The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson

“It means a lot to me,” she said, “you showing me the stars.” 

“It means a lot to me,” he said, “you wanting to see them.”

Before you read this book it is essential to read the introduction but I do need to say it made me cry. Katherine Paterson visited a jail many years ago and talked to a group of inmates about her book The Great Gilly Hopkins. Here is part of her introduction:

I do know that no child makes it without at least one caring adult in his or her life. ... “What’s your name?” I asked a young man handing me his book. “Oh, it’s not for me,” he said. “It’s for my daughter. Her name is Angel.” ... I wrote this book for the many Angels in our world. I hope they find it. And I hope those of us who are more fortunate will take a wiser, more empathetic look at the Angels in our midst and remember that we all are made from the same stuff, the stuff of stars.

Angel and her brother Bernie have very difficult lives. They keep moving house, dad is in jail, and mum seems to have no idea how to care for her kids so all of that responsibility falls onto the shoulders of eleven year old Angel. In the opening scene they go to the jail to visit her dad but then we learn that this will be the last visit - not because he is being released but because Verna has decided to move on again. This time, after a long drive to a remote farm house, they end up with an elderly relative Angel vaguely remembers - this is her great grandmother and things are about to become even more difficult for Angel. 

Things that I loved about the way Katherine Paterson has written this book:

• Little Bernie always repeats important words three times - he is so used to no one listening properly to what he has to say.
• I could almost taste all the food in this book - from the disgusting to the delicious. And I desperately wanted Angel to fill a glass with milk - she shouldn't have to keep worrying that there won't be enough for her brother. Luckily they do eat some delicious popsicles. 
• The Star man is a very special character who shows his love through his kind actions even though he knows his mother has decided he does not exist. Thank goodness he leaves food and milk on her doorstep each week. Spoiler alert - his funeral will leave make you cry.
• The town library (and the school library) are so important in this story as is the beautiful librarian Miss Liza. I would love to hug her tiny, damaged body. 
• Angel should not have to take on such enormous responsibilities of care for her young brother, but it is just so special the way she is always trying to keep him safe and happy - she truly loves him.
• Angels' huge toy bear named Grizzle is almost another character in the story. I loved the way he bought comfort to the kids, but I did want someone to give him a bath. 
• Even though there are really heavy themes in this book every now and then Katherine Paterson gives her read a tiny smile moment such as when Bernie says to Angel “How come you get to choose?” “Because I’m the biggest.” “You’re always the biggest.”
• There is a reference in this story to making Maple Syrup which took me right back to another book I read this year Just Like Jackie.
• I also find an old book series called The Stupids by Harry Allard illustrated by James Marshall (1974) - I didn't realise this was a real book! Well done to Miss Liza for sharing this book with Bernie - the right book at the right time!
• Miss Liza also gives Angel a perfect book - Know the Stars by AH Ray (1962). She left the library with three books and a heart too full to speak.

Here are a few text quotes to give you a flavour of this story:

Bernie was watching entirely too much television. Angel knew about the evils of too much TV for kids. It was like getting only sugar in your mental diet—like not eating all the five major food groups. Ms. Hallingford, Angel’s fifth-grade teacher, was big on the major food groups. She’d also said TV could be a really serious hindrance in a child’s mental development, in the same way not eating right could stunt your physical growth. Angel grabbed the remote and punched the red button.

“Hurry up, and I mean both of you. I swear, sometimes you kids act like snails on Valium. . . . Get a move on, will you?” How could Angel hurry? She stared dumbly into the closet. Verna had said she could take only what fit into the green plastic suitcase that Welfare had given her last year so she wouldn’t have to carry her stuff around in a garbage bag.

It was one thing to leave your kids in an all-night diner by mistake. It was something else to leave them in the country on purpose. That would be too much like Hansel and Gretel.

Everything was going to be all right. ... She knew it, sitting on those steps eating a cherry Popsicle, a real backpack on her back with books inside waiting to be read, and groceries in all five major food groups waiting to be bought. She didn’t have anything to worry about today, and she wasn’t going to get all stressed out about tomorrow. Not while she had the chill syrupy taste of a cherry Popsicle in her mouth.

But now she knew it was true. At least in her head she knew it was a fact. All the things that had happened to her and Bernie hadn’t been their fault. She was sick and tired of thinking it was her fault when they got left at cold apartments and all-night diners and grandmas ... 

Word placement is everything - and Katherine Paterson is a master of this. Look at the highlighted words in this sentence which reveals so much about young Angel and her circumstances. She is getting ready for bed - which is the lounge room couch. She does not turn on the light because that will mean trouble from Verna, her mother: She yanked hard and lifted up the couch seat, turning it into her bed. ... Then she fumbled in the top drawer of the dresser for her nightshirt, really just one of Verna’s old T-shirts, and slipped it over her narrow shoulders.

Look at this sentence too - Angel is thinking about her responsibilities and also about the time when she first held Bernie. Katherine Paterson weaves in a reference which echoes Angels new found interest in astronomy: The thrill was long gone, but the duty had become like the sun in the solar system, the center around which all the other parts of her life revolved. Without it, she would likely fly to pieces.

The heartbreaking abandonment of Angel and her brother is sure to remind you of The Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt.

I am not very good at reading chapter headings especially in a book as good as this one where I just wanted to keep 'turning the page' so anxious for the outcome. But here are some of the chapter headings so you can see they are important and have been carefully worded by Katherine Patterson: A Is for Astronomy; The Swan; Miss Liza of the Library; Know the Stars; To School We Go; Draco the Dragon; Polaris; Consider the Heavens; Galileo Galilei; Falling Stars; Stardust to Stardust; Take Something Like a Star; Shining Stars.

A gently written tale of family caught in the most corrosive of situations, this is a story of guilt and reconciliation. Kirkus Star review

Publisher blurb (from author webpage): Angel Morgan needs help. Her daddy is in jail, and her mother has abandoned Angel and her little brother, Bernie, at their great-grandmother’s crumbling Vermont farmhouse. Grandma, aged and poor, spends most of her time wrapped in a blanket by the woodstove and can’t care for the children. That’s left up to Angel, even though she is not yet twelve. In this dreary world of canned beans and peaches, of adult worries and loneliness, there is only one bright spot—a mysterious stranger who appears on clear nights and teaches Angel all about the stars and planets and constellations. Angel’s quest to carve out a new life for herself and Bernie makes for a powerful, moving story that could arise only from the keen sensitivity, penetrating sense of drama, and honed skill of master storyteller Katherine Paterson.

I follow Katherine Paterson on Facebook and a few days ago she posted an article from a US Newspaper called The Mountaineer. In their religion section the reported talked about this book - The Same Stuff as Stars - by Katherine Paterson (2002). I have read lots of her books but not this one. I shared this with my friend and she hadn't read it either so we have both decided to find and read The Same Stuff as Stars. I added it to my Kindle library and read the whole book in one day - yes, it is that good - a completely engrossing story filled with heartbreak and deep honesty.

Here is part of the newspaper article (in case the link requires a subscription):

Newbery and National Book Award honored writer Katherine Paterson (“Bridge to Terabithia,” “Jacob Have I Loved”) illustrates this in her powerful, yet bittersweet, young adult novel “The Same Stuff as Stars.” I encourage you to find a copy and enter a story that broadens your understanding of what it’s like to live in childhood poverty and to wish for words of approval — to know you are beloved when you are abandoned and feel worthless. We all need to be needed. The story also captures the vastness of the universe in which we live. ...

Now that I hope I have convinced you to read this book you will have to visit a library or read the ebook version as it is now sadly out of print (published 2002) and I couldn't find any suppliers but here is the paperback ISBN [9780544540309] just in case you have another way of searching. 

After reading this book you need to find this title by Peter Sis:

Read more here

You might also want to read the full poem: “Take Something Like a Star” from The Poetry of Robert Frost.

Companion books:

Ruby on the Outside

Alternate title The Faraway Truth

Something like home

Fish and Crab by Marianna Coppo

You could begin with the dedication by Marianna Coppo - "To all insomniacs, for one reason or another." - or better yet share this after reading this book with a group of older children and then talk about what this means.

Fish and Crab are tucked up in their aquarium beds. Crab turns out the light. Then Fish hears a noise and his fears bubble to the surface. Could it be an owl? Do owls eat fish? Could it be a mouse? Crab explains there are no owls and no mice in their aquarium also there are "no lions, in case you were wondering." Clearly it is going to be a long night so Crab gets out of bed to make a cup of herbal tea.

"then I want you to tell me ALL your worries. ALL OF THEM, all at once. And when you're done, we will both finally go to sleep."

Fish has a wild imagination involving capture by aliens, black holes, and even the possibility of catching chickenpox. And then he has the most terrifying thought of all:

"WHAT IF WE ARE CHARACTERS IN A BOOK?"

After all this sharing Fish now feels able to fall asleep but what about Crab. His brain is now filled with all of these crazy ideas - will he be able to go to sleep? That final question is an especially disturbing one!

Take a look at the labels I have assigned this book. These might give you ideas about ways to share this book - you could use it as a stimulus for a writing activity involving dialogue. Or with older students there is a whole topic of 'breaking the fourth wall'. And of course, this book is also about the way our worries can take over our thoughts and the importance of sharing.

Now for the bad news. This book [9781797204437] was published in 2023 so it is still in print but here in Australia the price ranges from AUS$32 up to AUS$47.

Silly what-if questions arranged into a light but visually appealing bedtime story. Kirkus 

Parents and children alike will relate to the two best friends, reassuring readers that it is always best to share any worries with those closest to us, to help the fears go away. Coppo’s effective illustrations have a wonderful attention to detail and perfectly capture the conversations and bursts of Fish’s imagination, with clever use of black and white images too. This fun picture book will be one to share and enjoy for many bedtimes to come. Books for Keeps

I previously talked about Petra by Marianna Coppo. Marianna Coppo is an author-illustrator from Italy. She studied editorial illustration at MiMaster in Milan, and now focuses on freelance illustration in Rome.

In this interview Marianna Coppo talks about Petra

Here is another (slightly more serious) book featuring an aquarium:

Aquarium

Over and Over by MH Clark illustrated by Beya Rebai

"And all the while, we'll watch the clouds change, making rabbits and fish in the sky. 
They will never quite look this way again, and neither will you or I."

This is a beautifully illustrated book that falls into a category I previous discussed - Poetry with Pictures. There is no real plot just a series of slightly philosophical statements or homilies. The words are also a series of wisdoms shared by an adult to their child. I put one of my favourite lines under the cover above.

"Over and over, the sun will rise and touch the sky above. And over and over you'll open your eyes, good morning to you, my love."

"Over and over we'll put on our shoes and our coats and our warm wool hats. And I'll open the door to the world with you. And we'll greet the day like that."

From the publisher: In a world marked by uncertainty, this reassuring tale celebrates the gentle rituals that ground a child’s day. Over and Over follows a young girl and her father as they enjoy life’s simple everyday pleasures—from sitting down for breakfast to gazing at the clouds to counting the stars before lying down to sleep. With poetic storytelling and captivating imagery, each page honors the calming magic of togetherness and the comforts in routine. 

And we will leave angels and footprints and tracks in the field, all gone sparkling and white.

Near the end of the book the pages fold out to reveal all four seasons. 

Here is a very detailed interview with the author MH Clark and the illustrator Beya Rebai. Read more about MH Clark and see inside other books here. See more art by French illustrator Beta Rebai here. 

There are other books in this series by MH Clark:

And I found these too - I am keen to see more of her work:

Victor: The wolf with worries by Catherine Rayner

"Wolves are BRAVE and BIG and FIERCE. They are very wolfish! 

Wolves do not worry about anything."

"This is Victor. Victor thinks he is not wolfish enough, and he is very worried about it. 

In fact, Victor worries about pretty much everything."

Victor worries about being not being brave so he pretends to be brave but then he worries that he might actually have to DO something brave - oh no. Victor worries that he is not big enough so he tries to pretend to be big but then he worries that he might have to DO something because others think he is big - oh no! Is he fierce enough? What if he frightens the others? Pretending is not working. 

Luckily Victor has a wonderful friend named Pablo. Pablo explains the idea that a problem shared is a problem halved. So, Victor opens up to his friend about all of his worries. Pablo has other strategies. Put the worry into a bubble and blow it away. Go for a run in the forest and take your mind off things for a while. And best of all Pablo explains that everyone worries and it is actually okay.

I am slightly torn about my feelings for this book. I am a major worrier - I wonder if this book could have helped me? I applaud the possible discussions this book are sure to generate. But are the solutions to Victor's worries too simple? I do have quite strong reservations about books that warrant the label 'bibliotherapy' but perhaps that is not the appropriate label for this book. Take a look at this thoughtful article from Horn Book Magazine about bibliotherapy. 

On the other hand, I adore the art in this book and all books illustrated by Catherine Rayner. See inside this book here. Her little wolf has such an expressive face and every page turn is just a delightful experience. And some of the strategies are very appropriate to share with young child. 

Blurb: Victor the wolf has lots of worries. He worries that he isn't brave enough, that he isn't big enough and that he isn't fierce enough. In fact, Victor feels anxious about almost everything. But when Victor shares his concerns with his best friend Pablo, he starts to feel a bit better. And with Pablo's help, Victor learns even more ways to deal with those pesky worrying thoughts. And as the worries grow smaller, Victor feels a bit bigger, a bit braver, and bit fiercer inside!

There is a very subtle difference between the front and back end papers of this book. At the front we see four birds flying over a lake towards the mountains and at the back it is the same scene but three birds are further away and only is still travelling over the lake.  Does this have a deeper meaning - perhaps. I need to do more thinking. 

My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything has worked with me to create Pinterest collection of picture books about worries and anxiety with over 120 titles. Here are a couple of screen shots.

Use the label below - Catherine Rayner - to see other books I have shared on this blog. 

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Six - Worried Arthur by Joan Stimson

Arthur is such a worrier. Christmas is coming. and Arthur comes home from school SO worried. The class have been learning about maps and Arthur can see there is a huge distance for Santa to travel from the NORTH POLE to the SOUTH POLE - you need to know Arthur is a penguin so he lives in Antarctica. Dad has the answer and Arthur is able to go to bed and fall asleep feeling a little less worried. 

At the end of the term Arthur is given a good school report except for the standard of his writing but here is the new worry.  Will Santa be able to read Arthur's Christmas list?  Once again Dad has the answer. 

Then there is the worry of the weather and worse Arthur worries he might not deserve any presents.  Dad is quite sure everything will be okay and yes Christmas morning is perfect.

Dear Santa,
Please if it is at all possible, as my bedroom is a little untidy ... 
could you leave any presents just here.
Love Arthur
PS there is a mince pie in the kitchen for you x

These books about Arthur seem perfect for children who have worries and I also liked the gentle way the author introduces this single parent family.  Arthur and his dad have such a special relationship.

There are other books (sadly all out of print) about Arthur:

The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart by Samera Kamaleddine

 

Evie lives with her mum, younger sister and stepdad. Lee met her mum on a holiday in Bali. He is originally from England and so I did enjoy some of his colloquial expressions. Evie is in Grade 6 and this is the year of change. Her stepdad Lee is leaving Sydney to go and work in Dubbo. There is a sense but it is not exactly specified that mum and Lee are now breaking up. Mum writes daily horoscope predictions for a major magazine and she is working on a book. Mum is often busy in her study but she does have a notice board in there which has wise phrases which at times are helpful to Evie. Up until now Lee seems to be the one holding the family together in terms of transporting the girls to school and activities and also doing the evening meal. Lee is still home for a few months and so he encourages the girls to make worry boxes. 

"Sadie was filling hers with loose little beads and small plastic toys she'd been collecting from Coles even though we were supposed to fill the boxes with feelings. The kind that made you worry."

Evie has so many worries. Will she forget Lee. Will he ever come back. How will she and Sadie travel 400km to Dubbo in western NSW. Why does Nicole pick on her in class. Will she find friends in high school. How will they eat when mum can't cook very well. 

Luckily Evie is enjoying her class with Mrs Owen who declares they will be studying the Earth and Solar System this year. I am a little bit confused about this because as a teacher I do know that no class ever works on one topic for a whole year - a term is the usual time frame for a science topic like this. Anyway, this means that there are heaps and heaps of facts about astronomy woven into the story. 

Publisher blurb: Evie Hart likes rules. A lot. But as she embarks on her very last year of primary school, it feels like all the rules around her are being broken. When Evie's class starts learning about the Earth's place in the universe, it makes Evie think about her own place in the world and where she belongs. Which has her more worried than ever. When your mum writes a horoscope page for a living, it's hard not to think about what the future holds. Especially when she and the only dad Evie has ever known are acting like they're on different planets. But the more Evie learns about the sky and the stars, the more she learns that changes in the world can't always be controlled. And maybe that's not a bad thing. From the inaugural winner of the Matilda Prize comes a tender and moving story about one girl's journey to find her place in the world.

If your reading friend aged 10+ is keen on space and learning more about the universe they are sure to enjoy all the lesson information Evie shares. This book might also comfort young readers who are going through changes in their lives. 

Readings Melbourne review: This is an enchanting read for young space lovers, with each scientific fact and astrological point aligning metaphorically with Evie’s changing life. It’s also a great read for when big feelings are overwhelming, for learning how to navigate anxiety and change, especially at home, and about extending kindness even in unexpected places. 

There are some marvellous characterisations in this novel, with primary and secondary characters created with authenticity and appeal, in particular, Evie’s garrulous friend, Farrah, and neighbour, Nance O’Neil, whose pink-iced buns are a weekly salve to the family’s ups and downs. Evie’s journey from her fretful worries to a more confident person, finding some security in her own identity, is a pilgrimage that most young people take, as they grow into the adults they will become. Just So Stories

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uncle Potluck has such a unique voice:

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

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

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

"Want to give this your janitorial scrutiny?"

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

"Accomplished with dexterity and finesse."

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

What if, Pig? by Linzie Hunter

Many of us worry about small things and I am sure this is a natural process bur this becomes a problem when small worries grow out of proportion. It is so dangerous to live with the constant thought of "what if".  Perhaps this book will help a young child, in a small way, to see the complications that arise when worries become all consuming. 

Pig decides to host his Birthday party and invite all of his friends but then the worries begin to pile in - will anyone come? Will too many friends come? What if this party is not as much fun as those hosted by the others? Pig cannot cope with all of these mounting worries so he cancels the party and retreats to his home. 

The best part of this book (spoiler alert) is the way his friends all band together to give Pig the best birthday every. I do enjoy stories about surprises like this especially when they show the kindness, understanding and generosity of friends. Then, in truly beautiful moment, one by one his friends reveal they have worries too. 

What if Pig? is a story that many children will relate to, it highlights the little voice inside us all that makes us doubt whether or not we are good enough and makes us worry about all the little things that could go wrong. It shows that friendship is a wonderful thing and that we shouldn’t keep worries secret. Just Imagine

The humour and the optimistic tone of this appealing book lighten the important message it conveys. A Library Lady

Another book with a surprise party that I love is Frog and a Very Special Day by Max Velthuijs. Here is Linzie's web site.  I do also have a small Pinterest collection of books about Birthday parties. Companion reads:

PS I was excited to hear my blog mentioned (42.50 min mark) on the Your Kid's Next Read Podcast this week - Episode 43. In this podcast the presenters share their favourite book bloggers and reviewers and also, as always, alert you to new books they have received in their mail (aren't they lucky that publishers send them review copies - I dream about this!). 

Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast by Sue Whiting

NO ADVENTURE TOO SMALL

NO CHALLENGE TOO GREAT

ADVENTURE BY STEALTH

LEAVING NO TRACE

Pearly is on her own. Well not quite, she has her pig called Pig. Luckily Pearly has some impressive skills especially with languages even animal languages such as 'pig'. Luckily Pig also has impressive skills with his fined tuned nose which can sniff out trouble in all its forms. Unluckily Pearly has been caught by a very deranged woman who is intent on travelling to Antarctica.

Antarctica?  Why does Emmeline Woods want to go there? 

This book is a rollicking adventure with plenty of twists to keep readers turning the pages. It will appeal to readers aged 10+ or slightly younger as a read-aloud. This book will be released in March 2022. Thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance copy. 

Publisher blurb Walker Books: Pearly Woe is a worrier. She worries about everything, especially that she’ll never be brave enough to become a member of the top-secret group of stealth adventurers – The Adventurologists’ Guild. Pearly also has a special talent – she can talk to animals. Her favourite animal to talk to is her pet pig, called Pig. But with her parents missing, Pig pig-napped and Pearly a stowaway on an icebreaker heading for Antarctica, Pearly’s worries just got REAL.

Pearly's parents are members of the Adventurologists' Guild. At the back of the book you can read their Charter; Rules; list of Basics; and ten ways to survive a sticky situation.

Some rules are: 

• Stay Alive
• Tread lightly
• Never answer the Adventure Phone - unless an authorised member of the Adventurologists' Guild

Surviving tricky situations:

• Take initiative
• Think outside the square
• Make the impossible possible
• Don't panic
• Expect the unexpected
• Knowledge is power

Companion reads:

Melt

The Last Bear

The Doldrums

Twitch

The Pearl in the Ice

Walking to the Bus-Rider blues by Harriette Gillem Robinet

Alfa is only twelve years old but he carries a lot of weight on his young shoulders. Each month the family, his sister and Great Grandmother, have to find fifty dollars for their rent. They live in a two room hut with no electricity and no running water.

His great Grandmother, Mama Merryfield, makes around ten dollars a week cleaning houses or sometimes only six or seven if "the white ladies were mean." Alfa works in a grocery story filling shelves, cleaning and stacking vegetables. He makes about five dollars every two weeks and older sister Zinnia makes about the same. "So our total family income was about sixty dollars a month, and we paid fifty dollars in rent."

But things are going wrong. Each month money disappears from their hiding place. This month they are ten dollars short for the rent. Then when all three are working at a cleaning job, the home owner accuses them of stealing over $2000 from the kitchen. Alfa, Zinnia and Mama Merryfield are African American and this is Alabama. They are considered guilty automatically. 

While all of this is happening every one is walking. It is the time of the bus boycott. Now Alfa needs to prove his family are innocent, he needs to find the thief and he desperately needs to find the extra ten dollars for their rent. His fears about eviction and homelessness are heart breaking.

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this writing and an idea about life during these times:

"I saw a police car slow down as it drove by. The policeman tilted his head, staring at my bloodied face looking up at him. He rode on. The white boys kept kicking me. If I had struck one of them while the policeman was watching, I would have been arrested and beaten at the police station."

"The Montgomery bus system was bad. We didn't blame the company or the drivers; we blamed the System. The System made you pay up front, then get off the front of the bus and enter in the back door. Sometimes before you reached the back door, the driver would drive off with your dime or nickel."

"I had heard that white police were arresting coloured drivers right and left for going to slow, for going to fast, stopping their cars, starting their cars. The fines were costly, yet the drivers kept rolling."

Publisher blurb: During the Alabama bus boycott, six months after Rosa Parks made her famous bus protest, Alfa Merryfield and his family struggle to pay the rent. But someone keeps stealing their rent money -- and now someone is accusing them of stealing! With only a few days left before rent is due, Alfa and his sister, Zinnia, know they don't have much time. To solve this mystery, they must "walk the walk and talk the talk of nonviolence" that Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders preach -- and what they discover may be more than they dreamed... 

This book from 2000 is now sadly out of print but if you can find a copy and if you work in a school library read chapter 19. It describes a terrible scene where Alfa tries to use the city library.

With my city in lockdown I am rereading some books from my own shelves. I had a copy of Walking to the Bus-rider blues in my previous library and I was happy to spot this copy for just $1 at a charity book sale. Read more about Harriette Gillem Robinet here. 

I love talking to students about Rosa Parks. Even though I am in Australia, I am able to incorporate this into our Grade 5 topic on Democracy. In this unit we talk about gaining the vote (suffragettes) and legal and illegal ways of protesting. Rosa refused to give up her seat on the bus and so for 371 the African American people and other citizens of Montgomery Alabama walked everywhere. It was a peaceful and very powerful protest.  They walked to work, to church, to visit friends, to shop and to the doctor. They walked in the summer heat, the winter cold and in the rain and through thunder storms. I read these three books here in Australia to my students:

I am listing this book for older primary students aged 11+ because I think readers need some maturity to understand the dreadful racism which is described here.

Social issues, civil-rights history, adventure, and mystery are all skillfully combined in this gripping story of 12-year-old Alfa Merryfield, his sister Zinnia, and their great-grandmother Lydia. Setting her story in Montgomery, Alabama, during the summer of 1956, when the bus boycott precipitated by Rosa Parks is already six months old and racial tensions are high, Robinet has created richly delineated characters and conveyed a strong sense of time and place from the perspective of two African-American children who are deeply involved in it all. Kirkus Star review

Wonderland by Barbara O'Connor

"Holly cannoli" this is a terrific book!

The title of this book is perfect. Mavis wonders if she can make a new friend. Rose wonders if she can be brave and put her worries aside. Henry (the retired greyhound) wonders how he can find a better life away from the racetrack called Wonderland. Finally there is the wonder of newly emerging friendships

Mavis and her mother, Miss Luanne Jeeter, live on the edge of poverty. Luanne follows a pattern. She gets a job, it doesn't work out and so Mavis is forced to leave another house, another school and another town and trail after her mother in the hope things can get better.  This time they have moved from Hadley, Georgia to Laundy, Alabama. Luanne will now work in the house of Mr and Mrs Tully and their daughter Rose. Luanne is the only indoor servant so she has to do the cleaning, cooking and laundry for this very demanding wealthy lady - Mrs Tully. Needless to say Luanne hates everything abut this job and so it seems Mavis may be forced to move again.

It is the Summer holidays. Mavis and and her mother move into a small apartment over the garage. Mavis has decided Rose will be her friend.  Rose doesn't have any friends among the kids in this gated community and Mavis is a "force of nature". She is fearless and truly kind. When Mavis meets Rose's friend Mr Duffy, the gatekeeper, she can feel his desperate sorrow over the loss of his beloved dog. Mavis knows what needs to happen. She tells Rose they will form a special club - just the two of them, and then they will find a new dog for Mr Duffy.

The chapters in this book alternate between three voices - Rose, Mavis and Henry. I loved the distinct personalities of Mavis and Rose but the stand out character in this story for me is Mr Duffy. I don't live in the US but I adore his turn of phrase which I am guessing is authentic to Alabama.

"Well hot dang! We should have a cupcake party."

"Jupiter, Mars and Pluto, Rose ... You're gonna scare me right into my grave."

"Truth of the matter is, this old sorry life of mine is all vines and no taters, and even my vines aren't looking too good anymore. Ain't no dog on this earth needs a pitiful geezer like me."

"You can't keep trouble from coming, but you don't have to give it a chair to sit on."

"The corn's off the cob, Rosie. Too late to come back."

I do enjoy seeing familiar author names when I am browsing in a book shop. The bonus with Wonderland came when I spied a paperback edition for a really good price.

Take a look here to read a text extract. Listen to an audio sample.

A richly satisfying exploration of the logic and determination with which children work to make things right. Kirkus

Readers will love Rose and Mavis with all of their hearts. Colby Sharp

It's a heart tugger and a short lesson in believing in yourself and standing up for what you think is right even if it means facing your own mother.  You may need a tissue or two but you'll definitely feel like you have two new best friends  A book and a hug

Here are three previous books by Barbara O'Connor which I have shared here at momotimetoread:

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis

Wish

How to steal a dog

You might like to dip into the blog by Barbara O'Connor called Greetings from Nowhere, where she interviews authors of middle grade books.

Be Brave, Little Tiger! by Margaret Wise Brown illustrated by Jean Claude

Margaret Wise Brown is famous for her book Goodnight Moon but she was actually the author of more than one hundred books. Seventy books were found after her death in 1952 and all have been published posthumously.  One of those books is Be Brave, Little Tiger which was published in 2018. I love the idea that a book written over seventy years ago has such a modern look. I also love the global connections in this story - an author from USA, an illustrator from UK and readers here in Australia. I mentioned that this book looks 'modern'.  I will explain:

When you pick up this book there are some delightful things to notice - features which may not have been added if this book had been published back when Margaret Wise Brown first wrote the text. The vibrant full colour illustrations, the two different end papers - morning scene and night scene, framed illustrations, full page illustrations, double page illustrations and pages where you need to turn the book sideways. The text uses different font styles - bold, italic, size variations and capitals all for emphasis.

Our story opens with a song:

"I'm a brave little tiger, ho ho ho!

I'm not afraid wherever I go!"

But our little tiger is not really brave. This song is just his way of trying to feel brave. He is afraid of the monkeys, the bees, the birds and the fish. He is too scared to jump in the river and join his friends for a swim. His mum and dad give good advice: "everyone is afraid of something sometimes"; "even an elephant is afraid sometimes."

There is a lovely structure to this story. It opens with the little tiger walking through the forest. He repeats this journey the next day but, with his fears put to rest, the whole scene seems different.

There are some wonderful words in this book:

• gargantuan
• lounging
• encountered
• delicately
• skittered

When you pick up this book I am sure you will enjoy sharing it with a preschool child. We all have our fears and worries. The solutions are not simple but with a little effort it is possible to take small steps forward and perhaps feel a little less afraid.