Music Camp by Penny Tangey

This is a brand-new Australian book - published this week. The best part of the story happens very close to the end of the book so readers will need to 'stick with' this book so they can enjoy the emotional scenes of the final chapters.

I learnt recorder as a child and then after I retired I joined an adult class and ensemble group, so I do not need to be convinced that the recorder is a worthy musical instrument. I also attended music camps (playing the viola), and I was in several orchestras as a child and teenager so there were a few parts of this book that did resonate with me. 

This book is told from two perspectives. Miley plays the recorder and Juliet plays the flute. Both of them have complex family issues. Miley wants other people to see value in the recorder and Juliet loudly proclaims the recorder does not belong in an orchestra and even more a recorder player should not be selected to perform a solo at the end of camp concert. Juliet is certain she will be the one who wins the audition for concert soloists. Ollie, who plays the cello - it is almost as big as his ego - is also sure he will be the main star at the concert.

Meanwhile there have been terrible floods in this area and now Miley and her mum live in a caravan having lost everything. Miley's mum cannot pay for this music camp, but Miley is awarded a scholarship. Miley hopes the camp will give her another chance to prove the worth of her tenor recorder:

"I mean I get it. They hear a class of kids playing Pachelbel's Canon on plastic descant recorders and it sounds like ferrets flighting in a cave, so they assume it's the recorder's fault. But really the problem is forcing kids with no musical training to play high-pitched instruments. If the government spent more money on music education and equipment then recorder ensembles would sound better. Recorders can sound as good as any other instrument. And way better than the flute."

There are a lot of issues in this book and at times they were a little overwhelming - climate change is one example. The recent floods are most certainly a result of climate change. The camp is also flooded out sorry for the spoiler. The company that sponsors the camp and the scholarships is also contributing to climate change. This creates an interesting tension between the camp leaders. Juliet has her own issues coping with the death of her father who was also a musician and also trying to navigate her mother's own deep grief. And we meet Renee. She is clearly neurodivergent, but this is not directly stated. It is a real strength of this book that readers just need to gradually understand Renee experiences the world in a different way. There are hints in the food she eats, the clothes she wears and the way she needs to keep her hands clean. I really wanted to know more about Renee - she was the character I liked the best. 

If you are book talking Music Camp with a group of Grade Six readers I would begin by playing something 'cool' that shows how terrific a recorder ensemble can sound. Maybe just share the sound not the video of this one. Ask about the instruments and ask if the students enjoy this sound. Or let them hear some tenor recorders. 

Music Camp is a gorgeous story about friendship, music, and finding your voice. Finding a way to fit in when you feel like you don’t, because you’re into something that others might not see as cool. Any interest is cool, because it can connect us with friends and passion to bring out the best in us. It’s a delightful novel, filled with great friendships and the power to encourage people to follow their dreams. The Book Muse

Thank you to UQP (University of Queensland Press) for the advance reader copy. Here is the author webpage. Here are some very detailed teachers notes and questions (I would not use all of these with a class but you could select some to use with a small book discussion group). I think mature readers aged 10+ especially those navigating complex friendships which often happen at the end of Primary school but I do wonder if the cover will appeal to the intended demographic. As an adult reader I am sorry to say it really does not appeal to me perhaps because of the choice of disparate colours. Here are the notes from Lamont Standing orders. 

It would be good to explore the concert program at the back of the book with a music class if you have one in your school. We had an amazing music teacher in a primary school where I worked previously. Read more here. Turn the sound up loud (don't show the video) and listen to this glorious piece from the concert. 

Publisher blurb: Miley and Juliet have nothing in common, apart from a love of music. Miley can’t afford the five-day Music Camp because she lost her home in a flood, but she’s won a scholarship to attend. This is her chance to prove to everyone that the recorder is a serious instrument. Flautist Juliet comes from classical music royalty. Her late father was an esteemed clarinet player and she wants to honour his legacy. She’s also keen to make friends with people who don’t know about her tragic past – though perhaps not with that girl who thinks the recorder is a serious instrument. Over the week, Miley and Juliet don’t always see eye to eye, especially when they both audition for the only woodwind solo at the final night’s concert. But with torrential rain threatening to flood the camp, their dreams might get washed away. How can they put their differences aside and face the music together?

Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller

Magnolia was not a trench-coat-wearing, magnifying-glass-holding detective. She wore a simple T-shirt and reasonable sneakers, and her strengths were asking questions and being able to talk to people. Most importantly, for the first time in a long time, she had a friend, 

someone who believed in her before she did, which is a powerful thing.

Magnolia's parents run a laundry in New York City. Her parents are migrants from China and so this means they love living in America but they do work very very hard - seven days a week. Magnolia is not unhappy but she would love her parents to spend more time with her and also she wishes they could take a little time off now and again. 

People often leave things behind at the laundromat. Magnolia collects these strange things and she also collects single socks. She has put these on a display board in the laundromat in the hope that someone will come back and claim their sock but so far no one has done this. 

A new family move into the neighborhood and Magnolia's mum organises a visit hoping Magnolia might make a new friend. Magnolia is very inexperienced with the whole process of friendship but very quickly she and Iris do form a connection. Just before Iris arrives the board of sock crashed onto the floor and Magnolia is so upset by the way a rude customer has just treated her mum that she throws the sock board out with the trash. Iris sees the socks and comes up with a splendid plan. Perhaps Magnolia and Iris could spend their summer holidays tracking down the owners of these socks. AND so a wonder story begins - Magnolia and Iris become great friends, Magnolia makes a series of amazing discoveries about her neighbors and about her parents and their past lives and Magnolia learns that first impressions of the kids from school are not actually even close to correct.

I love the title - yes mum folds the washing but also Magnolia unfolds the sock mystery with the help of her friend and in the process she unfolds herself - opens herself to making new friends and opening herself to a better understanding of her parents. The chapters are named after the socks - that's fun too - The Pink Knitted Sock, The Flamingo Sock, and The Ice Cream Sock

Here are some text quotes - I highlighted so many fabulous passages in this book - that is one great feature of reading on a Kindle.

Magnolia Wu was almost ten. She was eager to turn ten, because the number 9 looked like a sprout coming out of the ground, small and easily stomped. Ten was a strong, two-digit number that looked like a sword and a shield that belonged to someone who was about to conquer the world.

To Magnolia, each sock was a mystery, and she waited for the day that their owners would return to claim them. She wondered where the socks had been, if they’d trekked through mud or snow, climbed a flowering hillside, or danced on Broadway stages. But so far no one had come back, the socks forgotten or replaced by whatever other important things adults were out there doing.

When Magnolia saw the laundromat through a classmate’s eyes, she became self-conscious of the smallest things. The Christmas ornaments dangling from their potted plants year-round. The statue of Guan Gong in his shrine, surrounded by oranges and burning incense set out as offerings. The pile of strangers’ underwear stacked on the counter. The recycled peanut butter jars they used as pencil holders. The way her dad wore a Snoopy sweater and floppy sandals, while other dads strode down the street buttoned up in crisp collars and polished shoes.

So I’m going to help you return each sock to its rightful owner, and you’re going to show me around New York City.” It had never occurred to Magnolia to take action to return the socks herself. She thought of life as something that unfolded around her and happened to her while she was content being an observer.

Suddenly, with a knapsack of socks on her back and a friend by her side, Magnolia felt like anything was going to be possible this summer.

Magnolia had never had a best friend and didn’t know the responsibilities of her new position. How did best friends make up? Did they shake hands or high-five? Did fighting mean the end of things? Did people recover from these kinds of wounds?

Wildly funny, charming, and deeply heartfelt. Kirkus Star review

Today I took a bus ride to the city. If the bus driver gives me a fairly calm trip I can read a book on my Kindle. I started Magnolia Wu Unfolds it all and I was transported. I read half of the book on the way into the city and the other half on the way home. THIS BOOK IS FABULOUS. Sorry to shout. No wonder it won a Newbery honour. Now for the sad news. So far this book is only available as a hardcover edition and so here in Australia it is way too expensive (AUS$40). There is a paperback edition [9780593624531] but it does not seem to have arrived here. I am not a fan of the cover - but please do not let this stop you hunting out this book. 

