Radiant by Vunda Micheaux Nelson

Sometimes 

I want to be white. 

White— 

like new snow 

or angel wings. 

White— 

like fresh milk 

or cumulous clouds. 

White— 

like just-washed sheets 

dancing on the clothesline. 

White— 

a full moon on a clear night.

Cooper is named after her Grandfather. I do like to think about names. Her name could be a source of teasing or worse but no, the bullying all relates to the colour of her skin mainly from one boy in her class. She is having a hard time in school - firstly with a dreadful bully named Wade Carter and also with her teacher Mrs Keating. But Cooper has a goal to shine:

I look up “shine” in the dictionary. It means a lot of good stuff. The kind Mama means: “To radiate. To give off light. To be made bright by polishing. To sparkle and shimmer with luster." It means brilliance and splendor. —That’s what I want. I want to shine. To be brilliant. To be radiant. “Radiant” is one of the words.

To shine at school means scoring good grades and 'winning' over Mrs Keating. At times this seems to be an almost impossible goal.

Then there is Wade who takes every opportunity to be so nasty to Cooper. Spoiler alert - in stories (and maybe in real life too) there is often a deeper reason for the bullying - and in this book it is true that Wade is going through some very tough stuff at home but I have to say I found it very hard to be sympathetic (even when his mum died). 

I wish Wade hadn’t heard me say I want to shine. I wish I hadn’t said it out loud. I do want to shine. I want to shine so bright, so bright that I blind Wade. Color blind him.

I wonder, is Wade scared? Scared of me? Or is he just mean?

Cooper, quite rightly, would like different colours for Crayola crayons - different colours to use for skin tones. This could be a good discussion point with a reading group. 

And why does my skin matter so much? Nobody cares if I wear a red blouse or a blue one. Why should they care if I wear black skin or white skin or purple skin?

Then for Christmas Cooper is gifted a small transistor radio and she also discovers the famous pop group - the Beatles. 

Kate and I read about John Lennon Paul McCartney George Harrison and Ringo Starr (with two r’s). We learn some new British words, like “gear” and “cuppa” “lift” and “kip.”

It is also an important turning point for Cooper when another 'black' student arrives in her class. I loved this boy - he is confident, he is kind, He is so proud of his heritage and most of all he is so friendly to everyone. 

There are references to other books in Radiant - The Wizard of Oz; Charlotte's Web; and Langston Hughes poetry. 

Australian readers will be unfamiliar with many of the historical references in this book - the assassination of JFK, Martin Luther King Jr, and the Klu Klux Klan along with all the references to racial discrimination but many kids will identify with Cooper's need to find herself, her voice, her own place in the world and her desire for representation - where are the kids like her in stories and films. They will also cheer as she conquers school and gains good results on her end of year report card. I would share this verse novel with mature readers aged 10+.

Publisher blurb: As school begins in 1963, Cooper Dale wrestles with what it means to “shine” for a black girl in a predominantly white community near Pittsburgh. Set against the historic backdrop of the Birmingham church bombing, the Kennedy assassination, and Beatlemania, Radiant is a finely crafted novel in verse about race, class, faith, and finding your place in a loving family and a complicated world.   Cooper’s primary concern is navigating fifth grade, where she faces both an extra-strict teacher and the bullying of Wade Carter, the only child of a well-to-do white family, whose home Cooper’s mother cleans for extra income. How can she shine when her mother works for the meanest boy in school? To make matters worse, Cooper quietly wishes she could be someone else. It’s not all bad, though. Cooper and her beloved older sister have fallen for the Beatles, and Cooper is thrilled to have something special they can share. And what she learns about her British idols adds new complexity to Cooper’s feelings about race.

This verse novel examines complex themes of identity, forgiveness, self-love, and self-actualization through writing that’s accessible to young readers. Nelson intentionally and deftly uses details to situate the novel with history, and she’s crafted an endearing, three-dimensional protagonist in Cooper, whose voice and authentic struggle to make sense of her experiences will resonate in a work that presents fertile ground for discussion. Kirkus

Companion books:

One Crazy Summer

Blended

Ten years ago I read another book by Vunca Micheaux Nelson - Possibles.

