i always enter the kingdom of silk with a happy heart

review : plum puddings and paper moons, glenda millard (illus. stephen michael king)

there are red-kite wishes, which are made-aloud wishes that are "usually for fun and not important at all" but then there are those wishes that are "deep and silent and don't need to be said." this story sees a deep and secret silent wish become a beautiful near-reality.

scarlet silk is fifteen. she has made friends with anik who washes the dishes at mr kadri's colour patch cafe. he tells her the story of how he came to live in their town, losing his parents in a war zone. scarlet is horrified that people can bear to have war continue and she decides to declares peace, at least in cameron's creek.

it was wonderful getting to know scarlet, the oldest rainbow silk girl, as well as the other silk girls who have always been hovering in the background through the four other kingdom of silk titles.* it's nice to cook an armenian love cake with amber (in my family we always called it an armenian wedding cake but i think it's the same thing) and to watch the entire (extended) family weave their individual magic through their everyday - but never ordinary - activities.

i would like to have attended nasty nellie's floating academy for pirates and plunderers with perry angel (who has some difficulties learning, so some days he gets lessons from nell and annie instead of at the big school in town). i was so happy to see another, secret, private side to layla's mother. i am worried about nell, who is getting old.

plum puddings and paper moons is a tale to make your heart leap with hope, and also to delight with glenda millard's superb writing. her descriptions and thoughts are perfect, and never fail to make me cry with their beautiful bittersweetness - and their simplicity.

wonderful. for all ages.

*the naming of tishkin silk, layla queen of hearts, perry angel's suitcase, all the colours of paradise