Here is a quote from the author: Remember, stories can be found everywhere in your life. Pay attention to the details in your day-to-day routines and the people you interact with; build adventures out of them. Celebrate your history and connectedness. I hope you can tell how much I enjoyed writing this whimsical, emotional, slightly nonsensical story, spending time with two girls who are capable of solving the impossible. You can too.

You can read a sample of this book on the publisher page. Here are some teachers notes from the US publisher. I follow a children's book discussion group on Facebook - we used these questions for our discussion.  Here are a few questions and my answers:

1. Iris brings in the sock board from the street, saying she wants to help find the socks’ missing owners. This idea surprises Magnolia because “it had never occurred to Magnolia to take action to return the socks herself. She thought of life as something that unfolded around her and happened to her while she was content being an observer” (p. 24). Do you recall times, as a child, that life unfolded around you? As an adult? Were there times when you took action instead?

I’m probably more of an observer but if someone suggested taking action like Iris I think I’d join in.

2. Magnolia is embarrassed after suggesting the wrong spelling for a word in Lisa’s crossword puzzle. However, Lisa says her error was “a creative act” and evidence of how smart she is (p. 36). How might our mistakes show our imagination and intelligence?

I love authors who create characters with emotional intelligence. Readers of this book will see a “different” way to react. Hooray!

3. While searching for the owner of the flamingo sock, Magnolia and Iris run into Aspen, a boy from school. How does Aspen act toward Magnolia and the laundromat? The story about his stuffed animal Otto and Magnolia’s father explains the reason for his actions but doesn't excuse the racist taunts and bullying. What is Miller trying to show child readers in this scenario?

Everyone has two sides. Humans are complex! I loved discovering his “soft side”.

4. Aspen tells Magnolia and Iris that flamingos are naturally gray but turn pink after eating shrimp. He says, “Flamingos become what they consume,” and Iris writes him a note that says she hopes he stays gray (pp. 86–87). What does she mean by this? What are some things you consume (literally or figuratively), and how have they made you who you are?

I really do not enjoy books that are overly didactic but this scene does not feel like that at all. I loved the quiet wisdom of this idea. And he way Magnolia and Iris have to take a journey to find this reflects in a small way the enormity of the journey to understanding taken by Aspen.

I have two favourite picture books about visiting Laundromats - A pocket for Corduroy; and Knuffle Bunny. Small confession - I am slightly crazy about socks and I do have quite a large collection including some special ones from Japan and some I bought in Paris! Last year I visited a wonderful Laundromat in Portsmouth Laundrycare (145 Albert Rd, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea PO4 0JW, United Kingdom). I highly recommend them if you are in the area.

Here is a poem about missing socks:

The Missing Sock by Angela Wybrow

This afternoon, I had quite a big shock: 
I discovered that I have a missing sock! 
I put my socks inside the washing machine, 
But now one sock is nowhere to be seen.

I started my hunt earlier - had a scout around, 
But, as yet, the missing sock is still to be found.
It's not hung on the line or the clothes airer.
It needs to be reunited with me: its wearer.

The socks were one of my favourite pairs: 
Light blue with a snowy white polar bear.
They also had stars sewn with silvery thread.
I've looked on the floor and inside my bed.

With a missing sock, I've no peace of mind; 
That missing sock, I simply need to find.
It has to be somewhere within the house -
Or maybe it has been stolen by a mouse! 

That poor little sock is all lonely and lost; 
I'll do anything to retrieve it: whatever the cost.
I'm feeling quite upset, as I really do hate
The thought of it coping without its mate.

With the missing sock, I am quite obsessed, 
And, until I have found it, I will not rest.
That missing sock, I will keep looking for
Until it's safe and sound back in its drawer. 

Clara and the man with books in his window by Maria Teresa Andruetto illustrated by Martina Trach translated by Elisa Amado

"What does courage mean?' 'Courage is being brave enough 

to live the way you want to, the way you believe."

Before you read this book stretch out the cover and think about the girl, her basket, the distance she is walking and why the colour is yellow - to my eye this denotes a nostalgic memory.

On the title page you will see some very curious objects - with a group of students you could use these to either predict the plot of this book or better yet you could use the objects as student writing inspiration. There is a faded flower in a vase, a book, a clock, two wooden birds, a tiny picture of a house and one item I cannot identify.

