Moby-Dick | Herman Melville #Classic

Well, I did it!
My seven-month #slowread of Moby-Dick is officially done and dusted.
If you've ever wondered if you should make the time to read this classic chunkster, then I say yea!
And I cannot recommend highly enough the #slowread approach.
Moby-Dick is improved and enhanced by taking your time.

The Atlantic | Aug 20, 2013 | David Gilbert

You cannot read this book for speed. It is designed for the long haul, the chapters never too long, naps seemingly built into the text. It is, dare I say, a voyage.

My journey through Moby-Dick has been one of various obsessions.
Early on, I got caught up in articles written to celebrate the 200th birthday of Melville. Why is this book so beloved and so reviled at the same time? Why is it considered so great by so many?

After I started reading, I went off on a Herman Melville obsession. I needed to know as much about the man himself. His life, his purpose, his influences. Biographies and articles were scoured. Who was this man and what were his obsessions? What was he trying to achieve in writing Moby-Dick? What were his demons? Was he Ishmael or Ahab? What was his legacy?

“Melville died in New York on September 28, 1891, blissfully unaware that, in the years to come, so many people would leave the hyphen out of 'Moby-Dick.”
― Richard Armour, The Classics Reclassified.

Then I got caught up in the religious symbolism.
I had read a lot about his religious background and the number of biblical references through-out Moby-Dick, but I became more and more surprised (and curious) about the growing number of negative comments about Christianity in the book. What was going on here? Was this a personal tug-o-war between faith and how it was practised? What did Melville believe? Was this a crisis of faith? Or was this someone abandoning his strict childhood doctrine for a more modern, scientific, humanist approach to life?

And so, through all the thick mists of the dim doubts in my mind, divine intuitions now and then shoot, enkindling my fog with a heavenly ray. And for this I thank God; for all have doubts; many deny; but doubts or denials, few along with them, have intuitions. Doubts of all things earthly, and intuitions of some things heavenly; this combination makes neither believer nor infidel, but makes a man who regards them both with equal eye.

Themes became my next obsession as I researched all those allusions and metaphors about lines, threads and weaving. The repetition of life, from unknown beginning to unknown end. The Loom of Time. Who was controlling or designing the fabric of life? Which led to digging deeper into fate and destiny and free-will.

Is Ahab, Ahab? Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm? But if the great sun move not of himself; but is an errand-boy in heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I.

Shakespearean influences captured my imagination next. From the mad fools to the prideful tyrants. Amusing ditties and stunning word-play. The influence on Melville was obvious.

It was a clear steel-blue day. The firmaments of air and sea were hardly separable in that all-pervading azure; only, the pensive air was transparently pure and soft, with a woman's look, and the robust and man-like sea heaved with long, strong, lingering swells, as Samson's chest in his sleep.

And, it's funny.
That's something they don't always tell you about Moby-Dick.
So many of the stories and set-pieces are designed to be ridiculous, amusing or ironic. Ishmael is often (unknowingly) hilarious. Pip plays the fool. Stubb and Flask are funny.

Think not, is my eleventh commandment; and sleep when you can, is my twelfth.

However, by the time I reached the end of this epic journey, where we only had 3-4 chapters that actually featured Moby Dick in action, I realised that this was a book all about the journey. It's about all the stuff we learn about ourselves and the world as we travel through it. It's about working out our purpose in life. It's about obsession.

Moby-Dick is full of all that marvellous big picture stuff that you can really mull over, often hidden amongst all the details. And there were LOTS of details. One of Ishmael/Melville's purposes in life was to gain and show off share knowledge!

Although by the end, we come to understand that Moby-Dick is actually Ishmael's grief memoir. It was his way to honour the memory of his friends and colleagues who went down with the Pequod.

The advantages of the #slowread were numerous.

It gave me ample time for research, it made the 'tricky' chapters easier to digest, and I was able to read other books in and around it.

But the main benefit was how it created a richer, deeper, more immersive reading experience - one that I will never forget. Within that, was those 'tricky' chapters. I came to realise that all those tedious-seeming chapters on whale facts were actually a chance for Ishmael/Melville to offer up a bit of life wisdom/philosophy. If I had been doing my usual #fastread I would have missed most of these moments and therefore missed a huge part of the beauty and fascination of this story.

For instance the chapter we were all warned about - Chapter 32: Cetology - finishes (eventually!) with Ishmael/Melville comparing his book on whales to the grandeur of Cologne Cathedral that took centuries to complete,

For small erections may be finished by their first architects; grand ones, true ones, ever leave the copestone to posterity. God keep me from ever completing anything. This whole book is but a draft—nay, but the draft of a draft.

What an undertaking! What a vision! What a colossal insight into the mind of Melville!

Chapter 60: The Line - a chapter seemingly all about rope - finishes with,

All men live enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life.

Deep, huh? And one of Melville's favourite themes - are our lives dictated by fate, destiny or chaos? Do we have free-will or choice or is everything pre-determined?

These little zingers sneak into almost every chapter. If I'd been skimming, I might have missed them. And it's all these little zingers that are at the heart of this story. They give us a peek into Melville's mind - all his doubts, insecurities and foibles are on show. It feels like he threw everything that he had into this book. Mind, body and spirit - he gave us everything - all his flaws and his magnificence. To take as we will.

Writing this book was an act of courage.

It takes another act of courage to read it.

A big thank you to Reese, Rick, Denise, Laurie, Katherine, Ruth, Deb, Lisbeth, Chris, Meredith, Silvia, Fanda, Marian, Sharon and Lisette for your company over the past 7 months. It's easier to be brave in a crowd.

The linky will stay open until the weekend for any final Moby-Dick posts.

Good-bye, and good luck to ye all - and this day three years I'll have a hot supper smoking for ye in old Nantucket. Hurrah and away!

Musings of an Idle Reader

Yikes!
Poems.

