I Know you're lying by Daphne Benedis Grab

 

Sasha is blackmailing kids in middle school at Snow Valley Secondary School. Her backpack has been taken from her locker in the early hours of the morning and the school security camera shows four students who were in the school well before the time they should arrive. WHY? 

This book is sure to totally engross readers aged 10+. The four kids work so hard and in such a clever way to solve the school crime of a stolen backpack. Each of the four - Nora, Maddie, Jack and Henry have their own back story which is slowly revealed as they open up to one another.

I started this book last night and finished it early this morning - it really is a page turner!

Bookseller blurb: There's been a theft at the middle school! Sasha's bag has been stolen from her locker. The security cameras on the school's front entrance captured four students entering the building early. Present at the time of the crime, Maddie, Jack, Nora, and Henry become top suspects. Each of them has a reason to dislike Sasha. Each has something to hide. But which of them is responsible for the break-in? And can they figure out who the thief is before Sasha gets her revenge ... on all of them. Set during a single day of school, this is a gripping, twisty read about what happens when bullying goes too far, written by Daphne Benedis-Grab, author of I Know Your Secret.

Set after the Covid-19 lockdowns, the novel also addresses repercussions from the pandemic. Jack, who has a Vietnamese American father and White mother, experiences anti-Asian racism, and Henry’s father’s restaurant closed due to the pandemic, leaving the household financially insecure. The author links these diverging storylines in just the right places to drive the twists and turns, bolstering an underlying anti-bullying theme. Kirkus

Companion reads:

Because of Mr Terupt

The Year Mrs Montague Cried

One Day - a first dictionary by Ann James

 One day I woke up. 
I got dressed.

I ate my breakfast.

I played outside.

Accompanying each of these simple sentences we follow a child through their day - ending with I read a story and I went to bed. On one side of the page we see the family and the activity and on the other are two frames with two letters and four images that can be found in the scene. For example - I ate my breakfast we see an egg in an egg cup, a fruit bowl from their table and two drawings that can be found on the 'fridge. This would be a perfect book to share with a very young child and it is you could revisit often. There is a very special warmth to each of the family scenes and mum and dad have simply perfect expressions which really interpret each event. IF you can find this book from 1989 look at the page where the goat is eating mum's hat and mum's eyes when she is trying to dress the little child early in the morning. The realistic domestic scenes in One Day reminded me of Sunshine by Jan Ormerod. 

I was thrilled to visit Dromkeen last week and even better I was able to purchase an original illustration by Ann James.  I already own a limited edition print of an illustration from It's a Miroocool. Ann James, Mark Wilson, Leigh Hoobs and Gabrielle Wang have works included in an exhibition at Dromkeen.

Along with art to purchase at this exhibition they also had lots of books to buy and so that is where I picked up One Day - a first dictionary which was published, as I said, in 1989 and so I assume is long out of print.

The piece I purchased comes from this book - it is an image intended for the back cover.

Read a review

I do hope the State Library of Victoria have a plan to showcase the original Dromkeen collection which was gifted to the library. It contains 7500 original art works collected by Joyce and Court Oldmeadow. 

In 1973, Dromkeen was purchased by Joyce and Court Oldmeadow, who used the homestead as a private residence and storage centre for their educational bookshop. Before long their love and interest in children’s literature led to the establishment of the Dromkeen Collection, and the house became a home for Australian children’s literature. The Oldmeadows dedicated their lives to preserving the original artwork and manuscripts of Australian children’s literature for public display. Following Court’s death in 1977, Scholastic Australia took over responsibility for maintaining the Collection. Joyce Oldmeadow continued to develop Dromkeen and in 1982, she inaugurated the Dromkeen Medal, awarded annually to an Australian citizen whose work has significantly contributed to the appreciation and development of children's literature. To guarantee a permanent home for the Collection, Scholastic Australia purchased the homestead in 1985. In 2012, the Dromkeen Foundation and Scholastic Australia gifted the entire Dromkeen Collection, along with the Dromkeen archive, to State Library Victoria.

