The Iron Man by Ted Hughes Illustrated by Chris Mould

The Iron Man by Ted Hughes Illustrated by Chris Mould
Published August 2019 Faber and Faber

Blurb:
Stunning illustrations by Chris Mould make this one of the most exciting editions of The Iron Man to be published.

The Iron Man came to the top of the cliff.
Where had he come from? Nobody knows.
How was he made? Nobody knows.

Mankind must put a stop to the dreadful destruction by the Iron Man and set a trap for him, but he cannot be kept down. Then, when a terrible monster from outer space threatens to lay waste to the planet, it is the Iron Man who finds a way to save the world.

Iron Man has been described as one of the greatest modern fairy tales...and I don't think I have read it...until now.  I may have, years ago, but I have no memory of it.  Guilty as I am of judging a book by its cover, I was drawn to this edition.  It's a hardback, large size, (height: 28cm) and beautiful bronze lettering and highlights on the cover...it's beautiful...and it made me pick it up...and even read it!

My first thought is 'why have I never read this?'..the language is captivating, right from the start and it would be an amazing 'read a loud'.  Chris Mould's illustrations work perfectly and  most definitely add something to the story for me.  The colours evoke the right mood, and the layout keeps the reader engaged in the story.

I would love to say that I would have enjoyed this story just as much if I had read it years ago in an earlier edition...but we'll never know.  All I can say is that I am glad to have read it in this one.

Zenobia by Morten Durr and illustrated by Lars Horneman

Zenobia by Morten Durr and illustrated by Lars Horneman
October 2018 UQP

Blurb:
Zenobia was once a great warrior queen of Syria whose reign reached from Egypt to Turkey. She was courageous. No-one gave her orders. Once she even went to war against the emperor of Rome.

When things feel overwhelming for Amina, her mother reminds her to think of Zenobia and be strong. Amina is a Syrian girl caught up in a war that reaches her village. To escape the war she boards a small boat crammed with other refugees. The boat is rickety and the turbulent seas send Amina overboard. In the dark water Amina remembers playing hide and seek with her mother and making dolmas and the journey she had to undertake with her uncle to escape. And she thinks of the brave warrior Zenobia.

Zenobia is a heartbreaking and all-too-real story of one child's experience of war. Told with great sensitivity in few words and almost exclusively with pictures, Zenobia is a story for everyone.

This is not a new one, just over a year old...but as I wasn't doing much in the way of Instagram or blogging back then, I thought I would say a few words about it now.

Zenobia is a perfect example of visual literacy, and the impact it can have on a reader. 

At first glance it would be easy to think that this is book for younger readers.  It's a larger format  (about A5 size) graphic novel, very little text...but it would have to be one of the most powerful refugee stories I have read.  

The colour changes in the illustrations show what part of the story is told in present day, and the parts that are memories of what has led the Amina to this point.  The present day illustrations are full colour, while the memories are depicted in a sepia like tone.  Like so many regugee stories, we see Amina living her life, happily in her village until the day her parents leave and don't come back.  Leaving her home, that is now nothing but rubble, with her uncle, who pays her way onto a boat, her only hope at survival...

I talk about this book a lot in schools, and I warn the students not to flick though this one and dismiss as a book for younger readers.  I tell them to be prepared to be prepared for confronting images and a a heart wrenching story.  It's the kind of book that you read, and when you get to the end you think...hang on did that just happen, and when you realise that it did, it will break your heart.

Excellent Teachers Notes available here.

The Changeover by Margaret Mahy

The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
This edition published 1985 by Methuen Children's Books Ltd

Blurb

'A clammy hand pressed Laura down to her knees beside Jacko's bed. It was the hand of terror, nothing less.'

It was a warning. Laura felt it when she looked in the mirror that morning. There had been others: the day her father left home, the day she met Sorensen - the boy with the strange silver eyes.

But nothing had prepared Laura for the horror of today. And now her little brother, Jacko, was fighting for his life after being sucked dry of his youth by the sinister Carmody Braque.

