Poles apart: Life at the ends of the Earth by Dr Mark Norman
black
dog books, 2010. ISBN 9781742031354.
(Ages: Primary) Highly recommended. What a wonderful, idea! And
beautifully executed. One of my pet
ggrrrs
is that people mix up the animals, habitat and bird life of each of our
polar regions, and here is a book which sets out plainly and seemingly
simply, exactly what lives where.With succinct and precise
words, Dr
Mark Norman elucidates what each polar region is like. The North Pole
is ice on sea, with the sea floor four kilometres below, whereas the
Antarctica is land with three kilometres of solid ice above it. On the
next page we are told what sort of flora exists in each region, then to
the animals, the pages that will interest most kids.
Each double page spread has the North Pole information and pictures at
the top, with the South Pole information and pictures at the bottom.
Between each is small globe reiterating where the Polar Regions lie in
relation to each other. No one reading this book will have any excuse
to mix up the two! A clever device which works well is the simple
turning of the book around to fit all this information together.
I was amazed at the differences between the two regions, the tundra of
the north and the moss of the south, the flowers and insects in the
north and the 'walks' in the south! Each double page spread held me
captivated, learning new information and recalling things learnt years
ago but long forgotten. The last double page tells the reader of the
affects of global warming, and exhorts them to play their part in
helping reduce the impact by planting trees, recycling and so on. A
number of web sites is given for more information, and the book is
wells served with a succinct glossary and useful index.
This like Dr Mark Norman's other books (The octopuses' garden: The
Secret World under the Sea; The Penguin Book: Birds in suits;
The
Antarctica Book: Living in the freezer; The Shark Book: Fish
with
attitude and The Great Barrier Reef Book: Solar Powered)
will attract
attention from those who give out awards, and more importantly from its
target audience, the kids. Dr Norman is senior curator at Museum
Victoria.
Fran Knight
I'm Taggarty Toad by Peter Pavey
Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 9781921529481.
Picture book, ages 3-6. One of my children's favourite stories, when
first published in 1980, this one will be revisited with mirth and
gusto by another generation of families and classes. The drawings have
lost none of their freshness, the intricate cross hatching testament to
the time it took Peter Pavey to do the illustrations, and probably why
he didn't stay in that profession! The clever and bold Taggarty has an
array of adventures, taking on fearful pirates, loathsome dragons and
even the sun in his quest to show that he is braver than most. Children
will delight in the intricate drawings, running their fingers over each
page in search of the variety of animals and objects almost hidden from
view. The last few pages invite the reader to add their own
swashbuckling adventure, and come home at last with the little worse
for wear toad. Themes of taking risks and being adventurous are at the
base of this picture book and so could be used with some success with
smaller children.
The last two pages of the book give an interesting essay from editor,
Myra Lee, outlining the reason this book was chosen to republish and
then an enlightening piece by Peter Pavey about writing and
illustrating this book. Both add an extra layer to the reading and
enjoyment of this book.
Fran Knight
The Phoenix Files: Contact by Chris Morphew
Book 2, Hardie, Grant Egmont, 2010. ISBN 9781921502408
(Age 11+) Those who have read the first in this series, Arrival, know
the trio
of teenager Luke Hunter and his friends Jordan and Peter are the only
that can stop the destruction of the human race. There are only 100
days until all civilization beyond the remote Australian town of
Phoenix is destroyed by something called Tabitha. Contact takes up the story where Arrival left off, with
88 days to
go at the beginning and 70 at the end. The trio's fearless
investigation and a few lucky coincidences enable them to learn what
Tabitha is and where the secret operational centre of the sinister
Shackleton Corporation is.
Tension arises between the two boys over who will win the brave
Jordan's affections. Parents behave strangely and the school principal
is revealed as a malevolent character. The sleuthing leads to a nail
biting climax where the heros narrowly escape death in order to appear,
one presumes, in the next four books in the series. They succeed and
survive, of course, despite incredible odds against them.
As in Arrival, Contact is written in an easy to read,
mostly dialogue
style with the teenagers being smart and funny. The evil Shackleton
emerges as a traditional ruthless comic book, sci fi baddie bent on
world power for an as yet undefined reason. Whilst there are tense
moments and grisly events in this page turner some may find the pace
too slow as the teenagers figure what to do next.
However, once hooked, both genders of middle school age will no doubt
eagerly await book 3.
Kevyna Gardner
Headgames by Casey Lever
Random House, 2010. ISBN 9781741663532.
(13+) When Steven sees a note handed to Avery, the girl he loves
passionately, he strives to read it, spying out something about a game.
Desperate to be involved with her in any way he can, he asks about the
game, plunging himself and his closest friend, Samoan Tala, into a
minefield of secrets, half truths and desperation.
Truth and dare seems innocuous enough on the surface, but Tala sees
that this can be too revealing, too confronting, and may lead them in
unexpected directions. He tries to stop Steven from joining the group,
consisting of Avery, her current boyfriend from the wrong side of town,
Connor, and his recalcitrant half sister, Jude, but joins himself to
protect Steven. The first night of the game sees Avery humiliating
Steven by speaking truthfully to the question of how she feels about
him. The stage is set.
One night, while at Avery's house, Avery spikes Tala's drink and unused
to alcohol, he quickly becomes drunk, saying too much, smashing
furniture after falling, and then collapsing into a deep sleep. Connor
leaves, devastated by Avery's revelation that she is only using him,
and Steven, impulsively heads after him. He feels some sympathy with
this surly, looming year 11 boy and so the two spend a while talking,
learning things about the other that they did not know before.
Connor admits that he was using the game to find out how Avery really
feels about him, and now that he knows, the game is over. But Steven
wants more. He knows the power base has changed. Avery and Connor no
longer control the game, so he and Tala talk everyone into going on.
This is a mistake.
Tala is cornered into revealing that he thinks he is gay, and
devastated by his own admission, runs out on the group. Connor, pressed
again by Avery, reveals that he pushes drugs for his brother, under
considerable duress. Steven tries to reason with him, encouraging him
to see a way out, and later in a more open frankness with his father,
reveals that Connor is behaving criminally. Late one night, Jude rings
Steven, asking for help.
Casey Lever has written a very readable story of the relationships
between different groups in a school. Each person in the group brings
their own hang ups, secrets and problems from home, revealing little to
their peers, but the game brings these out, forcing the group to have
some say about their friends' behaviours. It is their friendship which
encourages them to make changes in their lives. Steven speaks more
openly to his father, Connor tries to stop his involvement with his
brother, Tala attempts to work out his feelings, Jude makes an attempt
to open up, tempering her churlish exterior and Avery reveals she is
not what they all thought. The unexpected friendship between this group
of five disparate people is enticing and will easily absorb younger
secondary readers.
Fran Knight
The Emperor's kingdom: Penguins on ice by Dr Roger Kirkwood
Black Dog Books, 2010. ISBN 9781742031262.
This book contains simple text, set out according to the months of the
year, and describes the stages of the penguin's development. The clear
and appealing photographs are presented as double page spreads with
additional smaller photographs inserted on each. It would appear that
January is an uneventful month in the life of the penguin as it is
omitted totally in both the text and table of contents. Having three
double pages devoted to them, however, June and July are obviously
months of great change and importance. Perhaps this is one downfall of
the book as it limits its use as a support in teaching young children
about the calendar, leaving the sole focus on the fascinating birds.
The accompanying DVD is brief with sound effects but no narration, yet
could prove useful to young children as it does provide a menu to
enable a small snippet to be viewed easily by students. Sadly, this
book is too late for student use for the International Polar Year as it
would have made a useful addition to the collection for younger
students and emergent readers. The more in depth information in the
fact file ensures greater usefulness with middle primary students as
well.
Jo Schenkel, Pilgrim School
Yummy by Lucy Cousins
Walker Books 2009. ISBN 9781406316216
Highly recommended. What a wonderful book filled with some of the most
popular fairy stories: Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Billy Goats
Gruff, The Enormous Turnip, Henny Penny, Goldilocks and the Three
Bears, The Little Red Hen, The Three Little Pigs, and The Musicians of
Bremen. Each story is told in sparse language but with the essential
features of the tale left intact. The resulting 121 pages is a
wonderful book which could be used when reading aloud to a group of
children or for the individual to avidly examine.
