The Silken Thread by Gabrielle Wang

Gabrielle Wang has woven together an intriguing story in her book The Silken Thread. I use the word woven because there are several story threads and yes there is also an important reference to silk and silk threads from silkworm cocoons but really the strength of this book comes from both the way she weaves in and out of the past and present lives of these two children who live thousands of kilometers apart and the way she weaves in and gives us an insight into their complex family lives.  

I am not usually a fan of timeslip stories or ghost stories. In this case, though, The Silken Thread is not quite a timeslip in the usual way because Moonie, living in Melbourne, meets Little Dipper from China so it is not a different time just a different place. 

Little Dipper lives in poverty in a small village in China. He is a clever boy and the local school principal has identified him as a student who should go to school even though he is needed at home to help with the raising of silkworms and even though the family have little or no money. Little Dipper has two, much older, brothers but more importantly he did have a precious sister. Sadly Little Tian died in an accident. Little Dipper carries a great sadness about this, but Little Tian is never far away - he is still able to talk to her. Is she a ghost? His family are very superstitious, so he keeps her visits a secret.  When he travels to his lessons with his English tutor he has a set of instructions about how to deal with two spirits - the Slurp Slap Ghost and the even more terrifying Will O' the Wisp. His grandmother gives him special food packets and his brother tells him how to avoid the danger of the marshland. You could read Chapter 20 as a way to book talk The Silken Thread - this is when Little Dipper is trapped by the Will O' the Wisp.

Moonie lives with her older sister and two younger brothers in inner city Melbourne. Her grandmother lives with them too. Her father DeDi works at the local food market selling vegetables. The year is 1932 so Australia is in the grip of the depression. Moonie's mother MaMi has become very ill and has been sent away. Moonie and her siblings do not know where she is or when she will return. Things become even harder when a strange woman moves into their house. She seems to have bewitched DeDi and she is horribly cruel to Moonie's brother Floppy (Philip).

Moonie's Melbourne house is very old and Moonie has always been able to see ghosts of the former residents so she is not too shocked when a young boy appears in her room - is he a ghost too? 

Why has Little Dipper come to visit Moonie? Is there a way these two kids can help each other? 

I expect we will see The Silken Thread on the CBCA 2026 Younger Readers Notable list. Listen to an audio sample here. 

Publisher blurb: Moonie lives in Melbourne and dreams of designing dresses for movie stars. Eight thousand kilometres away, on Chongming Island in China, peasant boy Little Dipper cares for the silkworms on his family’s farm and hopes to learn English. On the day Moonie’s beloved Ma Mi goes away, Little Dipper appears in her house. Before they can speak, he is whisked back home. Aided by a magical silk cocoon, Little Dipper’s visits become a regular event and although neither knows how or why they are connected their bond grows each time. Will the silken threads of friendship be enough to help Moonie bring Ma Mi home, or to save Little Dipper from the troublesome ghosts who stand between him and his dream of learning English?

Things I enjoyed about this book:

• The references to food especially towards the end of the story.
• The pattern of three which is how many times Little Dipper has to journey to Teacher Sun before he can finally enter her house.
• The beautiful old water buffalo named Long Ma who takes care of Little Dipper
• The descriptions of each family especially Little Dipper's family and the way they care for one another.
• The alternating voices and stories of the two main characters.
• The scene (spoiler alert) when Little Dipper defeats the 'evil' Miss Yip.
• I am intrigued by the idea of 'rural school' in Melbourne in 1932.
• There are some great little history snippets in this story about life during the Great Depression.

Here is a quote to give you an idea about life during these times:

"One of my chores is to wash the potties in the morning. Another is to cut up squares of newspaper and thread them on a string to use as toilet paper. If there is a photo of a person though, I throw that page away. I wouldn't like it if my photo was in the newspaper and someone wiped their bottom on my face. MaMi taught us to scrunch the paper up first to make it softer. Rich people, who have telephones in their houses ... use pages from old telephone books as toilet paper ... it is so luxurious ..."

