Booking in June

I can’t believe I’ve gone so long without posting.

I think I’ve also been feeling very overwhelmed thinking about writing this post because I know it’s going to have to be quite long. We read dozens of spectacular books in June so it’s difficult to know where to start. But here goes:

Picture Books

Harold and Hog Pretend For Real!*, by Dan Santat – In our house Elephant and Piggie are icons. We slowly made our way through the entire series and they were very helpful for our Preppie last year as she learned to read. We also adore many of Dan Santat’s books; he is one of my all-time favourite illustrators. When I saw on Instagram that he was working on this book it went straight on my list and I think I even requested it from the library before it was published. There were squeals of delight from the kids when this came home from the library. With all that build up I’m happy to report that we loved it. The concept was a winner from the beginning, the illustrations are terrific.

Hansel and Gretel, by Bethan Woollvin – I don’t think I’ve read a version of Hansel and Gretel that I’ve liked at all. When you think about it the story of two kids getting lost in the woods and meeting a scary person who may or may not want to cook them just doesn’t feel relevant today. However, we really liked this re-worked version. It felt fresh and interesting and a big part of that has to do with the pictures. Bethan Woollvin’s style of illustrations feels so on-trend. They are quirky with deliberate detail. This was very well-liked at our house.

Before and After, by Jean Jullien – We have borrowed Jean Jullien’s This is Not a Book at least eleventeen times from the library. It is a great book, too good. Kids want it all the time and I’ve lost my enthusiasm. So I requested the library purchase more of Jullien’s books to satisfy my kids’ bookish appetite and my need to variety. This was a winner. Simple enough for the 2-year-old to understand, but the pictures are so bold and likable that older kids will want to peek over your shoulder while you read it to the young ones.

Still Stuck, by Shinsuke Yoshitake – Following on from our love affair with Yoshitake’s brilliant trilogy exploring deep philosophical ideas in a funny way for kids, we requested this book. I will never forget reading this aloud to the kids. We were sitting around the table, the kids demolishing after school snack and all of us laughing our heads off as we read this one.

Delores Thesaurus, by Jessica Lee Hutchings and Hazel Quintanilla – I ordered this from the library thinking I would love it, but this was one occasion where I had built up a book in my mind to be something it couldn’t deliver on. I did like the concept, the illustrations and even most of the text. I guess the real reason it wasn’t as a success for us is that it didn’t keep my 6-year-old’s attention, and surely she is the target audience.

Mermaid!, by Maggie Hutchings and Cheryl Orsini – When books like Unicorn! come along you are grateful for the obsession the children’s book publishers have with sequels. The story, the pictures, the whole idea of this book screams brilliance. Well done to Affirm Press for bringing these creators together.

Rosie’s Glasses, by Dave Whamond – This is a sweet, wordless picture book about the power of attitude, mood, and perspective.

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, by Ryan T. Higgins – This is a really fun read. I’m sure it is marketed as a ‘starting school’ book, but it will entertain kids 3-8yrs at all times of the year.

The Secret of Black Rock, by Joe Todd Stanton – I guess from the title I shouldn’t have been surprised by the darkness of this book. Visually it feels damp, shadowy and mysterious, which presume is a huge success for the author/illustrator. Because of this, I worried that my kids might be a little put-off, especially the 2-year-old who has a low ‘scardiness’ threshold (currently he won’t let us read There’s a Hippopotamus on My Roof Eating Cake or The Wonky Donkey because they are too scary). But this book was repeatedly chosen for lunchtime stories. The story is not very original, yet there is a uniqueness about the book.

The Two Mutch Sisters, by Carol Brendler and Lisa Brown- For a few years now I have been trying to reduce the ‘stuff’ our family owns by being more mindful about purchases and deliberate about the space we live in. When I came across this book I thought, “Brilliant! Let’s have a picture book preach minimalism to my kids.” Unfortunately, the Mutch Sisters solved the problem of having too much stuff by dividing it between two houses; not my idea of minimising. So while this book didn’t really hit the message I was hoping my kids would hear, it was still very well-liked by all.

Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian, by Jacob Sager Weinstein and Vera Brosgul – To begin with: this book title is perfection. (Hearing Odette learn to say was one of the best things about reading the book.) A book about a female superhero who saves the world with books is a cracking idea. The story itself was kind of different and a little hard for the younger ones to fully understand the first time around. So the fact that the illustrations were bright, bold and demanded attention, encouraged multiple readings.

Not Quite Narwhal, by Jessie Sima – One of few palatable unicorn flavoured books. It is a sweet story about feeling out of place and finding your tribe.

The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer, Davide Cali and Benjamin Chaud – A quirky little picture book that will be enjoyed by older readers. The twist at the end makes you want to read it again immediately.

Middle-Grade Fiction

Dawn and the Impossible Three, by Gale Galligan (a graphic novel based on the story by Ann M. Martin) – As a child of the 1990s you can bet your hand-me-down bike and stirrup pants that I read my fair share of The Babysitter’s Club books. I still have a memory of pretending with my sisters that we ran the club by keeping a club book with details of the kids we babysat for. The new graphic versions of the classic series are really great. I struggle to read graphic novels aloud to the kids, but I knew I wanted to read this to Freya. She loved it!

The Long Lost Home (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #6), by Maryrose Wood and Eliza Wheeler – I started this series during the summer holidays and totally loved it. It took my library four months to get the 5th book in for me, so I had plenty of time to build anticipation for the ending. I really loved these books and I look forward to my kids being old enough for us to listen to it together as an audiobook (which I hear is excellently narrated). The story follows Miss Penelope Lumley as she tackles a very difficult first job as the governess of three unruly, but teachable, children. She begins to sense that things are not quite as they seem and we get little hints as the mystery unravels. What I really enjoyed about this book was the writing, it was slow, deliberate and well-chosen with lots of wordplays, puns, and pithy sayings. If you want a fast-paced, action-filled book, this is not for you. But if you like amusing, thought-provoking books with well-developed characters you will LOVE this series.

Restart, by Gordon Korman – A story about a teenager who loses his memory after an accident and has to re-learn who was and then decide if it is still who he wants to be. It delves into themes such as serious bullying, parents behaving badly and forgiveness, so I’d say it’s for 10yrs+. I’ll certainly be checking out other books by Gordon Korman.

The Impossible Crime (Spy Kid #2), by Mac Barnett and Mike Lowrey – This is a great series for reluctant, older readers as the humour punches above the lexile level. The story is easy to follow and can be read in under an hour giving kids who rarely finish books a chance to feel they have achieved something. We’ll certainly keep ordering these as they are released.

Books Jude read (but I didn’t)

Ghosts, by Raina Telgemeier

My Life and Other Weaponised Muffins (Tom Weekly #5), Tristan Bancks and Gus Gordon – Jude has been working his way through this series. I have no idea what it’s about, but I trust Tristan Bancks.

Hotel Flamingo, by Alex Milway

The Terrible Two’s Last Laugh, by Mac Barnett, Jory John and Kevin Cornell – The final in a series that Jude has adored. I ordered it at the library without Jude knowing, so when he came home from school and it was sitting on the kitchen table he jumped our of his skin. I managed to skim through and read a few pages and the writing is really good (character development is terrific).

The Search for the Silver Witch (Polly and Buster #3), by Sally Rippin – We have started listening to the series as a family on BorrowBox (a longer post about that soon), but Jude has already finished the series. Sally Rippin is royalty in Australian children’s publishing, so you know it’s going to be good.

*There are no links for this book as my affiliate partner does not currently stock it.