The setting for this true story is 1920s Argentina. Clara's mother is a laundress. Clara has the task of delivering laundry to Juan - a man who never leaves his house. Juan is a wealthy man with a huge book collection but he also has deep shame about an event from the past. 

"What is your name?"

"Clara. 

Why are you shut in?"

This is a gentle story or as Mark Macleod once discussed - a quiet book. The illustrations are stunning and so powerful showing a story well beyond the minimal text.

I picked up this book at Gleebooks a few weeks ago because:

• I liked the book shape and landscape format
• There is a medal on the cover (Hans Christian Andersen award)
• The title is intriguing
• The copy I purchased has a dust jacket
• Many pages have no text
• The designer has used two fonts - one for the words in Clara's head and one for conversations with Juan
• This is a translated books (I always look for these) This book was originally written in Spanish in 2018 and the publisher Greystone Books has produced an English edition in 2025. The Spanish title is Clara y el hombre en la ventana.
• Greystone books are a Canadian publishing company - Canadians make fantastic books
• Finally a staff member recommended this book because I asked to see some picture books for older readers and high school students. 

This is the page with the text I quoted at the beginning of this post.

Trach’s illustrative style is so different from what I am used to, I want to own the book just for that.  Andruetto’s story is more one that an adult will enjoy more than a child, so it would have to be read to children.  Kiss The Book Jr

The spare text leaves ample room for illustrations to co-narrrate the story, from the a spread of the girl making letters with a stick to her shadow-like outline as she watches the birds and later reads the books she’s borrowed while making her laundry delivery rounds. They show as well the passage of time as she matures both as a reader and as a friend to the man. Readers imagine the relationship between the dreamy protagonist and her practical, hardscrabble mother, as well as with the absent grandmother who taught her to read and in this way fed her dreams. The entire story has the feel of a fairy tale, one that parallels the fairy tale that the man has gifted her and she has taken to heart. Global Literature in Libraries

The publisher list this book for readers aged 5-8 but I disagree. I would share this book with mature students aged 11+ because it is important to talk about what has happened to this man and why he is afraid to go outside. He didn't follow his friend? Was he afraid of persecution or imprisonment? Older students may understand the role of the Catholic Church during this time. I searched the Canadian library archives for a list of subject headings that have been applied to this book:  Library of Congress Subject Headings Friendship—Juvenile fiction; Identity (Psychology)—Juvenile fiction; Recluses—Juvenile fiction; Gay men—Juvenile fiction; Courage—Juvenile fiction; Books and reading—Juvenile fiction; Argentina—Social life and customs—20th century—Juvenile fiction

And there is a whole art lesson you could use with this book about the symbolism of colour and the use of colour as a way to convey relationships and memories. I guess with younger students this might not be an issue - reviewers like the School Library Journal list this book for K-2.

See more art by Martina Trach here. Just take a look at this brilliant illustration:

Jacket flap information is important! This is how I discovered the author of this book who comes from Argentina, Maria Teressa Andruetto, won the Hans Christian Andersen award in 2012 for Writing. Nearly all of her books are in Spanish. 

Companion books for younger readers and also senior primary students:

The Bridges

The Book of Gold

Nour's Secret Library

Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz

Max is an only child living in Berlin with his parents - his father is a watchmaker and his mother takes in clothes that need alterations and repairs. They are not wealthy but they are happy.  But this is a Jewish family, the year is 1939 and it is clear they are all in danger then comes the dreadful night - the event named Kristallnacht. His mother and father have been negotiating to send Max away and now this is urgent. Max absolutely does not want to leave his parents but they take him to the train and he sets off to England. He is taken in by a wealthy Jewish family, the Montagus, so culturally things feel slightly 'normal' but all Max wants to do is to find a way back home.

Max is a child genius. He can solve complex problems and he is an expert with radios. At school he has a problem with horrid bullies - he solves this using his brain. Also at school he is expected to take part in a brutal rugby game - again he solves this using his brain - I adored what he did to avoid this match. Over time his actions come to the attention of the uncle in his adopted family. Uncle Ewan is actually a Lieutenant Commander who works for British Naval Intelligence. He is the person who takes Max to a set of houses and a mansion owned by the wealth Rothschild family and this is the place where his training begins. Max is being trained to be a spy - to go back to Berlin and potentially do something involving radios - we don't know much about this in the first installment. For now, Max just has to pass this training in fact he has to be extraordinary.

Spoiler alert- I devoured this book in just one day BUT I have to give a huge warning. The final page is a total cliff hanger - Max arrives outside Berlin after being dropped from a plane on a parachute but his guide is lying dead on the ground. Luckily there are only two books in this series so I anticipate things will be resolved in the next installment and hopefully Max will be safe and (do I dare to hope for a fairy tale ending) reunited with his Mama and Papa. While we are in a spoiler paragraph here, I should also mention Max does meet Winston Churchill - this is another scene that is so well written. 

The suggested age range for Max and the House of Spies is 8-14 - that in my opinion is ridiculous. I highly recommend Max and the House of Spies for mature readers aged 11+. Notice the label 'Magical Realism'. Max has two little characters on his shoulders - you can see them on the cover. The reviewer at the School Library Journal explains them this way: Berg is a kobold (from Merriam-Webster: an often mischievous domestic spirit of German folklore) and Stein is a dybbuk (from the Jewish Virtual Library: an evil spirit which enters into a living person, cleaves to his soul, causes mental illness, talks through his mouth, and represents a separate and alien personality).To me they represented optimism and pessimism, and also at times they feel like a way to hear Max's own thoughts. Whatever their role I loved the way they added humour to some incredibly tense and dangerous situations. 

Australian children will enjoy the inclusion of a kangaroo (yes this will be a surprise) but we would want her to eat vegemite not marmite but I guess there would not be any vegemite in the UK in 1940.

This book is a hilarious page-turner that successfully raises, but does not solve, the problem of evil. It’s also a well-researched historical novel that eventually sends Max to British spy school. He’s trained for undercover work in Nazi Germany, smuggled back to Berlin… and then something truly awful happens, leaving the reader hanging. Historical Novel Society

Fun, fact-filled, exciting, and unafraid to ask the tough questions, dip deep into this one when you can. Then get ready to want to read the next one immediately. Fuse 8 Betsy Bird - read this whole review Betsy gives some really great insights into this book. 

True to its title, this is a book about spy craft and espionage during World War II. But it's also a book about figuring out who you are and about being true to that person once you do. This is a book about history, antisemitism, bullying and the dangers of group think. It's about friendship and families: those you are born into and those you choose. But most of all, Max In The House of Spies is a book about love. Library Girl

Check out my very recent post about the Kindertransport. 

Here is the sequel to Max in the House of Spies - and YES I will begin reading it tonight because I just cannot leave Max stranded in that field near Berlin.

RIP Nanny Tobbins by Lucie Stevens

I don't often read 'ghost' stories because it is one of a very few genres that I do not really enjoy but the author of this book Lucie Stevens spoke at a recent conference held here in Sydney at our State Library and her brief author talk intrigued me (which I am sure was her intention).

Since I am not an expert on middle grade ghost stories I may be generalising but I thought that usually a ghost had a reason for their return. Coming back to right a wrong or assist a person from when they were alive. The young girl in this story Albertine Waldblumen had no concept of death (she is very young and naive). Adults have protected her from this.  We learn her father first off won't take her to Nanny Tobbins funeral and then we also discover she is not allowed to go near the churchyard cemetery. I suspected, correctly, that she had never seen her mother's grave. Poor child believes her mother is flying in the sky with the angels and so she spends a lot of time looking up hoping to see her. So why did Nanny Tobbins return? I guess she may have returned to help Albertine discover the truth about death or to help her in some way to cope with her new Stepmother and changing relationship with her father but that all feels a bit too vague.