Laura knows there is only one way to save Jacko; she must join Sorensen and use his supernatural powers to change over if there is to be any hope for her little brother.

This would be one of the oldest books on my shelf.
This is a 1985 edition of one of my all time favourites., The Changeover by the legendary Margaret Mahy.

Way back when...
when I used to re-read books this one was near to the top of that list, it has been read a lot! 

What did I love about it so much? I am sure the ‘supernatural romance’ was a big part of it, I must have been 14 when I first read it. 

Nice new cover, 2017 edition.

I also like a good younger brother, older sister dynamic.  Being an older sister of a younger brother, there's something about this particular relationship that strikes a chord with me.  The other book that stands out like that for me is Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta.

And then there's the writing.  I am not saying that at 14 I was wise enough to recognise the literary greatness here, but I recognised a good story.  Looking back I feel lucky that a book like this made it into my hands and made me appreciate good writing and a good story...without even realising that's what was happening.

Might be time to give the yellowed pages of this one a spin again.

Does anyone else regularly re-read old favourites?

Frostheart by Jamie Littler

Frostheart by Jamie Littler
Published November 2019 Penguin UK

Blurb:
Way out in the furthest part of the known world, a tiny stronghold exists all on its own, cut off from the rest of human-kin by monsters that lurk beneath the Snow Sea. There, a little boy called Ash waits for the return of his parents, singing a forbidden lullaby to remind him of them... and doing his best to avoid his very, VERY grumpy yeti guardian, Tobu.

But life is about to get a whole lot more crazy-adventurous for Ash. When a brave rescue attempt reveals he has amazing magical powers, he's whisked aboard the Frostheart, a sleigh packed full of daring explorers who could use his help. But can they help him find his family . . . ?

Bursting with brilliant characters, heart-stopping adventure and tons of laughs, this is a magical tale about being brave, looking out for your friends, and finding your place in the world.

I read that this was a cross between The Christmasaurus (Haven't read it, but I did love The Creakers) Frozen (haven't seen it), How to Train Your Dragon (haven't read it OR seen the movie)....So I had no expectation other than the fact that it didn't really sound like a book I would read, based on those comparisons.

I had to read this one for work, and I am glad I did.  I am learning, that even though I say I don’t read fantasy…I do, in fact, love a good story, regardless of the genre it's wrapped up in, and that’s what this one is…a good story…and look at the cover!

I always use the prologue in The Creakers, as an example of the perfect start to a book, every school visit, that opening gets the kids hooked. Chapter 1 in Frostheart is longer, but I guarantee the result will be the same.  Within the first 16 pages, the scene is set...icy cold snow covered plains, drama, conflict, terrifying creatures. We meet Ash, small but brave and we meet Lurkers, ferocious creatures longer than two men with ice sharp fangs.

Ash has been left by his parents, living in a community where he doesn't quite fit in.  When he is basically shunned from by the Fira people, for being a Song Weaver, a dying breed that can supposedly tame wild beasts with song. Ash finds himself on The Frostheart a ship like sleigh, crewed by a mixed bunch of misfits, Pathfinders, who have no home, and spend their lives travelling between strongholds, making their living as traders.  If Ash is ever going to find his parents, it will be with Pathfinders.

It’s with this ragtag group that Ash starts to put the pieces of a puzzle together.  His parents used to sing him a lullaby, and now Ash has realised that it’s actually the start of a set of clues he needs to follow. He’s not entirely sure why, but hopes his parents will be there at the end.

Frostheart is full of interesting characters, good guys, bad guys, new snow covered worlds and at its heart, it’s about being brave, finding people who accept you for what and who you are, and about finding your voice, and not being afraid to use it.

The Darkdeep by Brendan Reichs and Ally Condie

The Darkdeep by Brendan Reichs and Ally Condie
Published September 2018 Pan Macmillan

Blurb:

When a bullying incident sends twelve year-old Nico Holland over the edge of a cliff into the icy waters of Still Cove, where no one ever goes, friends Tyler and Ella – and even 'cool kid' Opal – rush to his rescue . . . only to discover an island hidden in the swirling mists below. Shrouded by dense trees and murky tides, the island appears uninhabited, although the kids can't quite shake the feeling that something about it is off. 

