Usborne Publishing, 2009.
(Age 10+) In Elizabethan London, apprentice actor Ben Button befriends
a young beggar and thief. Ben convinces his master to give the
beggar shelter, but soon discovers that things are not as they first
appeared. The beggar has a mysterious past, and a vendetta against an
important nobleman, whom the beggar claims is supplying arms to the
enemy Spaniards. Ben is reluctant to believe the stories he is told,
but once he sees the proof for himself, finds he must help his new
friend to save England.
While there are moments of authenticity to the writing, there are also
times when the language and expressions used simply do not ring true
with the era. Even so, the action is fast-paced, and readers will get a
glimpse into life in England at the time of the Spanish Armada. This is
the third of four Elizabethan Mysteries, with Rogue's Gold, Traitor,
and
Thief.
Donella Reed
Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children by Jen Storer
Penguin, 2009 . ISBN 9780670073399
(Ages 10 and up) When Albie Gribble collects a basketful of linen from
the front of the hospital, he finds instead an abandoned baby, and his
life takes a dramatic turn. Crossing the River Charon, Albie sees a
'skriker' and the lorry he is driving tips into the water. He follows
the urging of his guardian angel, saves the orange headed baby from the
water and takes her home. Although he loves the orphaned Tensy, she is
later taken into The Home for Mislaid Children.
Tensy's adventures begin in earnest when, after having been adopted,
she is returned to the home. With attacking ravens, Watchers being ever
present, the appearance of angels who may or may not be trusted and a
bald headmistress, Tensy's life is certainly never boring and it seems
she may have a destiny to fulfil.
Matron Pluckrose and her problems provide a certain amount of humour,
as does Mrs Gribble after her death. This serves to balance the evil in
the story. A glossary would have made the book simpler for younger
children to grasp. This novel is an engaging and well written read for
competent readers and would also work well as a read aloud.
Jo Schenkel
Gamers' Quest by George Ivanoff
Ford Street Publishing, 2009.
(Age 10+) Zyra and Tark are teenage thieves in a world created by the
Designers. Everyone in this world struggles and fights to gain enough
money to get a 'key', allowing them to escape their reality briefly and
become avatars in Designer's Paradise. In their quest they encounter
other characters and must figure out if they are to be trusted or
defeated. Upon reaching Paradise however, Zyra and Tark discover
something is wrong, and that their Suburban avatar existence is flawed.
Eventually they are faced with the thought that their world may not be
all it seems.
With a fast-paced plot and some interesting twists, this is an
enjoyable book, however I did find the language used by the characters
of Zyra and Tark somewhat irritating. Students with an interest in
gaming and alternate realities will be very excited about this book
which has been shortlisted for the 2010 Chronos Awards.
Donella Reed
The penguin who wanted to find out by Jill Tomlinson
Ill. by Paul Howard. Egmont, 2009. ISBN 9781405230414.
(Ages 6-9) Recommended. It's wonderful to see a picture book that is
full of information, while stimulating the imagination with great
characterisation and beautiful illustrations. Otto is a baby penguin
chick who lives on his father's feet in the Antarctica. He wants to
find out about lots of things: Why hasn't he fallen off since he lives
at the bottom of the world? What is a blizzard? And what is the funny
feeling he has in his tummy? As Otto grows and begins to leave the
safety of his father's sheltering feathers and feet, he learns that the
only way for penguins to survive in this harsh environment is to look
after each other.
Paul Howard's illustrations are an excellent accompaniment to the text,
following Otto as he discovers a blizzard, looks after the other little
chicks, learns to toboggan and torpedo out of the water. The deep blues
of the Antarctic sky and seas contrast with the whites of the snow. The
penguins are washed with a pale gold and they stand out perfectly
against this backdrop. The care that the penguins show each other comes
across strongly in both the text and pictures.
This is a perfect book for those children who are making the transition
from picture books to chapter books as it has more complex sentences
than many picture books. I found the factual information about emperor
penguins that I discovered from inquisitive little Otto quite
fascinating and unforgettable. What a lovely way to learn!
Pat Pledger
Bright girls by Clare Chambers
HarperCollins Children's Books, 2009.
(Age range: 12 - 16 / Secondary) Rachel and Robyn are sent to stay with
their Auntie Jackie in Brighton after an incident at their house causes
their father to be concerned for their safety. Auntie Jackie runs a
ball gown hire business out of her ramshackle terrace house. When
Auntie Jackie fails to meet them at the railway station as planned they
hop in a taxi and arrive at her home just as she does in a police car.
They meet Adam a uni student who lives next door and who is attempting
to look after his frail and forgetful grandmother, and Charlie, Aunt
Jackie's lodger who is a musician and various characters that visit
Auntie Jackie to utilise her skills.
The girls experience the difficulties of finding a respectable job, the
interest and confusion involved in having 'boy' friends, the excitement
of utilising musical talents, the consequences of bad choices and the
up and downs of being a hero.
The author has woven an interesting and eventful story based on two
quite different sisters and their adventures when faced with what
appears initially to be a life threatening situation. I enjoyed this
story and would recommend it to readers.
Tracy Glover
Top reads for 2009 by Pat Pledger
Teens Fire by
Kristin Cashore. Fire is the last of the human Monsters and she is
feared because of her beauty and her ability to control minds. A
companion volume to Graceling,
this
is
fantasy
at
its best, with a strong heroine, plenty of action
and a low-key romance.
Along for
the ride by Sarah Dessen. Auden's sleep patterns have been
disrupted ever since her parents' divorce. The quest she goes on with a
fellow insomniac will change her life. If you haven't tried Dessen's
novels before then you are in for a treat.
Vulture's
gate by Kirsty Murray. The story of Callum, a young boy kidnapped
by the dangerous Outlanders and Bo, Roboraptor Girl, who has survived
alone in the desert since her grandfather was murdered. A Science
fiction survival story set in outback Australia, with overtones of Mad
Max.
The ask and
the answer by Patrick Ness. Todd has taken the dying Viola into
Haven but it has been made into the stronghold of his enemy Mayor
Prentiss. The first in the series, The knife of
never letting go had
gripping tension, high adventure and thought provoking themes and the
second is even better!
Exposure
by Mal Peet. A star footballer, Othello, meets a beautiful pop singer
Desmerelda at a celebrity party. They fall in love and quickly marry
much to the delight of the media. Wonderful expose of fame based
loosely on Othello.
Beatle
meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams. Beatle, named because his name
is John Lennon, meets Destiny at a tram stop in Melbourne one Friday
night and from then on the reader is led into a hilarious story of
young love, astrology and weird art projects.
The
uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones. For Jackson Page, the little cabin is
a place to compose in. For Mimi Shapiro the snye in the wilds of
Eastern Ontario is a perfect hideaway and for Cramer Lee, it is a place
where he can spy on Jay. In an exciting thriller Wynne-Jones keeps the
reader guessing right to the end about the
uninvited
visitor who is stalking Jay and Mimi .
Middle school
Waterslain
Angels by Kevin Crossley-Holland. Ten year old Annie, an
independent and risk taking young girl, joins up with Sandy, an eleven
year old asthmatic geek, on a summer quest to find the missing carvings
of angels that once adorned their Norfolk church and which haven't been
seen since Cromwell's time.
Love, Aubrey
by Suzanne LaFleur. A terrible thing has happened to Aubrey. Now she is
all alone with only her new fish Sammy for company. A memorable tear
jerker.
Loblolly boy
by James Norcliffe. The loblolly boy can fly wherever he wants and has
eternal youth. He also has the power to Exchange - to swap places with
others who are Sensitive and can see him. Margaret Mahy describes this
as a new classic and it is certainly memorable.
When you reach me by Rebecca Stead. Winner of the Newbery Medal.
Miranda gets a message that says "I am coming to save save your
friend's life, and my own." This book is an intriguing puzzle that will
have its readers following clues until its explosive conclusion.
Angel fish by Lili Wilkinson. Gabriel believes Stephan when he
says
that children can save save the Holy Land. Will his faith sustain him
on the perilous journey that the Children's Crusade undertakes?
Picture books
Sarah's
heavy heart by Peter Carnavas. Sarah has a heavy heart that she
carries all the time, on the bus, in the playground, at the park.
My silent
world by Nette Hilton and Vincent Agostino. A deaf girl has a rich
inner life. She knows about everything, but she is afraid of the unseen
monster that fits in her ear - a cochlear implant.
Isabella's
garden by Glenda Millard and Rebecca Cool. Isabella's garden is a
place where the soil is 'all dark and deep' and where Isabella and her
friends plant the seeds that emerge into a glorious garden, changing
with the seasons until Jack Frost comes and all that is left is a
well-feathered nest and a handful of seeds.
First the
egg by Laura Vaccaro Seegar. The book looks at how things evolve.
First comes an egg and on page turn, the reader sees the egg change
into a chicken.
Surf Ache by Gerry Bobsien
Walker Books, 2009.
Recommended. Finally, a teenage book without angst,
dysfunctional families or spoilt brats! What's left to write about?
Well, Gerry Bobsein's passion for
surfing
shines through this novel about Year 9 student Ella Alonso's move from
Melbourne to Newcastle and her discovery of surfing. She has had to
leave
behind her best friend and her boyfriend and it gets complicated when
she soon
makes new friends who get her hooked on surfing. She has to make
choices about
friends. Surfing clashes with her
passion for ballet and as she excels at both she has to make a choice
here too.
Plus her mum was a former surfing champion whose career ended
mysteriously. Mum
understands all too well her daughter's surf-ache - a 'state of being
where all
one can think about is getting back onto the waves'.
There is the
requisite bitchy rival
but here friends and family are warm, caring, and likeable. It is
interesting
to note Ella and her friends are not hung up on clothes: Ella "never
quite had
all the right gear. Mum and Dad refused to fork out for the latest
this, that
or the other. Ella was used to it". (p110). The confidence and
happiness of
these kids comes from being able to follow their passions in a
supportive
environment.
The characters
are real as well as
likeable, with romance and competitions keeping the pages turned. There
is much
on the art of surfing which may lose some, but you learn a lot about
it. We
have come a long way from Puberty Blues - the guys and girls
are on
equal
footing here.
My only
quibble is that the language
of surfing is not explained; a glossary would help. What is a rashie?
Kevyna Gardner
I am not a serial killer by Dan Wells
Headline Publishing Group, 2009.
(Age range: 14 - 16) John Cleaver has an obsession with
serial killers. His mother and aunt run the mortuary and his estranged
father was also a mortician. John has grown up exposed to dead bodies
in one form or another. When random killings begin to happen in Clayton
County, the town where he lives, he is determined to solve the case as
to who and why they are happening.
John has been seeing Dr Neblin a psychologist for some time to try and
sort through his strange fascination and in doing so has established
rules for himself to try and maintain a hold on his emotions and
actions.
This becomes increasingly difficult as the killings continue and he
gets closer to the killer. Unleashing his dark side John establishes a
plan to trap the killer, however in doing so is frightened by what he
is becoming and the lengths he will go to and the people he will
inadvertently involve.
John has few friends and those he has at the start of the story are
soon alienated by his strange and peculiar behaviour.
This is a thrilling story not suited to everyone as it contains quite
gruesome and frightening events. It is advertised as the first book in
a darkly comic new series from debut author Dan Wells. Mr Monster the
next title is due for release in the UK in March 2010.
Tracy Glover
Agent Alfie: Licence to fish by Justin Richards
HarperCollins Children's Books, 2009.
(Age 7+) Alfie is a student at Thunder Raker Manor, a school for
children whose parents are spies or secret agents. Alfie's a bit
different though - his dad's just a postman. The students learn all the
regular school subjects, as well as Special Agent Training subjects
including surveillance, code-breaking and sabotage. So it seems a bit
odd to Alfie when a new class is announced - fishing. The students head
along to their first lesson, and Alfie immediately begins to suspect
that the evil organisation SPUD might be hatching a new plan. His
suspicions are confirmed when he spots a giant rubber duck and a
metallic sea monster swimming in the school lake.
This is the second Agent Alfie book after Thunder Raker (2008),
with a
third, Sorted, also released in 2009. With a fast-moving plot
and
packed full of puns, it is a very enjoyable read.
Donella Reed
100% hero by Jayne Lyons
Random House, 2009. ISBN 978171663969.
(Age 9+) Although part of a family of werewolves and 'the second
greatest
werewolf ever', Freddy Lupin has a problem. At some full moons, he
transforms into a black poodle and not a wolf. With the arrival of his
father Flasheart's distant cousin, Chester Pucely and his daughter,
things start to go wrong as Freddy tries to impress the 'perfect'
Priscilla. When his father is captured and taken to zoo, as a result of
Freddy's actions, the young wolf sets out to rescue Flasheart and keep
the family secrets. In the meantime, he is sent off to camp, where he
has to learn to dance ballet. He befriends several other students who
are also misfits and manages to solve the family's problems.
I found that the style of this book did not provide the engrossing read
for which I had hoped. The author's humour was definitely of the
'bottom' variety and sadly did not appeal to me as much as it may to
the younger male readers. Made up names and words in this text somehow
did not gel and I found this novel a challenge to complete. Perhaps,
for disinclined boys, it will still hold some appeal. Whilst there may
be some underlying themes which could be brought out for the student, I
found this a disappointing read and certainly not a text.
Jo Schenkel
The wheels on the bus ill. by Mandy Foot
Lothian Children's Books, 2009. ISBN 9780734411174.
(Ages 3-6) The classic song, The wheels on the bus is given a
whole new
look by Mandy Foot as a host of Australian animals go on a journey
around Australia. What a trip the kangaroos, emus, frill-necked lizard
and koala have as they travel to Coober Pedy, Tasmania, Bondi, Philip
Island, Daintree, Great Barrier Reef, the Pilbara, Blue Mountains
Darwin and the Opera House in a red and white bus.
The book is a visual feast. Starting with a map of Australia showing
the places that the bus will go to, it is then up to the reader to
follow the word clue sticker on the bus and the animals and plants of
the place to work out where it is. There is also a tiny green gecko on
each page that the reader will have lots of fun trying to find.
The illustrations of the animals are fabulous with cartoon type faces,
brimming with good humour. I especially liked the expressions on the
babies as they went Wah! Wah! Wah!
Such a familiar song will be a boon for beginning readers and parents
and teachers will enjoy sharing the song as they make an Australian
trip. There is a website
that
gives information about all the places that are visited. This could be
a very useful site if doing a unit on journeys or famous places in
Australia.
Pat Pledger
Outside In by Chrissie Keighery
Hardie Grant Egmont,
Victoria. 2009.
This
Australian novel is about
teenagers' angst but serves as a stark contrast to the often slick
American
versions.
The boys and girls here are all struggling to cope with family or self
esteem
issues. We have parental separation, anorexia and bulimia, teenage
crushes, and
loneliness.
The difference
here is that the group
members are supportive of each other and it is this which enables them
to
survive and grow. Parents are often remote or absent. We get inside the
kids'
heads and understand their confusion. Jordan and Jack realize they have
in
common spending part of the week with their fathers, Sam is mortified
when a
girl tells him he needs to shave, talented Cecilia feels she must be
perfect,
Meredith laughs too much to cover up her inadequencies and Renee is the
outsider.
Whilst it
feels all too authentic,
sadly, there isn't much plot, nor much fun either. It seems to be aimed
at
either reassuring certain teenagers they are not alone or
educating/confronting
others about the plights of their classmates. Either way it offers
insight into
why people behave as they do.
It's just that neither the cover
nor the blurb call out to be picked up and there is nothing
particularly
distinguishing about any of the characters. The 14 year old I gave it
to
enjoyed it, but found the ending too
sudden
and vague. The book does finish on a positive note and emphasizes the
healing power
of friendship.
One for the
library; teachers and
librarians could direct certain students to it.
Kevyna Gardner
Why by Lila Prap
WilkinsFarago, 2003. ISBN 09585571452.
(Ages 3+) A whole book devoted to the question why will have kids and
adults enthralled as they ponder the questions asked. Each doulbepage
spread asks a question about the animal portrayed, starting with Why do
hyenas laugh? And going on to delicious questions about crying
crocodiles, long necked giraffes, pouched kangaroos and maned lions.
Each question has many answers; some of which are very funny indeed and
will have the listeners and readers grinning with delight. In answer to
the question of why camels have humps, for example, some of the
responses include, because they didn't sit up straight, to confuse
their riders and out of habit, while the real reason is written in full
somewhere on the page.
I can imagine children from 3 to 10 getting a thrill out of reading
this book, initially with help, but then alone, gaining information as
well as fun out of the book. An astute teacher or parent will encourage
the reader or class to imagine many other reasons to add to the ones on
the page. The drawings add to the fun of the book and the style could
be used as a basis for work in the classroom to add some more animals
to the book.
Fran Knight
Ctrl-Z by Andrew Norriss
Puffin, 2009.
(Ages 8+) Alex's godfather always sends fantastic presents and this
year's birthday gift is a laptop that allows Alex to travel back in
time to correct any mistakes he's made. All he has to do is input the
time he wishes to return to and press Ctrl-Z. This is not just an
amazing present, it's also rather useful, especially when you have an
accident prone best friend called Callum. When Alex first uses Ctrl-Z
he successfully reverses a nasty accident involving Callum, 43 helium
balloons, a garden chair and a barbeque.
Alex is so delighted with his laptop that he decides to experiment a
little. He is only ten but has always wanted to drive his Mum's prized
classic car and now he can. When he smashes into the gatepost he can
simply press Ctrl-Z and travel back in time to before he climbed into
the driving seat.
Ctrl-Z allows Alex to go back in time by a maximum of 23 hours and 59
minutes, but that's still enough to have plenty of fun. However, when
the two boys use the laptop to win every prize at the School Fair
things do not go according to plan, and then Alex finds himself having
to use Ctrl-Z to try and reverse the growing rows between his parents.
This is an entertaining story, ideal to read aloud to lower juniors.
There is plenty of humour, excitement and cliff-hangers to keep young
readers on the edge of their seats. The central message, that it's good
to make mistakes because that is how we learn, is emphasised and
hopefully children will enjoy the fun and absorb the message too. My
only grumble is that Ctrl-Z would have been even better with
illustrations, but I guess that would have cost more; perhaps the
credit crunch is biting publishers too!
I've always enjoyed Andrew Norriss's funny, pacy books, and if any of
your readers are glued to Horrid Henry or Captain Underpants,
Ctrl-Z
may encourage them to spread their wings.
Claire Larson
Someone like you by Sarah Dessen
Hodder Children's Books, 2009.
ISBN 9780340997482.
(Age 14+)Recommended. When Halley gets a phone call at summer
camp from Scarlett telling her that Michael, Scarlett's boyfriend, has
been killed in an accident, it is the beginning of a change in their
relationship. They had been best friends for years, with quiet Halley
in the shadow of popular Scarlett. When Scarlett finds that she is
pregnant with Michael's child she really needs Halley. Can their
friendship survive through the trouble that Scarlett faces and the
boyfriend issues that plague Halley?
Dessen has written a book that immediately strikes a chord with the
reader. Told from Halley's point of view, I became engrossed in her
life, her battles with her mother as she tries to become independent
and her growing involvement with bad boy Macon. At the same time she is
the main support for Scarlett, who has decided to keep her baby.
Friendship is the central theme of the book. With a trusted friend to
support them and to talk things over with, it is clear that both
Scarlett and Halley will get through their struggles. Dessen also
cleverly explores the relationships between mothers and daughters and
the roles that they play in each other's lives.
All the characters are so richly developed that their stories seemed
totally believable and it was hard to leave them at the end of the
book. Although first published in 1998, this beautifully written coming
of age story has a timeless quality that will keep readers enthralled.
Pat Pledger
