Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781921529030.
(Ages 9-12) In this sequel to Blackthorn, the reader
follows Blackthorn on a quest to become a Trahern warrior. A stranger,
Esil,
has arrived in the forest requesting that Blackthorn find his daughter
Freya, who
has been abducted as a baby by the Doane. On a promise that a
successful
mission will finally seeing her win her coveted goal of becoming a
warrior,
Blackthorn sets out on her dangerous travels deep into enemy country.
Freya's
sister, Sepha, accompanies her and they
plunge into a perilous journey, surviving traps, freezing conditions
and saving
an abandoned baby boy on the way to Blackthorn's ultimate betrayal.
This is a thoughtful adventure story with a feisty heroine,
who learns much from her mistakes and about herself on her quest. The
characters are well drawn and memorable. The moral dilemma of where do
you
belong, with the family that has brought you up or with your blood
relations,
is a tantalising one and handled very well by Pulford.
I was drawn into the chilly, heavily forested world that
Blackthorn inhabits and intrigued by the warring tribes. The book had
the feel
of both a fantasy and a historical novel and should appeal to readers
who enjoy
both of these genres.
Pat Pledger
Nanny Piggins and the wicked plan by R.A. Spratt
Random House, 2009. ISBN 9781741663174.
(Ages 8-10) Highly recommended. This
second book is as amusing as the first, The adventures of Nanny
Piggins, and with as many
outrageous situations. Mr Green has
wedding plans in mind, but the canny Nanny Piggins is unstoppable in
her
determination to ruin his prospects. The
children, Samantha, Michael and Derrick are horrified at the thought of
losing
their nanny. Nanny Piggins, the children
and Nanny Piggins' bear brother Boris have a series of hilarious and
unbelievable
adventures always involving chocolate. What with a challenge from an
armadillo to be blasted from a
cannon over
Dead Man's Gorge, breaking into a maximum prison and fighting a Gypsy
Queen who
wants to marry Mr Green, it's a roller coaster ride for them all,
including the
reader! It's refreshing to see a story
written in a zany, fun way with almost ridiculous plots, yet most
enjoyable and
superbly entertaining.
Sue Nosworthy
Hopscotch: Medusa stone by Ian Trevaskis
Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781921529115.
(Age 10+) Hannah and Jake steal an enchanted stone and a
vellum from Kostas the Greek and find themselves in the middle of a
frightening
game played by the Greek gods. They draw a hopscotch pattern and follow
the
instructions on the vellum:
Cast your stone upon the square,
Leap and dance across the air.
At the end a door awaits,
Be prepared to meet the Fates.
The book opens with an exciting and bloodthirsty scene where
Hannah witnesses the soldiers coming out of the wooden horse at Troy.
Hannah is
an intrepid heroine who uses her wits and determination to overcome all
the
odds. Separated from Jake, she is determined to find him and meets many
of the
legendary Greek characters as she carries out her quest from Kostas to
'bring
back the winds of Aeolus, the winged sandals of Hermes and the coin
from under
the corpse's tongue.' Pg80. Jake is also
an engaging character, more thoughtful than Hannah. The Greek heroes
they meet
on the way are well rounded characters who bring the old legends to
life.
Complete with appendices at the back with Authors
notes about
Ancient Greek myths, Glossary with words explained and Notes about
Ancient
Greece, this book would be an exciting introduction to Greek myths and
could
lead the reader on to discover more about these wonderful stories.
Pat Pledger
Undercover by Beth Kephart
HarperTeen, 2009. ISBN
9780061238956.
(Age 12+) Recommended. The cover states that this book was a
nominee for the US National Book Award, and as such I knew I would be
reading
quality fiction. Elisa is a lonely girl,
who like Cyrano De Bergerac, writes love notes for the boys at her
school. When
Theo asks her to write a letter to Lila, a popular but often nasty
girl, she is
disappointed because she likes Theo and knows that Lila is not good
enough for
him. Lila is vicious about her growing friendship with Theo, and things
are
tough at home as well. Her father is away on an extended business trip
and it
looks as if her parents' marriage is rocky. Elisa buries her feelings
by
skating on a lonely pond and in her writing.
I became engrossed in Elisa's story, following her growing
feelings for Theo and her fear of family breakdown. Her efforts to
excel at ice
skating and bring her family together are compelling. This is a
wonderful
coming of age story and I found myself cheering Elisa along as she
learnt how
to skate, write beautiful poetry and find love.
The beautiful language of the book, the poignant poems that
Elisa writes and her book of words and their definitions are inspiring.
This is
a book that would be a boon to the English teacher who wants a class
book that
features literature as its centre piece. It is also one that librarians
should
hand sell, especially to children who are gifted in the language arts
area.
Pat Pledger
Malcolm and Juliet by Bernard Beckett
Text Publishing, 2004. ISBN: 9781921520327.
(Age 15+). Highly recommended. Malcolm
is 16, fascinated by sex, and keen to do well in his up and
coming science project. Hence the decision
to make sex the subject of his assignment! Juliet has received a ransom
note -
demanding $1000 for silence on a secret she thought no one would have
known
about. Kevin is in love with Brian who is in love with Juliet.
Charlotte is in
love with Malcolm: if she was brave enough to mention it to him, she
wonders
what he would think. The science project takes the group on an
interesting and
often hilarious journey.
Original,
with a fresh voice for teenage readers, Beckett has created a
wonderful array of interconnecting characters. There are candid
discussions of sex
and some occasional strong language, but the story and the lively
friendships
played out, override any concerns here. This title is highly
recommended. A
winner of numerous awards in New Zealand, this clever book follows the
success of the more serious and thought-provoking Genesis by Beckett.
Julie
Wells
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Allen and Unwin, 2009. ISBN 9781741758726.
(Ages 14+)Recommended. When Micah hears of Zach's death she
is stunned.
Not for her the tears and running to the toilet block as do the other
girls in
her senior class, but she asks questions of her biology teacher about
how long
bodies take to deteriorate. Her classmates stare at her, fascinated,
wanting
the information themselves but shocked at her callousness. Some take it
further, resorting to the name calling they spat out when she first
arrived.
Back then when word of her lies spread around the school like a cloud,
other
students felt impelled to stare, ask questions and call her names. Now,
the
whispers and looks have come back, as some braver than the rest, mouth
the word
murderer as she passes.
So it is up to Micah to prove she did not
kill Zach. She has seen a white boy hanging out in Central Park where
she and Zack used to run, but fails to find him. She becomes closer to
Sarah and
Tayshawn,
Zach's friends and they go to places where Zach used to hang out in
search of
some greater understanding. But Micah's self is changing and in that
change her
parents question her and attempt to place some controls over her.
School is
worse, with people staring and shunning her, only Sarah and Tayshawn
showing
any interest in her at all. And all the time she is aware of the
suspicions of
the Police, her parents and the teachers.
Divided into three sections, Telling the
truth, Telling the true truth and The Actual real truth,
Larbalestier
keeps the
reader guessing until the last page, and even then, questions will dog
the
reader for some time after. Nothing is solved, no truth is absolute,
nothing is
probably what it seems. Micah reveals what has happened to her to the
reader,
but then derides herself for telling lies, and purports to tell the
reader the
truth , again. So the reader is always on edge, wondering which piece
of the
narrative is true and which a lie. And this is kept up for the whole
story.
Superbly written, tightly plotted, with
believable and sympathetic characters, this book grabs the reader from
the
start. The tactile cover with its blobs falling into letter shapes, the
size of
the book, the lovely print, the short chapters, the chapter headings
bringing
the thought processes into play before the narrative begins, all is
designed
to entice, thrill and seduce the reader. I was hooked before I began to
read.
Then the words held me to the end. And I know the story will stay with
me for a
long while, and be the subject of discussions with others who have had
the
engrossing experience of reading a story by a clever and gifted writer.
Recommended for middle secondary readers who
want a story unlike any other they have read, who are willing to
suspend belief
and take on a different set of values as they go into Micah's world.
Set in New
York, the city is more than a background against which the story is
set, it
invades every scene and inhabits every event which occurs, so that the
reader
will feel they know the city before they finish the book.
Fran Knight.
Isabella's garden by Glenda Millard and Rebecca Cool
Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781921150333.
(Ages 5-10) Highly recommended. A picture
book not to be missed, Isabella's
garden is a feast for all the senses: Cool's rich and rewarding
illustrations stun
the eye and Millard's brilliant language appeals to the ear as it
evokes the
life cycle of a garden in an unforgettable way.
It is the story of Isabella's garden 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.
This beautiful story uses as a basis the old rhyme This is
the house that Jack built, with language rich with alliteration and
imagery.
The repetitive and quite challenging rhyme will challenge older readers
while
younger children will love to listen to the rhythm of the words.
Wonderful illustrations are full of vibrant colours, rich
greens, purples and reds, with lovely patterns on the clothes and hats
that the
children wear. Jack Frost is a wonderful
creature with a jester's hat and incredible mantle of 'sequins and
shimmer' that
he spreads over the garden.
This is a very worthy addition to a library and classroom and an
outstanding gift for children.
Pat Pledger
Tallow by Karen Brooks
Woolshed
Press, 2009. ISBN
9781741664355. The curse of
the Bond Riders Book 1.
(Ages
12+). Fantasy. Recommended. Tallow has
been raised in the household of a candle-maker
and been kept hidden from view because he is different. Pillar, a
poor
candle-maker, was responsible for bringing the baby Tallow back to his
workshop
in the canalled city of Serenissima despite his reservations about how
Quinn,
his mother, would react. Quinn is quick with her fists and her boot,
especially
when she has been drinking. Life for Tallow is not easy.
Life gets more
complicated when it is time for Tallow to
begin making candles on his own. Although the candles look perfect,
better than
Pillar's, the customers find fault with them. Neither Pillar nor Quinn
is happy
about that. Both Pillar and Quinn are aware of the problems Tallow
could bring
down on them, but the arrival of Katina, a bond rider, helps settle
their
fears.
Katina teaches
Tallow to channel the special powers so
that they are controlled, but before she can complete the training she
must
return to the Limen, a strange nether world she has given a blood bond
to. She leaves
and
gives Tallow a warning not to use the special powers on humans and not
to give
cause for unwanted attention which could rouse suspicion as to Tallow's
identity.
Needless to say Tallow is
unable to follow these
instructions and has to help out when people and animals are unfairly
treated.
Tallow thus seals the fate for not only Pillar and Quinn, but also
Dante who
has become a very special friend along with many other citizens of
Serenissima
who die in a plague brought in by the wraith like Morte Whisperers.
Karen Brooks has woven a
tale that is exciting,
dangerous, frightening and eminently readable. Her characters are
believable
and have very human frailties and faults. This is the first of a
series, The Curse of the Bond Riders, and if
the usual pattern of fantasy writers is followed then this will be a
trilogy
and I imagine the next book will be much anticipated, because there are
so many
Mark Knight
Vulture's Gate by Kirsty Murray
Allen and Unwin, 2009. ISBN
9781741757107.
(Ages 12+) With her grandfather dead,
Bo lives alone in
an abandoned opal dugout with her roboraptors, eking out an existence,
keeping
clear of outsiders, protected by a perimeter of landmines. She strives
to remember
all the things he told her, because they mean her very life. But when a
landmine explodes, she knows someone has broken the perimeter and so
takes her
roboraptors out to investigate. She finds a young boy, who, like her,
has to
keep his wits about him to survive. He has been held by a brutal group
of men
and trained to do tricks on motorbikes as they tour the outland
settlements.
Together they form an uneasy bond, Callum telling her about the city
where he
once lived, and Bo telling him how they will survive.
Their journey takes them on a strange path,
avoiding other people, but one encounter has them captured by an older
man,
who, discovering Bo is a girl, strives to keep her with him. Their
escape lands
them in further trouble, as Callum, convinced that he will find his
fathers
when they get to the city, takes them into this broken place. There the
Festers
take them as their own, but they too are captured and Bo, once her sex
is
discovered, is taken into a more secret space where the few women are
kept.
A scary look at a future where society has
splintered into disparate groups and most women have been wiped out by
disease,
Murray displays a society which is tangible and credible.
The remnants of other times are still there,
giving the reader a solid base of reality on which to judge the new
society,
while the behaviour of those they meet are real enough to be plausible
and very
frightening. With hints of Mad Max,
and Z for Zachariah,
the story is
original and involving, with two very
strongly delineated main characters, and I can see it working well as a
class
novel with middle school students.
Fran Knight
Hate that cat by Sharon Creech
Bloomsbury, ISBN 9780
747599807. 2009.
(Ages 8-12) Following the success of
Love that dog,
Creech has developed another story in verse form,
set after Sky's death. Jack is in his old teacher's class again and
Miss
Stretchberry who loves poetry, asks the students to create a poem after
telling
them about metaphors and imagery and alliteration and onomatopoeia
through the
poems they read in class. Each of these words is modeled in the words
Jack puts
down on the page. He has an uneasy relationship with his Uncle Bill, a
poetry
teacher at a college, who insists that poems must rhyme and that what
Jack is
writing is not poetry.
But Jack persists. He tells the reader about
some of the poems they read in class, TheRed Wheelbarrow by
William Carlos
Williams, The Eagle by Alfred Lord
Tennyson and The Bells by Edgar Allan
Poe, and these are emulated by Jack throughout the novel. As the story
progresses, Jack tells how he hates cats, and is shocked when his
teacher
brings in her kittens. Little by little Jack's attitude to cats changes
as he
has more to do with the kittens and when his parents give him a kitten
for
Christmas, he is happy. A cloud appears however when the door is left
open and
the kitten escapes, only to be returned by the old stray who lives in
the
neighbourhood.
A delightful story, imbued with some well
known and not so well known poems, this little book will be a hit with
primary
teachers looking for a model to use with their students. Students will
easily
fall for Jack and his dislike of cats and grow with him as he finds
that they
are not so bad after all. The modeling of the styles of poetry of
Myers,
Williams, Poe and Tennyson is a lovely touch, making their poetry more
accessible to the young audience but also giving a neat way of teaching
poetry
in the middle primary to lower secondary classroom.
The last 20 pages of the book are filled with
the poems talked of, including some by Jack, and the last 4 pages has a
list of
the poetry books kept in Miss Stretchberry's classroom. Both make a
most useful
addition to the book.
Fran Knight
Lock and key by Sarah Dessen
Penguin, 2009. ISBN 9780141324944.
(Ages 14+) Recommended. The test for me for a really good
story is when I reach the end of a book
and
feel bitterly disappointed that I'm not continuing to follow the paths
of the characters
that I have gotten to know so well, and when I know that I will have to
reread
the book because I loved it so much. Lock and key is one such book.
Ruby has been abandoned by her alcoholic
mother and manages to survive for several months on her own. When her
landlords
discover that she is living in squalor by herself, Social Security is
brought
in and she is sent to live with her older sister Cora and
brother-in-law Jamie
in their luxurious house. Ruby is an independent girl who has built up
many
defences to ensure that she isn't disappointed by abandonment, and it's
tough
for her to break down these barriers, make friends and perhaps allow
love into
her life.
Sarah Dessen is an author who has a wonderful understanding
of teenage girls, relationships, family and friendship. She manages to
sympathetically
delve into the life of Ruby, almost 18, who is determined that she will
make it
on her own, when she can legally leave her sister's house. I was
engrossed as I followed Ruby's path,
gradually
letting some people into her life and making tentative friendships and
the
beginning of a romance with Nate, the amiable boy whose philosophy
about
adversity in life is that Uswim.
Ruby has a school project to complete about what it is to be
a family and Dessen explores how diverse the meaning of family can be
and how
it means different things to different people and how it is always
evolving. By
the end of the book, Ruby has come to understand the complexity of the
family,
from a large supportive one like that her brother-in-law has, to the
single
parent one brought on by divorce and abandonment. She has begun to care
about
people and to tentatively trust some friends, and the reader has grown
with her
on the way.
The themes of family, domestic abuse, friendship and trust
are beautifully handled. Dessen is an author whose books I will
actively seek
for their compelling writing and deft touch with relationships.
Pat Pledger
The Land of Mirthful by Sally Morgan, Ambelin, Blaze and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Walker
Books, 2009. ISBN
9781921150784.
Stop Watch: Book 2,
(Ages 7-9) Each of the
second markings on the stop watch
Tom's
grandfather has given him is the gateway to a different world. As the
book
begins, Tom and 'Bilby' are headed a mission, set by Grandpa, to 'a
funny and
sunny place' to find Finglethorn Underwood. Mirthful's rightful Queen,
Jeromarni, and her family have disappeared and the self appointed Queen
Mavis
has taken over. Things are not as they should be and all appears to be
doomed.
The task of the heroes is to restore the Queen to her throne and save
the kingdom
of Mirthful.
An easy read novel, with traces of C.S. Lewis's
Narnia and
Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom, this series could provide a
simple
introduction to the fantasy genre. The double spacing makes it readily
accessible to younger readers and there is enough action to make the
story
appealing. With sixty second markings on a stopwatch, this could prove
to be a
very long series! Given that Bilby, the Bridalon, was transported back
via the
first doorway and Tom allows him to take the bird back with him, the
question
arises as to whether or not there will be a stowaway from each of the
lands.
There will undoubtedly be many readers keen to continue on with the
series,
although possibly it may hold more appeal for the boys.
Jo Schenkel
60 classic Australian poems for children edited by Christopher Cheng
Ill. by Gregory Rogers. Random House Australia, 2009. ISBN
9781741664140.
(Age 9+) Recommended.
'Hist! Hark!
The night is
very dark,
And we've to
go a mile or so
Across the
Possum Park.'
Did
Australian rhyming verse really lose its appeal or do we just need new
editions
to replace the tired poetry books in our libraries? The second scenario
is the
more likely. Children are still enthralled and delighted by the drama,
humour
and wit of poems by such writers as C.J. Dennis, Banjo Paterson, Henry
Kendall
and Henry Lawson.
Christopher Cheng
recalls the pleasure of reading and reciting Australian verse as a
child. He has
chosen 60 poems for a hard cover volume which is aptly named. Adults
will
recognise most of the titles and remember many of the opening lines by
heart. Award
winning artist Gregory Rogers has provided the pencil and wash
illustrations.
The editor
has restored lines which are often omitted because they speak of the
hardships
of life in the past. He has also included brief 'Poet biographies', an
'Index
of first lines', an 'Index of poets', a list of sources in which the
poems were
first published and occasional notes about the history of the poems.
Most of the
collection dates from the turn of the last century. It encapsulates the
best of
a tradition of storytelling through the medium of performance poetry.
Christopher's
Cheng's book will help to ensure that the tradition lives on.
Elizabeth Bor
Feather and bone by Laslo Strangolov
Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781406316005.
(Age 12+) This very strange novel poses some very
challenging issues,
not the least of which is human flesh as meat for a starving community.
Kamil's father has disappeared in the woods
and his mother has become a shadow of her former self. Kamil now has to
walk Solace the dog each
morning and evening. People do not go
into the woods after dark for an unknown fear pervades the community.
The poacher's daughter Lori and Kamil become
involved in the mysterious business of the former poultry farm around
which
rabbits fit to burst live. It's a dark
tale with Mr Petri centre of the darkness.
It's not a tale for the light hearted and the black and white
sketches
add atmosphere to the tale. As Matt
Whyman says in the forward 'The book in your hands is a curious
discovery. It has been penned by an author
with a life
story as odd and compelling as the tale to follow' pv. As Alice said,
'Curiouser and curiouser'. Not
for the faint hearted.
Sue Nosworthy
Interview with Gabrielle Williams by Fran Knight
1. I admire the way no pat answers
to central problems
are given. Many adolescent novels are just so predictable in giving the
easy
answer. So why did you change the formula?
I think formulas are lazy - unless you're a scientist,
in which case they're very clever. I wanted to write a book that was
true to
itself, not something that had to be shoehorned onto a pre-existing
formula. I
think that teenagers are pretty savvy and will pick up quite quickly if
something
is being cynically written to a formula in an attempt to appeal to
them. So I
got rid of all vampires in my novel.
2. Reading
this novel made me feel like I was in
Melbourne, my second favourite city, so just how real are the settings
used?
Your second favourite city!!! What the hell! Which
one's your first?
3. How
hard was it to avoid using the sexual relations
between young adults of this age as a platform for the story?
I think that sex is only one aspect of any
relationship - it's important, but it's not the sole reason to be with
someone.
I wanted my characters to be with each other because they connected on
an
emotional level as well as a physical level. To have one without the
other is
to be out of balance.
4.
Have you an ear for language? I found many of the
sayings and shorthand sayings and responses so recognizable from kids
in the
street. The omigods made me laugh out loud. So where do you hear this
language?
Here's the secret - I eavesdrop a lot. In cafes, on
public transport, wherever I am, whoever I'm with, I'm usually
eavesdropping in
to the conversation that's happening at the table next to me. Is it
something
I'm proud of? No. Is it a handy habit to have? If you're an author, yes.
5. The
emphasis on words and their meanings, the wit
involving words and their meanings and usage were thrilling. How well
do you
think this emphasis will be received by today's young adults?
I think teenagers and young adults today have a very
witty way with words. They twist the language so that it is colourful
and
memorable, and I love that about them. Admittedly their spelling leaves
a
little to be desired, but the fun they have with words is skillful, so
I think
they'll love the word plays in Beatle Meets Destiny.
Questions from Pat Pledger
6. What
were your favourite books as a child?
When I was a kid I loved Enid Blyton and Agatha
Christie. I think my ideal book would have been one in which The
Saucepan Man
did it!
7. Have you
got any books that you could recommend to
your readers?
I recommended the Tales of the City series by
Armistead Maupin to my daughter who is 19, and she loved them because
of their
colourful characters and interwoven plots. Also, The Child's Book
of
True
Crime by Chloe Hooper is great and Hi Fidelity by Nick
Hornby. And
The
Lovely Bones is brilliant.
