Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781536211122.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Teeth, Tooth fairies, Fairies,
Cupid, Angels, Airports, Immigration, Grandparents. With the
Underhill parents called to a job, the girls and their baby brother
go to their grandparents' house, a teapot by the airport, to stay.
Here a splendid time awaits: fairy cakes, pancakes for breakfast,
feather beds and chocolate. And the girls bring a jar of tadpoles
for Grandma. But an urgent call comes in: a tooth is arriving from
Ghana, and they are close to the airport. Grandpa is left reading
his poetry book in the garden with baby Vincent tied to him lest his
wings take him up like a balloon.
Grandma, Esme and April (seen first in April
Underhill: tooth fairy, 2010) fly to the terminal, there to
wait for the plane. Cupids and angels are there too, waiting to ply
their skills: cupids to help loving people greet each other, and the
angels to comfort those who are alone and sad, enfolding them with
their wings and helping to push their trolleys.
An announcement alerts the family to the plane's arrival and the
girls watch out for the Ghanan family and the young girl whose tooth
has fallen out. Grandma reminds the girls about where to find the
tooth and the girls fly to the young girl and climb into her pocket.
They retrieve the tooth, leaving a small coin behind, whispering in
Akuba's ear that she will not remember the event.
Grandma was worried about the girls doing their first extraction but
had confidence in them.
That night the girls sleep in the feather bed, the tooth safely
beside them, while Akuba sleeps on the other side of town with her
small coin, unsure of how it got there.
This charming story full of hope and love, shows the Underhill
family plying their trade. The girls are supported by their gran on
their first job at the airport, searching for the Ghanan family as
they come into England. They are successful and the Ghanan family is
at peace in their new home.
Graham's playful illustrations reveal the lure of staying with
grandparents, while the children take on a role usually done by the
parents. But his delightful micro world always pays homage to what
is happening around us. The endpapers have huge planes landing over
the tea pot house, wire fences and bright lights surrounding the
airfield, the outline of the plane overshadowing the nearby suburbs,
Gran has a mobile phone. In the airport, a soldier returns from
duty, older people come in alone, people arrive from other
countries, some heads covered by a hijab, but all hopeful and full
of anticipation. While outside the now quiet airport, some tadpoles
turn into frogs and slip away into the night.
Graham's work always leaves readers with a warm glow: recognition of
a familiar scene, reworked to reveal a different perspective.
Children will look again at the images presented here, not only the
loving family, but the background figures, those coming into the
airport for a variety of reasons, but all finding a safe haven.
Fran Knight
The wishing bones by Michelle Lovric
Orion Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781444009972.
(Ages 14+) Recommended. A magical and mysterious adventure novel
that follows a young orphan named Lily who has been raised in a
cruel and lonesome convent at the inhumane hands of the badessa.
Upon accidentally setting the convent aflame, Lily is sent to work
in the Hotel of What You Want. Here she meets Ivo Peruch, the
hotel's mysterious Boy-of-All-Trades who is cold and tight-lipped
and makes her an accomplice in a dark act before she realises what
she is partaking in. As the dark secrets of the hotel come to her
attention, Lily's desperation to leave is only exacerbated with the
arrival of a new guest, Deidre 'Darling' Dearworthy, who has a
direct connection to the dark act still haunting Lily. As Darling
quickly becomes Lily's first and best friend, she will do anything
to keep her from suffering a deadly fate at the hands of the
Signorina, the manager of the hotel. After the bones of Saint Lucy
are stolen, Lily, Ivo and Darling band together to save Venice;
facing countless dangers and adventures and meeting some magical
allies along the way.
Lovric creates a vivid and historically detailed Venice with rich
characters that provide a powerful message to the reader that you
are not your past and that you can still be a good person if you've
done things you regret. A powerful ode to resilience and the
importance of the family that you make for yourself. It should be
noted that this book is very grim and dark at times, with warnings
for substantial themes of death, grief, loss, murder, supernatural
themes and graphic discussion of dismemberment. Recommended for
children aged 14+ for these reasons.
Daniella Chiarolli
Cursed by Thomas Wheeler
Illus. by Frank Miller. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241376614.
