Bloomsbury, 2008. ISBN 9780747586159
(Age 10-14) Desperately unhappy at the sight of his father hitting his
mother, after his father has lost both his job and his own
claustrophobic mother, Suresh decides that he and his brother, Sandeep
are in the way. He thinks that his parents will do better without two
extra mouths to feed and so the two boys run away, hoping to gain
employment in the city. Their life in the village where they know
everyone and are looked out for, is over.
There follows a sometimes harrowing story of the two young boys' lives
in the streets in India, mingling with other street dwellers, avoiding
the police, having their few possessions stolen, trying to keep one
step ahead of the man to whom they sell the broken glass they collect.
At times the story is light, as the boys play cricket with other street
kids, or go to the concert the others arrange, or make friends with
people who give them food. But the whole is bleak and miserable as the
reader comes to see that these two boys are only two of thousands in
the city.
An upbeat end to the story did not for me, temper the bleakness of the
background, but kids in middle school will empathise with Suresh and
his brother as they try to make their way in life. And it's great to
see a book set in India.
Fran Knight
The OK Team by Nick Place
Allen
and Unwin; ISBN 9781741751864; 2008; p/b; 251pp
(Age Upper Primary/Lower Secondary) The funny and very silly adventure
story of a group of adolescents who are thrown together because they
all have a super power. Most of them are only low-grade superheroes who
are still learning to use their powers and so they end up in some very
unusual and often ridiculous situations. The stories are interspersed
with emails, advertising banners, photos and other illustrations so the
reader can look at the characters and their situations in a variety of
formats.
Sue Johnston, Marden Education Centre Library
Comment: There is a site for the book, which is recommended for boys,
with teacher
notes and activities.
Pat Pledger
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks
Allen and Unwin, 2008
(Age 13+) A generation before, Odella's mother was the sole survivor of
a car crash through the ice on Mistik Lake. Now the whole story comes
to a climax, after Odella's mother is killed in Iceland, following her
abandonment of her family, and Odella meets the son of her aunt's
childhood friend, Violet. All are connected by the childhoods at Mistik
Lake and the dream of flying fish. The characters in this engrossing
story live in or near Winnipeg, and some are the descendants of
Icelandic people who migrated to Canada in the mid nineteenth century.
Some of their strength and life values seep through to the new
generations.
Odella takes the role of her mother after she leaves and so is bound up
with the family, but meeting Jimmy makes her aware that she has a life
to lead as well. Living with him one summer at Mistik Lake brings the
story to a resolution as she learns of her past and why her mother was
so disturbed. An absorbing story redolent of the cold raw lives in
Canada's interior and suffused with the Icelandic heritage, Mistik
Lake
will absorb the attentions of older female readers, and its brevity
will be most attractive to those who want a thin book.
Fran Knight
Comment: Mistik Lake won the Canadian Library Association Young
Adult Book of the Year. It is a totally engrossing book with
wonderful characters and the lakeside setting is beautiful. Highly
recommended.
Pat Pledger
A pact of wolves by Nina Blazon
Allen & Unwin, 2008.
(Age 13+) For readers who like horror with a difference, this is
a compelling story that has murder, witchcraft, a secret society and a
terrifying beastly creature to keep the tense action alive. Blanka
arrives at the Europa International School where she is confronted by
the Wolves, a society of students who prowl the school and seem to take
an instant dislike to her. When she stumbles over a body at the bottom
of the stairs she is convinced it was murder, and is determined to
uncover the truth. With the help of the enigmatic Nicholas, Blanka
investigates and discovers disturbing and frightening things about the
school.
Blanka is an independent girl who rejects the other students' overtures
of friendship and seems unable to forgive what she sees as her parents'
transgressions. Her lack of trust adds to the suspense in the story as
the reader is not sure whether any of the other characters are
trustworthy.
Blazon, an award winning German author, has combined an unusual blend
of mystery and horror with some medieval facts thrown in. Her prologue
where she describes the mysterious It prowling the corridors, is a
tantalising start to a book that was difficult to put down. She keeps
up the momentum with plot twists and turns that culminate in a tense if
inconclusive finale. The chilling atmosphere of the school with its
rumours of witchcraft and torture provide a powerful background to the
murder mystery.
Pat Pledger
The town mouse and the Spartan house by Terry Deary
Allen and Unwin, 2007 ISBN 0713682213
(Age 7-10) Just mention Terry Deary, and all kids know that he is
the author of some of the best historical books around. Never left long
on the shelves, the Horrible Histories are borrowed with gusto. With
titles such as The Vile Victorians and The Gorgeous Georgians, the
books are immensely popular and give kids a glimpse into the past.
Luckily he has now turned his startling mind to books for the middle
primary reader, and they are just as good. The town mouse and Spartan
house is one of the series called Greek Tales, set in Athens, Greece in
430 BC. In The town mouse, the hero, Darius must flee. Both of his
parents have died, and the city is besieged by Spartan forces, bent on
Athen's total destruction. His uncle is a Spartan general and so he
tries to enlist his help to get out of Athens, now also under the
threat of plague.
The general has no time for this scrawny looking lad, and he is sent to
be a helot. But when the general becomes ill, it is Darius, the son of
a doctor who comes to his aid, saving his life.
A funny look at the difference between Athens and Sparta, the tale also
has a moral, It is better to eat beans and bacon in peace, than cakes
and ale in fear, which is proved through the story. Children in middle
primary school will love to read about Darius, a strong willed young
boy caught up in war. Along the way they will learn a great deal of
information about Athens and Sparta, told with economy and humour by
this wonderful storyteller.
Each story is complete in itself, and with chapters and funny
illustrations, will encourage newly successful readers to keep reading
with confidence.
Fran Knight
Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine
HarperCollins, 2008 ISBN 978000722965 9
(Age 14+) Rowan's mum is a vegetable, filling herself with medication to stop the
pain of her son's death, while Rowan keeps the house in order, cares
for her 6 year old sister and shops and feeds the family. Her father
left some time before, berating Rowan that she doesn't see him much
anymore. But Rowan cares for them all, not just those she lives with.
An extraordinary character, she has an amazing amount of responsibility
and is seemingly composed and together.
A boy picks up something from the footpath, gives it to her, telling
her that she dropped it. She cannot believe him, but making friends
with the older Bee at school, realises that it is a negative and when
Bee develops the picture, it is of her brother, Jack. Rowan looks for
the boy who gave her the picture, wanting more information. But he
cannot enlighten her, and together with Bee, there is a mystery to be
solved.
Not the usual journey for a group of friends, Broken Soup is an
unexpected read. The three main characters are quite different and the
circumstances outlandish, but Valentine brings the threads together
mesmerizingly, wrapping them up with smart dialogue and zappy clever
settings. The three are always real, their families easily recognized,
yet the story is original and encompassing. A wonderful follow up to
last year's winner, Finding Violet Park, Broken Soup
defies
pigeonholing and will please middle to upper secondary students. (don't
google the author's name, it is also the name of a sexually explicit
porn site!!)
Fran Knight
Tomorrow all will be beautiful by Bridget Lowry
Allen
and Unwin; ISBN 9781741751604; 2007; p/b; 174pp
(Age Middle Secondary) A collection of poems and short stories
woven around the theme of relationships.
The variety of writing within the book could be used to spark a number
of writing activities for students, eg, poetry, alphabet and comments
under different topics - the one in the book is on girls names, letter
or email writing. There are comparisons too – the one in the book uses
the topic 'there are two kinds of people'.
So, while the book could easily be read and enjoyed as the collection
of writings, I kept being enthused by the different activities I could
use so many of the pieces for with students.
Sue Johnston, Marden Education Centre Library
Note: Shortlisted for the New Zealand Post Book Awards 2008 for Young
Adult Fiction.
The navigator by Eoin McNamee
HarperCollins, 2007.
(Age10+) Owen is a loner, shunned by other people because of his
father's supposed suicide and his mother's inability to cope. He seeks
refuge in his Den, but one day is accosted by a tiny man, the
Sub-Commandant, who takes him to a group of people called the
Resistors. Owen finds himself caught up in a battle between the Harsh,
an eerie group who use the cold to turn back time, and the Resistors
who are fighting to keep time normal.
McNamee has gathered together an interesting cast of characters. Owen
comes into his own, and begins to understand the meaning of courage and
sacrifice. Cati and Wesley, Owen's new friends, are brave and feisty.
Dr Diamond is an eccentric inventor who speaks backwards when time
affects him and the evil Johnston and his cohorts are convincing
villains.
Boys in particular will enjoy the inventive machinery and the exciting
trip to the frozen north, while trying to work out what the Mortmain is
and why it is vital to the outcome of this fight of good versus evil.
Pat Pledger
Scared to death by Alan Gibbons
Orion, 2007.
(Ages 13+) Award winning author Alan Gibbons has written a tense and
scary thriller set in modern East London. One night when travelling on
the tube Paul meets the strange and daring Redman. Fascinated by his
new friend, Paul is lured into doing things that he wouldn't normally
consider: joyriding, staying out overnight and drinking. Then terrible
things begin to happen – a young student Paul had met at a party is
murdered and a teacher is scared to death near the place where her body
had been found. Paul is forced to confront the truth about his
dangerous new friend and discovers shocking facts about a family curse.
This has all the ingredients for a thrilling read. The murders are set
against a backdrop of Jack the Ripper's London and Paul gradually
realises that he is part of a fight against an ancient evil. His time
travelling journeys to different periods of history will enthral his
young readers.
Paul is a very normal boy who loves his mum and his girlfriend Netty
and readers will identify with someone like themselves. His character
contrasts with the frightening, elusive nature of Redman and adds to
the tension in the story.
Readers will enjoy this supernatural thriller, with its frightening
thrills and tense action. The prologue will entice even reluctant
readers and the cliffhanger ending should have fans coming back for
more in the second book in the Hells Underground series.
Pat Pledger
The Gulps by Rosemary Wells
Illustrated by Marc Brown. N.Y., Little Brown, 2007
(Age 5+) The Gulp family pack up their Dreamliner van ready to go
on a holiday to Dizzyworld but disaster strikes on the way! The van
stops and no matter what they throw out to lighten the load, it won’t
start again.
"The car says no! declared Dawn. "This family‘s too fat to roll!"
Farmer Spratt comes to the rescue, but the Gulps, with the exception of
Dawn, adore take away food, don't eat vegetables, watch TV instead of
exercising and find that they are too fat to manage the smallest farm
chore.
As Dawn says, "Somebody’s going to have to exercise and eat right" so
that the van will start again and they can continue on their holiday.
Wells' text and Marc Brown's illustrations make a delightful
combination in getting the exercise and healthy eating message across.
The Gulps, outfitted with rabbit ears, are humorously portrayed, and
children will delight in identifying signs like Belly Up Burgers. Dawn
is a great role model as the only family member who loves
vegetables and isn't taken in by fast food and sugar snacks.
According to the cover, the illustrator lost 15 lbs while drawing the
pictures for this book as he contemplated the message of the Gulps!
This could be a useful book to have available when looking at
healthy eating and exercise habits and the limitations that being
overweight can bring. Teachers may need to use it in a sensitive way if there are overweight children in the class.
Pat Pledger
Woodenface by Gus Grenfell
Usborne, 2007. (Ages 10+) This is a frightening story set in the year 1650, in a real village in the Yorkshire Pennines. Gus Grenfell vividly tells the story of Meg a young girl who believes that the wooden figures she carves have the ability to move and speak to her. There is the Seeing-Eye, which helps her see things when she is not present, Dilly-Lal who dances and Bolly-Bolly who has been carved from a special yew tree. Meg is accused of witchcraft and flees her village hoping to meet her father who has been selling cloth in a nearby town. However disaster has also befallen him when he is charged of stealing cloth and put in goal. Meg is forced to help her father and fight the evil demon that stalks her with the assistance of some travelling performers.
Grenfell has written a compelling and fast moving story with magic and superstition at its core. His writing is very vivid and brings to life a time when people believed that demons could possess people and ancient wood had the ability to come alive. The smells and scenes of 17th England, its marketplaces, taverns, travelling performers, cemeteries and woods and the horror of the gibbet are all skillfully portrayed.
All the characters, including minor ones, seem real. The evil Mr Sutcliffe who is ready to lie and murder to get his own way and the dithering minister are well portrayed as are the children who mature as they face adversity. The power of good versus evil is a central theme and permeates the story.
This book has been put on the longlist for the Branford Boase Award. It is a memorable if frightening read. Pat Pledger
Allira's gift by Paul Collins and Danny Willis
Five
Mile Press, 2007
(Ages 11+) Richly illustrated by Danny Willis, this fantasy hardback
novel, sweeps the reader along in a whirl of adventure and danger.
Gerald Hart takes his two children, Allira and Stephen, to the castle
home of his father, Fergus, who has disappeared. Allira often sees
strange things that no one else notices and she keeps the dragon she
glimpses near the castle a secret. More surprises are in store for her
as she discovers the alternative world of Grymm, where a fierce battle
against evil is being waged and she finds hidden depths of strength and
courage
The novel has immediate appeal to an Australian audience because of its
setting in Victoria's bush, with possums, gum trees, a bunyip and the
Calder Highway, blending with the more traditional fantasy elements of
a castle, goblins, dragons and trolls.
The strong female main character will appeal to young girls, and there
is plenty of action, fights, hideous characters and bloodshed to engage
boys. The illustrations stretched my imagination. I especially enjoyed
the pictures of Allira and Stephen, and felt that they were people I
knew well. They contrasted well with the quirky drawings of the unsung
heroes in the Hall of Fame.
The story ends on a frightening cliffhanger which didn't worry me as an
adult as I assumed that all would be resolved in the next book in the
series. However this may worry younger readers. Fans of this book could
move onto Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci series and The Foundling
by
D.M. Cornish.
Pat Pledger
Dusk by Kenneth Oppel
Faber and Faber 2007 (Ages 10+) Highly recommended. A thrilling page-turner with prehistoric bats as the main characters, Dusk is a story that will linger in the imagination. Dusk is a little chiropter who belongs to a colony that dwells in a tall tree. He was born with a difference – he can flap his wings and fly while his relatives can only glide. Outsiders are not welcome and it is not until the colony is under threat that he comes into his own.
This is a wonderful survival story told by an award-winning author. It is set in a time when dramatic changes are occurring on earth. The dinosaurs are dying out and meat eaters have emerged. The chiropter colony, once safe and happy on an island, is viciously attacked by tree climbing mammals. The colony is forced to use Dusk’s echovision, which helps him to see at night, and his flying ability to lead them to a new home.
The reader is swept along with the sheer adventure of the story and becomes immersed in Dusk's struggle to find a place for himself and the parallel tale of Carnassial who is the first in his tribe to eat meat. Both fight to survive in a harsh and evolving environment. Oppel subtly get his reader to think about extinction and the fight for survival.
Characters are finely drawn and very appealing. The family relations are vividly described, with Dusk's relationship with his sister Sylph and father, Icarion, the colony's leader, adding depth to the story. The moral dilemmas facing the groups about hunting and killing species are explored with the destruction of the eggs of the terrifying saurian.
This story is a winner. It will be welcomed by fans of Oppel's previous books about bats and new readers will be want to continue on with other books. Pat Pledger.
Miss McAllister's Ghost by Elizabeth Fensham
UQP, 2008 When Wilf comes home scared out of his wits, talking about a ghost, his siblings decide to investigate. Hardly missed at home, it is an opportunity to go off together. What they find, an elderly woman living by herself in a forgotten part of the neighbourhood, untouched by the twentieth century, is at first, unsettling, but as the children get to know her, they become involved in the routines of Miss McAllister's life.
The children take on the tasks around her house, gardening, chopping wood, cleaning, and cooking, all the while asking questions and learning about life in the past. When Michael spots a face at the window of the stable, then they investigate further and so are more completely drawn into her world, protective and helpful.
This is a most unusual read, partly because it does not go down the path expected when reading about a ghost story, and because it gives so much detail about how people lived a century ago, it seems like a social history book, and I found myself less interested in the story, although I am sure middle school readers will not be so easily strayed from the path. The religious touches too, make it different, and they underline the dissimilarity between the life Miss McAllister led as a child, and that of the protagonists. I enjoyed the read immensely and it will be a winner in schools, but I found the lack of resolution of the cruelty of the children's father a small niggle. Fran Knight
The Black Dog Gang by Robert Newton
Penguin 2007 (Age 11-14) When Maggie is taken to the Quarantine Station with plague, Frankie and his gang come to regret their money making scheme, catching and selling rats to the health inspector. The time is early twentieth century and the setting is the Rocks in Sydney, a haven for poverty and rats, culminating in the outbreak of the plague in those early years.
Frankie and his friends attend the Ragged School, set up for the children of the poor workers who live there. Some are well off with loving families, but others suffer brutal treatment at the hand of alcoholic fathers and cruel men. It is a time of death and cruelty, dealt out not only by fathers, but also the principal of the school.
A terrific and at times, harrowing, read about a time hardly heard about, The Black Dog Gang realistically captures the times and the fear with which some children lived. I found it hard to read (tears) and I am sure middle school readers will lap it up. Fran Knight
