Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found
Twelve year old Amira has only ever known a life at sea with her sea-witch mothers. So when their ship is wrecked in a great storm, Amira is delighted to have an opportunity to explore land – accompanied by her best friend Namur – a jinn in cat form. Amira soon finds a boy who has a jinn like her, and learns that their spirit companions are connected to the mysterious storm that gets stronger each day.
When Namur goes missing Amira discovers she has to visit a magical place; a place where lost things can be found. But will Amira also discover her own destiny, and find out what it truly means to be a Moonchild?
The Sahar Peninsula is a place that lies just beyond the horizon. If you’ve ever tried to reach the horizon, you’ll realize it isn’t the easiest to get to. No maps will take you there, nor can it be charted by gazing up at the stars, or down at a compass.
If you’re wondering who I am, and why I’m telling you this story, you’ll have to wait for quite some time to find out. It’s a secret, you understand. And I need to know that you’re the right person to keep it.
Are you?
I’m not so sure just yet.
Now that we’ve introduced ourselves, shall we begin?
MOONCHILD
Illustrated by Rachael Dean
MOONCHILD: VOYAGE OF THE LOST AND FOUND is Aisha Bushby’s second book, and I had high hopes after A POCKETFUL OF STARS was such a uniquely brilliant read (watch her read some of APOS here). It is completely different, but just as satisfying! It is about adventure and science and magic and family and relationships, with a narrator occasionally bringing you out of the action to remind you that every adventure is a story, but that ‘stories never start at the beginning and they never ever finish at the end’. And, my new favourite piece of advice, from Jamila (one of Amira’s mothers), is:
All great adventures begin with a nap.
Amira is well cared for, by her two mothers, who encourage her magic (she can smell emotions) but know that it wouldn’t be looked upon kindly by others. As they spend most of their time at sea it isn’t a problem and Amira is very sheltered, but on visiting a souk while they’re docked for repairs after a storm, she starts to uncover some secrets and mysteries related to where she came from…she also makes a friend, and the developing relationship really builds the characters. The occasional gorgeous black and white illustration (and two stunning double page spreads) highlights the personality of the characters and builds up the tension in the nerve-wracking parts (there are some *very* nerve-wracking parts). The young friends problem solve together and I’m so excited that there are more adventures to come.
After having interviewed Aisha around the launch of her debut, I jumped at the chance to read this new novel and ask her another round of questions!
Before writing these questions I read a Netgalley eProof rather than a physical copy. I prefer to read hardcopy because, unless I really concentrate, I accidentally skim read a screen & miss things! Which prompts me to ask whether you have a format preference when you’re reading?
Both! I like to read on a screen before bed (so I can lie down and have the light off), and a book during the day.
A POCKETFUL OF STARS was a fantasy grounded in reality, whereas this is a completely new world. Did you find that gave you more freedom to tell the story or did it make it trickier to structure it?
A bit of both! On the one hand, in MOONCHILD I was able to bend/rewrite my own rules to solve plot holes, which I couldn’t do so much with STARS. On the other hand, I had to spend a lot more time creating a world (including the rules I had planned to bend) from scratch. But I really enjoyed the challenge!
I love the mix of science & magic, was Leo a scientist as soon as he came to you or did it evolve as you thought about the rules of magic?
My stories change dramatically from draft to draft, so it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment I made that choice. but I knew I wanted science to frame my magical rules, to keep them in check.
The Stormbird and its influence is based on the second law of ecology: everything must go somewhere. Once I figured this out, it helped the rest of the plot unfold, and inspired a few other details.
Leo was the natural choice for the role of scientist in the group, because Amira’s skills lie in seafaring, and I needed him to bring something to the table, too. I also see the certainty of science as a comfort to him, given his background.
Last time I interviewed you I asked about your planned school visits. Did talking to school children about A POCKETFUL OF STARS alter your approach to your second novel?
I was really nervous when A POCKETFUL OF STARS was released. It’s not exactly a light-hearted read, but speaking to children, and seeing how they related to the book and how deeply they think about things was inspiring.
It gave me the confidence to write about subjects like emotions and mental health for that audience, (albeit from a more adventure-driven perspective) knowing that they’re receptive to it.
Have you done any remote events in recent months or are you crossing your fingers for in-person events again ASAP?
I’ve done a few, and I really enjoy them! As much as I miss in-person events, I don’t plan on attending them unless I know it’s going to be completely safe. But I think we have the opportunity to explore more remote options that provide a greater level of accessibility for everyone involved.
I will always ask: What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?
I am very lucky to be reading My Life As A Cat by Carlie Sorosiak, which I would recommend to everyone, but especially people who (like me) love cats. Her writing is sublime.