Sea Glass by Rebecca Fraser

Over the last few weeks I have been trying to find and read Australian middle grade or junior novels published in 2023 which might be listed as CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) notable titles or even possible short list contenders. I am fairly sure this book would have been submitted and I was pleased to find it in a Melbourne bookshop perhaps it will be a notable title. I was interested to see this independent bookstore (Readings) short listed Sea Glass for their own prize. The Readings judge said:

There are no great adventures to be had, or mysteries to be solved in this book. It is instead a slim, simple story about a world which children, and their parents and grandparents, will easily recognise. Perfect for reading together. — Kate McIntosh

I did want this book to have a deeper emotional impact on me. Some of the confusion and disappointments felt by Cailin seemed to somehow resolve a little too quickly. I guess I anticipated a slightly different story line based on my reading of the blurb. This is a very short book which can easily be read in one sitting. It is a sweet story for younger readers aged 9+ who enjoy stories about family relationships. It certainly is a very Australian book with the references to a Summer Christmas celebration, cricket, Don Bradman, the Christmas day Queen's message, and eating fish and chips at the beach. Grandpa also has a colloquial Australian accent. 

Publisher blurb: When Cailin has to spend Christmas at her eccentric grandfather's shack at Whitefoam Cove, her holiday plans are ruined. She barely remembers him, let alone knows him. Memories of her father are everywhere and, to make matters worse, she's left her cricket bat at home. It's going to be the worst summer ever. But there's treasure to be found at Whitefoam Cove! However just when it seems she and Grandpa are finally making a connection, disaster strikes ... and Cailin knows it's all her fault.

Sea Glass - "Every piece has a story to tell." "Cailin picked up a few pieces from the table and examined them more closely. They really were beautiful, with their perfectly smooth edges and frosted surface. She could see why Grandpa had chosen to decorate his Christmas tree with them." "The sea glass was all different shapes and sizes. Some were round like pebbles and others were oblong, triangular, or whatever-shaped." "Every piece has a tale to tell ... It all starts with what it used to be and where it came from." "Anything that originally started out as glass. Broken bottles that once held beer, wine, juice, milk, even perfume. ... You'd be surprised what ends up in the sea ... It sinks to the bottom of the ocean, breaks apart as it tosses against coral and rocks, and little pieces of it gradually become smoother and smoother after years of rolling against the ocean floor. Until finally, the sea glass gets tossed up on the shore as beautiful sea gems for us to find."

Image Source: Galicia Spain

Here is an interview with Melbourne author Rebecca Fraser. Read more about Rebecca Fraser here. And here are ten questions with Rebecca Fraser.  Listen to an audio sample here. Here is a 39 minute interview by Reading with a Chance of Tacos.

Click these review comments to read more plot details:

Every word in every sentence is beautiful. Visual descriptions place the reader directly in the characters’ lives and helps them experience the emotions that are portrayed on the page. Kids'  Book Review

Sea Glass is a calm yet captivating book about reconnecting with family, how grief and loss affects people, the importance of keeping memories and traditions alive for the next generation, and owning up to your mistakes and prejudices. This is a deceptively complex book with strong themes hidden in quiet and unadorned writing, making it a joy to read. Story Links

This tender story explores the power of family, unbreakable family ties, the diverse ways loss and grief may impact individuals and how they cope in the aftermath of such loss. It also explores what at times can feel like a massive intergenerational chasm, yet one that can be bridged by sharing an interest, exploring nature and treasure hunting. This story is also a celebration of the many and beautiful ways a grandparent can influence family dynamics – they are caregivers, teachers, a link to the past, keepers of stories, sharers of knowledge and wisdom. Reading Opens Doors

Bird and Sugar Boy by Sofie Laguna

"AP Davies was going to get a big surprise when Bird turned up at his place. I'd knock on the door and when he answered, I'd say 'Hello, AP Davies. My name's Bird - it really is!' Then I'd show him my drawing book and maybe we'd start making plans for the sanctuary as soon as I arrived."

James Burdell lives with his car mechanic dad. They have a good relationship but as you read this book you will wish James could talk more with his dad - he desperately needs to understand why his mother left when he was very small. James has a very active mind. He remembers overheard conversations and fragments of phrases uttered by the adults in his life, but he constantly misinterprets these. James lives in a small town called Denham - I think it might be in Victoria. He and his best friend Sugar Boy spend their time after school and on weekends mucking around on their bikes, chasing trains and fishing. At school James is always getting into trouble - he is either daydreaming about birds or causing trouble to get a laugh out of his classmates. The teachers know he is a bright boy but they are running out of patience with his bad behaviour. 

Birds are an obsession for James. Several years ago when he was with his dad in an op shop, he spied a book - Birds: A Field Guide. This book becomes his comfort. He almost memorizes the whole thing and when he is upset or confused or in trouble, he takes out his drawing book and sketches the birds from his book. In his mind the author is a hero and so James hatches a plan to meet AP Davies. The back cover says the author lives in The Blue Mountains. James has no idea where that is but when he is told his very best friend Sugar Boy is moving to Broome in Western Australia, James decides he needs to find AP Davies. He is sure leaving will make things easier for his dad who struggles to 'make ends meet.'

"I did know I was having big dreams, and big dreams aren't the way things actually are - but why was it better to stick with the way things actually are when big dreams felt so much better? Look what AP Davies did - he lived in mountains that glowed blue and spent all his time doing bird study."

Helping in a school library at the end of last year I spied Bird and Sugar Boy by Sofie Laguna. Parts of this story have lingered with me since I first read it in 2006. When I read My Brother Ben and also The Someday Birds I struggled to think of the title of Bird and Sugar Boy but I was certain it also contained a story about a boy who loved birds and who owned a precious bird guidebook.

My Brother Ben

The Someday Birds

But the blurb did not help me: Sugar boy gave me the name Bird, otherwise I'm James Burdell. I live with my dad who has a big tattoo that says Live to Ride. He is so strong he can lift up a car, but he can't tell me what he's thinking. Maybe he's thinking about my mother who shot through. Sugar Boy is my best friend. We hang around down at the river, in the bush tunnel, or beside the railway tracks riding our bikes fast enough to beat the train. There's only two of us, but we're the whole team. I don't know what would happen if I didn't have Sugar Boy.

This afternoon I re-read Bird and Sugar Boy from cover to cover. It is long out of print, but it might still be in a school library.  I was surprised by the scenes I had forgotten and delighted to find scenes I had remembered especially the ones near the end of the story when James (Bird) finds himself in the city at night with no money, no food and desperate to find the right train to the elusive "Blue Mountains." I was also surprised by the fairly strong language used in this story - I think perhaps I read with a different eye now. This book is almost a Young Adult title and so I would say 11+. I wish I had kept my old copies of Magpies magazine because this book was featured on the cover of May vol. 21 no. 2 2006; page 16 with a review by Agnes Nieuwenhuizen. Oh, and yes this was the book I struggled to think of featuring a bird guidebook and a journey of discovery by a young boy. 

Bird and Sugar Boy was a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Younger Readers Honour book in 2007.  Here are the comments by the judges:

When his best friend Sugar Boy moves interstate with his family, Bird is devastated. The consequent feeling of rejection causes him to revisit the pain of his mother’s departure earlier in his life. The resulting intensity and struggle of his father’s devotion becomes apparent when he takes off to the Blue Mountains and is located by the network of biker friends. Bird’s obsession with Davis’s Field Guide to Birds of Australia, along with his skill in drawing and the positive support from his science teacher, offer great hope for him. Realistic depiction of male characters who are friends rather than mates is sympathetically done by this author.

The winner in 2007 was Being Bee by Catherine Bateson.  Just for interest the Picture Book winner that year was The Arrival by Shaun Tan. 

Here are some other books by Sofie Laguna:

When You're Older   The Song of Lewis Carmichael

The Golden Cowbell Book Award

 

The Golden Cowbell Book Award was created by the SGIS (Swiss Group of International Schools) Librarians as a means of promoting great literature and cross-cultural ties within the international school community of Switzerland. By reading a variety of nominated books each year, children in all participating international schools in Switzerland are given the opportunity to vote for their favourites. All votes are gathered from each of the participating schools and winning titles and authors are selected. Winning authors are then notified that they have won the coveted Golden Cowbell Award for that year! Voting takes place in May and in order to be eligible to vote, students must read at least 4 titles for the Brauveih (Younger Readers) books, and at least 3 titles for the Evolene (Upper Primary) books.  There are also two older readers categories Herens Category (ages 11-14) and Simmental Category (age 15+).

The library I visit each week has generously created stickers for the covers of their books which show awards given to each title. I just read El Deafo by Cece Bell. It has a Red Dot Award (2013); A Cybils Award (2014); Will Eisner Winner sticker 2015; and The Golden Cowbell Award (2016). El Deafo also received a Newbery Honor and a Charlotte Huck Award honor.  Here is the Kirkus review for El Deafo. 

I had not heard of the Golden Cowbell Award but now I discover this children's choice award has selected some wonderful titles. I think these awards began in 2013 or 2014. I was pleased to see I had read some of the past winners:

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

Alone by Megan E Freeman

The Last Bear by Hannah Gold illustrated by Levi Pinfold

Potato Pants by Laurie Keller

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf

Beetle Boy by M G Leonard

The war that saved my life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Escape from Mr Lemoncello's library by Chris Grabenstein

Wonder by RJ Palacio

Here are the current nominees for 2023-2024. I have talked about Owl Knight. 

Silver Linings by Katrina Nannestad

Nettie (Lynette) Sweeny lives with her three sisters and her dad on a farm. The year is 1952 and in a few months Princess Elizabeth will be crowned queen and shortly after this she will visit Australia and in particular rural Australia - coming to a town near where Nettie lives. Nettie's mum died in childbirth. Nettie longs for the love of a mother and so it is wonderful to read that when Nettie turns five her father remarries. Alice is a perfect mum to all the girls but especially to young Nettie. I think Alice is my favourite character in this story along with young Nettie of course oh and the wise bus driver. Here are some text quotes about Alice:

"Dinner is filled with happy chatter. Every time Alice puts her knife down, I weave my fingers in and out of hers. Eventually overcome by the thrill of having my own real mother, I slip out of my chair and hang off her neck. I spend the rest of the meal running my knuckles along the pearls on her necklace ... and planting kisses on her cheek."

"Alice gives us one more kiss, which makes the skin on my forehead tingle with happiness ... "

"Mum spends heaps of time sitting on the lounge or in bed because Billy's always hungry and needs a lot of feeding. She uses one arm for holding Billy, so there's always a spare one for wrapping around me and plenty of room for Muriel if she wants to snuggle up too. Which she does."

The Australian vernacular in this story is so endearing and I didn't tire of the sweet 'joke' about babies and storks and Nettie's sweet misunderstandings and earnest little letters sent to the stork asking for a baby. 

I wonder what readers from other places in the world will make of expressions like these:

'whacko the diddly-oh!'
'stone the crows'

chooks (chickens)

'ruddy cold'

'that's a porky' (tall tale or a lie)

crook (unwell)

yarn (a story)

duffer (fool)

This story has terrific descriptions of life in a small rural school. I really enjoyed the scenes where the kids are preparing their Christmas play and also getting ready to meet the young Queen Elizabeth. The importance of supporting neighbours during times of hardship and disasters such as floods is also a theme and there are references to the damage done to the minds of returning soldiers - which we now call PTSD. I think Aunty Edith may have had a Victorian upbringing - she has such strict beliefs about the behaviour of children. She is also attached to lace hankies and the importance of eating peas. There are some truly funny moments when Nettie uses her doll Fancy Nancy to voice her frustrations about Aunty Edith. Fancy Nancy can say all the naughty words that the children might think but they would never dare to say!

You will find a link to some very good teacher's notes here. Katrina Nannestead says: "This story is fiction but inspired by family history."

Publisher blurb: A new heartwarming novel set in 1950s Australia from bestselling author Katrina Nannestad. Nettie Sweeney has a dad, three big sisters, a farm full of cows and a cat called Mittens. But it’s not enough. She longs for a mother. One with a gentle touch and sparkles in her eyes. Instead, she has Aunty Edith with slappy hands, a sharp tongue and the disturbing belief that peas are proper food. When Dad marries Alice, all Nettie’s dreams come true. The Sweeney home overflows with laughter, love and, in time, a baby brother. Billy. The love of Nettie’s life. Then tragedy strikes. The Sweeney family crumbles. Nettie tries to make things right, but has she made everything so much worse?

An emotionally rich narrative with big, complex themes, told in a way that’s irresistibly immersive for middle-grade readers. Nettie is a captivating protagonist with a huge heart. While her naive innocence at the beginning of the book makes her immediately endearing, the resilience and courage she develops over the course of the book’s tragic events will earn her a special forever-place in readers’ hearts. Better Reading

I am adding this book to my list of CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) notable and short list predictions. This book will warm your heart, then break your heart and then on the final pages, while the sadness is still there, you will be given a small glimpse of a better future. This book is sure to become a classic in the same way Seven Little Australian's captured our hearts last century.  I recommend this book for readers aged 11+. Note there are some suggestions of domestic violence in the home of their neighbours the Parkes.

Other books by Katrina Nannestad - I have LOVED all of them.

The Girl who Bought mischief

We are Wolves

Rabbit, Solider, Angel, Thief

Waiting for the Storks

Olive of Groves

The Travelling Bookshop

In the Shadow of the Wolf Queen by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

 

"The queen, though tiny in comparison to her wolf, still possessed an enormous presence. Her hair was tightly braided, hanging in a thick black rope over her sky-blue tunic, long enough to reach her knees and matched to deep blue leggings, and a shawl of brilliant copper weave across her shoulders. Ysolda had never seen such deep pigment, the thread made from metal thin enough to bend like fabric. Around her neck was a thick torc of gold, a semicircle of brilliance - the sun made metal."

Ysolda is out in the forest with her sea hawk companion, Nara. She needs to avoid capture by the Ryders who work for the infamous Wolf Queen. The Queen has a plan to dominate all of the realms. Her name changes depending which realm she has claimed and so she is variously called Raani and Seren. The name the Wolf Queen comes from the wolves she uses to travel around her kingdom. They are under her control but they are also wild and fierce creatures.

"She clicked her fingers once, twice, and the wolf heaved itself to its feet, and stared down at Ysolda, something wild slipping beneath its dead eyes. ... Its growl reverberated through her entire body, it lips lifting to reveal white fangs as long as Ysolda's hand. She imaged them plunging into her chest, imagined her blood spilling out across the wood-and-crystal floor."

Ysolda needs to think quickly. She needs to be able to tell a good story. The queen wants power, and she wants to meet and then destroy the legendary ancient wise woman - The Anchorite. Ysolda tells the queen that she knows the way to End-World Wood. Ysolda is desperate to free her older sister Hari who has been captured. Hari is gifted is a listener she can hear the language of the trees. The Queen collects gifted individuals partly to control them but also to use them. Ysolda agrees to talk Seren to The Anchorite in exchange for her sister's freedom. The bargain is struck, and the dangerous journey begins. 

One of the interesting characters in this book is the queen's General Shivani. For reasons that are not explained in this first installment Shivani allows Ysolda to spend the night before their journey to End-World Wood with her sister in the pitch-black dungeons. While she is there Ysolda learns more about the Wolf Queen and also about her own destiny but later in a violent scene the general is killed.

The other very interesting character who unexpectedly helps Ysolda is The Forgiver. Kore is a young girl who is said to possess the powers of forgiveness and foretelling. If you have the paperback edition of this book the description on pages 151-152 could be a terrific extract to use in a book talk with your students. Part of The Forgiver's 'show' feels quite fake but then she takes Ysolda aside and privately gives her a amulet which will allow Ysolda to see the way through a fog. This will save her life in a later scene. She also tells her:

"You are going on a journey. Not the one you think you're on. You'll need to root into the wound. You'll lose the one you love three times. You'll see the clouds as a sea. You'll see roots as constellations. In the highest place you'll find the deepest time. In the deepest place you'll find the brightest light."

I also loved the world building in this story and the references to different cultural practices. 

I picked up this book because I loved two previous books by Kiran Millwood Hargrave but I should have noticed the title also said - "A Geomancer Book". I reached page 266 of the 283 pages before I realised this story would not be resolved. I will now need to WAIT for Book Two - oh no! And I think it might be a year - August 2024 - before I can rejoin the world of Ysolda, Eira (the Wolf Queen's rebellious daughter), and the young servant Sami. A Goodreads reviewer said: the ending was mostly unsatisfying. I wish there was at least a little bit of a resolution towards the end, but it felt almost as if we had stopped mid story to me. This left me wanting more, but not in a satisfying, cliff-hanger type of way. 

I recommend this book for readers who enjoy quests, fantasy, action and stories of loyalty and betrayal aged 11+. 

Book seller blurb: Ysolda has lived her life in the shadow of the wolf queen's tyrannical rule but, safe in her forest haven, she has never truly felt its threat. Until one day when a mysterious earthquake shakes the land and her older sister Hari vanishes in its wake. Accompanied by her loyal sea hawk, Nara, Ysolda embarks on a desperate rescue mission. But when she is forced to strike a bargain with the wolf queen herself, she soon finds herself embroiled in a quest for a magic more powerful - and more dangerous - than she could ever have imagined ...

The start of a new series, this is a beautifully and gently written story that is part adventure, part fairytale, part mystery, and with underlying tones of magic and mythology. With a main character as fierce and brave as any you’d find in a Katherine Rundell novel, themes of environmental consciousness, and elements of Tolkien, it’s an immersive and immensely enjoyable read. Book Trust

This is a story of sisterly love and perseverance, all told in Millwood Hargrave’s lyrical and flowing style. Readings

The Island at the end of Everything

Companion reads:

The Wolf Wilder

Prisoner of Ice and Snow

Impossible Creatures

Windswept

Sky Song