(Age: 14+) As daughter of her village's chief Druid, 16 year old
Nimue would always be different from the other villagers but her
strangely scarred back and ability to powerfully experience hidden
forces further sets her apart. Dewdenn is a 'fey' village, in touch
with nature spirits and as such a target for the Red Paladins,
terrorising the countryside seeking out heresy on behalf of the
church, crucifying the fey folk accusing them of witchcraft. Tired
of being unwanted in her village Nimue decides to leave on a ship
from the nearest town but when she gets there the boat has left.
Returning, Nimue finds her village destroyed by the Red Paladins and
her dying mother charges her to take a sacred object to Merlin. The
object is the legendary 'Sword of Power' and Nimue finds she can
channel the power of the 'hidden' through the sword. Merlin is at
the court of Uther Pendragon, on her way there Nimue meets and falls
in love with Arthur, a mercenary son of a knight. The sword's legend
says that 'whosoever wields the Sword of Power shall be the one true
king' so it becomes the focus for competing powers vying for
possession. As violence escalates, Nimue's world descends into chaos
as the fey villages are destroyed at an ever increasing rate. She
responds violently channelling the sword's destructive power against
her enemies, becoming a rallying point for the fey refugees. The
struggle for the sword of power becomes tied up with the
annihilation of the fey villages by the Church, with the involvement
of Uther, leading to confusing and ultra-violent battles, no doubt
linked to the fact that the book is basically a screenplay for a
Netflix series. Other than familiar names and a magical sword the
story owes little to the Arthurian legends. The characters are
poorly developed, sometimes with the feeling that they are
placeholders for more detail in later instalments. Little effort is
spent on establishing a consistent sense of time or place, this will
probably be better realised in the Netflix version. The
illustrations have a sense of energy, in powerful compositions with
strong lines. While the wrapped and laced costumes are great,
inconsistencies in outfits make it hard sometimes to identify the
character. Where there is a double page spread, the focal point
often disappears into the book's gutter. Middle school fans of Game
of Thrones and violent fantasies might like this but be aware
that the violence is quite graphic. (It has been picked up to be a
Netflix original series).
Themes: Fantasy, medieval times, Arthurian Legends, magic.
Sue Speck
The Lost Tide Warriors by Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408896907.
Recommended for lovers of fantasy, aged 10+. Fionn is the anointed
'Stormkeeper', but it seems that his magic is not like other
Stormkeepers and his island is depending on him to protect them from
the return of the awful Morrigan and her supporters, the
Soulstalkers. The uncertainty and self-doubt that surrounds Fionn,
under the pressure of a deadline, places pressure on the young man .
. . but he must carry on, the island of Arronmore needs him. His
Grandfather, the previous Stormkeeper, is losing his hold on his own
magic and his memory, and Fionn must rely on his close friends and
mother and sister to create a plan to turn back the tide of evil
that is encroaching. With a long history of magical events and
intra-island rivalry there is drama at every turn and the
approaching 'storm' of conflict needs the outside help of the
merrows - ocean-based fantasy creatures. But how will they get word
to these creatures in time?
This is the sequel to The
Stormkeeper's Island and although it could be read as a
stand-alone book, it is best read in sequence so the understanding
of the magic, the time shifts and the candles that store memories
would be clear. The book is a delight as the internal self-doubt of
the young Fionn drives the tension as the islanders face the threat
of annihilation at the hands of the advancing evil 'army'. This
series deserves to be recommended to young readers who love fantasy
adventure. In no way is it like Harry Potter, but the reticent
central hero is akin to Harry in being intensely likeable and
supported by loyal friends. The magic is different, but the
atmospheric adventure is worth following. Catherine Boyle also
manages to capture the atmosphere of the small Irish island with its
storms, fogs and swells. It almost takes on a personality of its
own.
And there is another book in the series to come!
Themes: Magic; Fantasy; Adventure; Good vs Evil.
Carolyn Hull
The iron man by Ted Hughes
Illus. by Chris Mould. Faber and Faber, 2019 (c1968) ISBN:
9780571348862.
(age: 6+) Highly recommended. Themes: Cautionary tale, Modern fable,
STEM, Recycling. This outstanding new publication of The Iron
Man will thrill new readers as well as ones who already know
the tale, reminding them of not judging a book by its cover, as they
hear the tale of an outsider at first derided by the village but
then proving his worth beyond comprehension.
In this beautiful edition, Faber presents a book aching to be picked
up and held, its tactile cover enticing all readers to open the
first page.