I didn't know I would have to read poems to get through Don Quixote!

I'm not averse to poetry; in fact, I love many, appreciate even more and adore a special few. But I've always struggled when authors insert poems, odes and songs into their work.

The songs throughout The Lord of the Rings bore me to tears and I cannot tell a lie, when I finished the Prologue in Don Quixote and turned the page to start the story proper and saw seven pages of sonnets, I nearly threw the book across the room!

So why do I persist?

Firstly, I've always wanted to read Cervantes 'best work of fiction in the world'*. I knew it would be challenging, so I had to wait until the right time to read it.

That time is now, thanks to Nick @One Catholic Life who is hosting a chapter-a-day readalong of Don Quixote starting on the 1st January 2019.

Secondly, the translator notes in my edition of the book claim that,

Cervantes' book contains within itself, in germ or full-blown, practically every imaginative technique and device used by subsequent fiction writers to engage their readers and construct their works.*

As an avid reader, why wouldn't I want to know more about the story that started it all!
She also enthuses about the writing, 'it gives off sparks and flows like honey.'* Wow, right?

Thirdly, Cervantes himself, in his Prologue, encourages his idle reader to,

say anything you desire about this history without fear that you will be reviled for the bad things or rewarded for the good that you might say about it.

Cervantes wants us to discuss his work, for good or bad.

Fourthly, he's having a cheeky go at us right from the start. He tells us, in his prologue, that he wants to tell a simple 'plain and bare' story,

unadorned by a prologue or the endless catalogue of sonnets, epigrams, and laudatory poems that are usually placed at the beginning of books.

Finally, and most importantly, thanks to Nick & co's support, I will not give up at the first hurdle. I will convert this hiccup into a learning experience instead. Nick has put up his first encouraging #Quixotereadalong post to help those of us wondering why on earth we agreed to do this!

* quotes from the Translator's Notes to the Reader in my 2005 Vintage edition of Don Quixote by Edith Grossman.

So far I have learnt that all these early poems are written by fictional characters to honour Cervantes own fictional character. Urganda the Unrecognised, Amadis of Gaul, Don Bellanis of Greece, Lady Oriana, Gandalin, Squire to Amadis of Gaul, Donoso, an Eclectic Poet, Orlando Furioso, The Knight of Phoebus, Solisdan and Babieca are all literary characters from some of Cervantes favourite chivalric stories.

Charlemagne killing Moorish Prince Feurre.
From Speigel Historiael by Jacob Van Maerlant, copied in West Flanders in 1325 to 1335.

Amadis the Gaul was first published in Spain in 1508 (author unknown). It is considered to be a 'masterpiece of medieval fantasy. It inspired a century of best-selling sequels in seven languages and changed the way we think about knights, chivalry, damsels in distress, and courtly life in castles.' Amadis the Gaul also has it's very own blog devoted to it here.

Don Belianis of Greece is another chivalric romance novel from Spain, often published in English as The Honour of Chivalry (author unknown).

Orlando Furioso also known as The Frenzy of Orlando, or Raging Roland is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which first appeared in 1516. According to Wikipedia, it is a poem 'about war and love and the romantic ideal of chivalry. It mixes realism and fantasy, humour and tragedy.'

The first poem is from Urganda the Unrecognised:

a personage in Amadis of Gaul somewhat akin to Morgan la Fay and Vivien in the Arthur legend, though the part she plays is more like that of Merlin. She derived her title from the faculty which, like Merlin, she possessed of changing her form and appearance at will. The verses are assigned to her probably because she was the adviser of Amadis.

(from John Ormsby's 1885 translator notes)

He also believes all the poems:

should he preserved—not for their poetical merits, which are of the slenderest sort, but because, being burlesques on the pompous, extravagant, laudatory verses usually prefixed to books in the time of Cervantes, they are in harmony with the aim and purpose of the work, and also a fulfilment of the promise held out in the Preface.

Do you know what 'versos de cabo rato' are? I do!
The first poem from Urganda is written in this form, where the final syllable is missing from the end of the each line. I believe the point is humour!
There are various online forums (especially in Spanish) devoted to creating the endings for this poem if you dare.

I dared.

Cervantes doesn't believe that poetry should be limited to the humans in his story either. The faithful horses also get a chance to honour each other. Babieca was the steed of real-life, folk-hero El Cid and from him we learn that Don Quixote and his steed, Rocinante will probably spend most of the story being hungry.

So now that we've got that hurdle out of the way, it's time to jump into this picaresque, road-trip novel proper. Let the journey begin.

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

Reading Washington Black by Esi Edugyan was like eating a big bag of sweets. Some were good, some not so good. And after gorging myself on the first half, I found the second half a bit too much take.

The first half of Washington Black was unputdownable. I loved the engaging voice of the child narrator. His early life on the plantation was brutal yet fascinating. Edugyan included some strong, descriptive passages in these early chapters and I found the secondary characters just as intriguing.

Washington's fear and mistrust of everyone was more than understandable, but the constant tension built up by this fear with every change or arrival of a new character eventually lost it's impact by overuse. The tension was continually being built up but never quite realised....although perhaps, this is what it's like to live in a state of slavery in Washington's world.

For me the tale started to lose it's way when Wash and Titch took off to the Arctic in search of Titch's father. It reminded me of what happened when I read Elizabeth Gilbert's The Signature of All Things where 'something went a little off kilter'. I began to doubt my narrator, I became sceptical and even a little cynical. I became aware of the writer and felt manipulated at times. I was being asked to go on a journey that had lost its believability and maybe even lost its way.

Billed as a coming of age story or a life after slavery story, neither felt predominant to me. With such a strong start on the plantation, I expected to be taken on the struggle as Wash's came to terms with his newfound freedom. But I never got a strong sense of what life was really like for a freed slave in western 'civilisation' - the injustice, unfairness, the everyday prejudices, burdens and guilt. The existential angst wasn't fully realised.