The Frindle Files by Andrew Clements illustrated by Brian Selznick

Josh is a student at Clara Vista Middle School. His English teacher (ELA) is Mr N. I love the way he teaches but for Jake it is all too old fashioned. Mr N sets assignments that need to be hand written (neatness counts) and he has no technology in his classroom - instead every student is expected to have, and use, a copy of an old grammar book called The Elements of Style, 4th ed., by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White (yes that is THE EB White author of Charlotte's Web).

Josh wasn’t sure if Mr. N even owned a computer. There was a rumor that once he’d had a big argument with Mr. Ortega about posting his homework assignments on the school website. Mr. N had told the principal that writing assignments on the board in his classroom was enough—and he didn’t mean one of the SMART Boards that every other teacher used. No, Mr. N had an actual chalkboard that he could move around the room on wheels. The whiteboard was there, but Mr. N kept it hidden behind a huge poster about the parts of speech.

Josh breezes through his other homework but for Mr N he now need paper and a pen. He has almost completed his work when the ink runs out so he picks out a pen from his mother's desk.

Back at the kitchen table, Josh was about to start writing again. Then he noticed something printed on the side of the pen—one word, in bold black letters: It was a word he’d never seen before, which made him curious. And Josh did what any other plugged-in kid would do: He searched the word on his browser—f-r-i-n-d-l-e. And then he hit return. Whoa, 270,000 results?!

What is going on? It's just a pen? Or is it?

“Hey, Mom, where did you get this pen?” She looked, and then smiled. “I’ve had that since sixth grade. Everyone at my school started calling pens frindles, and when those showed up in stores, I bought a couple—so did all my friends. It was kind of a big thing for a while.”

Josh digs deeper and find a photo of the school kid who invented the word 'Frindle' and this kid sure does look like ... Mr N!!

It is now page 9 of a 214 page book. Josh is a very curious boy. He now has a mystery to solve and because he knows Mr N loves words and writing there might be a way to make this interesting. AND Josh is a computer nerd so he can easily do tons of research about this and keep it organised into folders with evidence and photos and online newspaper clippings and so we now have the The Frindle Files. 

Using a fine-tipped Sharpie, he had written the word Frindle in bold black letters along the barrel of a plain white plastic pen. And now that word on that pen was right there on that desk, waiting for Mr. N to discover it. And when he did, Josh would be watching.

Mr N does react but not at all in the way Josh expects and now the battle is on - a battle of wits and words but can there really be a winner? And can this 'joke' go too far?

The Frindle Files publisher blurb: Josh Willet is a techie, a serious gamer. Which is why Josh and his friends can’t stand Mr. N’s ELA class; it’s a strict no-tech zone. Mr. N makes them write everything out by hand, he won’t use a Smartboard, and he’s obsessed with some hundred-year-old grammar book. Then Josh discovers a secret; turns out Mr. N's been keeping a lot more than technology from his students! Together with his best friend Vanessa, and using all the computer skills they’ve got, Josh is determined to solve the mystery of Mr. N’s past. And maybe get some screentime back, too?

You should also feel inspired to read or reread Charlotte's Web after you finish The Frindle Files. 

Frindle (1996) is a book that I read and loved when it was first published.  I mentioned I had read the 'sequel' to Rachel Robson at Gleebooks here in Sydney and she almost swooned - so strong was her own memory of loving Frindle. Sadly, Andrew Clements died late in 2019 so this is his final book which was published posthumously. I did smile when Josh's little sister Sophie asked to see Bluey.

Here's a recap/blurb for Frindle (The Frindle Files can stand alone BUT your reading experience will be so much richer if you have read this famous predecessor). 

Bookseller blurb: Is Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school -- and he's always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he's got the inspiration for his best plan ever...the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn't belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there's nothing Nick can do to stop it.

Or perhaps you could read my 2012 blog post.

The Frindle Files paperback edition has just arrived here in Australia (March 10th 2026) - rush to your favourite independent bookstore today to secure your copy. 

Now that you have your copies of Frindle and The Frindle Files head into your school or local library and borrow some more fantastic books by this master storyteller. My own favourites are:

Extra Credit

The Copper Tree by Hilary Robinson illustrated by Mandy Stanley

This book is sad, very very sad - please read it yourself first to judge if it is the right book for your young child. This group of kids love their teacher Miss Evans but then she gets sick and cannot come to school. She manages to make one last visit to her class before she dies. In the illustrations you will see she has created a wonderful classroom for these preschool kids.

Their new and wise teacher suggests the children write their memories and these are then engraved on copper leaves and placed on a tree in the school foyer. I sobbed.  

This excellent picture book deals sensitively and truthfully with the subject of bereavement. When their teacher Miss Evans isn’t well and can’t come to school, her class maker her a get well card, even Alfie Tate who’s nearly always causing trouble. She comes to see their play and though she’s lost her hair and has to use a wheelchair, she smiles all the time. Not long after that, another teacher Mr Davis tells them that Miss Evans has died. It’s alright to feel sad, he says, or angry. The children make remember notes and transfer them onto copper leaves for a copper tree dedicated to Miss Evans. The leaves are bright and beautiful in the sunshine, just like she was. A gentle way of showing how memories remain to comfort and console. Love Reading 4Kids

I know I said this book is sad, and it is, but it is also very gently told with tiny touches of humour. Hopefully the children or child in your family will never have to experience the death of their teacher but this book might be one you could share long after that event. In my former school a very loved teacher did die - very suddenly. She was a reading specialist teacher and so she interacted with children from many different grades over many years. Perhaps the families of children who were deeply affected by this loss might have read this book - but possibly a few months after these events when the feelings were not so raw. 

Here is a trailer (for adults) from the publisher. I didn't recognise the name Hilary Robinson but I should have because she is the author of several books from the splendid Leapfrog and Hopscotch series.

Hilary Robinson is an award-winning radio producer and author of over 50 picture books. Awards include the 2016 Historical Young Quills Award for ‘Flo of the Somme.’

I had been inspired by the local hospice, St Gemma's, who had constructed a Tree Of Life on to which bereaved relatives could hang a copper leaf inscribed with the name of a loved one who'd died, and, motivated by the powerful effects of memory as means of healing, my book, The Copper Tree, was born.

AND Mandy Stanley is the illustrator and author of the Lettice series. 

The Copper Tree is one book from a series called The Copper Tree Class dealing with life topics. Tom's Sunflower deals with divorce; Christmas Surprise shows there is more to Christmas than presents; and Help a Hamster is about care of pets. Even though these books are from 2014 they are still available.

The Magpie Riddle: A Goldfish Boy Mystery by Lisa Thompson

Melody and her mum live in a Chestnut Close. The houses form a semi circle and so naturally everyone knows everyone. Near the street there is a old graveyard and Melody likes to wander through with her dog Frankie. Melody has one friend in the street - a boy called Matthew. We met him in the first book. Jake also lives in Chestnut Close but he speaks very bluntly to Melody and he almost feels like a bully at times. He also seems to be taking Matthew away from Melody. Then Melody meets Hal. Hal is a boy with a strange story. He is living in an old abandoned house at the back of the graveyard. He tells Melody he works for a spy agency and that he is reporting on the activities of a jewelry thief. Some of his story seems quite impossible but Hal persuades Melody that he does work for MI8 and he enlists her help to decode mysterious riddles that are left in the graveyard.

Melody, herself, has her own life problems. Her father left the family some time ago in awful circumstances. Now mum is trying to sell their house. Melody misses Matthew too.

A neighbor decides everyone should help to clear up some weeds in the graveyard but Melody is worried the adults will find Hal. She needs to call on Matthew and also Jake to help her move Hal into an empty house in Chestnut Close. But Mr Charles has the only key and Mr Charles also seems to be holding onto a letter from Melody's dad. 

Blurb from author page: Melody Bird has discovered an old, abandoned house in the corner of the graveyard, and a mysterious boy called Hal who is hiding out there… Hal tells her that he’s a spy-in-training, using the house as a base for his undercover surveillance of a known local criminal. Her friends Matthew and Jake don’t believe that a teenager would be entrusted with this mission and turn the tables to spy on him, uncovering secrets and unravelling a mystery as they go.

In the US this book has a different cover and title:

Take a look at the Kirkus review

I confess I wrecked my own reading of this book by, early into the reading experience, jumping to the final pages to preview the ending. My reaction to this book is less positive than the first installment. There were a few too many 'issues' and the idea (spoiler alert) that a child could be totally hidden from the system seems a little too farfetched. If this was at all possible I needed Hal to be more confused about 'real life' and also I did worry that he was not getting enough food! My labels on this post will give you some idea of the 'issues' faced by the main characters.

When I spotted this book I recognised the series - The Goldfish Boy. Here is my previous post:

The Goldfish Boy

Kirkus Star review

Here is the third book in the series and I think Lisa Thompson has a plan for a fourth title:

Blurb: When a skeleton is found buried in an elderly neighbour’s garden, Matthew, Melody and Jake are determined to discover its identity and who was responsible for its death. At the same time, the long-lost son of the neighbour arrives, with his young son in tow. But are the pair really who they are claiming to be – or are they imposters? As the kids investigate, they uncover incredible secrets and a plot to stash some priceless jewels on the Close…

Here is the webpage for Lisa Thompson. I do think this series have very appealing covers. 

Running my own Race by Abena Eyeson

This story is a little clichéd, but I imagine most young readers will not identify all the usual tropes. I have read other books like this so here is my list:

• Injustice - Poor 'black boy' finds a place in posh 'whites only' school
• Talent - The coaches immediately see this boy has great running ability
• Bullies - The kid assigned to 'help' him is an angry and jealous bully
• Underdog - Kofi is selected for the running team and yes he beats Miles (the bully)
• Excuses - We learn that Miles has some difficulties in his home life - as though this somehow excuses his dreadful behaviour
• Peer group pressure - Miles holds some power over other kids in the school and so they readily believe the rumors Miles spreads about Kofi.
• Friendship - luckily the other scholarship kid - a girl named Christine - steps in to help and encourage Kofi
• Siblings - Kofi has a terrific sister who surprises him by offering good advice and support
• Old friend - Charlie has been Kofi's friend forever but this friendship seems to be in danger now that they no longer go to the same school
• Winning the race - spoiler alert - of course Kofi wins that big race even after Miles hurts him badly and he is forced to miss many weeks of training

The only part of this story that did surprise me was the way the school fairly quickly accepted that Kofi was the victim and that the story told by Miles that Kofi hit him first was a total lie. It was good to see the school Principal accept the need for restitution and also it was good to read the scene where Coach mediates this meeting. The contrition by Miles did feel real.

Nosy Crow consistently produce good books so I was keen to dive into this one. My friend shared the books sent to her library by Pegi Williams (South Australia) from their standing order. 

I am sure the cover of Running my own race will appeal to readers who love sports. 

Publisher blurb: Kofi’s mum is determined he’s going to be ‘somebody’. But when Kofi is given a place at a prestigious private school because of his athletic ability, everything changes. Kofi dreams of being a professional athlete – but he soon finds following your heart isn’t an easy road. Under pressure from his mum to make the most of his academic opportunity, his best friend who doesn’t want him to change, his community to make them proud, and a rival who will do anything to make sure Kofi doesn’t outshine him – Kofi isn’t sure where to turn. Can Kofi find a way to follow his own path?

In time, though, with help from a new friend (a fellow scholarship student), his athletics coach, and loving family, Kofi finds the courage and strength to stand up for himself and to forge his own lane. Radiant with empathy, Running My Own Race tackles big topics in a brilliantly relatable style that’ll have readers punching the air with joy after walking in Kofi’s trainers every step of the way. Love Reading 4Kids

Abena Eyeson was born in Ghana but has lived in the UK since the age of 12. She has won accolades for the FAB Prize, Jericho Prize and TLC Pen Factor. She writes picture books, educational non-fiction and has self-published YA. Abena lives just outside London with her husband and three children. It was her children that inspired her to put Black characters at the heart of her stories. Running My Own Race is her first middle grade novel. Here is an interview with the author. There are some resources on the author web page.

A better series that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading recently which has a focus on the same themes as this book - Running my own Race - are the Tracks books by Jason Reynolds.

Ghost is the first book in the series

Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden

The chapters in this book alternate between four voices and cover the time from April 30th to May 21st. 

Who are these kids?

Libby lives in Vermont. She sees the world through colours and creates her own equilibrium through art and using coloured pencils. Her school does not appreciate her art especially when she paints a whole wall at her Middle School. Libby lives with her mother and angry father. Her mother has no understanding of Libby and in one dreadful scene she confiscates all of Libby's pencils and art supplies. 

Maybe things would be easier if I could do a better job of staying closed-up. Like if I didn’t wear my yellow polka-dot sweatshirt all the time. Maybe then Danielle wouldn’t have teased me, and I wouldn’t have lost my temper and punched her, and I’d still be on the softball team.

Vincent lives in Seattle with his mum. He is probably on the Autism spectrum. He loves quirky clothes, tucking in his shirt, triangles and puffins including a breakfast cereal called Puffins. Because he is different he is very badly bullied at school but the reasons or motivations for this are a deep puzzle for Vincent.

I take out the shirt and look at it closely. There’s a little embroidered emblem of a bird on the top right. It’s a puffin. Like the bird on the cereal box that my mom gets. And its beak has some fabulous triangle action going on. Katherine Johnson would approve. I pull on the shirt and button it up. I guess I’ve grown, because it’s super snug. But it feels good, ...

Jack also lives in Vermont. Spoiler alert - we don't know how but Jack's younger brother has died recently. Jack goes to a very small school which has just two teachers. A officious lade arrives at the school to inspect their compliance with rules such as bathroom facilities. Jack has been taught in this school to think and to act so he starts a petition to save his school and then he speaks at the local school board meeting. Unfortunately his message is interpreted completely wrongly and then social media takes over.

The school might have to close? It can’t. Next year is my eighth-grade year. How could I spend it somewhere else? And what would happen to all of us? Just farmed out to a bunch of different schools in the valley, where all the students think they’re better than hicks like us?

T is a homeless non binary youth living on the streets of Seattle with their dog. These chapters are brief and told in verse.

From these descriptions you can probably guess these kids need help and hope. Libby is given some small index cards. She writes "you are amazing" on the card with a picture of a dandelion. Decorating and writing on index cards is how it all starts. She hides her first card for a small boy who is crying outside the dentist. Then she makes more cards and even though she is grounded she sneaks out at night and puts her little cards in various places all over the town. 

I start to stick the index cards all over the place—in a window box outside the pharmacy; in the bike rack at the library; attached to an ATM; in the window of the art supply store; on the steps into the ice cream shops; on a bulletin board outside the senior center; and stuck into the hedge between the hardware store and the post office. Even if no one thinks to pick one up, at least they’re adding more flowers and sunshine to the world. That has to count for something.

Libby hears about a boy in Seattle who loves puffins but is having a hard time. She puts his address on the back of one of her index cards, adds a puffin stamp (I know this is a little contrived, but it made me smile) and she posts her card - it is going to Vincent. 

I talk (a lot) and think (a lot) about book covers. This book has a fabulous cover BUT it totally misled me. I assumed (wrongly) that this book would have a North American indigenous focus. I did not look closely enough - the wings of the puffin are filled with city buildings - US readers might recognise these places. You probably already know I am slightly obsessive about puffins so the title grabbed me right away. But this book is not really about puffins either although they are mentioned. 

You can hear the first chapters here. And you can read a chapter sample. You can see other books by Ann Braden here. If you need another viewpoint the Kirkus reviewer didn't like Flight of the Puffin. 

This is a story that is rich in truth, sadness, redemption, and possibilities. It is a wonderful book that I would recommend to teens, middle school and above, as it deals with bullying, gender issues, and family tragedy. Kathleen Palmieri

Vincent loves to eat this cereal - I wonder what it tastes like? The box has facts about puffins which Vincent reads over breakfast.

Flight of the Puffin is the March selection for an online Children's book group I follow on Facebook. I am fairly sure that without this group this book would have passed me by because I am not sure it ever arrived here in Australia and it was published in 2022 which means it will be hard to find. I read an ebook edition. I did find this copy from an Australian online bookseller. 

I love the idea of these index cards as a way to spread happiness. It made me think of Wishtree and also Stargirl.

Wishtree

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

She drops coins on the footpath (sidewalk) as a tiny way to give other kids moments of happiness

The Kindness Project

Frances Bloom by Katrina Nannestad illustrated by Marina Zlatanova

Recipe for Frances Bloom

• A full to the brim cup or two of Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
• Three quarters of a cup of Gooney Bird Green by Lois Lowry
• A generous dash of Leeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker
• A quarter teaspoon of the illustrations in Maudie and Bear by Jan Ormerod illustrated by Freya Blackwood (read more here)
• A small spoonful of Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
• A tiny pinch of Matilda by Roald Dahl

Method - Pippi Longstocking lives alone and so does Frances Bloom. Pippi has special animal friends - her horse and monkey. Frances has a huge bear (and a garden gnome). Pippi speaks boldly and she enjoys her daily routines. Frances loves to swim every day, often in her clothes, and she has strong opinions about school. 

Gooney Bird Green loves to wear outrageous combinations of clothes and so does Frances. Gooney entertains her class with her tall tales. Frances is loved by her 22 Grade 3 classmates because she brings her eccentric grandparents to visit the class, she sets imaginative writing assignments and ultimately, she is responsible for 'getting rid' of their horrible teacher Ms Thistle. 

Frances is somewhat like young Leeva because she has to survive and avoid being 'found out' by adults. Maudie and Bear is about relationships - and Frances creates a special bond with her bear named Grandma Maude. And of course, Clementine and Frances are about the same age and have the same outspoken opinions and slightly naive view of the world. 

Here are some of the clothes worn by Frances Bloom. You could use these descriptions as a way to book talk Frances Bloom with your library group:

"Frances stepped from the fitting room wearing tartan shorts, a lime-green poncho with tiny pompoms along the edges, rainbow-spotted tights and purple clogs."

"She dressed in a floppy red smock, green-striped tights and bright yellow gumboots. She did not brush her hair."

"She wore long Johns, a stripy blue scarf, red lace-up boots and a green beanie."

Frances Bloom has 130+ illustrated pages, large print, short chapters, a very cheeky main character and a rollicking story so it will be a perfect addition to your library collection for readers aged 7+. I am not a huge fan of the cover but I really like the internal illustrations by Marina Zlatanova. 

To my mind this is a book for an individual child or one to share in a family but the publisher have produced some extensive teachers notes. It would be fun to talk about two of the 'naughty words' - Codswallop: an old-fashioned way of saying something is nonsense and Poppycock: another old-fashioned way of saying something is nonsense.

Frances Bloom is the first title of a planned series. 

The antics that Frances, her friends and new grandparents get up to make this book lots of fun for younger readers. The Book Muse

Frances Bloom is an appealing and likeable character. She strong, clever, resilient and loves life. She is her own person, full of fun and a tiny bit of mischief but her heart is in the right place. Read Plus

Publisher blurb: Frances Bloom lives all alone in a cottage by the sea. She's having a marvellous time until her nasty teacher, Ms Thistle, learns there is no-one looking after her. Frances needs to find a family, quick smart, or she'll be sent away to Bleak Island Home for Unwanted Children and Dogs. As hard as Frances looks, nobody meets her high standards ... until she stumbles across a large, honey-coloured bear raiding the rubbish bins ... and a garden gnome fishing in the flowerbed. Welcome, Grandma Maude and Grandpa Harold! Together, this strange trio creates a new family, writing their own rules with each misadventure!

Frances Bloom also reminded me of an earlier book written for an older audience by Katrina Nannestad - The Girl who Bought Mischief. I am a huge fan of her work - click on the label for this post to see other books. 

The Girl who Bought Mischief

Meeting Grandpa Harold (the garden gnome) also made me think of these two books which are sadly long out of print but might be in your school library:

A Home for Gnomes

Norman does Nothing

Marina Zlatanova is a Bulgarian-born designer, illustrator and printmaker living in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. She has illustrated several picture books to date, including Charlie’s Shell, her debut as an author, which won a Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year award. Her style is varied and eclectic, using a diverse range of media – from watercolour and inks to digital illustration and block printing – but her love for depicting the humorous and endearing always underpins her creations. Other books illustrated by Marina Zlatnaova are Gladys and Stripey: Two little fish on one BIG adventure; and Tink, Tink, Tink! (2025).

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. 

The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow illustrated by Joe Todd Stanton

that next year will be tough ...

that it's time to knuckle down and focus

that it's all worth it in the end

that it's the most important year of our 

lives so far and we need to act like it ...

that it's time for us to step up and become top of the school

that it's the final year.

You can feel the tone of this writing from this extract near the beginning of the book. It feels a little like a rap song:

See the take-aways and neon-washed litter?

The disfigured pigeons 

huddled under railway bridges and flyovers?

Taxis buses pizza-boxes vape shops?

This is not a place of labradors and lattes and electric Audis

this is a place of staffies and cider

and exhaust-pipe smoke,

a place of one foot in front of the other brother

cos what else ya goona do?

Nathan Wilder (Nate) has two brothers, Dylan aged nearly four and Jaxon aged eight, and each of them has a different dad. Mum had Nate when she was just seventeen. Money is very short but mum is sure she can win at the bingo. Mum also likes to drink. Nate didn't ever meet his dad he just knows his name was Nick and he looks a little like Jesus. Jaxon's dad was a bully and a bouncer and he liked beer, lots of beer. He is now in jail. No one is sure about Dylan's dad. Dylan loves spiderman and he a kid always on the move. Nate loves his brothers, but Nate is also battling his own very serious anger issues. 

Early on we discover, just four little words my pile of books to show Nate is a reader (and a writer). Nate sleeps in the lounge room of their tiny flat - how does a kid like this have books? Why are the books hidden? Later we read "when I need to chill I head to the library." and "I've read everything I can find by David Almond. ... His style like music like poetry." Nate especially loved The Colour of the Sun. (I have added it to my own to read list). Then joy of joys the book his Grade 6 class will study is Skellig.

Notice the title - The Final Year. It is the final year of Primary. Nate has one great mate Parker Smith or PS. But when the new classes are formed the friends are separated. PS seems to have perfect life. Clean house, parents with jobs, food - regular stuff. Nate on the other hand has, in some ways, become a parent to his two young brothers.

Mum's out cold still

the morning after Bingo

so I get the boys ready

like I've done a thousand times before.

At the end of Gade 5 Nate and his class visit the room where they will go next year:

The classroom 

belongs to the old Year 6

stinks of 'em

and I mean stinks.

Their fadin name-tags are peeling off drawers

their work is all over the walls

Nate gets the new teacher Mr Joshua. He has no idea but this is so wonderful. Mr Joshua may be very inexperienced, but he is so wise and he offers gentle and caring support to Nate. He also loves to include music into his classroom which made me cheer. 

The other issue at school is Turner - the school bully and his gang. And now PS seems to be friends with Turner. 

Turner's no learner

he'll fight and he'll burn ya

he's done things that can't be forgiven.

Turner man, Turner

those fists gonna earn ya

a stay in triangular prison.

It is heart breaking to witness the disintegration of the friendship between Nate and PS. Thank goodness for his new friend Caleb. Then everything changes because Dylan is really unwell - seriously very very unwell. You will gasp over these scenes.

How can my head

be so full of stuff, Sir

so full of sadness

so full of questions

so full of danger

so full of pain

yet I am so empty?

Here is a description from their journey to the school camp in Windermer:

As we get closer

the hills are whiter than they looked

snow everywhere

like someone's laid down feathers

on the shoulders of a new world.

This book will break your heart and then mend it again. Please try to find this book and read it then give it to your young readers aged 10+ or pop it on display in your school library. This is one of those truly special books that needs to be in the hands of readers. This might be my book of the year. Teachers will love Mr Joshua and also the subtle commentary about the idiocy of state testing of our students - hooray! When you share this book make sure you find the music for "Every little things gonna be all right" (Bob Marley) and play it with the sound up LOUD. Here are some very detailed teaches notes. Matt Goodfellow introduces his book.

Carnegie shadow judges' notes say:

The Final Year is about …

 • The importance of friendship

 • How it is possible to control your anger

 • The power of writing

 • Putting family above everything else

 • How teachers can be inspirational

 • Growing up

 • How tough life is for some young people

 • Putting a brave face on things

 • The importance of kindness

A poignant exploration of change and loss. Nate struggles to come to terms with the changes facing him in his home and school life during his final year at primary school. His best friend moves class and his home life becomes increasingly uncertain after the tumult and turmoil of his brother being rushed into hospital. Can Nate find his place among a fast-changing world?

Highly accessible, lyrical and life affirming, this is a must-have novel that will authentically resonate with so many under-represented children and perfectly captures what this crucial transition period feels like. As such, it is a must-read for adults as well as the children who will devour it. It will also resonate with children who have made that transition and perhaps help them with their own feelings, as well as encouraging them to write for themselves. Love Reading 4Kids

This incredibly powerful novel, written entirely in free verse, really packs a punch. Nate’s innermost thoughts burst from the pages, enabling readers to really connect with his intense feelings of pain, anger and love. Thoughtful black-and-white illustrations punctuate the text of this spectacular debut novel, which is a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting read. Book Trust

Next step for me is to find the sequel published early in 2025 because the final words of The Final Year are ... 

Companion book:

Motormouth (now out of print but is sure to be in many Australian school libraries)