How Beautiful is a gentle, thoughtful story complemented by stunning illustrations. A tiny caterpillar who has happily lived each day munching on leaves is suddenly plucked from a leaf and told he is beautiful. This leads him on a quest to find out what beautiful actually means. He asks a bear who says honeycomb is beautiful. He asks squirrels who say dry leaves are beautiful. He asks a mouse who says a mushroom that is shelter from the rain is beautiful. He asks a deer who says his golden seat is beautiful. He asks a mole who says his underground hole is beautiful. Along the journey a blackbird annoyingly disputes all of the animals and their choices of beautiful. The caterpillar begins to worry that he will never find the true meaning of beautiful until he and the other animals rest under the night sky and see how beautiful it is.
The striking colour palette of purples, oranges, reds and browns used in the illustrations are reminiscent of stories from the past. The illustrations are both detailed and appealing and offer the reader the opportunity to search for hidden creatures. This story very much reflects the saying, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ A lovely book to share with children of all ages.
Themes Animals, Nature, Beauty.
Kathryn Beilby
Mikki and me and the out-of-tune tree by Marion Roberts
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760526795. (Age:9-13) Recommended.
Mikki and me and the out-of-tune-tree, written by Melbourne based author Marion Roberts, is a joyful, hopeful and delightfully quirky novel for the middle years age group. Written in the first person, the reader sees life through the bright and observant eyes of eleven-year-old Alberta Bracken.
Alberta leads a rich and interesting life, surrounded by friends and family. Roberts depicts the pivotal characters in Alberta's life with great intuitive accuracy, drawing them out in the way an eleven-year-old would view them. Alberta has to negotiate many difficulties in life. Her father has had an affair with Ursula Hoffman and her mother has kicked him out of home. Everybody in the small community of Kingfisher Bay know and Alberta has to wear this. Her mother, with her best selling book Tammy Bracken's Guide to Modern Manners is preparing for an upcoming TED Talk and, ironically, Alberta has discovered that she is a kleptomaniac. Alberta has an hilariously irritating younger sister Clementine. A keen boogie boarder, Alberta loves nothing better than catching sets of waves with her friends. However, her friends are ghosting her and the town bully, Seth Cromby actually deliberately knocks her off her bike resulting in a broken arm and a summer break of no surfing.
Enter the delightful Mikki Watanabe, whose parents have a holiday house in Kingfisher Bay. Mikki invites Alberta to help him make nature documentaries about the private lives of trees. A whole new world of eco-warriorhood opens up for Alberta when she and Mikki start a social media nature channel on Youtube. Thousands of followers are gathered and an issue that brings the town together is initiated by Alberta and Mikki.
The whole issue of trees as sentient beings, of the right to life of 'introduced' species, of the ability of trees to communicate plays into the story. Although the presentation of cross cultural relationships in novels has become cliched, in Mikki and me and the out-of-tune-tree the friendship of Alberta and Mikki adds a crucial dimension to the novel. In fact what Mikki brings to the story is the special sympathies of the Japanese culture towards nature.
Mikki and me and the out-of-tune-tree is full of action and humour. Alberta learns that people are not perfect but that with effort and friendship, drive and can-do, good things can happen. Bad things can be turned around.
A delightful, recommended read for Middle Year readers who enjoy fun fiction with added depth of theme. Teacher's notes are available.
Kathryn Schulz writes beautifully and profoundly about the grief of losing her father, and, in the same time period, finding the love of her life, designated only as ‘C’.
Lost and Found is subtitled ‘a memoir’ and while Schulz describes in detail these two significant events in her life, the book is less a memoir and more a philosophical discussion of the experience of loss and finding. It is truly an ode to life, for life consists of both these things, the deepest grief and the most joyous happiness. These are the two parts of the whole.
For readers who are experiencing the sorrow of loss, this book reflects that grief but also offers the uplifting recognition that loss and joy are intertwined; life combines both the good and the bad, and is in the end, an incredibly special gift. Schulz describes those special moments of wonder, at the beauty of the world around us, things that always offer the infinite wonder of the word ‘and’. There is always ‘and’ – something else that lingers and will come. ‘Life is and’, not either/or, it is many things at once, connected to everything.