I didn’t know there was more to come, was that your intention when you started to write or did you realise that your characters had more stories to tell as you were writing?
Because the structure is loosely inspired by The Arabian Nights, with short stories and a narrator, it allowed me to explore each character and their desires fully.
I wrote the first book with the intention that it could work as a standalone, but I also imagined other books told from different character perspectives.
Do you know how long a series it will be? Is it taking up all your writing time or have you got other projects you’re thinking about too?
I’m currently editing the second MOONCHILD book… And that’s all I’ll say for now. 😀
I’m always thinking of other projects, but it’s good to have a few sit there and see which end up sticking. That’s actually how MOONCHILD came about – it was a book I wasn’t supposed to write, but one that wouldn’t go away.
Thank you to Egmont for inviting me to be part of the tour, and to Aisha for answering my questions. This first books is on sale from 6th August 2020, and I’m really looking forward to reading their further adventures soon!
Cinderella is Dead
It’s 200 years since Cinderella found her prince … but the fairytale is over.
Bloomsbury
Sophia knows the story though, off by heart. Because every girl has to recite it daily, from when she’s tiny until the night she’s sent to the royal ball for choosing. And every girl knows that she has only one chance. For the lives of those not chosen by a man at the ball … are forfeit.
But Sophia doesn’t want to be chosen. She doesn’t want to go to the ball at all. Not when she’s afraid the girl she loves might be chosen too.
Pushed beyond breaking by a society that denies everything she is, Sophia sets out on a journey that will remake her world … into one where SHE gets to choose.
A thrilling and original twist on the Cinderella story – breaking stereotypes of race, gender and sexuality to create a brand-new YA fairytale and a heroine for our times
The friendships and relationships (both family and romantic) are flawed and interesting, with queer romances and an entirely Black cast. I thought the way that Sophia and Erin each approach their illegal love for one another rang true, with Erin becoming distant and mean to avoid feeling anything that made life difficult, even if it meant an unhappy life, while Sophia simply couldn’t bear that outcome. This society is built around the fairy tale “Happy Ending”, but how much does the version that Sophia and her friends know differ from the actual history of Cinderella and her Prince Charming? Some people believe less than others and only go along with it “because it is the way it is done”, but it is dangerous to obviously disagree with the status quo. Sophia is dreading the life proscribed for her by the story, but things take a turn for the worse and she is forced on the run…only to discover that the lies are even bigger than she thought. The violence encouraged by the patriarchal society is unflinching and she has good reason to fear for their futures! It is difficult to talk about my favourite things without spoilers, but I’ll just say I absolutely loved the way the role of the Fairy Godmother played out.
CINDERELLA IS DEAD is really clever in the way it really brings home to readers that accounts of events are written by the victors, and that doesn’t necessarily mean they were the ‘goodies’ and the losers were the ‘baddies’, by unpicking the history that society uses to impose rules.
I asked the author, Kalynn Bayron, a few questions!
You talk about the legacy of stories and how they shape who we become in your introductory letter for CINDERELLA IS DEAD. What books do you think made the biggest mark on you growing up? I love fairy tales. I had a big book of collected works when I was a kid that had older versions of Snow White, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, etc. As a teenager, I discovered Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston whose work has affected not only my writing but the entirety of my life. I read a lot of Anne Rice as a teenager, too, which is where my love of vampires comes from.
What prompted you to choose to rework the tale of Cinderella over any other fairy tale? Cinderella is a pretty popular tale, it’s highly visible. That’s Cinderella’s castle at Disneyworld, kids dress up as her for Halloween—she’s everywhere. I wanted to retell a story that was instantly recognizable and deconstruct it in a way that centered the kinds of people who are nowhere to be found in the story itself, mainly Black, queer people. So, I wrote this story that explores not only how fairy tales have the power to personally affect who we become, but also allows the reader to see this
fairy tale world through the eyes of a young woman who is actively harmed by the societal norms the fairy tale itself perpetuates. It’s a continuation of the Cinderella story and a kind of reworking of that already established framework that makes it accessible to people like me, while also being wrapped in this dangerous, magical, mystery.
Who was your favourite character to write? I love Sophia and I loved writing her, but Constance was also really fun to write. She’s funny, very smart, and she wears her heart right on her sleeve. She is willing to lay down her life for Sophia almost as soon as they meet, and I think that speaks to the kind of person she is. For her, it’s all or nothing. She’s very intense and I had a so much fun writing her.
The real world parallels of those in power rewriting history to maintain systems of oppression are significant & thought provoking – what would you like YA readers to take away from that? It’s important to ask questions and it’s okay to change your mind. The people in this fictional world and readers in the real world have an opportunity, every day, to do just that. Some people take advantage of the chance to learn and grow and change their behaviors, others do not. Sometimes it feels easier to do the thing that has always been done. Real change requires introspection and a willingness to admit that you were wrong or that something you once believed was wrong. That’s really hard for some people to do, but it’s the only way to start the hard work of unlearning and telling the entire truth when it comes to our history. It’s the only way forward.
With your debut publishing in such unusual times, have you had much of a chance to interact with teen readers or get any feedback? The good thing is that I get a chance to interact with teen readers on my social media all the time. I get emails and DMs from teens who are really looking forward to Cinderella Is Dead and it makes me incredibly happy! I’m writing for teens, so their support is very important to me and I take any opportunity I can to interact with them. So many lives have been lost to COVID-19 and the measures we, as individuals, are taking to keep ourselves and our communities safe continue to be important and necessary. I look forward to the day where I get to meet my teen readers face to face, but for now, keep the emails and messages coming! I really enjoy them!
Do you write to a soundtrack or prefer peace & quiet? I love writing to soundtracks. The Penny Dreadful soundtrack is perfect for creepy, atmospheric writing sessions. The music from The House with the Clock in its Walls is great, too! I also love musical theatre so Sweeney Todd, Hadestown, and Wicked OBC recordings are also great to write to. Video game soundtracks are also great to write to, especially if I’m in a headspace where lyrics are too much of a distraction. Assassin’s Creed 2 and Final Fantasy 7 are my go-to’s.
What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to? I’m always reading a few different books at a time. Right now, it’s A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow, which is a brilliant modern fantasy centering Black girls, one of whom is a Siren. If you love magical creatures in a modern setting, Black Girl Magic, and a powerful story about friendship and family, you’ll love this book. I’m also re-reading Rory Power’s Wilder Girls, and I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves a story that makes you simultaneously excited and terrified to turn the page. The creeping sense of dread she manages to infuse in her work is spellbinding.
The worst question I know, but I’m going to ask it anyway: what are you working on at the moment? I actually love this question! I’m working on lots of things that I can’t really talk about, so I have to get real creative in how I discuss them and it makes me have to think outside the box. I have a book coming out next year. It’s a modern YA fantasy that is equal parts The Secret Garden and Little Shop of Horrors with a sprinkle of Hadestown. I’m also finishing up a draft of a paranormal Middle Grade that is like an age-appropriate-Watchmen(TV) meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It has been so much fun to write!
I’m very grateful to Bloomsbury for giving me the opportunity to ask Kalynn a few questions, and to Kalynn for taking the time to give such great answers
I read the book on NetGalley, but it is out in the UK on 6th August!
Library Sweets/Candy Club
I had this idea years ago, back in my UK Public Library days but I was unable to get it off the ground at the time due to not knowing any US Librarians and a smaller network than I have now.
The basic premise is to set up two groups (at least), one in a US Library and another in a Library in the UK (or Libraries in other exotic parts of the world) and running a quarterly/bi-annual (more or less as your budget allows) candy/sweet tasting group. It can be tied in to holidays that have chocolates or other types of sweets/candy as a central part of the celebrations (thinking of Easter and Hallowe’en as two of the biggest examples).
The idea muscled its way back into my fore-brain due to the Percy Pigs kerfuffle that erupted in the UK earlier this week, this made me realise how much I missed them and other British sweets, which in turn brought up the group idea as I pondered how American kids would react to tasting Percy Pigs.
This will only be able to run once we have Covid19 sorted out, but in the interim library folk can form alliances with colleagues in other countries and arrange to send examples of local confectionery from where they are from.
If anyone is interested in finding contacts in the UK or US leave a comment below for international colleagues to find you.
Dream Team
Meet the Dream Team! They turn nightmares into incredible adventures in this fast-paced first book in the series written and illustrated by the award-winning Tom Percival.
Attack of the Heebie Jeebies
Erika’s had a bad day and struggles with her emotions, especially her temper. But going to sleep upset means bad dreams. She finds herself stranded in the Dreamscape along with a mob of hungry Heebie Jeebies – and to make matters worse, she’s being hunted by a terrifying Angermare! Only the Dream Team can help save Erika now and help her overcome her worries and get home, or will she be trapped forever?Attack of the Heebie Jeebies is the launch title in this fun and engaging two-colour illustrated series, exploring anxiety in in children through action and adventure. With echoes of Dreamworks’s Inside Out and The Incredibles Dream Team is a great way to introduce children to managing their anger, especially if they have a bad case of the heebie-jeebies!
