Bookish Bron: kidlit

kidlit :: The Battle :: Ashling Kwok

I'm so delighted to be part of the Books on Tour Blog Tour for Ashling Kwok's brand new picture book The Battle. This is a gorgeous book - both the story and those illustrations (by Cara King)! - about facing fears that are holding you back. Ashling was kind enough to answer some questions about the book and the inspiration behind it, so I'll let her tell you more!

Can you please tell us a bit about your latest title, The Battle?

The Battle is the story of a little boy named Edward who is anxious about starting knight school. He’s sure that it will be full of ogres and dragons so he puts on his armour and prepares for battle. As the day progresses, Edward soon realises that the dragons and ogres he imagined don’t actually exist. They were figments of his imagination brought on by his fear.

What are the main themes in the book, and why did you want to write about them?

The main themes are fear, anxiety, friendship, kindness, perception, and the power of the imagination. The Battle was based on real life experience so most of the themes naturally evolved. However, I did try to highlight the role that perception plays in our lives and how sometimes our fears are so strong that they make us see things that aren’t really there.

I would love to know whether there was a particular event or person that inspired this story? And how close is your character, Edward, to the real-life inspiration?

The Battle was inspired by a very special person – my son, Aiden – who developed a fear of going to school when he was 11 years old. He believed that he was being bullied by his friends and that the only way to escape them was to hide away from the world. It took a long time to get Aiden to face his fears and to reframe his thoughts - but we got there in the end!

Edward and Aiden couldn’t be more alike. Everything from their physical appearance, to their mannerisms are exactly the same. Every time I look at Edward, all I can see is my beautiful little boy.

Do you have a favourite part of the story, or an area that was particularly difficult to write? Why?

My favourite part of the story is when Edward realises that his armour is holding him back. I think that’s such a powerful concept because we all wear armour sometimes and don’t realise how much better our lives would be if we let our guards down.

The hardest part to write was the opening paragraph because it reminded me about how terrified Aiden actually was. Watching my son walk into school every morning broke my heart but I knew that if I didn’t send him into battle, he would never learn how to manage his fears.

The themes of the book are pretty universal, and I think will resonate with a lot of readers. How do you hope readers, parents and educators will utilise your book following their literary experience?

I hope that The Battle is not only enjoyable to read but that parents and educators use it as a tool to introduce children to the concept of perception and the fact that how we perceive the world around us directly influences everything we do. If we see ourselves as someone who is weak or unworthy, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy and we will always struggle in life. If we perceive the world as scary, we will approach people and places with trepidation or choose to hide away. It’s such an interesting and important topic to explore.

The illustrations, by Cara King, are absolutely gorgeous. Are there any little quirks or particular aspects in them you would like to draw our attention to?

When I saw the sample illustration that Cara sent to EK Books, I almost cried. Cara has never seen a picture of my son but Edward is the spitting image of him. Everything from his wavy dark hair, to the look in his eyes, to the way Edward sat on the floor reluctantly getting dressed for school was indicative of my son. I knew from the moment I saw Edward that Cara was the perfect illustrator for the job.

Finally, I’d love to know whether there are other children’s books covering similar themes you have enjoyed, and did you draw inspiration from any of them?

I can’t think of any other picture books that focus on the exact same themes as The Battle but there are lots of fabulous books about overcoming fears, making friends, and starting school such as Jessica’s Box and Sarah’s Heavy Heart by Peter Carnavas.

To be honest, I didn’t draw inspiration from any other books when I was writing The Battle. It was based on an issue my son was going through so I basically watched the story unfold before my eyes. I could feel my son’s pain so deeply that I had all the emotion I needed to tell this story.

Thank you so much!

Massive thanks to Ashling for answering my questions and giving us a peak behind the scenes! And of course to Books on Tour for having me along as part of the blog tour!

xo Bron
***
The Battle by Ashling Kwok
Source: I received a free e-copy via Books on Tour

Ashling Kwok is a Sydney based freelance copywriter - you can find her online here.
You can find Cara King and her gorgeous art on her website Caratoons here.
Find out more about Books on Tour PR & Marketing on the website here.

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In Australian author, kidlit

kidlit :: Whitney and Britney: Chicken Divas :: Lucinda Gifford

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In Australian author, kidlit

Review (kidlit) :: Who Am I? :: Anita Heiss

Anitia Heiss's Who Am I? is a middlegrade historical fiction novel set in Sydney in 1937, and is the fictional a diary of Mary Talence, a member of the Stolen Generation. It was originally published in 2001, and has been re-released as part of reconciliation week this year. I read this in one sitting last week, at the same time as the Black Lives Matter movement has been increasingly in the media. It feels kind of weird to do this review and talk about this book without mentioning that context (which I absolutely support, just to be clear). I know that a lot of people have been more intentional at the moment about searching out stories from Black and Aboriginal voices right now, and this is absolutely one to add to your list.

I woke up this morning and I couldn't stop crying, cos this place is not my home, even though everyone says it is. When I was a little girl Mum would always hug me when I cried and tell me everything would be all right. Who's gunna hug me here?

Mary lives with the Burkes, but they're not her real family. She hasn't seen her real mum and dad since she was taken away from them five years ago. Everyone tells her to forget about them but she can't. She wants to find out why she was taken, and where she really belongs.

This book is about issues that I felt like I knew something about, but I feel like Mary's story, and the way it is told in her voice, helped my heart to start to understand some of the things I thought I knew. I knew that children stolen from their families were cut off from their communities, and completely disconnected from their culture - and this is just so horrific and such a disgrace, and I knew of the grief and pain this caused then and continues to cause for so many now. This story not only expanded on that, but also made me think about all of the shame and guilt that was piled on to these children over and over again - shame for being Aboriginal and guilt as they were expected to be grateful that their lives were "improved" by being removed from their comunities. While I know Mary is fictional, and her story was imagined, I also know that this was a true story for so so many people, and the shame and the guilt and the grief have all really stuck with me since reading it.

The other thing that has really stayed with me since finishing this book was the Mary's strength and pride in who she is. Despite being pushed to forget her roots by almost everyone around her, she continues to push to learn more about the family and culture she was taken from, and remains proud to be Aboriginal.

The writing style Heiss has used, with the story being told in diary entries from the perspective of 10 year-old Mary, makes this a really accessible read - I feel like it presents issues in a way that young readers will be able to understand and in some ways relate to, but there is also plenty in here for adult readers to learn from. It would also be an excellent book to read with a child to start or support broader discussions about race and racism in the Australian context.

This is really kind of a little book, and it didn't take long for me to read, but at the same time big and important and moving in a way that I feel like my words are inadequate to describe, and I hope I have done it justice. I absolutely can't recommend it enough. I'm not sure whether it is on school reading lists yet, but I think this should absolutely be in homes and classrooms and libraries across the country.

xo Bron

***

Who Am I? by Anita Heiss

Source: I received a free copy from Scholastic Australia (Thank you!)
Category: Children's (middlegrade-ish) historical fiction
Themes: racism, family, Stolen Generation

Format: Paperback
RRP: $16.99

On Goodreads
Find Anita Heiss online at her website here

1Comments

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In Australian author, australian women writers

#loveozmg May :: The Year the Maps Changed :: Danielle Binks

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In fantasy, kidlit

Kidlit :: The Good Hawk :: Joseph Elliot

Middlegrade fantasy is my favourite thing to read at the moment. There are just so many great stories coming out in this category at the moment. One of the things I'm loving is the increasing amount of diversity I feel like we are seeing in stories for kids (or perhaps I'm paying more attention?). Joseph Elliot's recent novel The Good Hawk, is a great example of middlegrade fiction that is about a young person with a disability, without being a story about that disability.

Agatha is a Hawk, brave and fierce, who protects her people by patrolling the high walls of their island home. She is proud of her job, though some in her clan whisper that it is meant to keep her out of the way because of the condition she was born with. Jaime, thoughtful and anxious, is an Angler, but he hates the sea. Worse, he’s been chosen for a duty that the clan hasn’t required for generations: to marry. The elders won’t say why they have promised him to a girl in a neighboring clan, but there are rumors of approaching danger.

