The Making of Martha Mayfield by Jo Dabrowski

"I make sets. At least that's what I call them. My sets aren't life-sized, of course. I make them in boxes. ... I've made loads of sets. One of nearly every room in our house. ... I've also made a set for every shop on Charlotte Street ... (and) I've made every classroom I've ever had up to Year Five. ... Oh yes, I made paper people too. ... I use my sets to practice first days of school, excursions and sports days. I've practiced tricky conversations and playdates too. When something is coming up that makes me nervous I do a 'dress rehearsal' with my sets."

Grade five is a time of change for Martha. Mum loses her job. Iris, her sister gets yet another boyfriend, it is the time at school with elections for School Captain, and all of Grade five have to prepare things to sell at a Market Day. Martha is so shy she cannot talk at school, at all. At home she wants to tell her mum about school but she holds back because mum seems so distracted and sad. 

Could Martha run for School Captain? She makes a list from the application form and then she puts the words into two origami boxes - green and red. She has these covered - cares, listens, organised. She needs to find a way to achieve these - contributes, voices ideas, good at teamwork, and confident public speaker. 

About halfway through The Making of Martha Mayfield I stopped to think about the title. Martha does indeed do some making but then a couple of hours after I finished this book, which is a 2026 CBCA Younger Readers Notable title, I realised of course this book is about the 'making' of Martha herself. Martha moves from a very shy and quiet girl who rarely if ever speaks to a girl who finds her voice and a way to express all those terrific ideas she has had bubbling away in her brain and even a way to try out for School Captain.

This book was published in August last year but I overlooked it in many bookshops. The cover didn't really appeal to me but you can see I should not have let this guide me as I have given this book four stars.

The Making of Martha Mayfield is a long book with close to 300 pages of fairly small print so keen readers aged 10+ will need some reading stamina but I did read the final half of this book in one sitting because I become quite invested in Martha hoping she would be able to overcome her shyness and succeed with both the Grade 5 Market Day Project and the bigger challenge of the School Captain elections. In fact as a shy kid with a shy mother some parts of this story really did touch my heart. 

Jo Dabrowski creates four distinct characters:

Martha - "I know why Mum says being quiet is a good thing, and why she goes on about me noticing stuff. She does it to make me feel better about myself. So I feel quiet and interesting, not quiet and boring, which is what the kids in my class think I am. If they think of me at all, that is. I might be good at noticing but I'm even better at going unnoticed."

Iris her sister has no emotional intelligence. The new boyfriend is awful but Iris is so set on having a boy friend she will do anything to please him including taking on a whole new 'goth' style and of course ignoring or dismissing her little sister. There is an awful scene in this book in the chapter entitled 'Sticky Notes' that broke my heart - it is so cruel.

Mum is shy and still grieving the loss of her husband. She finds social situations especially difficult. I imagine she was herself, badly bullied at school. "I picture Mum staying behind, sitting at her machine, too shy to join in." Mum is also a bit overwhelmed by Stella, her husband's mother, who is never short on advice. 

Stella, the grandmother - the girls have to call her Stella not grandma. She's obsessed with Michelle Obama and with looking young and stylish. Stella's character is so well described to the point where I actually did not like her at all. This is so different from most books where the grandmother character is usually compassionate and wise. Stella is so egotistical that she turns every conversation back into a boast about herself. Here is a quote from Stella:

"Stella talks about Dad all the time, without anyone asking. She doesn't tell stories so much as facts. They start out being about Dad but end up being about her. Like, she'll say he was a wonderful son ('He absolutely adored me.'); he could turn the most ordinary event into a funny story ('He got his sense of humour from me, you know.'); people were drawn to him ('He got that from me too,') ... "

I did love creativity of Martha. As you read in the quote at the beginning of this post, she makes models of her home, classroom, and even the shops in her street. These projects are given detailed descriptions in the story - you can almost see her work. And her idea for the market day is brilliant.

