Fallout by Lesley Parr

I head home to face the music, but Mam and Dad won’t care about the suspension, just about the money to replace the broken equipment. Because to them I really am bad. 

Which is just how they want me. ... you can’t trust a Pritchard. Everyone knows that. ...

In 1980 the world was thinking about the possibility of a nuclear war. Marcus discovers his neighbor, an elderly man, has built an underground shelter filled with food, comfortable furniture, a toilet and even some exercise equipment. Mick Rowlands scoffs at the official brochures which advise citizens to hide under kitchen tables - that is why he has built a way more effective shelter in his back yard but as Marcus points out how will he know when it is safe to emerge back into the world and what if everyone else has been killed.

I flick through the pages. It does look pretty stupid; all about making a fallout room and inner refuge. There’s even a drawing of a man putting a wardrobe in front of his windows – as if that’s going to stop a nuclear blast! Gavin’s window couldn’t even survive a stone from our rockery. And page seventeen is just gross. ‘People are supposed to take the bottom off a chair and poo in a bucket?’ Mick nods. ‘Not here though.’ He waves towards the bathroom. ‘All mod cons here.’ He seems really proud and, looking around this place, I think he should be. That makes me feel bad for sneaking in. Maybe I do owe him an explanation.

Marcus comes from a family of petty criminals. One brother is in jail, the other is practicing for his own life of crime and dad is planning the next big robbery. Marcus does not want to be involved but in his family there is no way to say no. His mother seems to favour his brother and because she enjoys the spoils of his fathers 'work' she is happy to go along with his plans.

Into this mix comes a girl named Emma. Emma has had a very different life. She has been home schooled, there is no television in her home, the family are vegetarians and everyone in her family is very well read. Emma herself has joined an activist group to protest about the possibility of a nuclear war - 'Give Peace a Chance' - and that is how Marcus and Emma's lives collide. 

I keep seeing this book on lists and as a recommendation on various social media platforms. The best part of this book is the tension Lesley Parr creates as we witness Marcus trying to navigate his life and right a wrong. His family are so cruel in stark contrast to the kindness and encouragement of Mick. 

This story is set in Wales so there may be some unfamiliar references for Australian readers aged 10+ but the voices in the story and the compelling narrative, where as a reader you just want Marcus to succeed against the odds of his terrible family, I think means young readers will just 'get on with reading' this book and not worry at all about occasional unfamiliar word or two.  Make sure you notice the way the chapter headings are designed:

Bookseller blurb: Marcus has one brother in a youth offender centre and the other is working with their dad on plans for their next theft. Everyone assumes Marcus will follow in their footsteps, but he has other ideas, different hopes. When a mysterious accident lands a man in hospital, it confirms what everyone in their community expects and Marcus gets the blame. He feels trapped. Only new girl Emma - with her peace protest banners and political badges - questions this story. Can they work together to clear his name – and help Marcus become the person he really wants to be?

‘Fallout’ is a truly exceptional story, with its very title reflecting how cleverly its many elements are woven together. Poignant, thought-provoking, compassionate and compelling, there are not enough adjectives to convey just how much I enjoyed it! One to put at the top of your TBR pile! Through the Bookshelf

The three characters form a genuine cross generational friendship. Historical Novel Society

Fallout is a raw, honest story of family dynamics and finding your own way. It is a reminder that we all have choices about the future but it takes real courage to be true to ourselves and turn away from those who seek to hurt us. The power of kindness shines through Emma, Mick and eventually Marcus as he learns what it feels like to be loved. Readers will be challenged to think twice before making assumptions about someone based on their family and to give everyone a second chance. Scope for Imagination

Here are some text quotes:

This is a Cold War, which, as far as I can tell, means world leaders make threats about pushing their nuclear buttons, but no one will. They just want us to think they will. And this lot have fallen for it.

In this family, we don’t get pocket money for jobs around the house, like mowing the lawn, or doing the dishes. Me and Gavin earn it by helping in other ways. For me, as the youngest, it’s mostly being a lookout when Dad and Uncle Tony are doing a deal, or on the rob. For Carl, the oldest, it ended up at the Farm School; the borstal over in the next valley.

