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May 21 2013

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

Penguin, 2013. ISBN 9780141345819.
Highly recommended for older teens. Science Fiction is entering a new golden era. During the 70s and 80s, with the rise of 'epic' fantasy, sci fi novels lost favour while Feist, Donaldson and King dominated. However, the last couple of years have seen an increase in books with spaceships, aliens and galaxies. Mesh technological gadgetry with dystopian ideals, and you have the makings of a reborn War of the worlds.
Rick Yancey already has two action-packed series for young people, with one of them The Monstrumologist, receiving critical acclaim, so it's not surprising that The Fifth Wave hits a lot of the right notes attempting to attract the reading attention of teenagers. Its basic premise is very simple - an alien race scopes out Earth and, seeing that it fits their needs, makes a calculated endeavour to take over by hostile and underhanded means.
What Yancey does with this is to create a tense, taut narrative that is full of action and snark. Cassie is the main character. We see her point of view as she attempts to survive the almost complete annihilation of the human race. Yancey doesn't follow a clear chronological style. We are thrust into an unwinnable situation, and quickly find out what Cassie is reduced to - kill or be killed. It's powerful stuff. As the story progresses we are told virtually nothing. We have to fill in the gaps between Cassie's solitary here-and-now, and her flashbacks to the last days of her family life.
Amidst all the action and the emotional family drama, there is also much snarky dialogue. When Cassie is alone, it's an inner monologue of snark and this ensures the narrative isn't totally pessimistic. Admittedly a lot of the humour is dark; 'Then the door flew open and Mr Faulks told us to head over to the gym. I thought that was really smart. Get us all in one place so the aliens didn't have to waste ammunition . . .' But it defines Cassie's character: She's feisty and brave.
When the first section ends and we enter the head of another character, I was pleasantly surprised. Multiple viewpoints allow the narrative a broader canvas. Whereas Cassie's view is an individual one, Zombie's is large scale. We see the fight back against the invaders, we see politics and training. We see the consequences of the aliens' actions on very small children. More powerful stuff.
Other viewpoints are offered, but to tell you more would spoil the surprises that are best kept secret. I guess some of what we discover is predictable and some of it a bit contrived, but that doesn't stop this from being a cracking read. Although the main goal of the book is resolved, there is more that can be, and will be developed.
Highly recommended for older teens. Themes include survival, family loyalty, trust and betrayal, romance and identity.
Trish Buckley

May 21 2013

My Brother Simple by Marie-Aude Murail

Translated by Adriana Hunter. Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 9781408814710.
Highly recommended. I was unaware of this French author's pedigree as a writer but will, after reading this fine book read more. A household name in her native France, Marie-Aude Murail has with this book achieved something great. By turns funny, sad and heart-wrenching, this book never patronises or preaches. My Brother Simple; follows the story of two brothers; seventeen year old Kleber and his Twenty-two year old brother, Barnaby, the 'Simple' of the title. Simple has learning difficulties and Kleber is struggling to look after him whilst completing his final year of high school.
In an attempt to rescue Simple from the Institution he has been living in since their Mother died, the two young men embark on a heart-warming yet darkly comic adventure in share-housing amid the tenements of Paris.
It is a thoroughly accomplished, poignant story of brotherly love and family responsibility and coming of age. Lovers of Mark Haddon's excellent Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time will find plenty here to entertain and ponder.
Highly recommended.
Stephen Bull

May 21 2013

Me and Rory Macbeath by Richard Beasley

Hachette, 2013. ISBN 9780733630309.
(Age: Mid secondary - adult) Recommended. Me and Rory Macbeath is set in 1970s Adelaide. Jake's mother, Harry, is a barrister, a heavy drinker and an even heavier smoker. Jake is not good in a fist fight but he has learned to fight with words after many late-night parties where he hears Harry and her colleagues wrangle. Much of the second half of the book takes place in court.
Jake has been friends with Robbie Duncan for a long time, but his new friendship with Rory becomes more significant in the year he turns thirteen. The three boys live in the same street, hang around together and go on fishing trips with Robbie's policeman father. But Rory's father is not the same kind of family man as Alec Duncan and something happens that throws Rose Avenue off kilter.
Life is changing for Jake - ' I could see that it [childhood] had ended, ended with what had happened that night . . . I wasn't a man but I didn't feel like a boy either, and I wasn't ready for that kind of change.'
The prologue of Me and Rory Macbeath is short but poignant and it complements the ending. This novel could be used in older secondary English classrooms, perhaps as a companion novel to Jasper Jones or The Cartographer, which have similar accessible styles and the theme of the search for identity by a boy who is making sense of the world and his place in it. Rory Macbeath has detailed courtroom and related scenes which would also be of interest for those contemplating a career in law, especially the bar.
Joy Lawn

May 21 2013

Whizz pop Granny stop! by Tracy Corderoy

Ill. by Joe Berger. Nosy Crow, 2013. ISBN 9780 85763 130 5.
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Grandparents. Witches. In easily red rhyming verses, the story of Granny unfolds. She is unlike all other Grannies and although does some wonderful things for the girl, she sometimes just does too much, putting her granddaughter in precarious positions. At ballet school the girls are all doing quite well, doing the graceful movements of a swan until Granny gives her granddaughter some wings with which to fly higher than the others. So when the girls are all invited to the child's birthday party, the reader is agog as to what the woman will present.
With wonderfully bright and cheerful illustrations, all who are reading this story will look closely at the pictures, finding all the things usually associated with witches and witchcraft, laughing at all the things hidden on each page, and feeling pity for the young girl who must put up with Grannie's attempts to help her.
The other book about this magical Granny, Hubble bubble, Granny trouble is also just plain good fun, putting spells and frogs on each page.
Fran Knight

May 21 2013

The Terrible Trickster by Frances Watts

Ill. by Gregory Rogers. Sword Girl Book 5. Allen & Unwin 2013. ISBN 9781743313213. 126p. RRP $11.99.
Highly recommended 7-9 year olds. Themes: Medieval Times, Castle Life, Ghosts. Frances Watt's Sword Girl series follow a feisty young girl character Thomasina - Tommy who is Keeper of the Blades at Flamant Castle. A trickster is making castle life a nightmare.
There is sneezing powder in the knights' soup, in Mrs Moon's kitchen the salt is changed for sugar and Sir Walter's sheets are covered in itching powder. Tommy's inquisitive nature leads her into trouble and the blame falls upon her. To clear her name she seeks help from the castle animals, Lil the cat, even the pigeon and the crocodiddle that lives in the moat. The swords she cleans and sharpens, also communicate with Tommy and encourage her to find the trickster.
This is another exciting addition to this series; Frances Watts has created a strong, engaging girl character that readers will come to love. The cast of castle characters wonderfully add to the interest and engagement as Tommy is involved with everyone from Sir Walter to the laundry maids.
Gregory Rogers' pen and ink cartoons add excitement and a fun comic element to the tricks played out in the story.
I highly recommend this story for independent readers from 7 years of age. It would make an exciting Year 2-3 class novel - a great example of a rich narrative story.
Rhyllis Bignell

May 21 2013

The Pirate Company: On the Trail of the Golden Toucan by Susan Cason

Scholastic Australia, 2013. ISBN: 9781742990026. RRP: $14.99 288p.
(Age: 9-11) Highly recommended. Themes: Pirates; Adventure; Voyages and Travels. Tom Applecross's life is one of misadventure, his father Josiah Applecross a famous explorer has failed to return from his latest expedition. His avaricious stepmother Evlynne casts him aside and he has to leave Port Pandora to live with his Great-Aunt Audrey in Boston. Aboard the Marie-Gallante his life undergoes a radical change. Fearsome pirates swarm the ship flourishing an armoury of bayonets and pistols, frightening the passengers and crew with their blood-curdling cries. They ransack the ship and steal personal possessions, supplies and the pink pearls.
Later that night Tom is swept overboard in a storm and is washed ashore on a deserted island. By coincidence this is where the pirates come ashore to replenish their buried treasure chest. Tom is captured by Carrot and Mortlock who is meaner than a tubful of piranhas, and they row him to their ship The Thimblerig. There he awaits his fate at the hands of Captain Shearwater. Along the way Captain Shearwater's niece Rosie assists Tom is his myriad of adventures.
Each chapter is full of rich sensory descriptions, these sights, sounds, smells, tastes and feelings of the pirates' life at sea and their life ashore. Susan Cason has beautifully captured the dramas and dilemmas, the twists and turns of Tom's journey to become accepted as one of the pirate crew. The pirates' life is a sanitised one, skimming over their darker pleasures, taverns, women and mayhem.This is a wonderful fast-paced read; it would make a great class novel for Years 4-6.
This novel is highly recommended for 9-11 year old confident readers. Scholastic teaching notes are available.
Rhyllis Bignell

