Flight of the Phoenix by R.L. LaFevers illustrated by Kelly Murphy

Nathaniel is summoned to the lawyer's office. His parents have been missing for three years and so now they are declared dead and it is time to read the will.  Nathaniel has been cared for by Miss Lumpton. The lawyer explains she will receive a 'tidy sum' and with that news she heads off out the door. Now Nathaniel truly is alone. Well not quite. He has one relative - Phil A. Fludd.  The lawyer puts Nathaniel on the train and he heads off alone. He has no idea so many surprises are in store. Phil A Fludd is a lady called Philomena. She is a Fludd and the Fludd family have a long history of exploration of the planet. Phil is also an aviatrix and within one day of his arrival Nathaniel finds himself on board a tiny plane flying off to Arabia to see the Phoenix. This is an event that only happens every five hundred years

"As the sun sets on the Phoenix's five hundredth birthday, it returns to its place of birth and builds a funeral pyre. Amid the rays of the setting sun, it sets itself on fire, burning until it is reduce to a pile of ash. The secret to a phoenix hatching is to be sure the pile of ash never grows cold."

Nathaniel has to fly across the world with Phil, ride a camel, cope with a new friend who is a Gremlin called Greasle. When they arrive Phil is taken away by the Bedouins and so Nathaniel has to tend the phoenix by himself.

My favourite scene is when Nathaniel has to repair the plane while it is in flight:

"Very glad for the rope that anchored him to the plane, Nate stood up. Struggling to keep his balance, he crawled out of the cockpit and lowered his feet over the side until they touched the wing. Gripping the side of the plane for dear life, he shuffled his feet along the wing, inching closer to the propeller."

I loved all the loose threads in this first installment. There is the dodo Cornelius, the mystery of the missing parents who I like to imagine are not really dead, there's the 'black sheep' of the family who may be the mysterious thief who tried to steal the The Book of Beasts and of course there are sure to be more beasts to discover.

Read more plot details by clicking these review comments:

Playing freely with historical detail and using traditions of English boys’ adventure stories and colonial clichés about Bedouin culture, this American author has crafted an exciting tale. Straightforward sentences, chronological narrative, short chapters and Murphy’s plentiful black-and-white illustrations make this appropriate for middle-grade readers looking for a series to grow with.  Kirkus

La Fever does a graceful job of keeping the story hovering around a third grade reading level while sprinkling historical, mythical and adventurous details here and there along with some great vocabulary.  Books4YourKids

I find it really exciting when a book series has its own web site. The pages for the Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist series are fabulous. So far there are four books in this series. There is also a Wikipedia entry.  I was assisting with the stocktake (inventory) in the library of a friend when I spied this book. I have talked about Kelly Murphy in previous posts. I adore this cover, I recognised Kelly's art and so I was sure this would be a terrific book - and I was right! On Kelly's page you can see some illustrations from this book and on  R.L. LaFevers (Robin Lorraine) own web site you can read an extract from each book.

This series are perfect for confident readers from Grade 2 and up. The first paperback was published in 2011 so if this series sounds appealing I suggest you rush out and order them today - books do seem to go out of print so quickly.  It would be good to follow this series by reading The Doldrums. These books are for older children but would make a terrific family or class read aloud.

Aspects of this story also made me think about one of my favourite book series which begins with Time Stops for no Mouse. This book is also not at the same level as the Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist series but I highly recommend it as a brilliant read aloud.

The case of the missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford illustrated by Kelly Murphy

Title : The Case of the Missing Moonstone

Cover : Which one do you like?

Characters :
Augusta Ada Byron later Ada Lovelace
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin later Mary Shelley
Charles Dickens
Charles Babbage

Setting : London 1826

Crime : Theft of the Acorn of Ankara from Turkey made of moonstone (sodium potassium aluminium silicate) said to have the property of mesmerism

Words you need to know : mesmerism, clandestine, constabulary


Ada is eleven and living in a large house all alone except for some loyal servants.  Her absent mother - wife of the famous poet Lord Byron - has arranged for a tutor to take over from Ada's long time nanny or nurse Miss Coverlet.  The new tutor is named Percy Snagsby or Peebs (later revealed to actually be Percy Shelly long time friend of  the now dead Lord Byron) and he is also to tutor a young girl named Mary Godwin - daughter of the famous feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft.  Ada is precocious and incredibly intelligent but not wise at all in the ways of the world.  Mary is a sensible older girl who is well versed in all the limits that society places on young girls in eighteenth century Britain.  The two girls decide to set up The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency.

There are some difficulties, however.  The girls cannot travel to The Times to place their advertisement or collect their letters.  "Riding a carriage without an escort is modern. But travelling out and about unescorted is unheard of."   This is where the girls enlist the help of a young man called Charles.  He travels each day in the same coach as Mary but he is not supposed to be there as he could never afford the fare. He has made a deal with the coachman and now Charles can happily read in peace on his way to the boot-polish factory each day.  He quickly becomes a friend to Mary.

Our two girls now hear of a crime involving the  Acorn of Ankara and a young lady called Rebecca Verdigris.  Rebecca is convinced her maid Rosie did not steal this jewel even though Rosie has readily confessed and is now in Newgate prison.

Read this review for more details of the plot or just pick up this book and enjoy an engrossing read. As for the hot air balloon you can see on the cover.  You need to read this book to discover where it is located, how it is used and what role it plays in the capture of the jewel thief.

Here is an interview with the author.   By coincidence I made friends with a lady who lives on Salt Spring Island in BC, Canada when I was travelling in Scotland!  Also this book series has a web page with extracts and puzzles.

Kirkus criticize this book series for 'bending the truth' putting famous characters together who in real life, while they may be connected, would not have actually met.  I don't think this is an issue for young readers.  The notes at the end of the book give an excellent explanation of all the famous people who feature in this story and in our school library we have these two picture book biographies which students can read following The Case of the Missing Moonstone.  These lines towards the end made me smile :

"Thank you Lady Ada for a bit of excitement.  It's back to the boot-polish factory for me.' Charles executed a small bow and headed to work.  ... 'Who the dickens was that boy?' asked Peebs."

I really like the illustrations in this book and in fact Kelly Murphy is the illustrator of other books I have reviewed here - The Miniature world of Marvin and James, Secrets at Sea, and Masterpiece.

The Riding Gallery by Sally Murphy illustrated by Martina Heiduczek

The horses are four abreast in 14 rows. 

There are also two hand carved wooden elephant carriages. 

One elephant is white the other is grey. 

Tell me about this merry-go-round: It was the largest portable steam riding gallery seen in Australia, with a mechanical system allowing it to carry fifty tons without noise or vibration. It carried forty-eight ornately carved horses galloping four abreast; a steam-engine of brass against a highly decorative mirrored background; twisted brass upright bars and an elaborate organ with moving mechanical figures. The carved wooden horses, imported from Germany were impaled on brass bars made in Scotland. They were brightly painted with coloured glass on their harnesses and gargoyles on the rear of their saddles. The horses were all named after popular racehorses of the time. 

The carousel and organ were installed on the Esplanade of the Melbourne bay side suburb of St. Kilda adjacent to Luna Park, the recently built (December 1912) amusement park modelled on a similar American establishment at Coney Island. The carousel travelled the rural “show circuit” during the winter months for a number of years, before being located permanently on the Esplanade at St.Kilda. Anton Weniger, a German immigrant ran the carousel until he relinquished it to William Kelly after about fifty soldiers arrived at the Esplanade in January 1916 during the First World War and attacked Weniger’s Riding Gallery because he was German. (from “St.Kilda - The Show Goes On” by Anne Longmire, 1983). It is likely that the organ facade was damaged at this time since the maker’s name (Gebruder Bruder) was emblazoned on it above the Glockenspiel. The board bearing the maker’s name and the wings, which carried the drums, are missing from those parts of the facade that still exist. Source

You can see the merry-go-round here in Canberra. 

Sally Murphy saw this actual merry-go-round in Canberra (more about how it came to be there below) and this inspired her to do some research and then create a story told as a verse novel. 

I only had enough money

for one ride.

It had to be Mr Weniger's of course.

Rory wasn't so sure.

There are bigger rides

he said.

But he followed me anyway

and I could see he was impressed

that Mr Weniger

knew me.

And let us ride for free!

Afterwards though

he said something funny.

Something that shocked me.

Something I am not even sure is right.

Mr Weniger is all right,

he said.

For a German.

The story is told in three voices - Anton Weniger, Evelyn who has moved to St Kilda from Wodonga where she previously met Anton Weniger and Rory who has three older brothers who have just enlisted. The year is 1915 and Australia is now part of the war that is being waged in Europe. 

Here are some teachers notes from the publisher. Here is a detailed review from The Bottom Shelf. There are useful references included at the back of the book.

More background information: The story begins with Herbert Thomson, born in Melbourne in 1890. By age 19, he had helped his father install machines in coal mines and built a steam engine used in a boat launch on the Yarra River. By 27, he had set up his own business producing steam engines and boilers. In July 1899, he revealed his tour de force – a self-propelled, steam-driven vehicle – or, to put it another way, Australia’s first car. It reached a top speed of 24 km/h, hit during a 56 hour, 36 minute maiden journey from Bathurst to Melbourne. The Thomson Motor Car Company was born, and subsequent models reached 40 km/h and even beat a Benz imported from Germany. The company went out of business in 1912, but not before Herbert had designed a steam-powered carousel for St Kilda beach. It was a properly international effort. The animals, including 50 horses and two elephants, were hand carved in Germany, and sit four abreast in 14 rows, while the twisted brass poles were made in Scotland. Jaunty accompaniment was taken care of by a steam-powered 69-key pipe organ, also from Germany. It drew crowds in Melbourne until September 1973, when Canberra locals collectively raised $40,000 to purchase it from a public auction. Source

Listen to this ABC interview with Sally Murphy.

My friend tells me this book will be welcomed in our New South Wales schools because one of the 'set texts' for the English syllabus is Worse Things by Sally Murphy - sorry I have not been able to find the unit of work but she explained how she creates sets of books for classrooms filled with books to further extend these prescriptive English units containing books by the author being studied or books from a related genre or theme. I hope you can hear me cheering her hard work.

Here are some other books by Sally Murphy I have talked about on this blog:

Worse Things

Pearl verses the World

Toppling

Queen Narelle

This book by Pamela Rushby would be the perfect companion book to extend readers understanding of the way German citizens were treated in Australia during World War I.

Interned

Other books about Merry-go-rounds:

Merrylegs

The midnight fair

The miniature world of Marvin and James by Elisa Broach illustrated by Kelly Murphy

Last year I read Masterpiece by Elise Broach. This is a terrific book about a boy, a beetle and an audacious art theft. It is rarely on our library shelves as I constantly recommend it for students in grades 4 and 5.  You can listen to an audio extract here

The Miniature world of Marvin and James is a little book intended as a junior spin off.  I am guessing the idea might be that you read Masterpiece aloud to a group of young students in Grade 2 or 3 and then they can pick up one of the miniature adventures and continue their own reading about James and his splendid beetle friend Marvin.

The Miniature World of Marvin and James is the first book in this series.  James if off on a holiday.  Marvin can't go but he does help James to pack.  While James is away Marvin frets but then he chances upon an amazing place while exploring the house with his cousin Elaine.

"What is this thing?' Marvin asks.
'I don't know,' Elaine says, 'but isn't it the best?'
They perch at the edge of the tunnel, then dive, one after the other.  ...
As they are jumping and diving and rolling in the soft wood shavings, they hear a noise."
Take a look at the picture below for a hint about where they are playing and also take a look at the illustrator web page.

You can read an excerpt here and also some reviews.  This is little gem is a book with a fast pace and a very special hero.

This winsome series debut is both a sweet story of cross-species friendship and a sobering new way to look at pencil sharpeners.

Masterpiece by Elise Broach illustrated by Kelly Murphy

Masterpiece - one boy, one beetle, one BIG adventure made me gasp out loud not just once but several times as our hero Marvin, a beetle, tries desperately to help his best friend James.

James is given a set of artist inks and pens for his eleventh birthday from his dad.  James lives with a very hyperactive mother and stepfather.  His party has been a disaster just as James expected but what James does not know is that Marvin has been watching the whole event.  Marvin lives with his loving family in "damp corner of the cupboard beneath the kitchen sink.  Here a leaking pipe had softened the plaster and caused it to crumble away.  Just behind the wall, Marvin's family had hollowed out three spacious rooms, and as his parents often remarked, it was the perfect location.  It was warm, moist and ... best of all, the white plastic wastebasket that loomed on one side offered a constant littler of apple cores, bread crumbs, onion skins and candy wrappers."

Marvin loves James and so he really wants to give his friend a special birthday present.  Late at night he climbs up to his bedroom and discovers the ink and pen.  He dips his legs into the ink and begins to draw the scene outside the window. His art work is an exquisite miniature.  When James's dad sees this work he insists on taking James to see a special art exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  On display is a tiny work by Durer entitled Fortitude.  It is part of a set of four but the other three have been stolen.  The scene is set for a major art crime.

Ever since I read The Borrowers the idea of little creatures inhabiting our homes has fascinated me. I especially enjoy the way simple human things are adapted for use by these smaller house dwellers. Marvin and his family use an old eraser as their table, a contact lens for a fruit bowl and Marvin him self sleeps on a soft cotton ball.  I love the idea of a tea bag used as a parachute and dried macaroni turned into a tuba.The feasts the beetles enjoy from the crumbs dropped by the Pompaday family are also a delight.

Here is the author web site. Here is the review in the New York Times.  Here is a useful set of teaching notes. You might also enjoy The Medici Curse, Chasing Vermeer and From the Mixed up files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler if art crime, mysteries and museums interest you.  If you are fascinated by little animals or people who might live in the walls of your home pick up Tumtum and Nutmeg,  Bless this mouse or the wonderful book Walter.  For more about Albert Durer look at Run Hare, Run which is a terrific picture book in our library.  The wisdom of Marvin also reminded me of Humphrey.

I have included a different cover design below - which do you prefer?

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck illustrated by Kelly Murphy

Tumtum and Nutmeg fans will want to grab this book, Secrets at Sea, with both hands and dive into the lives of these adventurous mice.

Helena and her family live in New York city and can traced their family origins back to the original Dutch settlers.  The mice have adopted each new family over the generations.

Helena and her surviving sisters Louise and Beatrice are named after the daughters of Queen Victoria in England.  By a lovely coincidence Victoria is about to celebrate her diamond jubilee just as Queen Elizabeth did last year.  Vicky, Alice and their mother and father have perished.  Helena is in charge of her sisters and her tearaway brother Lamont.  The upstairs family - the Upstairs Cranstons have decided to travel across the oceans from New York to London in order to find a partner for their elder daughter Olive.  It is all about "giving Olive her chance".  Olive sadly is a fairly plain girl while her younger sister Camilla is considered a beauty.

There are so many quaint and delicious touches in this book.  The mice wear only fur around the house but at home as a family they dress in human clothes fashioned from scraps left from the human sewing basket.

"Louise and Beatrice and I were up there half the night every night, bringing down snippets of satin and serge that had fallen from the dress makers' scissors. And ribbon ends. And any spool of thread, rolled under their worktables. And all the pins and needles worked into the carpet. Because you never know what yo';ll need.  We think ahead, we mice."

Helena decides to seek advice from an elderly relative.  Using a crystal ball (a marble) Anunt Fannie Fenimore tells her the family must travel with the upstairs Cranstons on the ship to England. This is terrifying news because mice and water do not mix.  In fact it was an accident with a rain barrel that led to the drowning of three family members.  The four siblings travel to the ship inside the family trunks and once on board they discover all the other mice who are also travelling with families bound for England.  Nigel, their charming cockney Cabin Steward, takes the four mice to the dining hall on their first night.

"On the far side we got the surprise of our lives.  There sat easily a hundred and fifty mice, at three or four long tables - yardsticks, supported by alphabet blocks. ... Young mice waiters with perky black bow ties bustled along the diners, stepping neatly over their tails, serving the soup course. ... Before we knew it we'd been seated down the end of a yardstick. Thimbles of a clear soup were set before us.  As it turned out, we kept just a course behind the humans in the dining saloon above."

The details in this book are all perfect.  The food, the world seen through the eyes of a mouse, life on board the ship, the observances of rank and privilege, and the insights into the personalities of all the characters. I especially loved the food!

I wonder why illustrators get such small billing on the front cover of novels.  The illustrations in this book are so important and so well drawn that even in black and white pencil you almost feel you can stroke the fur of each mouse.  The final illustration of Helena and her partner skimming the dance floor is magical.  You can read more here and see all the illustrations.

Whimsical language, sure characterization, unflagging adventure, even romance—all seen through Helena's relentlessly practical beady little eyes.

Ship of Dolls - A friendship dolls book by Shirley Parenteau

My doll travels far,

Her arms open wide for hugs.

Will blossoms greet her?

Emily Grace glows,

Her warm smile carries friendship.

Sunlight after rain.

These are two Haiku poems by Lexie written as part of their class studies about Japanese culture. "It's just seventeen syllables. That's what haiku poems are. Seventeen syllables in three lines. They're supposed to be about nature and feelings."

Before you read about Ship of Dolls watch this short video.

Image source Bill Gordon http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/dolls/exch1927/recjapan/nagadohe/index.htm

An extract from the blurb of Ship of Dolls:  "More than anything else, Lexie wants to be with her mother, a carefree singer in San Francisco. But Mama's new husband doesn't think a little girl should live with parents who work all night and sleep all day, so Lexie's been shipped off to her strict grandparents in Oregon."

The year is 1926 and at Lexie's new school the children are working on a project to send American dolls to Japan as ambassadors of friendship. Community groups and schools have raised money to buy the dolls, dress them and organise their transportation to San Francisco. From there nearly 12,000 dolls will be shipped to Japan.

Lexie (Electra) discovers there is a competition and the child who wins will accompany their school doll from Oregon to San Francisco. This is her chance to reunite with her Mama. In order to write about their school's doll, called Emily Grace, Lexie needs to hold her and look into her eyes but doing this means breaking rules, punishment and disappointments.

Ship of Dolls is based on a real event from the 1920s as you can see from the video above. I really appreciate reading books where an author takes a fragment of history and develops it into a narrative.  Other examples of this would be Hanna's suitcase and The Goose Road.  I also really love the cover for Ship of Dolls. I have mentioned the work of Kelly Murphy several times on this blog. She also did the covers for Signed by Zelda and See Saw Girl.

Here is a set of discussion notes and teaching ideas from the author Shirley Parenteau along with more plot details. You can listen to an audio sample of the first chapter here.  You can also read the first chapter on the Candlewick web site. There are two further books in the Friendship Dolls series - see covers below.

In this 1927 news article from Japan there is information about this project and if you are interested you can read more details and even see a commemorative stamp here.  Listen to a song in Japanese about the dolls and the quote here from a speech when the 58 dolls were sent as a reciprocal gift from Japan.

I am glad to present to the children of America in the name of Japanese children fifty-eight dolls. Last spring the American children sent many lovely dolls to Japan They brought your goodwill and friendship. Our little girls were very happy to receive these gifts and are having a good time with them.

Japanese children are very anxious to be your friends, and these fifty-eight dolls have come here to bring this wish from two million and half children in my country.

We hope that you will like these messengers of friendship, and that they will received into your homes as beloved members of your families. 

Miss Masa Matsudaira, daughter of Ambassador Matsudaira 1927 Washington, D.C.

Period details from the actual 1926 exchange of Friendship Dolls provide fascinating context for this old-fashioned heroine’s journey of personal growth.  Kirkus

The mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck illustrated by Kelly Murphy

For every human on earth, there's a mouse with the same job. This is well understood, unless you're a human.

