Mapping out my favourite parts of Danielle Binks’ novel ‘The Year the Maps Changed’

Title: The Year the Maps Changed
Year: 1999 (Sorrento, Victoria)
Compass: Head south to locate the official synopsis of this debut middle grade novel by Danielle Binks.

Fred’s family is a mess. Her mother died when she was six and she’s been raised by her Pop and adoptive father, Luca, ever since. But now Pop’s had to go away, and Luca’s girlfriend Anika and her son, Sam, have moved in. More and more it feels like a land-grab for family and Fred is the one being left off the map.

Even as things feel like they’re spinning out of control for Fred, a crisis from the other side of the world comes crashing in. When a group of Kosovar-Albanian refugees are brought to a government ‘safe haven’ not far from Sorrento, their fate becomes intertwined with the lives of Fred and her family in ways that no one could have expected.

Beautiful cover illustration by Astred Hicks

Map Key/Legend:

❤️ = This book is full of heart. Fred is such a brilliant main character who is going through a time when there are so many changes to contend with. Not only in her personal life, where she’s dealing with grade six and a family unit that’s evolving into something she’s not quite emotionally ready for. But in the wider world around her too. Fred can be stubborn and put her foot in it at times, but she’s also empathetic, kind and has a strong moral compass.

My top 3 favourite things about Fiona Hardy’s novel ‘How to Make a Movie in 12 Days’

INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE. AFTERNOON. A blogger, CARLY, finishes reading How to Make a Movie in 12 Days. She holds up THE BOOK and looks towards the camera with a grin.

CARLY
This debut middle grade novel by Fiona Hardy is amazing! It’s funny, heartfelt, mysterious and made me want to watch every movie mentioned in it.

THE BOOK
Tell them about my synopsis!

CARLY
Great idea, awesome book!

Beautiful cover illustration by Jess Racklyeft

Eleven-year-old film enthusiast, Hayley Whelan, has wanted to make a horror movie her whole life. When Hayley’s grandmother passes away, she’s gifted a video camera from the inheritance so she can make her film ‘Rosebud’ over the holidays with her friends. But Hayley is in for some horrors of her own when it becomes clear that someone is trying to sabotage her movie.

Firstly, I loved how prominent Hayley’s joy for filmmaking was.

3 brilliant things I loved in ‘The Brilliant Ideas of Lily Green’ by Lisa Siberry

One time in grade six I tried to create my own Impulse body spray by mixing together apple juice, bubble bath and potpourri in a spritzer bottle. After a few days the scent was very ‘eau de forgotten fruit in a schoolbag’. But I loved the thrill of inventing something despite the mishaps, much like Lily Green, the main character in this wonderful middle grade novel from Lisa Siberry (and winner of the 2017 Ampersand Prize from Hardie Grant Egmont).

How fantastic is this cover illustration by Maggie Cole

Twelve-year-old Lily is dealing with a lot. Her best friend, Violet, is spending less time with her and more energy on Zoe Von Hammer, Lily’s nemesis. Zoe is also determined to beat Lily in the school science competition for the third year in a row. And on top of all that, Lily’s family salon – the last reminder she has of her dad – is up for sale. The only silver lining is that Lily’s beauty inventions are finally succeeding thanks to some interesting ingredients from her neighbour’s garden. But are her inventions too good to be true?

One of the coolest things in this novel is seeing Lily’s creativity evolve and reading about the fun inventions she makes (even if they end up going haywire).

My top 3 favourite things about Nina Kenwood’s YA debut ‘It Sounded Better In My Head’

Not to go all Jerry Maguire, but this book had me at hello. Well, it actually had me at the chapter sample I was lucky enough to grab at YA Day in February, but either way I was hooked on the main character Natalie’s voice & characterisation and needed to know more. It also won the 2018 Text Prize, which is pretty darn cool.

Natalie’s at a time in her life where everything is changing. Her two best friends are in a relationship together (leaving her feeling a bit third-wheel-ish), she’s finished high school and is waiting to see what her future holds, and to top it all off she’s discovered her parents are separating. Nothing is going according to her plans… But then an unexpected romance comes along and makes things even more confusing.

I have never wanted to use #same or #mood more than I did when I was reading about Natalie’s inner thoughts – the social anxiety, the self-doubt, the overthinking. Nina Kenwood has written such a relatable character.

3 reasons why you should read ‘Nullaboo Hullabaloo’ by Fleur Ferris

If that fun book title isn’t enough to entice you, then may I present to you: FAIRIES. Honest to goodness fairies. Younger, convinced-fairies-were-living-in-the-garden me would have devoured this story & I’m happy to report older, still-loves-magical-things me adored Fleur’s story, too.

