed, a vagrant named John Almgren."

Mika has lived in the orphanage her whole life. It is not unusual for babies to be deposited on the doorstep but the arrival of this baby after midnight seems very strange - almost sinister. Mika can have no idea that the arrival of this baby girl will set off an amazing chain of events that will see her working with a local, rather eccentric police detective, to solve an infamous series of murders in Stockholm. 

The terrified boy who hands Mika the baby stays long enough to say "The Dark Angel knows I am the one who took her." 

Mika has amazing powers of observation. She sees a figure lingering in the shadows. She notices the baby has a braided leather band decorated with tiny red flowers tied around her ankle. Neither of these mysteries, however, are solved in this first installment. And this mystery deepens when the band disappears and Amelia, who is in charge at the orphanage, seems to be holding an even deeper secret.

Mika works in a bar pouring beer for men who can become violent as they become more inebriated. She overhears some men talking about the city murders and the criminal named The Night Raven. He is supposed to now be dead - having been captured and executed - but note my word 'supposed'. Mika is interviewed by a police man and then a detective arrives with more questions before he takes her away in his carriage to a graveyard where he shows her a dead body in a crypt. Is this the man who gave her the newly born baby? No. Then the detective comes again and this time he takes her to visit the gaol.

Here are a few text quotes:

"And sometimes you have to laugh at the thing that scares you most. Life will be what it will be, regardless,"

"I thought you said he was alive when you arrived? ... Barely. We came just in time to hear his last words. He said ... that the Night Raven had come for him."

"I have to pay attention to detail all the time because my life depends on it."

Here is a great description of Detective Valdemar Hoff:

"The first thing she sees is a scarred face half hidden behind a scruffy beard. Bush eyebrows and a nose as bumpy and brown as a seed potato. His body is thickset and reminds Mika of the unfortunate bears she saw once at Norrbro Bazaar. Hands stick out of his coat sleeves are as big as toilet lids. His knuckles are dented with poorly healed cuts and scabs. The ring finger and pinky on his left hand appear to have been severed at the knuckle."

Bookseller blurb: Mika is not your average twelve-year-old-and she's about to prove it. It's 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets...or is he? Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this "Dark Angel" he speaks of? When a detective shows up, Mika senses something even more sinister is going on. Drawn in by Mika's unique ability to notice small details-a skill Mika has always used to survive-the gruff Detective Hoff unwittingly recruits her to help him with his investigation into a gruesome murder. Mika knows she should stay far, far away, and yet...with such little hope for her future, could this be an opportunity? Maybe, just maybe, this is Mika's chance to be someone who matters.

A thrilling and thoughtful period murder mystery. Kirkus Star review

Over the past decades, dark Scandinavian mysteries, both historical and contemporary, have become popular, and The Night Raven brings the genre to a younger readership. Despite the gruesome deaths, the violence and threats, and the Dickensian urban setting, the descriptions and events are age appropriate, (keeping) most of the violence off the page. Historical Novel Society

The Night Raven is a smart page-turner that’s a bit dark and full of mystery. Rundberg’s pacing is spot-on, and translator A.A. Prime has done a fantastic job making the book accessible to and English-speaking audience. It’s a smooth translation that doesn’t read like one. Cracking the Cover

Johan Rundberg is an award-winning author of children’s books who lives in Stockholm. He has written picture books, early readers, and middle grade, including Kärlekspizzan, Knockad Romeo, and the series Häxknuten. In 2021, he was awarded Sweden’s most prestigious literary prize, the August Prize, in the children’s and YA category for Nattkorpen, the original edition of The Night Raven, which was first written in Swedish. Nattkorpen was also the winner of a Swedish Crimetime Award in the children’s and YA category. There are now four books in this series published in Sweden.

All the books have a stand-alone mystery that is solved in the end. But there is also a storyline that runs throughout the series, so reading the books in order really gives the reader a bigger experience. For example, Mika’s journey to find out about her past is one such storyline, that is revealed bit by bit. Also, both Mika’s character as well as her relationship with Constable Hoff develops during the series, and that is another reason to read the books in order, I think. But it’s all up to the reader. The Night Raven works really well as a stand-alone, but I hope it will make the reader curious to continue.

A. A. Prime (Annie Prime) is an award-winning translator of Swedish literature. She was born in London and traveled the world studying a number of languages before settling in the English coastal town of Hastings. She now works full-time as a translator, specializing in the weird, witty, and wonderful world of children’s and young adult fiction. She holds an MA in translation from University College London and has published more than twenty books in the UK and US. 