I was thrilled to read through these familiar tales and to find that
what had enthralled me as a child still remained in the story. The
sound of the trip trap of the billy goats over the bridge is emphasised
in bold print in the story and their clever manipulation of the troll
is cleverly described. The third little pig, with a hugely
smug look on his face, says, 'bye-bye wolf' as he falls into a pot of
boiling water. None of these will scare the young reader or listener
too much as Cousins' language and humorous drawing style is so child
friendly.
The illustrations are typically Cousins' style: thick black strokes
outlining the figures, filled in with vivid colours, with having
vibrant greens, blues and yellow backgrounds. The expressions on the
faces of Cousins characters are a riot and the humour will appeal to a
young audience.
Winner of the Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of 2009, this is
a title not to be missed.
Pat Pledger
Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Greenwillow, 2009. ISBN 9780060850913.
(Age 14+) Recommended. Imagine if, when you went to the doctor for a
normal checkup, you were told that you had terminal cancer. That is
what happens to 18 year old Ben Wolf, who knows that this will be his
last year at school. He decides he won't tell anyone his secret and
refuses treatment. He resolves to go after everything that he has
dreamt about in the short time that he has left. That includes dating a
beautiful girl, getting onto the football team and baiting his Civics
teacher about his conservative viewpoint of history.
As well as facing a terminal illness, Ben has to come to grips with the
effects his death will have on his mother, who is suffers from
depression and often hides out in her room for days at a time. He is
the one who usually helps her out. And he realises that he is not the
only one to harbour a terrifying secret. When he gets to know Dallas
Suzuki, the girl he has dreamt about, he discovers that she is
concealing things too as is the lonely drunk, Rudy, whom he befriends.
They trust him with what has happened in their lives and Ben is faced
with the dilemma of whether he should let the people he loves know
about his cancer.
Crutcher tackles some big themes in Deadline: death, mental
illness,
child abuse, trust, suicide and the manipulation of history, but they
are woven into a engrossing story that is difficult to put down.
Equally engrossing is Ben's try-out for the football team and the way
he and his brother Cody work together to win. I was fascinated by Ben's
arguments about racism and American History with Mr Lambeer his
teacher.
Crutcher has struck just the right note with this story, which could
have been a tearjerker, but instead is thought provoking with lots of
humour interspersed to keep the reader going. It was one of the ALA
Best Books for 2008 and certainly deserves this accolade.
Pat Pledger
The Seer of Shadows by Avi
HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 9780060000172.
(Age 9-12) Recommended. Horace Carpentine is a young boy who works as
an apprentice to Enoch Middleditch, a society photographer. His
father, who believes in science and rational thought and considers 'all
superstition bunkum', has brought Horace up to be skeptical of the
supernatural. However Horace's beliefs are challenged when the wealthy
Mrs. Frederick Von Macht orders a photo of a portrait of her dead
daughter, Eleanora, and strange things begin to happen. When Horace's
employer decides to sell her more pictures by tricking her about a
ghost image in the first photograph, the spirit escapes the photographs.
Through his friendship with Pegg, the servant girl, Horace learns the
truth about what happened to Eleanora and finds to his dismay that the
photos that he takes of the dead girl's portrait and grave in
Green-Wood Cemetry take on a life of their own. Told in the narrative
voice of Horace, Avi, a Newbery Award winner, brings together a
fascinating background about photography and its processes and life in
New York in the 1880's.
I found this to be a compelling ghost story, with believable
characters and a terrifying ghost bent on revenge. The ending is scary
enough to thrill readers who enjoy a good horror story set in a
believable world.
Well written, suspenseful and memorable, this story lingers in the
mind. There is an interesting and informative Extras section at the
back of the book which contains information about A day in the life of
Avi the history of photography and Fun and spooky Green-Wood Cemetry
facts which add to the reader's knowledge of the period.
Pat Pledger
Eon by Alison Goodman
HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 9780732290115.
(Ages 13+) Fantasy. First published in 2008 with the title, The
Two Pearls of Wisdom, Eon
will be snapped up by fans of fantasy sagas as they delve into the life
of Eona, as she trains to be a Dragoneye, the most powerful of lords
within this ancient Chinese kingdom, able to control wind and water.
Women are forbidden to train for this high station, but she has kept
her sexuality hidden for most of her life, and to become the next
Dragoneye is her avowed aim.
While training she is unwittingly involved in a life and death struggle
for the throne of this kingdom, and is asked to be the representative
of the current emperor, to fight against his enemies to the death. Her
supporters, some of whom know her secret, go to great lengths to find
information about her combatants, just as her combatants delve into her
abilities and styles of fighting.
This is a page turner, a breathless account of survival against
overwhelming odds, made all the more pertinent because she is also
hiding her sex. Shortlisted for many awards, and winning the
prestigious Aurelius Award in 2009, Eon is the first in what I
hope is
a trilogy.
Fran Knight
Going home by Margaret Wild
Walker books, 2009. ISBN 9781921529047.
Picture book, ages 3-6. Walker Books is republishing a few of the best
of classic Australian picture books. Several by Margaret Wild, and
Peter Pavey have come across my desk, with several others worth a
mention. Going Home is a lovely read for very early readers or for
reading aloud. I can imagine a child who is worried about being away
from home getting a great deal of satisfaction from this story of a boy
in hospital, being comforted by the animals in the posters around him.
As in Where the Wild Things are, the boy in this story is taken out of
himself as he travels the lands with the animals at night. When he
comes to leave the hospital and go home with his parents he tells the
children left behind his secret. Full of life and colour, Going Home
will be part of a teacher's bookshelf of books about animals as well as
the themes of comfort and home, imagination and family. First published
in 1993, it has a relevance which transcends time.
The illustrations by Wayne Harris carry the story further, by giving a
gorgeous background to the places Hugo goes with the animals. At the
end of the book are three pieces of writing, one by Albert Allun saying
what a pleasure it is to see this book republished, another by Margaret
Wild telling us the reasons behind writing the story and the third by
Wayne Harris, giving his thoughts when first reading the story, and so
underlining the reasons the illustration are so redolent of a child in
hospital. All three extend the story further for the reader and give
extra oomph to the lucky teacher or parent reading it aloud.
Fran Knight
The slightly skewed life of Toby Chrysler by Paul Collins
Celepene Press, 2009. ISBN 9780975074244.
(Age 9-12) 'Slightly skewed life' is somewhat of an understatement for
Toby Chrysler, aka Milo, who lurches from improbable crisis to
improbable crisis in a non stop whirlwind of events. From supposedly
murdering his vastly obese neighbour to hiding a friend in his
cellar in order to flush out their parents who have run off together,
Milo takes it all fairly imperturbably in his stride, even though he is
out on bail for most of the story. But, hey, why let reality get in the
way of a good story? This yarn is wittily told and keeps up a cracking
pace, so it's easy to just go with it. Milo is fond of a good proverb,
care of his best friend and adviser, Fluke, but has a delightful way of
misquoting them so they are even more apt, eg, 'When at first you don't
succeed, cry, cry again.'(p52). The correct proverbs are listed at the
back so this makes the book a good one for parents to read aloud and
share with their middle to upper primary school child. Milo and friends
have plenty of courage and resourcefulness in their quest to find the
two missing parents and it all hurtles towards an even more surprising
ending. Some ends are not neatly tied up but it doesn't seem to matter
in this fun read.
Kevyna Gardner.
King Lear adapted and ill.by Gareth Hinds
Candlewick Press, 2007. ISBN 9780763643447.
(Age 14+) Recommended. King Lear is one of Shakespeare's most
profound
and challenging plays. Students who have been guided through the plot
and stirring themes by a teacher remember the experience for life.
While recorded performances are available, opportunities to see a live
performance are rare.
Gareth Hinds believes that 'the graphic-novel is a perfect bridge
between the printed word and theatrical performance.' Following his
successes with The Merchant of Venice and Beowulf, he
has applied his
artistic skills and understanding of literature to King
Lear. The story is illustrated with drawings which
emphasise the humanity of the characters and the pathos of their
predicaments. The conventions of drama, such as its division into acts
and scenes, have been dispensed with so that the result is more like a
novel than a play.
The choice of dialogue makes no concessions to a reader who finds
Shakespeare's language daunting. From the opening line to the final
curtain, the only words in the speech bubbles are those of the
playwright. Sound effects, such as 'Whock', are a little incongruous
but do not detract from the dramatic effect.
In the comprehensive Notes, the author explains the reason for some of
his omissions from the original work and his thoughts about the play.
His insights are worth reading for their own sake.
Gareth Hinds' King Lear is unlikely to satisfy readers familiar
with
the play or provide an entree into Shakespeare's work for younger
students. It may, however, help to make a complex work more accessible
and comprehensible to young adults.
Elizabeth Bor
Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! by Loretta Barnard et al.
A great BIG book of Aussie legends, icons and
animals. Ill. by Gregory Rogers. Random House Australia, 2009.
(Age 10+) A bindup edition combines several books into one volume.
Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! contains three previously published
titles - 30
Australian legends and icons, 30 amazing Australian animals
and 30
Australian sports legends. The result is a feast of information
about
everything from Phar Lap and ghost bats to Australian Rules Football.
Each topic is presented in a short article accompanied by black and
white pen and wash illustrations. The short sentences are written in an
easy, conversational style. Sub-headings make the information more
accessible and additional information is provided in 'breakout boxes'.
Although there are no references or websites listed for the 'Legends
icons' section, readers can investigate the recommended websites
related to animals and sport.
Three books within the same cover do not automatically make a single
work, especially in this case as the original title pages and tables of
contents have been retained. The publisher has partially overcome the
problem by adding an index to the entire volume. However, a combined
table of contents might have helped readers to locate the beginning of
each of the original
titles.
The size of this paperback 3-in-one combo makes browsing a challenge as
the pages do not stay open of their own accord. A determined
reader will manage by holding the book open with both hands.
Students who learn how to navigate their way around Aussie! Aussie!
Aussie! will find information to intrigue them and a useful
starting
point for research activities.
Elizabeth Bor
About a girl by Joanne Horniman
Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781742371443.
(Age 15-18) Highly recommended. Since she was six years old, Anna has
known
she prefers girls. But it is not until she is living on her own and
working in
a bookshop far north of her hometown Canberra that she falls for Flynn.
Not
just smitten, as she has been before, but in this guitar-playing
barista she
finds true love. Of course, first love is never going to be simple,
particularly when there's the whole conundrum of same sex pairing.
Told in three sections, the first chapters deal
directly with the physical and emotionally complex details of forming a
relationship. How Anna and Flynn reconcile their divergent trajectories
is the
stuff of the concluding section. And though the middle part of the book
seems a
jerk out of the present, it is the tracing of Anna's immediate past -
of her
close friendship with Michael, her attempt to succeed at tertiary
studies, and
her handling of her parents' separation - that provides a useful
breather from
the intensity of the opening, and adds a depth to understanding of the
first-person protagonist that resounds till the end.
Prize-winning author Horniman is adept a reaching
into the heart of feelings and pushing on through past those
uncomfortable
places into an awareness of greater understanding. Definite a 15+
rating but
highly recommended.
Kate Deller-Evans
Through the magic mirror by Anthony Browne
Walker Books, 2009.
(All ages) Highly recommended. In Through the magic mirror,
Browne's first picture book, published in
1976, nine years after studying graphic design at Leeds, the wonderful
Toby goes through his magic mirror one evening while his parents are
watching television, mum in rollers and dad smoking, and finds another
world. But this world is almost the reverse of what he has at home.
Here, the mirror reflects the back of his head, the lamp has a flower
instead of a light bulb, the rainbow ends in the building, the sky is
full of choristers and the mice chase the cat. Surreal images abound in
this beautifully illustrated spare text of a boy lost in a dream world,
at least until he returns home for tea.
I loved looking for the deference to the surreal painters, Dali,
Magritte and others. Magritte's famous picture of a man looking in a
mirror at the back of his head is used several times through the book,
while the cover has the reverse image, evocative of the picture of Rene
Magritte himself, by fellow artist, Lothar Wolleh. The choristers
floating in space is suggestive of Magritte's Golconda (1953),
while
the pictures of the train is reminiscent of Magritte's Time
transfixed.
Sometimes there are nods to Dali's work, the flower coming out of the
pavement, the tree on top of a building and so on, but the inspiration
of Magritte's work stands out.
Readers will thoroughly enjoy this book, still in print after its
initial publication in 1976, the first work of this important creator
of picture books, now the Children's
Laureate of the United Kingdom.
Kids, teachers and parents will love looking at the symbolism, looking
for the inspiration from art they know, and searching for art books to
look at representations of the imagery found here while laughing out
loud at some of the funny pictures. For followers of Browne's work,
traces can be seen of his future work, the gorilla, Toby's clothing,
and the image of the quiet boy or chimp in the landscape.
Fran Knight