Publisher blurb: Martha Mayfield has always been the quiet kid. Martha is, after all, her mother's daughter. The shy child of an even shyer mum. And she likes it this way. That is, until Martha's mum loses her job. And Martha's teacher overlooks her at school. And soon, Martha realises something has to give. Can she really go through life being so quiet that nobody takes her seriously? Should she really keep all her good ideas to herself forever? Putting yourself out there is every quiet kid's worst nightmare, but Martha is determined to make the most of it. And perhaps to make something of herself along the way ...

Click these review comments for more plot details:

The pace is perfect, leading to a dramatic climax that is surprising and very satisfying to read. Kids' Book Review

Whether you’re an anxious fifth grader or not, The Making of Martha Mayfield is an endearing and highly relatable read, with multifaceted characters that you’ll fall in love with. Story Links

Here are the CBCA Judges comments from the Notables booklet:

Jo Dabrowski is the author of two other Notables - Dear Broccoli a 2026 CBCA Notable (Picture Book) and The Thing about Christmas (Early Childhood).

Dear Broccoli

The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk by Annie Booth illustrated by David Litchfield

The title of this book sets up the plot. Yes, there is a boy. Yes, there is a box of chalk and you can see a boy drawing with the chalk on the front cover. Look closely and you will see the boy, who looks very calm, is sitting in front of a cave. But what of the Troll? Surely there is a danger here even though we cannot see this troll and yet the boy is sitting outside what might be the home of the troll. What do you know about trolls? Perhaps you have memory of that famous trickster tale of the Three Billy Goats. 

The blurb below contains a spoiler - but I am sure your class or young reading companion will be very surprised to discover the true identity of the 'troll'. The final pages of this book are such a celebration of community and happiness and coming together.

Bookseller blurb: Everybody knew that a big fierce troll lived in the cave. "Leave me alone!" it yelled. So everybody did. Only one child cannot turn their back on the troll at the edge of the playground. One day, he takes his chalks up to the mouth of the cave. He draws a flower with every petal coloured in but one, and leaves the chalk behind. The next day, the flower has been completed. Day-by-day, the boy and the troll finish each other's drawings, until they each draw a portrait, showing a boy holding hands with a fierce, scary troll. "But you're not a troll," says the boy. "You're a boy - just like me." Patience, kindness and the power of art win out in the end: the two boys wordlessly draw together. Soon all the other children gather to join in with the game. Everyone forgets that there was a troll inside the cave. Because outside the cave, there is so much to draw.

Companion book:

The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk is sure to appear on the Empathy Lab book list in 2025. The previous book by Anne Booth and David Litchfield is A shelter for Sadness - it is way more didactic than this newer book. Here is the Kirkus review. 

It is not really connected with the themes of this book but you might need to explore famous books about trolls with your library group:

You can see other versions of this story on my post. 

If you work in a library (school or public) I think it is essential to build up your field knowledge of authors and illustrators. I have been quite shocked lately when I meet staff in libraries or in children's literature related occupations who had not heard famous names I mentioned. At Seven Stories in Newcastle-on-Tyne the three young education staff members had no knowledge of the UK illustrator Brian Wildsmith. Yesterday I was at a library meeting in my local area and one of the experienced Teacher-Librarians who is an organiser for this group had not heard of Ann James or our special illustration and event space Dromkeen (Victoria). I am hopeful that if I had mentioned specific books illustrated by Ann James such as Little Humpty; Penny Pollard; I'm a dirty dinosaur; Lucy Goosey; and It's a Miroocool. 

When I saw the name David Litchfield on the cover of this book, I knew the illustrations would be splendid! I knew this because I am familiar with other books he has illustrated - I have 'field knowledge'. This comes from 40 years of working as a Teacher-Librarian, book judge and blogger, but more importantly it comes from READING tons of children's books - picture books, junior novels, middle grade books and non-fiction.

 My strongest advice if you are new in any library setting is to take books home every week or even every day so you begin to know your collection and build up your personal knowledge of authors and illustrators from Australia and more importantly from around the world. I talked about Brian Wildsmith at the library meeting yesterday - I wonder how many of the twenty participants were familiar with his gorgeous work.

