Does it matter if this is from AI?

 

I remember when my classroom was a little haven.

“Today, a 7-year-old told me I was useless.”

That’s how my last day as a public school teacher began.

No smirk. No attitude. Just a plain, indifferent voice—like he was commenting on the weather.

“You don’t know how to do TikTok. My mom says old people like you should retire.”

I smiled. I’ve learned not to take it personally.

But still... I felt something crack a little deeper inside.

My name is Mrs. Carter.

I’ve been teaching first grade in a small town outside Columbus, Ohio, for 36 years.

Today, I packed up my classroom for the last time.

When I started in the late ‘80s, teaching felt like a calling. A sacred bond.

We were trusted. Even admired.

We weren’t paid much, but there was respect—and that made up for a lot.

Parents brought brownies on conference nights.

Kids drew me birthday cards with misspelled words and crooked hearts.

And when little ones finally read their first sentence out loud?

There was a kind of joy no paycheck could ever match.

But something’s changed.

Slowly. Quietly. Year by year.

Until one day, I looked around my classroom and didn’t recognize the job anymore.

It’s not just the iPads and smartboards—though they’ve taken over, too.

It’s the exhaustion.

The disrespect.

The loneliness.

I used to spend evenings cutting out paper apples for bulletin boards.

Now I spend them documenting every incident on a student behavior app, just in case a parent threatens to sue.

I've been screamed at in front of my class.

Not by students—by parents.

One told me, “You clearly don't know how to handle children. I watched a video of you on my son's phone.”

He was filming me while I tried to calm another child having a meltdown.

No one asked how I was doing.

No one cared that I was holding it together with gum, caffeine, and sheer will.

Kids are different now, too.

And it’s not their fault.

They’re growing up in a world that's too fast, too loud, too disconnected.

They come to school sleep-deprived, overstimulated, addicted to screens.

Some are angry. Some are scared.

Some don't know how to hold a pencil, how to wait their turn, or how to say “please.”

And we’re expected to fix it all.

In 6 hours. With no aides. With 28 students. And a budget that wouldn't buy snacks for a birthday party.

I remember when my classroom was a little haven.

We had a reading nook with bean bags.

We sang songs every morning.

We learned to be kind before we learned to multiply.

Now?

Now, I’m told to focus on “learning targets,” “data points,” and “measurable outcomes.”

My value is based on how well a 6-year-old fills in bubbles on a test in March.

I once had a principal pull me aside and say, “You’re too warm and fuzzy. This district wants results.”

As if human connection was a liability.

I kept going, though.

Because there were always moments. Small, sacred ones.

A child who whispered, “You’re like my grandma. I wish I could live with you.”

Another who left a note on my desk: “I feel safe here.”

Or the quiet boy who finally looked me in the eye and said, “I read it all by myself.”

I held onto those moments like life rafts.

Because they reminded me I was still doing something that mattered—even when the world insisted I wasn’t.

But this past year broke something in me.

Violence increased.

One child threw a chair across the room. Another threatened to “bring something from home” after being told to sit down.

My classroom phone became a hotline for behavior crises.

The guidance counselor quit in October. The substitute list was empty by November.

The burnout was so thick you could feel it in the air—like a fog of quiet despair.

And me?

I started to feel invisible. Replaceable.

Like an outdated tool in a digital world that no longer sees the need for human touch.

So today, I packed up my classroom.

I peeled faded art projects off the wall—some going back decades.

I found a box of thank-you cards from a class in 1995.

One said, “Thank you for loving me even when I was bad.”

I cried when I read that.

Because back then, being a teacher meant something.

Now, it feels like a job you’re supposed to apologize for.

There was no party. No speech.

Just a firm handshake from the new principal, who called me “Ma’am” and looked at his phone halfway through our goodbye.

I left behind my sticker box. My rocking chair. My patience.

But I took the memory of every child who ever looked at me with wonder, trust, or relief.

That’s mine. They can’t take that away.

I don’t know what’s next.

Maybe I’ll volunteer at the library. Maybe I’ll learn to bake bread from scratch.

Maybe I’ll just sit on my back porch, sipping tea, remembering a world that used to feel softer.