Back to Nanny Tobbins (real name Nanette) who was indeed a nanny to Albertine (nick name Bert) we never actually find out about the Great Exhibition of 1851 but alas as Albertine and her new stepmother set off to attend this amazing event the story quite suddenly ends. I was very disappointed not to read about the sights and wonders through Albertine's eyes. Here is some information about The Great Exhibition aimed at youger readers. How did Nanny Tobbins die? It was a horse-riding accident but we are given no further details. I kept wondering if Albertine perhaps saw the accident or worse if she was in some way involved.  One of the gruesome aspects about this ghost is the way her head is not quite attached to her body. She also seems to attract lots of moths but just why this happens is never explained. At night Albertine is locked inside her room - I did find that quite distressing and I desperately hoped the would not be a fire in their house.  

Only Albertine can see the ghost of Nanny Tobbins, but her precious dog named Quiver seems to sense when she is here. There are a number of stereotypes in this story - the evil stepmother; the absent father; the fearful and bumbling servant; and the warm-hearted cook who makes fabulous foods for little Albertine. Of course, the spooky moments happen at midnight. The author Lucie Stevens did say she was thinking of the classic book Mary Poppins when she wrote the short piece as part of an assignment that then led to this longer novel. 

Was there really elephant at The Great Exhibition? Yes and No.  Not a living one but there was a taxidermy one. 

Image source: Victoria and Albert Museum

You can hear Lucie Stevens talk about her book here on the Podcast Your Kids Next Read (start at 15.60). RIP Nanny Tobbins is her debut Middle Grade Novel. RIP Nanny Tobbins will be published tomorrow! And she mentioned there will be a sequel next year and one of the books she lists as recent enjoyable reads was Little Bones. 

Bookseller blurb: When Nanny Tobbins fell off a horse and broke her neck, the grown-ups told nine-year-old Albertine she'd never see her beloved governess again. But it simply isn't true. For every night, when the clock strikes twelve, Nanny returns to the nursery. Yet in her new ghostly state, Nanny Tobbins quickly causes chaos in the household -- and the timing couldn't be more inconvenient. Albertine's stepmother is struggling to settle in, and Papa is much occupied working with Prince Albert on the Great Exhibition. To make matters worse, the grown-ups don't believe in ghosts at all, leaving Albertine to take the blame for Nanny's unruly antics. How will Albertine restore peace to her home before the unthinkable occurs?

RIP Nanny Tobbins is an easy book to read - I think it will appeal to readers aged 10+ but it may not be scary enough for the readers who love to find ghost stories that can tingle your spine. 

About the author: Lucie Stevens is a children’s writer who grew up in a semi-rural area of Dharug Country, north-west of Sydney. After working in Australian publishing houses for many years, she moved to Berlin, where she helped make education outreach programs for the UK and European Space Agencies. Now, having resettled in Gadigal Country, Sydney, Lucie works as a freelance editor for NGOs and not-for-profit organisations. She has authored and co-authored several books for the education market, on topics ranging from mudlarks to Mars. R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins is Lucie’s first novel for children.

I know I said at the start of this post that I don't seek out ghost stories but here are a few I have read and enjoyed (aimed at a similar audience to RIP Nanny Tobbins).

Out of the Wild Night

The Haunting of Charity Delafield

The Ghost of Gosswater

Her Perilous Mansion

Elizabeth and Zenobia

Not a ghost story but this wonderful book has a similar feel or setting

Withering by Sea

In a Flash by Donna Jo Napoli

“Stay alert. Always. Pay attention to everything and everyone. Pay attention to how things are done in your new country. Be kind. Be grateful. Smile a lot. Take care of each other.” ...

“Forza e coraggio—that will be your motto.” 

Forza e coraggio. Strength and courage. I close my eyes and still my heart. We can do this."

In a Flash is a gripping story and a page turner. I kept hoping I was going to be totally wrong about the ending - and then it happened - have you guessed what the title means? This book is set out in chronological chapters beginning on 24th July 1940. 

Simona and Carolina have lost their mother. Their father is a chef and he accepts an invitation to work at the Italian embassy in Tokyo. That should be an interesting experience for the young girls aged eight and five but the year is 1940. Students of history know there are three important and dreadful events associated with this time. World War II has begun. Italy has sided with Germany and Hitler but this will change. Japan will be drawn into the war after the bombing of Pearl Harbour and yes, we are heading for the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and later Nagasaki. It is war time so there is also rationing to contend with and remember Papa is a chef and the Italian Ambassador and his wife demand Italian food. As very young children both girls learn the new language of Japanese fairly easily and Simona especially picks up lots of cultural nuances which help her greatly as the navigate their new lives. 

When the allegiances change Italy becomes the enemy. Papa is taken to a internment camp and the girls are taken to a house with other foreigners. The did have a suitcase each at the beginning of their journey but Simona's suitcase is lost - this is such a heart-breaking scene. eventually the girls escape their 'imprisonment' and so begins a journey across Japan always hoping they can be reunited with their father. Their journey ends in Hiroshima. They arrive on 27th May 1945. In a few weeks time an unimaginable event will happen. Simona is nearly fourteen and her sister is nearly eleven. The final chapter of this book is dated 6th August 1965. 

A blinding light invades the room. Then a roar louder than any train, and we’re thrown to the ground. I climb on top of Karo-chan to protect her as things crash down on all sides. I cradle my head in my arms and wait. After a few minutes things stop flying through the air. Everything is quiet. And dark as night.

Her are some text quotes from In a Flash:

He sat me down and explained that because of the Pact of Steel, Germany’s enemies were Italy’s enemies; Germany was at war with France and Great Britain, so Italy was, too.

So that’s what this cloth is called. I untie the furoshiki, and there’s a rice ball, cucumber strips, and carrot chunks sitting in the middle. I know rice balls from home. I take a bite, but it’s nothing like in Italy—no cheese inside, no tomato, no peas. I take a nibble. Sweet. I nibble till it’s all gone. Then I eat the vegetables, which turn out to be pickled.

A couple of months ago, at the end of September, Italy and Japan and Germany signed a big agreement—the Tripartite Pact—and the next week the ambassador went to a huge party at some palace.

“When America declares war on Japan, Italy will declare war on America,” Papà says. “Remember the Tripartite Pact, Simona? Germany, Italy, and Japan fight together. The enemy of one is the enemy of all three.”

“A big, responsible Italian girl who knows Japanese as well as anyone.” He leans over a little. “My interpreter might not tell me things he doesn’t want me to know. I get the feeling sometimes, when he’s translating newspapers, that he skips things.

No one expects to see Western children here—so no one does. As long as we talk right and behave right, people think we are who we pretend to be. Language matters more than the shape of eyes. But if anyone looks too hard, we’ll get caught.

Staying alive is a game of wits. People often tell me that I’m clever, but right now I feel stupid. Staying alive is also a game of luck. So much depends on luck. Three women in a cabin in the woods. A blind washerwoman. But luck can run out.

We’ll go to Kyoto. They bombed Kobe and Osaka, but they won’t bomb Kyoto. Not beautiful Kyoto. They’ll want to preserve it so they can visit it as tourists in the future. That’s how Americans think.

This is good. I know where they can go. There’s a Catholic mission in Hiroshima where priests go after their own missions are bombed out. They only do this with priests who are friends of Japan. German priests.

In a Flash is a long book with 400 pages. I read my copy on a Kindle so I was able to read this book over just two days but for readers aged 11+ they will need some reading stamina. In a Flash was published in 2021 and so far, it is only available in hardcover so here in Australia it is priced at over AUS$30. Here is the website for Donna Jo Napoli.

It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the first person narration but once I did I was hooked. The dates at the start of each chapter really drove the plot for me. I loved the kindness shown to the girls by strangers especially by the blind washerwoman. I also really appreciated the deep intelligence of Simona as she navigates her new culture. This book will give readers such an interesting insight into a different aspect of World War II and a very different perspective about life in Japan during those years especially the control of the media and the use of propaganda and indoctrination. 

Through the voice of Simona, this novel offers an unusual perspective on the World War II years in Japan. The girls’ journey is constantly challenging, as they often face sudden, unexpected risks. Because the story spans multiple years, there is a lot of information about Japan’s home front experience during the 1940s, including patriotism, propaganda, underground anti-war efforts, depletion of resources, and bombings. Topics of xenophobia, identity, assimilation, loss, friendship, and family are intertwined through the perspective of a young person navigating tumultuous events. Kirkus

Companion books:

The Miracle Tree

The Last Paper Crane

The Garden of Inside-Outside by Chiara Mezzalama illustrated by Regis Lejonic translated by Sarah Ardizzone

"Why do people wage wars?' I used to ask her. 

