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Violet Mackerel #1
Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot
Violet Mackerel thinks she would QUITE LIKE to own the blue china bird at the Saturday markets. This is not just a SILLY WISH. It is instead the start of a VERY IMPORTANT idea. But what she needs is a PLOT. A BRILLIANT plot. Introducing readers to a new warm and loveable character, Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot is a story not to be missed.
112 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2010
About the author
Anna Branford
35 books42 followersI was born in 1975 on the Isle of Man and spent my childhood there, in Sudan, in Papua New Guinea and in Australia. I did lots of my daydreaming in planes, trains and boats including one boat that my dad made with a glass base so my little sister and I could see fish and coral going past underneath us. For a little while I had a mouse and the best present my mum and dad ever gave me (apart from my sister) was my own piano.
My favourite books were The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and the Ramona stories by Beverly Cleary. Though I love returning to those stories (especially Wind in the Willows) these days my favourites are anything by bell hooks or Alain de Botton.
I live in Melbourne near a river, write books for children, make dolls, nests and the occasional skirt, go to lots of markets and have cups of tea with my friends. I have a special interest in helping people to find the kind of work that is right for them. I don’t spend quite as much time on planes, trains and boats as I used to, but I walk up and down mountains whenever I find a spare moment. And I still have that same piano.
My favourite books were The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and the Ramona stories by Beverly Cleary. Though I love returning to those stories (especially Wind in the Willows) these days my favourites are anything by bell hooks or Alain de Botton.
I live in Melbourne near a river, write books for children, make dolls, nests and the occasional skirt, go to lots of markets and have cups of tea with my friends. I have a special interest in helping people to find the kind of work that is right for them. I don’t spend quite as much time on planes, trains and boats as I used to, but I walk up and down mountains whenever I find a spare moment. And I still have that same piano.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
September 28, 2017
I very much enjoy the illustrations by Elanna Allen. I wonder why there are two different illustrators for different editions for a new book?
If a child wrote this, the teacher would have done a lot of red-lining. "Quite" and "actually" and "sort of" and even a chapter called "A Slight Disaster" ... too much! Sure, it sounds friendlier and cuter, but it's not good writing.
Other than those quibbles, this is utterly charming, and I will def. try to find more in the series.
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Reread, in prep. for reading the rest of the series. Loved it even more this time. All the details of exactly who is doing what to fulfill their goals and dreams enchant me. I also like the big vocabulary word "archeologist" which is introduced by a full spread showing Violet digging amongst ruins.
"The Theory of Finding Small Things."
If a child wrote this, the teacher would have done a lot of red-lining. "Quite" and "actually" and "sort of" and even a chapter called "A Slight Disaster" ... too much! Sure, it sounds friendlier and cuter, but it's not good writing.
Other than those quibbles, this is utterly charming, and I will def. try to find more in the series.
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Reread, in prep. for reading the rest of the series. Loved it even more this time. All the details of exactly who is doing what to fulfill their goals and dreams enchant me. I also like the big vocabulary word "archeologist" which is introduced by a full spread showing Violet digging amongst ruins.
"The Theory of Finding Small Things."
October 12, 2012
This is one of those books I love so much, I want to thrust it at *everybody*, whether or not they have a chapterbook-aged child. I'm a 35-year-old, and my eyes were misty at the (absolutely perfect) ending. The whole book is so funny and sweet and clever, and I love, love, love dreamy Violet and her whole quirky, wonderful family. I cannot wait to read more books in this series!
(Longer, more detailed review on my blog.)
(Longer, more detailed review on my blog.)
September 16, 2020
"So in the story first they were just moving out of their house and Violet Mackerel didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave because she loved the house that she had. Once they unpacked at their new house early on a Sunday morning they went to the supermarket and Violet Mackerel went to the store in her warm pajamas. She saw her dad at the store but had gone to the store with her step dad so it was weird. Violet Mackerel wanted a blue China bird but they couldn't find it while unpacking." -Cadee, age 8
October 4, 2012
Wonderful early chapter book. Violet shows readers that all ideas, big and small, are important. I also like the warm family relationships and the emphasis on earning your own money for the things you want.
April 20, 2013
Lovely, simple and sweet. I have a bit of a crush on Vincent; I'll have to read more to make sure he sticks around.
July 10, 2011
This is a delightful short story for junior readers. Violet Mackerel is a lovable little girl whose determination to get what she wants through her own initiative is inspirational. What she wants is a simple little china bird from the local craft stall where mum goes to sell her knitting each weekend. Alas, Violet doesn't have $10 or even $1 and unlike her irritating brother and sister she is too little to earn any.
So she dreams up various plots to get the money. Mum who only just manages to keep her cool when she sees some of Violet's scrapes, but this is a loving and generous (sole-parent) family and the happy ending is just right.
Shortlisted for the 2011 CBCA awards, and my pick for the winner.
So she dreams up various plots to get the money. Mum who only just manages to keep her cool when she sees some of Violet's scrapes, but this is a loving and generous (sole-parent) family and the happy ending is just right.
Shortlisted for the 2011 CBCA awards, and my pick for the winner.
July 20, 2019
I don't review everything I read with Clare, but this was a real standout in the early chapter book realm (I picked it up based on a recommendation from a mom friend who's also an English teacher). You don't find many fictional little girls who can hang with Ramona Quimby, but I think Violet and Ramona (and the rest of the Quimbys and Mackerels too) would get along just fine. I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of these.
January 22, 2023
Violet is a funny kid with a great imagination. She has some brilliant ideas.
This was a quick read with the kids. One thought it was great and the other thought it didn’t have enough feelings 😂 The illustrations were fun and the story contained a valuable lesson about selflessness and giving.
This was a quick read with the kids. One thought it was great and the other thought it didn’t have enough feelings 😂 The illustrations were fun and the story contained a valuable lesson about selflessness and giving.
February 23, 2023
I’m thought this was adorable… my kids, however, were very indifferent to the whole thing😒
March 7, 2023
Super cute, witty, made my daughter and I laugh out loud on more than one occasion!
March 20, 2023
A really cute story.
February 2, 2025
Eliana opted to DNF this after I explained what that meant
Eliana’s review: “this was very very very boring. They didn’t do anything.”
Eliana’s review: “this was very very very boring. They didn’t do anything.”
April 28, 2013
Violet's brilliant plot starts when she decides she wants to buy a special blue pottery bird from a table at the craft market. There's a man who never speaks when she talks to him and he has it for sale. She's got to find a way to earn $10. Her career as an archaeologist looking for treasure in the backyard comes to an abrupt end when she wrecks the garden.
Eventually she decorates a 'tubular scarf' that's been one of her mum's experiments and tries to sell it for $10. But the silent man at the stall selling the pottery birds looks so cold and miserable, she decides she'd rather give it to him so he'll be warm.
A warm fuzzy of a book. Charming as a flower posy and and sweet as clover honey, it treads a very fine line between cloying and gentle. The delicate illustrations capture a soft mood and the interesting fonts are well... interesting. They add something emphatic to the book but I'm not quite sure what.
This is a book for young girls though I sometimes wondered about the level of the vocabulary.
Violet is nicely eccentric. Her brother Dylan and sister Nicola ground the book quite a bit: they are realistic, squabbling siblings. Violet's mum makes money for the household by knitting sweaters for sale at the local craft market. Dad is nowhere to be seen; her parents are divorced. Vincent, the young silent man Violet brings out of his shell, is touchingly done.
January 19, 2013
This is a cute short chapter book about wishing for things, making mistakes, and coming up with creative solutions. The illustrations are fun and plentiful, and I like the U.S. edition's cover more than Australia's. It's nice that Violet chooses an unselfish (but not very business-savvy) option near the end of the story.
A few minor quibbles: While the idea of theories and plots is a big part of the story, and this is a good introduction to those concepts, the first chapter might be a turnoff to some younger readers. The handwriting shown is much too advanced for a 7-year-old. And finally, on page 37, there's a line where seven words are run together with no spaces. Kids will be able to figure it out, but at $14.99 for a hardcover, that kind of error should be have caught before it was printed.
A few minor quibbles: While the idea of theories and plots is a big part of the story, and this is a good introduction to those concepts, the first chapter might be a turnoff to some younger readers. The handwriting shown is much too advanced for a 7-year-old. And finally, on page 37, there's a line where seven words are run together with no spaces. Kids will be able to figure it out, but at $14.99 for a hardcover, that kind of error should be have caught before it was printed.
February 22, 2014
So, let’s celebrate a combined non-fiction and early chapter book series today, shall we? I’ve recently become a huge fan of Anna Branford. I read Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot; Violet Mackerel’s Remarkable Recovery; How to Make Small Things with Violet Mackerel – by Anna Branford - Early Chapter Books – after I read another book from the Violet Mackerel series and I was simply enchanted with the beautiful philosophy and life experiences that Violet’s character has from needing to get her tonsils removed and making a special friend in the waiting room to how when Violet thinks she has a perfect plot on how to get an object it goes a little haywire. Violet is a character that reminded me that little things can be very special, you can slow down and make friends with certain people, and a single parent home should be naturally introduced in more novels
September 4, 2014
7-year-old Violet desperately wants a blue china bird that she sees the the weekly farmer's market she and her family attend. But she has no money - so she needs to come up with a brilliant plot to earn the $10 she needs to buy the bird. Digging in the garden for valuable fossils doesn't work - but then Violet gets the brilliant idea to use some of her mother's knitting mistakes to create a one-of-a-kind tube scarf. This sweet beginning chapter book is the first in the series. Fun for beginning readers and those who like their heroines a little less boisterous than Junie B.
June 12, 2011
I had to have a friend send this to me from AU b/c sadly, it's not avail for the US - yet! Can't wait till Violet gets here! This little book of Violets is like a breath of fresh air that I know kids in the states would enjoy immensely. Can't wait to get my hands on the 2nd installment! Also read Sophies Salon -a book on the importance of friendships - making them and maintaining them all while being true to yourself.
December 9, 2012
Cute little story about young Violet, whose ideas are as special and different as is her family - very refreshing! I loved this book - as I loved Violet and her family - for its uniqueness and it's "out of the square/box" ideas and characters. The story celebrates in a very subtle and charming way the importance of being who you want to be and living your life the way you want to live it. The idea of having a Box of Little Things is very cool - I might just have to get one myself ;)
October 27, 2011
Loved this.
February 21, 2013
Brilliantly beautiful.
Read
February 26, 2017Maybe I would enjoy reading this book more if I were 7. As it was.. well... I'm undecided.
April 18, 2019
Review by 6yo: “I like how she found the blue China bird at the end and how she made the scarf.”
(He also said: I want to give it ALL the stars”)👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
(He also said: I want to give it ALL the stars”)👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2021
The story was fine. I read it aloud to our children. I could see a child enjoying this series on their own.
May 15, 2026
Girls loved this! Can’t wait to continue the series.
April 21, 2023
Throughout the book, I wasn’t quite sure what age Violet was. I thought maybe five or six, but now I know she is supposed to be seven, which works. I guess because seven-year-olds still have this cute way of thinking and plotting. And then I read it with my seven-year-old, and yes, definitely the same person. Violet reminds the adults how, with imagination, anything is possible. You only need to think outside the box. At some point, we lose this imagination and think just mainstream, which is sad in some ways. If we break the box sometimes, we could have fantastic ideas.
But ultimately, this is a book for young kids and a fun one. Kids can relate to Violet because they do the same thing every time they try to sell rocks found on the street, glue anything they find around the house onto a piece of paper and have an art sale. But the most important thing they take from this book is that giving is better than receiving and that kindness goes a long way.
Overall this is a wholesome and comforting story about a girl working hard for her goals. Recommending this to any little plotter out there.
But ultimately, this is a book for young kids and a fun one. Kids can relate to Violet because they do the same thing every time they try to sell rocks found on the street, glue anything they find around the house onto a piece of paper and have an art sale. But the most important thing they take from this book is that giving is better than receiving and that kindness goes a long way.
Overall this is a wholesome and comforting story about a girl working hard for her goals. Recommending this to any little plotter out there.
October 23, 2025
Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot by Anna Branford tells the story of Violet achieving her goal of getting the blue china bird at the market. The man who sells them at the market never smiles or replies when she says hi, but she is determined to find the money to get that bird. She tries to become an archaeologist and find dinosaur bones to get money, but that does not work. She then asks her mom to teach her how to knit, and when that does not work, she looks at her mom's old knitting projects. She finds a huge leg warmer that she turns into a scarf by adding buttons and ribbon and sequins. She gifts this to the man at the market, who gifts her the blue china bird later on for her kindness. Her patience and kindness worked out better than her original plans! I like this book for independent reading time and I would keep this in my classroom library. I think this would be suitable for second or third grade readers who could even do a little project on the message of kindness with their table group. The groups could also explain what they would trade to someone and what they would want to get out of the trade (ex: they give a sandwich and receive a Barbie).
September 25, 2022
Probably one of the most lovely book series I've come across for children.
My kids loved this entire series and they evoke charm and gentleness with the right does of quirky curiosity, creativity, and grit that my kids and I adored. Added to it, a single mother who makes crafts and sells them (yay! might be me just feeling seen for once in a children's book) and children who are struggling financially but still managing to find joy? There needs to be more books like these.
I adored every book in this series, and prefer the Australian version of illustrations. Great for those who have kids in homeschool/Waldorf backgrounds too somehow. Fits in well with those who enjoy Sparkle Stories... same vibe. We also learned about Poffertjes and luckily where we lived at the time, there was a stand at our local farmer's market that made and sold them fresh... which enhanced our experience and enjoyment of this book.
My kids loved this entire series and they evoke charm and gentleness with the right does of quirky curiosity, creativity, and grit that my kids and I adored. Added to it, a single mother who makes crafts and sells them (yay! might be me just feeling seen for once in a children's book) and children who are struggling financially but still managing to find joy? There needs to be more books like these.
I adored every book in this series, and prefer the Australian version of illustrations. Great for those who have kids in homeschool/Waldorf backgrounds too somehow. Fits in well with those who enjoy Sparkle Stories... same vibe. We also learned about Poffertjes and luckily where we lived at the time, there was a stand at our local farmer's market that made and sold them fresh... which enhanced our experience and enjoyment of this book.
January 30, 2022
‘Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot’ is the first book of the ‘Violet Mackerel’ series, and undoubtedly an amazing start-off. It features the story of a little girl named Violet Mackerel, who is determined to buy herself the blue china bird from a man in the Saturday market. It is not easy for her, and in order to fulfill her wish, she has to work out a ‘brilliant plot’ through thinking outside the box.
The book portrays a beautiful family, where each member is creative in their own way. It is capable of teaching young readers the essentiality of imagination and determination. Besides, through Violet Mackerel and the others, the author has shown the heavenly beauty of kindness and sacrifice.
To attract the young reader’s interest, the illustrated book has been written in a simple yet catchy language.
Recommended for 8-10 year old children.
February 23, 2018
This is a beautiful gentle story, perfect to share on a rainy day. Branford expertly manages to make her depiction of small every day things both fascinating and compelling. She really manages to capture the mind of a child, something that instantly hit a deep chord with my highly sensitive children. Reading it aloud is a joy, and despite the fact there is no massively suspenseful hook, my kids were completely enthralled and wouldn't let me stop reading. In fact, I think that is the book's great gift.
At the end of the book the kids all enthusiastically set out in search of small things and made a box each to treasure them in. A lovely read.
At the end of the book the kids all enthusiastically set out in search of small things and made a box each to treasure them in. A lovely read.
June 8, 2019
My daughter (9 yrs old) gave this 5 starts and I have to agree. Violet is a very ingenious and sweet little girl. This first book mentions their father "left" but no details are given, it just goes a little bit into how her mother took up knitting and affirmations to cope. I knit and my daughter knits and it was nice to see the mama use knitting as therapy. My daughter likes that the letters are large and I the drawings are really really pretty. All in all it was a quick read for my daughter but she really enjoyed Violet's great imagination and problem solving. I highly recommend this read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews