Little bones by Sandy Bigna

Bones is a collector. She has a curious interest in bones (hence her unusual name), animal parts and other scientific strangenesses. She is also grieving the loss of a brother, Nico, who had pursued his own curious interests. Friendship has been difficult for Bones since Nico’s death. The arrival of a new potential friend at the same time as she accidentally ‘resurrects’ the skeletal remains of a small bird, sets her on the path to her own re-imagining as she seeks to undo a ‘cursed life’. 

This is a sad story, a story of grief and pain, set in a girl’s life as she leaves childhood behind, but in difficult circumstances. And yet, there is a fluttering of hope in the story. There is an introduction of a ‘curse’ in a supernatural way, which distinguishes this story from others dealing with grief and loss. This is done in a strangely delicate manner, although tears are possible. Written in prose poetry, there is a delightful lyrical quality to the writing. Friendship issues are addressed in a believable way. There are some quirks to characters - the new scraggly-haired friend is addressed in non-gendered they/them references, and this is intriguing without being a statement (and their dumpster diving is also unique); the housing commission apartments house a gentle ex-convict, a vibrant artist escaping difficult circumstances and Bones’ own multi-generational family who have struggles and fractures that do not impede love. This is charming and can be recommended for young readers, aged 10-14, who can cope with the weightiness of grief mixed with a light dusting of mystical/magical intrigue, and the detritus of life and its re-imagining. Teacher's notes are avaialble.

(Note: This may be triggering for readers who have fresh grief to bear.)

Themes: Grief and loss, Skeletons, Collections, Friendships, Bullying, Prose poetry.

Carolyn Hull