'Sometimes, people grow mad - with anger, with hatred - they lose their grip on words 

and choose weapons instead. 
The truth is I don't know the answer to your question."

In 1979, the Shah of Iran was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution. On 4th November 1979 fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were taken hostage in their embassy. They were held there for 444 days. During this time the father of the author of this book was appointed Italy's ambassador to Iran. This story begins in the summer of 1981.

Inside the children have a place to play filled with flowers and insects and ponds and hiding places. Outside "gunfire, exploding bombs and cries drowned out every sound."

"The city had grown. So had the women and men. People queued for food. Everywhere there were soldiers with heavy boots and big beards, their riffles slung across their shoulders. The city-monster made us feel very frightened."

One day a little boy from outside finds a way to come inside their garden. The children do not share a language, but they do share their imaginations. They play a game of princes and princesses set in times past where people were free to play music and dance and enjoy beautiful things. After their game the little girl tries to give a gift to the boy, but he rejects her t-shirt and flees. He is gone for a long time but when he eventually returns he has a gift for the girl.

"It wasn't a gift. It was a swap."

With exquisitely detailed and evocative images recalling fairy tales and exploring Iran’s artistic heritage – fantasies and ideas about Iran swirling together with glimpsed experiences – this book offers an unusual and breathtaking perspective on conflict: it’s noisy and terrifying even from the safety of their diplomatic compound, so how must it feel out there on the street? This is also a story of childhood defiance and testing barriers. It’s a timely reminder to adults that while we put up barriers to keep our children safe, they still need space to rebel, to find their own freedom and privacy. But above all, it’s a book about the need for friendship, even when there is no common language. Chiara has her brother, but he’s not the same. Her agony is real when she worries she has scared Massoud off or insulted him by offering him a gift of her t-shirt to replace his torn one. She fears she won’t see him again. But he does brave the jump over the wall again, wearing her t-shirt, and he gives her something, a tiny cat carved out of wood. “It wasn’t a gift, it was a swap.” They couldn’t talk, they didn’t know each for long, but they had both entered each other’s lives and made a lasting impression. Book Island Instagram

The Garden of Inside-Outside was first published in French as Le jardin du dedans-dehors, Les Editions des Elephants, France, 2017. Here is some background reading for teachers.

More than a story of childhood fantasy, this book provides a powerful treatise on civil war and its impact on young lives, on both sides of any political conflict. It raises interesting philosophical thoughts for readers of all ages on the futility of war and the power of friendship to overcome political, cultural and physical barriers. IBBY.uk

With war and political division as widespread and relevant today, this is a touching story about breaching walls and bridging cultures. The kindness of childhood friendship contrasts with the brutality of adult conflict. Inside the physically imprisoning garden wall, the children establish trust, overcome misunderstanding and find freedom, while terror grips the city outside. The bright colours and black outlines of the illustrations capture effectively both the bloody, unyielding horrors of war and the vivid dream-world of the children as they explore the garden. Children's Books Ireland

You can see inside this book here. 

The publisher Book Island have some teachers resources which include:

• Introduction by the publisher (video) (She mentions the Book Island author interview but this is no longer available).
• Interview with the illustrator (video)
• Art class with the illustrator (PDF): draw your own marvellous garden in eight steps
• Drama activities (PDF), including suitcase stories and soundscapes
• Narration of the story
• Teaching notes written by Dr Ann Alston

Here is an interview with the illustrator Regis Lejonic with Library Mice.

I am not entirely sure about the audience for The Garden of Inside-Outside. I am going to suggest this is a picture book for older readers from Grades 5-8. You could most certainly use the illustrator video interview with a High School art group. See full size images from the book. I put graphic novel as a descriptor but this book is not exactly a graphic novel nor is it a conventional picture book. 

Régis Lejonc is a French illustrator, cartoonist, screen writer and author. He has illustrated over 60 books and was the first French illustrator to win the prestigious Prix Sorcières, the French Independent Booksellers’ Award twice in one year. 

Here are some other books about walls for older readers:

Suri's Wall

With older students you could used these novels as companion reads:

The wall between us

A Great escape