I loved this book from the Moonwind Mysteries series so now I plan to read all of them! There are three in the series in English but there are or will be two more in Swedish (Book 4 is published but Book 5 is still underway) - the most recent one was published this year in 2025. In Swedish the series is called Månvind & Hoff. Book one has the title Nattkorpen (2020).

I highly recommend this book for readers aged 11+ and even adults too. When my adult friends discuss the books they have been reading and enjoying I am often left out of the conversation. I dream of the day that an adult asks me to recommend a middle grade or young adult book that they also might like to read - this book The Night Raven is one I would most certainly rave about. I read this book on a Kindle in one sitting on a short flight to a nearby city. 

Here is an interview with Johan Rundberg where he talks about the first book The Night Raven.

I also found this site which expands the map of Stockholm which appears in this book. This could be a great starting point if you visit the city and want to follow Mika's journey across her city.  And here are some discussion questions. 

Here are the Swedish and Danish covers:

The Letter with the Golden Stamp by Onjali Q Rauf

Audrey lives with her mum (Mam) and twin younger siblings. Things are very tough for the family and Audrey knows it is her job, even though she is only nine years old, to keep everyone safe. To do this she has to keep her mum's illness secret. And she has to be sure the authorities (Them) don't find out about mam or the bills they can't pay or their shortage of food. Her days are a roller coaster of emotions as she assesses her Mam's pain levels, wrangles her brother and sister and tries to maintain a web of lies with her two best friends. There is one person, though, who brightens every day - Mo the postman. Audrey collects stamps and Mo brings her all sorts of interesting ones he also has a cheerful smile at her door each morning. I love the way everyone recognises his door knocking pattern. The doctor also does home visits and so he tries to help especially when the pain medications need increasing but things are coming to a head for Mam and Audrey.

Mam's bedroom is upstairs and the bathroom is downstairs. Mam finds it so hard on some days to go up and down. Audrey calls these nightmare days. The doctor tells Mam - in a conversation overheard by Audrey, that Mam needs a wheelchair, a stair lift and they need to add an ensuite bathroom upstairs. But how could they ever possibly afford even one of these things? There is government assistance, but this could take up to a year and Mam needs these things now. 

"After I made up my mind to get Mam everything she needed for the doctor's orders, I tried to think of what I could do to afford them ... I knew we needed thousands of pounds - electric wheelchairs and getting a whole bathroom and a stairlift would probably cost more than everything we owned all put together. So I made a list of all the things I might try ..."

Audrey thinks of winning the lottery - but she has no money for a ticket and she is too young to buy one anyway. Holding a bake sale - but she cannot cook and has no money for ingredients. Do a sponsored run - but who would sponsor her for thousands of pounds to run around their small town?

Adding to the pressure strange people have moved in across the road and Audrey is convinced it is THEM - the welfare authorities sent to spy on the family.

Audrey's dad left two years ago. Audrey is Welsh, so she calls her dad Tad. Just as a side note Onjali who has Bangladeshi heritage now lives in Swansea, Wales. I enjoyed the way she added Welsh words - just a few - into this story. Every Christmas the children receive every item on their Santa wish lists. Audrey is sure these expensive and generous gifts come from Tad. Audrey is a problem solver. Her Mam needs help. The family need money. Tad must be rich. She finds an old envelope with his address. Surely if Audrey writes to Tad and explains their dire circumstances, he will rush to help them. Mo helps with the posting. The letter is sent. But then just a few days later it is returned with red 'return to sender' stamps all over the envelope. 

This story is told in the form of a police confession. Audrey has done something quite desperate to try to reach her Tad. She recounts the events leading up to her wild postal journey and the desperate chase by the authorities as they try to catch her. By the end of the book I was sobbing! One of the reviewers below uses the word 'compelling' and that is SO true. I just kept turning page after to page desperate to find out what Audrey did that led to her interview at the police station and also desperate to reach, what I hoped would be, a happy ending. I think readers aged 10+ will really enjoy this personal recount of Audrey's journey to help her mother and her family. The writing style may be very different from other books but it is well worth persevering until the rhythm of the writing feels natural - this is what happened to me as I was reading. 

