Review blog

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Sep 03 2010

Henry Hoey Hobson by Christine Bongers

Woolshed Press. ISBN 9781 864719956.
(Ages 10+) Humour. Highly Recommended. A laugh out loud story of fitting in, Henry's tale of not judging books by their cover will have readers smirking wisely at the familiar path he treads when arriving at a new school, only to discover that he is the only boy in his year level. From then on things get decidedly worse. Mum, always one step ahead of going under, moves often, making Henry's life at best, varied and interesting, at worst, dangerous and fraught, with new kids who are often unfriendly.  But this time, even the neighbours give him cause for concern. Looking like the leftovers from the set of a vampire movie, the group moves in with a coffin, candelabra and capes. But mum, never holding back from an opportunity, has been invited in for a meal, and Henry, unable to dissuade her, goes along expecting that they will be fanged. How wrong can he be, the threesome next door turn out to be godsends, not only does Caleb go along with Henry to swimming, filling in his time sheet, but when things go awry with mum in hospital, it is these people who turn out to be as close as any family, giving Henry all that he needs to keep going.
But more than this, Henry's life is changed for the better as he finds out why mum has been moving so often and the reason behind his odd parentage.  The last few chapters turn the story on its head. What was a wonderfully humourous story for younger readers becomes a moving story of family and reconciliation. Have your tissues handy as Henry's life turns from being an itinerant, fatherless child, relying on his one and only relative, his mum, to a boy happy with his lot, having a family on whom he can rely, next door neighbours who comfort and support him and a school where he is revered and befriended. A treat.
Fran Knight

Sep 03 2010

Moment of Truth by Michael Pryor

Random House Australia, 2010.
Aubrey was exploring the idea of joining the Security Intelligence Directorate (secret service) when war with Holmland was declared. He and George decide to join the armed forces but are diverted to intelligence. Even during training they are not immune to attack from the enemy. Caroline joins them after a disastrous encounter with a beautiful traitor.
The three are sent to Gallia where they set up surveillance in a disguised factory near the border. Surprisingly, the vivacious Sophie, George's love interest, joins them. She has an agenda of her own which leads them to a factory over the border where the dreaded Dr Tremaine is creating monsters. Sophie's brother Theo has been beguiled to sign up with the Holmlanders. Can they manage to rescue him? And what of Aubrey's interest in Caroline? How can he handle living and working so close to Caroline whilst on a mission?
This 5th book in the Laws of Magic series has just as much interest as the previous books. From the impetuous boy in Blaze of Glory, Aubrey has grown into a responsible team leader ready to take command behind the battlelines. And Dr Tremaine has become even more evil, building gollem warriors.
Secondary students who love adventure and magic, complexity and pace will find this a satisfying read. An entrancing book trailer is available.
S. Whittaker

Sep 03 2010

Time of Trial by Michael Pryor

Random House Australia, 2009.
Just as the university year comes to the end, and Aubrey's loyal friend George is (remarkably) making sixes during a game of cricket, an ensorcelled storm cloud concealing enemy forces causes massive disruption, dropping a magically enhanced depth charge right over the game. Aubrey would be dead except for the appearance of Kiefer, a suspicious character, who gifts him a Beccaria cage. This device brings Aubrey peace from the debilitating effects of his past brush with death Magic. (Or does it?)
Aubrey tries to assassinate his cousin the Prince whilst ensorcelled. The dastardly Dr Tremaine again seems to be the source of this and other unfolding events. So Aubrey and George travel to Holmland by train, on a mission to thwart Dr Tremaine. Aubrey is pushed out of the train by a member of an ancient secret group, only to fall into the hands of another rebel group.
The redoubtable Caroline joins them in their searches after an attempt is made to kill Mrs Fitzwilliam. Caroline, George and Aubrey are pulled into the half world of Dr Tremaine's comatose sister Sylvia. Just when they think they have solved the problem by containing Dr Tremaine in a pearl (too easy to be true), everything falls apart and war with Holmland seems inevitable.
Michael Pryor presents a world strangely parallel to our own at the politically unstable time just before the Great War. The only difference is that magic is a normal part of life, and Aubrey is adept with magic as others might be with languages or maths.
Secondary students who like adventure with a bit of magic will enjoy this exciting, eventful book.
S. Whittaker

Sep 03 2010

Alive in the death zone by Lincoln Hall

Louis Braille Audio, Melbourne, 2009. (Random House Australia, 2008). ISBN 978 1742123622. 3 CDs, 3 hours.
(Ages 12+) Non fiction. The introduction is breathtaking in telling, succinctly what finding his body on Mount Everest did for his rescuers, and the audience captured, the story of how and why Lincoln Hall was on Mount Everest in a position no other person has survived, came about. At high school in Canberra a new physical education teacher, Norman Booth, taught rock climbing skills, and took Lincoln and his friend Ralph to rocks in the area, and places outside the Canberra region to climb. These included the Warrumbungle Ranges, where the experience spurred him on toe climb far afield. At university he joined the mountaineering club which increased his skills and interest, and a group went to India to climb a glacier in the Himalayas. This was the routine over the next number of years, culminating in an attempt at climbing Mount Everest in 1987 which ended with him deciding never to attempt this again. Then he was the photographer on a climb of a lesser mountain, but spying Everest in the distance enticed him to try again, so in 2006, he found himself back at Everest.
It is this story of what happened on Everest that is well known, but listening to it on the CD is involving to a degree I hadn't expected.
David Tredinnick reads the story as if he was there. He draws the listener in with his deliberately slow, deep tones. His reading is well modulated and each word clearly enunciated so that all meaning behind the words is revealed. His reading when telling us information, why oxygen is lessened once you climb, or the importance of altitude, is pointedly different from the voice used in telling the story, clearly indicating that this information is important and has an impact on the rest of the story.
Subtitled, Mount Everest Survival, this story is thrilling in its exposition, enticing in its information about a place very few of the listeners have any knowledge or experience of and informative in the range of facts given. We hear of the range of mountains in the world, and their ranking and the first time each was climbed, the equipment and how it is used, as well as the perils of climbing at such an altitude. An amazing story, told with verve, will entrance all listeners.
Fran Knight

Sep 02 2010

Halo by Zizou Corder

Puffin, 2010.
(Age: 10+). Recommended. (Age 10-14) Highly recommended. Kyllarus, a centaur, finds a tiny baby with a turtle shell strapped to her back crawling along a beach. The baby has a tattoo on her forehead and is wearing an owl amulet. He takes her home to his family, who name her Halosydne, 'saved by the sea', and lovingly bring her up as a family member. Disaster strikes when she is swimming with her centaur brother, Arko. She is captured by fishermen and sold into slavery. She manages to escape and tries to survive by cutting her hair and pretending to a boy. However more misfortune befalls her and she is captured by a group of Spartan boys, led by Leonidas. After a series of exciting adventures, including going to see the Delphic Oracle, living in Athens in Pericles' house and training to be a doctor and warrior, she discovers the truth of her origins.
An exciting adventure story, with lots of action, the setting in Ancient Greece makes this book stand out. I was gripped by the descriptions of the Spartan community and the terrible trials the young boys went through to become warriors. Greek religious beliefs were described in an easy to understand way and Halo's trip to consult the Delphic Oracle was fascinating. When Halo discovers that her uncle is Pericles, who believes in the rights of man, I was fascinated by the descriptions of medicine in Ancient Greece and the way that women were treated.
Corder, a mother and daughter writing team, managed to remind me of what I learnt studying Ancient History many years ago. Halo is sure to educate a young reader about ancient Greece in the best way - the reader may become so immersed in Halo's quest that the factual information just becomes part of the story and easy to remember.
I loved the themes of mythical centaurs, slavery and the rights of women. Recommended for both boys and girls from about 10 year of age.
Pat Pledger

Sep 02 2010

Boy Zero: Wannabe Hero: The Petrifying Plot of the Plummeting Pants by Peter Millett

Illustrated by Steve May. Faber, 2010. ISBN: 9780571252473.
Recommended for Lower to Middle Primary. 'With all the galaxy's superheroes taken hostage, it's up to Charlie to stop the world's pants from plummeting. Will he be a HERO - or will he be a ZERO?'
Meet Charlie Applejack, the boy with some superhero powers and no skill in using them. He's an unlikely hero, co-ordination is a skill he has yet to acquire, but somehow he seems to always come up trumps.
When General Pandemonium (the world's newest super villain) decides to take over the world by zapping all the elastic and metal that holds up pants and therefore making everyone bared bottomed, it is up to Charlie and his new friend Josh to save the world from its embarrassing fate.
With plenty of bumbling characters, references to bare bottoms and superheroes, this book will appeal to most young readers, and in particular boys.
Zana Thiele

Sep 01 2010

Alice-Miranda on Holiday by Jacqueline Harvey

Random House Australia, 2010. ISBN 9781864719840.
Recommended for girls 7-10. Alice-Miranda is an amiable character on a mission to change lives and make the world a better place to live. She is friends with everyone and finds nothing daunting about life at all. This seven and a half year old with the wisdom and knowledge of an adult has been away at boarding school, where no-one escapes her infectious personality. In this novel she is home for the holidays and apart from catching up with old friends on her parent's estate she makes new friends and solves a few mysteries. She is joined by a school friend who has been transformed by the indomitable Alice-Miranda. The style of this story is reminiscent of older books, such as Pollyanna written in 1913 by Eleanor H. Porter, and shares a few similarities with that story.
Vicki Nunn

Sep 01 2010

Anneli the art hater by Anne Fine

(Age 8-10) Recommended. A reissue of book first published in 1986, Anneli the art hater still has timeless appeal. Fine is an award winning author who has written a fascinating mystery.
Anneli hates art. She doesn't understand why others in her class are happy to draw and paint, especially her friend Tom who revels in making pictures. She does try to come up with some ideas to raise money for new art equipment and to help the home for children with disabilities. One day she discovers a small door that leads into the house next door belonging to old Mrs Pears. Much to her disgust, she finds a room full of paintings there and Mrs Pears explains that her brother Tom had forged paintings, in the hope of raising money to run away from his father, who didn't want him to paint. However war had intervened and Tom had been killed. Mrs Pears has one of his paintings done before his forgeries started, and Anneli is fascinated by the discrepancies it portrays about the garden. Her investigations lead her to an intriguing mystery.
Fine has a knack of describing wonderful people in her novels. Anneli's independence and warmth and Mrs Pears' love for her brother pervade the story. Both are strong, generous characters who are happy working to better the lives of others.
Young independent readers will be intrigued by the clues in the painting and will want to have a go at solving the riddle. I enjoyed the plot and loved the happy conclusion. Art lovers will enjoy learning about forgery and the idea of examining an painting closely for underlying ideas.
Pat Pledger

Aug 31 2010

Nobody's horse by Jane Smiley

Faber and Faber, 2010. ISBN 978-0571253548.
Recommended for horse lovers of all ages. I was immediately attracted to the cover showing a gorgeous brown horse and found myself quickly engrossed in the story of Abby and Grumpy George, a horse that bucks her off and won't look her in the eye. Abby's father specialises in buying horses that haven't reached their potential, training them and then selling them on for a profit. He has Abby ride all the horses so that he can tell prospective buyers that 'a little girl can ride them'. Abby has problems at school as well, her best and only friend Gloria, seems to be more interested in being friends with Stella and when she is accused of stealing a necklace, everything seems to be too much.
There is much to admire in Abby's character. She works tirelessly on training the horses with her father and attending to the endless chores that go with a working farm. Her fundamentalist father is a difficult man and refuses to listen when Abby tries to tell him that she just doesn't want to get back on Grumpy George when he bucks her off, but Abby quietly makes some changes. Her brother Danny has already left home because of a rift with his father, but Abby doesn't fuss about the difficulties in her life. She is not allowed to become close to any of the horses, who are all called George or Jewel so that Abby won't become attached to them as individuals, but she calls the new baby colt Jack and gently makes friends with him. She is stoical about the bullying that goes on at school and loyal to her friend, Gloria.
I read with interest the different training methods that were used to try and get Grumpy George to behave. People who have horses or those who would love to have a horse will find invaluable the advice that Jem Jarrow, a patient horse trainer, has to give Abby. It was great to see Abby using that advice to help a less experienced rider become more confident as well.
I loved this book: its calm setting in the 60's and its array of strong characters made it easy to finish it in one sitting and the horse content was excellent.
Pat Pledger

Aug 31 2010

Adventures with Grandpa by Rosemary Mastnak

Hardie Grant Egmont, 2010. ISBN 9781921690761.
Picture book. Recommended. A companion volume to Cooking with Grandma and Dancing with Grandma, this time we see a little boy having some wonderful adventures with Grandpa, who has the most amazing shed full of wonderful bits and pieces. The little boy is never sure of what Grandpa will find in his 'magic cave'. It could be making a racing car, playing in the tree house or swinging from a tire tied to an old tree. What a great time the little boy and his dog and chook companions have with Grandpa!
Watercolour is used lavishly, making the delightfully plump little boy in his superman cape and his grandfather in checked shirt and overalls, come alive for the reader. There is just so much detail in the drawings, particularly in Grandpa's shed, that little people will have an interesting time poring over the contents and comparing it with their own sheds at home. It's little details like Grandpa fondling the ears of the dog and the chook making an appearance on each page that will enchant readers.
This is an ideal book for grandparents to have on their shelves, ready to read to grandsons when they visit. It would also be a delightful addition to a unit on the family. With its irregular rhyming story, sometimes with internal rhymes and sometimes with sentence endings rhyming, this would make a good read aloud as well.
Pat Pledger

Aug 31 2010

Totally Bindi: Access all Areas by Jess Black

Random House Australia, 2010. ISBN 978 1864718584.
Packed full of quizzes and puzzles, fact files, glossy photos and interviews, this soft cover book is much like a magazine. Lots of activities and reading snippets - just the thing to read in bed before lights out. It even comes with a pull out poster of Bindi on her horse.
Part biographical and part information, part interview, part quiz, this large pink paperback would appeal to primary readers who like animals and who have heard of Bindi, Steve Irwin's daughter, who has followed in his footsteps by being involved with animals and the media. This could be a good stocking filler for Christmas, or a birthday present. It could be a good read-along with a parent, LAP or parent volunteer. If the school library budget is limited I would be tempted to by pass this in favour of non-fiction with an index. If the budget allows, it would find an audience.
S. Whittaker

Aug 30 2010

Farther by Grahame Baker-Smith

Templar, 2010. ISBN 9781848771260.
(Age 5+) Highly recommended. Grahame Baker-Smith, an illustrator who was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway award in 2010, has written and illustrated a wonderful and memorable book that could become a future classic. A father, who lives high on a cliff overlooking a stormy sea, has a dream of flying. He makes beautiful wings of paper and feathers, but never quite manages to fly. Sometimes when he isn't preoccupied with his dream of flight and air, he scoops his son up and they play along the beach. He always returns to his dream until the day that he is called up to war, never to return. His son decides to make his dream come true and manages to soar across the sea.
This picture book is a work of art with its stunning illustrations using collage, photographs and drawings. The pictures range from beautiful double page illustrations to graphic novel type squares. The sky and clouds are in beautiful soft blues while the boy and his father are in rich browns.  My favourite is of a beautiful flowering tree that the boy and his mother planted to remember the father.
The story is thought provoking and looks at the power of dreams and how they can become reality with determination and hard work.  It also examines the relationship between father and son and the continuity of dreams. It is a book that draws the reader back again and again to examine the ideas and delight in the illustrations and imagination that produced such a powerful book.
This is a picture book that deserves a place on the shelves of all libraries.
Pat Pledger

Aug 30 2010

Bitter Chocolate by Sally Grindley

Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 978 0747595021.
Beatings with a bicycle chain are a feared part of life for all the boys who are working prisoners on a coco bean plantation. They hate the overseer they nickname Le Couchon, who picks on them and wears them down.
Pascal, an eleven-year-old Guinean boy, is worn down already from experiences that he thinks of as no go areas for thought and conversation. When he stops accepting the awful situation he is in, he begins to remember what happened to him, and the horrible events he experienced are gradually revealed to the reader.
As a ten year old, he has seen the death of his father at the hands of rebels, has been caught, drugged and indoctrinated into becoming a boy soldier by insurgents, and has been duped by con men.
Le Couchon's harassment of Pascal and his young peers sway Pascal to action. He decides to escape with his friend Kojo, and find what is left of his family. How can a young boy who experiences these degrading situations find hope and escape? He needs help, and support. Who can he trust? How can he find his mother and sisters so he can take on his father's duties to help provide for the family?
Sally Grindley, a Smarties Prize Gold Medal winning author, has written a thought-provoking story that provides some understanding about the complex events that refugees and displaced people might experience. A motivating group or class novel for upper primary and lower secondary students studying enforced migration. A good weekend read for those who like a current world issue spin. An asset for a middle school library.
S. Whittaker

Aug 27 2010

The ABC book of Australian poetry compiled by Libby Hathorn

ABC Books, 2010. ISBN 978 07333201 4.
(Ages 8+) Poetry book. An exuberant collection of old and new poems, this is the perfect book to have in the classroom and library. Old favourites, with poets such as Banjo Paterson, C.J. Dennis and Henry Lawson are sliced between newer poets, Les Murray, Steven Herrick and Libby Hathorn, while others by Max Fatchen, Michael Leunig and Peter Wesley-Smith are included.
Poems such as The big river (Steven Herrick), Old horse (Max Fatchen) and Dolphins (Peter McFarlane) sit easily alongside others more well known, Clancy of the Overflow, Click go the shears and Said Hanrahan. Some newer ones are full of fun and laughter, crying out to be shared, Things that go squark (Peter Wesley-Snith) and The Bunyios (Doug McLeod). But whatever the reason to read these poems, they surprise, delight and entertain whatever the occasion, be it in the classroom, on the oval or in the staffroom. But all cry out to be read, and read often, and read out loud! What a treat.
Fran Knight