Reviews

Minnie Pearl and the Undersea Bazaar by Natalie Jane Prior and Cheryl Orsini

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ABC Books; 2007.
(Age - Middle Primary) An underwater environmental tale, set in the ocean but with universal themes. Minnie Pearl's parents own the Undersea Bazaar where all the mermaids come to shop. When Manta Rae sets up a rival business, Minnie sets out to find out where she is getting her cheap goods from in the hope of saving her parents' business. With the help of some human divers she is able to solve the problem. The play on words for names (eg Manta Rae, Finn, Marina) could make for useful discussion on aquatic words. The safe disposal of rubbish could also be addressed through the story. An additional resource for schools doing Sea Week each year.
Sue Johnston
Marden Education Centre Library

The Seventeen Secrets of the Karma Club by Karen McCombie

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Scholastic, 2008
(Age 9+) The story of Kezzy and her new best friend Nell who establish the Good Karma Club, which aims to spread a little happiness among friends and acquaintances. Initially keeping the club secret makes the whole process quite exciting, until their secret good deeds spiral out of control and Kezzy's Mum makes an announcement that shocks Kezzy and Nell to the core and threatens their perfect friendship.
A fast paced story with likeable characters and a believable plot.Some more serious issues are touched on including the value of friendship and the importance of having a social conscience. McCombie also makes a point of challenging stereotypes as Kezzy's Mum is a tattooed knitting fanatic and her Dad a nursery nurse! Ultimately this is a lighthearted, humorous story with plenty of action and a satisfying plot that reveals one of the seventeen secrets in each chapter. This is a 'chick-lit' novel that would cater for primary aged children. Although our heroines are 13 there are no teen-issues that would worry parents and preclude younger children from enjoying it. Ideal for confident readers, 9 + who don't want to work too hard.
Claire Larson

The Other Book by Philip Womack

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Bloomsbury, London. 2008
(Age 10 – 14 years) Philip Womack explores the supernatural in The Other Book, a new fantasy for young readers. At boarding school in modern-day England, twelve year old Edward Pollock discovers an old book in the school library; it is cursed and waiting for an opportunity to weld an evil magic after being lost for three hundred years.

After discovering the book, Edward gradually becomes more bewildered and realises he must control some dark power which tries to overcome him at every turn. His strength of character, and sense of duty and trust are constantly tested. With the help of a knight who appears mysteriously, Edward learns that the future of his world depends on his ability to withstand the evil power at work.

Edward's story is a series of exciting confrontations with those who wish to take the book back from this young 'carrier'. Lady Anne, Mrs Phipps, Dr Spawforth and Reverend Smallwood oppose all moves by Edward to restore its power. These are great characters and the story rolls along very well. There is plenty of action as Edward's courage is constantly tested; it seems that there is no one he can trust.

For a first novel Womack successfully lures the reader into his imagined world, and the array of characters weave a great story. Numerous editorial errors are annoying and the language style is clumsy at times but The Other Book has a sound sense of place and time and is an absorbing read. This book is recommended for younger readers, however, often the line which divides reality and the supernatural becomes blurred and so some images are disturbing.
Julie Wells

Tales from outer suburbia by Shaun Tan

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Allen and Unwin, 2008.
ISBN 978174114917 3
A story and picture book for adults and children alike, Shaun Tan draws a mirror to the face of Australia, with lonely people, houses where constant bickering between parents causes the boy to sleep on the lawn, communities where people use the missiles in their yards for practical purposes and an exchange student who lives in a house where little exchange takes place. Each story provokes thought about how we live and entreats the reader to give more serious consideration to our lives and the lives of those around us.

His incredible pictorial style, making references to art from the Renaissance world, Raymond Briggs, Geoffrey Smart, as well as nodding to Terry Gilliam, among others, gives an intellectual layer to the illustrations, urging the reader to reflect and ponder on what they are viewing. From the dog on the TV (dog on the tuckerbox?) to the car of people, looking for a place to sleep amongst a crowd of hotels, all showing a 'no vacancy' sign (Mary and Joseph perhaps?) each offers a suggestion of what is going on in outer suburbia. Tan's observation of life around him, particularly growing up in an outer suburb of Perth has given him a rich field from which to draw his stories.
To choose several stories from the wealth offered in this book is difficult, but I loved Grandpa's story which tells of the trials of a marriage, where after almost insurmountable difficulties, resulting in a no holds barred argument, the two find they must work together to find the common goal. Eric, too resonates with ideas.
For a perceptive look at the Australian suburban lifestyle, interjected with humour, pathos, allegory, and an amazing array of detailed illustrations then this book is a marvelous addition to anyone's library.
Fran Knight

Rain by Kate Le Vann

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Piccadilly, 2008.
This novel by Kate Le Vann is set in London over a summer holiday when 16 year old Rain goes to stay with her trendy young grandmother in the house in which her deceased mother grew up. Here she uncovers her mother's diaries, written when she was the same age as Rain, and believes she has discovered that her mother had an affair with an older pop musician and became pregnant before ever meeting the man Rain believes is her real father. Is she his 'love- child' and if so how will Rain deal with that and how will it affect her close relationship with her scientist academic father?
Throughout this crisis in her life she develops an increasingly close relationship with Harry, a student who has been employed to help her grandmother sort out her house in Notting Hill before selling it. He helps Rain in her quest to uncover the truth but jealousy rears its head as she assumes Harry and a fellow student have a close relationship already and that her growing feelings for him are misled.
Switching between emails, the personal diaries of Rain and those of her mother, written 20 years before, as well as the narrator's voice makes for a slightly difficult tone but I was gripped and had to read on and find out if true love triumphs in the end. This is a sensitive, perceptive and complex exploration of the nature of love explored via the intense feelings of a 16 year old girl discovering her independence for the first time in a new environment.
Laura Taylor

The pony game by Robyn Opie

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Lothian Children's Books, 2007 (Ages 7-10) The second in the Giggles Series from Lothian is absorbing. Lucy wishes her dog, Beauty was a horse. Together they play the pony game, where she uses a tea towel on Beauty's back as a saddle and they frolic all over the back yard, imaging they are riding over the hills. When Lucy gets to look after a real horse for a week, she is too tired to play with Beauty and the dog feels neglected.

When the owner of the horse sees Lucy's dog she is just as jealous, because she cannot have a dog. Lucy realises that she has the best of both worlds. Young readers will love this story and its illustrations and the ability to read it for themselves. The Giggles Series is sure to be a winner with the target audience.
Fran Knight

Are we there yet? by David Levithan

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Harper Collins, 2013
(Age 15+) Two brothers, tricked into holidaying together in Italy, find that they are worlds apart. Together they drift through Venice, Florence and Rome, seeing the same sights but from a totally different perspective, recalling the happier days of their shared childhood, when the older brother, Danny, looked out for his sibling, Elijah, ten years younger.
When Elijah meets a girl, Julia, the hesitation between the two brothers becomes more openly hostile, and an approach by Julia towards Daniel, becomes a secret he keeps from his brother. Elijah and Julia meet and have dinner, staying at Julia's hotel, leaving Danny to fend for himself, but when Julia has dinner with Elijah on Independence Day, her toast is 'to the end'. Elijah, set adrift, must reunite with his brother. Danny in the meantime has run into an old friend, and has realized what little he has apart from work. The two brothers meet again at the Pantheon and here their journeys come together.
The descriptions of the sights they see are wonderful. Levithan uses imagery which is at once familiar, and startling. His familiarity with the journey through Italy's past creates a marvelous backdrop to the story of the two brothers, as they meet at museums and galleries, eat together and then alone or with Julia, regurgitating the slights of the past. The story recreates the tension between them, slowly building as they journey towards the inevitable coming together when they realise what they have lost and how easy it is to repair the rift. A wonderful coming of age story, both Elijah and Danny are complete characters, with foibles and behaviours that are as endearing as they are annoying. A treat for upper secondary students and adults alike.
Fran Knight

The Floods: the great outdoors by Colin Thompson

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Random House, 2008. ISBN 9781741662535;
(Age: Middle and Upper Primary) This is the sixth story of the Flood family and their adventures but the stories do not need to be read in sequence. The Floods are a family of Wizards who would like to be more human. They decide to take a family holiday with their human neighbours and they do try to fit in at Port Folio, but there are some things that take a bit of getting used to – like not using magic to win the sandcastle competition! A funny story that students who enjoy a sense of the ridiculous will enjoy.
Sue Johnson

Only the brave dare by Christopher Holcroft

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Poseidon Books, 2008
(Age 12+) Described by the author as a modern Biggles, Only the brave dare is the story of a group of Venturers who uncover a drug deal by the Russian Mafia while exploring a wrecked submarine. Taken captive by the gang, it is up to Scott, an unassuming Venturer, to find a way to save his mates.
The action switches from the Venturers to the Russian Mafia in alternate chapters or sections, helping to identify the characters and what is happening. A more sophisticated reader may find the italics for different speakers distracting and the conversation rather heavy handed.
A fast paced adventure story, this will appeal to boys who are in the Scouting movement and the descriptions of the advantages of being a Venturer would perhaps encourage young boys to join the group.
Pat Pledger

Captain Clawbeak and the ghostly galleon by Anne Morgan

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Random House, 2007
(Age 9-12) Jack's father is building a ship in the back yard, and Jack can't wait to launch it and sail away to adventure. But his dreams come true most unexpectedly, when a petrel flies by with a message from Stormie Lou who tells them that his parrot, Clawbeak has been capture by the notorious pirate, Van Den Dekker. Later that night a storm causes Dad's boat to loose from its scaffolding and the boys float away. They find Stormie Lou and Clawbeak and the mysterious pirate, but they are all aboard the Flying Dutchman, and the boys must be careful lest they remain on board it for ever. An exciting if unusual pirate story, (one of so many currently in print), Captain Clawbeak is the first in a series and is aimed at middle to upper primary students.
Fran Knight

Nim at Sea by Wendy Orr

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Harper Collins, 2007.
(Ages 8+) When Nim tells Alex what she really feels, thus forcing Alex to leave the island, Nim feels distraught. Her feelings are even more tangled when she sees the boat from Tourist Troppo stealing her beloved seal, Selkie. Without thinking she stows away on the cruise ship, determined to bring Selkie back. Her father then realises both the women in his life have gone so he sets sail on a raft, with several coconuts and some water, heading for the next island where there is an airport of sorts.

With Nim on the cruise ship, Alex battered down in a cabin not talking to anyone and Dad at sea on a raft, the stage is set for some great adventures, as Nim realises that the ship has a vast collection of sea animals that need releasing. A very funny adventure story, the sequel to Nim's Island, this story with environmental themes, will please middle to upper primary kids (8-12).
Fran Knight

Genesis by Bernard Beckett

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(Age 14+) Winner of the NZ Post Young Adult Fiction 2007 and the Esther Glen Award 2007, Bernard Beckett has written a powerful and thought provoking science fiction novel which raises important issues that beg to be discussed after the reader has finished the book. In a future New Zealand, the rest of the world has been fenced off to keep out plague. Anyone approaching the land is shot, whether it is a military aeroplane or a single refugee. The story of the Republic, where individuals are strictly controlled, is told through the answers that Anaximander, a young candidate, gives in an examination when trying to join the Academy. Her recital about the life and times of Adam Ford, 2058-2077, who tried to rescue a young boat girl, opens up all types of philosophical questions. Should individuals be allowed to have independent thought? What is the place of artificial intelligence? What is a soul? What does it mean to be human?
This is a demanding and gut wrenching read with a twist at the end that leaves the reader breathless. It is certainly a book that could provoke wonderful classroom discussion and expand the horizons of the thoughtful reader. A teacher's guide is available.
Highly recommended.
Pat Pledger

The last elf by Silvana de Mari

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Bloomsbury, 2007.
(Age 10+) Yorsh is a little elf who lives in a world that is drowning. After the death of his grandmother he realises that he must leave the Camp and find somewhere dry before he dies. Sheltering with a woman and her dog, and joined by a hunter, Yorsch comes across a prophesy: 'When the last dragon and the last elf break the circle, the past and the future will meet, the sun of a new summer will shine in the sky.' Yorsh, convinced that he is the last elf, decides to set out on a quest in search of the last dragon.

De Mari builds this story with a deft hand. Action and adventure fill the pages and the characters are original and vivid. The reader aches for Robi, the daughter of Yorsch's rescuers, left half starved and overworked in a grim orphanage and identifies with the plight of Yorsch, left to look after a huge baby dragon.

Filled with gentle humour and play on words, this book would be excellent to read aloud. It is an intelligent and enthralling fantasy, with many ideas for the reader to digest, such as the persecution of a minority race, the abuse of power and what types of laws a new country should have.
Pat Pledger

Mr Pavlov's possum by Vashti Farrer

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Lothian Children's Books, 2007 ISBN 9780734409546
(Ages 6+) The Giggles Series of books has been released by Lothian (Hatchette) for the newly independent readers. This is an area under catered for in the publishing world, so it is good to see a new series. The two I have read are funny with a light touch, appealing and revealing something about living together successfully.

In Mr Pavlov's possum, the main character, beautifully drawn by Vilma Cencic, loves dogs. He has 6 dogs that he has trained to respond to his whistle. They can sit, stand, heel and roll over. Each day they go for a walk. He fills his day organizing them and teaching them tricks. But one by one they die, and so Mr Pavlov is left alone and with nothing to do. But a possum appears at his window, and try as he might he cannot train the animal.

One day the possum uses the whistle, and it is Mr Pavlov who is trained. The lovely illustrations add to the story which could be read aloud with much glee.
Fran Knight

Cinnamon Girl: Looking for a Hero by Cathy Hopkins

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Piccadilly Press, 2008
The third book in Cathy Hopkins third series for younger teenage girls features India Jane (Cinnamon Girl) and her 3 friends at school in London all desperate to find a boyfriend and a perfect date by Christmas. However it is not all escapist frivolity - there are some serious issues - talk of one teenage boy overindulging in drugs and alcohol, and a mugging (which ironically provides India Jane with one of her potential 'perfect dates'). Throughout our protagonist is also exploring the serious issue of what is real love and how do you know it when you meet it.
This is chick-lit for younger teens - witty and well written. Cathy Hopkins has a real ear for the conversations, interests and concerns of teenage girls which obviously appeals to a wide cross-section of them. Even the inner city students in schools I have worked in adore her books even though they live in a very different world from her characters in this series - who seem to frequent Starbucks, live in Holland Park and trendy Notting Hill, have holidays in Italy and mothers who work in Mayfair art galleries and drink herbal tea!
The book carries on from the previous two in the series so if you buy this you will undoubtedly be asked for the previous two.
Laura Taylor