The Friendship Bench by Wendy Meddour illustrated by Daniel Egneus

Tilly has moved to a new house. She has her good friend Shadow but Shadow is a dog and so he is not allowed to go to school. Tilly feels lost and alone at school until her teacher suggests she try the friendship bench. But when Tilly walks across to the friendship bench someone else is sitting there. Then the teacher suggests trying again. A little boy is sitting there. He explains the bench is broken. Is there some way these two kids can get this bench to work?

Read this perfect first sentence (sigh - the illustration shows a lighthouse and I hope you saw one on the cover):

"Tilly and Shadow had found a new home by the splash and curl of the sea."

Think about that beautiful phrase - the splash and curl of the sea. 

Oh, and wait until you see the teacher - he looks like an old seafaring grandfather with his big white beard and Fair Isle pattern jumper. It is a small school - perhaps it is on an island?

And there is a whole conversation to be had from the final wordless double spread. 

The Friendship Bench is rich in meaning, pathos, hope and soaring, subtle images. Bookwagon

The Friendship Bench was published in 2022. It is available in paperback so can I suggest you jump in quickly and add it to your school library shopping list. Books today do not stay in print for very long and this is a book you absolutely must add to your collection. It would be the perfect book for your younger classes to hear at the start of the year. I highly recommend this book. It is worth shopping around, though, I've seen it listed between AUS$17 and AUS$26.50. As a quiet and shy child I am sure if I had heard this book when I was younger this book would have touched my heart and given me the hope of finding a true friend. 

Companion books:

Blue Flower

Neville

Mustafa

Luli and the Language of Tea

Each book by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egneus sensitively explores feelings in a way in which young children can understand and empathise with. Moving house and/or school is such a significant event at any time of life, but for some children, particularly those who are quiet or shy, it can be really difficult. Through the Bookshelf

Wendy Meddour is a fairly new discovery of mine, but I have to say I have totally fallen in love with her books and with the illustrations by Daniel Egneus.

Lubna and Pebble

Tisha and the Blossom

Things Seen from Above by Shelley Pearsall

"You can never tell where a simple line may lead."

"I am the artist and no one can tell me what art to make."

One of the best feelings in the world is beginning a wonderful book and then having time to enjoy the whole book,  the whole wonderful story journey, in just one day. I picked up Things Seen from Above this morning to read on the train. I read about 72 pages and then a few more on the way home and then I devoured the remainder of the book (252 pages in total) before dinner.

April is in Grade Six. Her former friend has changed over the summer into someone she no longer recognises. The lunch room feels like a battle ground. To avoid the lunch conflict and the dreadful feeling of not fitting in and having no friends, April volunteers to be a playgound seat friendship buddy. The elementary school in this book is so large that there are several sessions for lunch. April assists the kids from fourth grade during their break while her grade are in the cafeteria. 

There is a new girl in the school called Veena. She has moved to Marshallville from India. The school counsellor suggests Veena and April might work together on the buddy bench.

On her first day in her new role April notices a young boy called Joey Byrd. He is alone and seems to be doing something strange in the playground - drawing patterns and circles using his shoes to scrape the dirt. What is he doing? And why?

"The more I studied Joey, the more things I noticed. I made a mental list of them. How he walked with his hands clenched and his thumbs pointing outward like a hitch-hiker. How his grey sweatpants were way too short and the elastic bunched around his ankles. How his mouth was pressed into such a tight line of concentration, It didn't look like he had lips. What was he concentrating on?"

When the school janitor - the wonderful Mr Ulysses invites the girls to view Joey's work from the school roof they begin to realise the significance and enormity of Joey's art. The three of them agree to keep this a secret but then they accidentally share the information with another student and at this point things begin to spiral out of control.  

"I want to apologise again for what happened. Veena and I think you are a really cool person who does amazing drawings - or tracings, as you call them. You're like ... a star to us."

"Joey's popularity also seemed to pull other forgotten kids out of the shadows. It was as if he shone a bright light on anyone who was hiding in a corner or standing against a wall alone. The outcasts started getting noticed. The excluded were included."

An uplifting story of friendship, kindness, and new ways of seeing. Kirkus

One of the strengths of this book is the beautiful restrained way April approaches Joey. She shows enormous emotional intelligence. She doesn't rush Joey. She listens, observes and waits and then approaches him slowly. I would love to meet April and thank her for her compassion and her wisdom. 

