Danger Road by AL Tait

Twenty-five years ago Corey Armstrong was killed in a hit and run accident on a lonely country road. Grayton is a small town. People who live here know each other and many have lived here their whole life. Corey was a popular kid - good at sports, good at school and he had a charisma about him. A newcomer to the town is in the process of making a podcast about this true crime - no one was ever charged with killing young Corey. The real name of the road is Dangar Road but everyone calls it Danger Road - hence the book title. The nighttime scenes set on this remote road are especially atmospheric.

It feels as though so many people in Alex and Leo's lives have a connection to Corey - their absent dad, the town mayor, the school librarian and a mysterious girl called MJ. Mum has been listening to the podcast in the car. In a moment of impatience with her two sons, she tells them if they can work together and solve the mystery of Corey's death, which is the purported purpose of the podcast, she will give them a reward. She offers this as a way to stop the two boys from their constant bickering but what she doesn't know is, while this does draw the two boys closer, it also means they uncover lots of details about Corey, his friends, and the actual events of that night twenty-five years ago. Luckily the boys also have help from Alex's friend Harry (Harriet). She is a lateral thinker and also very systematic and so she helps them set up a crime board/timeline which helps all three identify the avenues of their investigation.

Here is the blurb from the author page (you will also find a chapter sample): Twenty five years ago, on a dark winter’s night, teenager Corey Armstrong was left to die by a hit and run driver on Danger Road. Now Corey’s the subject of a podcast that’s putting his hometown on the map, but with the series almost over, the case remains unsolved. When brothers Alex and Leo decide to try to find out what happened to Corey, they learn more about his world than they could have imagined. Everyone’s talking about the popular footballer, but the question remains: did anyone really know him? As Alex and Leo sink deeper into the past, they uncover old secrets, ready to resurface, and realise that someone in town must know something which means someone they know might be the killer. Will bringing up the past jeopardise the brothers’ own futures? And could bringing a cold case back to life prove fatal?

In this short video AL Tait talks about her book. 

A.L. Tait has written a ripper of a cold case mystery for middle grade readers. The premise is great, playing off the popularity of cold case true crime podcasts, and I loved the little NCIS references that Alex dropped every now and then. The novel is told in alternating perspectives, going between thirteen-year-old Alex and almost fifteen-year-old Leo. This allows the case to unfold, as each point of view brings different perspectives to the story, and the boys are able to play off their strengths. Including the ones they’re not too keen on everyone knowing about. The Book Muse

This is a great story set in a small country town involving teachers, coaches, the mayor, and many other potential suspects around their parent’s age who were teenagers at the time. It has themes like sibling rivalry, but also sticking up for your sibling when they are in trouble, sporting success and striving to make it big, and uncovering secrets from the past that have been hidden for so long. It is a terrific story that I couldn’t put down that will appeal to all readers aged 11 and older. Lamont Books

Here is a sign that I am enjoying a book. I wake up in the middle of the night unable to get back to sleep. I think I should read for a while - that will calm me down but only if it is a book that I am enjoying. So it was that I read Danger Road at 2.30am and then more the next day on my long train trip and the remaining pages in the library where I volunteer (it was a very quiet afternoon) and so I finished the book in just one day.

Readers aged 10+ are sure to enjoy Danger Road - especially kids who already love to read realistic fiction and mystery stories. For myself I did find the print size a little small and this might put some kids off but in a library I think it would be very easy to book talk this title especially when you mention the words cold case and mystery. The library where I volunteer have put this book into the Young Adult collection, but it is also certain to appeal to primary school readers in Grades 5 and 6. I used to host an evening for senior boys with their dads in my school library. Danger Road is a book that I would have enjoyed showcasing on one of those nights. 

Things I really enjoyed about this book:

• The alternating voices and the contrasts between Alex - he loves art and drawing - and Leo his older brother, who is crazy about sports. There is a subtle change of font as each voice changes.
• There are extracts from the podcast at the beginning of each chapter and this is a terrific device to fill in more details of the events surrounding Corey's death.
• I found it interesting that running is the thing that really gives Leo a sense of peace and not the competitive part of winning at football or his other sports pursuits.
• Leo is also a clever student but like many teens he thinks he should keep this hidden for fear of ridicule by his peer group. 
• I loved the way his younger brother Alex shared his deeper insights into his brother Leo. Alex has very well developed emotional intelligence. 
• There are some really good moments of tension in this story such as when the Mayor picks the boys up and offers to drive them home. Alex know this man is not exactly a stranger but this sure does feel like a dangerous situation. I also held my breath when the boys dive into the deep river - I was sure there was going to be a terrible accident. 
• To some extent the ending is an open one - with a group of students in a book club for example you could raise the issue of the justice or morality of this outcome. 