Because I miss it.

I miss a time when teachers were seen as partners, not punching bags.

When parents and schools worked together.

When education meant growth, not just grades.

If you’ve ever been a teacher, you know.

We didn’t do it for the summers off.

We did it for the kid who finally learned to tie his shoe.

For the one who smiled after weeks of silence.

For the ones who needed us in ways no test could measure.

We did it for love. For hope. For belief in something better.

So if you see a teacher—past or present—thank them.

Not with a mug or an apple.

With your voice. Your eyes. Your respect.

Because in a world that moves too fast, they stayed.

In a system that crumbled, they stood.

And in a society that forgot them, they remembered every child.

Let the teachers of the past know they’re not forgotten.

Let the teachers of today know they’re not alone.

This came from a 'recent' Facebook post. It generated heaps of comments (8,700). I had no idea it might be from AI but to me that is irrelevant because this piece contains some raw and real responses to the situation teachers are encountering today. And like this 'teacher' I miss it too. 

I miss putting books into the hands of eager and no so eager readers. I miss thinking about which child (or teacher) would enjoy a book I have just read. I miss thinking about ways to 'hook' kids into learning and how to resource teachers with a huge variety of resources so they can do this too. I miss the book shopping for my library when I focused on my students and their interests. I even miss the parent talks where I had the opportunity to explain about reading and books and libraries and my passion. I miss one special event we held each year for our grade 6 boys and their dads - sadly the 'new' teacher in charge saw no value in this program and yet again this week I am reading about lower reading rates and skills and interest among our boys and men. This program was a tiny one, but it was important. I miss setting out books on front facing shelves and displays in the hope that a child will find that 'just right' book. 

I am lucky I left before kids had phones and parents had 'groups' and access to teacher emails. And thank goodness I left before prescriptive English texts were enforced - this is surely a killer of Reading for Pleasure.

Here are two photos from my former school library.

The full slogan is Read only on the Days you eat

Occasionally I do meet a former student or teacher, and this reminds me I did 'make a small difference' in the life of a child - at least I hope I did. 

Mr George Baker by Amy Hest illustrated by Jon J Muth

"See this man? This one here, sitting on the porch?

That's Mr George Baker, and he's a hundred years old, no kidding."

Harry sits with Mr George Baker - it is clear this is a daily routine.

"See his pants, all baggy, baggy, baggy? What holds them up - suspenders!"

Mr George Baker is good a tying shoelaces but strangely he also has a book bag (a school bag) just like the one young Harry is carrying. There is a book inside his bag, but Mr George Baker cannot read. He is indeed a hundred years old, but he never learned how to read. Now we know where these friends are going. 

Finally, the yellow school bus arrives. There are twenty-two kids on the bus, but George always sits with Harry. Learning to read is hard but there is a gentle assurance at the end of this book that both of them will conquer this important skill with patience and perseverance. You might also like to listen to some gentle jazz tracks after reading this book - Mr George was once a fine jazz drummer and there is a lovely scene in this book where we see him dancing with his wife. 

Publisher blurb: George Baker and Harry don’t seem the likeliest of friends. Yet, sitting side by side on George’s porch, waiting for the school bus to come, the two have plenty in common, this hundred-year-old musician with the crookedy fingers going tappidy on his knees and the young schoolboy whose shoelaces always need tying. They’re both learning to read, which is hard — but what’s easy is the warm friendship they share. In an inspired pairing, a best-selling author and illustrator pay tribute to the power of language and intergenerational bonds.

I have been SO privileged to visit one of the best school libraries in an independent school here in Sydney over the last 8 years (minus those covid years) and every week I have been able to borrow new books, Australian books, picture books, translated picture books, books from Canada, books from USA, books from UK, books I will always cherish. Along the way this reading journey has led me to discover hundreds of new authors and even better hundreds of fantastic illustrators from all corners of the world. Sadly, my days of visiting this treasure trove may now be ending. Finding Mr George Baker is a great example of the books I have found in this library, and it is also a reminder that there were SO many more books I didn't discover. And it shows the joy that comes from discovering a wonderful book. Oh and yes this confirms why libraries are SO important as places that hold all kinds of books - old and new - because I am sure you have guessed Mr George Baker is long out of print. It was published in 2004 with a paperback edition in 2007. Here is the Kirkus review.