When disaster strikes and the clan is kidnapped, it is up to Agatha and Jaime to travel across the haunted mainland of Scotia to Norveg, with help along the way from a clan of nomadic Highland bull riders and the many animals who are drawn to Agatha’s extraordinary gift of communication.

The Good Hawk is the first book in the Shadow Skye series, and I'm so pleased this is goingt to be a series because I can't wait for more!

The story is set in a mythic version of Scotland which, for me, added to a kind of grand and spooky atmosphere created in the book - I could feel the mist and see the lochs, and it was fun to try and place the other locations they talked about too. Actually, I thought the world building in general was fantastic. I liked the way that people's powers worked, and the way that the society was structured gave a great opportunity to explore the issue of figuring out where you fit in, which is one of my favourite themes in kids' literature.

I mentioned above that the main character - Agatha has an intellectual disability, which is referred to but remains unnamed in the book. I loved that this was just part of her character rather than a big focus of the story. What we do see is that she tends to think differently from other people, and this is often a strength for her, rather than a weakness. I loved her development through the story - the way that she defies stereotypes and expectations others have of her.

Jaime's arc is also wonderful. His uncertainty about where he belongs and what he is doing is at odds with others seem to see him, which I think is a great reminder that people who seem confident and capable might not feel that way inside, and is also a great contrast to Agatha's confidence and boldness as their points of view alternate with the chapters. I also really liked contrast between them of Jaime's uncertainty about fitting in coming from within, whereas Agatha knows she can do a great job but is dealing with other people thinking she doesn't fit in.

The Good Hawk had my heart racing (and breaking!) at times, but that is balanced well with wonderful adventure and a decent amount of humour, to deliver a story that is really hopeful and fun at its heart.

xo Bron

***

The Good Hawk by Joseph Elliot

Out now from Walker Books
Source: I received a free advance copy from Walker Books (Thank you!)
Category: Middlegrade/upper primary (ages 9+) historical fantasy adventure
Themes: magic, friendship, power, revolution
Format: Paperback
Pages:
RRP:

The Good Hawk on Goodreads

Find Joseph Elliot online here

1Comments

, by Bron

In Allen & Unwin, Australian author

Kidlit :: E-BOY :: Anh Do

Anh Do must be one of Australia's most prolific authors at the moment - I feel like he has something new out all the time. I haven't read his lower primary books - like the WeirDo or Hot Dog series - but I have picked up some of his newer middlgrade/YA books - including his most recent release, E-Boy

Part human. Part robot. All hero!

Ethan is supposed to be doing regular teenage things - like playing sports and hanging out with friends.

He is not supposed to be in hospital getting a brain tumour removed by Gemini, a high-tech android doctor.

But just as the operation begins, the medical facility is hit by an unusual bolt of lightning…
When Ethan wakes up he discovers that things are different. He's always been good with computers, but now his skills are next-level. Ethan almost feels like he's…part of the machine.

And what about the android Gemini? If Ethan is now part robot, does that make the robot part human?

Ethan will need all his new skills just to stay alive.

This was a pretty fun read that I think will really hit the spot in it's target audience.

The plot sets a cracking pace, with a lot of action through out, and it has a great mix of humour and heavier issues.

I had a bit of trouble putting my finger on just what age group this should be recommended for. The Allen and Unwin website has it at 10-14 year olds, and I actually think it would work for reluctant readers a bit older than that too. The writing has a middlegrade feel in terms of the language, and the size of the font, length of the book etc, but also the characters are a bit older (Ethan is either at university or clever enough to be doing some study there) and there are some themes and plot points that could work for older readers, even though they are still suitable for readers at the lower end of that age range. For instance, Ethan has a crush on his doctor, he has friends in a romantic relationship, and we see some hints of political corruption. I think the inclusion of these sorts of themes could make this a great bridging book for readers who struggle a bit with reading and find that where the reading level of books suits them the content is too young - something I often see comments and recommendation requests around.

One of the key themes drawn out in the book is that classic sci-fi question of whether artificial intelligence can be sentient - what happens when the line between robot and person becomes blurry, and what rights does a machine have? I really enjoyed this element of the story, and I think this could really be a great starting point for interesting discussions with young people. Another great issue that I think is well handled, and could spark some good thinking, is about whether violence is ever justified - something that Gemini starts to 'think' about. For instance, is it ok to hurt 'bad guys' if you're saving hostages? I think this is a wonderful seed to plant, and to get young people considering.

I think this series is going to be another hit. I think it will be a great bridging book for reluctant readers, particularly boys, to move into chapter books, and - to be honest - I'm quite interested to find out what happens next!

xo Bron
***

E-Boy byAnh Do

Out now from Allen and Unwin

Source: Thanks to Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy for review. All views are my own.

Category: Middlegrade/Upper primary (ages 10+) science fiction adventure

Format: Paperback

Pages: 232 pages

RRP: $14.99

E-Boy on Goodread.
Find Anh Do online here.

4Comments

, by Bron

In Australian author, australian women writers

Kidlit :: The Republic of Birds :: Jessica Miller

I first came across Jessica Miller's then upcoming middlegrade fantasy novel The Republic of Birds when I was spending A LOT of time on twitter following #authorsforfireys. The cover is so stunning it caught my eye immediately (and its even better in real life!) - and, on reading the blurb, I thought it sounded really cool! Here's the summary from Goodreads.

Olga loves the stories of the old cartographers and pores over their ancient books and maps, trying to unlock their secrets. Sometimes, she can even feel through the maps—almost see into them — as if by magic.

When the bird army kidnaps Olga’s sister, Mira, Olga knows that only she can venture into the Republic of Birds to rescue her. But first, she must unlock her magical ability.

As her journey takes her into the hidden world of the Iagas and the wilds of the Unmappable Blank, Olga discovers the truth about the war with the birds—and learns just how much is at stake in her quest to save her sister.

I loved this book! It had a wonderful, sometimes almost creepy, Russian folktale feel - kind of like The Bear and the Nightingale for kids. There was humour and strange magic and adventure and politics, and the world was so rich and detailed -I really felt like we were getting a little peek into just one part of a much bigger place, and I honestly wanted more! I feel like there was so much about the world, and about Olga herself, that I would like to know more about - I really would not be mad if Miller wrote us some more stories from this universe.

Olga was a really fun protagonist to spend time with. She is fun and quirky and clever and brave - more so than she might know herself. I enjoyed seeing her interactions with others, and her wonderful obsession with maps and cartographers helped make her feel quite real to me - I love hearing kids talk about things they are passionate about, and this was very much like that. I also really enjoyed seeing how Olga's view of herself changed throughout the book - I love a finding your place/strength narrative, and this was a really lovely element of Olga's story

The relationship between Olga and Mira was wonderfully written. I loved the way that Miller drew out that balance that often exists in sibling relationships between rivalry - or even jealousy - and intense, conquers-all sisterly love.

Overall I just thought this was an absolute delight, and am looking forward to getting my hands on Miller's previous book Elizabeth and Zenobia. I think this would be a great read for anyone after a clever and magical adventure, and perfect for fans of books like Matt Haig's A Boy Called Christmas series (the humour and quirky magic and brave protagonists gave them a similar kind of vibe for me - you can see me rave about those over here).

xo Bron
***

The Republic of Birds by Jessica Miller

Out now from Text Publishing
Source: I received a free advance copy from Text Publishing (Thank you!)
Category: Middlegrade/upper primary (ages 9+) fantasy adventure fiction
Themes: family, magic, sisters, finding your place
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
RRP: $16.99

The Republic of Birds on Goodreads

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, by Bron

Pages

kidlit :: The Battle :: Ashling Kwok

kidlit :: Whitney and Britney: Chicken Divas :: Lucinda Gifford

Review (kidlit) :: Who Am I? :: Anita Heiss

#loveozmg May :: The Year the Maps Changed :: Danielle Binks

Kidlit :: The Good Hawk :: Joseph Elliot

Kidlit :: E-BOY :: Anh Do

Kidlit :: The Republic of Birds :: Jessica Miller

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