Millie Mak the Maker (Millie Mak, Book 1)

Alice Pung, Sher Rill Ng (illus.)

Millie Mak the Maker (Millie Mak, Book 1)
Format
Hardback
Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
Country
Australia
Published
30 August 2023
Pages
288
ISBN
9781460763773

Millie Mak the Maker (Millie Mak, Book 1)

Alice Pung, Sher Rill Ng (illus.)

Nine-year-old Millie Mak has discovered she has a superpower!

Using everyday objects, Millie turns them into something new, beautiful and useful. Who would ever think that a sunhat could be made from an old bedsheet, a skirt from a tea-towel, or some hair scrunchies from a scarf?

Through her creativity and clever thinking, Millie also deals with different friendships, tricky family challenges, and contributes to the school fete.

You can make the special objects Millie creates from the detailed and yet easy-to-follow instructions included in the book. And best of all, nothing needs to be bought!

From award-winning author-illustrator team, Alice Pung and Sher Rill Ng, comes the first book in an inspiring new series for young and old makers.

Review

Australian literary superstar Alice Pung again pairs up with talented illustrator Sher Rill Ng (their picture book together, Be Careful Xiao Xin!, is a 2023 CBCA Notable Book) for the middle-grade novel Millie Mak the Maker. For early middle-grade readers, this is an absolutely beautiful story about Millie Mak, who likes to sew, design, and make as many things with her hands as she can.

The two stories in the book (‘Gelati Party’ and ‘Rita the Brave’) cover vast emotional territory. Millie, nine, must settle into a new school and new suburb, facing racism, mean girls and big responsibilities with kindness, bravery and humility. Millie is a Scottish Chinese Australian, who feels the tensions in her identity, but ultimately finds so much love in her Granny and Ahma, as both value resourcefulness and the skills to make and repair things by hand. Both stories in the book also include craft instructions so that readers can follow along with all the projects Millie embarks on, primarily with materials already at home.

This is a book with an enormous heart, a cosy read sure to become a favourite, and with immense potential for inspiring not just creativity but kindness and critical thinking too. Millie Mak the Maker is a true treasure in Australian middle grade. For ages 7+.

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