In the first of five chapters, the Iron Man finds himself in the
sea, bits of him spread over the sea floor. He puts himself together
again, piece by piece and walks to the village, eating the barbed
wire fences along the way, scaring the residents. They build a pit
to trap him and when he falls in, cover him with soil, making a
small hill. But a family sitting to have a picnic finds their family
outing disrupted as the Iron Man rises from below, forcing them to
flee. He has returned. The village calls out the army to rid
themselves of the monster, but Hogarth has a different idea, and
chapter three ends with the monster happily residing at the scrap
metal dump in the village.
But an alien in the form of a space-bat-angel-dragon drops onto
Australia, covering the whole continent. Here it demands food and
military from over the world try to deal with it, without success.
Prompted by Hogarth, the Iron Man has an idea and chapter five
brings the whole to a satisfying conclusion, promoting world peace,
demilitarisation and harmony through music.
Ted Hughes' classic tale, first released in 1968 and rarely out of
print, is presented here with stunning new illustrations. Mould
invests the Iron Man with human characteristics, his mouth and eyes
revealing a host of emotions all children will recognise and love. I
love the intricacies of the Iron Man's body with its cogs and
wheels, nuts and bolts, derricks and winches, steel plate of all
shapes and sizes. Readers will love zeroing in on the make up of the
Iron Man marvelling its duplication on the end papers.
Cautionary in warning readers not to judge people by their
appearance, the story resonates with humour as it is the child in
the village who shows his elders the usefulness of their visitor.
And our audience will thrill at the alien landing in Australia, its
body covering our whole island.
Readers will love the way the story is resolved, the Iron Man
pitting himself against the alien, taken apart and reassembled bit
by bit on the northern beaches of Australia, bringing the world
together with a peaceful conclusion, a modern fable about working
together to promote enduring peace.
Fran Knight
My parents cancelled my birthday by Jo Simmons
Illus. by Nathan Reed. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526606587.
(Age: 9 - 12) Recommended. Themes: Birthdays; Family; Humorous
stories. Tom is looking forward to his birthday but several
dilemmas, including the pet pig falling off the roof and squashing
his Grandmother's chihuahua, leads to the decision to cancel his
'special' birthday acknowledgement. Tom's father is unsuccessfully
attempting to finish his book, his mother is stressed and working
too hard, his Grandmother decides to hold a seance to 'speak' to the
now dead pet and his sister's missing tooth and the curse of the
tooth fairy all work against Tom and his attempts to restore the
birthday celebration. Fortunately, he finds that friends can help
him, and even chickens listen to him to enable him to plan his own
festivity to acknowledge his birthday.
Jo Simmons has written a silly litany of disasters that young
readers will find amusing. At every turn everything goes wrong, and
there are some impossible moments that are extremely eccentric.
Young readers will be entertained, and the suspension of disbelief
required to accept some of the quirks in the plot will not cause
them distress.
Carolyn Hull
The Mitford scandal by Jessica Fellowes
Sphere, London, 2019. ISBN: 9780751573930.
(Age: Secondary) Themes: Set in the late 1920s and early 1930s
London, this historically correct mystery is narrated from Louisa's
(lady's maid to Diana Mitford) perspective.
The book denotes the author's deep knowledge of the historical
figures and events of the period (she has written for the Downton
Abbey TV series).
The actual mystery is woven around the life and events of
aristocratic Diana Mitford's life as a young married mother and
society woman.
The mystery incorporates drugs, homosexuality, poisoning and a
surprise ending with religious mania. I found the pace slow until
the last chapter since the life of the Mitfords and friends is
prominent with a love interest for Louisa also woven into the story.
While I enjoyed reading the book, readers who do not have much
knowledge of (or interest in) the Mitfords may not find the book as
interesting.
The book has a Historical Note and Bibliography sections at the end. The Mitford scandal is the third of the Mitford Murder series
by Jessica Fellowes but can be read as a stand alone mystery.
Ann Griffin
Boy giant by Michael Morpurgo
Illus. by Michael Foreman. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008347925
(Age 10+). Highly recommended. Themes: Refugees, Gulliver's travels,
Hope, Afghanistan. When Omar and his mother flee for their lives
after their village has been bombed and Omar's father killed, they
tramp over vast regions until they get to the sea, suffering
privation, hunger and thirst. Here Omar's mother makes a
heartbreaking sacrifice pushing her son onto the boat while she
stays behind, promising that they will meet again in England,
reminding him of the address he must repeat to himself. This address
becomes a mantra to Omar, as he sits alone in the bottom of the
boat, watching others as they are washed overboard, waiting for the
rising water to claim him.
But he wakes on an island, surrounded by little people dressed in
costumes from two hundred years before. With the few English words
he knows from playing cricket, he makes connections with the
Lilliputians, who call him Son of Gulliver, when they recall the
stories of the giant who visited their shores generations before.
Omar learns English, helping the people with their problem with the
next door island, just as his predecessor did, eventually building a
boat to leave.
Packed into its 280 pages, Morpurgo gives readers a modern look at
the classic Gulliver's travels. Enough of the story is told
within Omar's story for readers to gain a solid grasp of the tale.
Morpurgo's telling, a story within a story within a story weaves
together the tale of Omar and his mother fleeing from war, the
classic Gulliver's travels, Omar working with the
Lilliputians to stop the war with their neighbouring island, and
then leaving Lilliput.
Omar is found by a passing rower and in telling her his story while
the two little people he has with him tell theirs, we have a
multi-layered feast. With Foreman's wonderful illustrations and
different fonts used to indicate each story teller, the book will
have wide appeal. An adventure with a strong anti-war theme, the
plight of all refugees is told through the tale of Omar and his
mother, two people caught in a circle of violence outside their own
making, as news breaks of a truck containing 39 dead refugees has
been discovered in England (October 2019). Morpurgo's book resonates
with meaning as the plight of refugees the world over makes front
page news. The generation reading this book will gain some
understanding and sympathy with those seeking refuge.
Fran Knight
The deathless girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Orion Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781510106918.
(Age: Senior secondary) This novel is about Bram Stoker's 'dark
sisters.' First person narrator Lillai tells a linear, past tense
story. She journeys through medieval settings filled with
challenges. Soldiers and marauders pillage and people fight with
stakes and knives. There is a Gothic sense of hidden menaces and
forbidding castles. Millwood Hargrave's style is descriptive,
sometimes florid. Rapid fire similes and metaphors are initially
distracting, but many students listening to me read liked the style
and the author's tricks of foreshadowing.
This novel is suitable for independent study in senior school and
for intertextual analysis. Millwood Hargrave raises several ideas
and affirms that women can take control in harsh situations. In the
beginning, demonic men kill adult Travellers, burn their homes and
capture young Travellers out foraging. We are alerted to women's
agency when Lillai says of her twin, 'I was especially proud of the
injuries Kizzy inflicted'. The sisters are sold and appraised by a
Mistess Malovski, who takes them to a castle owned by Boyar Valcar.
His Cook tells their futures, keeping us interested to see if her
prophesy, 'I can find no death for you', comes true.
Defiant, the twins are confined in solitary cells for a time,
fulfilling our sense of Gothic entrapment. 'I didn't know these
places were real', says Lillai. Preparing them for their meeting
with Valcar, Malovski shows the sisters how to make bite wine - wine
infused with snake venom to improve men's virility. We meet many
grotesque men and wonder who Dracula might be.
Cook helps Lillia escape with Mira, whom she starts to love. Lillia
and Mira are reunited with other young people, and they try to
rescue Kizzy.
As the melodrama unfolds, it's hard to stop reading. While the
imperative is to read, not to reflect, there is plenty to say about
the ways in which the author presents the strength of female
characters and the choices they make at the end.
Chris Bourlioufas
Let it snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780141371207.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Short stories. Winter. Romance. Christmas. A
reprint of the 2015 book, Let it snow is out in conjunction
with the Netflix film with a new cover and will be loved by fans of
the three authors. A blizzard stops a train carrying Jubilee to her
grandparents in Florida and results in her walking through the snow
to a Waffle House where she meets a stranger who gives her a
delicious kiss. Meanwhile, three friends struggle through the snow
to the Waffle House to see the cheerleaders who have also alighted
from the train and this results in old friends discovering that they
are more than friends. Addie's early morning shift at Starbucks is
the beginning of her realisation that not everything is about her
and brings her back to her true love.
These three highly popular and skilled authors ensure that these
stories are not only very readable - I finished the book in a couple
of sittings - but also give insights into the meaning of love and
friendship. Maureen Johnson's The Jubilee Express provides
the initial winter setting of a blizzard that is so bad that the
train has to stop. It also introduces Jubilee Dougal, who finally
comes to terms with the fact that her boyfriend is not especially
caring when she meets Stuart who takes her home to make sure she is
OK during the storm. On the train, Jubilee also meets Jeb who is
desperately trying to make a meeting with his girlfriend, Addie and
his story is told through Addie's eyes in The patron saint of
pigs by Lauren Myracle. Of course, fans of John Green will
immediately pick up this book, just to read a story by him and A
Cheertastic Christmas Miracle is funny and touching and very
memorable.
This is a heart-warming and thoughtful collection of short stories
about teen love. While each story can be read as a stand-alone the
interweaving moments add to its appeal. The strong characters,
humour and touching moments make it a great read and a lovely
prelude to the Christmas season.
Pat Pledger
The Witch's Warning by Joseph Delaney
Aberrations series book 2. Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN:
9780241349953. 303pgs., pbk.
A new spooky horror-fantasy YA story in a new series by
international best-selling author of the Spooks series,
Joseph Delaney. The Witch's Warning is the second book in
the new series Aberration's. It is a stand-alone read but I feel
like I should have read The Beast Awakens because references
were made back to world of Aberrations and I think you get a better
understanding of the main characters.
Delaney has managed to create a world where a dark force, The Shole,
is quickly taking over. All creatures that are unfortunate enough to
be living where The Shole takes over are either killed or changed
into blood thirsty monsters. The Shole is an endless multitude of
dark and nasty creatures that are creeping north. The imagination
Delaney has used to come up with these creatures is amazing, the
flappers are my favourite.
The main characters Crafty is very likable and he teams up with Lick
and Lucky to make up a trio that takes on The Shole. Along the way
they find Donna and Titch who join their team. Donna and Titch are
dead Grubs that have been brought back to life but will die if they
leave The Shole. They take on an adventure to stop Viper who has
come back to take over the land.
I love how Delaney's books are based on real places in Lancashire
and the inspiration behind most of his stories come from the local
ghost stories and legends of Lancashire. Would love to visit the
area one day.
If you like dark creatures, non-stop action with cliff hangers The
Witch's Warning is a great read.
Maria Komninos
World War II: The story behind the War that divided the world by Nick Hunter
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526605580.
(Age: 8+) World War II: The story behind the War that divided
the world is a non-fiction text by Nick Hunter, with
supporting documents provided by the National Archives, who are the
UK Governments offical archive and report to contain over a 1,000
years of history.
This book covers World War II right from the first storming of the
beaches all the way through to victory! It also includes information
specifically about what happened to children during this time, an
informative glossary and a very good timeline.
Each page of this book has interesting, well written information
that would be understood by children from around 8-9 years of age.
All of the photos are described, and add a high level of interest
for the reader. I really felt that all of the photos enhanced the
information, and gave the text a personal feel.
Topics covered in this text include Hitler and the Nazis, Pearl
Harbour, women and children at War, Operation Overlord and even a
look at how the world has created memorials for this war.
There are images of pages from a war diary, maps, posters, plus
items such as suitcases and uniforms. These all come from the
National Archives in the UK and are extremely interesting.
This book would a very good resource for a student completing a
project about WWII, as the author, Nick Hunter, has written the book
full of real-life stories and backed them up with photos and
artefacts.
The only problem with this book is that is is from an English
viewpoint. I do not think that this is a terrible thing, students
will just need to seek clarification and information from Australian
sources.
Overall I think this book would be an asset to any library as it
provides readers with appropriate information to answer many
questions about WWII.
Lauren Fountain
Jake Atlas and the Quest for the Crystal Mountain by Rob Lloyd Jones
Jake Atlas series, book 3. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN:
9781406385007. 303pgs., pbk.
Exciting, gripping, action packed adventure which is easy to get
into this is a great book to get pre-teens into reading. I was
hooked into the adventure right from the start and wanted to know
what happened next right to the end, while also learning about the
culture in Tibet. I do wonder what Yak butter would taste like.
Jake, Pandora (his twin sister), mum and dad are in search of the
fifth Emerald Tablet to reveal the secret of the history of
humankind. They take on a fast paced adventure with plenty of twists
and turns while trying to out run and outsmart The People of the
Snake and other enemies they make along the way.
Both twins are great and totally opposite of each other. Jake the
smart, funny, cheeky but likeable boy, Pandora the level headed
genius who is a bit moody, are awesome characters that work well
together. We are reminded that mum and dad had a secret life as tomb
raiders which has caught up with them and led to the great hunt for
The Emerald Tablets.
The story felt like I was watching an Indiana Jones movie crossed by
Mission Impossible with all the history, artefacts and high
tech gadgets and explosions all the way. Still can't believe a young
kid can go through so much and still survive.
The story takes us through China and on the way to Tibet. I enjoyed
reading about the history of these sacred places and how Jake
discovers himself and the people he meets along the way like Tenzin.
Rob Lloyd has written many books and Quest for the Crystal
Mountain is the third instalment in the Jack Atlas
series. It can be read as a stand-alone book. There was lots of
referencing back to what happening the other books in the series so
I think reading them first would be good. I think you learn more
about how the Jake and Pan discover the secret life their parents
had and who The People of the Snake are. Quest for the Crystal Palace was fun to read and I'm looking
forward to more Jake Atlas adventures.
Maria Komninos
The secret commonwealth by Philip Pullman
The Book of Dust, volume 2. David Fickling Books, 2019. ISBN:
9780241373347.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Since diving back into the world of His
dark materials with Malcom in La
belle savage (book one of The Book of Dust
series) the excitement has grown fans of the original trilogy. With
the release of The secret commonwealth there were many
questions that needed answering about the adult Lyra becomes. In
this novel we re-enter Lyra's life during her final year of college
at St Sophia's, just as her world comes crumbling down.
After the death of the master of Jordan College, Lyra loses the
protection of the college, throwing her into a dangerous world.
After the discovery of a dead man, Lyra and Pan's world is thrown
upside down. Taken into hiding by one of Lyra's teachers (Malcolm)
after the ransacking of her bedroom, Lyra begins to question
everything she knows about her tutors and their involvement with
Oakley Street. Meanwhile, Lyra's relationship with her daemon is
threatened by her controversial philosophical heroes. She refuses to
listen to Pan and, one night after an argument, Pan sets off in
search of her imagination. Naked and gruesome without a daemon, they
both must set off too.
With the intrigue of Oakley Street, the layers of the alethiometer,
and a budding romance that will almost make you forget about Will, The
secret
commonwealth is every bit as fascinating as La belle
savage and His dark materials. For those approaching
this book independent of the series I would advise caution, while
enjoyable in its own right it does rely heavily on the book's
predecessors. This is a novel with a multitude of layers which
delves not just into psychology and philosophy but politics and
self-affirmation.
I would highly recommend to fans of the series (and encourage them
not to be put off by the new budding romance).
Kayla Gaskell
The world that we knew by Alice Hoffman
Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781471185830.
(Age: Adolescent readers, with support) This beautifully written and
most unsettling narrative captures our imagination instantly,
plunging us into the terror of the German government's plan to
exterminate the Jewish people of Europe. From our 21st century point
of view this vile scheme was dire and inhumane. Yet it happened and
Alice Hoffman delves into the agony and terror faced by people who
were simply 'wrong' in one government's notion of what makes some
people simply unacceptable, thereby justifying getting rid of them.
While we know that horrendous crimes against people for no more than
their religious beliefs and lifestyle have taken place over the
years of human history, this story is one that speaks of brutality
at its worst and of dreadful injustice, of despicable treatment of
both children and adults, all apparently embedded in the notion that
those who are unwanted can simply be eradicated.
Helped by good people in France, who ask no questions but offer
shelter, and sometimes food, the fleeing girls go on their perilous
journey. They spend time in barns, on farms and in a school where
they are disguised as locals. Terrified for her children's lives,
one mother realises that she cannot flee with children as they will
almost certainly be apprehended if she accompanies them, so, in
desperation, she creates a golem, a Jewish mystical creature created
from the materials of the earth, to guard and guide her daughter.
This mystical element is deeply embedded in the narrative, and is
representative of the trust in the elements of our universe to be
good, kind and trusting, as we see in the decency of those who offer
sanctuary to the strangers. The golem leads them to safety, as they
travel away from all that they know and those whom they loved in
their own world, to a world that is unknown but offers them the
chance of a future. This decision is critical, agonising and
indicative of the enormous trust in God that this women's actions
suggest.
The book is suitable for adolescent readers, with guidance and
support, as it details how parents would know that the only chance
for their children to live is to flee without parents, as this would
imperil them, to be recognized as fleeing Jews.
Elizabeth Bondar