The Teacher-Librarian was curating a 'bulk loan' for the four Grade One classes in this school. A 'bulk loan' is the loan of piles of books on a theme or class topic. In this case their focus was/is a topic I call 'Life in the Olden days' with particular reference to changes to our homes, way of life, toys and clothing. As a library volunteer, I used the library catalogue (which is another excellent resource in this library) to hunt out and fill boxes with books on this topic. Along the way the Teacher-Librarian and I were talking about these two books which I had seen previously and then she mentioned Mr George Baker. 

I often cry over books and television advertisements and when little children sing at a school assembly but it is rare for me to cry over a picture book - Mr George Baker made me cry. It is a book to love and to read slowly and a book with the most beautiful illustrations. Amy Hest also made me cry over these middle grade books:

The Summer we found the baby

Remembering Mrs Rossi

This Morning I met a Whale by Michael Morpurgo illustrated by Christian Birmingham

Michael, as the title tells you, meets a whale. But whales are not supposed to be in his part of the river Thames. And whales are not supposed to be able to communicate directly with humans but this whale can and he has come specifically to talk to a child. His grandfather has told him a child will listen and a child will share his important message about degradation of the environment and the distress humans are causing whales. 

"He showed me the bottom of the sea, a coral reef lay dying and littered with rubbish. I saw a sperm whale being winched bleeding out of the sea, a leatherback turtle caught up in vast fishing nets, along with sharks and dolphins. There was an albatross, hanging there, limp and lifeless. ... He showed me skies so full of smoke that day had become night, and below them the forests burning. ... You are killing the world. Tell a child ... only a child will put it right."

Companion book:

Bookseller blurb: At sunrise, young Michael spots a whale on the shores of the Thames and thinks he must be dreaming. But the creature is real and it has a message for him – one that only an open-minded child can deliver to the rest of the world. The whale warns that the earth’s days are numbered and that humans must put right the damage they are doing, but how can Michael fulfil his promise to tell others when neither his teacher nor his classmates will believe his story? Within hours, the city and the wider world have learned of London’s remarkable visitor, and all eyes are on the whale’s struggle against the receding tide. Michael must now join his new friend in a race against time to reach the ocean, and hold fast to his promise in the race to save the world itself.

Do you have a favourite children's book illustrator? I have lots - but one that would most certainly make my top twenty list would be Christian Birmingham. 

This is a slim book with only 80 pages but it is also a powerful story with a strong environmental message. Even though the publication date is 2009 I think this book is still available. Readers in your library will love this story even more when they discover it is based on real events. In 2006 a whale did swim up the Thames as far as a Battersea Bridge and sadly, like the whale in this book, she did not survive. 

You might have this book in your school library because it is a Premiers Reading Challenge title Grades 5&6 [1038]. 

Michael Morpurgo was 2003–2005 Children's Laureate, has written over 100 books and is the winner of many awards, including the Whitbread Children's Book Award, the Smarties Book Prize, the Blue Peter Award and the Red House Children's Book Award. His books are translated and read around the world and his hugely popular novel War Horse is now both a critically acclaimed stage play and a highly successful film. 

Christian Birmingham is considered one of the best young illustrators working today. After receiving a degree in Illustration from the Exeter College of Art he has gone on to illustrate many books for children such as A Kitten Called Moonlight by Martin Waddell and several titles by Michael Morpurgo, including The Wreck of the Zanzibar, named the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year in 1995.

The Beehive by Megan Daley illustrated by Max Hamilton (Walker Nature Storybook series)

It is always thrilling to me when I see bees buzzing around flowering trees and small flowers. Megan Daley, the author of this new book, has loved bees nearly all her life beginning with times shared with her grandfather on his farm. Here is part of the dedication from her book:

"To Grandad for sparking and nurturing my love of bees, gardening and agriculture when I was very young."