Grade four student, Gemma Hart, already has a lot to contend with. Her parents are talking about moving away from the lovely country town of Nullaboo, and she’s stuck with the topic of march flies for her school science project when she really wanted butterflies. But her life gets even more complicated when she discovers a fairy called Janomi in her bug catcher who desperately needs Gemma’s help to save her fairy colony from not one, but two evil forces.

I love that this book allows you to embrace the wonderment of magic in your own world.

My top 3 favourite things about Meg McKinlay’s novel ‘Catch a Falling Star’

For Frankie Avery, the most memorable moment of 1979 was supposed to be graduating primary school – but then a space station called Skylab started to fall towards Earth. Most people are either frightened or fascinated by the ordeal, but for Frankie it has reawakened painful memories of grief and loss about her father she thought she’d locked away. And if that wasn’t enough to contend with, younger brother, Newt, has become fixated on Skylab and what its reemergence back home could mean for his family. “Maybe a space station isn’t the only thing heading straight for calamity.”

The way Meg McKinlay explores sorrow and heartache through her writing is beautifully and realistically done.

3 reasons why you should read Poppy Nwosu’s YA novel ‘Making Friends With Alice Dyson’

Alice Dyson has her eyes on the prize in her final year of school: concentrate solely on her studies so she can graduate with top marks. No distractions wanted! But the universe has other plans in store for her. One being Teddy Taualai, the school’s notorious troublemaker who has suddenly taken a shine to Alice. And the other is conflict with her best (and only) friend May, who appears to be slowly growing apart from Alice, much to her despair.

One of the best things about this novel was that I liked the way friendship was presented in all of its multifaceted glory.

My top 3 favourite things about Sarah Epstein’s YA thriller ‘Small Spaces’

I started reading Small Spaces at night. On the one hand, it really amped up the chilling mood. On the other hand, I finished it at 2am & then every noise around the house became an OH GOD WHAT WAS THAT?! noise. Let me tell you, as someone with an already overactive imagination, it was a wild ride getting to sleep. It was all worth it, though, because Sarah Epstein has written a truly captivating, spine-tingling and thought-provoking debut novel.

When Tash Carmody was a kid, she saw her frightening imaginary friend Sparrow lure a young girl named Mallory from a carnival. Thankfully Mallory came home, but no one believed Tash’s story, and as she grew older she accepted that Sparrow wasn’t real. But Tash is in for a shock when Sparrow – and the memories associated with him – start to resurface just as Mallory and her family move back to town. Will Tash be able to uncover the truth about what really happened that terrible day at the carnival?

One of the best elements of this novel is that your mind is constantly changing about which characters you can trust – even Tash.

3 reasons why you should read ‘The Legend of Podkin One-Ear’ by Kieran Larwood

As soon as I finished this captivating tale I wanted to run out and join a clan of brave warrior rabbits to go on adventures with. Horses were never my thing as a kid – I was hopping mad for bunnies, Bugs, Buster, Babs or otherwise – so this book spoke right to my I-once-unwittingly-hired-Watership-Down-from-the-video-store-as-a-child-and-still-maintained-my-unabiding-love-for-rabbits soul.

Podkin One-Ear is the son of a warrior chieftain. Podkin’s life is thrown into chaos when his home is attacked by The Gorm (a group of mutated, iron-clad rabbits who have messed with dark magic). He escapes with his siblings – older sister, Paz, and baby brother, Pook – but the young trio are in for a dangerous journey as they try and find a way to rescue their family and defeat the evil creatures that have descended upon them.

The novel is interesting in that it alternates between a rabbit bard, narrating the story of Podkin to a group of wide-eyed bunnies on Bramblemas Eve, and then delving into Podkin’s adventures as they played out.

The A-Z highlights of why you should read ‘Lenny’s Book of Everything’ by Karen Foxlee

Volumes A to H

Author appreciation – This is the first book I’ve read by Aussie author Karen Foxlee and I’m equal parts kicking myself for not being aware of her brilliance sooner, but also quite excited to realise that along with Lenny’s Book of Everything, Karen has published four other novels. (Dear Santa, I know what I want for Christmas…)

Beautiful story – Lenny’s brother, Davey, has a rare form of gigantism. At age seven he’s already the size of an adult and his growth shows no signs of stopping. Lenny loves her younger brother, but it’s sometimes hard to grapple with the emotional gravity of their lives.

One thing Lenny and Davey look forward to arriving each week is the latest intriguing instalment of Burrell’s Build-It-at-Home Encyclopedia, which allows them to become experts on topics such as beetles and eagles, and dream about the places they can visit one day. But the window for adventure becomes smaller as Davey becomes bigger and his health deteriorates, much to his family’s distress.

Family dynamics – Even though Lenny knows Davey is going through a lot, she still has her realistic moments where she gets utterly fed up with him (and vice versa).