Five reasons we love Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters by Ailsa Wild
Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters by Ailsa Wild (with illustrations by Ben Wood) is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize. Here are five reasons why we think it’s brilliant.
1. Squishy Taylor is a terrific new Australian heroine for ages 6 and up.
We adore Squishy. She’s feisty and forthright, impulsive and inventive, silly and smart. Throughout this story, Squishy has to overcome all kinds of challenges and in doing so, lands in all kinds of scrapes. Kids will definitely relate to the trouble Squishy finds herself in, and sometimes even causes… We also love how Ben Wood’s illustrations show Squishy is all her of her, well, squishy-ness!
2. Ailsa Wild thoughtfully and realistically depicts a modern, blended family.
Family life can be complicated – there is no one-size-fits-all nuclear model out there. In Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters we meet one such family, warts and all. Squishy lives with her father, her stepmum, her two so-called ‘bonus sisters’ and a noisy new baby. Her mum has recently moved to Geneva so Squishy chats to her via Skype. The author never shies away from showing the realities of Squishy adjusting to her new set-up, but she also reveals a lot of warmth and love in there too.
3. The narrative features lots of twisty intrigue to keep kids engaged.
A boy hiding in a basement, a cranky neighbour, a prank gone badly wrong – Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters features exciting twists and turns to keep kids turning the pages, while still staying entrenched in reality. The mystery of the boy in the basement underpins the story and no doubt kids will enjoy the reveal of where he’s come from.
4. The book is ideal for younger independent readers.
As our Malvern Children’s Buyer Athina Clarke writer: ‘Any novel for younger independent readers needs to strike a tricky balance between story and language; the story must be rich and entertaining yet told within a limited palate of words, a balance that Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters achieves perfectly.’
5. There are already six more mystery adventures with Squishy Taylor available.
Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters is the first in a series, so young fans already have plenty more Squishy to enjoy. We love series because not only can they help create lifelong readers, but they’re also ideal for gift-giving. Right now, you can even get the first three stories in a single bind-up edition here.