The second book in the fun and adventure-packed Dream Team series, Erika returns to tackle some more nightmares in the dreamscape, in this case the jitters!
A Case of the Jitters
Erika’s friend Kris is HILARIOUS. She thinks he should perform in their
school’s talent show, but he’s far too nervous.
And when Erika gets a call from the Dream Team to help on a mission, she meets another girl who is struggling with confidence. Chanda’s dream is being attacked by the jitters and nothing seems to be going right.
Try as they might, the team can’t get control of her dream – until Erika realizes that there is a connection between Chanda and Kris. Can she help Chanda to find some confidence before the jitters take over completely?
The perfect book for children to learn how to overcome anxiety and nervousness in a digestible and entertaining way.
Tom Percival’s Big Bright Feelings picturebooks for Bloomsbury are brilliant introductions to emotions for younger children, and in his new series for Macmillan Children’s he tackles the big subject of anxiety and related emotions (starting the series with with bad tempers and self confidence) but in short, highly illustrated chapter books for a middle grade audience (age 5+). Some dark stuff happens in bad dreams (just wait until you meet the Bone Cobble in A Case of the Jitters!) but I just love the humour in these books that balances it out nicely. There is properly witty banter between the characters, pitched perfectly for the younger reader but also funny to an older child (and any grownups reading with them), and the characters are great fun. His dreamscapes are really inventive but I also like that Erika’s real-world relationships are developed. I think these books would be great to read with a child to see what conversations they spark around feelings and worries, but they are also just great fun reads…and make sure you read the acknowledgements, heehee!
TEACHERS/SCHOOL LIBRARIANS: They would be wonderful to read with a class, and here are some lesson plans (with links to audio of the first two chapters) to whet your appetite!
Thank you to Macmillan Kids for inviting me to be part of the tour, and sending review copies of these two wonderful titles! I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series.
The Diverse Book Awards
This morning the longlists for The Diverse Book Awards were announced, created by The Author School to showcase the talent of marginalised voices, and the books started arriving at my house to read!
I’m really please that two of my fellow judges are actual teenagers, reading the children’s and YA lists, and the awards also teamed up with blogger and photographer Tenelle Ottley-Matthew, to help spread the love, so do keep your eye on her blog, insta and twitter!
The Children’s Longlist:
The YA Longlist:
The Adult Longlist:
To be eligible, the author has to be UK based and the book had to be published in the UK in 2019. I’ve already read all the YA and most of the children’s lists, all brilliant titles that I’m looking forward to rereading with the criteria in mind, to help choose the shortlist and eventual winner! I’ve read one of the grownup books so far…
Andersen Press release FREE ‘Summer Staycation Activity Pack’
Andersen Press are continuing their commitment to supporting children and families who are at home with a free activity pack featuring their new summer titles. As many families will be taking their holidays at home or in the UK Andersen wants to offer families a cost-effective way to spend an afternoon (sunny or rainy) during the great British Summertime.
The Summer Staycation Activity Pack features free colouring sheets, word searches, spot-the-difference games and more based on a selection of Andersen titles;
Luna Loves Art by Joseph Coelho and Fiona Lumbers
The Mouse’s Apples by Frances Stickley and Kristyna Litten
The Baby Beast by Chris Judge
The Bug Collector by Alex G Griffiths
Don’t Go There by Jeanne Willis and Hrefna Bragadottir
Duck and Penguin Are NOT Friends by Julia Woolf
Bricks by Katie Cotton and Tor Freeman
The Bolds on Holiday by Julian Clary and David Roberts
And Mermaid School by Lucy Courtenay and Sheena Dempsey
Also included is a competition, for one family to win each book featured in the pack.
The pack is free for all, and has been sent to Andersen’s list of bookshops, libraries and contacts for their use too, and compliments the work Andersen Press has been doing to share their books online during the COVID19 pandemic, with free, weekly story times on Seven Stories Facebook page continuing until September, regular storytimes on Panto Dame Mama G’s facebook page, partnerships with Save the Children’s #SaveWithStories (which saw BBC One Normal People’s Paul Mescal read Elmer and Super El, viewed over 500,000 times) and Coram Beanstalk to reach as many families as possible in lockdown.
Sarah Kimmelman, Andersen Press’ Head of Marketing has said of the release, “We know that life for many families out there is nowhere near back-to-normal, and with a lack of events, appearances and festivals it’s also not back to normal for us publishers, so we wanted to offer something accessible to as many people as possible to brighten up a summer at home whilst introducing families to some of our gorgeous new books.”
The Summer Staycation Activity Pack is available to download free here:
https://www.andersenpress.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Summer-Staycation-Activity-Pack.pdf
When Stars are Scattered
Omar and his brother Hassan, two Somali boys, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Separated from their mother, they are looked after by a friendly stranger. Life in the camp isn’t always easy and the hunger is constant . . . but Omar devotes everything to taking care of his young brother and pursuing his education.
Faber
This is set to be one of my favourite graphic novels of all time. You will laugh, cry, rage, and cheer many times over the course of the book, a study in empathy, as Omar and Hassan experience the ups and downs of life in a refugee camp with the dream of resettling in America hanging over their heads. It is based on Omar Mohamed’s account of real experiences of growing up, so obviously the relationships are real, but they are brought off the page so beautifully and in so few words, through the skillful work of Victoria Jamieson (brilliantly coloured by Iman Geddy).
Narrated by Omar, we see his perspective of the environment and people, and how it changes when he was feeling hopeful or down. Bad things do happen to them, as well as good things, and Omar talks them through and shares his feelings with the reader. One panel that really struck me was after Omar had been talking to a friend who’s family had been chosen to be resettled, he tries so hard to be positive all the time but can’t help but think “It’s not fair”. He tells us:
…Of course, thinking like this doesn’t do you any good. Somalis even have a word for it. BUFIS. It means the intense longing to be resettled. It’s almost like your mind is already living somewhere else, while your body is stuck in a refugee camp…
We first meet Omar and his brother Hassan once they have already been living in the camp for a long time (have a read of the first chapter in the extract) and the way their journey to the camp is told to us, as it recounted in Omar’s UN interview for potential resettlement, is really powerful. We follow them for years, until Omar is 18, and I was particularly moved by the relationship with Fatuma, how they came to be together, and how Omar realised more and more with age how lucky they all were to have one another.
It does have a happy and hopeful ending for Omar and Hassan, but doesn’t let you forget the thousands more people still stuck in the limbo of refugee camps. I think this is essential reading for, well, everyone aged 8+ frankly.
Huge thanks to Faber for sending me a copy for review and inviting me to join the blog tour. WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERD is out in the UK now!
A Parent’s Guide to Black Lives Matter
Yoopies UK the childcare platform, has put together a family-friendly resource guide for parents about the Black Lives Matter movement from a British perspective; with contributions from both white and BAME writers.
This guide shares resources (films, podcasts, books etc), advice, and tips to ensure that children are aware of racial inequality, racial hierarchies, and white privilege present in modern-day society, as well as share some knowledge to help combat racism today.
The guide can be downloaded here:
The Police and Public Libraries
I have seen police officers in libraries for as long as I have been a library worker, they come in as patrons, they have been called in if people started endangering the lives of patrons and staff, occasionally an officer will come in and do a walk-through the library, more recently I have witnessed official library events featuring police officers including Youth Services organized “Story-time with a Police Officer” which is a local PO will come in uniform and read some stories at a library story-time event and a Civic Engagement series called “Coffee with a Cop” which is basically just that – a Police Officer sitting drinking coffee and chatting to local library patrons.
I am aware that seeing the police as being helpful and there to help is very much a White viewpoint; other population groups, Black, Asian and others have differing viewpoints and opinions about them.
I have been concerned about story-times being lead by police officers for ages now but the coronavirus closures put those thoughts on the back burner, they are now forefront in my mind now in the wake of the violence against protesters that has been occurring on a daily basis since people began standing up in reaction to the murder of George Floyd. This ongoing violence has been an eye-opener to many people that live in denial of the violence police often perpetrate against minority groups.
Can libraries afford to keep hosting police-centered events and at the same time claim to be welcoming to everyone?
It is often vulnerable groups and individuals that have the most need of the services that libraries provide and they are the most at risk of being traumatized by coming face to face with uniformed police officers at library sanctioned events. These encounters will in all likelihood re-traumatize them again and they are already at the receiving end of police violence; this will, in all likelihood keep them from returning for fear of encountering the police again.
The fig leaf argument that libraries are neutral spaces gets more threadbare every day. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor
Neutrality does not mean having no opinion, it means being open to other opinions. I am of the opinion that it is past time for libraries to look at who we partner with and discuss how we can move forward with offering a truly inclusive and welcoming service.
Before we allow the police in for photo-opportunity events, we must demand real and substantive change in the way they behave towards all groups in the communities they ostensibly serve.
In demanding that of them we must, at the same time interrogate our own biases and how we behave towards others as well as challenging ourselves and those around us to actively fight racist thought and activities that pervade our daily lives.
