Millie Mak the Mender by Alice Pung and Sher Rilling

Millie Mak the Mender is the second book in this gentle and delightful series about Millie Mak, a shy and reserved child who has a gift for sewing. In the first story we learn more about Millie’s mum who works in an Aged Care Home. One day Millie visits the home and finds it challenging dealing with the different needs of the elderly people in the home. She continues to return to the home and begins to relax, show more understanding and feel comfortable being with the residents. Millie decides to make them each an amazing hat out of recycled materials and they are an instant hit. She asks her friends Rita and Veesa to help create more and they do a wonderful job.

Meanwhile Millie’s unpleasant classmate Geri copies the idea for the hats for the aged care home with an unsuccessful campaign that results in another classmate, Shanelle, standing up for Millie.  Millie and Shanelle form an uneasy friendship. However Shanelle is dealing with her own troubles and the Millie, Rita and Veesa help her and her family out.  The four girls end up calling themselves and their sewing group, the Fru-Gals.

The second story deals with the recognition Millie and her friends receive for their recycled sewing but it does not quite go according to plan. Millie makes her younger sister a play outfit that is noticed at a wedding by a fashion blogger who takes photos and wants to learn more about Millie and what she does. Rita and Veesa are keen for Millie to explore the opportunity offered by the blogger but Millie is reluctant. When this leads to an appearance on a television show for all four Fru-Gals, it does not end as expected with friendships between the girls in trouble. Will Millie be able to mend things this time?

These stories have an important message about reusing items and creating new and different things. The important role both sets of grandparents play in Millie’s life and how she adapts to different cultural expectations is not always easy but Millie strives to make it work. At the end of each story are detailed instructions for making items from the story. Illustrations throughout add an extra layer to the narrative.

Themes: Sewing, Friendship, School, Community, Family, Diversity.

Kathryn Beilby