And Wash's personal growth felt too much too soon - it was too big a jump from uneducated child slave to scientific, emotionally intelligent young man. The soaring heights of the first half floundered and crash landed.

Titch's emotional arc didn't make sense to me either. He had me right up to the point of  his disbelief/fear/hope/joy at being reunited with his father after thinking that he was dead. I was incredibly moved by this exchange. Titch obviously had his own struggle with personal freedom, yet his sudden disappearance was the first moment when I felt caught in the author's web.

There were a few tiny touches of surrealism or mysticism which were left unexplained and unresolved. They added a fable-like element to the story, and maybe that's were the problem lies. In the end I wasn't sure if this was an allegory or an historical fiction, adventure story. I felt like I was getting mixed messages by the end.

I will certainly read more books by Edugyan - when her writing soared, it dazzled and some of her minor characters were so well-drawn and vivid, that I was disappointed when the story moved on without them. Potential and possibility abounds.

Giller Prize winner
Man Booker shortlist
Longlisted for the 2020 International Dublin Literary Award.

Once Upon A Small Rhinoceros by Meg McKinlay

Once Upon A Rhinoceros is my kind of picture book.

As a child I dreamed of setting off into the big, wide world to explore. I've always wanted to see what there was to be seen. I couldn't wait to be grown up so that I could finally just go.

Small rhinoceros has the very same dream; she wants to see the world. She patiently waits until the time is right, and as you can see by the glorious cover designed by Leila Rudge, she succeeds.

She sailed on...through the woolly wild of winter and the smooth sweep of summer...to faraway lands and beyond.

On her return home, her family and friends are happy to see her, but unimpressed by her tales...all except for one quiet voice who asks,

'Did you get lost?'

'Many times.'

'And was it...wonderful?' 

'Oh yes!'  

Oh yes indeed!

With themes of independence and freedom, pushing the boundaries of what is considered 'normal' and daring to be different to fulfil your heart's desire, Once Upon A Small Rhinoceros will charm you and inspire you in equal measure.

Meg McKinlay has written some of my favourite books for teens and children, including the CBCA award winning A Single Stone, No Bears and Ten Tiny Things. She has a wonderful blog post describing her creative journey with this particular story here.

Leila Rudge adds collage elements to her pencil, paint and paper 'hand snipped' illustrations. She has written and illustrated the wonderful CBCA Notable book Ted, the very popular CBCA shortlisted book, Gary as well as No Bears with McKinlay.

#AusReadingMonth
#AustralianWomenWriters Challenge

The Two Towers by J R R Tolkien

I had planned to write two posts about this, the second part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as it actually begs to be considered in its two separate sections. In fact, Tolkien originally wrote the book as one big book with six parts. He planned to name part III The Treason of Isengard and part IV The Journey of the Ringbearers or The Ring Goes East.

However, due to post-WWII paper shortages and size considerations, the book was eventually published as three books, with the middle one, The Two Towers, being published on the 11th November 1954.

Part III and part IV are two very distinct stories. The first part follows the trials and tribulations of the remnants of the fellowship after Frodo and Sam secretly depart. The second part is all about Frodo and Sam. And Gollum.

However whichever part you consider, the story continues to be about the role of fellowship, friendship, loyalty, duty, responsibility, honour, commitment and courage. The end of times may be fast approaching, morals may be slipping and attitudes may be changing, but our stalwart group shines on to show us a better, finer, more noble way.

One of the highlights of The Two Towers for me, though, are the Ents, and Treebeard in particular. I love his slow, thoughtful approach to life and decision making. But I'm being too hasty!

They found they were looking at a most extraordinary face. It belonged to a large Man-like, almost Troll-like, figure, at least fourteen feet high, very sturdy, with a tall head, and hardly any neck. Whether it was clad in stuff like green and grey bark, or whether that was its hide, was difficult to say. At any rate the arms, at a short distance from the trunk, were not wrinkled, but covered with a brown smooth skin. The large feet had seven toes each. The lower part of the long face was covered with a sweeping grey beard, bushy, almost twiggy at the roots, thin and mossy at the ends. But at the moment the hobbits noted little but the eyes. These deep eyes were now surveying them, slow and solemn, but very penetrating. They were brown, shot with a green light. Often afterwards Pippin tried to describe his first impressions of them. 

'One felt as if there were an enormous well behind them, filled up with ages of memory and long, slow, steady thinking; but their surface was sparkling with the present; like sun shimmering on the outer leaves of a vast tree, or on the ripples of a very deep lake.'

Treebeard by Alan Lee, Timothy Ide and Jerry Vanderstelt

I love this description of Treebeard and the Ents, but sadly I have never seen an illustration or a movie version of them that does justice to what I have in my mind. All the art work, to my mind, fails to capture that ponderous, slow, kind, considered gravitas that Tolkien refers to.

Lee and Vanderstelt are close to the mark, but the eyes in both are wrong while Ide's version is too scary. Severin's 3D model has a nice face, but is missing all the green, twiggy stuff. And they all lack the size and bulk that I feel is necessary for an Ent. I have always imagined a giant, stately oak tree as an Ent, not the spindly version that every artist seems to prefer.

Treebeard by Alexey Severin

The other character that appeals to me in The Two Towers is Boromir's brother, Faramir. He is a brave fighter, but prefers peace. As the younger son, he has a more balanced attitude towards power and leadership. He provides thoughtful counsel and safe harbour to Frodo and Sam, in much the same way that Treebeard assists Merry and Pippin.

Despite the dark days looming, honour and kindness can still be found, when least expected.

And that's why I enjoy these books so much. The fellowship, goodness and hope that shines through the darkness and despair is something we can all take heart from. 

The movies have this too, but the level of violence and the massive battle scenes so often overwhelm the other messages that Tolkien was trying to convey.