This book would be a welcome comfort to those who are struggling with grief, and a reminder to those who are overwhelmed by daily stresses, that life is an amazing and wondrous thing; something we should stop and just experience in the moment, the infinite variety – the sad and the sublime, the beautiful, the magic, the wonder, the joy.
Themes Loss, Grief, Love, Life, Philosophy.
Helen Eddy
Bluey: Baby race by Bluey
Penguin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761044908. (Age:2+)
Another book from the very popular TV show, Bluey: Baby race will appeal to children because of the familiarity of the characters and settings. Adults reading the story to toddlers will also appreciate the message that the book contains: that each child and parent will need to run their own race – it is not a competition to be the first to crawl or walk. The very attractive cover gives a hint to the book’s contents, showing four different dog parents and their offspring, dressed in nappies, each baby at a different stage of development, Bluey crawling, while another one takes confident steps and others try to toddle.
The illustrations are full of bright colours and happy faces and siblings will delight in tracing the development of Bluey as he learns to crawl and walk and compare his adventures to how they learnt to crawl and walk as well. This book is a fun read and should prove popular with Bluey fans.
Themes Competitions, Infants, Child development.
Pat Pledger
Wild life: The extraordinary adventures of Sir David Attenborough by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe. Illus. by Helen Shoesmith
Sir David Attenborough’s life story is told in this engaging and visually appealing picture book, Wild Life: The Extraordinary Adventures of Sir David Attenborough. This beautifully illustrated new release will allow the young reader the opportunity to share in the life journey of Sir David from the age of eight to the present day. A gift of a fire salamander on his eighth birthday began the incredible journey of this man who is easily recognisable by his trademark blue shirts and is known all over the world for his work with, and deep love, of nature.
In 1954 Sir David realised it was becoming too hard to bring animals into TV studios, so he decided to set off exploring the world and film every strange and mysterious creature he saw. One of the places Sir David found the most magical was Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. He was intrigued by the creatures and the colour he found there. In 1979, 500 million people watched on their television screens the documentary Life on Earth which had taken three years to film. The whole viewing world was fascinated.
On Sir David’s travels he became more and more concerned about the environmental damage happening to our planet. He met with world leaders to express his concern and inform the world of the need to take more care of our declining habitats and the damage humans are causing. The final pages of the book showcase some of the unique animals from Sir David’s adventures and examples from his own childhood mini museum.
This wonderful book would make a perfect gift for a young child who loves nature and is a must-have for schools and public libraries.
Themes Sir David Attenborough, Biography, Nature, Wildlife, Naturalists, Conservation.
A lift-the-flap book that is sure to really appeal to toddlers, The Boo! Zoo is a colourful, humorous book by Campbell, author of the very popular Dear Zoo. The young child is invited to play Boo! with the animals at the zoo. Each double page spread greets a different Zoo animal, with a 'Hello … I can see you! And … said Boo!' when the flap is lifted. The refrain is one that young children will really enjoy repeating and they will have fun guessing what animal is under the flap, by looking at the small detail that protrudes – a lion’s paw, and an elephant’s trunk.
The flaps are brightly coloured with a single word labelled on it, and all the animals have such happy expressions on their faces as they say Boo! that readers and listeners will be unable to stop smiling.
This is sure to become a favourite read aloud in a family and is a book that beginning readers might like to try and read to younger siblings. The clear black print, the refrain and the labelling of the animals would all lend to a feeling of success.
The Boo! Zoo would be a perfect gift to a young child and one that would become a family keeper.
Themes Zoos, Animals, Games.
Pat Pledger
Wombat underground: A wildfire survival story by Sarah L. Thomson. Illus. by Charles Santoso
Little Brown & Co., 2022. ISBN: 9780316707060. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
The story of animals sharing a wombat’s burrow to escape a bushfire has reached the ears of US author, Sarah Thomson. Intrigued with the idea she has built a story to present to children for whom Australian animals are very different and has produced a charming picture book sure to be loved by all who read it.
Now living in Sydney, artist, Santoso loves drawing little things and the illustrations in this book showcase his close observation of the Australian bush and its creatures. Readers will readily understand how the wombat can build such deep burrows when spying the long claws on the cover, and seeing it sleeping in its burrow, claws prominently displayed. The illustrations reveal a whole range of Australian animals, framed within the bush they live in, looking for a place of refuge when the sky turns red with flames. The immediate impact of the bushfire is comprehended by the animals and the readers as they realise there is no place to hide, nowhere to run, finding refuge with the wombat when all seems lost.
The text reveals the wallaby and echidna nibbling at the grass, the skink soaking up the heat from the sun’s rays. But as it get hotter, the water dries up, the skink needs to find shade and the grass becomes brittle.
Suddenly lightning ignites a wildfire. Flames and hot winds cause the animals to run towards the hole in the hill, where wombat sleeps on, unconcerned. The animals arrive at the entrance, and wombat initially bares his teeth and readies his claws defensively. But seeing the state of the animals blistered, burnt and with stinging eyes, he relents offering them his shelter. There they take cover through the night. Safe from the flames.
At the end of the book are two pages abut Australian bushfires, how they start and the destruction they cause, and while talking about something so specific, the wider message is one of offering refuge to those in need, putting aside differences and history, being ready to help in times of crisis. It is a lesson we can all digest, ponder and discuss, particularly in the classroom, where some children may be refugees and others from families who have come to Australia because of flashpoints in their own countries.
The illustrations describe the Australian bush in detail. Younger readers will delight picking out the animals they can see, recognising plants and terrain, seeing the way a bushfire takes hold and destroys - causing them to think back to the images they have seen recently on television when bushfires had seemed to be raging across Australia.
A number of other books on fire in Australia have been recently published and an astute teacher or parent will gather them all to discuss what lessons can be learnt. (Fire (2014) Jackie French, Spark (2016) Adam Wallace, Where there’s smoke (2019) Phil Cummings to name a few.) Teaching notes are available.
Themes Bush fires, Wildfires, Australian animals, Wombats, Refugees, Shelter.
Fran Knight
Ceremony: Welcome to Our Country by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing. Illus. by David Hardy
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761065064. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
The Go Foundation, aiming to empower Indigenous kids through education was set up by Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin in 2009, and underlies Goodes’ books, bringing ideas and history to a wider group of children, through brilliantly illustrated stories of community. The first, Somebody’s Land (2021) pointed out the truism that Australia was occupied before European settlers landed at Sydney Cove in 1788. And in this book, Ceremony, we are invited to country to look at the ceremonies and customs of Adam Goodes’ family in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, home of the Andyamathanha people. Here we walk with the families coming together for ceremony.
In four line rhyming stanzas the story unfolds. Cousins meet each other, new friendships are made, the aunties, sisters and mothers go off together while the uncles, brothers and fathers go in a different direction. Each group has dances and stories belonging only to them. Bodies are painted, while the clap sticks are hit together, beating out a rhythm. The girls dance the emu the swan and the snake dances while the boys dance the kangaroo, their legs shaking together.
After much dancing and yarning, the fire is built up and a kangaroo cooked for all to share. After such a full day, sleep comes easily, minds full of the stories they have heard and will pass on at another ceremony.
This lovely story following the families getting together for ceremony, reinforces the place that story holds in all our lives. Here the Andyamthanha families meet to pass on story, to greet each other, to rekindle friendships, to build new friendships, to have fun, to share dance and story and food. The lively illustrations by Barkindji man, David Hardy reflect the environment of the Flinders Ranges with its tall eucalypts, caves, water holes and weathered hills. Readers will spot many birds and animals seen in these hills and valleys, while Andymathanha words are used within the text, sending readers to the list of words given on the endpapers. Hardy’s animation background is reflected in his amusing illustrations, the children full of life and mischief as they learn from their elders at the ceremony. Aiming to share their traditions, dances, song and stories, the book will draw in readers, eager to learn of the world’s oldest continuous surviving culture and share in the wealth of stories it has produced.
Reading about the three people who collaborated to bring this book makes fascinating reading as is the information about the Go Foundation. Teacher notes are available on the publisher’s website.
Themes Aboriginal stories, Ceremony, Celebration, Flinders Ranges, Andyamathanha (South Australia).
Fran Knight
Children of the wild by Michael Grey
Eagle Books, 2022. ISBN: 9780648815433. (Age:14+) Highly recommended for lovers of sci-fi.
In Matthew’s world families survive in a subsistence jungle haven as hunters and gatherers, living mostly within the shelter they have made to protect them from wild animals. They are the only humans in their world. Matthew is part of the community, but has no family and so lives with a slight disconnect and the observation powers of the isolate as he looks on those around him. His desire to move beyond the borders sometimes puts him at odds with those in power and it is this desire that puts him at risk and also gives him opportunity to demonstrate his maturity and skills. The first part of the book reveals many tense moments as he battles wild animals and learns his place within the community. But through it all he is growing in wisdom and wondering whether he should trust Jonah, the aging leader of the community. Into the haven comes a stranger and then several others carrying an unknown virus and the world that they had known must grapple with the uncertainty that all that they had known and the wisdom of the elders might be a lie. Sent on an extreme journey to restore health to the community becomes Matthew’s final challenge and with a number of friends and younger members of the haven, they must confront the unknown world and risk their own lives to go back into Jonah’s former life before the haven and search for a solution to their current viral threats. But it comes with considerable costs.
This is an exciting and impressive first novel. There are waves of dramatic moments within a dystopian or speculative-style fantasy set in an unidentified world that has declined beyond imagination. Sometimes it has the feel of a ‘Hunger Games’ survival tale with bows and arrows, set within a world-gone-wrong, and sometimes it is more Sci-fi with coming-of-age overtones. The fact that the younger characters know only the world of their community means that they do not have language or social constructs of many things well known to current readers, and hearing their descriptions of technological or modern-world features has the quality of the ‘primitive’ tribal man being brought into the modern world. Sometimes this may confuse younger teen readers, but it is clever in its capacity for making us see things in new ways. The main character, Matthew is likeable in an aloof and reserved way, and his relationships with friends and the older community member, Rona, is mature and sometimes surprising. The quest-like aspect of the final part of the story is also compelling and distressing and has movie-like qualities. This will be a book that will be worth recommending to YA lovers of Dystopian and Sci-fi.
Along with author Vivian French, fitness coach Joe Wicks has written his first children’s book in a new series, The Burpee Bears. This brightly illustrated and energetic picture book is about a busy family of bears who share their everyday life. The very active Daddy Bear is awake first and encourages his three young bear cubs to get up and ready for the day. Young readers will identify with each of the diverse personalities of the three bear cubs who want different things for breakfast or do their own special activities and take ages to get ready to go out. Daddy Bear is full of encouragement to get moving and go on a big adventure. The family has a fun day outdoors, despite the changing weather, and have a family meal under the stars. As an added bonus for readers, the recipes for the healthy meals are included at the end of the book as well as warm up and wind down exercise activities.
Joe Wicks may be unfamiliar to many Australian readers but is known to millions of British fans as 'the Body Coach'. Given the title, 'the nation's PE teacher' during the 2020 lockdown, he delivered online fitness sessions to children and adults every day. He was awarded an MBE in October 2020 for this work during the global pandemic.
Set in the world of Fable and Namesake, The last legacy is a stand-alone novel that delves deep into the world of the Roths, a family notorious for selling false gems and with a name for dire deeds. When Byrn receives a letter from her Uncle Henrik Roth, she returns to Bastian, hoping that she will find a place in this family. She has been brought up in faraway Nimshire by her great aunt Sariah as a proper young lady knowing what to wear and how to behave, but dreams of being accepted for the skills she could bring to the family. When she arrives, she finds an infamous family ruled over with an iron fist by her Uncle Henrik who wants to make the family business legitimate by joining the Guild. He thinks that Bryn will be able to teach them manners and how to dress but also has plans for her to join in marriage with another of the influential families headed by Simon. Bryn however has other ideas, especially as she is drawn to the silversmith Ezra.
Young makes a study of the world of the merchants and guilds, and the machinations that take place when the Roth family wants to move up the social ladder away from the business that caused her parents’ deaths. Bryn takes her time trying to work out the power structure of the Roth family, while being drawn into the dangerous work that Henrik presides over.
The slow burning romance between Bryn and Ezra is a plus for romance lovers, and the descriptions of Bryn’s tea house, the beautiful silver and fabulous clothes are wonderful. But it is the engrossing story of a strong, intelligent, and thoughtful young woman coming of age and taking power to find a place in the world that keeps the reader’s interest.
Fans of Young will delight in The last legacy while those new to the world will want to read the other books in the series, or move onto Six of crows by Leigh Bardugo or Devil’s ballast by Meg Caddy.
Themes Guilds, Silversmiths, Coming of age.
Pat Pledger
Slipping the noose by Meg Caddy
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458544. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Following the dramatic events in Devil’s Ballast, Slipping the noose describes the fate of Anne Bonny after her capture. Chained up in the belly of the ship with her 9-month-old daughter Molly, Anne Bonny is fearful for her life and that of Molly. When travelling in the prison boat on the Thames, destined for the notorious Newgate Prison, Molly is grabbed and taken away. Anne takes her own life in her hands and flings herself into the dirty waters of the Thames, just managing to drag herself to shore. Lucy, who is in the employ of the powerful, wicked Rook, the warden of Newgate Prison, captures her, but Bonny, desperate to find her child while really missing the help and companionship of Calico Jack and her crew manages to escape. Meanwhile Read and Darling are languishing in Newgate Prison.
I have not read Devil’s Ballast, but Caddy has put in enough back story for me to easily follow Slipping the noose as a stand-alone, although it would be better to have read both stories. The historical background and the map of Bonny’s London with the marking of relevant places to her exploits, makes this a fascinating read. Descriptions of the Thames, the prisoners inside Newgate Prison, hangings, and the beliefs of the Jacobites will enthral lovers of historical fiction. In the Author Notes, Caddy states that ‘this book is filled with real and imagined people, and real and imagined events’ and the story had me going to sources to find out what was real and what was imagined.
The narrative is written in the voices of Bonny and Read, and both come alive for the reader. Read is calm and thoughtful while Bonny is daring and adventurous. Fletcher and Bram are likeable characters who have their own secrets, and 18th century London takes on a character of its own, with smuggling on the Thames, Jacobite uprisings, secret printing presses and slums.
Lovers of adventures will follow the exploits of Bonny and Read as they struggle to stay alive, and the exciting final on Putney Bridge is memorable.
Though all the historical background and adventure run the threads of feminism, gender identity and belonging all written sensitively by the author.
Readers who enjoyed this might like Fable by Adrienne Young and Six of crows by Leah Bardugo. Teacher’s notes are available from the publisher.
Themes Pirates, Historical fiction, Anne Bonny, Gender identity, Newgate Prison, London - 18th century.
Black Beauty, The Silver Brumby series, Alison Lester's The Snow Pony etc, etc... There is always a readership for horse books especially amongst girls of tween and teen years. Jackie Merchant, author of The homecoming horse knows horses and horse people well. The homecoming horse (Douglas) goes home in the most convoluted and surprising way and he takes Kennedy and her father Josh home with him. The home that they found was not what they had expected but it's definitely home.
There is sadness as in every horse book. That is expected. Sadness, cruelty, rescue, the developing bond of trust between horse and girl are a must. Horse books must play on the emotions of the reader. The story cannot be about an easy pampered life. The more fraught with sorrow and desire and hope, the better for lovers of this genre.
The homecoming horse serves sadness, trouble and nasty characters up to the reader. Kennedy and her father are homeless. Their family farm was bought out as they couldn't survive another year of drought. Kennedy's mother left. Kennedy and her father have been living in the back of a horse truck, travelling to remote stock camps wherever Josh can find work. Ofcourse - into the story steps a horse and the horse is suffering at the hands of its owner who calls it "Ugly". Even though they cannot afford to keep a horse, Kennedy and her father take on the horse as part payment on a debt. Even though Kennedy knows she shouldn't develop a relationship with this horse of course she does and even though he is supposed to be useless well... There is a competition - 'The Great Southern Campdraft' - first prize $150000 and it costs $5000 to enter it. Kennedy and her father have no money... Douglas is unsure of himself; he needs to be trained in a very short period of time. Kennedy is a gifted rider. She understands how to synchronise with a horse...
Can hardship be turned around? Merchant is an experienced horse owner and rider. Her parents bought a run-down riding school on the outskirts of Sydney when she was ten. She knows the competition circuits in rural Australia where horses like Douglas work on cutting and herding cattle into tight runs. She knows the people. Her narrative holds the readers' attention, holds out hope, doesn't flinch from the petty nastiness of low characters and the contrasting love, strength and strong ethics of other characters.
There seems to be a stage in life when many young readers seek the heightened emotions found in horse books - in the searing trust relationships between humans and animals. The homecoming horse is a beautiful story - a perfect choice.
