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'Meixing Lim and her family have arrived at the New House in the New Land, inherited from First Uncle who died tragically and unexpectedly while picking oranges in the backyard. Everything is vast and unknown to Meixing and not in a good way, including the house she has dubbed Big Scary. She is embarrassed by the second-hand shoes given to her by the kind neighbours, has trouble understanding the language at school, and with fitting in and making new friends. Her solace is a glasshouse in the garden that inexplicably holds the sun and the moon and all the secrets of her memory and imagination.
'Her fragile universe is rocked when tragedy strikes and Ma Ma refuses to face the world outside. Meixing finds herself trapped within the shrinking walls of Big Scary. Her parents said this would be a better life for them all, but it feels like the worst and most heart-breaking experience of Meixing's entire existence. Surviving will take all the resilience and inner belief of this brave girl to turn their world around.
'A Glasshouse of Stars is based on the real childhood experiences of the author, brushed with a light touch of magic realism.' (Publication summary)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Sound recording.
Works about this Work
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Young Readers Give Their Verdicts for the Children's Book Council of Australia's Shadowers' Choice Awards
2022
single work
column
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , August 2022;'For the first time, the best Australian children's books of the year have been decided by the young people reading them.'
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Shirley Marr : A Glasshouse of Stars
2021
single work
interview
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , July vol. 36 no. 3 2021; (p. 26) 'Amongst the countless benefits of reading is experiencing a perspective other than one's own, and the subsequent development of understanding, tolerance and empathy for others.' (Introduction)
-
Shirley Marr : A Glasshouse of Stars
2021
single work
interview
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , July vol. 36 no. 3 2021; (p. 26) 'Amongst the countless benefits of reading is experiencing a perspective other than one's own, and the subsequent development of understanding, tolerance and empathy for others.' (Introduction) -
Young Readers Give Their Verdicts for the Children's Book Council of Australia's Shadowers' Choice Awards
2022
single work
column
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , August 2022;'For the first time, the best Australian children's books of the year have been decided by the young people reading them.'
Awards
- 2022 shortlisted Readings Prizes — The Readings Children’s Book Prize
- 2022 shortlisted Queensland Literary Awards — Griffith University Children’s Book Award
- 2022 winner CBCA Book of the Year Awards — Book of the Year: Younger Readers
- 2022 CBCA Book of the Year Awards — Notable Book — Younger Readers
- 2022 nominated Yoto Carnegies Library Association Awards (UK) CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) Awards — Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing