White Bird by RJ Palacio

White Bird is a YA Graphic Novel that needs to be in every High School library.  I think it best suits readers aged 12++.  I wanted to read White Bird because I have read some excellent reviews and I was concerned when I saw it included in the collection of a local primary school.  Here are some quotes. Click these to read more about the plot of White Bird.

Kirkus Star: A must-read graphic novel that is both heart-rending and beautifully hopeful.

Jewish Book Council: Through­out the book, line and col­or of vary­ing inten­si­ty match with words rang­ing from poet­ic to mun­dane, pro­duc­ing a qui­et­ly stun­ning impact.

Kids Books Daily: The story, and the perfect melding of illustration and text, invites slow and thoughtful reading and this is certainly not a book one should rush.

I was interested to read one critical review from the New York Times. 

My main reasons for this post are - yes this is a splendid book but -  in my view it is best suited to a high school library and not a primary school. Of course you will find the Wonder books there and I know they are popular.

For a Grade 5 or 6 student who is interested in the way children and adults had to hide and rely on the kindness of strangers during the holocaust these two books are perfect.

Hey, Sherlock! by Simon Mason

There are tiny hints about the plot of this mystery/crime adventure on the covers (the front as you can see above but also the back) - surveillance camera; beanie; van; purple hoodie; gun; and slot machine.

Amy Roecastle is missing. She is rich and a rebel. A boy is murdered in the centre of the city. Garvie Smith is caught up in the action. He is a sleuth who quietly observes the world looking for patterns and inconsistencies. Then there is the issue of the police, especially Inspector Singh. Singh knows the truth is out there but his biggest frustration is the way Garvie knows so much but says so little. Garvie is only a teenager. Why is he so much smarter than any experienced police officer?

I enjoyed every minute of his company in this complex, at times dark, story that amply demonstrates that YA fiction can hold its head high in the crime writing ranks, and with Garvie Smith as an ambassador there’s plenty of quality entertainment to be had. Crime Review

I rarely read Young Adult books but this one was part of my last reading collection from Beachside Bookshop.  I am so glad it was in my bag because I thoroughly reading this contemporary crime fiction.  If you are a fan of television crime shows I am certain you will enjoy Hey, Sherlock. I felt as though I just wanted to binge watch the whole series in one go.  I highly recommend this book for readers aged 14+.

A brilliant page-turner for all readers, and a sharply observed and often very funny bit of YA. 

LoveReading4Kids

As I was reading Hey, Sherlock I suspected there must have been previous incidents where readers had met Garvie. Having said that this book can certainly stand alone. I have only discovered the early volumes tonight. I may need to read both of these because in each book Garvie (a boy I would like to meet) grows a little older and moves on from school to his post-school life.  Read an interview with Simon Mason.  Here are the first two Garvie Smith Mysteries. I do like the way the covers show they are a series:

Some facts about Garvie Smith from inside the front cover:

1. Lazy, rude, golden-hearted, aggravating, economical with the truth, kind (to those who deserve it).
2. Highest IQ at Marsh Academy
3. Lowest grades.
4. Best mates with Felix (cat burglar), Smudge (stupidest boy at school and proud of it), Alex (who’s been selling something he shouldn’t).
5. Wouldn’t dream of telling his mother he loves her. Besides, she wants to move back to Barbados and what is the point of that?
6. Smokes, mainly tobacco.
7. Liked by girls.
8. Hated by the police, teachers, other boring adults.
9. Exceptionally good at maths.
10. Scared of dogs.

Bamboozled by David Legge

Tuesday Treasure

The first thing to notice about this book is found on the back of the title page:

"The illustrations in this book were painted in watercolours." (They are not done with a computer!)

Now flip the pages slowly and marvel at the art, the details, the fun, the utterly brilliant ideas.

"I love my grandad. I visit him every week. And every week things are the same. But last week when I arrived, everything seemed odd."

Odd things abound in this visual delight.  Can you see the lounge on the front cover which is made to link with grandad's portrait on the wall? Take a look at these images and see what you can 'spot'.

My favourite page is when the little girl plants some bulbs in a garden bed.  Lots of things are upside down, there are so many vases, amazing clocks, watering cans and the crazy flooring. I wonder if the sophomore flags say something?

One more thing - flip over to the back cover for another surprise.

The bright, detailed watercolour illustrations reveal more on each rereading. AussieReviews

Bamboozled was first published in 1994 and was a CBCA short listed titled in 1995.

I picked up my copy at a charity book sale last week. I will add it to my collection of over 90 Australian children's picture books which included in special lucky dip bags for people attending the IBBY Australia International Children's Book Day event in April, 2020.

Two Sides by Polly Ho-Yen illustrated by Binny Talib

"... sometimes people say that we're like chalk and cheese. Or pens and peanuts. Or penguins and pencils. Or any two things that are quite different from each other."

This is a story about two friends. Lula and Lenka. They are best friends but they are also very different from one another.

Think about your own close friend. Now think about these pairs:

• Loud or quiet
• Extroverted or shy
• Always running late or punctual
• Dog or Cat
• Disorganised or organised
• Summer or Winter
• Messy or tidy

Yes these girls are different but they are also best friends until The Day That Everything Goes Wrong. Can Lula and Lenka find the key to their friendship again?

Make sure you linger over the end papers in this small volume. They are a perfect way to show how Lula and Lenka are different.

How can an author show two voices? In this book Polly Ho-Yen uses a combination of font and bold type. Lenka speaks quietly so her font is a pale. Lenka is bold and loud and so is her font.

This little book is part of the Stripes series published by the Little Tiger Group.  The publisher says:

Each story has a unique voice, and encourages children to think and see the world differently, helping to develop empathy, tolerance and understanding.  They celebrate difference, collaboration, exploration, extraordinary acts of kindness, unlikely unions and loving relationships, challenging stereotypes and empowering children with the tools they need to make sense of the world and see it through different eyes.

Here is another book illustrated by Binny which I mentioned in 2018.

A letter for Tiger by Janosch

"One day when Little Bear was setting off to go fishing

 in the river again, 

Little Tiger said:

'Bear, I feel so lonely when you're away. 

I wish you'd write a letter home to cheer me up. Please do!"

As he does most days, Little Bear heads off to the river for a day of fishing. He writes a letter to his friend but then forgets to post or send it. He is still holding the letter when he arrives home.  Little Tiger has had such a sad day. No letter has arrived and his chores remain untouched.  The next day Little Tiger asks for another letter but he also asks Little Bear to send it earlier. Down at the river Little Bear asks everyone he meets if they might deliver the letter but everyone says no. He asks a goose, a fat fish, a mouse and a fox but they all have excuses. He even asks an elephant. Finally a hare comes by.

"Mr Bear, give me your letter!
It will get there all the better.
Stamp it, then your job is done.
Now run, hare, run, hare, run!"

It seems the communication issues are solved. Little Tiger gets his letter, he is so happy. His mood lifts and he is now able to prepare the onions and potatoes for their super. Little Tiger wants to share his happiness so he suggests the friends take turns sending letters to each other on alternate days using Hare as a mailman.  Other animals join in the new letter craze.  There are now so many letters that need delivery so hare recruits other hares to help him. Soon hares are racing around in their snazzy running shoes delivering letters into all the new yellow letter boxes that have appeared in the forest.

Now comes the beautiful twist in the story.  Little Tiger has another bright idea. He works out how to rig up a telephone from the living room to the kitchen using a garden hose. Then he tries using this across the river and very soon the moles dig a network of tunnels and everyone can talk on their telephones. Well everyone except elephant who would like to talk to Africa! Perhaps he will have to use airmail.

I have talked about Janosch in previous posts. I rate The Trip to Panama as one of my most favourite picture books. Listen to an audio sample from A letter for Tiger here. I found a photo of the German author Janosch who was born in 1931. A letter for Tiger was originally called Post fur den Tiger. You can follow Janosch on Facebook. I also found this film with three stories.

A letter for Tiger is an old book (1981) and so it is out of print but you might be lucky and find a copy as I did at a charity book sale this week. This book could generate some terrific discussion with young children and perhaps you might even write a few letters together, post them and enjoy that moment when a letter appears in your letter box. (Not email, a real letter!)

Here are some other titles about Little Tiger and Little Bear and the toy (I would adore to have this).

Finally I was excited to find some Janosch stamps which celebrate his work:

Jasper and Scruff series by Nicola Colton

Smart kitty. Mucky pup. Here comes trouble ...

Are you a naturally tidy and organised person?  Or are you a messy type?
Are you part of the 'in crowd'? Or do you long to join them?
Does disorder worry you? Or are you happiest when you make a 'mess'?

These are some key questions raised by this little book - Jasper and Scruff - The Cool Cat Club.

Jasper is a very dapper cat.  He lives a totally organised life but one thing is missing - membership of The Sophisticats which is the coolest cat club in town.

Jasper invites members of the club over to his grand apartment for dinner. He cleans and tidies up his already tidy house and sets off to buy ingredients for a delicious meal.

It is at this point that things go wrong for Jasper.  A small dog called Scruff bounces onto the path. The groceries are spilled and worse this messy, dirty little dog wants to play. Jasper tried hard to get rid of Scruff by suggesting games of fetch and hide and seek but to no avail. The little dog keeps turning up at Jasper's apartment and his important guests have begun to arrive.  Total chaos!

Image source Nicole Colton web site.

I highly recommend this book for newly independent readers and perhaps also as a class read aloud book for Grade One or Grade Two. This book is a winner!

I loved Jasper's collection of bow ties. Make sure you allow enough time to talk about Jasper's amazing art collection which references so many famous art works - The Girl with the Pearl Earing; Sunflowers; Monet's garden; and even a Faberge egg.

The second Jasper and Scruff book is due for release today!  The first book has been renamed The Cool Cat Club and the title Jasper and Scruff now refers to the series.

Odd-couple fun for a new generation. Kirkus

Jasper really needed Scruff to come along and shake up his world-view, and the chaos this little pup brings is so much better for Jasper than the approval of the snooty, mean Sophisticats. And Scruff is just so cute! He’s drawn in such an energetic, messy, scribbly way that you instantly get a sense of how very different from Jasper he is. Oh, the visuals in this book are just such a treat… A cat and a Book and a Cup of Tea


Check out some other books which explore the idea of unlikely friends.

The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley by April Stevens

Frances is a very special girl. She thinks deeply about things. She adores being outside even in very cold weather. She loves to observe nature. She has lots of questions about the world and she loves to learn new things. Her discovery of the World Book Encyclopedia is just perfect.

"They were impossible to put down. The color photos, the short paragraphs, about absolutely everything.While she could have sat at her family's big computer in the living room and probably found all this stuff, having the books to hold while she was up on the rocks made them especially perfect. Plus when she looked on line, there was too much information for her to sort through. In a book it was more pared down and not so overwhelming."

You might imagine Frances would enjoy school.  She does love her teacher Mr Stanley but the reactions of the other kids to her intelligence can be harsh.  Then things become more complicated when a new boy arrives. He seems to be even brighter than Frances and worse, the teacher is giving this boy all of his attention.

I guess you could say Frances 'dances to her own beat'.  She adores people like Margaret Mead and needs to be outside on her rocks not stuck inside where things are also hard, especially with Christinia.  Her relationship with her sister has become so difficult. They don't speak to one another at all. Her sister says she hates Frances. I found this aspect of the story heartbreaking. Frances does not understand why her sister is unkind and so different. Luckily Frances does have one very special friend - the bus driver Alvin. He is a keen reader and library user and he loves to discuss facts and philosophy with Frances. Every day she sits behind him on the bus.

"Alvin was different from any other grown-up, and at times she didn't even view him as one. He was just her friend. The only person who Figgrotten felt really understood her. The truth was, he was like that with all the kids, respectful of their true natures."

Did you read the name 'Figgrotten' in this quote.  Frances has decided to rename herself - Figgrotten.

"Her real name was Frances Pauley, which she felt didn't suit her, so she put all sorts of words together, backward and forward. Once "fig" and "rotten" rolled off he tongue together that first time, it stuck. And from then on she thought of herself not as Frances but as Figgrotten, adding the extra g because that's the growly way it sounded to her."

Frances spends hours each day up on some rocks near her house. "Some people hate being alone. Some people like it. I like it a lot' ... It was when she was around people that the feeling of being alone was a problem. The feeling of not being quite part of a group was not the best."

I love the words of wisdom from Alvin:

"Alvin do you like to be alone or do you like to be around people? 
Both. Everyone needs both. Solitude and friendship."

"Never forget that everyone needs plenty of understanding. Just as you do. Just as I do. People are very different, but they are very, very similar too."

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

One day Alvin is not on the bus. The world that Frances knows, and relies on, starts to spin out of control.

You can read chapter one on the publisher web site where you will also find an audio sample. This book moved me to tears. In fact I cried and cried. I would pair The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley with Junonia by Kevin Henkes and Jubilee by Patricia Reilly Giff.

If you read this book with a class there are some excellent character descriptions you could explore:

James - "Everything seemed to hang from him a bit: his dark brown hair and his jacket and even his jeans. He wore black-rimmed glasses that looked a bit big for him... "

Frances - "Figgrotten did not even try to manage her own hair, as it was not that kind of hair. It felt like dry grass, and after a bad experience with a burr once, she kept it shorter and most often wore a hat. It was one of those hats with the earflaps that hung down. She wore it not only to cover her hair but also because when she wore it she felt snappier."

Mr Stanley - "came into the room that morning dressed in his usual snappy outfit. Purple vest, grey tied, button-down shirt. And his shiny brown shoes that made a wonderful clean clicking noise as he walked."

Author April Stevens’ carefully crafted, beautiful prose imbues this tightly plotted, engrossing tale with weighty themes that neverfeel heavy-handed or preachy. The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley sings outheartfelt truths about Stevens’ quirky and genuine characters, who will resonate deeply with lucky readers. BookPage

A moving depiction of unique characters, grief, and the benevolent power of forgiveness.

 Kirkus Star review

FRANCES PAULEY is an exceptional book. Stevens has created the sweetest and most compelling heroine and has told her tale with such grace and beauty. Figgrotten is full of wonder and tenderness but her sadness and anger feels so very real. Grief, friendship, family, self-acceptance, and the joy of nature; FRANCES PAULEY packs it all into a short, thoughtful, emotional, and splendid novel. KidsReads