I open it and can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s like the TARDIS on Doctor Who. I don’t really know what I expected, but it definitely wasn’t this. I’ve seen pictures of air raid shelters from the Second World War. Glorified sheds with bunks, shelves and a heater in the corner if you were lucky, but this … this is something else. There’s a room with a double bed all made up with a flowery bedspread and pillows. And there’s a settee, and a kitchen area with a table and two chairs, a sink and cupboards and – is that a fridge? The walls are lined with shelves of books, board games and even some ornaments.

Here is another book by Lesley Parr:

The Valley of Lost Secrets

The Sunbird by Sara Haddad illustrated by Baraa Awoor

Begin with this text quote:

"Before they left, Nabila went to the olive grove one last time. She wandered among the trees that were never just trees. They fed her, sheltered her, kept her company. She loved to climb them so much that, in the warmer months, Nabila spent more time above the ground than on it. She even had a job to climb to the very top of the olive trees and pick the best olives, the sweetest fruit. The people in the village called her the sunbird."

Now you also need to know that the Palestine sunbird is the national bird of Palestine. It is a symbol of  beauty, resilience and freedom. These THREE words are very important.

Now go back to the quote - Who is Nabila? Why are they leaving? Where does she live? Are her family with her? Where will she go? Are there no olive trees in the new place? Will she be safe? Will she be happy?

How would you feel if all you had of your home was the front door key? 

 I just had to show you a Palestine Sunbird and how spectacular they look

This book is told in three parts - we begin in Australia in October 2025. People are gathering for a protest march just as they have every week for the last two years. Then the time shifts back to December 1947 as Nabila recounts the story of her childhood and her Nakba story. In the final chapter the focus switches back to that first day in 2025 where Nabila is sharing her story with her new young friend Zane. I was so moved when Nabila, now aged in her 80s, gives Zane that small stone she picked up near her home on that terrible day when the bombs began to fall.

1947 "As she squatted to pick up a stone to throw into the water, she heard it and felt it and saw it all at once, the first of the bombs."

2025 "This stone is for you. Take care of it. Every day, hold it between your fingers, raise it to your nose, close your eyes and breathe in deep. If you clear your mind and concentrate hard, you will smell the autumn rains."

From the cover and title you might think this is a simple book for a young reader but reading this book you will discover it is so much more. This is one of those important books that I would love to put into the hands of readers aged 10+ as a way to give a small understanding of the history of Palestine as told through the eyes of a young child. Older readers will want to discover more about UN Resolution 181 and Resolution 194. Huge thanks to UQP for my advance reader copy of The Sunbird. I especially appreciated the Author's Notes and glossary. This book will be released on 3rd February 2025. Gleebooks Kids will hold a launch event on 7th February.

The Sunbird (my copy) is an adaption of an adult novel which was published in 2024. The adult version is 128 pages so it is a slim novel - the young reader version has 73 pages. Hopefully this book will be shared with lots of readers but I also hope it 'lands' in the right section of a bookstore - with the middle grade novels and not shelved with very junior beginning chapter books. Booksellers need to read this book both because it is important and then because they can then match it with the 'right' reader. Similarly if you are in a school library make sure you read this book - it is fabulous and most certainly deserves your attention. There is something truly powerful about reading a book set during a terrible world event which is told through the eyes of a child. 

Adapted for young readers from her critically acclaimed adult novel, Sara Haddad's middle-grade story about a child's experience of the Nakba is a lyrical ode to sovereignty, freedom and homecoming.⁠ How could a new country be put inside a country that was already there? Where would the new country go? Where did it come from? What would happen to the people who were already there?⁠ It’s 1948 and Nabila Yasmeen lives a happy life in her village in Palestine. She plays in the hills with her friend Khalil and climbs high in the olive trees to pick the sweetest fruit. But when bombs start falling, Nabila and her family are forced to leave. Where will they go?⁠ Embellished with beautiful line illustrations by renowned Palestinian artist Baraa Awoor, 'The Sunbird' is the poignant story of a little girl who just wants to go home.⁠ Instagram

Publisher blurb: It’s 1948 and Nabila Yasmeen lives a happy life in her village in Palestine. She plays in the hills with her friend Khalil and climbs high in the olive trees to pick the sweetest fruit. But when bombs start falling, Nabila and her family are forced to leave. Where will they go?

