Woolshed Press, 2009. ISBN 9781741664461.
(Age early secondary) Recommended. Set in Queensland in the
1970's twelve year old Cecilia, her twin Punk and four brothers, live
with the harsh background of parents struggling to
keep the land viable. Cecilia says 'We
had rules despite our unruly appearance: never praise, never thank and
never
apologise. In this family, you don't
show weakness or you'll be called a girl. And no-one wants that. Not
even
me.' Pp10,11. With this mantra Cecilia
is appalled when her mother insists that she is nice to the Kapernicky
sisters,
Janeen and Aileen, who have recently moved next door. Cecilia and
Aileen immediately dislike each
other and hurl abuse when they can. Cecilia feels that there is
something awry and her mother
implies this
but still wants her to befriend the girls. Beginning senior school has
many challenges for Cecilia but the
final
assault comes when she finds the truth about the Kapernicky sisters.
This is a well scripted, sensitively written
novel of growing up and learning to understand the horrors of some
people's
lives and coming back to redress them.
Sue Nosworthy
Daniel X: Watch the skies by James Patterson
Doubleday, 2009.
(Age early secondary) Recommended. This is the second in the
series and those followers of the
first one will want to read this. Daniel, a teenage alien hunter,
continues the search for the TV
tyrant
who is determined to destroy the planet. This is a
fast moving action packed thriller which has an ever twisting series
of technological events, akin to a television series. Daniel and his
family plot to overcome the
villain in an original and fascinating way. Daniel says 'I began by
doing what any highly disciplined
military
commander would do on the eve of battle - I ate a four course meal'
p180.Sounds like an adolescent to me!
The novel obviously leads to the next book so
the end is not as satisfying as it might be. But the followers will be
waiting for the next in the series.
Sue Nosworthy
Sarindi and the Lucky Buddha by Janine Fraser
HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN: 9780732287757.
(Ages 8-10) Highly
recommended. Living in Indonesia,
Sarindi believes he has all the luck he could possibly need, especially
when he
wins Jaya's lucky marble. With his loving, happy family, an income
thorough his
father's hard work driving the becak which his mother has 'made good as
new'
and the lucky bird, Sarindi wants for nothing until his luck seems to
change
and his mother becomes ill. Thus begins his search for a new kind of
luck to
restore her to good health. As Sarindi goes to make his prayers in the
Hindu,
Christian, Muslim and Buddhist places of worship, he continues to show
courage
and love and have faith that his mother's health will be restored.
Janine Fraser has
created a lyrical and moving tale, perfectly supported by Elise Hurst's
delightful illustrations. Sarindi and his parents are a genuine, down
to earth family
one would love to meet and spend time getting to know. This novel would
be a
great resource in a classroom unit on Indonesian culture, as an
introduction to
comparative religions and an example of resilience and family
relationships. A
highly recommended read!
Jo Schenkel
Fearless by Colin Thompson
Ill. by Sarah Davis. ABC Books, 2009.
ISBN 9780
733320253
(Ages 3-7) This
delightful picture book will have kids, parents and
teachers laughing out loud as the antics of the new dog, Fearless take
hold of
them while reading this story. Thompson starts his story with vignettes
of
names not suiting the people who have them, and so we know that the
name
Fearless is a misnomer. Taken home from the Adopt a Pet store, Fearless
is
shown around the house in a variety of scenarios which belie the name
he has
been given.He jumps into his owner's
arms when a car backfires and does so himself. He growls at the
visitor's handbag
until the nasty thing is hidden from view. He cannot bear to do his
business
outside and loves to eat the biscuits from the baby. All the while he
is aware
that it is his job to protect his family.
One night when
a burglar calls, Fearless tries to greet
him with his smile, showing off all his teeth. He tells the burglar
that he is
not allowed on the table with his growls and grunts and when his father
comes
downstairs the burglar races off without saying goodbye. The difference
between
the reality and what Fearless thinks is happening is very funny and
instantly
recognisable to all readers.
The water
colour illustrations are superb, capturing the
difference between what is said and what it really happening. The dog
is
portrayed with heavenly expressions, meek and mild, pleading and
scared,
excited and happy. The pages on which the dog has made a mess in the
house are
beautifully done, the looks in the dog's face redolent with meaning and
I loved
the drawings of the dog wound around his owner's legs. But these are
only a
couple out of many drawn with humour, movement and panache. A charming
story full of wit, underlining the
family and its relationship with their pet, this will be a hit wherever
children are to be found.