Their suspicions grow when they stumble upon an abandoned houseboat with an array of curiosities inside: odd-looking weapons, unnerving portraits, maps to places they've never heard of, and a glass jar containing something completely unidentifiable. 

As the group delves deeper into the unknown, their discoveries – and their lives – begin to intertwine in weird and spooky ways. Something ancient has awakened . . . and it knows their wishes and dreams - and their deepest secrets. Do they have what it takes to face the shadowy things that lurk within their own hearts? 

Told from Nico's and Opal's alternating points of view, The Darkdeep, from bestselling duo Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs, kicks off a suspenseful and spooky new series, perfect for fans of Stranger Things.

This would have to be, hands down, the most popular book I have talked about in schools this year.

When I do book talks at schools, as a way of the library doing their buying, I general take a 100+ books.  I pick out my favorites and talk about those ones, then the students have free reign (or whatever limits the library have put in place!), to browse all of the books and vote for what they want to read, and have in their library. At one school, I literally had a constant line up of students wanting to vote for The Darkdeep, and I have never in my 20+ year doing this have I seen that.  I do quite the spiel on it when I talk about it, complete with sound effects…so I am sure that helps.

The Darkdeep was on our shelves for 6 months before I even spotted it…which shocked me no end, as I think I know every book on the shelves!  As soon as I saw it I though 1) Why haven’t I read this? And 2) Kids will love this.  I think one of the tag lines is Stranger Things meets The Goonies.  It’s a perfect comparison and pretty funny in schools, because all of this kids at school 'oooh’ at the Stranger Things reference, and all of the adults react the same way to The Goonies.

I think there’s a big gap in children’s fiction, and YA to be honest, as far as Horror goes.  Now that so many libraries are genrefying their collections, this is one area where the gaps are showing.  This book is such a good choice for middle, and upper primary, as it’s creepy, and a bit scary, but not too scary.  

The setting is creepy, a fog covered island, and there’s mystery as to why there is a house in the middle of a lake (and that’s not solved in the first book), the fact that whatever the children fear most, manifests itself as a hologram, and then these holograms get more real and scarier.  It’s got a lot going for it as far as creepy goes.

It also has a lot of non scary things going for it too.  Themes of bullying, friendship and loyalty are strong, and the story is told from alternating characters’ points of view, which works well, as we get two perspectives on what’s happening.

The best news for anyone starting this series now, is that Book 2 has just been released, so no waiting to find out what happens next.

 

White Bird by RJ Palacio

White Bird by RJ Palacio
October 2019 Penguin UK

Blurb:

A powerful, unforgettable graphic novel from the world of Wonder, by globally bestselling and award-winning author R. J. Palacio.

To the millions of readers who fell in love with R J Palacio's Wonder, Julian is best-known as Auggie Pullman's classroom bully. White Bird reveals a new side to Julian's story, as Julian discovers the moving and powerful tale of his grandmother, who was hidden from the Nazis as a young Jewish girl in occupied France during the Second World War.

An unforgettable, unputdownable story about strength, courage and the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives, from the globally bestselling author of Wonder.

Graphic novels aren't often on my radar.  They are not often at the top of my reading pile.  There is one way however to make me add a graphic novel to the top of my pile, and that is to make it a Wonder story, that is written AND illustrated by RJ Palacio.  This is how White Bird made it into my hands.

For someone who says she doesn't read graphic novels...I read quite a lot of them.  This one is substantial, hardback and 224 pages.  I have come to realise that for me the graphic novels that I have loved are the ones that use the illustrations to give another, more impactful, dimension to the story.  

You may remember this story in Julian's chapter in Auggie and Me, but White Bird fills in more of the blanks for us. The story of Julian's Grandmother, Sara, who escaped capture and hides from the Nazis in occupied France during the Second World War, is not a unique story.  There have been a number of books about other children who survived the atrocities of that war, and they are stories that should be told, and told again.  

That's why I think writing this book as a graphic novel is the perfect way to tell this story.  As I said, the images add another dimension for me, and they make me stop and look, as well as read. 

War is never pretty, so this book isn't either.  For some readers it may be too much to see soldiers shooting a young man in the woods, with the text: 

Then they shot him.  His blood spilled out onto the snow.  The snowflakes covered his body like a blanket.

I didn't find the violence in this book, too much or too graphic, but it is something to keep in mind, when deciding where it might fit in a school library.

I think it would work really to look at this book in conjunction with Once by Morris Gleitzman or Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.  It could of course also be used with Wonder, because even though they are completely different stories, written in completely different formats, White Bird still has the resounding message of kindness at its heart.

To bring the story full circle, we see Julian at a peace protest, holding a placard with the words...

Never Again #weremember

*There are author’s notes in the back of the book, giving background to why she wrote this. There are also comprehensive historical notes, to give further background to aspects of the story

The Space We're In by Katya Balen illustrated by Laura Carlin

The Space We're In by Katya Balen illustrated by Laura Carlin
November 2019 Bloomsbury

Blurb:

We are her world and her universe and her space and her stars and her sky and her galaxy and her cosmos too.

Frank is ten. He likes cottage pie and football and cracking codes. Max is five. He eats only Quavers and some colours are too bright for him and if he has to wear a new T-shirt he melts down down down.

Sometimes Frank wishes Mum could still do huge paintings of stars and asteroids like she used to, but since Max was born she just doesn't have time.

When tragedy hits Frank and Max's lives like a comet, can Frank piece together a universe in which he and Max aren't light years apart?

This jaw-dropping, heartbreaking and hopeful novel from debut author Katya Balen will remind you we are all made of stardust. For fans of thought-provoking, moving middle grade from Wonder to Skellig.

This would have to be one of my favourites from this year, a real stand out.

I have said it before.  My favourite books are the ones that kind of come out of nowhere, where there’s no expectation, and WHAM…you’re hit with a book that makes its way into your heart.

Reading the blurb again now, I know that I should have known what was coming, but I was so absorbed in the story of Frank and Max, that I forgot something terrible was going to happen.

So let’s start with Frank and Max.  I loved reading Frank’s story about what is was like to have a brother like Max.  Max’s autism, that rules the lives of the family.  Frank’s frustration, embarrassment and anger, that’s it’s always about Max…but also the love, care and thoughtfulness he shows his brother.  It made me think of Via’s chapter in Wonder (RJ Palacio) giving a real insight into what it’s like to be the sibling of a child that takes up so much of the parent’s time, and the conflicting emotions.  Max’s joy at spending time with ‘just his Mum’ or ‘just his Dad’ is heartbreaking, especially when he breaks his arm, and he is in excruciating pain…but he’s also happy because it’s just he and his Mum in the car.

Then there’s the terrible thing.  By the time it happened, I was expecting it, but I still felt it.  

I read a digital prof of this, but having seen a finished copy, I call tell you it has lots of illustrations strewn throughout, as well as interesting shaped text, almost like shape poems.  The other cool and quirky thing about this book, is that Frank loves codes.  That's one special thing that he and his Mum had.  She would leave messages for him and talk to him in their special code  Frank's favourite code is the number spiral cipher and each of the chapters have number headings, not words, so you have to crack the code.

For example:

Chapter 1 is:
13 5 12 20 4 15 23 14 = MELTDOWN

Chapter 2 is:
3 18 15 19 19 = CROSS

As I said, this is a stand out for me this year, not in the least because of it's sensitive and honest depiction of autism, and how autism affects a family.  There have been a few other books with autistic characters that I have read recently, see below for other books with characters on the spectrum. 

Beverley, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo

Beverley, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo
September 2019 Candlewick Press/Walker Books

Blurb:

Revisiting once again the world of Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana's Way Home, twice winner of the Newbery Medal Kate DiCamillo turns her focus to the tough-talking, inescapably tenderhearted Beverly Tapinski.

Beverly put her foot down on the gas. They went faster still. This was what Beverly wanted – what she always wanted. To get away. To get away as fast as she could. To stay away. Beverly Tapinski has run away from home plenty of times, but that was when she was just a kid. By now, she figures, it’s not running away ... it’s leaving. Determined to make it on her own, Beverly finds a job and a place to live and tries to forget about her dog, Buddy, now buried underneath the orange trees back home; her friend Raymie, whom she left without a word; and her mum, Rhonda, who has never cared about anyone but herself. Beverly doesn’t want to depend on anyone, and she definitely doesn’t want anyone to depend on her. But despite her best efforts, she can’t help forming connections with the people around her – and, gradually, she learns to see herself through their eyes. In a touching, funny and fearless conclusion to her sequence of novels about the beloved Three Rancheros, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo tells the story of a character who will break your heart and put it back together again.

This is the third book in what has now been called the Three Rancheros series.  Each book following one of three girls.  Raymie Nightigale, Louisiana’s Way Home and now Beverley Right Here.

The blurb says that this book will break your heart and put it together again, and that is most certainly true.  As an adult reading this, my heart breaks right from the get go, because what must a child’s life be like if she chooses to leave home at 14, after the only thing that means anything to her dies…her dog. 

Beverley is only 14, and she makes a decision to leave and then leaves.  She has this air about her that everything will be alright, when leaving home, getting a job and finding a place to live is a daunting prospect for many, let alone a 14 years old girl.  The book is set in 1979, so maybe that plays a part, but her cool calm demeanor probably has a lot to do with the fact that she had to be the grown up form an early age, as we can see here.

Page 37

“I’ve been driving since I was ten,“ said Beverly.

“Ten?” said Iola. She blinked.

”My uncle taught me.  My mother was drunk all the time, so he figured it was a good idea for me to know how to drive.”

On the face of it, this book should be depressing and heartbreaking, but it’s not.  It’s full of love and friendship and understanding.  It shows that the right people can come into your life when you need them.  It shows that there are good people in the world, and that you can make a difference in someone's life, just just by being there.  It's easy to say that Beverley would have been lost without Iona, but Iona, who suffered from her 'blue days', needed someone just as much.  

I read a digital ARC courtesy of NetGalley, and there was a note to readers at the start. This is what Kate DiCamillo had to say about the books as series, and I could have just posted this because she says it all!

Raymie Nightingale is about the saving grace of friendship. Louisiana’s Way Home is about deciding who you are. And Beverly, Right Here is about acting on that knowledge of who you are. They are all stories of becoming, I think. And all three of these books are about the power of community - the grace of someone opening a door and welcoming you in, and maybe most of all, having the courage to walk through that door once it’s open.

Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to review.

My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson

My Brigadista Year by Katherine Patterson
Published April 2018 Walker Books

Blurb:

In an engrossing historical novel, the Newbery Medal-winning author of Bridge to Terebithia follows a young Cuban teenager as she travels into the impoverished Cuban countryside to teach others how to read.

When thirteen-year-old Lora tells her parents that she wants to join Premier Castro’s army of young literacy teachers, her mother screeches to high heaven, and her father roars like a lion. Lora has barely been outside of Havana – why would she throw away her life in a remote shack with no electricity, sleeping on a hammock in somebody’s kitchen? But Lora is stubborn: didn’t her parents teach her to share what she has with someone in need? Shining light on a little-known moment in history, Katherine Paterson traces a young teen’s coming-of-age journey from a sheltered life to a singular mission: teaching fellow Cubans of all ages to read and write. Inspired by true accounts, the novel includes an author’s note and a timeline of Cuban history.

This is the perfect example of a book that opened up a whole chapter of history that I never knew about...that I can't believe I didn't know about...that I think everyone should know about.

When you hear the name Fidel Castro, what does that make you think of?  For me, rightly or wrongly, I thought: Cuban, Communist, bad guy.  This book did however open my eyes to an amazing initiative he was behind, the Cuban Literacy Campaign. 

Between January 1 and December 22, 1961, Castro implemented this campaign to abolish literacy in Cuba. He was determined that everyone in Cuba would learn to read and write.  Many adults living in rural areas had very little schooling, as working was more important than education,this meant that people living in these areas could not read or write.So Castro asked for volunteers, Brigadistas, to spend a year in these communities, teaching them to read and write.  

This is a fictional story of that year, and follows 13 year old Lora, who volunteered,  on her Brigadista year.  She is not welcomed by everyone. There are plenty of older farmers who object to a 13 year old girl being able to teach them anything...but with time, and patience, Lora starts to see results, and more member of the community want to learn.

Before 1959 Cuba's literacy rate was between 60-76% at the end of 1961, 707, 212 adults were taught to read and write, raising Cuba's literacy rate to 96%. That is amazing to me...and to this day Cuba still has one of the highest literacy rates in the world, reported at being between 99.75% to 99.9%.

I loved this book, but it's one that might need to be introduced to readers.  A number of schools that I have visited, the librarians are unsure about it...based on the cover and topic...will kids really care about a Cuban Literacy Campaign in 1961?  On the other hand, when I do book talks, and talk about this book...all of the kids want to read it...

As for an age recommendation on this one, I would say 11+.  There is some violence in the book, as there were groups of counter revolutionaries that terrorised the teachers and students during this time to reduce the support of the campaign.  It's not too explicit or graphic, but it is part of the story.

See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles

See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles
Published October 2013 Candlewick Press

Blurb:

Starting middle school brings all the usual challenges -- until the unthinkable happens, and Fern and her family must find a way to heal. Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. It seems as though everyone in her family has better things to do than pay attention to her: Mom (when she's not meditating) helps Dad run the family restaurant; Sarah is taking a gap year after high school; and Holden pretends that Mom and Dad and everyone else doesn't know he's gay, even as he fends off bullies at school. Then there's Charlie: three years old, a "surprise" baby, the center of everyone's world. He's devoted to Fern, but he's annoying, too, always getting his way, always dirty, always commanding attention. If it wasn't for Ran, Fern's calm and positive best friend, there'd be nowhere to turn. Ran's mantra, "All will be well," is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe it's true. But then tragedy strikes- and Fern feels not only more alone than ever, but also responsible for the accident that has wrenched her family apart. All will not be well. Or at least all will never be the same.

I picked up this book for a talk I was doing on LGBTQIA, and it came up in a list, the main character, Fern, has a gay older brother.  I knew it wasn't the whole story...but I had no idea that the book would be the story that it was.

Here's the thing though...the really big thing that happens in this book...the real story of this book...is not mentioned in the blurb at all.  What happens in this book hit me like a tonne of bricks...I am not kidding, I literally had to put the book down and stop reading it for a while...

This is what I have been telling students at schools about this book...I can't tell them what it's about...I get that the whole point of the book is exactly what I experienced...something completely unexpected...so all I can say that it's a book about family, forgiveness, acceptance...and that it's sad...really sad...be warned.

Fish In a Tree by Lynda Mullay Hunt

Fish In a Tree by Lynda Mullay Hunt
Published 2015 Puffin

Blurb:

An emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who's ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn't fit in. Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid. Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there's a lot more to her-and to everyone-than a label, and that great minds don't always think alike.

This is an example of a book I knew nothing about, except that all of a sudden schools started ordering it, class sets of it, so it quickly moved to the top of me TBR pile.  As you can see it's not a new book, published in 2015, I am three years late to the party...but better late than never, because I loved this book.

Ally feels dumb every day.  She knows she is actually quite smart, but the fact that she can't read, and struggles to write make life pretty tough.  She is from a military family, so has had to change schools a lot.  This has meant she has kept these issues a secret, teacher's just think she doesn't try, and she doesn't let on that there's more of a problem.  Then she gets a new teacher,  Mr Daniels, and it doesn't take long for him to figure out what the problem is...you see, Ally has Dyslexia.

In my job I hear about Dyslexia a lot, but this book made me really stop and think what it was like to BE dyslexic, and the struggles children have, and how it can make them feel so useless.

See this passage to see what I mean:

Page 138

“Look, “ I say. “When you get on your bike, don’t you expect it to hold you up? Not fall apart when you pedal?”

“Yeah. So what?”

“Imagine if every single time you got on your bike, you had to worry that the wheels would come off.  And every time you ride, they do. But you still have to ride. Every day. And then you have to watch everyone watch you as the bike goes to pieces underneath you. With everyone thinking that it’s your fault and you’re the worst bike rider in the world.”

“Why in the world are you talking about bikes and wheels coming off?”

“My brain, “ I say, leaning my forehead against the cold wall. “My brain will never do what I want it to do.”

And this one.. giving an explanation of the title of the book.

Page 159

“Now, don’t be so hard on yourself, okay?  You know, a wise person once said, ‘Everyone is smart in different ways.  But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking that it’s stupid.’”

It's not just a book about dyslexia though.  It's about friendship, and finding 'your people'.  Ally starts to realise that everyone has something going on in their lives that, at times, might make them feel different or 'less than'...and having the right people around you can make all the difference.


Lynda Mullay Hunt has an amazing way with characters and voice, and Ally is one of those characters that will stay with me always.

If you're a fan of books like Wonder or Out of Mind you should give this one a go.

Freedom Finders - Break Your Chains by Emily Conolan

The Freedom Finders: Break Your Chains by Emily Conolan
Published March 2018 Allen & Unwin

Blurb

To find freedom, you must leave behind everything you've ever known. It is 1825. You and Ma have survived on the streets of London ever since the soldiers took Da away and you fled Ireland. Now, with Ma gone too, you find yourself facing life-and-death choices at every turn. Can you carry a secret treasure across the ocean and finally be reunited with Da? You'll be asked to betray your friends, survive storms at sea and attacks by bushrangers, and trust thieves. At every turn, the choice is yours. How far will you go for freedom?

WARNING: YOU MAY DIE WHILE READING THIS BOOK... could there be a better opening page

Well, there might very well be, but this one is a cracker, here's what else is on the opening page:

When you read this book, you are the main character, and you make the choices that direct the story.

At the end of many chapters, you will face life-and-death decisions.  Turn to the page directed by your choice, and keep reading.

Some of these decisions may not work out well for you.  But there is a happy ending somewhere.

In the Freedom Finders series, it is your quest to find freedom through the choices you make.  If you reach a dead end, turn back to the last choice you made, and find a way through

NEVER GIVE UP.  GOOD LUCK.

Set in 2011,
your character is fleeing Somalia

This is quite different from most Choose Your Own books we see.  It's quite substantial in size, at 279 pages, and because thebooks in this series are based on real time periods in history, there is a Fact File section at the back of the book if you want more information.

I did die in this book, more than once, even though I thought I was making the right choice.  I found some of the choices a real battle between head and heart, and they are the type of choices we make every day.  For example at the start of the book, after your Ma has died, you have a choice of giving the stretcher-bearer your bracelet (the only thing of value you own) for a decent burial, OR you keep the bracelet, knowing your Ma would be dumped into the cold earth, without a marker or a prayer. I thought I was doing the right thing by choosing a decent burial for my Mum....

At the end of some chapters, you have the choice of jumping to the back of the books to read the Fact File on the particular topic you're reading about, like, child labour or smallpox. You will also find yourself at the end of some chapters where you have no choice in the decision at all.

It's an interesting series because I don't necessarily think it will appeal to avid readers of  'choose your own' type books.  It may however be a good opportunity to move those readers onto a new genre of historical or factual fiction, while still satisfying their need for a 'choose your own' book.  It's also something fun for avid readers of historical/realistic fiction, to try something different.