AL Tait has two sons herself, and I think her understanding of the way brothers interact really shines through in this story. The sports played by her own two boys might also be the reason she can talk so accurately about the way football is played. Readers who play football (is it Rugby or AFL) are sure recognise the tactics and game highlights.

Here are a couple of text quotes from Danger Road:

"I'm sick to death of listening to you two pick at each other. ... I'm also sick at heart about Corey. His death might be a podcast to you and all the gawkers who've come to Grayton since it started, but it's my history, and it's your home town's history. The two of you carry on like you know everything about everything, so prove it."

"Well, yeah, but you're not from around here so why this injustice in particular ... I'm only wondering because the podcast format is so specific and I thought maybe you could tell us a bit about how you decide on the narrative structure. Like, do you make a decision about how to focus on before you begin your interviews or does it evolve?"

This is the fourth book by AL Tait that I have read and probably her best book so far. It is also interesting to see how she is exploring different genres. I know she has an easy chapter book due out next year. It will be part of a series from her Facebook and Podcast Community (Your Kids Next Read). I have my fingers crossed that these will be terrific stories similar to the wonderful series from here in Australia that we had in the past such as Solos; Aussie Nibbles; and Aussie Bites. And hopefully as good as a more recent UK series such as these from Little Tiger. 

Willow Bright's Secret Plot

Race to the end of the world

The Firestar

Just like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard

First-time novelist Lindsey Stoddard hits a home run with this touching story of a rough-around-the-edges but loveable protagonist. Kids Book a Day

Her name is Robinson - that's her first name. Do not call her Robin! Robinson is a champion at playground snow baseball and an expert with car repairs. She is a feisty girl who should not be crossed but she also has a longing in her heart. Robinson knows nothing about her mother. She knows her mother died just after she was born but her grandfather refuses to talk about her. Then the worst possible thing happens at school. The teacher sets an assignment to draw and present a talk about their family tree. Robinson only has one person in her family. This assignment is NOT going to happen. She also has to contend with a bully at school and now she has been dragged into group counselling sessions with a special teacher oh and that bully kid is there too!

Meanwhile her grandfather's memory is failing. Charlie is still okay with working on cars in his mechanics business and Robinson is always thrilled when she can work there too but at other times he keeps forgetting his words and misplacing every day items such as his favourite flannel shirt. There is also a crisis on the day they are pouring the maple syrup and his hand is badly burnt. It seems certain someone will report her grandfather and they will be separated. Robinson knows she has to fight against this no matter what.

Luckily there are kind people in her life. Her friend Derek, Harold who works with Charlie at the garage, Harold's partner Paul (they are about to adopt a baby), Ms Gloria the school counsellor, and Candace another kid in the counselling group.

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

"Plus the ground is thawing and the sap is running and Grandpa could use my help collecting it from the maple trees we tapped, then boiling it into syrup. School just gets in the way of the stuff worth doing."

"he didn't do anything wrong except get given a bad kid."

"It makes me wonder if she can see into Grandpa's tired memory and if she knows that sometime he leaves his keys in the refrigerator and the milk by the door."

"There are only three places in the whole world that make me feel like this, I'm not sparky at all. Third base where Jackie Robinson played; our sugar maple trees in the backyard; and in Grandpa's garage fixing something that's broken."

"I'll never be able to find any memories. And I'm scared he's forgetting his. Then I'll never know."

"Her eyes are blue. Not baby-blanket wussy blue ... they're windshield washer-fluid blue. Like they could scrub-the-streaks-and-smudges-and-bird-crap-right-out-of-you-blue."

"I can only remember my mom and feel that feeling in my gut that I get when I remember she's dead because I'm alive but I don't even know why because Grandpa is closed up so tight."