Through Amy’s vivid storytelling we get a beautiful sense of the characters and the warm local community around her and especially of Mo, the local postman who keeps secret his own hidden support for Audrey and her family. The author explains her own fascination with stamps and her admiration for these community champions and I can see this gem of a book inspiring a whole new generation of letter writers. Love Reading4Kids

The story is very compelling, and Audrey makes a brave, funny, kind protagonist. Despite the serious subject, it’s a fun, fast-paced easy read with a very hopeful ending.The book shines a light on the challenges faced by over a million young carers in the UK. Book Trust

Publisher blurb: Deep in the heart of Swansea, Wales, lives a small girl with some big secrets to keep. Secrets that make her one of the best actresses on the planet – because no-one would ever think that, away from school, Audrey is the sole carer for her increasingly sick mam and her two younger siblings … or a seasoned thief. With her worlds threatened by the arrival of a mysterious, invisible neighbour, behind whose closed curtains and shut front door may lie a spy, Audrey must take matters into her own hands to save her family. Inspired by her beloved collection of stamps, her friendly neighbourhood postman (and fellow stamp collector), and her two best friends, off Audrey must go: on an adventure that will lead her to places – and hearts – she never knew existed.

Just look at that cover of The Letter with the Golden Stamp - I knew I HAD to read this book and then I saw the author. I really, really enjoyed four of her previous books:

The Boy at the Back of the Class

Night Bus Hero

The Star outside my Window

The Lion above the Door

In a couple of days I will talk about a new Australian book - The Kindness Project by Deborah Abela - it would be a perfect companion book to read after The Letter with the Golden Stamp.

You might also look for these:

The Meaning of Maggie

The Honest Truth

Scar Town by Tristan Bancks

 

"The three of us lean on our handlebars, breathing and sweating hard, late afternoon sun pinkening our skin and the sky. We stare at the house that's poking from the water about fifty metres from shore - weatherboards caked in mud and water weed, a ragged monster rising from the deep. Only the attic and half a storey below are visible above the waterline."

You could introduce this book using this sentence. What do we know? There are three kids - perhaps they are friends. A house is rising out of the water. Why? What could have caused this? How does the phrases 'a ragged monster rising from the deep' make you feel? Does this change the things you anticipated about this story? Think about the contrasts here - extreme heat and (possibly) murky water.

Will is with his friends - twins Dar and J. J's real name is Juno but watch out she will punch you if you call her that name. This house, rising up from the lake, is so tempting. It is part of the old town that was flooded to make way for a new dam many years ago but with the drought the town is slowing reappearing. J is clearly the leader of this group, and she declares they all need to swim out to the house to investigate. Will is cautious but he decides to follow his friends. Inside the house they make two life changing discoveries - money, lots of it, and human bones. 

Scar Town feels like a real place - this is the prophetic nick name of Scarborough. Perhaps you have seen towns like this where there is a new town built beside an older town which is now submerged under a lake. The town has been 'drowned' to allow a dam to be built. An example of this is Adaminaby, a small farming town nestled in the Snowy Mountains on the border between New South Wales and Victoria states, was submerged under 30 metres of water in 1957 when the local valley was dammed to form the man-made Lake Eucumbene. In 2007 Australia was under drought conditions and so slowly the old town began to reveal itself. This is exactly the scene in Scar Town.

Will's father was the town cop. Seven years ago he, and nine other people, disappeared. Will and his mum have stayed in the town but their anger over the inaction of the authorities who never seemed to fully investigate what happened gives this whole story an undertone of grief, blame and unresolved anger. There is also a layer of decision making/moral dilemma. Should Will tell the police, or his mum or someone important about the money? Is it possible those bones might be his dad? Why is so hard to say no to J? Is this whole mystery way too big for three kids to handle?

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavor of the story:

"We've come across plenty of bones in the past year with the drought. Some famers had to walk away from their properties, leaving cattle to die. But these look different, and I wish like anything that we'd just taken the money and run."

"I want to shout at her that it might be my dad in that wall, but I know she'll tell me that's the perfect reason to go back to the house, and I can't do that. I want to keep my share of the money as much as she does. If I could find out what happened to my dad and use the money to help get mum and me out of Scar Town, my life would be two hundred per cent better."

"When mum first told me my dad had disappeared, I thought she was saying he'd become invisible. Being a cop, my dad was already a superhero, but invisible! That was next level. I used to set a place at the table for him and tell guests not to sit in a certain seat because Dad was sitting there. It wasn't my mum's favourite thing. I don't know how many times she explained he wasn't invisible. He was gone."

I often make predictions for our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) awards. I am absolutely certain Scar Town will be on the 2024 Younger Readers Notables list, and the short list and at this stage (there are still a few reading months to go) I am going to predict Scar Town will be the 2024 winner!! Yes, it is that good and YES you need to read this book and put it into the hands of your mature readers aged 10+. Here are some Teachers Notes for Scar Town. Listen to an audio sample. Read the first few pages here including my text quote at the start of this post. 

Short, punchy sentences, along with realistic dialogue create instantly relatable, believable characters. Tristan has a way of weaving words into graphic vividly cinematic scenes full of tension and strong emotion.  Serious themes of friendship, family, and loss underpin the fast paced action making this much more than just a thrill ride read. Story Links

Bancks has again written an un-putdownable read that races along and puts the reader firmly in the position of having to consider what they would do if they were in that situation. By creating characters that are, in so many ways, just like them, Bancks hooks the reader into being more than just an observer, and places them in the position of having to take a stance. The Bottom Shelf

I have enjoyed EVERY recent book by Tristan Bancks:

Two Wolves

Detention

Cop and Robber

Cop and Robber by Tristan Bancks

Nash Hall has a complex life. His father claims they are related to the famous bushranger Ben Hall. His father was once a boxer but recently he has turned to crime and has almost been sent to jail. Nash is so worried about his father's behaviour and now he discovers his father owes a huge amount of money to some dangerous looking criminals. In just three days Lyle Hall has to come up with $256,568. If all of this sounds dreadful and impossible there is one more thing you need to know. Look at the title of this book. I have talked about the robber - that's dad and he has just held up a service station - but what about the cop? Well, that's mum. 

There are some violent scenes in this book so I suggest it will appeal to readers (especially boys) aged 11+. 

Publisher blurb: If your mum was a cop and your dad was a criminal who needed your help to commit a crime, would you do it to save him? At what cost? Nash Hall's dad is a criminal who just can't seem to go straight. He wants Nash to help him commit a robbery. A big one. The trouble is, Nash's mum is a cop. And the robbery is at Nash's school. But Dad owes a lot of money to some very dangerous people and if Nash doesn't help him do the job, it could cost both their lives.

Tristan uses humour as well as conflict to add light and shade to his story.  He uses Nash’s dilemma to explore complex themes of loyalty, love, honesty, and especially forgiveness. This makes it such a satisfying and memorable read, but beware, once you start it you will drop everything until you’ve finished it. Storylinks

Here is a very detailed set of teaching notes from the publisher - Penguin Random House. Here is Tristan Banks web site. 

Take a look at other thrilling stories by Tristan Bancks:

Two wolves

Detention

Azaria: A true history by Maree Coote

Publisher blurb Walker Books Australia: 

A beautifully illustrated non-fiction picture book that sensitively explores the collision of wilderness and civilisation, explains a famous miscarriage of justice, and examines the role of the media in history-telling, in an appropriate manner for children. A modern day fairy tale, cautionary and unforgettable. Essential reading for students of history and the law, young and old.  When a tiny baby is stolen by a dingo, nobody will believe the truth. Prejudice, ignorance and gossip grip the nation, and the tragedy is transformed into a quest for the truth. Are you sure you know what happened? Azaria is a cautionary tale about justice, the media, wilderness, and the perils of mob thinking. Azaria forms an excellent cross-curricular resource, ideal for class discussion and activity. 

Azaria was short listed this year for our Eve Pownall Award for Information Books. A couple of weeks ago Ann James, from Books Illustrated, suggested the 2022-23 CBCA judges read an interview the Maree Coote reported in Magpies Magazine, Volume 36, No. 2, May 2021. Here are some quotes from the interview:

"The book is about innocence, ignorance and injustice."

"This is very much a story about Place, and so the rock is absolutely at the heart of things. I wanted to insert layers of meaning into the imagery, to impart that other worldly feeling one gets in that desert, that something more is going on here than meets the eye."

"My drawing style is best described as having a collage-like feel ... rough-hewn shapes overlaid on each other."

If you need to understand more about this story take a look at this report from BTN. Here is an article about Azaria written for Books Illustrated. In this video Maree reads her book and shares her motivation for writing this important story. Here is a set of very extensive teachers notes with references suited to use in High School classes. You can see other books by Maree Coote here.

Image Source: Books Illustrated

This picture book is the epitome of a top-quality informational resource with superb illustrations.  It should be essential reading for students of history and law, both young and old. StoryLinks

The large digital illustrations are fantastic at capturing the mood and the place and they support and add to the text so well. From the fabulous colours of the red desert and Uluru, the night time pictures of people looking for Azaria while the sand is covered in dingo footprints and the sad eyes of Lindy. ReadPlus

Her illustrations shimmer with the beauty of the desert; the rich colours of the natural world juxtaposed with the sombre darkness of society and supposition. Kids' Book Review