Previously I read these books so quickly, that I missed lots of the finer details. This leisurely reread has been a delight of rediscovery and paying attention.

How are you going? 

I see that Jean has finished and Nick is still adding page updates on Goodreads. I think Nancy may have fallen to the wayside. As with all of life's journeys, we travel at our own pace in our own way!

#HLOTRreadalong2017 

- Masterpost

- The Hobbit readalong

The Fellowship of the Ring 

-Welcome to Book

- The Prologue

- Halfway post - Book one 

- TFOTR - Book two

The Two Towers

- Welcome to Book
- Review


The Return of the King

The Murderer's Ape by Jakob Wegelius

Sometimes the perfect book lands on your doorstep at exactly the right time.

This past month or so has been pretty ordinary. The loss of a much loved family member to cancer has left us all exhausted and numb. I'm sure many of you know the drill we've been through lately. The shock, followed by hope and a more positive outlook, then facing up to reality, one last hope - dashed, the waiting, the decline, the sadness and the final goodbye.

One of my solaces through all of this has been reading - I need to read - I just had to find the right book.

I needed something easy but engaging. I needed a riveting story with an abundance of heart and soul. I also needed some aesthetic pleasure.

My previous posts focused on all the books that didn't work for me during this period, but now let me share with you the delightful, charming story that did provide comfort and joy.

The Murderer's Ape by Swedish writer Jakob Wegelius gave me all of the above and more.

Wegelius has created a classically told story full of friendship, courage, kindness, determination and loyalty. Sally Jones is a gorilla - yes, a gorilla - who is smart, thoughtful and very talented, but she cannot speak. However Sally Jones can write a little and at the start of this story she learns to type on a 1908 Underwood No. 5 typewriter.

By the end of the first page I completely believed the premise of this tale and having a gorilla as the protagonist seemed perfectly natural. Sally Jones has a captivating voice and an amazing tale to tell.

The Murderer's Ape is an adventure wrapped up in a mystery with a quest that takes us around the world. From Lisbon to India and back again this story meanders along at a leisurely, thoughtful pace, gradually revealing little nuggets of insight and information.

Wegelius has drawn numerous pen and ink illustrations for each chapter. Seventeen full page character profiles also grace the beginning of the book.

See more of Wegelius' illustrations here.

In Sweden, he was awarded the August Prize for Best Children’s Book and the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize for The Murderer’s Ape. The Nordic Council had this to say,

The Murderer’s Ape injects a new lease of life into the classic adventure story. Along with a gorilla named Sally Jones, the reader visits the run-down docks of Lisbon, embarks on dizzying journeys across the seven seas, and calls on the Maharaja of Bhapur’s magnificent court – all in an attempt to clear the name of Sally’s best friend, the sailor Henry Koskela. Through his love of narrative and fine knack for portraying character, the author brings early-20th-century history to life, with a particularly keen and curious eye for the new-fangled technology of the day. Detailed portraits and vignettes, as well as maps that chart Sally’s adventures, make this a book that is as visual as it is literary.

Originally published in 2014 and now translated into English by Peter Graves, Wegelius has created an instant classic with this beautifully written, sumptuously produced and generously illustrated novel for thoughtful 12+ readers.

Due for publication in September with Pushkin Press and Allen & Unwin Australia. I seriously hope and pray that they also translate and publish Wegelius' earlier 2008 book called The Legend of Sally Jones, detailing Sally Jones' early life and adventures.

The Fall by Tristan Bancks

I read The Fall by Australian writer Tristan Bancks as one of my recent #readathon books.

Bancks has been very successful with his previous book, Two Wolves (titled On the Run in the US), winning the KOALA & YABBA Children's Choice Book Awards in 2015 as well as being shortlisted for the CBCA and Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards. I have been meaning to read it for two years now.

He also has a younger reader series called My Life about a boy called Tom Weekly who now has five books full of jokes, cartoons and 'other stuff he made up'.
I am not the target audience for these books, but the 9 year old boys in my life tell me that they are very funny and gross!

The Fall is aimed at a slightly older reader. It's a fast paced, easy to read thriller with gripping end of chapter cliffhangers. The prefect late in the day #readathon book!

I enjoyed the Alfred Hitchcock-esque Rear Window beginning, as young Sam overhears an argument, late one night, in the apartment above his dad's. Sam has had a recent knee operation and is still learning how to get around on his crutches. He hobbles over to the window to hear the argument better, when suddenly a body falls past his window.

What follows is pure Hitchcock - a missing body, break ins and a mysterious girl next door. Add in a dodgy dad, a suspicious police chief and oodles of near misses for non-stop thrills and spills.

A terrific action-packed crime story for mature 10+ readers.

The Fall is a June release for Penguin Random House Australia.

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

I started the Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson as part of my #readathon session. I had a lovely 15th anniversary edition of this modern day classic, complete with gorgeous blue butterfly. The following day I woke up with a terrible head cold and struggled to work, before realising that I was going to need a couple of days at home in bed to actually get better.

Journey to the River Sea became the perfect easy, delightful read to see me through my first day of feeling miserable at home.

This book was a pleasure in and of itself, but it also brought back so many lovely memories of other favourite childhood characters. Our orphaned heroine, Maia upon hearing that she was being sent to the Amazon to live with cousins she had never met, channelled her inner Jane Eyre, when she gave herself this stern talking to,

Fear is the cause of all evil, she told herself but she was afraid. Afraid of the future...afraid of the unknown. Afraid in the way of someone who is alone in the world.

Followed up quickly by an Anne Shirley-esque remark, 'And after that I don't know, but it's going to be all right.' Maia is courageous, funny and intelligent - the kind of child, we all wish we had been more like (well, at least, the kind of child, I wish I had been like).

There's the forbidding but ultimately lovable governess who provides Maia with thoughtful care, fun and inspiring life advice just like Mary Poppins or Professor McGonagall. The Little Lord Fauntleroy aspect is explored via Clovis, the very homesick and unwilling theatrical orphan boy. The mean twins are Nellie Olsen, John Reed and Veruca Salt all rolled into one (well, actually two, but you know what I mean!) And the lost boy, living with the Indians, has a touch of the Huck Finn's or Peter Pan about him.

Journey to the River Sea is historical fiction with heart. Set in 1910 England and Manaus on the banks of the Negro River in Brazil, Ibbotson gives us a tale of belonging, bravery and being true to yourself. There's also a treasure trove of gorgeous geography and anthropological treats along the way, with references to Humboldt, sloths and butterflies, just to name a few.

Highly recommended for mature 10+ readers and all lovers of fine children's literature.

My post for One Dog and His Boy from 2011 - when my reviews were short, sweet & simple.

Rockhopping by Trace Balla

Rockhopping is Trace Balla's follow up book to Rivertime with Clancy and Uncle Egg once again getting ready to head off an eco-adventure.

I love these books a lot.

I love their gentle pace and laid back attitudes.

I love their environmental credentials and back to nature ethos.

I love their attention to details.

I love their emphasis on problem solving, responsibility and being capable.

I love their zen-like, go with the flow, be in the moment philosophy.

But most of all I love how these books remind us that we are all a part of nature. Our natural environment is affected by our interactions with it whether we live in the city or the country.

As Balla says in the Teacher's Notes produced by her publisher, Allen & Unwin,

When you stop trying to get anywhere and just be, a whole world of wonder can open up to you. And when you stop going with a plan and follow the flow, you may find a world of unexpected opportunities revealing themselves to you. The more you look the more you find out. It’s also about realising we are part of the natural world, rather than separate to it, and that we are not alone, but surrounded by other life. Themes of growing up and realising what we are capable of are also explored.

Rockhopping is also respectful to the indigenous tribes of The Grampians (Gariwerd) in Victoria. Balla uses traditional names and common names for places as well as referring to aspects of Aboriginal culture throughout the book.

Commonsense, logic and thorough preparation are also applauded. There is a page of items that Clancy and Egg collected before they went off on their adventure. Practical handy survival tips are interwoven into the story at various points.

Balla adds an historical perspective to one of the sections. Day five shows a timeline with Clancy and Uncle Egg discussing the value of a good walking stick on a big bushwalk. The timeline then shows the same stick being used by a logger, a goldminer, a Chinese market gardener, a squatter and a Jardwadjali woman to dig.

Several trips to the region were integrated into ongoing discussions with local indigenous elders which helped Balla ensure that the local knowledge was authentic and up to date.

Balla received lots of support from local elders. She said in an interview on Reading Time that,

Milipiri Elder Wanta Jampijimpa has given me encouragement to keep doing these stories, that he says are about ‘reading country” and giving hope. Renowned environmental educator David Suzuki has also given me encouragement about my books inspiring kids to be in nature. These two elders encouragement points to passing on wisdom that we often lose sight of in our modern, often urban culture.

Rockhopping has been shortlisted for this years CBCA Younger Readers award.

The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

The Invention of Nature: The Adventures of Alexander Von Humboldt The Lost Hero of Science has been on my radar ever since it first came out in 2015.

But it was our forthcoming trip to Cuba that brought it front and centre. There is a national park near Baracoa, in eastern Cuba that is named after Humboldt that we hope to visit. I wanted to know what on earth Humboldt was doing in Cuba.

It turned out that Humboldt was an extraordinary scientific adventurer who had a profound and lasting effect on the way we view the world, nature and the place of humans to this day.

In her prologue, Wulf mentioned that

the irony is that Humboldt's views have become so self-evident that we have largely forgotten the man behind them.

Her book set out to reveal the forgotten man, follow the web of his influence as well as remind us of all that he achieved during his lifetime.

The chapters that detailed his influence on men like Simon Bolivar, Charles Darwin, Henry David Thoreau, Ernst Haeckle, George Perkins Marsh and John Muir felt like an intrusion at first.
I didn't feel that we needed these bio's within a bio, but as each one wore on, I found myself caught up in what these men also achieved and how far-reaching Humboldt's influence actually was.

Below are some of the basic facts about Humboldt's life, with a few of his observations and theories that I gleaned from this very accessible, easy to read and enjoyable homage.

• Born in the same year as Napoleon
• Older brother, Wilhelm
• Father died when he was nine.
• 'formal, cold and emotionally distant' mother (pg 13)
• privileged but unhappy childhood.

• invented isotherms.
• 'He came up with the idea of vegetation and climate zones that snake across the globe'. (pg5)
• more place names are named after him than anyone else.
• in 1869, huge world wide public celebrations occurred in honour of his centenary birthday.
• First job was as a mining inspector. He became interested in the working conditions of the miners and invented a breathing mask and a lamp that would work in the 'deepest oxygen-poor shafts'. (pg 21)
• 'Comparison became Humboldt's primary means of understanding nature.' (pg 32)
• Good friends with Goethe - 'That something of Humboldt was in Goethe's Faust - or something of Faust in Humboldt - was obvious to many.' (pg 37)

• June 1799 sailed to South America on board Pizarro, a Spanish frigate, with Aime Bonpland, a French scientist as his companion.
• Slave market at Cumana made 'Humboldt a life-long abolitionist'. (pg 53)
• Nov 1799 experienced first earthquake.
• (pg 54) 'memories and emotional responses...would always form a part of man's experience and understanding of nature.'
• 7th Feb 1800 set off to explore the Orinoco.
• Travelled via Lake Valencia where locals told him that the lake was rapidly disappearing 'he concluded that the clearing of the surrounding forests, as well as the diversion of water for irrigation, had caused the falling water level.' (pg 57) 
• 'The action of humankind across the globe, he warned, could affect future generations.' (pg 58)
• 'Humboldt did not regard the indigenous people as barbaric....In fact, he talked about the 'barbarism of civilised man' when he saw how the local people were treated by colonists and missionaries.' (pg 71)

• Dec 1800 arrived in Havana, Cuba.
• March 1801 sailed to Cartagena. Planned to 'cross, climb and investigate the Andes' as they trekked towards Lima.
• Climbed Chimborazo, then thought to be the highest mountain in the world.
• 'He saw the earth as one great living organism where everything was connected, conceiving a bold new vision of nature that still influences the way that we understand the natural world.' (pg2)
• Produced his first sketch of the Naturgemalde - a visual representation of the different zones of plants in relation to climate, location, altitude.
• discovered the magnetic equator.