May 20 2013

The last elephant by Justin D'Ath

Puffin Books, 2013. ISBN 978 0 14 330726 6
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Dystopian. Animals. When Colt and his mother, a veterinarian, go to the Lost World Circus to see an elephant, the last elephant in the world, they must take action when the animal is bitten by the dreaded ghost-rat, the reason for all animals in the world dying. Colt has been bitten before and survived, so has a special immunity and knows just what these creatures can do. His empathy with the elephant sees his mother and he follow the elephant when it is taken away by the Rat Cops, a government organisation ostensibly there to help the elephant, but everyone knows a trip with that particular crowd is a death sentence.
An exciting start to a new series, D'Ath has developed a scenario which is becoming all too clear as we read of endangered animals in the wild being counted in their hundreds, or of the number of animals being wiped out each day. The characters of Colt and his friend, Birdy as well as his mother, are well drawn and sit well as the focus of this highly dramatic and involving adventure series with a message. Book Two and Three, The singing ape, and Secret superhero are just released, and there are more in the pipeline. So watch out for this exciting, environmentally conscious series.
Fran Knight

May 20 2013

Fabulous fishes by Susan Stockdale

Working Title Press, 2013. ISBN 978 1 921504 55 6
(Age: 3+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Fish. Rhyming text.
First published in the USA by author illustrator, Stockdale, in 2008, this brightly coloured and informative book will have an instant appeal to Australian students. With its 3 pages at the end giving detail about each of the in the text, the verses within will delight the younger reader. For parents and teachers reading with the children, the detail offered at the end will enhance the experience and make the children more aware of the variety of fish found around the world.
Each page shows a different variety of fish with a refrain about the fish passing by. A wide variety of fish is shown, from round fish, spotted fish, fish that have their own light source and fish with tails that curl around the seaweed. Each is shown in detail with astute children recognising the backgrounds in which these particular fish live.
The spiny fish on the cover is shown within its reef and colourful seaweed environment and the detail at the end of the book describes this fish as a Lionfish, which has sharp, venomous spines. When threatened it tuns its back to its enemies using the spines as a defense. Children will be delighted with this information and learn that it is found in the western Pacific, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
The illustrations and information give about the spiny fish reflects the detail given to all the fish included in this lovely most useful book.
Fran Knight

May 20 2013

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray

Harper Collins, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-7322-9615-5.
'It is better to have loved than lost than to have never loved at all.'
While 'the adventures of a teenage witch' is not original it is shown in a new light as this sinister novel presents a new way of looking at witchcraft by using stones to focus magic and feelings and memories as the ingredients. Not your typical coming of age novel Spellcaster deals with the importance of loving despite tragedy and loss.
Motherless and teacher-less Nadia has no choice but to follow her family to Captive's Sound, repelled by a magical barrier and fighting to keep her secret from her family Nadia is pulled from the wreck by a mysterious young man by the name of Mateo. Something isn't right with the town it is eerie and full of something dark and malignant, sink holes are appearing, large enough to swallow up cars and her secret soon comes out. Nadia is a witch. But she isn't the only one. Recognising the work of a witch aligned with 'The One Beneath' she must work together with her new friends in order to save the town from the evil consuming it and in doing so free Mateo from his family curse.
For me, this novel was tedious to read, rather like paranormal romances but always remember that different people have different preferences and I would recommend it to others who have liked Claudia Gray's previous novels such as The Evernight series as well as fans of paranormal romance. I would say that the recommended audience is twelve and up but please be aware that this book does have elements which some young people may find disturbing.
Kayla Gaskell (Student, age seventeen)

May 20 2013

The Tae'anaryn by Joe Ireland

Wombat Books, 2013. ISBN 9781921632327.
Recommended: Middle / Upper Primary. The Tae'anaryn is a fantasy novel with a very strong philosophical bias. The questions it asks the reader to ponder are universal: What is the purpose of my life? How do I respond to and treat others? The characters in the story offer examples which can be reflected on as an individual or discussed in a more formal setting.
Kialeesa is a Tae'aranyn, child who is half human half demon. Her parents own a tavern in the countryside of the kingdom of Lenmer'el where Kialeesa is forced by her demanding mother to workday and night in the kitchens, along with her almost adopted brother Kiel. Her father spends most of his time drunk but loves and protects his daughter as best as he can.
When Kialeesa is summoned to attend the Kings College she sees it as an opportunity to change her life, and to learn to read. She meets the kindly King, despite court protocol, who reminds her that her lowly upbringing is no barrier to success and reaffirms his belief that she is destined to do great things for great good.
Despite the different races and status of students attending the college, Kialeesa finds it extremely difficult to make friends and is feared by many of the adults due to her appearance and the reputation of the Tae'anaryn. Through her deeds and actions she becomes friends with a-would-be wizard, a prayerful warrior, a dryad enchantress and an untrained half troll, who become a formidable team in school challenges.
Kialeesa has to draw on all her knowledge and strength to face the King's assassin though the threat of war continues to hangs over the kingdom and many questions are left to be answered in the books to follow.
The quotations at the beginning of each chapter reflect the content and major discussion point which is reinforced in the Points to Ponder section in the Appendix making this an ideal novel for study at an upper primary level.
Sue Keane

May 20 2013

Words and pictures: A multimodal approach to picture books by Helen de Silva Joyce and John Gaudin

Phoenix Education, 2011. ISBN 9781921586231.
Recommended as a Teacher Resource. As the current curriculum documents refer to using and creating multimodal texts this book offers an invaluable introduction to and analysis of the most basic, common and accessible of this text type, The Picture Book.
Aimed at informing teachers, the book leads us through the development of Picture books from a historical perspective looking at the earliest forms of Picture books to the modern texts. The texts referred to are then used throughout the following chapters as examples as the authors explore picture books as narratives explaining terminology and introducing a framework to analyse  illustrations and explore how words and pictures work together to tell the story.
The final chapter provides an analysis of three picture books using the framework provided, focussing on narrative theory and the grammar of design linking the words and images and introducing literary genres to children. The suggested classroom activities are supplemented by possible answers to support teachers new to the concepts being covered.
Extensive references both written and web based provide opportunities for further investigation and reflection whilst the list of picture books used is comprehensive and include many commonly available in most primary school libraries.
With the current emphasis on multimodal texts being used in all subject areas, using this book will help develop an awareness of how the picture book has employed words and pictures to tell a story and manipulate the reader's response, teachers and students will be better placed to analyse the design of web pages, advertisement and other multimodal texts.
Sue Keane

May 17 2013

To brave the seas by David McRobbie

Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743313077
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Novel. Merchant Navy. World War Two. When his mother dies, and his father decides to leave for work in Glasgow, Adam is at a loss, but buoyed by stories of the Merchant Navy, he joins up, appearing at the nearby Liverpool Docks, ready for work. But it is 1940, and German submarines are plying the sea routes between England and North America, and Adam's first ship is part of a convoy headed west. Battling seasickness and getting used to his new role on board, as Peggy, the lowest of the jobs, taking meals across a cold wet deck to the mess, fetching and carrying hot cups of tea, everything is new to him. But he survives, partly through the kindness of the other sailors who help him, teaching him the way of the ship and the new set of words to learn, and his own tenacity.
This most unusual background will entice readers to hear of the war from quite a different perspective. McRobbie's Merchant Navy background comes to the fore as we learn incidentally about what the ships did during the war, evading Uboats to get supplies to England. Adam is a likeable young man who holds the reader's attention to the end.
Crossing the Atlantic, they are torpedoed and scuttle onto the lifeboats to try and survive. When all luck has run out they are rescued when a passing ship, abandoned by its crew, becomes their new home. They take control and steer it to a port, only to be chastised for blocking the sea way. Later they are in harbour in neutral Portugal, when the captain decides that they will do something about the German submarine moored nearby.
An adventure story which gives a great deal of information about the Merchant Navy and the men who sailed during the war, this book will readily find a place in the reading list of schools, libraries and students, wanting something a little different from the huge range of books about war on offer at the moment. At the end of the book, McRobbie includes a list of all the words Adam must learn, and devotes several pages to the facts of the Merchant Navy and its role in wartime history.
Fran Knight

May 17 2013

Between the lives by Jessica Shirvington

Harper Collins, 2013. ISBN 9780732296261
(Age 17 +) Highly recommended. Urban Fantasy. Paranormal. Romance. The familiar panic rises within Sabine's chest. At the stroke of midnight - for as long as she can remember - Sabine shifts between two worlds. Her physicality, name and memory follow her - but nothing else.
Shirvington's thought-provoking story of a young woman on the cusp of adulthood, struggling to find her identity in two very different worlds, is narrated by the main character Sabine. In Roxbury, Boston, life is far from perfect. Sabine's parents are struggling business-owners who have little time for her and her younger sister Maddie. In the thick, city air of Roxbury, Sabine has attitude - choosing alternative friends, street-wise dress and an indifferent attitude towards her future. She is smart - earning a partial scholarship to Boston University. But when her father is around, Sabine can sense the disappointment she's still a long shot from living up to his expectations. In Wellesley, Massachusetts - Sabine's other world - life is picture-perfect. She's a popular, A- grade student bound for university, surrounded by a beautiful home, manicured lawns, loving family - albeit two annoying older brothers - and loyal friends. And then there's Dex - her gorgeous, athletic boyfriend. What more could she want? But for as long as she can remember, Sabine had yearned to live one life - in the world of her choice. She begins a series of dangerous experiments to draw her closer to her dreams, but when her secrets are uncovered - Sabine's situation becomes desperate. She is more determined to reach her goals - but a chance meeting with the handsome and challenging Ethan changes everything. Suddenly Roxbury offers a glimmer of hope - a boy who makes her feel like she has never felt before.
This is Shirvington's first stand-alone novel since the release of her internationally-acclaimed urban-fantasy Embrace series. Her writing is clever and captivating, taking the reader on the enthralling and fast-paced journey with Sabine from one world to the next. Sabine's relationship with Ethan is wonderfully developed and emotionally riveting. A core theme which runs through her previous novels, 'destiny is never certain' - also appears in this book. Shirvington has been quoted as saying her writing is drawn from life experiences, particularly the confusion felt moving from youth into adulthood. Between the Lives tells one such story beautifully - the search for true identity, love and a place in the world.
Michelle Hunt

May 17 2013

Meet Mary MacKillop by Sally Murphy

Meet series. Ill. by Sonia Martinez. Random House, 2013. ISBN 9781742757216.
(Age: 8+) Picture book. Saints. Education. Australian History. Non Fiction. The Meet series, from Random House promises to introduce younger readers to significant people within Australia's history, thus satisfying several parts of the national curriculum which promotes understanding of our shared past and the role of groups and individuals within it.
The first in the series, Meet Ned Kelly, written by Janeen Brian and illustrated by Matt Adams looked at the image of Ned Kelly within Australian history, showcasing some of the more significant ties within his short life.
So it is with Mary MacKillop. Born in 1842 in Melbourne, from poor circumstances herself, she devoted her life to teaching children no matter what background they had, starting her first school in Penola, South Australia, and beginning a new order of nuns, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, which today is very much involved in education.
Sally Murphy has written in simple language about the early years of Mary MacKillop when she and her sisters were invited by Father Woods to start a school at Penola. The young reader will discover how an old stable was converted into a school and how anyone, no matter how poor, was welcome at the school. They will learn how Mary decided to move on and found other schools once the first school in Penola became successful.
A useful timeline at the back of the book gives the interested reader brief information about the struggles that Mary had with the Church's hierarchy about control of the growing order of Josephites. A thoughtful reader or teacher may be able to give children some notion of the strength and tenacity that Mary must have possessed to continue with her dedication to provide education for the poor in face of such opposition.
Rather sentimental illustrations portray in tones of brown what the early school and countryside were like but failed for me to give a real picture of the poverty that Mary faced or the strength of character that she displayed.
Pat Pledger

May 17 2013

Seadog by Claire Saxby and Tom Jellett

Random House Australia, 2013. Hbk ISBN 9781742756509 $A19.95, ebook ISBN 9781742756523
'Our dog is not a work dog, a round-'em-bring-'em-home dog. Our dog is a SEADOG. A run-and-scatter-gulls dog.' So begins this most delightful little story about a most unusual dog that is not like any other dog in any way, except for one thing. With language that just drips off the tongue in delightful phrases, this is a great story for the very young that just begs to be read aloud, joined in with and acted out. Everyone who has ever had a dog will relate to it, and the humour in the text and illustrations will resonate with every dog lover.
You can hear yourself reading it aloud and see the children engaging with you.
And just in case you're wondering, my dog is not a round-'em-bring-'em-home dog either. Nor is she a Seadog. She's a sook dog, a chased-by-the-chooks dog, but, just like Seadog, there is one thing that she shares in common with all the other dogs in this story.
Loved it!
Barbara Braxton

May 16 2013

The mimosa tree by Antonella Preto

Fremantle Press, 2013. ISBN 9781922089199.
Highly recommended. The mimosa tree by Antonella Preto is a good book and extremely relatable. It focuses on Mira, an Australian-Italian girl who has just finished school and has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She is worried about the Cold War - and is anticipating nuclear warfare whilst trying to make her way through university. And at the same time, doing what her family wants her to.
I found Mira easy to relate to, as a Year 12 student who is not sure what to do with their life after school. Mira struggles with things that are entirely realistic. There were some situations which I could not completely relate to - specifically those to do with drugs. But apart from that, it was easy to envisage this story about life.
I would recommend this novel to people who enjoy historical novels which are relevant today, as well as teen girls who are looking for a book that could be applicable to them. I would also recommend it to anyone who has read - and enjoyed reading - Looking for Alibrandi, by Melina Marchetta, as it has many of the same themes.
While parts of the book are slightly sad, it is a realistic and touching look into the life and hardships of a 17 year old girl.
Jasmine Wiese (student)

May 16 2013

Gracie and Josh by Susanne Gervay

Ill. by Serena Geddes. Ford Street Publishing, 2013. Hbk, 32 pp RRP $A26.95. ISBN 9781921665844. Pbk. RRP $A16.95. ISBN 9781921665851.
Josh is making a movie, the first on his journey to being a famous movie director. His sister, Gracie, is the star - dressed up as a spider with lovely black squishy sausage legs and singing Incy Wincy Spider with gusto and love, especially love. This is a good week for Josh and it's celebrated with things like going to school... because that is a celebration for Josh. The following week he's on the downhill slide to his next bout of chemotherapy. That striped beanie is not just an artistic affectation. Gracie urges him to be resilient, 'Look, Josh, the spider fell down six times. But the spider didn't give up. You just have to try, try and try again.' The story follows Josh to hospital and the events there are touched with such a gentle brush that it uplifts the spirit. It is a story which shows both the joys of being a kid as well as their vulnerability and confusion when confronted with tough stuff, and how the special relationship between siblings is so critical. As much as Gracie is there for Josh, he is there for Gracie.
Full disclosure - I have to be one of Susanne Gervay's greatest fans, but I'm not going to recuse myself from reviewing her books. I love the way she tackles topics that are not the mainstream for children's literature, but ARE mainstream in the lives of many children. I am blessed - so far none of the precious little people in my life have been touched by serious illness or injury, but so many families have and so many of the children in our care would relate so well to Gracie. To go to the bookshop or the school library and find a book that deals so beautifully and sensitively with what is your everyday life has to bring some comfort. 'Wow, someone sees the way my family is as normal and important enough to write a book for me... maybe I'm not so alone after all. Maybe now my friends will understand.' There needs to be no other justification for having this book in your collection than that, and the fact that it is perfectly pitched, masterfully written and delicately illustrated in the softest lines and colours just adds to its beauty. The partnership between Susanne and Serena is inspired.
This story has been endorsed by Variety, an organisation dedicated to making the lives of sick children better - no doubt many of us have reason to be grateful for their work. Make sure this book is part of your collection. Teaching notes are available from Ford St - and they are great conversation starters for the classmates of a student like Josh, or even for a parent needing guidance in talking to their healthy children. Correlating them to the ANC is a bonus.
Barbara Braxton

May 16 2013

Soonchild by Russell Hoban

Ill. by Alexis Deacon, Walker Books 2012. ISBN: 9781406329919.
Recommended. (Age 14+) Myths. Legends. Pregnancy. Shamanism. Regeneration. Renewal. Soonchild is a mythical, fantasy novel written for a young adult to adult audience. This novel is set somewhere north of the Arctic Circle and is underpinned with Inuit mythology and legends.
The protagonist Sixteen-Face John is a shaman, an angakoq who is consulted by villagers seeking the best hunting grounds or spells for falling in love. He comes from a long line of shamans who have taught him their skills. He lives in the cold north 'where the night wind blows and the voices of the lonesome dead wail'.
No Problem, his wife, is in the ninth month of her pregnancy and has called their baby Soonchild. She is concerned when the baby refuses to leave her womb.
Soonchild can't hear the 'World Songs' a unique kind of music needed for the world's existence and for her delivery. Sixteen-Face John is a fearful man who when confronted with his daughter's problem has to embark on a journey to find the World Songs. In his dream he enters the spirit world coming face-to-face with demons and animal spirits including Nanuk the giant polar bear, Old Man Raven and Ukpika the owl-woman.
Alexis Deacon's dark pencil illustrations add a frightening eerie dimension. The ghost wolves surrounding John, the four demons and the blackened pages with the raven in flight further the depth and understanding to Hoban's story. Birth, regeneration and a search for the meaning of life are the novel's central themes.
Rhyllis Bignell

May 16 2013

Ferret on the loose by Heather Gallagher

Ill. by Benjamin Johnston. Little Rockets series. New Frontier Publishing, 2013. ISBN 9781921928420. 80pp. RRP $12.95
(Ages: 7-8 years) Lucy's pet ferret Flash is in training for the Fastest Fearless Ferret Race. He needs a little encouragement to complete the race and Lucy tempts him with Yumdiddly chocolates. The other members of the club include Elisha who proves to be a bully to Lucy. Mr Olfart the founder of the Ferret Club is having problems with his old ferret Sadie; he is quite mean-spirited. One week before the race all the competitors and their owners are worried about their chances of winning. Just a few days before the race Flash disappears and Lucy and her family begin a frantic search for him. All is resolved at the Ferret Race and the thief gets his come-uppance.
Ferret on the Loose is one of the Little Rockets series of junior novels. Ben Johnson's illustrations add colour to the short story.
Rhyllis Bignell

May 14 2013

Ghostheart by Ananda Braxton-Smith

Secrets of Carrick, 3. Black Dog Books, 2013. ISBN 9781743032184.
(Age 13+) Highly recommended. Mally is always frightened, afraid to move from the edge of the shore, afraid to make friends. But there is change in Carrick and Mally may have to change too especially as the bully Dolyn Craig has appeared and seems to want something from her.
Braxton-Smith has once again written a beautiful lyrical story that defies being put into a category. It could be said to be historical, as it is set in a firm medieval setting and words from the language of the Isle of Mann appear regularly, but equally there are overtones of fantasy and magic realism. These combine to make Ghostheart a challenging, complex book to read, and one that will linger in my subconscious for a long time.
Mally is a very frightened girl. Ever since her best friend Dodi Caillet disappeared she has been too scared to go near the sea even when she is with all her brothers and sisters. Her only friends are Lovelypig, who had been the runt of the litter, and a strange girl, Breesh Dunna,  who haunts a sea cave and who encourages Mally to look into the scaaney pool to see visions. Her kind heart is revealed as she helps to look after an old man, Shenn Cooley, taking him meals and listening to his stories.
Initially the reader is convinced that Dolyn Craig is a just a bully but Braxton-Smith deftly weaves in his story, revealing how the Father at the monastery was responsible for putting the seeds of violence in his mind. Together Mally and Dolyn learn about themselves and each other and begin to accept what they are and what has shaped their actions.
This is a beautifully written story that would be ideal to give to readers who want something stimulating, that will get them thinking about the big ideas of war, conflict, fear and family. It is not necessary to have read the other two books in the Secrets of Carrick series, although they would give some insight into the background of the island. Teacher's notes are available at the publisher's website.
Pat Pledger

May 14 2013

Joyous and Moonbeam by R. Yaxley

Omnibus, Sydney, 2013. 169p
(Age: 13+) Joyous and Moonbeam is a heart-warming book narrated by the characters for which it is named. Bracks, Ashleigh's principal, arranges for her to volunteer in Mr Santorini's workshop where she is assigned to Joyous. Joyous is a 30 something man with an intellectual impairment.
Although, Joyous' Yoda-like unconventional speech and his habit of going off on tangents is characteristic of his disability, some would find Joyous and his mother anachronistic. Moonbeam, as Joyous christens Ashleigh, is probably more believable. Her rocky relationships with her family are more complex so we understand her affinity with the 'big guy' in the sheltered workshop who inherited an uncomplicated worldview of 'working things round' from the father he never really knew himself.
Through Joyous and his mother's letters, we discover that Joyous has always had it tough. The same 'badly judged whip around' that killed his father and his aunt, left him with brain damage. Later he is forced to leave his childhood home in the countryside with his mother and cruel step father, Sammy-K and its pretty much all downhill from there.
As we predict, it is Moonbeam who has the most to gain from meeting Joyous. But their problems are just beginning and things tend to get worse before Ashleigh can adopt Joyous' trick of 'working things round'.
Readers able to persevere with Joyous' peculiar expression will savour a story which succeeds at confronting our perceptions about people with disabilities.
Deborah Robins

May 14 2013

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson

Ill. by Axel Scheffler. Scholastic, 2008. ISBN 9781407132327.
The classic story of Stick Man has been revived in this series designed as Early Readers. Despite the font being a smaller size than one normally associates with early readers the colourful illustrations and predictable rhyme pattern will endear it to the younger reader.
Stick Man lives in the family tree with his wife and children three. One day he goes out for a jog meets a dog and his troubles begin. Especially designed for early readers the story told in rhyme will be a hit with the younger audience as Stick Man's problems continue. He is used in many different ways by a variety of characters as he laments the fact he is travelling even farther away from his family. When all hope seems lost he is rescued and returned home by a most unlikely hero.
Whilst children will enjoy Stick man's adventures and the rhyming language I think teachers will see a myriad of opportunities to use this book in the classroom. From focussing on the rhymes to discussing the passing of time as shown in the colourful art work of Alex Scheffler which enhance the text and give a context to the story.
The English country side from the wild life and way of life to the way Stick Man is used by the children and animals who find him offer opportunities to compare and contrast with the Australian experience. A quick search of www.sparklebox.co.uk will reveal resources already prepared for activities in Language and Maths featuring Stick Man.
Sue Keane

May 13 2013

Girl defective by Simmone Howell

Pan Macmillan, 2013. ISBN
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Sky Martin is a 15 year old girl. Life is tough. Her mother has left the family and gone to Japan, her brother Gully wears a pig mask all the time and her father has a dusty record shop and likes beer a bit too much. When someone throws a brick through the shop window, Gully is determined to investigate, but there is also the mystery of the girl who drowned in the St Kilda canal, and Sky becomes obsessed with that. Then there is the puzzle of the connection that the new boy Luke, who has just started working at the store, seems to have to the dead girl. Her wild friend Nancy takes up with a local boy band leader and leads Sky into some of the underbelly of the city where bands play and sex and drugs are available.
Sky is a girl who is trying to find her place in the world and I became totally involved with her life, her infatuations and her fears. Redolent with the atmosphere of St Kilda, Sky bumbles her way through life trying to keep the family store afloat, looking after her strange little brother and investigating the death of the girl whose crying face has been stencilled around the suburb.
Told in the first person by Sky, the language sings of life in St Kilda, with all its quirkiness, the trample of developers and the violence of fangirls who are in love with the boy singer. Threading its way through is the music that Sky's father collects in his record shop and the rock music of the underground.
Its themes of loneliness, single parent families, mental health and alcoholism, are all serious ones, but Howell manages to touch on them with a light hand that allows the reader to feel empathy for the characters and cheer for Sky as she comes into her own.
Pat Pledger

May 13 2013

W.A.R.P.: The reluctant assassin by Eoin Colfer

Penguin, 2013.
Recommended for upper primary readers who are not squeamish! Artemis Fowl fans will be keen to try this first book in the latest series from Eoin Colfer but they may be disappointed if not a little shocked on reading the opening chapter. Though when the title is The Reluctant Assassin what would one expect but an assassination.
W.A.R.P. is the acronym for the FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program and 16 year old agent Chevie Savano has been assigned to the London office after an embarrassing incident in Los Angeles. Her job is to monitor 'the pod' which is a time travel portal to Victorian England. Chevie develops an uneasy relationship with Agent Orange aka Felix Smart, whose father invented the machine, and is prepared to sit out her time until returning to Quantico, when 'the pod' delivers Riley the apprentice assassin, and akin to a character from Dickens' Oliver Twist, directly from Victorian London.
When Riley's master, the famous magician The Great Lombardi turned professional assassin, Albert Garrick manages to also travel to the present in search of Riley with the intention of killing him, Chevie is determined to save both Riley and herself and prevent Garrick from using the knowledge and weapons gained from his trip to the twenty first century for his benefit in nineteenth century London.
The action races between the two eras and is littered with the corpses of various individuals as Garrick pursues the youngsters and they discover the truth about Riley's past. They also meet a range of characters from Otto Malarkey head of the Battering Rams, a gang of thieves and wastrels, to Tibor Charismo wealthy novelist, composer and consultant to the Queen.
Whilst it took me a while to become engaged with the book as I mulled over the opening chapter's implied and actual violence, I enjoyed being privy to the inner thoughts of the main characters written in italics and the descriptions of Victorian London. The premise of the series gives plenty of scope for Colfer to introduce even more characters relocated in the past, as heralded in the Epilogue. I will continue to follow W.A.R.P. with interest but be cautious in my recommendations to students.
Sue Keane

May 13 2013

The wall by William Sutcliffe

Bloomsbury, 2013. ISBN 978 1 4088 3842 6.
Joshua and his friend David are playing football when David kicks the ball into a construction site surrounded by a high fence. When Joshua goes to retrieve the ball he discovers a flattened house and a tunnel which goes under the wall which divides the new town from the old. Joshua goes through the tunnel but is pursued by some boys who clearly mean him harm. He is also amazed at the difference between this place and the new town that he lives in, only separated by the wall and the soldiers that guard it. After being saved by a girl and meeting her family Joshua begins to question the system and tries to find a way to help them. His own family life is unhappy as his stepfather is a bully who barely contains his dislike and his mother is manipulated and still grieving for his dead father. Eventually Joshua is forced to make important decisions about his own life and future.
A thinly disguised look at Arab-Israeli relations this book presents a view of both sides but allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. I would recommend it for middle school students as a good introduction that may well lead to further discussion and study.
David Rayner

May 06 2013

Best books for primary compiled and edited by Pat Pledger

Pledger Consulting, 2013. ISBN 9781876678371.
If you have ever thought to yourself I wonder what new quality books I'm missing or I wonder what's available that I can use with my class, then this may be the book for you. From the stable of Pledger Consulting comes another useful bibliography; Best books for Primary contains a list of books reviewed and recommended by Australian teachers and teacher librarians on Pledger's Readplus site. Award winning titles are included from the Children's Book Council, Guardian Children's Book Prize, Newbery Awards and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Titles comprise four categories- Picture books; Middle Primary; Older Primary and Non Fiction.
Best books for Primary is not a complete set of reviews, but an annotated alphabetical list, with a sentence or two giving a very brief overview of the story. By choosing an age level readers can check interesting titles. The brief annotation gives enough of an idea to encourage you to look into the title further. In some cases these reviews on the website are complete with lesson notes. The list of non-fiction titles is particularly useful. An index adds to the usefulness of this aid to busy teachers and teacher-librarians.
Diana Warwick