Flying Through Water by Mamle Wolo

We all grabbed bailing vessels. Thunder cracked, and lightning streaked across the sky like a celestial tree revealing its branches for a split second. I felt as though I were caught in a different dimension where death was as present as life, and everything was elemental and terrifying.

I thought about this world and the things we humans struggled for, and all the ways in which we imprisoned ourselves, and each other. It seemed to me that greed was just as much of a prison as poverty, only worse. Here I was alone on this island in the middle of nowhere, stripped of whatever meager possessions I had ever owned. And yet in nature’s heart I felt liberated and endowed with a splendor beyond anything humans could ever purchase. 

What greater wealth was there in this world than freedom?

This story is told in three parts. Sena describes his life in Ghana and his special relationship with is grandfather who tells him stories of his village life before the artificial creation of Volta Lake and the Akosombo Dam. Sena lives with his mother, sister and baby brother. They are very poor but he has been able to go to school. His education is not perfect and the teachers are often absent and they do beat the students but if he can sit the final exam there is the promise of further education and hopefully a better life for his family. But there is a young man who visits their village with promises to the young boys of work and money and perhaps even adventures. Sena is suspicious of this flashy man who they call 'Jack of Diamonds' and he has heard stories of boys sent to work with cattle - boys who are given little or no food and forced to work in dreadful conditions. Sena is determined not to follow this path but then his grandfather dies, his mother is gravely ill with malaria and his best friend declares he is heading away to work because he is sure the promises from 'Jack of Diamonds' are true. 

Sena loves his family and he really wants to help them so after his final exam he leaves a letter under his sister's pillow and he heads off - what he does not know is that this will be a journey into hell. So begins part two. Sena is taken to work as a slave for a cruel master catching fish and diving deep into treatrous waters to untangle the fishing nets. He is given virtually no food, he is beaten and the group of about ten boys are forbidden to talk to each other except about their tasks. Yes this is illegal human trafficking. Can Sena escape? Where will he go? What will happen if he is caught? He does befriend one of the boys and then that boy is killed - possibly murdered by their master - so now Sena must leave. He arrived at this place terrified of water and unable to swim. After several months of this cruel work he can now swim but he is still terrified of the dark water and the waves and he has not learned how to float. Part 3 is all about survival because he does find his way to a small deserted island with only monkeys for company but of course he must also find a way to get back to his family. He also carries huge guilt about the boys he left behind and he has made a new wonderful discovery of a special and rare underwater animal - the lake Manatee. The book ends with a sense of hope for the future for Sena himself but also for other trafficked boys and hopefully also for this very special wild creature who is also trapped in the waters of this lake.

Here are a few text quotes from this book:

Treatment by teachers: The humiliation hurt almost more than the lashes, but I hardened myself to it even though it upset me that the teachers beat us when they knew how hard our lives were. They knew we weren’t late out of laziness or what they called I-don’t-care-ism. But I got used to that too—the callousness of powerful people and the way they didn’t care what was fair.

Kekeli - a description: She had a round face, and when she smiled it was as if the distance between her lips and chin had been measured with a protractor and traced with a compass, their curves were so perfectly parallel. Her laughter was like that of a baby discovering funniness for the first time and too little to contain it. She could spark off the whole class.

Grandfather the storyteller: He said stories took us where our legs couldn’t go and showed us what our eyes couldn’t see, and that the best thing about books was that they were still there when storytellers were gone. I could see what he meant when I thought that one day, he wouldn’t be here to tell us stories anymore—a prospect I quickly banished. I loved his stories more than any I’d read in books.

Jack of Diamonds: Everyone was excited and following his every move, but something in me held back. I wondered if I was the only one to whom his mannerisms seemed somehow familiar, as if he’d studied them on someone else, like Shatta Wale or Burna Boy. Perhaps I was just being silly, but it made me uneasy that we couldn’t see his eyes, because he never took off his sunglasses. And it was amazing how he kept that black jacket on in this heat.

Publisher blurb: Sena treasures his life in rural Ghana-playing soccer, working the family farm, striving to do his best at school-but he is increasingly aware of his family's precarious security in the face of poverty. When an alluring gentleman comes to town to befriend local teenagers, offering promises of a better future, it only takes one more unsettling turn of events to send Sena into the clutches of human traffickers. Sena's ordeal, escape, and remarkable survival makes for a page-turning adventure of self-discovery and empowerment.