The Beehive publisher blurb Walker Books: It's finally hive day! Willow has been waiting all year for groundskeeper Tom to split the school's native stingless beehive in two so she can take home her very own hive. Everything needs to be just right to help so that the bees forage and thrive in their new home. The dual text results in a charming story alongside an abundance of fascinating facts about Australia's native bees.

The Walker Books Nature Story series (formerly called Read and Wonder) are fabulous books to share with a young reader or in a library session. 

At the Sydney event to celebrate publication of The Beehive and on also this podcast (Words and Nerds) Megan explains that she loves to share nonfiction with her students and so about seven years ago she used the format of the Nature Story Book series to pen an innovation on this text style, writing her own book about our Native Australian bees. 

Native Australian bees are smaller than European bees and nearly all of them do not sting but they can nip you with their mandibles. The most special of our Australian Native bees are the Blue-Banded variety. I have listed further resources below. Read this review from the Australian Native Bee Association.

Prior to attending this event at our Sydney Bookshop - Gleebooks - I had read quite a bit about The Beehive via Megan Daley's own posts on Facebook and also via her group Your Kid's Next Read although I didn't know her story character Willow's name came from her younger daughter. Nor did I know she wrote 27 drafts of this text and that her beekeeper partner did not want the story beekeeper to look like an old man with grey hair. Here are the ideas Max Hamilton tried out before settling in the character of Tom who is based on a real person:

The really interesting part of the event today though, was hearing from the illustrator Max Hamilton. By happy coincidence this Sydney event was the first time Max Hamilton and Megan Daley had met in person. 

One lovely moment came when Megan talked about how she loved the AA Milne Winnie the Pooh books as a child - especially all the references to honey and bees. Then Max Hamilton showed that she had incorporated this classic story into her illustration without knowing this connection with the author Megan Daley!

We also saw her thumbnails for the book layout, her changing ideas for the cover, and the photos she used as models for her illustrations.

Everything in this story is beautiful, with a unique voice that shines on the page, dancing its way around each word and image as the story and facts come together to create a book that readers of all ages will enjoy and find engaging. It is also bright and colourful, exactly as a book about bees should be as it celebrates nature and the natural world, and what it can give us. I loved that it spoke about how important bees are whilst also being entertaining and accessible, ensuring that the layers of understanding are there for a wide range of readers. The Book Muse

Further reading:

Aussie Bee

Wheenbee Foundation

Which Native Bees live in your area? (I would love to see a Teddy Bear bee)

ABC Education Bee Heroes

World Bee Day - 20th May

100 Hives in 100 Schools

Kinderbookswitheverything blog - World Bee Day book ideas

This book also has a link to IBBY Australia. Max Hamilton kindly donated a beautiful piece of original art for our mini masterpiece auction - it was the little girl from this book! And we found out why she is holding Gnomes by Wil Huygen.

You could also look for these in your school library:

I should also mention there were a number of famous children's literature supporters and creators at this event including members of the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) committee; and authors and illustrators such as Nat A'Moore; Cheryl Orsini; Debra Tidball; Allison Tait; Jacqueline Harvey; Pip Harry; and Kristin Darell.  Thanks also to bookseller Rachel Robson. Her costume and enthusiasm made this event very special (and memorable). Best wishes for her move to the new shop just down the road - packing up all those books will be a mammoth task but I can't wait to see the newly renovated space (which will have a coffee shop).

One Wish by M.O. Yuksel illustrated by Mariam Quaraishi

One wish: Fatima al-Fihri and the World's Oldest University

"Fatima knew the best way to help her community was to build a school where students, especially the poor and the refugees, could live and study for free."

I can hear the founder of IBBY - Jella Lempman cheering over these words. And these words too:

"Fatima knew her school was like planting a single seed that would continuously bloom with each student who studied there. Her school, which was also a mosque and a library, opened its arms ready to serve the community."

I hope this amazes you when I tell you Fatima built her school in the year 859. That's 1200 years ago! In 1963 it became part of the Moroccan state university system. 