It seems like an odd dichotomy - Richard Peck and award winning US author - writing an utterly British story set during the celebrations of the 1897 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Our little hero mouse lives in the Royal Mews. He is small so everyone asks : "are you not yet fully grown, or just short?"  His tail is in the shape of a question mark. Is this significant? He has no name and this is deeply troubling. Perhaps the Queen herself can provide answers.  For now, he has to be content with the name Mouse Minor.  His Aunt Marigold is a fine seamstress. She makes Mouse Minor wonderful school uniform but unfortunately every day at The Royal Mews Mouse Academy is sheer torture. As graduation day nears Mouse Minor runs away from the school bullies and he find himself on the rough ground of the riding school for royal children. This is his first mistake - being in the human world. Then he is seen in his uniform by Princess Ena of Battenberg. Being seen, in his uniform no less, is his second mistake.

Now Mouse Minor really is on the run. He is befriended by a cat and a horse called Peg. The Sargent Major of the Yeomice of the Guard enlists his services and he meets Yeomouse Ian.

"He was very grand indeed, was Ian. Not handsome - far from it really. His profile wasn't stirring, but he had that weak and peaky look about the face and under the chin that is the badge of the English upper classes. ... He seemed to be kindness itself, in his lordly way."

As the pace builds Mouse Minor finds his way to the Queen herself and discovers the very surprising truth about his identity.

You can listen to the whole book here read by James McCourt - he has the perfect accent for this very British story. Read this review for more plot details. I would follow this book with The Tale of Despereaux, The Mouse and the motorcycle, Secrets at Sea, Bless this Mouse, Mouseheart, Word of Mouse and A Rat's Tale.

I read this book in one sitting. It would make a good family read-aloud.  If you are a fan of books like The Borrowers you will enjoy all the small details about the ingenuity of the mice adapting human objects to their own purposes such as the desks at the school made from twelve inch rulers.

This mouse-sized identity quest sparkles. Kirkus

Readers will gleefully suspend disbelief as they trace Mouse Minor’s exciting journey, which draws him to a life-altering revelation and surprise reunions with friends and foes Publishers Weekly

The 2020 CBCA Notables are coming

Next week the CBCA will announce their notable titles for 2020 and from this the short list will be released about one month later and then in August we will know the titles which have won from the five sections of this important competition. In this post I will focus on Picture Book of the Year. The other categories are Early Childhood Picture Book; Book of the Year for Younger Readers; Book of the Year for Older Readers; and the Eve Pownall Award for Non Fiction.

Members of the CBCA have access to the full list of titles submitted for the awards this year. I have combed through these and found 15 books I think or predict should or could or perhaps even must make the notables list. A few from the list of submitted titles appear in more than one list so I will share these later. You can think of the notables as a long list.

Fly by Jess McGeachin
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Sarah's two Nativities by Janine Fraser illustrated by Helene Magisson
Ella and the Ocean by Lian Tanner illustrated by Jonathan Bentley
Mallee Sky by Jodi Toering illustrated by Tannya Harricks
Three by Stephen Michael King
Dumazi and the big yellow Lion by Valanga Khoza illustrated by Matt Ottley
Baby Business by Jasmine Seymour

Little Bird's Day by Sally Morgan illustrated by Johnny Warrkatja Maibirr
Antarctica by Moira Court
Winter of the White Bear by Martin Ed Chatterton
Through the smoke by Phil Cummings illustrated by Andrew McLean
Leonard doesn't dance by Frances Watts illustrated by Judy Watson
Wilam: A Birrarung Story by Auntie Joy Murphy, Lisa Murphy and Andrew Kelly
Windcatcher by Diane Jackson Hill illustrated by Craig Smith

Book Week 22nd- 28th August

Curious Creatures, Wild Minds

Anticipating the Night of the Notables

 

Tonight (February 25, 2025) the CBCA judges will reveal the Notable titles which consist of up to 25 books in each of the five Book of the Year categories. In another literary competition a list like this might be called the Longlist but I do prefer the name Notable.  There are in fact six CBCA categories but New Illustrator only has a short list of six.

The exact wording from the CBCA rules states: Judges may decide on a Notables list of up to 25 books entered in each category. It is made of the best 25 books entered in each category, as judged by the category judge panel.

Of course I have not read every book that was submitted. Just t give you an idea of the volume of reading by the judges when I was a picture book judge (2021-2023) over the two years we were sent over 450 picture books to read and discuss.

Here are a few of my predictions in Younger Readers and Early Childhood/Picture Book of the Year.

Younger Readers

Entries in this category are books published for children in the age range from 7 to 12 years (lower to upper primary school level). Books in the category may be fiction, drama, graphic novels, illustrated text or poetry.

Leo and Ralph

Bravepaw

A Small collection of Happinesses

Something Somewhere

The Cave

The 113th Assistant Librarian

The Midwatch

All the Beautiful Things

The Lost History

The Kindness Project

Andromache Between Worlds

There are two books which I have also read which I think better fit the Older Readers category - Thunderhead by Sophie Beer and Laughter is the best ending by Maryam Master. 

As I write this post I have also started reading We do not Welcome our ten-year-old Overlord by Garth Nix. I am enjoying this science fiction story.

Other titles which might make the Younger Readers cut are Six Summers of Tash and Leopold by Danielle Binks; My Brother Finch by Kate Gordon; Cora seen and Heard by Zanni Louise; The Apprentice Witnesser by Bren McDibble; Esme in the Limelight by Kate Gordon; and To and Fro by Anton Clifford-Motop. I also wonder if the Verse Novel The Riding Gallery by Sally Murphy will be included. 

I keep seeing the series 11 Ruby Road being recommended but I have not yet read any of these books by Charlotte Barkla. And I also missed reading Small Acts by Kate Foster and Kate Gordon. 

POST UPDATE I also need to mention Countdown to Yesterday which, given the gift of hindsight, I would most certainly have said this book would be a notable and on the shortlist and in the top three and even possibly the winner! Alas that didn't happen but I was slightly placated when I saw Kirkus gave Countdown to Yesterday a star review. 

Countdown to Yesterday

Early Childhood or Picture Book category

Early Childhood: Entries in this category are books suitable in content and style for pre and beginning readers for children in the age range 0 to 6 years (pre-school and infant level). Books aim to introduce new concepts and/or vocabulary with particular attention on developing reading skills. This includes works of fiction, poetry, wordless, board and concept books. There is a strong sense of “show. don’t tell” throughout the book.

Picture Book: Entries in this category are books of the genre in which the text and illustrations achieve artistic and literary unity, and the story, theme or concept is enhanced and unified through the illustrations. A picture book can be written and illustrated by a sole creator or a collaborative effort between two or more creators. The text and illustrations work cohesively. In the case of wordless picture books, the illustrations alone successfully convey a cohesive story The illustrations are an integral part of or extend the meaning on the page. Books in this category can be suitable for any audience within the range 0 to 18 years

What stars are for

Listen Hippo

The Wobbly Bike

The Truck Cat

Bowerbird Brood

Tearaway Coach!

The Hidden Hat

Over or Under?

To Stir with Love

Imagine a Time

Three Dresses

Bernie thinks in Boxes

The Doll Box

Happy All Over

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Tooth Fairy

Other picture book possibilities: Words that taste like Home by Sandhya Parappukkaran illustrated by Michelle Pereira; The Garden of Broken Things by Freya Blackwood; Afloat by Kirli Saunders Illustrated by Freya Blackwood; and Nightwatch by Jodi Toering illustrated by Tannya Harricks (could be entered in Eve Pownall Non Fiction). I also read General waste by Michel Streich; 

In the Picture Book category Stickboy by Rebecca Young illustrated by Matt Ottley is sure to be a Notable.

I haven't seen these but they are on my to read list: Today by Robert Vescio illustrated by Felicity Byrne; Walking Together by Coral Vass illustrated by Dub Leffler; The Mosaic by Deborah Kelly illustrated by Nicki Johnson; When the Lights went out by Lian Tanner illustrate by Jonathan Bentley; and Not Scary, Jonathan by Peter Carnavas illustrated by Amanda Francey.