On one occasion, she takes along Maple, who wants to ask Chimera a very important and sensitive question. His incompatibility and ineptitude with the old ways is often depicted with humour particularly in the awkwardness with which he wears his ceremonial dress. At first, the two girls clash and struggle to find some common ground, but eventually, they realise they are more alike than they realised and join together in a common battle to find out who they truly are.

Both Blue Wing and Maple are experiencing grief - mourning the loss of a loved one - and are living under a heavy could of guilt. Alongside the main themes of the story there is also a subtle nod to how the modern world has encroached on the old world of simple traditions. This is when Blue Wing tells Maple and her father about her parents died… and she may not have been crying at the time, but I surely was. One such story goes that before the god Maui, the sun moved so quickly that there wasn't enough time to make tapa or build a canoe in daylight, so Maui took some magical rope and lassoed the sun to slow it down. The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare, her last book, is one of my absolute favourite novels of all time.Zillah’s writing is full of hope and wisdom, it’s tender and moving and perfectly balanced with humour and adventure. In a world where most humans view sharks with a mix of fear and loathing, Papua New Guinea is one of the few places where people embrace them. But it’s against tradition for a girl to become one, and Siringen believes Blue Wing still harbours too much anger in her heart. Blue Wing releases the trapped shark each time (on Siringen’s command) and the tourist is left empty handed - much to Bigman’s annoyance. This is an evocative and emotional story describing the journey of Blue Wing as she takes ownership of a traumatic event in her past.

I had one minor issue with this book (I wasn’t the biggest fan of the real reason Maple’s father came to the island), but everything else more than made up for that. Set in a rural village on the shores of Papua New Guinea, this is a remarkable tale of love, loss and friendship.It is the story of Blue Wing, who lost her parents a couple of years ago and her reluctant friendship with Maple, an incomer to her island.

Perfect for a middle grade or YA audience, or indeed an adult book club, with themes of grief, loss and moving on from trauma. The last two of their people as everyone around them has moved on but they remain true to their beliefs and their way of life. This is set to be one of my top reads for 2021 and I think it will make a terrible book club read at school.Once they had realised they had more in common than it first appeared, I loved how quickly they both accepted each other and their different views of the world.

That's because some of it is written in the language Papa New Guinean, where it is set, and you will have to keep referring back to the first few pages.

The stories we heard around the cooking fires changed all the time, depending on the personality of the speaker; and the version that received the most claps and cheers was the one that endured. BOOK OF THE MONTH - A heart-warming and hilarious story told in 25 chapters, perfect for the countdown to Christmas. Just as I thought the book was about to take a turn in focus - it twists back with a stunning finale. The two girls initially don't like each other, due to being wrapped up in their own anger and grief, but gradually they come to discover that they have many things in common and their friendship grows. This book club resource is designed to support teachers, teaching assistants and willing volunteers to deliver a fun and engaging book club in schools to children aged 9–11 (upper Key Stage 2).