Here is the original adult edition:

The adult book The Sunbird was originally self-published and then 'discovered' by UQP

Read more here and here is a review and there are more details here too.

The Sunbird discusses themes of migration, post-colonial dispossession 

and displacement, truth-telling, protest, community, identity, belonging and culture.

I had not heard of the Palestinian artist Baraa Awoor. I really like the cover of The Sunbird but I do hope this book, as I have said, reaches older readers even though the cover gives the impression of a book for a younger audience and the publisher suggests 8+. I think this book will better suit readers aged 10+. The small black and white drawings scattered throughout the book are also perfect.

You can read an extract from The Sunbird (young readers edition) here

Baraa Awoor is a self-taught, award-winning illustrator from Gaza, Palestine, currently based in Cairo and holding a UAE Golden Residency. With a background in education and years of artistic practice, she brings stories to life through acrylics, oil pastels, colored pencils, and mixed media and collage. Her work has been exhibited internationally, with recognition at prestigious events such as the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the Sharjah Reading Festival, and exhibitions in Geneva. Baraa has led international workshops on illustrating children’s books in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and beyond, sharing her creative process with young artists. Her books have been translated into several languages, including Italian, Portuguese, Korean, Turkish, and English. Mama's Scent is her first book to be published in the United States. Simon and Schuster

Companion books:

Oranges in no Man's Land

The Kites are Flying

The Key from Spain

I plan to look for these books - two picture books and one YA novel which link with The Sunbird.

These Olive Trees Kirkus Review; Homeland Kirkus Review

Where the Streets had a name Kirkus Review

The 113th Assistant Librarian: Lost in a Book by Stuart Wilson

You will jump right into the action at the start of this book as Oliver battles with a giant crab that has escaped from 'The Diving Bell Expeditions of Grace AEthwell'. Page 173 is blank but the caption reads 'mammoth spider crab'. Oliver needs to catch this huge creature and wrangle it back into the book.

"To be fair, being attacked by a giant crab in a library was something he would never have believed before he took up the mantle of librarian. Or rather, assistant librarian, due to the untimely death of the librarian, Hieronymus Finch-Thackeray."

After all this drama things do settle down but only for a short while because a junior lawyer named Phoebe arrives from the firm Wolfsähnlich, Lithic & Lithic. One of their clients has died and left his enormous book collection. 

"A voluminous collection of books, in fact. And now that a grant of probate has been issued to the executor, the time has come to divest the estate and all chattels therein."

I love the word used to describe this type of collecting by the late Phillip Thomas - bibliomania. So Oliver visits the house and he begins to sort and cull the collection with help from his friend Agatha. We met Agatha in the first book but just in case you have forgotten she has a dreadful and potentially fatal illness Garnet Band Fever. To prolong her life she transforms into nine cats but she can only do this within the confines of the library and it is dangerous for her to spend too long in her human form. The cats are named Fennex, Arawn, Grey Reaper, Tailless, Harmony, Sentinel, Clod and two others Oliver has not yet named. 

Agatha is a huge fan of the crime writer Enid B. B. Weathers but when she reads or re-reads a few pages from her book Murder of Masons, she discovers the story has been changed. This sets Oliver and Agatha on a book hunt - and yes they discover other books that seemed to be changed. This might not matter too much, perhaps they are earlier editions, but then they find a very significant book - 'War, A History of the Alpin Conflict' by M.W. Ebberdew.  If this other edition is correct then the border between Hallarum and the Shrouded Alps is in the wrong place - this could lead to anther dreadful war. What can Oliver and Agatha do? And oh no the dreadful Annabel Clowritch, the Member for Upper-Lower Tumbledown Barrows has heard about this book and she is determined to read it and gain control over the remote regions that she is sure now belong to Hallarum. 

Here are some text fragments that will give all Teacher-Librarians and librarians in general a smile moment:

"Oliver glanced at the spies closest to him, quickly surmising that there was little in the way of a system. He spotted fiction next to poetry, plays rubbing shoulders with cookbooks."

"even the patrons couldn't sour his mood when they interrupted him ... to say things like, 'Must be nice to have a job where you can sit around all day and read.'"

"Trying to appear nonchalant, he slid a book onto the shelf (despite the fact it was in the wrong section, doing an injury to his librarian soul)."