Searing and eye-opening, readers will devour Sena’s story in a day. School Library Journal

Wolo skillfully sheds light on the horrific practice of the trafficking of children, and the grim situations many are forced to live and work in—but she also tells a story of hope and perseverance. The vividly described settings include imagery that paints the scenes for readers as the story unfolds. A powerful look at human suffering and the will to survive. Kirkus Star review

Jack of Diamonds turns out to be a pied piper for a human trafficking network and thus, Sena finds that he has been sold into indentured labour to a fisherman who employs a motley crew of children, some as young as three, in a bid to compete with foreign trawlers working the Volta Lake. Cold and brutish, Sena’s master is a formidable antagonist, the like of which populates Dickensian novels, but the real villain here is the systemic poverty that has left intergenerational scars and threatens the possibility of a future for its under aged victims, who are malnourished, overworked, and constantly exposed to the risk of drowning. The Lagos Review

Fans of Hatchet and A Long Walk to Water will find Flying Through water an engrossing book. Sadly I have no idea how I discovered this book - I must have seen it recommended somewhere.

Listen to an audio sample here. This book only in hardcover so far is too expensive here in Australia (AUS$32.50) but I read a copy on a Kindle.

I recommend this moving and atmospheric story for readers aged 12+ especially those with an interest in social justice. Your senior students could also investigate the work of our Australian organisation that assists victims of modern slavery - The Freedom Hub.

I recently read this book which also explores the topic of human trafficking:

Stitched up

The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and Notable Books for a Global Society

Jane Addams Children's Book Award 

Not Nothing is a 2025 Jane Addams winner 

I loved this book and will talk further about it here soon

Just when I think I have discovered all the possible children's book awards, my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything alerts me to yet more - these two - Notable Books for a Global Society Award and The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards - both of these are from the US.

I loved browsing the past recipients of the Jane Addams award because there are a handful that I have read. And similarly, I was familiar with quite a few books from the Global Society book awards lists.

The Jane Addams Children's Book Award is given annually to a children's book published the preceding year that advances the causes of peace and social equality.

The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award is awarded to books that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence. Founded in 1953, the award is funded by the Peace Education Project, a part of the Jane Addams Peace Association and names two awards each year, one for Older Readers and one for Younger Readers. Honor books can also be named in each category. Jane Addams was one of the country’s first social workers, founding Hull House in 1889. A lifelong pacifist, she was also the founder of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931, the first American woman to do so. The award honors her memory and her life’s work by celebrating books that promote peace and equality.

Here is the full list of previous winners and honours. Or take a look here. 

These are the 2025 winners Jane Addams Award

These are the winners from 2010 to 2019

Now onto the Notable Books for a Global Society:

 Wishtree 2018 Notable Books for a Global Society

Notable Books for a Global Society: Annually, a committee of the CL/R SIG (Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group) of the International Literacy Association selects 25 outstanding trade books for enhancing student understanding of people and cultures throughout the world. The committee reviews books representing all genres intended for students K-12. 

Criteria for Selection of NBGS Titles:

Selection and Criteria:

• Accuracy and authenticity of the people depicted in terms of physical characteristics, social and economic status, intellectual and problem-solving abilities, and displays of leadership and cooperation
• Richness of detail concerning the group or groups depicted
• An approach that honors and celebrates diversity as well as the common bonds of humanity
• In-depth treatment of issues
• Depiction of substantive and authentic interaction among characters within and across groups
• Inclusion of members of a "minority" group for purposes other than tokenism or fulfillment of any type of "quota"
• Thought-provoking content that invites reflection, critical analysis, and response
• Uniqueness of language or style
• High quality as determined by evaluation in terms of generally accepted criteria for the genre
• Appealing format
• Enduring quality

In 2011 our Australian book Mirror by Jeannie Baker was included on these lists. And in 2023 We are wolves by Katrina Nannestad. Room on our Rock by Kate and Jol Temple is also included on these lists. 

We are Wolves

I talked about Threads Zlata's Ukrainian Shirt just yesterday and last week I talked about Stars of the Night. You can see all the past winners of this award - Notable Books for Global Society - here. Other books from these lists that I have read, loved but not blogged here are The Name Jar; Goin' Someplace Special; When my name was Keoko; Parvana’s journey; My Name is Yoon; Hana's suitcase; Iqbal: A novel; The cats in Krasinski Square; Rosa; Christmas in the Trenches; Ten little fingers and ten little toes; The Red Pencil; Last stop on Market Street. There are lots of wonderful books I need to add to my own 'to read' lists that I saw as I was browsing through these long award lists. 

