Strays by Gia Gordon

"How could someone dump this sweet little dog onto the street? How could someone chuck him out the window like he was a bag of week-old McDonalds? How could anyone with half a soul look into those melting eyes and not want to fold him into a love-blanket, and take him home?"

Campbell is in Grade 6. She finds it hard to concentrate at school and she has a complex relationship with her almost silent father. He works for the city animal rescue centre, except this place is not really about rescue because stray dogs and cats are only kept there for three days and then it is her father's job to decide to euthanatize them. This partly explains why Campbell's father is so distant but other dreadful things have happened and these are gradually revealed through the story - her dad was a fireman and something went badly wrong when Campbell was having her fifth birthday party but even worse Campbell's mum left the family and then (spoiler alert) she was killed in a car accident.

Luckily Campbell does have a fabulous friend at school - a girl named Luz. Luz lives with her mum, dad and older twin sisters in a busy household but Luz does not have a perfect life either. Her dad has been serving in the army and over the last ten years has rarely been home with the family. As this book opens though he has returned from his deployment and his service has ended but he is suffering from dreadful PTSD and adjusting back into his own family is difficult.

Into this mix comes a small brown dog. Campbell witnesses someone discarding him:

"I'm not expecting a beefy man-hand to reach out the window holding a tiny, squirming dog. I'm not expecting that dog to drop out of the beefy-man hand onto the sidewalk. I'm not expecting the van to speed away. I'm not expecting that teensy flash of beige-brown to take off, chasing the van."

So we have some puzzle pieces for this story which Gia Gordon neatly puts together into a very satisfying conclusion but not a conclusion you will expect at all. 

I do also need to mention the fantastic school Teacher-Librarian in this story - Miss Alba. She is kind, she listens to Campbell and she gives very practical support and access to the most perfect resources as Campbell struggles firstly to keep this little pup she names Tater Tot safe and away from her father who would be sure to take him to the dog shelter; and secondly when Campbell needs help to work out how to transport the little dog to the other side of the country - I hope that makes you even more curious about this book.  IF I was going to do further study in the field of children's literature I think there is a whole topic here about minor characters who are helpful Teacher-Librarians like Miss Alba.

"Librarians are kinda awesome that way. Because she always makes you feel like she has all the time in the world to talk to you or help you out with something even when it's her lunch hour."

Campbell is grieving in this book and her friendship with Luz is tested - the ups and downs of their relationship felt very real. I also loved the way Campbell showed really good emotional intelligence about her father and also when she saw things were hard for Luz and her parents.

Here are some poignant text quotes:

"Nothing I've ever loved wants to stay with me."

"For the first times in a few days, I feel like I can take a deep breath and blow it all the way out. For the first time since my dad left firefighting, since her couldn't work for two years, and then became head of animal control, I feel like there may be answers to the problems his job only makes worse."

"I smooth my hand over his cute little head, fun my fingers down his overside ears. Even though he's dirty and full of dried leaves and twigs, his fur is probably the softest thing I've ever touched in my whole life."

"even though I had food for him, he mostly just wanted some love."

There is a sweet little expression in this story used three times - it was not one I had heard or read before - I sit crisscross applesauce. 

Bookseller blurb: Campbell Cole has a big heart for all living things, especially strays. It might be because her father, the director of the local animal control, is as aloof as they come, so Campbell knows what it’s like to feel alone. When she spots an adorable dog being dumped on the street, the last thing Campbell can do is tell her dad. He might take the pup straight to the shelter, where new rescues have just three days to be adopted. The only person she can trust with the truth is her best friend, Luz. The more time Campbell spends trying to catch the dog, the more he starts to trust her, which is both great and terrible because Campbell knows she can’t keep him. But perhaps she doesn’t have to. With the help of Luz’s father, an army vet grappling with PTSD, she just may find a solution that benefits not only the dog, but everyone else, too.

Gia Gordon’s Strays is a beautifully written, heartfelt novel about friendship, family, and finding the courage to stand up for what’s right, that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to find a place to call home. Gia Gordon

An insightful, well-characterized exploration of love and trust. Kirkus

Readers will be drawn into this accessible, emotional story. The Horn Book

I saw this book Strays in a bookshop on Saturday a few weeks ago. It caught my eye because I had seen it mentioned somewhere, plus I do like the cover, and I am a sucker for books about dogs. Bonus - this is a very new book so you will be able to find it in your local independent bookstore. I recommend Strays for readers aged 10+. 

Companion book:

A Handful of Stars

Earlier today I read a comment on social media that if you see a dog on the cover of a book it is sure to be a sad story and the dog will die! NO. Thank goodness that is never the case in the books I read for children aged 9+.  Here are a few I love:

One Dog and his Boy

Answers to Dog

Talking to Alaska

Something like Home

Here is another book by Gia Gordon:

The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander

“Do you swear to venture forth bravely and find the answer to any question, 

no matter the challenge?”

If you mashed together Alice in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth you might come close to the plot of this book - such a wild ride. You will turn the pages so quickly as you read this book desperate to see if Lenora can survive all the mayhem.  

The only extra things I would have liked were a library map and perhaps a Dewey decimal chart showing all the library departments where Lenora was sent by the Chief Librarian Malachi. Lenora goes to the calendar room, the map room and the unknown room which actually has information about tardigrades, all the while she is being chased by the enemy who brings darkness. Along the way her status rises and she is awarded new badges. Lenora has to be very mindful of the library motto:

Knowledge is Light

Bookseller blurb: With her parents off traveling the globe, Lenora is bored, bored, bored until she discovers a secret doorway into the ultimate library. Maze like and reality-bending, the library contains all the universe's wisdom. Every book ever written, and every fact ever known, can be found within its walls. And Lenora becomes its newly appointed Fourth Assistant Apprentice Librarian. She rockets to the stars, travels to a future filled with robots, and faces down a dark nothingness that wants to destroy all knowledge. To save the library, Lenora will have to test her limits and uncover secrets hidden among its shelves.

In the chaos of this story there is also commentary on censorship, the role of libraries as providers of free information, the importance of curiosity, and of course the value of libraries as organised repositories of books, maps, charts, ephemera and so much more. Materials from everywhere and every time period.

"The Forces of Darkness wish to control people, and it is every knowledge that prevents them from doing so. ... They can only rule where there is ignorance, they can only create fear where the truth has been hidden, they can only gain power when the light has been snuffed out. Librarians are their greatest enemy, and we have fought them throughout time, and always will fight them as long as that light burns anywhere, no matter how weakly."

I may not have kept reading this book actually because it all became a little too silly for me but then I took a detour last night and glanced at the Kirkus review. Such is the power of their work that the star they gave The Library of Ever spurred me on to stick with this story although I am not so sure I need to read the sequel. I did enjoy Lenora's common sense, determination, perseverance, and her amazing general knowledge. She certainly adapted well to the roles of Assistant Apprentice Librarian and later Assistant Librarian. 

There are moments in this story that made me smile:

"The tardigrade snarled. 'As far as we tardigrades are concerned, Pluto is and always will be a planet. end of discussion. ...Lenora saw no reason to argue. She had always thought that Pluto seemed like a perfectly fine planet, whatever the adults might tell her. She took out her notebook. Pluto is, always will be, a planet. This she underlined firmly."

"I would like to know,' she said, 'how to find Wales.' 'You've found them,' said the whale. 'We are in fact, beluga whales.' 'Oh,' said Lenora. 'I mean Wales, the place, not whales, the mammal. 'Hmph' replied the whale ... And I suppose you think that just because I am a whale, a mammal, that I automatically know the location of Wales, the place?"

Not the first tale to be set in a universal library but unusually clever in the details and commendably accurate in its own way. Kirkus Star review

At its heart, The Library of Ever is a love letter to librarians and an ode to the importance of access to knowledge and information for everyone. The Winged Pen

Here is a fun interview with the author and the web page for Zeno Alexander. I picked up my copy of The Library of Ever at a recent charity book sale for $2. This book was published in 2019 but it is still available as is the sequel:

Bookseller blurb: Lenora returns to the magical Library—which holds every book ever known on its shelves. But she discovers the Library is under new management, its incredible rooms and corridors turned sinister and oppressive. Lenora quickly connects with a secret resistance that’s trying to free knowledge from the darkness threatening it. Her new friends introduce her to an ancient lost city, hang-gliding, and mathematical beings larger than the universe itself.

Companion books:

The 113th Assistant Librarian

Lost in a Book

The Lost History

Escape from Mr Lemoncello's Library

The Lost Library

The Phantom Tollbooth

Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate illustrated by Charles Santoso

“Here at Second Chances,” Pocket continued, “we report to two lovely humans. Elizaveta and Dasha, her daughter, make sure we are prepared for new homes. ... “Our job,” Pocket said, “our only job, is to wait with hope. Always with hope. 

And while we wait, to care for each other.”

Elizaveta and her daughter, Dasha, are refugees from war-torn Ukraine. Their cat named Zephyrina brings them gifts in the form of old discarded toys. Dasha has named their home Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured. When the toys arrive they have a few days outside on display just in case their actual owner comes by to retrieve them then the toy is taken inside and restored. First stop the freezer to remove any bugs then off to the day spa (bathroom) for a thorough cleaning. The plan is that over time to old toys will find new homes. Dasha also writes a history for each bear - I loved this idea. 

Look closely - Pocket is standing on the piano to address the gathering of toys.

What Elizaveta and Dasha don't know is that these toys have nighttime adventures and that they have a 'leader' named Pocket. He is a tiny pocket bear made to comfort soldiers during World War I. As this story begins Zephyrina has bought in a new bear. Later he is named Berwon. The curious possibility about this new bear is that he might be from the famous Steif factory. If that is true he could be worth a lot of money so it is at this point of the story an unscrupulous antique toy dealer arrives. She connives to steal Berwon - his rescue will leave you breathless. 

Every part of this book made me smile especially the gentle wisdom of Pocket and the voice of the street wise cat Zephyrina also known as Corporal Z. Here are a few text quotes:

Thing about Pocket, first thing you noticed, was his height. Guy was tiny, even for a stuffed toy. Three and a half inches max, nose to toes. He was fond of saying—Pocket was fond of saying many things - “We are, all of us, small for a while. But only a fortunate few stay small forever.”

He said the most important feature of a mascot bear, besides his size, was the positioning of his eyes. Dark glass edged in gold, they were set higher than you might expect. That way, if a soldier, pining away for his family or his sweetheart, glanced down at his pocket, he would see a little bear gazing up at him. I had my doubts when Pocket told me this. It seemed like an awfully big burden to put on the shoulders of a tiny bear.

“Your fellow recruits are all here after lives of many kinds.” Pocket began striding up and down the piano keys. “Some brutal. Some brimming with sweetness. Some wild with adventure. Some unhurried and serene.” He smiled. “All complicated. All beautiful.”

She lowered Berwon into the bubbles, careful to keep his head above the water. She only immersed the toys briefly. Didn’t want to get them too wet, I suppose. “I love watching you at work.” Elizaveta leaned against the wall and smiled. “You’re so gentle.” Dasha reached for the brush. She stroked the fur on Berwon’s back. “I like it. It feels good to take something messed up and make it, you know … not so messed up.”

The sign says Welcome to Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured

You will need to wait until February 2026 to pick up this book here in Australia (I read the ebook version). Hopefully it will be available from your favourite independent bookstore [9781760266622].

It would be wonderful to share this book as a family read aloud. Think about exploring words such as incredulous; imperfections; arctophiles; spry; and altruist. The 93 chapters are very short so you could read 5 or 6 each night. This book has 272 pages. You also must hunt out other books by Katherine Applegate. I have SO many favourites. Here is her website. Here are some teachers notes - not sure I would use these. I think this is a book just to read and love!

During World War I Farnell contributed to the war effort by making miniature soldier bears that were often given to soldiers by their loved ones as good luck. The bears had upturned faces so they could look out from their soldier’s front pocket to see what was going on. Read more here

Applegate’s writing is exquisitely nuanced; she couches profound themes in accessible language that depicts relatable situations. Gentle, generous Elizaveta and Dasha poignantly underscore the human impact of wars. Santoso’s enchanting, delicate, black-and-white illustrations bring the timeless feeling of a classic to this hopeful, humanizing story of the distressed looking out for each other. Kirkus Star review

Publisher blurb: Thimble-born from tip to toe, Pocket Bear remembers every moment of his becoming: the glimmering needle, the silken thread, the tender hands as each careful stitch brought him closer to himself. Born during the throes of WWI, he was designed to fit into the pocket of a soldier’s jacket, eyes sewn a bit higher than normal so that he always gazed upward. That way, glancing at his pocket, a soldier would see an endearing token of love from someone back home, and, hopefully, a good luck charm. Now, over a century later, Pocket serves as unofficial mayor of Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured, where stuffed toy animals are refurbished and given a fresh opportunity to be loved. He and his best feline friend Zephyrina, known far and wide as “The Cat Burglar,” have seen it all, and then some. An unforgettable tale of bravery, loyalty, and kindness, Pocket reminds us all that love comes in many forms (sometimes filled with fluff), and that second chances are always possible.

The text skillfully balances the perpetual appeal of animated toys, the warm connections between various characters, and the villainous action of the collector’s thievery to offer readers a well-paced, reassuring tale of friendship with just a bit of mild tension. An earnest consideration of the trauma of war brings added depth: not only was Pocket on the battlefield years ago, but Dasha recently lost her dad to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Fans of Applegate will be pleased with another work that is sweet but not saccharine, cozy but not twee. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Applegate’s latest strikes at the heart, addressing the vitality of empathy, the long-lasting effects of war, and the power of found family. Readers follow the plot through Zephyrina’s perspective and journey from a tough street cat to a loving pet. One can either let their past harden them or let it soften them to the world around them, and the characters of Applegate’s book strive for empathy and softness. School Library Journal, starred review

Final wisdom from the author Katherine Applegate in her author notes:

If you’ve ever loved a stuffed toy, you’ll understand. And if you haven’t, well, there’s still time, as Pocket says. There’s always time.

Companion books:

The Barnabus Project

Barnaby Unboxed

They Threw us Away

Teddy and Co

Dougal the Garbage dump Bear

South with the Seabirds by Jess McGeachin

The subtitle of this book says: Follow four remarkable scientists to the edge of the world.

By being one of the first female scientists to join an Antarctic research trip, fearlessly exploring the globe, actively striving to conserve wildlife and leading by example Mary Gillham became an inspiration to female scientists helping to normalise the sight of women in a traditionally male-dominated field.

In this book we meet four scientists. The year is 1959 and that is very significant because only men are considered able to do research in Antartica. The four women we meet here are Mary Gillham from the UK; and Isobel Bennett, Hope Macpherson and Susan Ingham from Australia. Hope and Isobel are marine biologists who plan to study the animals in the rock pools on the shores of Macquarie Island. Mary has been studying birds, animals and plants in a variety of environments from the arid desert to rocky islands. She has a plan to study the seabirds and unique plants and to report on the damage caused by introduced rabbits. Susan wants to check on the seals to make sure their populations are recovering now that hunting is banned. And all four scientists are fascinated by the variety of penguins - Royal, King, Gentoo and the Southern Rockhopper. 

Image Source Antartcia.gov.au

The whole expedition was just 15 days. You can read more and this expedition and about Mary Gillham (1921-2013) and see photos and newspaper articles here. The end papers in South with the Seabirds show four places on Macquarie Island that celebrate the achievements of these women scientists. This book also has a useful timeline and a brief biography of each of the four women. I was thrilled to read that Mary Gillham achieved her PhD. 

Some facts about Macquarie Island:

• Macquarie Island is located halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica and a station was established on the “green sponge” in 1948. The Island was used as a half way point to establish the first radio link between Australia and Antarctica during Sir Douglas Mawson’s 1911 expedition.
• Throughout the year, the Macquarie Island teems with vast congregations of wildlife. Where the nutrient rich waters of the Southern Ocean meet warmer northern waters, rich feeding grounds are created and make the island an ideal haven for penguins, seals and seabirds to live and breed.
• Macquarie Island was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1933. In 1997, World Heritage status was granted due to its outstanding geological and natural significance.
• Rabbits, rats and mice, brought to the island over nearly 200 years of visitation and occupation were finally eradicated in 2014, after a 7-year, eradication program. With grazing pressures removed, the island is returning to its former lush, green glory.

In my former school library our Grade 6 students completed a unit of work on Antartica. This book would be a perfect resource. Using this book you could also explore women in Antarctica - scientists, explorers and as people working in the various stations. The publisher webpage has a link to a set of teaching notes to use with South with the Seabirds. 

Here are some websites to explore:

Ten Pioneering Women of Antarctica and the Places Named for Them

The story of the first Australian women in Antarctica

Behind the News Macquarie Island (2023)

Behind the News Rabbit on Macquarie Island (2019) YouTube

When you introduce the topic of women in science you could also talk about Beatrix Potter. The children are sure to be familiar with her characters like Peter Rabbit and other animals characters who appear in her small books, but Beatrix Potter was also an amazing scientist especially in the area of mycoloy. I think your students will be amazed to learn that as a woman in 1897 she was not permitted to present her research to London’s Linnaean Society, the bastion of Victorian botany, which was exclusively male and barred women from membership, denied them access to the research library, and wouldn’t even allow them to attend the presentations of scientific papers.

We are so lucky to have a talent like Jess McGeachin producing books here in Australia.

Fly

The tree at Number 43

Deep

Kind

South with the Seabirds is a CBCA 2025 Eve Pownall (Non Fiction) Notable title. I am very hopeful it will be one of the six short listed titles which will be announced at the end of March. 

The 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Eve Pownall Award Notables are…

• All About the Brain by Gabriel Dabscheck (Berbay)
• Always Was, Always Will Be by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson (Magabala Books)
• Anti-Racism Kit by Sabina Patawaran & Jinyoung Kim, illustrated by Emma Ismawi (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
• Australia’s Baby Animals by Jess Racklyeft (Affirm Press)
• Before the Mountain had a Name by Fiona Levings (Forty South Publishing)
• Come Together Again by Isaiah Firebrace, illustrated by Jaelyn Biumaiwai (Hardie Grant Explore)
• Design & Building on Country by Alison Page & Paul Memmott, illustrated by Blak Douglas (Thames & Hudson Australia)
• Extreme Animal Facts by Jennifer Cossins (Lothian Children’s Books)
• Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants by Tania McCartney (NLA Publishing)
• Follow Your Gut by Ailsa Wild & Lisa Stinson, with Briony Barr & Gregory Crocetti, illustrated by Ben Hutchings (Scribe Publications)
• I am a Magpie, I am a Currawong by Bridget Farmer (Black Cockatoo Books)
• The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Extinct Animals by Sami Bayly, illustrated by Sami Bayly (Lothian Children’s Books)
• Into the Ice: Reflections on Antarctica by Alison Lester & Coral Tulloch (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
• Making the Shrine: Stories From Victoria’s War Memorial by Laura J Carroll (The Crossley Press)
• Now for the Good News by Planet Ark Environmental Foundation, illustrated by Sarah Wiecek (Penguin Random House Australia)
• Plantabulous! More A to Z of Australian Plants by Catherine Clowes, illustrated by Rachel Gyan (CSIRO Publishing)
• Seed to Sky: Life in the Daintree by Pamela Freeman, illustrated by Liz Anelli (Walker Books Australia)
• Sensational Australian Animals by Stephanie Owen Reeder, illustrated by Cher Hart (CSIRO Publishing)
• South With the Seabirds by Jess McGeachin (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
• Sunny Finds His Song by Catherine Storey & Penny Watson, illustrated by Sarah Matsuda (Wet Season Books)
• Too Many Tigers by Monica Reeve (Forty South Publishing, Tasmania)
• Unreal by Kate Simpson, illustrated by Leila Rudge (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
• Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu by Diane Lucas & Ben Tyler, illustrated by Emma Long (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
• Wedge-tailed Eagle by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Christina Booth (Walker Books Australia)
• When the World Was Soft by Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation, illustrated by Alex Mankiewicz (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)

Storm by Jane Bunn illustrated by Dasha Riley

"The sky was menacing and dark. It looked like it could swallow anything and everything."

The television weather presenter advises everyone to say indoors. Jane's little dog Stampy is terrified. Jane is a problem solver and so she decides to research storms and write her discoveries in her journal which she then shares with her pup. To complete her research, she uses the library and talks with a meteorologist (her aunt). The result is a partially fiction book with full pages of weather facts. 

The author of this book is a television weather presenter from Channel Seven. Celebrity books do make me cringe - but I guess a television weather presenters would know her topic and also, she is perhaps a fairly minor celebrity - unless you live in Melbourne. She talks about her book here with Reading with a Chance of Tacos. (25 minutes) She might do further books and make a series. Hope she can take a look at this book set:

I had a little girl in my school a few years ago who was terrified of storms and especially upset of there was thunder and lightning. One day we had a very wild storm at school - actually this happened fairly often at home time. The little girl was with me in the library - I don't remember why - but I do remember comforting her during the storm and the kind reaction of her mum when she finally arrived. I would have loved to loan her this book once the storm had passed. 

I am not a massive fan of the illustrations in this book, but I do really like the combination of a fictional narrative about Jane and her dog linked with the fact pages about storms; lightning; wind; hail; storm safety; and predicting weather.

Publisher blurb: When a dark, menacing storm rumbles over Jane’s house, she has lots of questions ... Where do storms come from? What causes lightning? How does hail form? And most importantly, how do we stay safe? Discover all the wild-weather answers you need to know in this imaginative and informative story from weather presenter and meteorologist Jane Bunn.

Pair this with:

I am the Storm

Agatha May and the Angler Fish by Nora Morrison and Jessie Ann Foley illustrated by Mika Song

"Each of you scholars will research a creature that lives in the ocean. 

You'll learn all its features."

"Pick any sea-dweller from under the sun, but no two children 

may choose the same one!"

There is SO much to enjoy about this book. Agatha May is a clever child, but she is bouncing along to her own beat - I love her nonconformity. I also love her passion which in this case is for Anglerfish. Agatha waits in the line for her turn to select a fish to research:

"As Agatha listened, the tears gathered fast. She had no merit points! Her turn would be last! She was tardy and dreamy, her interests were odd, her fingers were charcoaled, her breath smelt like cod!"

I have listed this book as a picture book (fiction) but really it is both fiction and nonfiction. Agatha talks with so much authority about this fish and at the back of the book there are two pages of facts and further read. 

One of the brightest students I was ever lucky enough to work with in my Primary school was a little like young Agatha. Her schoolwork and desk were always completely messy (seemingly disorganised) but young Blair knew where everything was. I am sad to say her messy habits did infuriate her class teacher just as we see in this book with Mrs Marino. I wish I could wind back time and share this book with that teacher from my school. Blair was one of our school leaders and I know by the end of the year the teacher did come to appreciate her outstanding intelligence, but it did take a long while for him to understand this Grade Six girl. (She is now a senior associate in a legal firm).

Read more about the Anglerfish here. You might find a book in your school library about Anglerfish or a general fish book might have a chapter with details of this curious creature.

The satisfaction of seeing Agatha May rewarded for her fixation is rivaled only by Song’s marvelous watercolor embodiment of Agatha May’s untidy, obsessive self. Kirkus

The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas by Kimberly Willis Holt

As I began to read The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas yesterday I realised I need to revisit the first book from this two book series - When Zachary Beaver Came to Town.  I re-read my blog post but it did not have enough information so yesterday I read both of these books from cover to cover in one sitting. That's 227 pages plus 311 pages. I am glad I did this because, while the second book could perhaps stand alone, you will have a far richer reading experience if you can read both of these books one after the other so that all the small plot details fit together. 

This second book, published in 2021, is set about 25 years after the first. Back in 1971 a trailer pulled up in the Dairy Maid parking lot. Inside is a young boy - he is being used as a circus curiosity - billed as the "Fattest Boy in the World". Over the next few weeks Toby Wilson and his best friend Cal make friends with Zachary. His owner/manager/guardian has left him behind in the trailer. Paulie Rankin has headed away to find more circus acts. Zachary has some food and books to read but it does feel as though he has been abandoned. The local police Sheriff Levi arrives after a window is broken on the trailer. the sheriff tells Toby and Cal that Zachary will have to placed in foster care if Paulie doesn't return by the end of the week.

Now moving onto the second book. Toby has married Tara (she's the younger sister of Scarlett. Toby had a huge crush on Scarlett). Toby and Tara have two daughters - Rylee and Mayzee. Mayzee is six years old and little like Tara was in the first book - loud, brave and a born performer. Rylee, aged 12 is more reserved. She is starting Grade 7 and her dad will be her history teacher. Rylee has one true friend - a girl named Twig. Sadly Twig has just returned from a trip to Spain. Now she no longer talks to Rylee and worse she seems to want to hang out with the class bully. 

After 9-11, a young boy and his mum have moved from New York to Antler in the Texas panhandle. Joe and Rylee slowly become friends and Joe opens up about his grief and past life. When Joe hears about Zachary Beaver he tells Rylee they should try to find him. Rylee is worried Zachary might now be dead but Joe encourages her and together, using the brilliant services of the local reference librarian, they piece together the life of Zachary from 1971 to 2021. I imagine you are guessing there will be a happy ending but SO much happens before we reach the end of this engrossing story of small town life and the colourful characters who live there.

Read more plot details in the Kirkus review. Ms Yingling comments on both stories here. Listen to an audio sample which begins on page 4. Kimberly Willis Holt explains the inspiration for her story. 

This is the first middle grade novel that I have read that deals with the events of September 11th, 2001. I am sure there are tons of others, just as there lots of books coming through now dealing with the Covid 19 pandemic, but so far this is my first book that touched on 9-11. 

I fell in love with a whole town. Becky's book Reviews - me too especially Miss Myrtie Mae Pruitt; Miss Earline the real estate agent; Ferris from the Bowl-a-Rama cafe; and Opalina Wilson (Rylee's grandmother and Toby's mum).  Oh and I'm keen to try a Snow Cone especially a Bahama Mam flavour. I'd also love to have seen the hundreds of ladybirds that were released over the cotton fields (from the first book).

You should also read this book by Kimberly Willis Holt:

Blooming at the Sunrise Motel

Little Nelly's Big Book by Pippa Goodhart illustrated by Andy Rowland

Have you read the folk tale about the six blind men and the elephant? Little Nelly's Big Book is a variation on that theme. Nelly is reading a book. She makes an amazing discovery:

Mice can be grey
Mice have big ears
Mice have skinny tails

It is so obvious Nelly is mouse! The book she is reading is a big book of words but with no pictures. Of course as a reader you can see Nelly herself reading the Big Book. Nelly is not a mouse she is a small elephant. Nelly does not know this. The book explains mice live in holes in skirting boards. Nellie lifts up a skirting board and finds the mice are at home.

"Er, you're rather a big mouse,' said Micky.
'I'm not!' said Little Nelly. 'If I'm a big mouse, why am I called little Nelly?"

Micky is not convinced but Granny mouse invites Little Nellie to join them. Things go well but Little Nellie doesn't feel entirely comfortable. Granny uses her laptop computer to do some research. The mice decide Nelly should visit the zoo and meet other 'mice' just like her.

The zoo is the perfect place for Nelly so Micky decides to take a look at the Big Book himself. He makes an amazing discovery:

Elephants can be grey
Elephants have big ears
Elephants have skinny tails

It all makes sense - Micky is an elephant!

The images in this picture book remind us that your outward appearance is not really important. What is really important in life is who you are and how you relate to the people who love you. Blog Curled up with a Good Book

This book celebrates being different and relishes the difficulty a large creature has in adapting to a small way of life. Books for Keeps

Take a look here to see all the books by Pippa Goodhart.  Sadly Little Nelly's Big Book was published in 2012 so it is now out of print but you might be lucky and find a copy in a library.

Here is another book I love about little elephants:

I would also pair Little Nelly's Big Book book with Fey Mouse by Hazel Edwards. Sadly this book is also out of print but I think many Australian Primary school libraries would have a copy.

The thing about jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Surrounded by the cruelty of adolescence, Zu is awkward, smart, methodical, and driven by sadness. 

As humans we constantly seek answers.  When someone dies, especially a younger person, we want to know why and how and most importantly was there something we should have done to prevent this.

Franny and Suzy had been friends since elementary school.  One day her mum calls her inside and says "Franny Jackson drowned."  Suzy is obsessed by numbers.  These are just three words but these words begin a tumultuous internal dialogue which sees Suzy trying to make peace with her childhood 'friend' and her own mistakes of the past.

"None of it made sense. Not then, and not later that night when the Earth dipped toward the stars. Not the next morning when it rolled back around to sunlight again."

Suzy needs answers so she turns to science she also decides to become silent.  Her self imposed silence means finding the answer to this tragedy become very one sided.  There is no one to collaborate with - no other view points.  Suzy is utterly convinced the culprit is the Irukandji jellyfish and so her scientific mind sets about intensive research to find everything she can about this mysterious creature - hence the title 'The thing about jellyfish.'

The class have to present a science talk on a topic of their own choice.  Each chapter of The thing about Jellyfish begins with an aspect of the scientific method their teacher Mrs Turton expects them to use.  One day she shows the class a set of pictures of earth seen from space.

"Here I was, just one out of seven billion people, and people were just one species out of ten million and those ten million were just a tiny fraction of all the species that ever existed, and somehow all of fit onto that fleck of brown dust on the screen. And we were surrounded by nothingness."

There are three narratives in this story shown with different fonts. The present action where we read about Suzy, her family and her jellyfish research, childhood scenes in happier times when Suzy and Franny were best friends and the recent past when pressures of the peer group and feelings of alienation wrecked everything for Suzy.  The scenes where Franny's new friends reject Suzy and Suzy's own social confusions are quite confronting.

One of the bloggers I follow is Mrs Yingling and the part of her reviews I really appreciate is her final comment "What I really think".

So what do I really think about The thing about Jellyfish.   I knew I would cry in this book but really the tears were not a result of my deep emotional connection with Suzy and her terrible experience of the death of a close friend.  I admire her drive, her attention to detail and her deep research but I remain a little confused about Suzy.  I felt she may be on the autism spectrum because she was so obsessive about numbers and details and so confused by social situations but the final scenes made me revise this idea.  I am sure this is a book that readers over 12 will enjoy and perhaps relate to especially as they navigate their confusion with identity and peer expectations.

My big problem with this book, though,  is with the suggested readership. The New York Times says 9-12.  I totally disagree.  I think this is for very mature senior primary students but really it is even more suitable for junior High School students.  There are references in this book to same sex relationships and after an especially awful scene Suzy, who is twelve, finds her period has started. In contrast Kirkus say 12+ and I agree with this.

Here is an interview with the author.  You might also enjoy Counting by 7s and True (sort of).