"The brilliance of a book was that it was always there, waiting to be read, at a time that was convenient."

"He removed his satchel and jacket before slipping the bandolier on over his shirt. He checked that the two stamps and the bookmark were in their pouches and that they were closed securely. He was, after all, going on official librarian business."

I talked about the inventive book titles created by Stuart Wilson in the first book and also the way his writing employs such a rich vocabulary - this book has these same wonderful qualities. I learnt the word 'lambrequins' for example. Also, I loved the care and concern Oliver shows for his friend Agatha. AND it was wonderful to meet Oliver's sisters once again - a couple of them play very important roles in this latest adventure. 

Publisher blurb: Oliver has settled into his life as the 113th assistant librarian. He loves his job – even though it sometimes includes battling giant crabs or fending off firedrakes – and his new friend, the mostly-human Agatha, is always on hand to help. But when he discovers a rare edition of a history book with unique wording, he realises the slightest misinterpretation could endanger the entire kingdom. Determined to solve this mystery, he and Agatha leave the library – with the help of an unpredictable transporting book – to establish the truth. But can they prevent Annabel Clowritch, the esteemed Member for Upper-Lower Tumbledown Barrows, from using the text to her own advantage . . . and stop a war?

Once again, it’s an adventure like no other and filled with humour, surprises, and the successful victory of the underdogs. AND it’s all to do with libraries and books, and the librarians who take their guardianship with all due seriousness. Just so Stories

This is a mystery adventure full of whimsy and risky moments. ... It does assume a reasonable reading skill and enjoyment of fantasy and references to library organisation and some historical, geographical or scientific detail may stretch some younger readers, but will thrill adept readers. ...  I loved the first book in this series, and the second is equally enthralling. Read Plus

Wilson has lots of fun with book titles, the worlds to be found within books and the power of the written word, all of which makes this a not just another ordinary adventure but a story with some thought provoking themes. He certainly gets very creative and inventive with the magic of books. It is great to see Oliver outside the library but still engaged in serious book business. Storylinks

Lost in a Book is the second title in the series the 113th Assistant Librarian. You do need to read the first book to understand the world of this book and to meet the two main characters - Oliver Wormwood and his best friend Agatha. I don't usually read sequels or continue a series unless I really loved the first installment - and yes I did love it  - five stars from me. 

The 113th Assistant Librarian

I am still wondering why oh why the first book didn't make the 2025 CBCA Younger Readers Book of the Year notables. And sadly I know this second one - Lost in a Book - is not eligible because it does not stand alone (although this rule seems to be quite flexible because seven of the 2025 notables were from a series!).

Readers aged 10+ are sure to enjoy Lost in a Book (you could gift the two books from this series as Christmas presents) but at the end they might feel a little bereft and in need of another similarly adventurous story so I would suggest these:

The Phantom Tollbooth

Escape from Mr Lemoncello's library

The Lost History (second book in a series)

The Strange Worlds Travel Agency

The Lost Library

Parked by Danielle Svetcov

It doesn’t seem right to be living in a van in a city this rich, this dazzling. 

I don’t think Mom imagined how badly this could go for us. I think she only pictured good. 

I can imagine how bad, though. 

I read Oliver Twist in fourth grade. I can imagine a lot.

“Why are you living in a van?” Cal asks. How long has he waited to ask that hot potato? ... “Did you hear my question?” “Yes.” But it’s my question. I ask it in my sleeping bag every night, staring at a rusted ceiling. I ask it every morning when I wake up, stiff on a deflated pad. 

I ask it when I’m trudging to the public bathroom with the overflowing garbage cans 

and the sinks that only run ice water.

The setting for this story is San Francisco - and yes even if you haven't been there you will get a feel for the city with its harbour views and very hilly streets. Readers aged 10+ will also gain a good insight into the lives of people with extreme housing insecurity. 

The lives of Cal and Jeanne Ann are set to collide. 

Jeanne Ann's mother moves her daughter across the country to California. When they get there Joyce cannot find a job and the promised housing is no longer available. Mother and daughter are forced to live in their van which they nickname Carrot. Meanwhile Cal lives across the road in a huge house which has a wall of windows to face the glorious views. Cal's mother manages a restaurant, but she no longer cooks there. They serve vegetarian food. Jeanne Ann's mother is a cook and her specialty is eggs and she most certainly is not a vegetarian. Joyce also collects cookery books. But she is a loud and opinionated lady and it seems no one will hire her. Surely there is a way to link Cal's mum with Jeanne Ann's mum so we can all enjoy the happy ending but NO things in life are never that simple. 

Cal is an artist but he is in trouble because he created a huge art piece on the wall of his 'posh' school. His mother decides his punishments will be working in her restaurant and limited access to his art materials but this does not stop Cal from continuing to draw and also from caring about the van dwellers who live across the street from his house. Cal also has to change to the public middle school.

Jeanne Ann sure is stubborn and she won't accept help from anyone especially Cal. Cal on the other hand is so kind and he is a problem solver, and he has some emotional intelligence. He knows Jeanne Ann needs space and she has her pride, but he absolutely does not give up on her. Jeanne Ann is desperate to start middle school but she has no fixed address and so cannot be enrolled. 

There is a little thread in this book based on the overdue book notice from Chicago where Jeanne Ann used to live. She has a huge list of overdue books and then Jeanne Ann 'pawns' a heap of book at a local shop to raise money for basics like food. I worried about this firstly because with each letter from the library the fines grow bigger and bigger and secondly because it seemed the books would now never be returned - but there is a fantastic resolution to all of this which will make all library users smile. Also, her list of overdue books could give you some terrific titles to explore yourself. I also love the librarian Mrs Jablonsky. Mrs. Jablonsky treated new library card registrations like magical events. She’d have released balloons from the ceiling for every single one if the library had had a budget for it.

 

Here are some text quotes:

The store there has been vacant since somebody invented the Internet in 1990-something, Mom says, but no one ever took down the posters that are taped to the inside of the glass, facing out. There’s one of the Eiffel Tower and one of the Taj Mahal. And one of the Golden Gate Bridge. They’re all faded like everything else on this block, but Mom likes to tap the glass over the Golden Gate Bridge poster like she’s got a plan. Which she does. I know she does. She just hasn’t shared it with me yet.

We’re at the front of a line of vans that look a lot like ours—drained of blood. I thought they were abandoned, but last night I caught sight of an arm popped out of a window two vans back; it dumped something wet and steamy onto the sidewalk. Not a good sign.

Mom calls someone who scratches at the same worry, over and over, a “grinder.” I am definitely grinding. But Labor Day is when school starts in Chicago. It’s gotta start around the same time here. And I’m pretty sure I can’t go without an address. I know I can’t check out a library book without one.

I settle my eyes on the homes across the street. To them, looking down, we’re just a shadowy crease, like in the fold of my book. Everything that matters is off to the sides of us—the water and bridge out my window, the mansions and hills out Mom’s. We’re in the no-place place.

The absence of a credit card is like the absence of a thumb, Mom says. You can’t grip things tightly. We lived in a crummy apartment in Chicago because of the absence of a credit card. We live in this van because of the absence of a credit card. We can’t pay this new parking ticket. Missing a thumb is something you notice quick.

Parked has 400 pages but I read the whole book in one day on a long train journey - and yes, it is THAT good! I always enjoy books with different voices and Danielle Svetcov makes this easy to identify with alternating chapters and a different font for each of these kids. 

Kirkus, however, think this book is too long and there are too many neat coincidences, but it did hold my attention right to the end. I did have one reservation myself (hence the 4 stars) - I was not sure why Cal drew all his images of people with wings and I wanted to know a little more about his absent dad and his distant mum. I did enjoy the minor characters - the crazy kid who keeps escaping from his daycare/summer activities program and the generous and kind man in the van next door. 

Ms Yingling also has a few reservations about Parked:

The juxtaposition of Cal and Jeanne Ann's lives was particularly interesting since they lived on the same street. The details of why the family ends up living in a van, and how they manage various activities is important in helping young readers understand how others may face difficulties they may not. Cal's presence makes the neighborhood initiative to remove the vans more interesting, and the fact that Jeanne Ann loves reading will immediately endear this to librarians and language arts teachers. The San Francisco setting and the different restaurants adds to the appeal of this.