• Spent 1803 in Mexico.
• March 1804 sailed to the US via Cuba.
• 'Monoculture and cash crops did not create a happy society'.  'All problems in the colonies, he was certain, were the result of the 'imprudent activities of the Europeans.' (pg 150)

• August 1804 arrived back in Paris.
• April 1805 Rome.
• November 1805 Berlin.
• Wrote the Essays on the Geography of Plants - first ecology book - discussed global patterns, continental shift.
• Published Views of Nature - 'poetic vignettes' about the web of life (pg 132)
• Nov 1807 returned to Paris.
• Published his four volume Political Essays on the Kingdom of New Spain between 1808-1811.

• 1829 travelled to Russia and the Siberian steppes, 'following the border that separated Russia from China' (pg 210).
• Created the 'Magnetic Crusade' to measure magnetic variations across the globe. In three years his magnetic stations collected nearly two million observations.

• In 1834 he started work on Cosmos: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe (published in 1845).
• 'As science moved away from nature into laboratories and universities, separating itself off into distinct disciplines, Humboldt created a work that brought together all that professional science was trying to keep apart.' (pg 235)
• Second volume published in 1847. 
• Third in 1850.
• 'Humboldt had become the most famous scientist of his age, not just in Europe but across the world.' (pg 273)

• Fourth volume of Cosmos published in 1856.
• Fifth in 1859.
• Two days after he sent the manuscript to the publishers, he collapsed. He died two weeks later at age 89.

• Humboldt's ideas 'seeped into the poems of Walt Whitman and the novels of Jules Verne.' (pg 282) 
• Also Aldous Huxley, Ezra Pound, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the paintings of Frederic Edwin Church.

Humboldt was friends with, sponsored or mentored almost every well-known scientist that was alive during his lifetime. He was courted by presidents, royal families and artists. He wrote thousands of letter every year and read thousands more.

Wulf's biography has been thoughtfully arranged, with a few gorgeous coloured plates, extensive notes (at the back of the book where they don't clutter up the narrative) and an inspiring bibliography.

One of Humboldt's strengths was his ability to make science and the wonder of nature accessible to everyone. Wulf has replicated this strength in her award winning biography.

Along with 'Humboldt's disciples, and their disciples in turn, (Wulf has) carried his legacy forward.' (pg 336)

Winner of the 2015 Costa Biography award and Winner of the 2016 Royal Society Science Book Prize.

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

One of my dear friends, Girl Booker, has been gushing about Eowyn Ivey's The Snow Child ever since it was first published in 2012.

It sounded wonderful and I have no idea why I haven't made the time to read it, but there it is, I haven't.

And now, here we are, with Ivey's second book to hand and The Snow Child is still sitting guiltily on my TBR pile.

In an attempt to alleviate the guilt I felt towards Girl Booker and Ivey, I made sure that To The Bright Edge of the World made it to the top of my TBR pile as soon as possible.

To The Bright Edge of the World is a fascinating blend of fact and fiction. The first person letter and journal format provided a delightful sense of confusion, or perhaps wonderment, between what was real and what was made-up.

This was a deliberate device on Ivey's behalf.

Ivey has said in an earlier interview with Writers and Books, when she was still calling the book by it's working title of Shadows of the Wolverine that,

Although it is based on real places here in Alaska, I invented the Wolverine River for The Snow Child because I wanted the freedom to play with the geography, and I decided to return there with my newest novel. Shadows, however, is set nearly 40 years earlier, in 1885, and is inspired by a true-life military expedition that traversed Alaska. In my telling, Lt. Col. Forrester ventures up the Wolverine River with a sergeant and private to explore the heart of the territory. As they travel deeper into the country, they encounter the mythology described by the land’s indigenous people. It is also the story of Sophie Forrester, the colonel’s pregnant wife, who waits for his return at Fort Vancouver. She is wrestling with her conscience and trying to find the courage to tell her husband about her past, but she is also on the cusp of making an inspiring discovery.

I’m telling the novel through journals, letters, and other documents. Some of my favorite parts to write in The Snow Child were the letters between Ada and Mabel, so I am having a lot of fun with this new project.

I confess that I was actually a little disappointed to discover that not only was the spunky Sophie Forrester not real, but neither was the Wolverine River, which Ivey had brought to life so vividly throughout her story.

Which also meant, that the wonderful black and white map that adorned the cover of my ARC was not an accurate map but a fictional one.

Colonel Forrester's character is based on the real life Henry Tureman Allen who led an expedition through Alaska in 1885. He explored the Copper, Tanana and Koyukuk Rivers with only two other men, Robertson & Fickett. At an Indian village, Taral, they met up with prospector John Bremner, who joined them on their journey, along with another prospector Peder Johnson. Several places and landmarks in Alaska are named after these men.

There are some wonderful elements woven into this story.

The old Indian with a black hat and lame leg, who liked to sleep in trees and who reappeared at odd times throughout the story. Sophie's struggle with loneliness and grief in an isolated Army barracks. The very private, independent Indian woman, Nat'aaggi, who travelled with Forrester's group for a while. And the gentle, increasingly personal correspondence between modern day Walt and Josh as they discussed the well preserved letters and journals left by the Forrester's.