"I'm so sad at Grandpa's brain because I don't know how to diagnose his malfunction, and I don't even know if he knows that his check engine light's on."

I started this book on a long train journey and finished it the next day but here is a warning - it might not have been a good idea to read this book in public because I sobbed (twice) near the end - I am sure the person sitting next to me on the bus wondered what on earth was going on!

This book could feel too American for an Australian child but really I was fascinated to learn about the making of maple syrup and also I don't think it matters at all that I had never heard of the famous baseball player Jackie Robinson. I also had to research shoes called Air Griffeys. 

Publisher blurb: For as long as Robinson Hart can remember, it’s just been her and Grandpa. He taught her about cars, baseball, and everything else worth knowing. But Grandpa’s memory has been getting bad–so bad that he sometimes can’t even remember Robbie’s name. She’s sure that she’s making things worse by getting in trouble at school, but she can’t resist using her fists when bullies like Alex Carter make fun of her for not having a mom. Now she’s stuck in group guidance–and to make things even worse, Alex Carter is there too. There’s no way Robbie’s going to open up about her life to some therapy group, especially not with Alex in the room. Besides, if she told anyone how forgetful Grandpa’s been getting lately, they’d take her away from him. He’s the only family she has–and it’s up to her to keep them together, no matter what.

Validating, heart-rending, and a deft blend of suffering and inspiration. Kirkus Star review

Listen to a five minute audio sample. Warning there are some mildly strong language used in this book for example the words 'crap' 'effing' and 'bull crap'. 

I previously read and loved two other books by Lindsey Stoddard.  Just Like Jackie was published in 2018 it may still be available - I read a Kindle version.

Right as Rain

Brave Like That

I have also added this book to my 'to read' list as it also tackles the topic of a family tree school assignment told by a girl with no family.

Little Blue Car by Gwen Grant illustrated by Susan Hellard

Tuesday Treasure

My car is called Little Blue (that's him in the photo above - a blue VW Polo) so I am happy to share this book Little Blue Car first published in 1991. Here is a Cbeebies video of the story (slightly abridged). Sadly this book is out of print but I do think copies will still be available in many libraries.

Little Blue is the only blue car in the factory. He decides to head off for an adventure. Along the way he meets a bus, a lorry and a tractor and he discovers his car is fitted with headlights, a heater and windscreen wipers. Such fun!

This is a perfect book to share with a young car fan.

Susan Hellard is the illustrator of a number of books that I really like including titles by Jill Tomlinson:

The Rattlebang Picnic by Margaret Mahy illustrated by Steven Kellogg

This book should be a Tuesday Treasure but I am going to talk about it today as I plan to use this book with a group of grade two children next week and this will be a good way to refresh my knowledge of this text.

First off this is Margaret Mahy so you can expect some terrific words. In the Rattlebang Picnic we have the family McTavish their car which is an old rattlebang. Here are some of the delicious words and phrases:

"We can go on picnics, and I will make pancakes and pizzas for us to eat."

"A plume of pure white cloud floated around the top of the mountain."

"the pizza was quite unyielding."

"the car gave a sickening lurch"

"the ten McTavishes could hear the sinister hiss of the red-hot lava ... "

It is a good day for a picnic. Granny McTavish bakes a huge pizza for the seven children and three adults but she bakes it at a low temperature for a long time and so all they can do is hack out a small section in the middle.  It is impossible to eat. They have to make do with cupcakes and apples. The picnic spot is at the top of Mount Fog and everyone enjoys a dip in the hot springs and then they settle down for an after-lunch nap. As they are dozing the mountain starts to jiggle and rumble. The volcano is about to erupt. Everyone jumps back into the car and they head off down the rocky "winding road - bumping and banging and backfiring - while the red-hot lava burbled furiously after them."

Look at this lava by Steven Kellogg - and this is a huge format book so the illustration has even more impact!

Disaster strikes - a wheel falls of the car and plummets off the cliff. What can they do? Of course they have Granny's pizza. The final page is sure to give you a smile. Sadly this book is out of print but if you have a copy in your library or personal collection hold onto it. There is a copy of the paperback edition for sale at AUS$277.

Here are some of the wonderful illustrations by Steven Kellogg.

Motor Bill and the Lovely Caroline by Jenny Wagner illustrated by Ron Brooks

Tuesday Treasure

"When they got to the country they found a place where the grass was short and soft, beside a creek where they could cool their feet. They ate currant buns, cinnamon tarts, pies, peanut brittle and oranges and plums, and drank ginger beer."

I love these words and the pastel scene that accompanies them. The marvel of this book, for me, comes from the artistic interpretation by Ron Brooks. I imagine Jenny Wagner sending her words on a simple piece of paper, perhaps in a letter:

Bill had a car.
He was the only person in his street who did.
And because he didn't go to work, and spent all day playing in his garden, and because he couldn't tie a bow, nobody believed his car was real.
That's why they called him Motor Bill.

How does Ron Brooks interpret these words?
In his book Drawn from the Heart Ron explains he loved this text by Jenny Wagner especially these first lines.
Bill is a donkey. Why?
There are more details about this below.
We see a human family walking beside his flowering hedge in a beautiful rural setting.
His car is a box with straps and Bill powers his car with his feet.

Ron says, in his book Drawn from the heart, "When you think about it, isn't it odd that some one (who) has a car, must surely be an adult, yet can't tie a bow?"

How did Ron come to think of a donkey. Jenny Wagner suggested Bill was a boy between sixteen and twenty-four. Ron's publisher thought Bill was a boy aged around six or seven.  These ideas didn't sit comfortably with Ron and nor did the idea that Bill was intellectually challenged. Then Ron saw this book by Emma Chichester Clark which features three young donkeys:

Ron also thought about the young donkey from the bible story and so it was settled Bill would be a donkey but what about Caroline. "Caroline is just a little more knowing, a little more worldly than Bill, and she has pluck, cheek and courage ... " He decided to make Caroline a goat.

"Motor Bill is not just a story about acceptance of 'difference' in another ... It is an extraordinarily tender story about openness and generosity, about love and trust; an exquisitely written text about recognition - about recognising genuine specialness of any kind in another, embracing, celebrating and sharing in it." Drawn from the Heart, page 175  Ron goes on to say this is a book about imagination "the making power, the creative power, of love and imagination."

You may have met the combination of Jenny Wagner and Ron Brooks in three of their previous (and famous) picture books:

Aranea : A story about a spider

The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek

Looking at these titles I hope you can see the importance of keeping an older book such as Motor Bill and the Lovely Caroline which was published in 1994. It is interesting to note that just one year later Ron's book Old Pig (Margaret Wild) was short-listed for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year award. When you place these two books, Old Pig and Motor Bill and the Lovely Caroline, side by side there are so many similarities to share with an older group of students who are exploring visual literacy.

Firegirl by Tony Abbott

"It wasn't much, really, the whole Jessica Feeney thing. If you look at it nothing much happened. She was a girl who came into my class after the beginning of the year and was only there for a couple of weeks or so."

"As horrible as a I thought the girl would look, when I imagined what burned people looked like, it was nothing compared to what stepped into the room.  ... Was she in pain right now? It seemed like she must be. As if being in that skin would make you want to scream and scream and scream until you died"

As you can see from these quotes Firegirl is a confronting story.  It is the story of a boy called Tom and his class in Year Seven.  Through Tom's eyes, the reader pieces together the story of Jessica - the new girl.  She has been badly burned in a accidental fire and the family have relocated to be near the hospital where she is undergoing regular and painful treatments.  Tom is horrified by Jessica's appearance but his humanity and kindness take over and gradually he comes to see Jessica as a real person and not just a damaged face.  In contrast Tom's friend Jeff is simply brutal.  He will not hold Jessica's hand for the class prayer time, he makes harsh comments about her and about Tom's relationship with Jessica.

Listen to an audio sample.

Tony Abbott is the author of Secrets of Droon - a fantasy series for younger readers.  Oddly we now have two books in our library called fire girl.  The other is a fantasy book which I do highly recommend.  We purchased Firegirl by Tony Abbott for a class who are planning to study Wonder. Firegirl would make a good comparison novel for a very senior class.  The themes are reactions of the class are too confronting for middle primary readers.  Another book you could use with Firegirl is the verse novel Motormouth. Firegirl is a previous winner (2007) of the Golden Kite Award.

Jessica Feeney joins their class. She’s a burn survivor who’s in town for treatment. The students don’t know how to act around her.  Kirkus

This powerful, emotional novel told in first person will touch readers' hearts. Some situations come only once in a person's lifetime, but they are enough to change that individual forever. Don't miss the opportunity to be moved by FIREGIRL.  KidsReads

Though fleeting and fragile, Tom's connection to Jessica changes his perspective on himself, his peers and friendship, and underscores the reward of reaching out to another—of getting "out there." Publisher's Weekly

Home in the rain by Bob Graham

Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life.

John Updike

I am so happy that Bob Graham has a book listed for our CBCA Awards.  Home in the Rain has been shortlisted in the Picture Book of the Year category.  I love exploring Bob Graham books with our classes and short listing gives me the perfect excuse to include all my favourite titles from his extensive book list.

I have talked about Bob Graham in previous posts

• Celebrating 100 books and Bob Graham
• Max by Bob Graham
• Silver Buttons by Bob Graham
• Pete and Roland by Bob Graham
• Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten by Bob Graham
• Humpty Dumpty

Take a minute to view this little film about Bob Graham.

In this new book Home in the Rain little Francie sets off with mum travelling home from Grandma's house in their old car and driving through torrential rain.  Here is a connection.  Frances was a name Bob used in his book First there was Frances (1985).  Bob also loves to include wild animals in his stories.  In this book you will find rabbits, ducks, a kestrel and a mouse. It reminded me of The Wild (1986). Bob Graham also enjoys exploring the minutiae of life and the things that happen in a short span of time - we saw this in his book How the sun got to Coco's house and also in Vanilla Ice-cream.  In this new book the whole action takes place over just a couple of hours - time it takes to drive home and stop for a little car picnic along the way.

I really like the way Bob Graham gives emotional qualities to the little red car.  My own little blue car has these qualities.

"The little red car seemed to muster all of its courage as it waited outside, ready for the road."
"The little car, now full of courage, bumped off down the road, the windows rolled down and wind rushing through."

Bob Graham has won so many important awards.  You can see a list here.  Click here for Walker teacher notes for Home in the Rain.

When we read this book next term we will explore condensation, oil rainbows and also read some picture books about rain including these below.  My friend at Kinderbooks also has some great suggestions for this topic in response to all the rain we have had here recently.

It will also be good to explore some of books about waiting for a new baby such as these :

The quote at the top of this post is taken from the dedication and comes from "A soft night in Shillington" taken from Self-consciousness: Memoirs by John Updike 1989.

Here are extracts reviews you might like to read :

• filled with radiance
• It has that special blend of everyday life and magic
• There is much love and joy conveyed through this story and I couldn’t help hugging my little ones a bit tighter after reading it.

Bob Graham has a magical touch with his books - both with the delicate illustrations, his use of changing perspectives and his beautiful, measured use of just the right words.  Here is the part of the text I love :

"Perhaps it was something unremarkable, not to be seen by strangers passing in the rain. For it was just a mum lost in thought and a small girl dancing."

This is just as special and the famous quote from Max which might be applied to Bob Graham himself :

 ‘Let’s call him a small hero doing quiet deeds. The world needs more of those.’

The Horribly Haunted School by Margaret Mahy illustrated by Robert Staermose

I am a huge fan of Margaret Mahy and she doesn't disappoint with this junior novel.  Brilliant language, a laugh aloud plot, perfectly shaped storytelling and a very satisfying conclusion.

Monty Merryandrew is a conventional boy, well sort of, but he has very unconventional parents.  His mother is a champion jigsaw contestant and his father works as a government philosopher at the Department of National Despair.  In their backyard is an old car inhabited by a ghost called Lulu.   I love the way Margaret Mahy leads the reader into the realisation that Lulu is a ghost.  Listen to this scene.

"I'm never hungry"
"I miss the idea of breakfast"
"I loved eating when I was alive"
"It's so boring haunting a car that's never going to be driven ever again."

His mother does not believe in ghosts and she is sure sending Monty to a new, more sensible school, will cure him of this idea.  That very day Monty arrives at the Brinsley Codd School for Sensible Thought.  As he enters the office of the school principal - Ms Margiold Principal, he begins to sneeze. This is a sure sign there are ghosts in this school but of course no one believes him.

After a disastrous morning with his new and awful teacher, the aptly named Mr Sogbucket, Monty finally meets the ghost.  It is none other than school founder Brinsley Codd.  Brinsley sets a task for Monty.  He wants to know the fate of three precious school students.  Scrunley Filcher, Avery Crispins and Jessica Frogcutlet.  These naughty children were sent to him to be punished but instead "I would talk to the naughty children in a sympathetic but sensible way, and then I would ... tell them to pretend to cry, so everyone would think they had been punished for their misdeeds."

Here is a Kirkus quote :

Along with a crisp pace, an abundance of silly words and silly names, and a cast of children who save the day by showing more sense than the adults can muster,

Here are some of the wonderful words :

squidlets, sausosnack and nipkin - these are foods
Prang Street, Impact Drive and Bowled-over-backwards Boulevard - street names near Monty's home
Triumph Podmore and Neroli-Pompas - vintage cars
gillygaloo
gongoozler
gallynipper
gyasctus
Firkins of Jigjag Fizz "a wholesome drink much loved by jigsaw puzzle champions"


I was pleased to see the word horrakapotchkin.  Margaret Mahy uses this delicious word in her book The Three Legged cat.

Here is an alternate cover for a newer edition of The Horribly Haunted School but (yes you have guess this) of course this marvelous book is out of print!

Dixie O'Day and the great diamond robbery by Shirley Hughes illustrated by Clara Vulliamy

Dixie O'Day and the great diamond robbery is the second book in this appealing junior series. You might remember I recently talked about Dixie O'Day in the fast lane.

This second installment does not disappoint.  Dixie and his faithful friend Percy set out for the Hotel Splendide.  It is indeed a splendid place but sadly our heroes are not given a warm welcome.  On their journey they were forced off the road and Dixie's car is now covered in dust and mud.  Their near traffic accident is caused on the road to the hotel by none other than the famous Peaches Miaow.  Dixie is totally unimpressed by her fame and entourage but Percy is besotted.

At dinner that night Peaches "swept into the dining room wearing a silver satin dress and a smile as dazzling as her diamond necklace."  As you will have guess from the title these are the diamonds that will be stolen.  On their second night at the hotel a robbery takes place.  Dixie and Percy have previously made friends with a well mannered gentleman named Mr Canteloe.  As they tour his home and venture into some tidal caves beneath his cellar they find the diamonds.  Now comes the dilemma. How will Percy, Dixie and Mr Canteloe prove they did not commit the robbery themselves?

My favourite part of this book comes near the end when the hotel staff return Dixie's car.  "I've had it cleaned and polished for you, Sir ... and may I say what a great pleasure it is to see a car like yours on the road these days."

As I said in my previous review there are some terrific little extras in this series.  The book opens with an interview :

"What do you always pack in your suitcase?
DIXIE : My hot-water bottle, a choice of smart ties and my copy of 100 country walks.
PERCY : Plenty of chocolate."

At the back of the book you will find sample pages from book 3, a quiz, a maze puzzle and a map of Brightsea - location of the Hotel Spendide.  This book is also just seven chapters - one for each night of the week perhaps.

In this review you can see inside the three books from this series.

Dixie O'Day In the Fast Lane by Shirley Hughes and Clara Vulliamy

The possible ingredients for a winning story are fairly easy to identify:

1.  The story makes you feel something - this little gem made me smile and cheer
2.  The story might contain echoes of other stories - with this book you will think of the Aesop story of the Hare and the Tortoise
3.  Action can help a story move along so the reader keeps turning the pages in order to discover the answer to an important question or two such as how will this all turn out?

In the fast Lane is the first in a series of three books about Dixie O'Day.  Every detail in this little book is a delight.  The patterned end papers, The chapter heading pages. The interview which opens the story which gives the reader insights into our story hero Dixie. The character introduction pages and most of all the map. I adore books with maps!

Dixie loves his old car.  His best friend Percy enjoys spending a day with Dixie driving in the country and perhaps enjoying a picnic. The car often breaks down but help is usually close by.  Dixie has an annoying neighbour called Lou Ella.  "Lou Ella bought a new car every year, always an expensive one.  It annoyed Dixie a lot when she drove past his house and tooted her horn."  One day our intrepid heroes see a sign announcing a car race from Didsworth to Dodsworth.  Dixie decides to enter the race with Percy as his co-river (he can't drive but this doesn't matter).  Everything goes wrong on the day of the race.  Meanwhile Lou Ella is also determined to win (at all costs).

The Dixie O'Day series is  little set of easy and colourful books from Clara Vulliamy.  Take a look at my review of Mango and Bambang which are  also illustrated by Clara who is the daughter of Shirley Hughes!  You might like to read this Library Mice review.   Here you can see some of the illustrations from this book.

With seven chapters in each book – a chapter for each night of the week – and a whole host of extras, the Dixie O’Day series is perfect for young readers.

Rattlebang picnic by Margaret Mahy illustrated by Steven Kellog

It is picture book month and so we are celebrating in our own way with a selection of special picture books.

The Rattlebang Picnic is a wonderful story of ingenuity and family life by master storyteller Margaret Mahy.  Can you begin to guess the location of this picnic :

"It was a beautiful morning.  A plume of pure white cloud floated around the top of the mountain.  The old rattlebang struggled up the winding,rocky road - bumping and banging and backfiring - then stoppped right beside the hot springs."

The McTavish parents have discussed things.  Jack McTavish explains they can either have a wonderful speedy car or lots of children but not both. They decide to have a few children and an old car.  "So the McTavishes had seven children and drove an old rattlebang."

Luckily Granny makes a pizza for the picnic and luckily Granny is not a very good cook.  The pizza will save the day in a most surprising way.

I love exploring all the books in our library by Margaret Mahy.  Her picture books are all gems. This book makes a terrific read-aloud and lends itself to an exploration of our books about volcanoes.

Over November we are featuring one picture book each day.  I will explore some of our week one choices over the next few blog entries.

The No. 1 Car Spotter and the Firebird by Atinuke illustrated by Warwick Johnson Cadwell

Here is a very different and terrific book for children who are just beginning to develop confidence with reading - especially boys.

I am always on the look out for simple chapter books that move students beyond "reader-style" books onto real books with satisfying stories and luckily I have found another one.

No. 1 (his real name is Oluwalase Babatunde Benson) is a boy who lives in poor village in Africa.

"In my village we do not have television, or even electricity. We do not have shops or even traffic lights. We have compounds, where we live. We have farms, where we work.  We have the river where we play. And best of all we have the road that runs past the village, carrying buses and lorries and cars from one city to another."

No. 1 is a car spotter - the best in his village.  All his friends and family have delightful (nick) names like Uncle Go-Easy,Coca-Cola, Nike and Emergency.

Each chapter in this short book is a self contained story but the stories are all linked so that by the final chapter it seems No. 1 might finally get to see his favourite car close up and perhaps even go for a ride.  In the meantime there are problems to overcome such as when a leopard is bothering the goats, Mama Coca Cola needs to attract new customers to her akara stall and the river is in flood and people going to a wedding are desperate to get across.  No. 1 is not just a car spotter he is a thinker and problem solver.

We have two books from this series in our library.  The No. 1 car spotter and the car thieves and The No. 1 car spotter and the Firebird.  It would be fun to read these aloud in a family.  They remind me of the writing of Alexander McCall Smith.  I can see we still need to buy the first book The No. 1 car spotter.

Here is some information about the author.  We also have the Anna Hibiscus books in our library.

Motormouth by Sherryl Clark

If you are a motormouth does it mean you talk to much or does it mean you talk to much about cars or does it mean you know a lot about cars?

This is the season for verse novels and here is one for the boys! Motormouth by Sherryl Clark is a terrific emotional roller coaster ride as we piece together the truth about Josh, the new kid in town and discover what has happened to Dave all through the eyes of their friend Chris.

The impact of this book reminded me of Steven Herrick and Tom Jones Saves the world or Do wrong Ron.

There are some great little gems in this writing “this kid Josh sticks to me like chewie on my runners.”…. "Dad takes to Josh like a flea to a dog”….

This is a very short book but it is so powerful. The illustrations, end papers and black and white graphics are just perfect. I think this book would be great reading for senior boys who have not yet discovered just how a book can tug at your emotions and include some funny parts too!