My wish is that every library could have a rich collection of biographies such as this one which comes from the exceptionally well-stocked school library I visit each week. Every time I read one of the biography titles from this library, I learn something new and amazing and this one - One Wish - is no exception. These hardcover biography titles are somewhat expensive but I think they are a good investment. If you have students in your school with a Muslim background this book is one you should seriously consider purchasing. There are extensive end notes in this book with a bibiography, timeline, author's note and glossary.

Read more about Fatima al-Fihri:

• Teach Mideast
• Bright Insight
• Odyssey Traveller

Take a look at this biography picture book Pinterest. 

Read this interview with Mr Schu about One Wish. The illustrator says:

Nonfiction picture books are a window into history and an introduction to unknown heroes like Fatima al-Fihri and other ordinary people who have contributed to humanity in extraordinary ways; heroes who have illuminated our world and continue to do so even to this day.

And the author says:

Writing biographies or becoming an author was not on my radar at the time but Fatima was a personal hero I kept tucked away in my heart. When I began writing picture books in 2015 as a result of seeing a gap in the marketplace for Muslim voices, that’s when Fatima al-Fihri and my desire to write a biography about her surfaced. We need stories about women who have changed the world for the better, especially stories about underrepresented women who are often stereotyped, misunderstood, and maligned in our current society.

An inspiring profile of a tenacious trailblazer that highlights the power of knowledge. Kirkus

Who could not love a book about a girl whose first spoken word was “read”? Add this biography to any collection looking to be well rounded when it comes to women’s history. School Library Journal

Guinea Pig Superstar Ali Pye

There are two short stories in this book - Time for School and Stop that thief, Harry Stevenson!  In the first story Harry goes to school and he is beyond excited. He is sure it will be a fun day but he is a little concerned about this strange thing called Maths. His day is going well and he is trying to be "good" but another child in the class has brought their pet - a corn snake named Flash. If these two pets are kept in their containers everything will be okay BUT a naughty boy sneaks into the classroom at the break and sets the snake free. Harry knows how to get out of his cage and he is keen to find more of the tiny carrots the teacher offered him at the beginning of the day - so YES we are headed for a disaster BUT there is a happy ending thank goodness.

In the second story Harry Stevenson and Billy head to a hotel with Billy's friend Maya. The hotel manager spies Harry and immediately called the pest control people but Harry and Billy are caught up in a different conundrum. Some one is set to steal the precious Sparky FC Football trophy. Luckily Harry is able to save the day.

If you have a child aged 5+ or teach a Kindergarten or Grade One class this book and the one below would be a terrific family or class read aloud. I would follow these books with the series about Humphrey or Olga da Polga.

Read more about Ali Pye here. 

Meet Harry Stevenson. He doesn’t live in a castle, or a witch’s cottage, or anywhere exciting like that. His home is in a flat with seven-year-old Billy and his mum and dad. And at first glance, Harry doesn’t seem any different from your average guinea pig. He has ginger fur and sparkly black eyes and likes nothing more than snacking on a piece of broccoli. But don’t be fooled! Harry may just want to sleep and eat (and then eat some more) but somehow he always manages to get swept up in adventures: whether it’s scoring a goal in a vital cup match, creating mayhem in Billy’s classroom or hitching a ride to Paris with a gang of bikers!

This is the second book in the series about a cheeky guinea pig called Harry Stevenson. 

The Adventures of Harry Stevenson

And here is book 3 from this series:

The Smith family has won a competition to spend a weekend in Paris and they're taking Harry Stevenson with them, but after Harry sets off the airport security alarm and their car breaks down, it seems as though they'll never get there? 

And when they do, what will happen to a small guinea pig lost in the big city?

Crookhaven: The School for Thieves by JJ Arcanjo

 

Gabriel Avery and his grandmother are just getting by. His grandmother works as a housekeeper for a wealthy family but the pay is so low that often they only eat one meal a day. Gabriel, however, has a talent for picking pockets. His grand mother does not ask any questions but Gabriel is able to 'obtain' enough money each day so that they don't starve.

In his pocket Gabriel carries a lucky coin but one day, after picking a pocket at the railway station, his coin is stolen. In its place he finds a card inviting him to a town called Moorheart. In this remote and deserted place he discovers a school for crooks. He discovers students with other amazing talents. He discovers why the Headmaster of the school, the aptly named Caspian Crook, stole his coin. And later he discovers just why he was selected to attend this school.

When books proclaim - "Perfect for fans of Harry Potter" - I usually cringe but I found myself saying exactly that as I read this debut novel, the first in a planned series. Actually this book does not use the Harry Potter marketing strategy but it could!

There are heaps of Harry Potter tropes in this book but they do not feel worn out. JJ Arcanjo adds such a layer of intelligence to this story of a school for criminals albeit criminals who will do good deeds.

"The word crook is misunderstood, I think. You steal for the same reason we at Crookhaven steal - to put the world back into balance."

Things about the school:

• Sorting into classes is done by pebbles which leave a colour on your hands - 1A (blue), 1B (red), 1C (green) and 1D (Yelloe). 
• Students can win and loose points. The goal is to win the Crooked Cup.
• There are two types of students - Merits (like Gabriel) and Legacies (offspring of crooks)
• The youngest/newest students are called Crooklings and this year there are 48
• Other years are called Miscreants, Lower Delinquents and the final year students are Robin Hoods.
• The guards around the school are called Gardeners but they are really skilled crooks and the grounds have very sophisticated sensors and cameras.
• Classes - Forgery; Deception; History of Crookery; Tricks of the Trade; Cultivating a Crook; Crimtastics and Tech-nique.
• The challenge - to break into the Headmaster's office and steal something without him knowing that something is missing.
• Friends: Penelope Crook; twins Ade and Ede; and Amira.
• Characters you will want to meet again in book 2 - Leon Marquez (Robin Hood) and Villette  (is she really a villain?). 

One final thing - here is a description of the librarian:

"A slender, red-haired librarian strode past, her burnt-caramel eyes sweeping over the two of them ... she wore black jeans, a thick maroon fleece and thin black gloves, likely to protect the more precious books from fingerprints."

The technology in this book reminded me of  the Artemis Fowl series.  If you want to read another book with Harry Potter overtones try to find this one (sadly it is long out of print)

The Hound of Rowan - The Tapestry Book One

Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance copy of Crookhaven: The School for Thieves (Hodder/Hachette) which will be released in March 2023. 

Shelter by Christie Matheson

"I told Abby about the shelter today. I wanted to tell her the truth. Is that okay?' 

"Of course it' okay,' Mama says. 'You can't keep all the hard things to yourself."

"My family. That's what home is to me."

When we classify books one category that is mentioned is contemporary realism.  Shelter by Christie Matheson is a perfect example of this genre. This book is filled with contemporary references - mobile phones, people texting in cars and causing terrible accidents, street libraries, and "mindful" school classes. 

The setting for this story is San Francisco but I don't think you need to know specifically about this city to understand that there are rich and poor areas; heritage homes; new constructions of apartment buildings; and rising real estate prices. This is also a city, like all cities, of rich and poor. People so poor they have become homeless - some who live on the street and others lucky enough to find, even if it is temporary, a place to say in a shelter.

"There are lots of different kinds of shelters, I've learned. Some are just for grown-ups, some are for men only, some are for kids who've run away from home, and some are only for families with kids. ... But even if you add up all the beds and all the rooms, there aren't enough shelters for the thousands of homeless people in San Francisco."

Christie Matheson sets things up in this book so as a reader you just know dreadful things are going to happen to Maya and this is extra bad because she and her family have already endured so much. Dad has been in a terrible accident riding his bike. He was hit by a car driven by some one using a mobile phone.  Mum has no job because she needed to stay home with little sister Gabby. Gabby is one of those kids with extreme life-threatening food allergies. The family only just have enough money each week but now dad is in a coma in hospital, mum has no job and the owner of the home they rent has decided to sell. Maya, Gabby and their mother now find themselves living in a shelter. 

When they left their home, Maya could only take the things she could carry. In her school back pack she has a precious toy, some favourite books (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Anne of Green Gables; Charlotte's Web; Ghost; and Wonder), a small amount of money ($17.32) and a precious letter from her dad written before the accident. Maya keeps her pack close at all times. She doesn't even use her school locker. At school Maya is regularly targeted by one girl - Sloane. In a scene that I am sure will linger with me, Sloane takes Maya's precious pack, she steals the contents and dumps the pack in a huge puddle. The writing of this scene is so powerful I just gasped in shock. Thank goodness for Maya's wonderful friend Abby and for wise teachers. Ms Sherman should win teacher of the year!