Ivey also used her characters to discuss some of the bigger environmental and cultural issues at play.

The photographs included at different points were interesting (especially the Alaskan landscapes), but a few also confused me as they jarred against the lovely blur of fact and fiction that Ivey was creating with her words.

To The Bright Edge of the World is a fascinating piece of historical fiction interwoven with a few strands of the mysterious and mythical.

The letter and journal device worked really well, except for the last little bit, where I really wanted to see the reunion between Sophie and Allen. However I was happy enough to leave it to my imagination in the end, which is no doubt what Ivey intended all along.

Jane @Beyond Eden Rock's review that inspired me to read this book next is here.

P.S. In honour of my #HLOTRreadalong2017, I thought you might like to know that Eowyn Ivey was named after the character in Lord of the Rings (as played by the luminous Miranda Otto in the movies).

The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels

I read Fugitive Pieces around about the time it won the Orange Prize for Fiction (which is now the Women's Prize).

I fell in love with Anne Michaels ability to weave magic with her words. I remember being completely under her spell for the entire story. I felt bereft when it finished.

When I recently spotted that Michaels had written a children's book, I swooned with anticipation.

How could I not fall instantly in love?

Cats, delicious food, magic flying tablecloths and lots of gorgeous wordplays littered the pages of this illustrated chapter book. It all looked and sounded so promisingly delightful.

But something didn't zing for me.

Each chapter had lots of fun wordy digressions,

Some words are like a hailstorm during the middle of a picnic, or a flat tyre on a lovely journey, or a fallen tree across a path, and these words stop a story immediately and swivel it off in another direction entirely. Words like BUT, HOWEVER, IF ONLY, SADLY and UNFORTUNATELY.

Sadly, for me, these wordy digressions were more exciting than the actual story. The adventures were not the right size for me (see pg 11), they were even decidedly, ho-hum (see pg 18).

Which is such a pity.

The back cover has a lovely quote that says,

Five utterly captivating stories of gentle adventure, delicious edibles (with cheese for the cats), occasional peril and heart-zinging warmth.

Which helped me realise that what this book was missing was the emotion.
I felt no peril, no zing or glow of warmth. In the end I didn't care what happened to Miss Petitfour or her cats.

I really, really, really wanted to love this book, which is why I have spent so much time trying to work out what went wrong.

This is now my second attempt to get into the story.
I gave it up a few weeks ago thinking my life was too busy and hectic to appreciate it properly.

I have now had a lovely relaxing, soothing summer holiday. But this quaint, gentle tale still failed to capture my imagination or my heart.

Unfortunately, I need more drama than this story offers up. I need more character development. I need a reason to go along for the ride.

And Emma Block's sweet, charming illustrations have not been reason enough.

The Doldrums Book One by Nicholas Gannon

After finishing my big epic Australian chunkster on the weekend, I haven't been able to settle to anything else....except some lighter children's fiction.

Which is particularly handy for my work right now. Most of our customers want reading recommendations for all the children in their family (and that difficult to buy for uncle!)

So I love it when authors, illustrators and publishers come together to produce beautiful editions of books like The Doldrums.

Solid and beautiful, this hardback book comes complete with lovely generous pages, glossy coloured plates and a dust jacket that is a work of art and part of the story.

The Doldrums is the story of Archer B Helmsley - a boy with adventure in his heart and daydreams in his eyes.

His adventurous grandparents have gone missing on an iceberg and his very un-adventerous mother is keeping a very close eye on him at all times.

What follows is a heart-warming tale of friendship, imagination and polar bears.

Perfect for 10+ readers and a great read aloud chapter book for the whole family to enjoy. I hope the story of Archer B Helmsley develops into a series.

Check out Nicholas J Gannon's website here.

Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones

Is it Werewolf in London for young readers or is it Sherlock Holmes for kids?

Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones is a little bit of both.

It's part freak show with a Dickensian twist & part orphan boy overcomes all obstacles in his way.

It's also lots of running around ye olde streets of London trying to solve a murder mystery.

Jones refuses to talk down to his audience. In places, therefore, the story is dark and cruel. But friendship, determination & standing up for yourself and what's right is at the centre of the story.

Put it all together & you have a ripping yarn, full of adventure, curiosities and mayhem for mature 10+ readers.

I know you shouldn't pick books by their covers, but Walker have done a splendid job with both the hardcover book (on the left) and the paperback (on the right).

Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy by Karen Foxlee

Every now and again it happens.

That perfect alignment of stars, fate and luck.

When you take up a story that sweeps you away with it's beauty, it's gothic horror and it's magic.
Everything is so perfect from start to finish, that you are completely enthralled. So much so, that you realise you're holding your breath - with fright, with pleasure, in anticipation and wonder - to see what happens next.

This is one of those stories.

It has only been 1 day, 23 hours and 12 minutes since I started this book & I can't get it out my mind.
Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy is a real gem. It's fantasy/fairytale with a few frights & shivers, lots of adventure and an incredibly brave but anxious heroine.

This is my second Hot Key book (the first being The Cloud Hunters) and so far their success rate with me is not only 100% but 100% with bells, whistles and balloons!

Ophelia will delight you, Yoko Tanaka's atmospheric illustrations will draw you in and Foxlee's writing will leave you spellbound.
I promise!

Perfect for mature 10+ readers who love mysterious, creepy fairy tales with a heart of gold.

A couple of scenes could be upsetting or distressing, but that's the nature of fairy tales. And this ride is definitely worth it.
I promise!

I will definitely hunt down Foxlee's two adult novels to see if the magic continues.

This book is part of Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday meme for the letter O.

Fortunately, The Milk... by Neil Gaiman

I've been meaning to read another Gaiman ever since I read and adored
Coraline. That was five years ago.

Fortunately, the Milk... is a ridiculously tall tale full of pirates, aliens, wumpires and talking time-travelling dinosaurs. Yes, the inside of Neil Gaiman's head is an interesting place to be!

I was enjoying the story and the detailed illustrations by Chris Riddell until ... a QR code appeared on the page as the dad was about to walk the plank with his milk. A note said to scan it to hear Gaiman reading from this page. So I did.

I went from enjoying this tall tale to LOVING it!

From that point on, the rest of the story played out in my head in Gaiman's voice. His voice gave the story added humour, complexity and richness. 

Is this the future of books? Interactive codes that link to youtube videos and websites?

Fortunately, The Milk...  is certainly an example of where this works well and where it adds something of value to the reading experience.

And is it just me...or does the dad in Chris Riddell's illustrations look remarkably like Gaiman himself?

Fortunately, The Milk... is due for release in September through Bloomsbury.
It's perfect as a read aloud story for the 4+ market or as an early reader for 6+ students.

The Cloud Hunters by Alex Shearer

It has been a while since a new children's fiction book has won my heart so completely. Wonder by R J Palacio may have been the last.

But here we have The Cloud Hunters by Alex Shearer to warm the cockles of your heart.

Full of beautiful, philosophical language, almost poetic at times and memorable characters.

"It seems in life that for every plus there is a minus, and that freedom itself doesn't come free. For that too, there's a price to pay."

"Why is it that your parents are forever urging you to be careful? As if beinf reckless, getting yourself killed, or ending up in hospital are all you have in mind? Do they imagine that you have no other plans than to do yourself an injury as quickly as you can? And even if you were careless by nature, did telling anyone to be careful ever make them so?"

"It seems, that for all our faults, we still have an inner yearning to wish each other well. I think we want the best for each other, despite it all. We want each other's journeys to be safe and successful. If only out of superstition. Because then our journeys will be successful too."

"A few minutes later, a sky-shark came along, heading in the same direction, as if in leisurely and confident pursuit, sure that it would get its prey before the day was out. The sky-ray was a dead fish flying."

My only concern is that sometimes the action takes a while to get going as Christien does like to spend quite a bit of time reflecting on life!

The Cloud Hunters live in a future world where the Earth has been destroyed. Old shards of earth float around the old earth's core. Water is scarce; the cloud hunters job is find clouds, harvest the water and sell it to those in need.

But The Cloud Hunters is so much more than a futuristic story with an environmental message. This is a story about relationships, life and death and the choices we make along the way.

Highly recommended for mature 11+ readers.

Quack, Quack, Quack

Make Way for the Ducklings is a wonderful story about family and belonging. First published in 1941, it won the Caldecott Medal in 1942 and has been a favourite of teachers and librarians ever since.

Mr and Mrs Mallard circle Boston looking for just the right place to make their home sweet home. After a misadventure or two they finally find the perfect place to raise their family. And before we know it, the Mallards are joined by Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack!

The ducklings are taught how to stay in line and follow carefully until they are ready to make the big trek across to the Public Gardens with policeman Michael's help.

The illustrations are delightful with each duckling given individual characteristics.

At preschool I always read this book in conjunction with Alexander's Outing by Pamela Allen.

Published in 1994 it introduces us to Alexander and his brothers & sisters who have also been taught how to walk and swim in line and follow the leader. But Alexander does not stay close or take care!

As Alexander and his family take a walk through the Botanic Gardens and Hyde Park in Sydney, Alexander gets lost!

What follows is a lovely problem solving adventure.

Angus and the Ducks by Marjorie Flack follows the adventures of a very curious Scottish Terrier. First published in 1930 to such success that Flack followed up with other Angus stories.

Angus is an Indoor dog, but Someone leaves the door open and Angus takes the opportunity to go exploring!

His curiosity gets the better of him when he encounters two bossy Ducks in the garden Next Door.

Flack based Angus on her own dog which helps to explain why he is drawn so lovingly.

Although modern preschoolers sometimes struggle with the old-fashioned illustrations, the stories still charm them and their teachers alike!

The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack

Ping was first published in 1933.

We had a copy at my preschool which sat on the shelf for years. I had never read it and didn't plan on reading it. It looked old-fashioned, out-of-date and not likely to appeal to a modern audience. I judged a book by it's cover!

However, in 1996 I took some leave to go on a trip to China. I wanted to read some books with a Chinese theme to my classes in preparation for my departure. Ping seemed a logical choice.

I read it and thought, "okay, not great, but it will do."

Then I read it to my class.

The first few pages, the kids twitched and mumbled about the old pictures...but then...Ping misses his boat ..and the mood changes, just like that every single time.

Suddenly I would have 20 rapt, quiet faces gazing in my direction hanging on every word.

Every kid in the class responded to Ping's desire not to be the last duck on board, because the last duck on board always gets a 'spank on the back'.

It didn't matter what kind of parenting style the child had experienced at home, the fear of being spanked was something that they understood regardless.

They were on Ping's side. They wanted him to escape and they wanted him to be safe.

But very quickly the second fear kicks.

The fear of being lost and never seeing your family again!

I can't tell you how many times I have reread this story since 1996, but I could probably tell it in my sleep!

The China trip was very successful.

I had requests from the children for pictures of Ping (above).

And they were amazed to see that families still lived on boats that looked just like the ones in the book (right).

Although the illustrations look dated, the story is timeless thanks to it's universal childhood themes.

No modern story could talk about being spanked, as it wouldn't be PC.

However the lesson learnt is that there is a consequence for behaviour (dawdle and board the boat last and you will get a spank on the back).
And that it is often better to just 'suck it up' and take the consequences as getting a spank on the back for being last on board is much better than being lost from your family, captured and almost eaten for dinner!!