Publisher blurb: Jeanne Ann is smart, stubborn, living in an orange van, and determined to find a permanent address before the start of seventh grade. Cal is awkward, sensitive, living in a humongous house across the street, and determined to save her. Jeanne Ann wants Cal's help just about as much as she wants to live in a van. As the two form a tentative friendship that grows deeper over alternating chapters, they're buoyed by a cast of complex, oddball characters, who let them down, lift them up, and leave you cheering. Debut novelist Danielle Svetcov shines a light on a big problem without a ready answer, pulling it off with the perfect balance of humor, heartbreak, and hope.

When I am travelling I like to read books on an e-reader so my next few blog posts I will share the books I read over the last couple of weeks.

Parked was published in 2020 but a paperback from 2021 is currently available here in Australia.

Roar for Reading by Beth Ferry illustrated by Andrew Joyner

"Libraries are like the best free buffets, offering endless choices 

so everyone can pick and choose what they like. 

If there comes a day when you hear that some books have been pulled from your library, it might be time to ROAR."

Libraries were once guarded by lions. They became known as librarians! They had the joyous job of story times, reading and recommending books to children, and adding wonderful books to their libraries. Then came the day Ms Millicent receives a letter. Ms Millicent headed straight to the office of the Mayor. He used words like controversial, inappropriate, and conservative. Ms Millicent replied with words like banning, censorship and accessibility. Ms Millicent did not win this battle of words and so on the next page we see the head librarian, Ms Millicent, pulling bundles and bundles of books off her library shelves. 

Lions from earlier times knew how to roar if things were amiss in the library. Young Julius has been watching his mum pulling out his own favourite books. 

"Julius got a funny feeling. He ran to the shelf where he kept his favourite books. He felt a rush of relief when he saw them, these stories that he loved so much. The one he had read thirty-three times. The one he was saving for the first day of summer. The special one he read with his grandmother."

What would happen if he couldn't read these books? Julius feels a rumble and the rumble turns into a ROAR! His mum feels the roar too and the roar spreads to book lovers everywhere.

At the end of this book the protesters win, and Julius and the other library patrons can read any book they like BUT as you probably know very sadly this is not actually the case in the US. The final pages of Roar for Reading have a set of four stepts - R Recognise book bans and censorship; O Organise and talk to other who see this as wrong A Act write letters, attend meetings and R respect everyone's right to read what interest them. 

This timely book effectively simplifies the current book-banning movement into easily digestible terms. Kirkus

This book caught my eye because I saw the Australian illustrator Andrew Joyner. You may remember his books - The Swap, Flocked, The Terrible Plop or Too Many elephants in this House. I read all of these to hundreds of children in my former school library.

Beth Ferry is a famous author in the US - I wonder how Andrew Joyner came to illustrate her book. Andrew lives in South Australia.  Beth Ferry is the author of Scarecrow illustrated by The Fan Brothers has been on my to buy/read list for many years - sadly though it is very expensive here in Australia. See her books here. 

These are a very small sample of the picture books and middle grade books that have been banned in the US. These are all books I loved and continue to recommend:

Bridge to Terabithia

Front Desk

The Parker Inheritance

Charlotte's Web

Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King

Mac and his friends are assigned to a reading group Table 6. The way this works, their teacher. Ms Sett, gives each group a different book. They are told 'not to read ahead' and after each class session they have to complete vocabulary and response tasks. Just as an aside I do not like this format of teaching - especially the instruction 'do not read ahead'. And so I did cheer when one of the Table 6 group - Hannah Do (later we learn her real name is Hao Do) declares she has already read the whole book. In fact she has read all the class assigned books!

This group are assigned The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen (1988). Hopefully you do know this is a real book. I will confess I had not read it but it is now on my list. Here is the Kirkus Star review. And Jane Yolen writes about her book here. 

When Mac opens his copy of this book there are words that have been blacked out - we would call this a texta here in Australia but in the US it is called a Sharpie. Why has this book been censored? What do the missing words say? Mac and his friends are completely shocked and so they decide to take action. First off, they talk to the school Principal, but she just offers platitudes. So, then they make a presentation to the school board. Their local independent bookstore has their assigned book and so they can read the 'offending' passages. This content is simply about body parts and these kids can see absolutely no reason why these words are covered in rectangles. They decide to protest outside the bookshop each Saturday in the hope of raising awareness about this issue. 

Meanwhile Mac is navigating some difficult times in his family. His dad no longer lives with them but he does visit once a week. His behaviour is very strange and then his father robs their house and takes the car owned by Mac's grandfather. 

And there is also the issue of their class teacher. She has assigned herself as a rule maker for the whole town. Halloween is banned; there is a curfew of 9pm; in some streets the houses are expected to be painted white; and no one is allowed to eat junk food. Also at school girls are banned from wearing shorts even though this is okay for boys.

Objections to the town rules are presented in the form of letters to the editor. This part of the story really resonated with me. I often despair when rules at every level are set as reaction to one event. In this case some teenagers scare some little kids at Halloween so Halloween is banned - ridiculous. 

Having finished another book a couple of days ago I picked up the next one. I thought I would just dip in and perhaps read a few pages - I lifted my head around page 176 and then when I couldn't sleep, because I wanted to know how this story could possibly be resolved, I read the remaining pages, up to page 258 from 1-2am. YES this book is THAT good. And page 248 contains the best scene I have ever read in a book - it made me smile and gasp. 

Attack of the Black Rectangles was published in 2022 but the paperback edition from Scholastic has only just reached Australia. I purchased my copy for AUS$17 but I see it is offered by Scholastic Book Club here is Australia - issue 3, 2025. 

The students in this book are in Grade 6 but my recommendation is that this is a book for students in Grades 7 and 8. There is some confronting content about the holocaust and also the issue of censorship which I think better suits an older group. And of course the key text - The Devil's Arithmetic is a Young Adult title for readers aged 13+. 

Listen to an audio sample here. This is a timely and important book. It is easy to read and there are touches of humour. These kids, as Colby said (see below) feel so real. I highly highly recommend Attack of the Black Rectangles for readers aged 11+. 

Here is a quote from a review about the audio book: The group of narrators do a great job with the audiobook and King’s vivid storytelling and great characters come to life as the story unfolds. It’s a wonderful insight into the American censorship battle and shows there’s hope and always a fight to have against those who try to silence others.

Colby Sharp said: "It just so real." "I love how real this felt." "How possible it felt for kids to make a difference and for kids to find their voice and demand that they are heard." "One of the best books of the year." Listen to this audio interview at The Yarn. 

But this book is not just about book banning, it’s a moving story of a young teen boy trying to figure out who he is and navigating family, friendship, first crushes, and his own emotions as he transitions into adolescence. It’s a powerful and inspiring look at the inner lives of teen boys and it moved me at times to tears. At other times, I cheered for our Mac, who is genuine, authentic, inspiring while also being complicated, complex, at times messy and flawed. School Library Journal

Take a look at these review comments quoted on the author web page:

“Poignant, humorous, and bright . . . Whip-smart, tuned in to the mind of sixth-graders, and beautifully concluded, the novel takes a bold stand in a time of book bans and rampant censorship . . . Against the backdrop of family issues, first crushes, and the end of elementary school, this is a beacon of hope for middle grades and an object lesson in treating kids like the intelligent readers they are.”—Booklist, starred review

“[Amy Sarig King’s] respect for young people is exemplary, and her characters indelible.”—Horn Book, starred review (contains spoilers)

“Skillfully encourages keeping open minds and extending grace to the oblivious and hostile alike . . . A searingly relevant opus to intellectual freedom.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“King’s latest novel is so timely and relevant, some readers may feel like the author has been privy to what’s going on in their own schools . . . A striking book on censorship; a must-have in all middle grade classrooms and school libraries.”—School Library Journal, starred review

Tweet by Morris Gleitzman

"Sometimes going viral can be a good thing. You and Clyde are heroes. A boy and a budgie bravely protecting thousands of birds. Standing in the way of giant trucks 

that want to squish them. How totally inspiring is that?"

All readers judge books by their covers and then the author's name (if it is familiar) and then the blurb. Begin with the one-word title. Tweet is a word we all associate with Twitter and the internet and the spreading of informed and uninformed ideas. Perhaps we also think of this as the chatter, often mindless, of social media.  Now look more closely at the cover and you can see a boy in silhouette with a small yellow and green budgie (bird). Then zoom in even closer and the speech bubble which contains the word tweet is shown coming from the bird not the boy. This is intriguing. Now onto the author. I guess most Australian young readers and nearly all Australian teachers and Teacher-Librarians have heard, and also have read, a book to two by Morris Gleitzman. After all he started writing in 1987. His first book was The Other Facts of Life. In 1987 I had been working in my first school library in a small country town for just two years. From then on we collected every book he wrote and I read nearly all of them. In fact he is the author of over forty titles. See the covers of most of these at the end of this post. 

The one thing that distinguishes a Morris Gleitzman book, from books by other writers, is his unique 'voice'. I use the term naive protagonist. In this book Clyde (he is the budgie from the front cover) and Jay, both have this 'voice' albeit one is a boy, and one is a bird. I probably should spend more time thinking about why the bird has a human name and the boy is named after a bird but that might relate to the fact that Jay's parents are ornithologists. 

In a pattern you are sure to have encountered in many, many books, Jay's parents are absent. In fact, they are missing. They set off for Africa to study birds and they have not returned and no one seems to be able to contact them. The mission to find the lost parents is one of the issues that drives the plot of this book. There is one other adult in Jay's life, but Morris Gleitzman removes him from the story very early on - spoiler alert - sadly Poppa is taken to hospital where he dies. That neatly sets up the plot of Jay and Clyde and later a few other unlikely friends who now have to 'save the world'.

The other issue that keeps you turning the pages of this long book (348 pages) is the mystery of the other birds who keep showing up in their hundreds disrupting human activities. This is happening in the city where Jay lives but later we discover it is happening around the world. Why are the birds stopping traffic? Do they have a message? Yes they do. Humans need to listen but birds and humans do not speak the same language. Luckily Clyde is part human because he has been a pet. He can 'talk' to Jay and over time he learns how to communicate with other wild birds. It is also Clyde who makes the most important friends - a bird named Dora (she is a galah) and another bird - a Kea. Just in case you don't know a kea is a large parrot from New Zealand. 

The birds are showing up to highlight the environmental issues facing our world today. This reminded me of this brilliant book by Christopher Cheng (another well-known Australian author).

Morris Gleitzman explains about the environmental issues he raises in his book:

But it doesn't end there. You'll notice that, as well as all these other problems, Tweet contains one other problem that's so big, none of the characters know how to solve it. Not even Jay and Clyde's friends Maxine and Dora, who are super-smart. Please don't fret. Not every problem in a story has to be solved by the last page. Sometimes just discovering new ways to think about problems is the biggest adventure of all.

I mentioned this is a long book, but the chapters are very, very short and the viewpoints keep alternating between Jay and Clyde, so I found myself swept along with the story and I was easily able to finish the whole book over a couple of days. I think you will need to explain this to your library readers because the size of this book might daunt them but really there are so many funny, almost laugh out loud, moments and Clyde especially is such an endearing character I do think young readers aged 10+ will really enjoy this book. And it is sure to make them curious to read other books by Morris Gleitzman beyond his World War II series. 

Publisher blurb: Birds. Lots of birds. The people of the world are puzzled. Their feathered friends are trying to tell them something, and they’re not sure what it is. Then a boy and his pet budgie discover the secret. Join Jay and Clyde, and their friends Maxine and Dora, on an exciting, funny, risky journey to save their families. And every other family too.

Here are a few text quotes which I was pleased to see were also mentioned in the teachers notes (see below):

"I know you're fresh out of the cage ... but don't be a dope. This is what we birds do. We look out for each other, right?"

"Something terrible's happening. Huge numbers of birds have started acting crazy. Putting themselves in crazy danger."

"The birds are making a big nuisance of themselves to punish humans for being so cruel. And they don't have a clue how much more cruel that'll make humans be towards them."

"Leaders have two basic things ... Ideas and armies. And the armies are usually bigger than the ideas."

Here are some very detailed teachers notes with discussion questions from the publisher. 

Check out some reviews:

• Readings Melbourne
• What book Next?
• Kids' Book Review
• Story Links

Companion books:

The 7 Professors of the Far North

The Last Bear

Melt

The Doldrums

Flight of the Phoenix

Pearly and Pig 

The Someday Birds

Books by Morris Gleitzman: