The Elixir by Lindsay Galvin illustrated by Kristina Kister

Ann has inherited the gift of healing from her late grandmother. She works with her parents, brother and sister in the family apothecary.

"The rest of my family followed recipes exactly when they made our normal tinctures, infusions and syrups. It was an open secret that I didn't follow a recipe. My parents only let me get away with it because my tinctures worked so well. My family also knew I scratched a spiral mark into the base of the glass bottles containing my special tinctures. They didn't know it was the sign my grandmother had taught me and that it helped my medicines work."

You have probably noticed some arcane words in this quote - tinctures, infusions and syrups. The year is 1665 and so, yes, this a story set in the past but wait a minute do you know what was happening at that time - the witch trials. Now the stage is set - Ann has gifts but others will be suspicious. There are witch hunters roaming the countryside. Ann and her siblings have been left in charge of the shop because her parents have been called away. To help make ends meet a border has moved into the attic room - and very strangely this young man is Isaac Newton. These are also the times of the plague. If Ann is able to heal the townsfolk will she be accused of witchcraft and can she survive the drowning trial?

Ann forms an alliance with Isaac- and together they strive to make a very special elixir - the elixir of life. Then her brother is in a terrible accident and Ann, without permission, administers a few drops of the mixture. Yes, her brother is healed. Isaac is furious and so in a moment of recklessness Ann grabs the elixir and drinks it. What will be the consequences?

Here are a few text quotes:

"Grandmother taught me that grinding herbs on a full moon, then letting them soak in the moonlight would make powerful extracts. ... I started with Vervain. Its colour was a rich chestnut brown, excellent for restoring strength and vitality. Next, I bruised some Horsetail and Yarrow, used in cases of bleeding. These were fluffy shades of blue and grey."

"I described how when I touched people, I saw their colours in my mind. When I knew the colours of my customers, I could recognise when a hue was missing and find the mixture to restore them. I explained how ingredients that were matched to a person's colour nearly always strengthened them."

This book has 110 pages so it is a quick one to read but it is also an absolute page turner. 

This is a truly gripping story where the tension is palpable as danger builds and impossible choices are made. There are plenty of unexpected twists and turns with an ending that took me completely by surprise. A masterful blending of history, science and fantasy that left me utterly captivated – and astounded! The illustrations are absolutely stunning and capture the time period and the emotion of the story perfectly. An enthralling page-turner that captures the indomitable spirit of a young girl who uses her innate abilities to help others and stand against hatred and prejudice. Book Craic

Lindsay Galvin packs lots of action into this short, ultra-readable novel, as Ann finds herself in danger after danger, while working to do as much good as possible. The final twist in the tale is particularly satisfying and this atmospheric, immersive story will keep readers gripped from beginning to end while the presence of Isaac Newton is an added treat. Love Reading 4Kids

Bookseller blurb: With a witchfinder skulking about town, gifted healer Ann and a young Isaac Newton must be careful not to draw too much attention in this high-stakes story from Lindsay Galvin. Will the discovery of the Elixir of Life lead to a death sentence for a talented young healer? Ann Storer has inherited her grandmother's mysterious gift of healing, which she shares through the special tinctures she dispenses in her family's apothecary shop. When she combines her talents with the genius of a young Isaac Newton, recently arrived to board above the shop, the two create an incredible elixir with seemingly unlimited powers. But seventeenth-century England is a dangerous place to display any special abilities, and Ann must hide all evidence when witchfinder Abel Geach arrives in town. So when the plague starts to run rife and those she loves are in danger, will Ann risk everything to help them?

When I see a Barrington Stoke title in a bookshop I always pick it up and read the blurb. I wonder why our stores here in Australia don't make a bigger deal of this series - they only seem to stock one or two at any one time. I found this one in a Newsagent in Deniliquin - they added it to their children's book section (which is terrific by the way) in November last year. If you don't have any books from this series click the label on this post to see other titles. I also recognised the art on the cover of this book by Kristina Kister (The Book of Wondrous Possibilities by Deb Abela).

I have also read these historical fiction books by Lindsay Galvin:

The Great Phoenix of London

My friend the Octopus

And The Elixir reminded me of these two books:

I love all the different cover of Tuck Everlasting

I have recently discovered this series and this title would be a terrific follow on from The Elixir

The Keeper of the Octopus by Neridah McMullin

"Every child in the village grew up hearing the tale. It was folklore. A long time ago a shark attacked a Portablow fishing boat as a it sailed up the river with its catch. A giant octopus who lived at the river mouth fought with the shark, saving the fisherfolk and their livelihood. And from then on, an octopus had always lived at the river mouth to protect the fisherfolk from sharks. At least that was the story."

Pippy lives with her elderly great uncle. She desperately misses her mother who has died recently and also longs to talk to her father, but he has headed away to sea and has been gone for nine months. It is clear Uncle Isaac who is caring for her now, is suffering from memory loss. It has begun to feel dangerous to sail with him, but Pippy needs to do this because Uncle Isaac, like all the people in this village, rely on fishing for their income.

The village is near a cove and decades ago there was a problem with shark attacks. Pippy is sure this is not the fault of the sharks but rather a symptom of things being out of balance. There has always been the story about an octopus but surely this is just a folktale. Young Pippy discovers it is her own mother who has been the Keeper of the Octopus but now that her mother is gone destiny determines Pippy herself must now feed, care for, and learn to communicate with Octavia. Uncle Isaac gives Pippy a special talisman, a stone that she wears around her neck. It glows and helps her know when Octavia is near. She also has the diary written by generations of her ancestors which tells her how to care for and recognise the moods of the octopus. 

Then three brothers arrive in the village. They appear at first to be fishermen but then they bring back an enormous catch with all sorts of precious sea creatures - way more than the town could ever need. Pippy knows this is a wrong and dangerous practice and then she hears one of the men talking about Octavia and so she knows this will be a race against time to keep Octavia safe and to convince the town authorities that the Calamary brothers are dangerous. 

As with all great stories there were moments in this book when I gasped, when I cheered, and when I sighed. One special character, apart from young Pippy who is wise beyond her years, is her friend Wally.

"Wally had been born with a deformed foot, a foot that turned inwards and downwards, worsening as he grew older, which meant he couldn't walk very fast nor go very far. Teased at school because of his limp, Wally stuttered a little when he spoke. He never said much. But he was a child who noticed things, small things."

And there is an element of magical realism because Pippy and her uncle live with a family brownie named Ferg. He tends to the house and the cooking. I loved his way of talking he always addresses her by saying - Pippy Cocklebiddy, daughter of Claudine and he uses words like bairn, Mither, orright, and nowt. He reminded me a little of Dobbie from the Harry Potter series. 

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"There were masses of bluefin tuna, black bream, tommy ruff and kingfish; hundreds of snapper, flathead, silver perch, and graylings; and many smaller good eating fish such as garfish, whiting, salmon and trevally. There were even parrot fish, which Pippy thought was odd because everyone knew they were inedible. Portablow fishers always tossed them back into the sea. The brother hauled even more baskets onto the wharf, tipping out dozens of sharks, Bronze whalers, and even a huge basking shark ... It was beautiful but its bright blue eyes quickly faded to a dull grey, dead colour."

"Pippy felt heavy with sadness. Uncle Isaac's memory was getting worse. He'd just put both their lives in terrible danger. It was as if his brain was erasing everything he'd ever known, including her, and that was what hurt the most. She had to do more to help him, more to look after him, but she wasn't sure how much more she could do unless she was with him for every minute of every day."

This book is certain to be a 2026 CBCA Notable title in the Younger Readers category. Here is the web page for Neridah McMullin. Here is a link to some detailed Teachers Notes.  I have previously talked about Eat my Dust; Drover; Tearaway coach; Fabish the horse that braved a Bushfire; and Evie and Rhino. 

Publisher blurb for The Keeper of the Octopus: Since her father sailed away, Uncle Isaac is the only family Pippy has left. Together they spend their days fishing off the coast, until one day Pippy is knocked into the sea and rescued by a gentle, giant creature … Uncle Isaac knows it’s time to tell Pippy the truth. Pippy is the descendent of a long line of Keepers – the Keeper of the Octopus, responsible for the giant octopus who protects the fisherfolk of the village. At first, Pippy is hesitant to meet Octavia, but soon the octopus is sharing her dreams with Pippy and they recognise each other as kindred spirits. But when the Calamary Brothers come to Portablow, she learns of their search for a particular giant octopus. It's up to Pippy - and her rag-tag crew of a cat, a dog, a hobgoblin called Ferg and an albatross – to rescue Octavia from the Calamary’s clutches.

I was enthralled by this book, because it captured a timeless world with a touch of magic, coupled with a commentary on some of the issues we face today: grief, environmental issues, bullying and disability. Wally was such a cool character too, and I loved his friendship with Pippy, and that he believed her without question. This is the mark of a true friendship. It was one that I loved, and one that I think kids need to see more of in the books they read. And it’s another reason I love reading kids’ books, because they feel less judgmental and more accepting. The Book Muse

Companion books:

My Friend the Octopus

Song of a Thousand Seas

In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van illustrated by April Chu

We talk about the magic that happens when you share a book with a child - thinking about the story and the possibilities of hearing rich lyrical language but the other really special part of a picture book can be the way it gives a child an experience of fabulous art and that is certainly the case with this book In a Village by the Sea. It would be wonderful to share this book with a group of children or as part of a library storytelling session and you could also share this book with an art class. You will want to talk about the famous painting: The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

I discovered this book in the library where I work as a volunteer because we were gathering books about 'mini beasts'. I was curious about why this book appeared on their curated list. I guess because it contains a cricket but this book is SO much more. I hope you can find this book but it was published in 2015 so you will need to hunt in a library. (note: one online seller here in Australia does list this book but it is over AUS$40). 

The way the text works is similar to A Dark Dark Tale by Ruth Brown and also Zoom by Istvan Banyai. 

Zoom

Here is part of the text from In a Village by the Sea:

"In a fishing village by the sea there is a small house. In that house, high above the waves is a kitchen. In that kitchen is a bright glowing fire. In that fire is a pot of steaming noodle soup."

I would use the term cinematic to describe the way the illustrations in this book are presented - we start with a view of the village looking over the ocean from a small fishing boat. Come a little closer and you can see one house in the village with a dog looking in the window. 

Closer now we see the dog walking into the kitchen. Next page there is a steaming pot of noodles and then we see mother preparing the spices to flavour her soup. 

Closer still the baby is yawning in his basket by the fire. Now turn the page and the view completely changes - we are above the scene and can see the kitchen, the table and soup ingredients, the baby and his mother. But the dog has heard a noise under the floorboards so we zoom down again to a close view of the dog's nose and a cricket with several paint brushes - his image almost fills the page. What is he painting? And how does this relate to the mother, her child and their father who is fishing out at sea?

The intense illustrations, done in pencil and digitally colored, set human and animal characters into seascapes and interior scenes in an almost timeless Vietnam and extend the story far beyond the words. Kirkus Star review

Awards:

★ Northern California Book Awards Children’s Literature, Younger Readers Winner

★ Huffington Post Best Picture Books Best Surprise Winner

★ New York Public Library’s 100 Notable Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection

★ New York Public Library Best Books for Kids Selection

★ Junior Library Guild Selection

★ Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Books Selection

★ Cybils Award Finalist

★ Kirkus Reviews Starred Review

★ Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Companion books:

The Baker by the Sea

Here are two other books by Muon Van:

If you were Night

Wishes

Children of the Quicksands by Efua Traore

Publisher blurb: City girl Simi is sent to stay with her long-lost grandmother in a remote Nigerian village. There’s no TV, internet or phone. Not a single human-made sound can be heard at night, just the noise of birds and animals rustling in the dark forest outside. Her witchlike grandmother dispenses advice and herbal medicine to the village, but she’s tight lipped about their family history. Something must have happened, but what? Determined to find out, Simi disobeys her grandmother and goes exploring. Caught in the sinking red quicksand of a forbidden lake, her fantastical journey begins …

There are only a few main characters in this book but I did keep getting lost and so I wish a list of human and non-human (gods) had been included. The ending is a little abrupt and for me, confusing. I didn't understand why the children were suffering on the other side of the lake and also I still don't really know why hundreds of them were taken there over the years. I also should have made more use of the help glossary which is included at the beginning of the book.

Readers aged 10+ with plenty of reading stamina who enjoy stories set in different cultures and stories with elements of magical realism and danger may enjoy this story. 

Curious readers might dig deeper into Nigerian folklore:

• The Myths of the Yoruba: Deities and Legends from Nigeria
• The Ultimate Guide to Yoruba Mythology: Orishas, Legends & Spiritual Traditions
• Mythopedia (background reading for teachers)

The taking of the children from the village might also make you think of the famous poem about the Pied Piper. 

Children of the quicksand was a debut novel for Efua Traore - she won the Times/Chicken House competition which then led to the publication of her book. You can see her other books here. I do enjoy books published by Chicken House. On their page you can read an extract from this book. Here is a review from the journal Africa Access. 

This is a beautiful story with an evocative setting. The reader is drawn to the rich sights, sounds and smells of the remote setting with its mysteries woven into a story dealing with separation, grief and loss. It is Simi’s personal story, yet the history that she uncovers is also deeply powerful and moving: the story of a family dealing with loss in their own individual ways. It is her grandmother, Iyanla, whose secrets we want to uncover and, when we do, it is via a tale steeped in Yoruba folklore and magic. Books for Topics

Here is an alternate cover:

Read the Kirkus review

Bookseller blurb: A richly imagined magical adventure set in West Africa by a prize-winning new voice in children's writing, Children of the Quicksands introduces readers to Yoruba myths and legends while showcasing the wealth of culture, traditions, adventure, joy, pride, and love found in Nigeria. Both modern and fantastical, extraordinary debut talent Efua Traore takes us to the village of a modern day Ajao and the strange parallel world that lies beneath. In a remote Nigerian village, thirteen-year-old Simi is desperate to uncover a family secret. Ajao is nothing like Lagos--no cells phones, no running water or electricity. Not a single human-made sound can be heard at night, just the noise of birds and animals rustling in the dark forest outside. Her witchlike grandmother dispenses advice and herbal medicine to the village, but she's tight lipped about their family history. Something must have happened, but what? Determined to find out, Simi disobeys her grandmother and goes exploring only to find herself sinking in the red quicksand of a forbidden lake and into the strange parallel world that lies beneath. It must have been a dream...right? Wrong. Something isn't right. Children are disappearing and it's up to Simi to discover the truth.

Birdie by JP Rose

"Slowly she opened one eye. She peered in the flickering light and gasped. Then she rubbed her eyes as quickly as she could with her sleeve, in case she was seeing imaginary things. She blinked and blinked again, but this time there was no mistaking it. There, right in front of her was a pony. A pony, just standing there!"

Birdie is an orphan living in an orphanage. She was left on the doorstep of a church with a note containing her name - Birdie Bagshaw and a bunch of turnips. Unlike nearly every other orphanage story I have ever read Birdie is happy and she is given care and love and even good food keeping in mind that it is just after the war and so food is scarce.

Then a distant relative locates her, and she is sent away from the orphanage in Leeds to a small mining village to live with her great aunt and uncle - people she has never met.

Right from the beginning Birdie is taunted and treated cruelly for being different. You may have guessed why if you look closely at the cover of this book. She runs away from school on the first day and finds herself under the ground in a coal mine that is due to be closed down. That is where she finds the pony. Her uncle later explains:

"I wanted to explain to't lass how brave they are. They're unsung heroes. Folk forget that without them, coal industry would have come to a standstill. And them horse and ponies gave their all. Many a man I've known has been saved by a pony."

Birdie is so worried about the pony. 

"She'd wondered what he was doing: was he sleeping, eating? Was he just wandering around in the dark tunnels. Or worse still, was he lonely like she was? Was he dreaming of faraway fields, of the sweetness of cherry blossoms, of wildflowers up to his knees, moving in the wind. Because there'd be no sunshine for him, no crisp air. Down in the mine, down in the centre of the earth, there was no day or night, only an everlasting darkness."

I almost read this book in one sitting. It is a measure of how much the story absorbed me that I rushed home from a morning appointment in order to keep reading. There are some wonderful moments in the final pages of this book and the ending will melt your heart. This story is a personal one for the author who was also a 'child of colour' living in Manchester in the 1970s. Like Birdie she was put into foster care and like Birdie she lived in a small mining village. There are also back notes about pit ponies, the history of coal mining in the UK and the special children's homes that took in children like Birdie:

"During World War Two, there were around two thousand babies born to white British women and African American soldiers, who'd been stationed in the UK ... Many of them were rejected by their families and society, not only for having a child 'out of wedlock', but for having a relationship with a person of colour."

Birdie will tug at the heart strings Books for Keeps

A superb historical adventure with a delightful heroine. ... Despite it’s often bleak setting, reading Birdie is like being wrapped in a warm blanket – warm, cost and entirely satisfying. Love Reading for Kids

Bookseller blurb: When Birdie is sent to live with her great-aunt in 1950s Yorkshire, she befriends the village's last remaining pit pony. A story of hope and courage, exploring themes of family, racism and identity. Birdie Bagshaw has never known her parents. Having grown up in a children's home for mixed race children in 1950s Leeds, now she has come to live with her great-aunt in the Yorkshire Dales. From her arrival, Birdie is treated like an outsider by the local children. When their bullying drives Birdie to hide in the nearby coal mine, she finds an unexpected rescuer in the form of Mr Duke, the last remaining pit pony in the village. As the weeks pass, Birdie forms a special bond with the spirited little pony. But his future is in danger, and Birdie comes up with a daring plan to save his life in return.

This BookTrust review has more plot details.

J.P. Rose was born in Manchester but was raised in Yorkshire after her adoption. Growing up she suffered extreme racism, though she continued to be proud of her diverse and rich Jamaican, Nigerian and Anglo-Irish heritage. She trained as an actress but eventually moved into writing, and she is now the author of numerous novels for adults. 

The Didakoi by Rumer Godden

 

Image source: Hastings Independent

Kizzy is a Diddakoi - half gypsy half Irish. She lives with her grandmother in a gypsy caravan and with her beautiful old horse Joe. The gypsy camp is on some land owned by Admiral Sir Archibald Cunningham Twiss. 

"He had put aside the orchard for the travellers and laid on water, a tap and a trough for them, though the village did not approve."

Kizzy does not go to school but then one of the 'do-gooders' in the town tells the authorities and so she is forced to attend. On the first day the girls taunt her about her secondhand clothes so that night she destroys them and from then on turns up at school in her own ragged clothes and boots. Kizzy's grandmother is very old and sadly one day she dies while Kizzy is at school. After the funeral poor Kizzy has to endure the burning of their caravan (a gypsy tradition) - her only home and the one place she has felt safe is now gone. Kizzy tries to run away but she becomes very unwell. Admiral Twiss takes her home and he and his two male servants - Peters and Nat - nurse her back to health but the town will not allow her to stay in the big house. The matter goes to court and it feels for a moment that Kizzy will be sent to a children's home but at the last minute a new single lady who has moved into a local cottage offers to care for Kizzy. 

Olivia Brooke is a woman of enormous good-sense and kindness. She does not chide Kizzy or punish her. Instead she is patient while Kizzy adjusts to her new life and copes with her grief. But school is still torture. The gang of girls attack her so viciously on the way home each day - they trip her, the tie her ankles with a rope, and the ram her into a tree. It is a dreadful scene but luckily Miss Brooke is there and she finds exactly the right way to stop this and make sure all the girls feel enormous remorse.

"They gang up on a particular child ... if one clamps down as Mrs Blount did, it goes underground and it's worse for the victim. How can it be dealt with?' ... 'For a moment they thought they had killed Kizzy. They won't forget that ... it's a children's war. Let the children settle it."

Kizzy spends a few days at home and then she makes a plan to run away. She simply cannot go back to that school. She will take her horse Joe and a few supplies and ride off but on the day she plans to do this she is taken to the big house and told her horse has died. 

There were two points while I was reading this book that I just had to stop and walk away. That scene I mentioned where Kizzy is badly bullied by a large group of girls in her school. And later when the girls come to visit and she accidentally pours petrol on a fire which I was sure would end in disaster.

There are also some absolutely heartwarming moments in this story - such as when Miss Brooke and the Admiral set up Kizzy's room with furniture from the big house; when the Admiral makes Kizzy a small replica caravan; and near the end when she is gifted a beautiful dress that matches exactly the one in the portrait of the young Kezia Cunningham - the admiral's grandmother. Miss Brooks also makes delicious food, and she is happy to eat outside near a fire with Kizzy in the same way Kizzy did this with her grandmother. 

Here are a few text quotes to give you a flavour of this classic book which was first published in 1972.

"Mrs Blount had touched a sore spot; in Kizzy's family, as in some gypsy clans, a child is given three names: a secret one whispered by its mother the moment it is born and, when it is grown, whispered again into the child's ear; a private or 'wagon' name which is used only by its own people, and a third open name by which it is known to the world. Kizzy seemed only to have one, but that was because she was what they called her, a 'diddakoi', not all gypsy."

Kizzy does not know the date of her birthday. 

"There was another side to birthdays Mrs Blount did now know; the girls got you by your arms and legs and bumped you on the asphalt playground, once for every year, and they pulled your hair for the number of them with extra tugs 'to make your hair grow' and 'for luck'. ... but they did not like to touch her dirty boots so they tugged her hair instead, handfuls of her mop of dark curls. Kizzy had red patches on her scalp every day now and they ached at night."

The Didakoi won the Whitbread Award in 1972. Other winners that may be familiar to you were: The Battle of Bubble and Squeak by Philippa Pearce, The Witches by Roald Dahl, The Great Elephant Chase by Gillian Cross, Skellig by David Almond, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling, The Explorer by Katherine Rundell, Voyage of the Sparrowhawk by Natasha Farrant, The Skylarks War by Hilary McKay.

The Costa Book Award for Children's Book, formerly known as the Whitbread Award (1971–2005), was an annual literary award for children's books, part of the Costa Book Awards, which were discontinued in 2022, the 2021 awards being the last made. In 1976 the BBC made a television series based on this book and in 2002 it was released again with a new title and cover:

Just so you don't get confused I discovered that in1940 Rumer Godden wrote a novel for adults with the title Gypsy Gypsy. She wrote over twenty novels for adults and twenty-five books for children.

The Diddakoi made me think about The Present Takers by Aidan Chambers which contains terrible and vicious bullying. The Present Takers upset me so much it is not a book I could easily ever re-read. I am so glad I discovered The Didakoi and I especially loved the fairy-tale ending and touches of a love story but Kirkus roundly condemn it and so does this reviewer. 

I picked up The Diddakoi at a recent charity book sale. To my eye this book has stood the test of time and it is still available. I guess you need to make your own judgement about its appropriateness. As a child I loved books by Rumer Godden (1907-1998) and more recently I also enjoyed The Story of Holly and Ivy. 

The Fairy Doll

Two Sparrowhawk's in a Lonely Sky by Rebecca Lim

"Yun thought how physically strong Fu was, how practical and dependable, steady as an ox. 

Pei was fast, meanwhile, and asked inconvenient questions ... She was a small, angry, 

quick-thinking girl in a village that valued none of those things."

"Life was hard. And so unfair. For those without money or consequence, it was a game of chance, not of skill. But the children already knew that, even if they had no words for that knowledge."

"I don't want to be angry, if being angry is a bad thing ... but if I'm not angry, nothing changes. I don't want to be one of those people ... that things are done to. Life seems like a test people like us can never pass because we never know what the rules are, and there are always rules. 

I want to know the rules. I want to write the rules."

This story is told in three parts. We meet Pei, Fu and their mother living in a village in China 1951-1958. The family are poor and under the rule of the local landowner but they are happy. Pei and Fu's mother and father are well educated people - different from others in their village. Then two life changing events occur - their father disappears and the feudal system is overturned by communism. Now neighbor is pitted against neighbor, the state demand more and more of their produce and they take away their farm animals and tools. Everyone suffers but they are all powerless. 

In part two, after their mother finally succumbs to starvation, the two children set off on a journey to find their father. They have a tiny collection of documents, letters, a menu and one very precious photo. They also have treasures sewn into their worn jackets. Their mother has told them never to part with their jackets and to only use the precious hidden things in an extreme circumstance. These land-based kids have never seen the sea let alone traveled across the vast ocean to an unknown destination in search of one man who they have been told can help them. Hong Kong is huge, confusing and loud and it seems completely impossible that Pei and Fu could ever meet the man who once knew their father and who they have been told can help them reach Australia. 

Finally in part three, the two bedraggled children have been able to secure passage on a ship traveling to the land at the bottom of the world and again, luckily, Pei makes a friend. This time it is a wise, kind young Jewish woman. It is a special moment in the story when Miss Ewa offers to teach Pei English.

The cover (by Hana Kinoshita Thomson) and title of this book are such interesting choices. This book is set in China in the 1950s but the cover (to my eye) does not have an Asian or even an historical feel. But I am most curious about the title. I've done a very tiny amount of reading about the Chinese Sparrowhawk bird. Their migration route does not take them to Hong Kong or Australia which are the destinations of Pei and Fu. The lonely sky makes more sense when you think about their long journey first in the sampan and later in the ship across the ocean under an enormous and lonely sky. Also, the way language barriers, loss and separation from loved ones means the children are desperately lonely. On page 74 of the novel their mother says:

‘My two sparrowhawks, my two fierce, bright young birds, carrying a piece of us with you wherever you go.’ 

Post update! I asked a question about the title on Instagram and Rebecca Lim replied. I was so excited to read her reply. And if I can boast she also thanked me for my 'absorbing and heartfelt' review!!!:

"I have just done an interview with ABC Nightlife where I talk about the title. Chinese Sparrowhawks are native to Southern China and they are common, tough and hardy. I wanted to set something tiny and local to a specific area against the fearsomeness and vastness of the wider world/sky - would such a creature survive."

There is nothing like a well-written, emotionally engaging historical novel to give young readers an understanding about life in a previous time and place. This wonderful story exposes the reality of life under Mao Tse-Tung’s Great Leap Forward, which resulted in the deaths of millions of Chinese, and the institutional racism of the White Australia Policy during the 1950s. Reading Time

The depth of research, emotion and strong characterization (especially of Pei) comes from the personal nature of this story - Rebecca Lim says "I'm trying to set the record a little straighter for my kids, their friends and the people we know, bringing all of us, not just the usual suspects, into the canon of stories that are worthy of telling."

Publisher blurb: Thirteen-year-old Fu, his younger sister, Pei, and their mother live in a small rural community in Southern China that is already enduring harsh conditions when it is collectivised as part of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward campaign that ultimately led to economic disaster, widespread famine and millions of deaths. After tragedy strikes, and threatened with separation, Fu and Pei set out on a perilous journey across countries and oceans to find their father, who left for Australia almost a decade ago. With nothing to guide them but a photograph and some documents in a language they cannot read, they must draw on all their courage and tenacity just to survive - and perhaps forge a better life for themselves. An unforgettable story of family, resilience and the complex Asian-Australian experience from the esteemed author of Tiger Daughter, winner of the CBCA Book of the year for Older Readers.

Here are some text quotes which will give you a flavour of this absorbing book. I didn't lift my head over the last couple of days because I needed to make sure Pei and Fu were safe. I was very tempted to skip to the end just to reassure myself but I resisted. There were so many times when I worried that truly terrible things would happen to these young children. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers. 

I also enjoyed the way Rebecca Lim wove the history of The Great Leap Forward (1958–1961) in China and the philosophy of Mao; Refugee and Immigration Policies in China and Australia (The White Australia policy); and early in the story the feudal system in Chinese villages contrasted with the 'new' collective regime. She also touches on child marriage and the powerlessness of women. 

"Should we take it all back, good peasants? ... Should we start the agrarian revolution in your own feudal pocket of Southern China?" "Will you apologise to the proletariat who have suffered under your reign like beasts of burden?"

"It was a great tragedy, they all agreed, that the chieftain had to forgo his life for the greater good. But things like class struggle and socialist transformation and revolution had nothing to do with them .... no one will ever go hungry again. But that was not really true."

"All private land holdings, draught animals and tools within this village are now contributed to a single co-operative, for the common good. ... The State now owns all means of production and all means of livelihood."

"The Liang family had no draught animals, so Yun always transported the remains of their harvest divided into two baskets hanging from each end of a long guava-wood pole, balanced across her thin shoulders, staggering under the weight. It was a one-hour trip each way. ... Cutting the hard rice and sorghum stalks in the pelting rain had grazed Pei's fingers and palms, and they stung now with a myriad of tiny cuts, and the cold."

"The people of Long Jing Cun had never seen a female cadre with a rifle in the village before ... Pei's eyes widened. It suddenly occurred to her that this woman was not a famer. Pei had never seen a woman who was not a farmer but rather something else - could you even be something else?"

Descriptions: "Then one day, Ru went out to teach - wearing his old navy officer's cap and threadbare, loose-fitting navy suit, all trace of his former officer status stripped from the shoulders and collar, and his cracked leather shoes that let the water in on rainy days ... And he never came home again."

Notice some of the words used here - threadbare, loose-fitting, cracked leather.

"Yun covered Pei's eyes so quickly that her work hardened hands - nails cracked with dirt and clay - scratched the soft skin of her daughter's face like claws."

Notice the words here too - work-hardened, cracked, soft skin, claws.

"Like her children, she was slender to the point of emaciation, and her eyes were ringed with dark circles. She looked much older than her years."

In this interview for ABC Radio National Rebecca talks about her book. I do wish the interview had asked about the title!  Here is a link to the teachers notes written by Rebecca Lim available on the publisher site (Allen and Unwin) and also via Pegi Williams. Here is a review with plot details from The Book Muse. 

This exciting and immediately engaging story is rich in memorable characters, full of tension, moments of tenderness and high emotion, with a deep, challenging core questioning our beliefs and prejudices. StoryLinks

I am going to predict we will see this book listed as a Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable title and short-listed book for 2024 - possibly in Younger Readers but I think Older Readers might be a better fit. I would highly recommend this book for mature readers aged 11+ - I won't spoil the end but even though many things are resolved for Pei and Fu the ending is also open for readers to imagine a new future for these two children arriving in a new land.

The very best books to pair with this would be these two picture books but there are lots of other suggestions in the teacher notes.

Sparrow Girl

Link this to the line in the book - "He is a leech. 

He is a pestilence far worse than sparrows, than locusts." Page 25 Two Sparrowhawk's in a Lonely Sky

"All mosquitoes, rats, flies and sparrows are to be exterminated. Sparrows and rats eat grain! Flies and mosquitoes cause pestilence. ... Take your pots and pans into the fields and clash them loudly 

while the sun shines. Drive the pests away." Page 84 wo Sparrowhawk's in a Lonely Sky

Make sure you also read Tiger Daughter. 

The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm by Karen Foxlee illustrated by Freda Chiu

Could there be any truth to the myth of the beast who lives in the ancient well? And if so, why would it return? 

What is a Wyrm? 

I did a little research and found these definitions:

• In European mythology, a wyrm  is often depicted as a snake of considerable size and somehow related to dragons.
• A huge limbless and wingless dragon or dragon-like creature.

Mary-Kate also does some research and discovers a picture of an Annelid. It looks very similar to the painting of the legendary worm that she has seen in the village library.  "Annelids are segmented worms. If their tail ends are cut off they can sometimes grow them back again." "An earthworm is a type of annelid. They can have five or more hearts. ... They leave behind trails of slime." "Earthworms don't have eyes, but they can sense light. They also feel vibrations."

Mary-Kate is a sensible girl. She has her strawberry scented notebook and glitter pens. She fills her bag with things that give her courage and help her to overcome her many anxieties. It is time to get the facts about this wyrm and then to formulate a theory about the mysterious happenings in this small village.  

Publisher blurb: Dressed in sparkly red shoes and carrying her strawberry-scented notebook, Mary-Kate is accompanying her archaeologist mother to the tranquil English countryside to investigate some interesting bones found in an old well. But once they arrive, they realise that the village of Woolington is not as peaceful as it seems. Mysterious noises, earth tremors and a terrifying legend have the locals frightened.

I especially appreciated the way Karen Foxlee gives her readers a strong sense of place - in this case a small English-style village. There is a map included at the beginning of the book. I do enjoy books with maps  It is also easy to like Mary-Kate because she is so honest about her fears and personal rituals.

"Mary-Kate Martin chose from her lucky items collection carefully. First, she chose the lucky silver packet that contained the last seven pieces of gum that her father left behind before he disappeared on Mount Snishapangma when she was five."

Then she adds - her novelty Big Ben torch; her lucky stress ball; and her international coin collection of 33 coins in a small glass jar. She puts on her red sparkly shoes. Her backpack is also red and sparkly so she has exactly the right amount of sparkle. Mary-Kate is somewhat of a catastrophist. 

"She'd worry that by not wearing matching clothes something would happen. Something terrible. Like a train crash. Or an avalanche. Or an avalanche onto a train travelling through a mountain tunnel."

Mary-Kate does not like brown pencils; beginnings and ending; facing backwards on trains; small talk in social situations; slime; or sudden changes. But she has uncovered a mystery and she has a new friend Arabella and she likes the eccentric village residents so now it's time to put aside some of her fears and try sort out the truth.

Each chapter begins with a extract from PK Mayberry's Guide to Monsters of the Northern Hemisphere:

"Truth is at the heart of every monster hunters' search."

"A monster hunters' greatest tool is knowledge."

"Monsters quite often do very surprising things."

This story had me guessing right to the end. I kept forming my own theories about the wyrm, most of which were proved to be completely incorrect. 

Huge thanks to Allen and Unwin for sending this review copy. The Wrath of the Woolington Wrym will be enjoyed by readers aged 9+. It would also be a good book to read aloud in a family. 

Foxlee has the ability to create a world which is easy to imagine, captivating the reader from beginning to end. Whether it be set in the real world, or one which has an element of fantasy, the reader is always taken on a ride. All her stories so far have a young female central character and The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm is no exception.  GLAM Adelaide

This is the first book in a series entitled - Miss Mary-Kate Martin's Guide to Monsters. Book two is titled The Trouble with the Two-headed Hydra. There are just enough mysteries left over from book one that all readers will hope are solved in the second instalment - is Mary-Kate's father actually dead; what is her mother's real job and is this connected with monsters: and with just six pieces of gum left will Mary-Kate need to use another one for her next adventure. I do enjoy stories where objects, like the ones in her backpack, each have an important, but unpredictable, role in the story solution. Take a look at my discussion of My Father's Dragon for a great example of this. I do like the cover by Freda Chiu. This book has an old-fashioned feel a little like the Stella Montgomery series (book two) (book three) by Judith Rossell. 

I have talked about nearly all of Karen Foxlee's previous books:

Dragon Skin

Lenny's Book of Everything

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

A most Magical Girl

The Music of the Sea by Susanna Isern illustrated by Marta Chicote Translated by Jon Brokenbrow

 

"The ever-changing music of the sea was there to keep her company. Sometimes it reminded her of church bells and other times of a great ship sailing towards the village. Once she imagined a choir of children singing together, and even a great opera."

Publisher blurb from Cuento de Luz: After a terrible storm batters a little coastal village, only Daniel the fisherman and his daughter Marina decide to stay behind. Every night Daniel sneaks out of the house, as he prepares to give Marina a wonderful surprise. The incredible music of the sea starts to play, and it changes the course of their lives.  A story about the power of hope, and the universal language of music.

The Music of the Sea was originally published in Spanish with the title: La Música del mar. Here is the trailer. You can see art from this book here. Marta Chicote has her profile listed as Marta Chicote Juiz.  Susanna was inspired to write this story after seeing this marine organ in Croatia. 

Isern’s lyrical narrative waxes poetic about the sea, whales, and the contentment found in a life close to nature, and Chicote’s illustrations, with their dreamlike quality, enhance the narrative. Kirkus

I would pair this book with The Whales' Song by Dyan Sheldon illustrated by Gary Blythe and Storm whale by Sarah Brennan illustrated by Jane Tanner.

I have talked about other books by Susanna Isern in previous posts:

The Lonely Mailman

A Mystery in the Forest

The Magic Ball of Wool