Molly and Pim and the Millions of Stars (Martine Murray, Text)

Molly just wants a normal mother, not one who makes potions and is up all hours of the night. Until one day Molly’s mother disappears in an unexpected way: she accidentally drinks a potion designed to grow a very large tree (to block out their awful neighbours) and turns into a tree herself! Suddenly, the traits that previously annoyed Molly about her mother become cherished, and Molly is confronted with a new loneliness—and the challenge of turning her mother back into a human before the neighbours cut her down. Readers will quickly grow fond of Molly, whose qualities of courage and vulnerability are equally endearing. Martine Murray’s writing is majestic and sophisticated, but still seems to hit the middle- to upper-grade reader level perfectly. Touching on the fantastical and mysterious, this book has a sense of wonder about it. It explores themes of friendship, family and connection with nature, and illustrates children’s yearning for comfort and guidance from their parents, but also eagerness to be independent and explore the world.

Sarah Coull is a freelance writer and reviewer who has worked as a children’s bookseller and an editor for an educational publisher

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Category: Reviews