Here are a few that I have read (2000-2023):

Homeless Bird

Bud not Buddy

A Single Shard

The Kite Rider

Counting on Grace

Four Feet Two Sandals

How to Steal a Dog

Chains

Where the Mountain meets the Moon

A Long walk to Water

Peaceful Pieces

The No 1. Car Spotter

Each Kindness

The Man with the Violin

El Deafo

Stella by Starlight

Orbiting Jupiter

Star Fish

Planting Stories

Lubna and Pebble

The Bridge Home

Other Words for Home

The Night Diary

Amal Unbound

Giant by Nicola Skinner illustrate by Flavia Sorrentino

Dear Child,

Having a giant as your servant is an honor.

But it is also a big responsibility.

You will be paired with your giant until you turn twelve, when you will kiss them, 

turning them into stone to rebuild our island.

Sadness is not permitted at the Goodbye ceremony.

Remember: they are not your family.

You may feel fondness for your giant, but you must not mistake that for love.

FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT THE

GIANT MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Minnie is different. She lives in a very structured and controlled society. Children are given giants as servants when they are very young and then after years of time spent together, at age 12, the children have to relinquish their giant in a strange and very cruel ceremony. This town is located on an island which is regularly wracked with earthquakes. Humans live on this island, but giants live there too. In the past there have been years of dreadful wars. The humans have now taken over the island and enslaved the giants who are assigned to the children. Other 'bad' giants are forced to live in an inhospitable place on the other side of a high mountain range. Children are warned to never go there because these giants are extremely dangerous. The servant giants are assigned to the children because the Giant Management Company, who control everything, make use of a surprising discovery that if a giant is kissed by a child it turns to stone. Stone is a valuable commodity in this place because it is used to rebuild the town after the regular earthquake events.

Children learn the rules from a young age:

• Giants are your servants not your friends
• You must not love your giant
• Giants must never ask children to keep secrets
• Everyone should be happy at the Goodbye Ceremony. 
• Giants and children cannot stay together forever.
• Never go to the No-Go Mountains

Back to Minnie. She is not pretty. Her parents are poor. In fact she looks quite neglected. She is also very small and in constant pain. Twice each day she has to inject pain medications. Her father is working on ways to predict and stop the earthquakes but the authorities keep rejecting his plans. Oh, and you need to know Minnie has broken several of the rules - especially the one about loving your giant. Her giant is called Speck because she is unusually small for a giant (she is still quite enormous). As the story opens there has been one of the largest earthquakes ever. Minnie is not due to say goodbye to Speck for many months but the town rulers, have ordered all ceremonies to be brought forward to tomorrow. Minnie cannot bear the idea of turning her beloved friend into a stone statue. While playing a game, Speck has shown Minnie a route to safety. Minnie thinks if she runs away, she can delay or even stop the ceremony. Along the way Minnie makes two important new friends - a jackal she names Twist and a young rubbler named Robin. Rubblers are the lowest eschalon of this society. They dig through the rubble and assist with all the town rebuilding. It is back breaking work which even children are forced to do and their lungs are filled with dust and they live in poverty. 

Here are a few text quotes:

"Would future children of the island shudder a little too, when they passed Speck's statue. Would they look up into her stone face and know, or care, that she had looked after Minnie Wadlow, and swum in a lagoon for forty-five glorious stolen minutes. Or would they not even see her, would she just fade into the background, as many of the statues did after a while? How would they know that Speck liked watermelon slices, and broke a plate every day, and had a specially soft voice if Minnie ever cried?"

"Then she gently, put her hand on the top of his head. It was the first time she had ever touched a jackal. She let her hand stay there, and he allowed it. She took in the solidity of his skull, the warmth of his flesh, and the softness of his fur, all at one - all this strength and fragility under her fingers, and she was humbled by what he had done for her, after she had rejected him."

"There's a possibility of survival if you keep going. If you stay, you're going to get crushed. Dad always said, once things start falling, don't wait around hoping things will get better. They won't. Get out when you can."

The journey undertaken by these three is so dangerous and the final showdown and battle with the hunters intent on their capture will leave you reeling. I just raced through the final chapters - 41-53 desperate for that all important happy ending.

Publisher blurb: There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Minnie’s island. Nothing, that is, apart from the earthquakes, which pull buildings and schools and houses down on a regular basis. Luckily, the island’s inhabitants have found a way to fix their crumbling walls: giants. Giants look after human children, like eleven-year-old Minnie. When Minnie turns twelve, she’ll kiss her giant, turning her into a stone statue forever. The stone will be used to repair buildings. And there’s nothing wrong with that either . . . or so Minnie thinks. But when a dreadful earthquake strikes, Minnie realises she’s not quite ready to say goodbye to her giant – not forever – not yet. So Minnie goes on the run, betraying her parents and everyone she knows. The secrets she uncovers on her journey threaten to pull everything down: and so begins a desperate race against time in which she will confront the truth about her island, her giant . . . and ultimately herself.

Despite the playful language and imaginative setting, this book packs some serious punches as Skinner tackles unnerving concepts head on. Providing an undercurrent throughout the plot are the ongoing implications of colonisation and totalitarianism, where in this unequal society giants are forced to live either as servants or are cast out to the No-Go Mountains. ... This may sound rather heavy for a book perfect for the end of Year 4 upwards, but in the big-hearted and wildly inventive hands of Skinner such themes are skilfully and subtly explored. It is love, however, that is the real driving force behind this story – particularly the love story between Minnie and her giant Speck. A mesmerising triumph, this book would enrapture a class as a read-aloud and has enough meaty themes to make a great whole class text. Just Imagine UK

This is a long book with over 390 pages but I almost read the whole story in one day!  YES it is that good. In fact this is going onto my list of top favourites. I expect to see this book on lots of award lists. The paperback is a really good price so I highly recommend you add this book to your library shelves today! Reading this book adults might think of the movie The Help. 

Take a look at all these book covers by Flavia Sorrentino. I am now very keen to read other books by Nicola Skinner.

Starboard Kirkus Star Review; Storm Kirkus Star Review

Ajay and the Mumbai Sun by Varsha Shah

Ajay is an orphan who lives at a large railway station. People discard newspapers and Ajay has used these, firstly to learn how to read, but more importantly to set himself his life goal of becoming a newspaper reporter. His good friend Vinod works in a local restaurant. He tells Ajay the editor of the major newspaper will be dining in the restaurant. Ajay rushes away to write an impressive report in the hope he will get the job of his dreams but Mr Gupta, editor of The City Paper, explains people are no longer interested in printed papers - they are too distracted by their phones.

Ajay is not defeated. He decides to make is own newspaper - The Mumbai Sun. He has lucky timing because the newspaper office has tossed out an old printing machine and another good friend, Saif, is training to be a railway engineer. He can easily fix any machine. So now Ajay has equipment and determination. Another friend, Jasmine, has fabulous art skills and, he is able to scavenge old discarded pink paper from a packaging factory.

Now what will Ajay write about? The town mayor declares the slum buildings where many people live will be demolished and the people relocated to a much safer and better place - but is this really true. Young Jasmine works in a factory printing Tshirts but are the working conditions safe and is it right that very young children work in these poor conditions? Then there is a terrible accident and the factory manager is killed. Who is behind this factory fire? Ajay unravels layers and layers of corruption, lies and bribes. He can and does report on all of this but some of his words have consequences he could never have anticipated. 

Sport fans are sure to enjoy the final scenes in this book - a cricket match between the street kids and the students from a wealthy private school. 

I borrowed this book from the library at Westmead Children's Hospital. Chicken House always published terrific stories and this one absolutely did not disappoint. I almost read it in one sitting. Read an extract on the Chicken House site. I hope the cover appeals to you - I love it. There are also some poignant contemporary references in this book such as the Grenfell Tower fire in London of 2017.

Fast-paced and wonderfully descriptive, full of the noise and bustle, colour and life of an Indian city, this is an inspiring, uplifting and entertaining story of hope and possibilities. More about Books

The tone is one of hope and change; it acknowledges, but by no means lingers over, the children’s hardships. Just Imagine

This is a book to make you smile, laugh out loud, recoil in horror and then stand up, cheer and thump the air. Book Trust

If you are looking for a great read aloud book for a Grade 4, 5 or 6 class this book could be a good choice. 

"It was the rage of the people who have been bullied by the rich and the powerful their whole lives, of people seen as expendable statistics rather than human, of people who have suffered the consequences of arrogance and ruthlessness of those in power."

One review suggested this book is similar to Emil and the Detectives. 

another book about the power of the media to unearth corruption is Adam Canfield of the Slash.

In you want to read a book also set in a busy city in India try to find this one:

The Book Uncle and Me 

Older Readers (14+) should also look for this one:

A Cardboard Palace

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

 

I was reminded of a multigenerational story idea—a story that tracks a family’s experience with racism from the early 1900s to today—and I realised that this was the story that I needed to pair with the puzzle. Varian Johnson

I like to think of The Parker Inheritance as a mash-up: part contemporary fiction, part historical fiction, part mystery— even part middle-grade novel and part young-adult novel. That being said, I’m proud of the historical parts of the novel. I think it’s important that we write historical fiction—we don’t want to forget the sacrifices that others made in the past to make the world a better place for us today. Varian Johson

Candice and her mother have moved to Lambert, South Carolina. Her grandmother has left Candice a letter which contains a puzzle. From the letter Candice learns there might be a huge amount of money hiding in this small town but to find it Candice will need to solve a complex puzzle and make some discoveries about some very disturbing events from the past. Luckily Candice has made a new friend - the boy who lives across the road called Brandon. He is good at puzzles too.

Varian Johnson uses alternating voices - Candice from the present and characters from the past beginning with 1914 and progressively moving through time. It feels a little as though each character takes a microphone to share his or her role in the mystery.  Take a minute to read this wonderful review by Elizabeth Bird in the School Library Journal. She sums this book up by saying: Come for the puzzle, then. Stay for the biting glimpse of America’s intolerant past.

We are in lock down here in Sydney and so it was good to have an absorbing book to read yesterday. I started and finished The Parker Inheritance in just one day and it is 337 pages of fairly small print. The two covers above are the paperback edition (top) and the hardcover edition. I prefer the hardcover one - which one appeals to you? Listen to an audio sample from Chapter two. The Parker Inheritance is a Coretta Scott King Honour Book. Here are some teaching notes.

The town of Lambert brims with intrigue, keeping readers entranced until the very last page. A candid and powerful reckoning of history.  Kirkus Star review

When Candice finds a letter in an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. But the letter describes a young woman. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfil the letter's promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?  Social Justice Books.

The puzzle aspect of this story reminded me of books by Blue Balliett and the issues of racial prejudice reminded me of The Watsons go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis and Stella by Starlight by Sharon M Draper. 

I enjoyed the way US History especially from the 1950's was woven into this story. Before reading this book here in Australia a reader aged 11+ will perhaps need to do some background reading about segregation; Brown v. Board of education; and civil rights.  In the US this book is listed for 9+ but in my view that is way too young. There is one very violent scene in this book which might disturb a younger reader.

This book refers to The Westing Game (1978) by Ellen Raskin which I have not read but have added to my 'to read' list. 

I walk with Vanessa: A story about a simple act of kindness by Kerascoet

 

Begin with the subtitle - a simple act of kindness. The act of kindness in this book is not simple, it is brave, it is powerful, it is heroic, and it is wonderful AND there are no words in this book!

Vanessa is new. She sits alone during play time. She sets off for home alone. But along the way she is confronted by the class bully. He shouts at her and hurls abuse (keep in mind there are NO words in this book). When the bully walks away little Vanessa is left in tears. BUT this incident has been observed. Her young classmate watches Vanessa heading home then she heads back to tell her friends exactly what she witnessed.  That night both girls can be seen in their rooms. You are left to imagine that poor little Vanessa still feels upset but more importantly her classmate is thinking and thinking hard about the action that needs to be taken. 

The next morning she knocks on Vanessa's door and invites her to walk to school. As the pair of new friends walk through their neighbourhood other children join them. The crowd grows bigger and bigger as everyone steps up to walk with Vanessa.

A wonderfully illustrated, hopeful book that can help caregivers tackle an emotionally fraught subject with even very young... Kirkus Star review

Kerascoët’s perfectly constructed wordless picture book powerfully demonstrates the feeling of being overlooked and ignored, the emotional toll of being bullied, and how an act of bullying affects even those not directly involved. Celebrate Picture Books (A very detailed review well worth reading)

What can one person do after all? But there is something one person can do. One person can bring together lots of people, and together they can really bring about change. Looking Glass Review

Silent, wordless or textless books should not be "read" on a video but in this production the images are simply accompanied by music. My only small criticism would be the page turns come a little too quickly. 

About the authors:  Kerascoët is the joint pen name of the French illustrators Marie Pommepuy and Sébastien Cosset. A married couple, they met while attending art school. They chose their pen name in 2000 after the hamlet of Kerascoët in Névez, Brittany where Pommepuy grew up.

Take a look at my Pinterest collection of picture books about Kindness.  And my collection Say No to Bullies. Here are a couple of Kindness titles I have talked about recently:

Finding Kindness

Be Kind