A
small jarring point is the complete use of the 32 page format, putting
the
publication page and the last page of the story together. But this will
not
detract from the sheer enjoyment of the story and the illustrations.
Fran Knight
The magician's elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick Press, ISBN 978 7636 4410 9
(Age 10-12) Highly recommended.When ten year old Peter
Augustus Duchene is told by the
fortune teller in the market place that the sister he presumed dead is
alive he
is confused and distressed for his guardian Vilna Lutz has always told
him the
opposite. Then when the fortune teller also prophesises that he should
follow
the elephant, Peter is not only bewildered but determined to find the
truth.
This fantasy unfolds as in a dream with the
magician conjuring an elephant when intending only a bouquet of
flowers.
Beautifully told with muted black and white
acrylic illustrations, the font, and paper add to the surreal feeling
pervading
the novel.
From the acclaimed author of Because
of Winn Dixie and The tale of Desperaux, and similar to
Philippa
Pearce's A
Finder's Magic it's a book to read aloud and savour the shared
experience.
Sue Nosworthy
A small free kiss in the dark by Glenda Millard
(Ages: Middle School)Recommended. When homeless, street kid, Skip, goes to the library to read books about art, his favourite subject, he finds a young boy, Max, waiting for his mother. War has started, and people are fleeing, the library building is partly demolished by bombs. Skip takes Max to safety, and they meet up with Billy, an older man who Skip knows. The three find shelter in an old amusement park, now made derelict by war, and here they scavenge from shops nearby, keeping a wary eye on the hotel, now used as a staging post by one of the armies. Billy tells Skip that they are in the third army, the ones who do not want war, and through the days and nights of the conflict, Skip comes to realise that there are many other people looking for shelter, avoiding war, making up the third army like them. One day, another young girl, Tia, joins them with her baby Sixpence. The five muck in together to stay alive and out of sight, but all the while, Skip wants to find somewhere perfectly safe. The boy Max, tells them of his grandfather's place, out of town, a place where they could grow vegetables and live safely. And so they decide to try to find this place. The last section of the book tells of their escape from the city and light hearts as they near their destination. This is a beautiful story, full of hope and survival, resonating with the bond growing between the cluster of disparate people, making them a family, something Skip has not been part of for some time. The writing with its beautiful imagery is just perfect, and this audio version, read by Craig Innis is an amazing thing to listen to. Innis' voice is just right, as he tells the story of Skip in the first person. His voice sings with the enthusiasm and idealism of the 12 year old, resonates with the older and wiser Billy, squeaks with the sound of the child, Max and takes on the voice of he sometimes devious Tia, not really telling them what she is about. The 5 hours listening to this audio version of this superb book went in no time. Fran Knight
Running on the cracks by Julia Donaldson
Egmont, London,2009. ISBN 9781405222334.
(Ages 12+) Two lives
collide in this unusual story set in Glasgow.
With the combined themes of homelessness, pedophilia, immigration and
truanting, the targeted audience will immediately feel at home with the
tale.
Leo has been sent to live with her aunt and uncle after the deaths of
her
parents. Here she feels out of place, especially when she wakes to find
her
uncle standing by her bed. Finlay, on
the other hand comes from a loving family, but they are dispirited with
his
school performance and truanting.
Finlay sees
Leo as she tries to steal donuts from the van
where he works. Giving chase, he loses her, and returning to the van,
finds
that money has been taken while he was away and so he loses his job.
Seeing an
article in the paper about her, he rings the police, but running into
her
again, and hearing her story, he decides to help her hide from her
family and
find her grandparents who live in Glasgow but have never seen her.
Using the
telephone book is a great scheme, but as her
name is Chan, the vetting of each person listed is long and tedious.
All the
while Finlay must keep her hidden and keep her fed and clothed, help
her look
for her relatives. It's a big ask for a young man out of sorts with his
parents
who are watching his every move.
Some
resolution occurs at the end of the story but I
wanted more, and I can see lower secondary students loving it and
talking about
how things could be resolved. The
novel's setting is brilliantly realised and the characters well
drawn.
Fran Knight
The Amanda Project, Invisible I by Melissa Kantor
Harper Collins, 2009.ISBN 978000
7327270.
Set
in the United States
this book is about a girl named Amanda Valentino who disappeared from
Endeavor
High about 6 months after enrolling. The
narrator Callie Leary is part of the popular I-Girls clique but
secretly helped
with Amanda's introduction to her new school. This wasn't easy as
Amanda was a bit of a social outcast who
didn't seem
to seek friends and wasn't worried what others thought.
Then
Amanda
disappears and Callie is summonsed to the Vice-principal's office where
she
finds that Nia Rivera, a definite weirdo and the arty but good looking
Hal
Bennett are also there. Evidently Amanda
had also befriended these two, which was pretty hard to understand.
Vice Principal Thornhill gives them all
detention for not telling where Amanda is but they are just as
mystified as
him. However Amanda has left the trio
different clues and this disparate group eventually decide to work
together to
find out more about Amanda and where she is.They even have the
brainwave of setting up a website to try to
find
other people that knew Amanda so they can discover more about whom she
was and
why she disappeared. However unraveling
the truth isn't simple and the mystery just gets more and more
complicated
raising more questions and giving no answers.
And then the book ends! Looking inside the cover I find that Invisible
I is the first
of a
series. I wish they would advertise such important detail prominently
on the
outside! Delving a little deeper I find
that The Amanda Project is an
interactive, collaborative fictional mystery aimed at teenage girls,
told across a variety of different media including the 8-book series, a
website that features games, writing, art and social networking, and
a
related series of blogs, satellite sites, music, and merchandise. Its
on
MySpace, Face book, and Twitter! Readers can be interactive at the website where
they
can help Callie, Nia and Hal find Amanda and do other fun stuff.
The
numerous drawings and doodles throughout the book give it a unique and
friendly
feel which would certainly appeal to the targeted readers. Fourth
Story owns
all rights for the property, is producing the
content for The Amanda Project with a creative team.
HarperCollins has
the
publishing rights to the eight book series and is also an investor in
the
property. The
book content is good and suitable for 12
years plus. Given the techno age in
which we now live there is probably a market for embedding books into
websites. A brave move that will be keenly
monitored.
Kay Haarsma
The Painted man by Peter V. Brett
HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 9780007276141.
(Ages 15+) The night has been taken over by demons
who rise
from the ground, destroying everything in sight. People
who have managed to survive hide behind
a complex system of wards that keep the monsters at bay. They are too
afraid to
leave their villages to travel to neighbouring towns in case night
overtakes
them on the road and the corelings take them. Three children are born
in
isolation. A Messenger teaches Arlen
about the crippling effects of fear. Leesha trains to become a healer
after a
suitor tells lies about her and Rojer's life is changed by a
travelling
minstrel. Each must overcome great obstacles to overcome their
isolation and
fear. Together they may survive to save the world.
Brett has created a believable medieval type world
where
demons rule the night and where magic wards are the only things that
keep them
out of the tiny settlements. They are truly terrifying beings and there
is much
bloodshed during the book. The disadvantages of isolation and the
ignorance
that it can breed are explored through the beliefs of many of the
villagers and
their fear of change. Brett also introduces city life and living in the
desert
and the different types of knowledge that is gained there.
The characterisation is particularly strong. The
Painted Man
is an enigma and I was fascinated following his growth during the book.
Adversity
hones Leesha's character and she develops into a strong heroine. Rojer
is
likable and the minor characters are rounded. I liked the possibility
of a
developing romance between the Painted Man and Leesha in future books.
This was a compelling and quite complex read with
the main
characters facing difficult decisions about what they have to do to
save
humanity from the corelings. Readers who liked The forest of hands
and
teeth by
Carrie Ryan will enjoy this story and will look forward to future books
in the
series. The last section of the book sets the scene for Book
2, The Desert Spear, with the
fascinating Shar'Dama Ka the Deliverer making an appearance.
Pat
Pledger
The lucky ones by Tohby Riddle
Penguin,2009. ISBN 978014300569
(Age: 15 plus) Having just finished high school in Sydney in
the
1980s, Tom
and his best friend, Cain, drift through summer with parties, girls,
music and
cars. Tom begins art school where he tries to 'find out the meaning of
life'. Life
continues to change as his mother leaves home and when Cain moves in
with Virginia,
change is
accelerated. The Harbour Bridge provides a
constant presence and challenge, both physically and metaphorically, to
the
protagonists and it is through their attempts at climbing it that Tom
is able
to come to some realisations. Throughout the novel, life varies
depending on
which side of the bridge the boys are currently standing.
This is a slow moving novel, yet the very nature
of the
narrator's drifting only serves to heighten the mood and describes
perfectly
the time between leaving school and becoming a fully fledged adult as
one seeks
to discover what life is all about. The presence of the boys at Dylan's
press
conference cleverly highlights the erosion of their illusions about
their idol
as they are exposed to real life scenarios and the conclusion provides
hope for
the future.
Jo Schenkel
Snowy's Christmas by Sally Murphy
Ill. by David Murphy. Random House, 2009. ISBN 9781741664416.
(Ages 5-8) Picture book.
This addition to the sackful of Christmas stories landing
on my desk this time of the year, will find a home in many school
libraries as
it indirectly deals with the idea of the Australian Christmas song, Six
White
Boomers.
Snowy is different from the rest of his mob. He is white,
and rejected by his peers. Miserably drinking at the billabong, his
mother
comforts him saying that one day the others will want to be him. A
large white
kangaroo appears and takes him to meet a mob of white kangaroos, and
before you
know it, Santa has arrived looking for six white kangaroos to pull his
sleigh
over Australia. Snowy's difference is needed and when the 6 white
kangaroos are
harnessed together, Santa pull his sleigh over Snowy's clearing so that
all
those kangaroos that teased him can see what he is doing. Predictably,
they all
call out that they would like to be him.
Neatly resolved, this story can be added to those that
extol differences as well as being useful for the time of the year it
is
designed to promote, and its Australianess makes it another in a
growing group
of books targeting the overseas market.
Fran Knight
Halt's Peril by John Flanagan
Random House, 2009.
ISBN 9781741663020. (Series: Ranger's Apprentice 9).
Highly Recommended. Arriving at Port Cael, the trio, Halt, Will and
Horace are
searching for the villain, Tennyson and his followers. Some 20 in all,
they had
been helped in their escape from Hibernia. At an inn, Will falters in
getting
information from the notorious Black O'Malley, while Halt takes sterner
measures to extract the information they need. Finding their prey
headed for
Picta, where another group of their religious quacks are stationed,
extorting
money and goods form the local populace, Halt and the others follow.
Overtaken
by O'Malley and his band of smugglers, their captain is fearful until
he sees
the combined ability of Halt and Will at using their long bows.
The ninth richly entertaining adventure in the series Ranger's
Apprentice, keeps the energy levels as high as the stories
which have gone before. Camaraderie, high adventure, a keen sense of
right and
wrong, of helping the underdog along with bravery and resilience, are
key
elements in this fantasy series. Set in medieval times, the undercover
agents,
Halt and Will, range far and wide in their efforts to retain peace and
security
for their kingdom, Araluen. Joined by Horace, they have a jokey manner
between
them, often laughing at themselves but simultaneously keeping a fearful
watch
over their surroundings. Will, now a ranger, still defers to Halt, and
their
work in the field is still often that of the teacher and the student.
Halt
wonders if it will always be like this, and so we have a sense that the
future
may be different.
Tennyson and his band of Genovesan
mercenaries are headed for their stronghold in northern Picta. Here
another of
their group has formed an enclave, where the Outsider prophet means to
gather
his forces before entering Araluen. Will has already killed one of the
Genovesan mercenaries in Conmel, and so the battle lines are drawn.
In a tussle, Halt is wounded by a crossbow
from one of the Genovesan warriors, and at first recovers well. But
over the
next day, he begins to mumble, often talking about people in the past
and is
unable to keep on his horse. Will senses that the arrow was poisoned
and
between them Horace and Will must decide what to do. Their decision is
crucial
to saving Halt's life and over the next week or so, Halt hovers between
life
and death. First Will rides off and fetches the healer, and then Will
must
capture a Genovesan warrior to ascertain which particular poison has
been used.
Tension mounts for the reader, as a funeral is held and Will, Horace
and ride
off from their hideout.
A stunning new chapter in the story of the Ranger's
Apprentice, the 440 pages hums
along at a furious pace, with the reader being drawn into Halt's world
as he hovers
between life and death. I loved it and couldn't help myself turning
pages ahead
just to check how things panned out, so involved was I in their lives.
Readers
from 8 to 80 will be thoroughly entertained by the adventures of this
trio, and
I look forward to the last two books in the series (The
Emperor of Nihon-Jin, number 10 in the series is due out in
November 2010).
Fran Knight
Interview with John Flanagan
Fran
Knight and
Pat Pledger met John Flanagan in Adelaide where he spoke about the
release of
his new book, Halt's Peril, the ninth in his best selling
Ranger's
Apprentice
series. Here are his answers to Fran's questions:
1. Fran: Many of my questions
are more of the admiring type than riveting questions. I loved the
whole
section (about half the book) of Halt hovering near death after being
poisoned
in Halt's Peril. Did you have an awareness of your audience as
you
wrote this?
John: Very obviously, with Halt's poison episode, I was
only giving out
small pieces of information to lure the reader on. When kids saw the
word 'Peril' they thought it meant
death, and we had
tons of emails saying 'don't kill Halt', so all I can say is that there
is a
funeral. Children did not want Halt to die. 'Peril' means danger, but
it was
not long after J.K. Rowling killed off a character, so fans were very
aware
that someone might die.
2. Fran: I was expecting someone would die.
John: Well I do kill one of them (Fran: Shock!)
John: My readers follow the blog religiously, picking up
any errors or
hints about the next book. Australian kids have to be asked not to put
spoilers
on the web site because the United States are two books behind and the
United
Kingdom are on book 5 or six.
3. Fran: Halt to me has many
qualities of a sympathetic priest, humble but knowing his own power,
subtle, a
guide for Will, trainer, teacher etc. Was
this deliberate? Did you have anyone in mind as you created Halt?
John: Not at the beginning, but several years ago I
realised that he is
based upon my year 6 teacher, Brother O'Connor, a
firm disciplinarian, a man who did not smile, short and wiry. Halt is
the dominant
character; Will is leaning about his strengths. There is a father son
relationship. Halt has the depth of experience; Will will always be his
apprentice.
4. Fran: Did
you feel the influence of other fantasy novels and series as you wrote
these?
John: I read the first of
J.K. Rowling's books, but
did not want to read any more because they could have influenced me.
5. Fran: All other fantasy
writers use the imperial system of measurement for their books. It is
quite refreshing
to come across centimetres in a medieval fantasy novel. Was this
deliberate?
John: Yes. And surprisingly the Americans like it and
leave it as they
think it is 'quaint'.
6. Fran: The built environment
comes across very strongly in Will's adventures. How did you develop
these
environments?
John: Castle Redmont is based on a castle that we toured
in France which
had big ironstones which glowed red at sunset. The villages are based
on Irish
villages we saw during our honeymoon in Ireland. There
I developed a fascination with the legends
of Ireland, and spent many hours listening to stories told be locals I
met
along the way.
7. Fran: The map at the start of
Halt's Peril is very bare. A
criticism! I kept looking at the map at the start to see where they
were, but
couldn't find out. For number 10, could
there be a better map?And on maps - it
looks so much like Britain, with Ireland (Hibernia) off to the left.
Why didn't
you just make it the British Isles?
John: I wanted a place I made up, a place
where I made the rules. I didn't want people emailing me and telling me
that
such and such was over here not here. I wanted control.
8. Fran: I somehow assumed that
there would be 8 in the series, and then that Halt's Peril
would be the
final one. How many more can we expect?
John: There are
two more. Number
10: The Emperor of Nihon-Jin is due out in November 2010.
I realised that there was one relationship that wasn't yet resolved, so
in book
10 that will be a main thrust. Number 11 will be the final in the
series and
will be set 20 years hence.
9. Fran: Why Fantasy?
John: I started off with 20
short stories cobbled into a book. Initially I wrote thrillers and spy
y
stories, but after 9/11 I retreated to fantasy, I felt it was wrong to
use that
format of realism. I did not want to write about the medieval world as
such but
would create my own with my own rules (eg coffee is part of several of
the
books, and I worked out a trail allowing coffee to be in Araluen, in
response
to one query about how coffee got there). I am assiduous with my
accuracy but
make my own rules. I wanted to write escapism,
and that's where
my efforts went during a lean year in advertising. I put all my efforts
into selling my books,
an artist friend developed pictures and front covers for the first four
books,
and we put these onto photographic paper, with the first 25 pages of
the first
story, with 4 glossy pages and book covers and 2 columns outlining the
stories of
each book. Knowing what the slush pile was like at publishers' offices,
my
agent took a publisher to lunch and presented his folder to her.
10. Fran: How far have the plans
for a film of the first novel progressed?
John: I am very pleased with the work so far. Paul
Haggis, the director
who has taken up the option is trying to raise the money at the moment,
and has
been responsible in the past for Million Dollar Baby and In
the
Valley of Elah.
11. Fran: Who do you think is
your audience?
John: I think both boys and girls will like my books. My first
fan mail was
from twin girls. Children started to read the books when they were
about 11 or
12 and continued on until they were 17 or so.
12. Pat: What about reluctant
readers?
John: Reluctant
readers will enjoy these books because they have pace, adventure and
humour. My
12 year old son didn't like reading and initially I wrote 20 short
stories to
get him interested. I wrote them as entertainments so things keep
happening and
they are exciting. The joy of writing is in being excited by children
coming to me
and saying that they didn't like reading, but finding my books got them
into
reading. The joy of writing is reflected in being able to do some good
in
helping
kids love reading, which I didn't get in advertising.
Mama's song by Ben Beaton
Black Dog Books, 2009. ISBN 9781742031057.
(Age 15+) Mama's Song covers
a week in the life of a teenage girl, Georgina,
in which she runs away from home and gives birth to a baby in a country
hospital.
The reader sees Georgina's
character develop through the experiences of childbirth and caring for
a newborn
baby, including learning to breastfeed, and also through the
relationships she
forms with other characters based in the hospital.These include an
older first time mother,
Mary, who has battled infertility to have her baby and another young
mother, Nasreen,
whose premature baby is battling for life.
The main narrative is interspersed with a series
of
flashbacks which provide some background to Georgina's
character and the situation she finds herself in.These
include a sexual encounter at a drunken
teenager party as well as Georgina's
experiences at an abortion clinic and the decline in her relationships
with her
family and her peers.
While the novel does not celebrate teenage pregnancy, it
does show the protagonist as someone who has the strength and resolve
to take control
of the situation in which she finds herself. At the end of the novel,
the reader is left with a sense that Georgina and her baby (whose name
is said to mean 'hope') will be okay. It does not provide any
indication of the struggles Georgina might face once she leaves the
sanctuary of the hospital but hints at a reconciliation with her mother
and stepfather. This will presumably enable Georgina to return home and
access family support in raising her daughter, something that not all
teenage mothers will have access to.
I did find this a beautiful and highly readable book. I think would
appeal to girls over the age of
15 as well as to adult readers. It is
quite short so would be easily read by a less confident reader although
encouragement
may need to be provided to persevere beyond the first few chapters,
which are a
bit sparse on plot detail. The emotions
surrounding birth and the early days of parenthood are keenly described
and
brought tears to my eyes on a number of occasions. I would love to see
a sequel covering the
period after Georgina leaves the
hospital as I
feel that this is where her real journey into motherhood will begin.
Catherine Seal
First Strike by Jack Higgins with Justin Richards
HarperCollins, 2009.
ISBN: 9780007300495.
John Chance and his twin children Jade and Rich
are quietly
having a meal in a United
States diner when a man who was
walking over
to speak to them is shot. In hospital he says, 'If the birds have
flown, they
will try for the Football,' before lapsing unconscious. Unravelling
this cryptic message is a key
aspect of this mystery novel.
The plot is set in the United States with Jack
Chance
being a secret serviceman who has already saved the President's life
once. An oriental woman with a long black
plaited
pigtail and missing warheads in China
are other central parts of the drama that has its conclusion in a White
House
siege during a reception. A little hard to follow the plot at times but
nevertheless a good old fashioned mystery that will appeal especially
to
secondary school aged boys.
Kay Haarsma