The boy who hatched monsters is the third in The Imp Child trilogy written by WA author and teacher T.C. Shelley. These books spring from such a fertile and rich imaginative world that it is recommended that they are read in order, starting with The Monster who wasn't and Werewolves who weren't. Beginning with the third means that too much of the complicated character and plot evolution is missed leaving too many gaps for the reader to be able to fill in. The trilogy is recommended. It is a complicated but satisfying read.
There are many characters in these books. In fact, it seems, the whole of "monsterkind' inhabits these pages. There are leprechauns, pixies, trolls, boggarts, imps, banshees, brownies, goblins, trolls, ogres and more. The kingdom they inhabit is "The Hole"- a deep cavern which is the hub of the monster's lair deep under the earth's surface but accessible through street drain holes. At street level are the humans. We meet Russell who lives on the streets and his dog Kylie who first warns our hero Sam of the danger of Maggie an ancient Banshee who is hunting him down. Sam lives in the Kavanagh household with his "parents" Michelle and Richard. Sam is half monster/half fairy. He spends much of his time on the roof of the house at Brighton Beach. The house must be a magnificent old house because on its roof are gargoyles and if you didn't know it before - gargoyles are living creatures - of a sort! They are Sam's friends along with Daniel, the angel and a dove Yonah, so another layer of heavenly characters are added into the mix.
Monsters can only be produced by the evil ogre King Thunderguts who sighs beads into being. As sighs are made of regrets, fears and sadness, the beings produced are bad. Sam has produced a being through a sneeze and Queen Maggie wants him to produce an army of wicked ogres. When Sam refuses, Maggie wreaks sinister and vicious vengeance in the style of The Pied Piper of Hamelin on the children of Brighton and Hove. Outright warfare breaks out and it's bloodthirsty and violent.
The boy who hatched monsters, even more fanciful and populated by even more fantastic creatures than C.S Lewis's The lion, the witch and the wardrobe, nevertheless is reminiscent of the latter. The ending is climactic and mirrors, in a way, the rising of Aslan, although it is far more direct and not in the least reliant on symbolism. This makes the book (and the series) very powerful in its conception and unusual in the current literary environment because of its recognition of Christianity.
The foreword of the book contains a section from The Odyssey, Book X11, attrib. Homer, translated by Solomon Jedidiah (1865) about the Sirens. This reference sets the tone for the monsterlife that emerges from the pages of The boy who hatched monsters to be battled and changed for the better. Some very deep and important humanitarian themes arise.
You will never fail to notice gargoyles on a roof again and you will be looking out for monsters after reading The boy who hatched monsters.
Themes Magical, Mythical creatures, Humans, The soul, Good and evil, Belonging, Leadership.
The Last Firefox by Welsh writer Lee Newbery is a warm and easy read for young people as they bridge the years from primary into secondary school. The story unfolds in the first person voice through the eyes of the wholly likeable main character Charlie Challinor. Charlie is a worrier. He is quiet and nervous. The story opens with Charlie escaping from a goose and the reader quickly realises that Charlie has many fears including being the target of two bullies - Will and Zack.
Charlie is in year six. He has two dads who are planning to adopt a baby. This is unsettling for him but he has a tree house to escape to and hang out in with his two best friends, Lippy and Roo. The current politically correct penchant for presenting a mixture of characters and family dynamics is addressed in a natural way.
Looming over the small town of Bryncastell, in which Charlie lives, there is a crooked grey castle. Charlie ventures there alone as part of a game that he is playing with his friends. Through a mysterious vine covered door he encounters a boy from another world and he is forced to rescue and guard the last remaining firefox in the world. The agonies and dangers of trying to keep this lovely, vulnerable, furry, flammable fox secretly from everybody and safely away from a frightening otherworldly hunter make Charlie grow up and develop bravery fast.
The difficulties of the subterfuge, the need to protect a vulnerable fox and the risk from the sinister hunter enable Charlie's growth of trust in a widening group of people and the ability to stand up to bullies. With the development of maturity he is able to face the worries in his world.
In The last Firefox, Newbery has written a warm and engaging story that encompasses adventure, excitement, humour, a little bit of magic and a wonderful depiction of a young boy's development of confidence as he negotiates the personalities in his year six school classroom, changes in his home life and finding his place in his small town community.
The text is accompanied by the delightful illustrations of middle grade book illustrator, Laura Catalan.
Young people, especially those in year six, will find The last Firefox an easy to engage with, enjoyable and relatable story.