There are alternating chapters in this book where we hear from Joey and are able to experience his different view of the world, his different understandings of human relationships, and his wonderful skill with enormous art pieces. We also glimpse his mother and father and learn a little about their personalities which go some way to explaining Joey's reactions and understandings.  At one point Joey talks about a class reading lesson. Reading is a mystery and a huge effort for Joey and sadly he is regularly expelled from this classroom but in this scene the teacher is reading "The Strange Case Of Origami Yoda".

"It was a very funny story, and Joey really like it. It was the first book he'd every liked - partly because it made him laugh and partly because he didn't have to read it himself. "

You can read the back story for this book on Shelley Pearsall's web page. Things Seen from Above was published in 2020 and it is available in paperback so I highly recommend you add this to your library (and personal) shopping list. Read more of the plot here. 

You can read about another book by Shelley Pearsall The Seventh Most Important Thing:

Here are some companion books to read after Things Seen from Above:

My life as an Alphabet

A Boy Called Bat

Counting by 7s

The Someday Birds

Loser

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

"I'm Mattie Breen ... I'm bold and friendly"

"There are laws that says she has to be in the classroom to learn fractions and spelling and survival of the fittest. But there are not laws about going outside at recess time. And there are not laws about where to sit at lunchtime."

There is a raw honesty and a tenderness in this book which I just loved. But this is balances with some sweetly funny moments and small touches of kindness. Mattie feels like an outsider. Life confuses her. She has changed towns and schools so often. "Mama never owns more than can fit in a pickup truck." She longs to fit in. She longs to make a friend. Her anxiety makes everyday life very hard. But Mattie is a problem solver. She has worked out a terrific way to survive at her newest school. Mama and Mattie have gone to live with Uncle Potluck. Uncle Potluck is the school Janitor. Right now it is the summer holidays and because mama is at work Mattie is tagging along to the empty school to help her Uncle. Mattie thinks if Uncle Potluck will take her on as his assistant then all her worries about recess and lunch breaks and interacting with the other kids will be solved because she will be busy working as a custodial apprentice.

"She will spend the next four days writing and learning and being professional next to Uncle Potluck, proving herself worthy of being a true custodial apprentice. Proving how once school starts, he should keep her by his side, instead of making her go to lunch or recess or be with whatever wild kids might be at Mitchell P Andersen Elementary. That is Mattie's plan."

Back in her old school another student got her hands on Mattie's precious notebook. "Most nights she had slept easy. Until fourth grade. Until Star." - Please read chapter five to your class if you do a book talk about Hound Dog True. 

But will her plan to be a janitor work? And what about the pesky girl next door called Quincy? And what if Mama wants to move them on again?

Publisher blurb Harper Collins: Do not let a mop sit overnight in water. Fix things before they get too big for fixing. Custodial wisdom: Mattie Breen writes it all down. She has just one week to convince Uncle Potluck to take her on as his custodial apprentice at Mitchell P. Anderson Elementary School. One week until school starts and she has to be the new girl again. But if she can be Uncle Potluck’s apprentice, she’ll have important work to do during lunch and recess. Work that will keep her safely away from the other fifth graders. But when her custodial wisdom goes all wrong, Mattie’s plan comes crashing down. And only then does she begin to see how one small, brave act can lead to a friend who is hound dog true.

Hound Dog True was published in 2011 and while it is perhaps still available, here in Australia is very expensive so I hope you might find a copy in a school or public library or you could read, as I did, the ebook version. Either way I highly recommend this heartfelt story which continues to linger with me. Oh and I am not going to answer your lingering questions - why is he called Uncle Potluck (read chapter 25) and what exactly does hound dog true really mean? You need to read this book to discover this for yourself. And I do need to mention this is not a book about dogs.  Look below - Kirkus use the word OUTSTANDING in their review. 

I ached for Mattie. And now that the book is over, I wish I could spend more time with her. Jen Robinson

And I would add to this quote by Jen Robinson by saying I just wanted to find a sweet little mouse-shaped button to sew back onto Mattie's pyjamas. 

"Once there lived a button named Moe. Moe was a mouse-shaped button. He was stitched onto some pyjamas with strong thread. The pyjamas belonged to a girl. She was not strong. Sometimes at night she worried. When she worried she twisted Moe on his thread until she fell asleep. Moe did not mind. One night the girl could not fall asleep. The girl worried and worried. She twisted Moe for a long time. The next day the pyjamas went to the laundromat. Moe was in the washing machine. water flooded in. The other clothes pulled and tugged at him, and Moe's strong thread snapped. ... Moe was alone. He didn't yell for help. He knew he would never be heard. Moe was lost forever."

Uncle Potluck has such a unique voice:

"I shall have to watch myself now that I know you are recording our custodial endeavours for posterity."

"As I'm sure you are aware, great writing is a solitary pursuit."

"The gourmands of Mitchel P Andersen favour pizza, and it is the rare lunch tray that even has a crust left for disposal."

"Want to give this your janitorial scrutiny?"

"And it seems like maybe I ought to be the only one doing the saluting too. For propriety's sake."

"Accomplished with dexterity and finesse."

Combining Mattie’s poignant writing and interior monologue, exquisite character development and a slow, deliberate pace, Urban spins a story that rings true.  This outstanding, emotionally resonant effort will appeal to middle-grade readers. Kirkus Star review

Wolf Girl by Jo Lorning-Fisher

"Sophy realised that the bear was COLD and LONELY outside. Maybe he had just been looking for a place to shelter, like them. He didn't look so big and scary any more. 

Sophy knew what she must do. 

As Sophy walked outside, she realised that sometimes being KIND was the BRAVEST thing of all."

Sophy is a lonely little girl but she finds solace in the world of her imagination. She slips on her wolf suit and climbs into her den. She feels fierce, fast, strong and a little bit brave.  After an especially distressing day at school, Sophy curls up inside her den.

"She hugged herself as hot, salty tears streamed down her cheeks."

Then some thing magical happens. Sophy finds herself in the forest with a mother wolf and her pup. She romps with them in the show covered forest until eventually they all take shelter in a cave. Unfortunately someone else is using this cave - a huge brown bear. Sophy yells at the bear and he retreats outside but then Sophy feels sad as you can read from my opening text quote.

The bear returns and all four snuggle up against the cold. When Sophy wakes up she finds she is back home but her dream has given her a new strength to face another day at school. 

The book design for Wolf Girl is brilliant. Glorious end papers which show Sophy's love of wolves, a dust jacket with a surprise underneath. I love books where the publisher takes a trouble to include a different image under the dust jacket - this rarely happens here in Australia.

I think I have found my newest favourite illustrator - Jo Loring-Fisher from the UK. Her art reminds me of Jon Klassen especially his book Extra Yarn. 

Bio for Jo Lorning-Fisher: Jo Loring-fisher is an artist, illustrator and storyteller based a stones throw away from Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. She loves the countryside, and enjoys creating images using a range of materials including collage, inks, paint and printmaking. Much of her inspiration comes from observing nature and everyday life. She loves the scope of subjects that children's books cover, from light-hearted, to tackling the challenges we all face. She sometimes favours difficult subject matter softened by the use of her chosen materials. She is a recent graduate of Cambridge School of Art's MA in Children's Book Illustration.

This beautifully told and enchantingly illustrated story carries important themes of overcoming the isolating feeling of being shy, finding friends and most importantly, finding your voice, and will delight readers young and old. Reading Zone

We are so lucky that in my part of Sydney, Lifeline hold fabulous book fairs. Their fairs are created with enormous care and only books in near new condition are set out for sale. My book today is hardcover, first edition, with a dust jacket published in 2021 retail price $25 book fair price $1.  YES one dollar!

I would pair Wolf Girl with Blue Flower which is a book on the 2022 CBCA Picture Book of the Year short list.

You could also look for these:

Moon

Wolfie

The Wolf's Secret

Here are some other books illustrated by the talented Jo Loring-Fisher:

My Beautiful Voice by Josephy Coelho illustrated by Allison Colpoys

"My heart starts booming, my skin becomes a raging river,

I feel scared and nervous inside. But then.. "

"I feel my voice inside me ... It feels like it wants to be heard."

The terror of public speaking is a genuine feeling for many adults and children. Add to this publicly reading a poem of your own composition and that fear is multiplied many times over. My Beautiful Voice is the story of one boy and the way he overcomes his fears with the help of a wonderful, vivacious, energetic and loving teacher. Miss Floatsam is a force of nature. When our narrator's work is snatched by a young girl in the class "Miss Flotsam gazes at her with eyes that can turn thunder into summer rain."

When you share this book with your class, though, you will need to be prepared for the ending - spoiler alert- we never hear the actual poem that the child has so carefully crafted.  I call this a Harvey Slufenburger moment. Have you read the famous book by John Burningham where we travel with Santa on his long and dangerous journey to the home of Harvey Slufenburger all the way anticipating the wonderful Christmas present? I love the way children always sigh over the words "I wonder what it was". 

With My Beautiful voice though, we do have some hints about the poem and so, after reading this book for the first time, you could go back and gather up some of the possible ideas:

"A flutter of fabric filled with the spice of colour."

"quiet heroes and beautiful unheard songs."

"like her long-lost languages in shut up tombs and finding new accents in rainbow bustling markets."

I highly recommend My Beautiful Voice as a book well worth adding to your Primary school library picture book collection or perhaps you will shelve it (as my copy has been classified) at 361.37 which oddly is a number for social work and specifically volunteers. 

Publisher blurb: Follow a child who is so shy she doesn't speak. With the encouragement of an enchanting and magical teacher, she writes a poem. But a poem is meant to be read aloud! She musters all her courage, stands at the front of the class and shows her classmates that she does have a voice. And her voice is BEAUTIFUL! The perfect way to encourage empathy in young children and show shy children how to feel brave.

Joseph Coelho lives in the UK and from a young boy he wrote poetry: I wrote poems about how I was feeling, poems about life at school, angry poems, sad poems, funny poems and sometimes I’d nervously share those poems in my drama class. Perhaps My Beautiful Voice is partially autobiographical. 

Allison Colpoys lives in Melbourne - so we have another delicious book mystery - How did the pubisher Frances Lincoln (UK) bring these two book creators together.

Found You by Devon Holzwarth

Sami has moved to a new country. In his old home town he had lots of friends and his mind is full of happy memories. In this new place it is hard to make friends so Sami mostly plays by himself. People in the shops and on the bus don't want to talk to Sami or help him and a girl in his Kindergarten class laughs at his name. In the afternoon Sami and his mother head over to the park. Sami is playing alone again when a small bird swoops down. She crashes straight into Sami. "I'm lost. Can you help me find my friends?" Sami carries the little bird around the park. He sees the lady from the bus. She is not scowling she is feeding the birds. This feels like a Mary Poppins moment and perhaps you will want to launch into the famous song - "Feed the birds". Also at the park that day Sami sees the baker. He shares a roll with Sami. Sami continues walking around the park looking for the flock. The girl who laughed at him in his Kindergarten class is in the park too. She kicks a ball over to Sami and a new friendship begins. The little bird flies away but then she spies another child - a little girl playing all alone. "I'm lost. Can you help me find my friends?"

Found You is a book you could use with very young children to open up a discussion about new children in the school - perhaps migrant children or refugee children. Yes this is a book about shyness but it is also about the confusion with communicating when English is not your language. Here is an interview with Devon at Kids Book Review. Found you is her debut picture book and it was published in July this year. I was interested to read her favourite illustrators are Roger Duvoisin; Adrienne Adams (The Fairy Doll Rumer Godden); Beatrice Alemagna; and Gyo Fujikawa.  Here is the website for Devon. 

With its gorgeous colour palette and superbly expressive scenes which show much more than is said in her text, Devon Holzwarth’s debut picture book is one that’s certain to foster empathy and understanding, showing how important it is to offer a welcoming environment to newcomers. It can all begin with holding out a hand (or wing) in friendship. Red Reading Hub

I would pair Found You with another book I truly treasure - Mustafa.

You could also look at My Two Blankets.