Highly recommended for readers who love historical fiction, and stories of warmth, friendship and a touch of magic. Reading Time

I think this is my new favourite of Gabrielle’s books and readers from around Year 4 upwards will love it too. Just so Stories

This is an outstanding novel, full of warmth and interesting issues. A combination of linking stories within stories. The chapters are presented in alternate voices – Moonie’s and Little Dippers’. Through these individual narratives, we learn about the boy’s family life, his surroundings, dreams, and his character. The same applies to Moonie’s narrative. Beautifully introduced are Chinese customs, culture and traditions, beliefs, philosophy, and the role each person plays within the family structure. Kids' Book Review

‘The Silken Thread is a beautifully evocative sunshine burst of magical realism, illuminating the harsh and joyous realities of life in China and Australia during the Great Depression, while celebrating the hidden lives of Chinese Australians. Rich in detail, complex in theme yet delicately drawn, the novel celebrates the strange ties that bind us across cultures, time and language, highlighting the importance of learning, friendship, family and community. An enchanting pocket treasure to lose yourself in.’ – Rebecca Lim

Read this review from Storylinks which gives more plot details.

Gabrielle Wang was the 2022-2023 Australian Children's Laureate. I talk more about this here. Companion books:

Bronze and Sunflower

Two Sparrowhawk's in a Lonely Sky (five stars)

The Kite Rider

A Glasshouse of Stars

All Four Quarters of the Moon

Ties that Bind, Ties that Break

Milly and the Mulberry Tree by Vikki Conley illustrated by Deb Hudson

"One day Milly planted a tree."

It was a mulberry tree. And Milly's first pets were silkworms - mulberry leaves and silkworms - a perfect combination. Milly names her new friends Silky, Milky and Wilky. At the end of the process, where the silkworms turn into moths, Milly is left to marvel over their empty cocoons. Meanwhile her tree keeps growing and giving. The purple mulberries are delicious, and they also make a terrific dye. The tree has strong branches perfect for a swing. As we turn each page there is a birthday party under the tree and we see Milly growing up. Eventually Milly heads off into the wider world and she discovers silk fabrics made from those cocoons of long ago. After years away mostly in Asian countries, Milly returns home with two surprises - her new partner and a beautiful silk dress. You may have guessed the final happy family scene under the mulberry tree. 

I completely misjudged the trajectory of this story – when dad said “it will always keep us together” I anticipated losing dad. Happily, this didn't happen. 

Children in schools often collect silkworms and so they will relate to this story, but the very best part is seeing the actual silk in the context of dress making especially a wedding dress. It is also good to see the life journey of the young girl from child to adult. The end papers are subtle and a perfect way to show the silkworm life cycle. I wonder if mulberry trees do grow as quickly as this one did?

The nursery rhyme reference is delightful and will surely mean Preschool and Kindy teachers will revisit this rhyme and hopefully other nursery rhymes. The bright pink cover will appeal to younger children. I have seen so many books lately decorated with butterflies (it is in the clip art collection of many digital art programs) - but for this book the moth on the cover does relate to the story. 

This is a heartfelt story about growing up. The memories from Milly’s childhood continue into her adulthood. The mulberry tree of her childhood has an impact throughout her life. We discover so much about Milly – the things she loves, the choices she makes. Relationships with others are part of the narrative but are not central to it; instead, this is about Milly’s connection to nature – to the tree, the berries, the silkworms and their cocoons – and the influence these things have on her. Although there is a lovely conclusion to the story, there is also the definite sense that this is just part of Milly’s journey and readers are left to wonder, imagine and predict what might come next for her. 

This book will also help readers appreciate where things come from in our overly manufactured world – and the wonder that nature can be transformed into so many different forms. Mulberries give food to silkworms who give us silk; you can eat the mulberry fruit, and Milly even drinks tea made from mulberry leaves. 

Here are some teachers notes and a trailer from the publisher. 

A lovely, hopeful and gentle book about the ties that bind and the ways that we can create and nurture traditions in our own families - while keeping home close to our hearts.  Kids' Book Review

The story is written from the heart, and is full of figurative language in short, accessible sentences for primary learners. Reading Time

With the feeling of an autobiography, Conley has created a story about growing up, changing and sharing your home world with your new family. Storylinks