Here are a few text quotes:

"Because on that Friday afternoon he was hit by a car. Witnesses said that the driver of the car was looking at his phone and that he ran a red light and sped through an intersection. There's a reason why you're not supposed to text and drive. You could kill someone. Or almost kill someone."

"A golden birthday happens when the age you're turning matches the day of the month - turning eight on the eighth or twelve on the twelfth. ... My real golden birthday is coming up in March. I'll be eleven on March 11. ... More than anything I just wish I could have dinner with my whole family. And Abby too. At home."

"I know I'm not the only kid in this city who goes to school hungry. Maybe at my school most kids have plenty to eat."

My only tiny criticism of this book is the way Christie Matheson includes the usual cliche about bullies by explaining the utterly horrid behaviour of Sloane as an act of jealousy. For all her money, possessions and mansion-like house, Sloane is jealous that Maya has a family while hers is utterly dysfunctional. I was so angry with Sloane this 'easy' motivation felt too simplistic.

It's important to have representations of children who are housing insecure, both so that those who are in the same situation can feel seen, and so that those who aren't can gain some understanding of this complex situation. Ms Yingling Reads

Brings a pressing national crisis into clear focus for young readers; highly recommended. Kirkus

Companion reads:

Christie Matheson is the author of these picture books:

Nights with Dad by Karen Hesse illustrated by G. Brian Karas

US Cover with a different title

This is a book which gives young readers a glimpse of a life that might be unfamiliar but it is also a life that will have links to every school child - after all who does clean your school? And when do they work? What exactly do they do in each school space?

In a well practised routine our story narrator describes how each Friday evening he packs up food in a lunch box and then he climbs onto the back of his dad's motor bike. 

Yes I did say lunch box but the pair are not heading out for lunch. Dad works at the boy's school. He is a night cleaner but it takes eleven pages to make this discovery such is the power of storytelling by Karen Hesse. It is Friday night but we can infer the boy goes along because he can sleep in tomorrow. 

At 10pm the lunch box is opened:

"Dad leads the way to the courtyard, where we unwrap our egg salad sandwiches, with their triple dollop of mayo and heaping teaspoon of chopped pickle. We take big bites that fill our mouths and chew and chew and chew until there are only crumbs left. And then we chew those, too."

While is dad cleans the library, the young boy reads aloud to his dad until he falls asleep. At 4am the pair head home where they both fall asleep dreaming of better times ahead.

Hesse’s poetic, calm text is matter-of-fact in conveying the love between parent and child and the bonding occurring through their shared work. Karas’ mixed-media illustrations, employing a soft focus and a muted, nighttime palette, help to relay this bond as well as the excitement of riding on the back of a motorcycle at night. Kirkus Star review

You could pair this book with While you're sleeping:

This book is perfect to read as part of your discussions of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth.  Read more about the 17 goals and find links to fabulous books to use here. My post takes you to eighteen posts by my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything along with her splendid and comprehensive Pinterest sets of books for each goal. 

If you are looking for a book to share with older students where you can explore different and very effective page layouts Nights with Dad is perfect. You can see inside this book here. And read more about the inspiration that lead to the writing of this book by Karen Hesse. 

I have read and enjoyed quite a few books by Karen Hesse:

Out of the Dust

Come on Rain

Letters from Rifka

Sable

Lavender

Wish upon a Unicorn

Here is a list of books illustrated by G. Brian Karas. I am especially a fan of his easy chapter books - High-Rise Private Eye.  I was also excited to discover G. Brian Karas provided the cover illustration for Freddie the Frightened and the Wondrous Ms Wardrobe which is a book I used to enjoy reading in my school library. Our Australia cover is by Terry Denton (a long time before his fame with the 13 Storey Treehouse series). And he did the art for Ivan - the Remarkable True story of a Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate.