Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World by Phil Cummings

I am sure you do this too - trying to predict the direction a plot will take as you turn each page. I am so happy to say I was utterly wrong in this story. This tale has an enormous twist which I absolutely did not predict. The three kids in this story are on a wild ride into the unknown and as a reader you are on your own wild ride. 

Phil Cummings also deliberately ends nearly each chapter with a cliff hanger.

Here are some of the cliff hangers:

"And so ... he climbed onto the old metal steps ... and down he went."

"Bodder pushed his back hard against the splintery wood and held his breath."

"But no one, not even a child with an imagination like Bodder's, could ever predict how far his journey would take him, and what he was about to discover."

"Whatever was out there, it was restless."

"What will tomorrow bring? he wondered."

It is difficult to talk about this book because I do not want to spoil the plot twist. 

Publisher blurb: Bodder Finn, of Middle Spot Village in Alibon, is a very curious child. When his father travels to the remote coastal village of Light’s Edge, Bodder jumps at the chance to join him, along with his sister Ailie and his best friend Olo. Bodder is keen to see the Shadow Rim: the band of grey that surrounds Alibon at the edge of the orb’s light, before disappearing into the terrifying darkness of the Forever Night. But Bodder gets more adventure than he bargained for when thunderous rocks fall from the sky, making waves that sweep him, Ailie and Olo out to sea on their small boat … and plunging all of Alibon into darkness. With no light to guide them, the trio must survive the perils of the Forever Night and find their way home, without falling off the waterfall at the edge of the world …

If you are book talking Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World with your class or library group you could briefly explain the main characters - Bodder Finn, his sister Ailie, his best friend Olo and the adults - Webly (Bodder's father), Larn (Olo's father) and Tooby (the inn keeper) - and then read Chapter Eight.

You can read the first six chapters here and see a map of Alibon. And here are some discussion questions.

This is an exciting adventure story that will delight young fantasy readers. It’s full of charm, and the mysteries of the world are slowly and carefully revealed, satisfying your curiosity while raising new questions to keep you turning pages. Readings Melbourne

This is a delightful adventure filled with a gigantic twist that I didn’t see coming. Lamont

I am going to predict that Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World will be a 2027 CBCA Younger Readers Notable title. If you are looking for a story to read in your family at bedtime this is one you definitely should seek out. 

When I saw Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World I thought how exciting to discover a novel by Phil Cummings whose work you are sure to know from all the picture books he has created since his first book in 1989 - Goodness Gracious illustrated by Craig Smith. (Just as an aside how lucky was Phil Cummings to have art from Craig Smith for his first book - amazing). Phil Cummings is the author of nearly one hundred books. I have talked about many of them here on this blog including one just a few days ago - Millie and the Frame of Wonder.

I also thought Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World could be a first full novel for Phil Cummings but I now discover there have been others - even some I may have read long ago The Great Jimbo Jones (Solo series); The Rented House; Angel; Danny Allen was here; Take it easy Danny Allen; A Piece of Mind; Spike (Solo series); and Chook Shed Snake (I may have missed some). 

I am huge fan of maps in books, and I am sure readers will find themselves referring to this one as they follow the adventure.

Special mention - this book has such an inviting cover. The art you can see there is by Phil Lesnie and he did the map too. Phil Lesnie did the art in these picture books by Phil Cummings:

The plot of this book is not really related but as I read Bodder Finn at the Edge of the World I thought about this book by Odo Hirsch (yes, it is out of print but is sure to be in your school library):

Bartlett and the Ice Voyage

Little Blue Where are you? by Sally Morgan illustrated by Karen Blair

"One bright and shimmery summer's day Skippy Gillespie went out to play with a pitter pat of his small dog paws and a scritchetty scratch of his small dog claws."

Little Blue - the baby duck - is lost and even worse she is being hunted by an enormous cat named Rocky Road Jack. Luckily Skippy Gillespie and his friend Boofa Boy Jones are able to spring into action and save the day. 

Thanks to Fremantle Press for sending me a copy of this new book which has just been published. Here are the teacher's notes. Little Blue where are you? is a book I would read to a preschool group for enjoyment. There are lots of ideas in the teacher's notes but in my view it would be best select the ideas that suit your class or library group and not attempt every question or activity. This could also be a book you could adapt for a reader's theatre with older students presenting the story for the youngest children in your school. I am imagining doing this will the addition of percussion instruments as a way to add sounds to the story. Your art teacher could also use this double page spread showing sunlight on the lake as a lesson inspiration.

Publisher blurb: Skippy Gillespie is taking himself for a walk in the park – but he is not alone! Rocky Road Jack has followed him, and that nasty cat now has his eyes firmly on a tiny duckling. Will Skippy save the day, and will Little Blue ever get home to his mother?

Your young reading companion will hear some wonderful words (real and invented) in this story - shimmery, slashetty, quailed, charging, and frenzied.

Here is the review from Readings Melbourne:

• It’s made for reading aloud. Morgan’s bouncy rhymes are packed with playful sound words, and we can already hear little ones joining in by the second read. It’s the kind of book that gets requested again at bedtime.
• Skippy is a hero worth rooting for. When he spots a small creature in trouble, he doesn’t walk past. With his mate Boofa Boy Jones, he steps up to help. It opens up easy conversations with kids about kindness and looking out for others.
• Karen Blair’s illustrations are full of movement. Ears flap, legs stretch and water swirls across the page. Some words are even drawn to look like they sound. The characters’ faces show exactly how everyone is feeling, which makes this a lovely book for talking about emotions.

The publicity notes for Little Blue mention The Detective Dog series by Julia Donaldson; Dog Beach by Julie Murphy; and the Hairy Maclary series by Lynley Dodd. 

I previously talked about this book which is the first in this series also by Sally Morgan and Karen Blair which is where we first met Skippy Gillespie.

The Midnight Chew

Here are a couple of my own favourite books about ducks:

The Other Ducks

Just Ducks

Don't Fidget a Feather!

Finding Fire by Logan S Kline

"Long before the secrets of fire had been discovered, people had to find fire. And if they lost it ... if it went out ... 

someone would need to search for more."

Blurb: After a hard rain douses the family fire, a brave young boy sets out to search for more fire to bring home before the cold season sets in. Along the way, he’ll face many challenges, from perilous mountains to fearsome predators to raging rivers, and find something wholly unexpected: a friend.

This is a debut picture book for Logan S Kline.

This book could be in your local or school library. Plan to read this book slowly and more than once and make sure you spend time with the title page and prologue.

Library displays are an essential way to circulate the books in your library - surely your goal is to get books into the hands of the kids and not have them languish on your shelves. In the library where I work as a volunteer, the Teacher-Librarian regularly changes her displays and she also fills two under shelf tubs with books specifically designed to appeal to her youngest students aged 3 and 4 (preschool). At the end of last term she set out all her books about rocks and rock related topics like cave people, crystals, and mammoths. This week we packed up those books ready to set out the next topic Halloween but instead of shelving the 'rock books' she decided to pop them into her preschool tubs. Among them I spied Finding Fire. This is a brilliant wordless book that explores, as the title suggests, the need for fire with a prehistoric setting. 

Watch the trailer - it is terrific! Read this interview with Logan S Kline where he talks in depth about his illustration process. 

Rugged, sparse mountains and outcroppings, white-capped rivers, weather, and saber-toothed predators all present varied challenges for the child in the lush, earth-toned illustrations, rendered in graphite, ink, oil paint, and digital techniques. ...  This is a simple but heartwarming story told through a well-balanced variety of panels and full double spreads. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A prehistoric premise best enjoyed cozied up next to a warm, safe fireplace. Kirkus

This tiny but valiant adventure is visually precise enough for lap-sitters and artistically sophisticated enough for primary grade prehistory fans. . . . This will make a good wind-down choice at bedtime or perhaps a candlelit saga to while away a power outage.

—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Logan S Kline cites a few titles in the interview above including the illustrators Chris van Allsburg and David Weisner:

Aaron Becker

The Witches of Winderry Spires by Karen Foxlee

"You are the Clock Tower Girl for a reason. That reason is for you to decide. If that makes you feel worse, remember: everyone has felt the same way as you."

I am going to unpack the opening sentence: "Lucy Broadmeadow was the very last person in all of the Kingdom that anyone would have expected to receive the green ribbon letter."

The letter has come from the Ticking Witch but why has Lucy been chosen? What is a green ribbon letter?

"Lucy was neither academic nor good at public speaking. She was good at doing dangerous things, though. She could cartwheel very well and hang upside down from tree branches just using her legs (and she was good at) ... pretending she was an explorer."

What do we know about the Kingdom? Early in the story we read that there are five Kingdoms but no one goes to the fifth one in the North. Lucy comes from the South and Winderry Spires is in the Middle Kingdom. Lucy has been selected to be the new clock tower girl. She has been sent a green ribbon to wear in her hair. Green smoke has signaled that the letter has been sent from the Winderry Spires. Lucy has to leave her home and travel to the Spires. The clock tower itself is part of the Spires.

"The clock was situated in the right spire, only it wasn't just one clock face, it was several faces jammed into one large face, all of them doing different things, some hands whirring fast and other hands jerking slowly."

Clearly something is wrong with the clock and as she arrives Lucy notices it hasn't stopped chiming. That is of course only the start of things. On the kitchen table Lucy finds her instructions. They seem very strange and very specific. She has to clean the kitchen; make a plain cake; feed Mustard; tell Sig to practice swimming; read a book entitled 'How to be the Clock Tower Girl'; and only open the door to wizards.

By now I imagine you are filled with questions. I won't answer all of them because, well, this is a five star book, so you need to read it for yourself (quickly head to your bookshop and grab this book today). I will however fill you in about the main characters. You have already met Lucy Broadmeadow. Sig is Sigehelm Effra Aethelwold the Second and he is a small water dragon. I loved the way Lucy can read his emotions which are expressed as colours. He is a very important character so it is lucky you can just call him Sig! Mustard lives in the stable just past the garden wall. You should have spotted Mustard on the cover - yes he is the winged horse but please, if you meet him, do not mention his wings. There is also Boy**, an apprentice wizard and a sky-ulf who Lucy names Midnight. As you read this book you will discover each of these characters has a back story and that participating in this quest will help them answer their own life questions.

"Everything is a journey. Whether it is climbing the stairs to deliver supper of sweeping the Spires or stepping inside the clock when it's your time. The most important part of a journey is not who is by your side, where you have come from, and where you are going. It is you. How will you approach the journey. Will you be brave? Will you be kind? Will you be happy?"

Wait a minute though, why haven't I talked about the Ticking Witch? Well, that's the crux of this story - she is missing and it will be Lucy's job, with the help of her friends, to find her and in turn restore the balance to the Kingdoms. Yes, this will be very dangerous and yes Lucy will be frightened at times and filled with doubt that she can do this but (spoiler alert) of course she can. 

Why is the Ticking Witch missing? What happened to the other past Clock Tower Girls? I cannot tell you - you do need to read this book.

Do spend time taking a close look at the cover of The Witches of Winderry Spires (Lucy Zhang) - I didn't do this until I finished my reading. I am glad I waited because it is only after reading this book that all the tiny cover details will make sense - even the little green ribbon in Lucy's hair!

Reading The Witches of Winderry Spires (I know this sounds strange) I kept feeling that Karen Foxlee was smiling a huge smile as wove her storytelling magic with her special heroine Lucy Broadmeadow and her unique cast of friends. And the setting made me think of the television program Midsummer Murders. I could so easily visualise the village and all the groups of magical people who arrive when Lucy summons them for the Grand Counsel.

When I saw this book I just knew it HAD to be fabulous. It is hardcover with green edges to the paper and spot varnish used for the embossed title. This book comes from Allen and Unwin (thanks for the advance cop) and it is only AUS$24.99. Today - 29th September - is publication day. Huge congratulations to Karen Foxlee (and her publisher) this book is certain to one that readers aged 9+ will enjoy and it could also be a wonderful book to read in your family. I also expect to see The Witches of Winderry Spires on the CBCA Younger Readers 2027 Notables list. 

Image source: Allen and Unwin

Publisher blurb: No one ever knows what happens to the Clock Tower Girls ... The last thing Lucy Broadmeadow expected was to become the Clock Tower Girl and be sent to live with the witch at faraway Winderry Spires. But when she arrives the witch is missing, the clock won't stop chiming and an injured winged wolf-pup appears – all signs that there is a Rift tearing the world apart. Lucy might not be magical, but she is kind and brave. And she does have the help of her new companions – Sig the water dragon and Mustard the gloomy Pegasus. Can Lucy and her friends find the witch, save the wolf-pup and heal the Rift before time runs out?

If you enjoyed The Phantom Toll Booth, you will love The Witches of Winderry Spires. The cast of eccentric characters that I already mentioned who arrive for the Grand Counsel are especially delightful and reminded me of the creative names used by authors like Margaret Mahy.

Do take a minute to read the labels I have assigned this post. You could talk about book tropes with your library group or young reading companion:

• The Chosen One or the Everyman turned Hero
• The Quest
• The Hidden World
• The Helpful Friends
• Overcoming fear and facing danger
• Destiny

Companion books to read after The Witches of Winderry Spires:

The Hotel Witch

A Wolf for a Spell

The Girl who drank the Moon

Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup

You may know I am a big fan of Karen Foxlee - here are other books I previously talked about. It is interesting that this newest book references the main character in Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy**. 

Lenny's Book of Everything

Dragon Skin

The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe

A Most Magical Girl

Ophelia and the marvelous boy

The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm

The Girl who Raced the World by Nat Harrison

Maggie is an orphan. All Maggie Appleton has is a letter written by her mother that she must deliver to a stranger but on the way the letter is taken by a policeman/detective. Maggie is distraught but she continues her journey through London having just escaped from the workhouse only to make the surprising discovery that the man who was supposed to get this letter now works as a valet for the famous explorer Phileas Fogg. I need to tell you that all of this action takes place over the first 25 pages. 

Maggie is swept up into the famous journey around the world and, as you are sure to have already guessed, and time is ticking because this unlikely crew have to be back in London in just 80 days. Maggie also needs to get her important letter back from , but she needs to keep Mr Fogg away from the Detective Fix because she knows it is not true that Phileas Fogg stole thousands of pounds from the bank. Has he been framed?

If you love trains, ships, catastrophes, wild story twists, and heroes you will devour this debut book by Nat Harrison. I read the whole book of over 300 pages in one day - yes, it is that good. This book could also be a terrific family read aloud. Oh, and I love the gold embossed cover. There are world maps scattered through this book but I would also suggest you might grab a real, old-fashioned, atlas so you can follow the around the world journey in more detail. Your young reading companion is sure, also, to ask questions about the way time works in the world and how you can jump days when you travel from west to east.

Book seller blurb: It is 1872 and, when Maggie Appleton's beloved mother dies, she is left with nothing but a letter for a mysterious stranger called Passepartout. With nowhere else to turn, Maggie seeks out Passepartout and, in doing so, is drawn into an adventure beyond her wildest dreams. Together with Passepartout's employer, the enigmatic Mr Phileas Fogg, Maggie journeys to Italy, India, Hong Kong, Japan and America, in a daring race against time to win the wager Mr Fogg has accepted. But with a bank robber on the loose, an angry Inspector on their tail and unread secrets in her mother's letter, Maggie soon discovers that there is much more at stake than keeping on schedule to win the bet. Who can she really trust - and will she ever find out where she truly belongs?

Listen to an audio sample.

Maggie is a feisty and relatable character, providing an ingenious and accessible doorway to the world of late Victorian explorers and their heroic exploits. Book Trust

Each character has a distinct voice and purpose, making the group feel like a true family created through shared experiences and mutual respect. Harrison also updates moments from Verne’s original story to reflect contemporary values. Just when readers think the journey is over, Harrison invites them to imagine where Maggie and her newfound family might travel next and what new adventures await them. This is a gentle, exciting promise that the spirit of exploration and love continues beyond the final page. Children's Books Ireland

Like other readers who pick up this book I have not read the Jules Verne classic - Round the World in 80 days - so my knowledge of the plot was somewhat limited. I am telling you this because your young reader aged 10+ can easily read this new book The Girl who Raced the World with absolutely no idea about the original story. They are sure to enjoy this action-packed adventure. Some readers though might, after reading this book, which is based on the famous 1872 book, want to hunt out the Jules Verne story or perhaps read an abridged version or listen to it as an audio book. Huge thanks to Gleebooks Kids for sharing this new book with me. The Girl who Raced the World is available in paperback but if you find the hardcover edition you must lift the dust jacket - there is a terrific surprise under the cover. 

Here it is (from Instagram)

I now discover I have read several books with covers designed by Tom Clohosy Cole. (Cobweb; An Elephant in the Garden; Clifftoppers).  Here are some teaching ideas to use with The Girl who Raced the World. 

The sequel to The Girl who Raced the World is due later this year:

Companion books:

The Silver Arrow

The train to impossible places

The Boundless

On the Blue Comet

The Ship of Doom

The Pearl in the Ice

The Moon Dragons by Dyan Sheldon illustrated by Gary Blythe

A timeless picture book to be returned to time and time again. Love Reading 4Kids

This book has languished on library shelves for ten years and so the Teacher-Librarian is considering 'weeding' it or removing it from her huge book collection. There is a fantastic story hiding inside this book with themes of greed, girl power, bravery and the moral dilemma of truth verses keeping an important secret. I wonder why it has not been borrowed - my guess is the (sorry Gary Blythe) the unappealing cover. 

This is a 'what would you do' story. I will explain this in a minute.

The King declares there are no dragons but then a traveller reveals there are a few left at the top of the mountain. The king now wants a dragon and so he sends his hunters.

"The royal huntsmen went up the mountain. But its slopes were steep and treacherous, its woods filled with frightening beasts. When they returned all they had was a goat."

This enrages the king. He offers a huge reward to anyone who can bring him a dragon. Hunters, trappers, woodsmen, herders and mountaineers all set off but none can find a dragon. Then a young village girl named Alina declares she will try. Everyone scoffs. How can a mere girl, a child, ever succeed? 

Spoiler alert (this book is from 2014 so it is long out of print): Alina finds the dragons but when she returns to the village she tells everyone there were no dragons. I cheered!

I love this final sentence:

"But as she walked along. Alina took a silver scale from her pocket and smiled. A flight of dragons was worth far more than a room full of gold."

"And there, in the dale below, was a dance of dragons, shining pearl and silver in the soft lunar light ... First one, then anther rose into the air, graceful as clouds, 

their voices joined in song. 

Alina stood on the hill top as if in a dream. 

Her heart beat with the singing of the dragons, 

her breath flowed with the rhythm of their wings."

Bookseller blurb: When a king discovers that there are still singing moon dragons high up on the mountainside, he offers a room full of gold to anyone who can bring one to him. The beautiful dancing dragons only reveal themselves to Alina, a young peasant girl, but she preserves the secret of their whereabouts, knowing that there are some things far more precious than a room full of gold.

Blythe’s soft edge, dramatic, yet realistically-seen paintings are peopled with utterly individual characters, while his clever use of scale and cut-off points roots the story in fantasy. Coupled with Sheldon’s lyrical telling of a good story, they together create something magical. Books for Keeps

Take a look at art by Gary Blythe. You should try to find these two books also illustrated by Gary Blythe:

The Whale's Song

In the US this book is called Under the Moon

You can see other books by Dyan Sheldon here. 

Katje the Windmill Cat by Gretchen Woelfle illustrated by Nicola Bayley

Katje lives with Nico, the miller. She has a happy life but then Nico marries Lena. His new wife likes things to be clean and orderly and so there is no place for a cat like Katje. Things get worse when baby Anneke is born and eventually Katje leaves the house and moves into the mill. But one night there is a fierce storm, the river rises and floods the house. Based on a true story it is Katje who is able to rescue baby Anneke. 

I was drawn to this book because I really love illustrations by Nicola Bayley and when I saw this book I thought of this one:

Katje the Windmill Cat has the most delightful page designs with small delft blue tiles at the left of each page, the tiny details of which echo the action in the main illustrations. Kirkus comment on the font choice and I do agree - it is quite a distraction which is a shame because this is a story young readers will enjoy. I know true stories of animal heroes can be a very popular topic.

Bookseller blurb for Katje the Windmill Cat: This heroic tale was inspired by a true story that took place over 500 years ago. It tells of Katje the windmill cat who lives happily with Nico, the miller, in a Dutch village by the sea. By day, Katje chases mice in the windmill; by night, she sleeps on a soft pillow on Nico's bed. Then Nico brings home his bride, Lena, and everything changes. Katje is shooed away by Lena as she sweeps the house or when she finds Katje playing with the new baby. Eventually poor Katje leaves her home and moves into the windmill. But when a storm breaks the dike that holds back the sea, Katje performs a feat of extraordinary courage that makes her forever welcome in the house.

Nicola Bayley illustrated many other books about cats - all now out of print. The Patchwork Cat; Spider Cat; Elephant Cat; Curious Cat; Crab Cat; Polar Bear Cat.

Biography from Walker Books: Nicola Bayley is a gifted illustrator best known for her loving, detailed illustrations of cats. Nicola studied Graphic Design at St Martin’s College and then Illustration at the Royal College of Art. She specialised in cats and has illustrated a wide rand of children’s books including “The Necessary Cat”, “Katje the Windmill Cat”, “The Curious Cat” and an extravagant new edition of Rudyard Kipling’s classic “The Jungle Book”. Her work is both admired and acclaimed. In 2001, Nicola was short listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal for “Katje the Windmill Cat” and “The Mousehole Cat” was the winner of the British Book Award for the Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year and the British Design Production Award (Children’s Books).