Reviews

Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White

(11+) A compulsive thriller set in 2083, this historical science fiction book will sure to be a winner with readers who like their adventure spiced with a bit of history. In this future world, nobody goes to school – instead they watch EduTV. When they turn 14, only the rich can afford to go on to high school and university, and the poor scrabble for any type of work from the few jobs available. Five teenagers, Andrew, Polly, Robert, Billy, and Grace, hope to have their fortunes reversed when they are selected to be contestants on a reality TV show, Antarctic Survivor, where they will enact Scott's ill-fated trip to the South Pole in 1912.
White has written a nail biting, exciting story. The suspense of whether the 14-year-olds will be able to survive as they face blizzards, crevasses, frostbite and lack of food is quite rivetting. She cleverly intertwines information about Scott's expedition taken from diaries and letters with the reality TV adventures that face her five protagonists. At the same time she depicts a chilling future, where TV has become an obsession and the evil Secretary of Entertainment has the power to implant digital cameras in her contestants' eyes and insist that they face extreme danger to ensure that the ratings are good.
The teen characters are well developed and readers will warm to them as they sympathise with their weaknesses and cheer on their strengths and courage. Members of the production crew are also well portrayed and the author explores how difficult it is for them to be brave and help the contestants when threatened by the authorities.
This is a compelling read, exciting and well researched.
Pat Pledger

Pirates drive buses by Christopher Morgan and Neil Curtis

A sequel to Pirates eat Porridge, Pirates drives Buses has the same kids in another strangely funny situation, that of being picked up by a pirate who takes them on a bus ride. The other passengers are an assortment of fishy animals and together the occupants of the bus get up to an array of strange and wonderful things. Searching for his ship, the SS You Beauty, the pirate, who is never named, drives the bus straight into the sea.

Full of life and humour, this book, so beautifully illustrated by Neil Curtis, will have kids laughing out loud. Aimed at the newly arrived chapter book reader, kids will revel in the word concoctions and play on words that litter every page.
Fran Knight

The Charioteer of Delphi by Caroline Lawrence (The Roman Mysteries)

(Age 10+) Filled with the sights and sounds of Ancient Rome, this series of books by Caroline Lawrence will entrance the reader of historical fiction, as the four protagonists find all sorts of crimes to uncover and solve. Presently being screened on the ABC, the series is enthralling.

In The Charioteer of Delphi, the group is involved with the kidnapping of the lead horse destined for the coming events at Circus Maximus. A huge reward has been posted for its return, and the four venture to Rome to join the throng of searchers. Flavia and her companions, Nubia, Jonathan and Lupis, join their new friend, the young charioteer, Scopas. Together they search for the horse, uncovering a mesh of intertwined intrigue.

What better way to learn about Ancient Rome than through a series of stories such as these. Every page is filled with new words and descriptions, the settings are authentic and entrancing, the detail convincing. This books, as do all the others, contains a series of maps to allow the reader to know exactly where the story is set, and a very detailed glossary at the end helps those novices for whom the words used need some reference. With this story too is a short description of the chariot races in Ancient Rome, leading the reader to historical records as well as modern films such as Ben-Hur. (The author does not stint in telling of the brutality and bloodthirsty nature of these races.)
Fran Knight

Hungry Ghosts by Sally Heinrich

"Once again the gates of hell had been flung open and the spirits were free to wander the earth". Sarah had been putting out offerings for the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts when she started hearing voices. It was difficult enough putting up with the taunts of some of her school mates about Chinese superstitions, but having a ghost haunt her was just too much.

This is a compelling story about Sarah who is trying to fit into Australian society as her father wanted, while continuing to adhere to Chinese customs to satisfy her mother. The relationships in the books are warm and satisfying, particularly Sarah's companionship with her father and her growing friendship with Michael. Her portrayal of the ghost girl, Pei, is both chilling and heart wrenching.

Heinrich has cleverly devised a story that will interest her readers, while providing lots of information about Chinese customs and the history of Chinese immigration to Australia.

A highly readable and thought-provoking story, Hungry Ghosts should appeal to upper primary and lower secondary students.

Pat Pledger

Small steps by Louis Sacher

Armpit, released from Camp Green Lake detention centre, where he dug holes for the warden, is advised by his counselor to take small steps if he wants to avoid being one of the 78% of African Americans who return to jail after their release. Determined not to be another statistic, Armpit enrolls at school, and takes a part time job. But he reckons without his Camp Green Lake acquaintance, X-Ray, who turns up offering Armpit the chance to make money.

Readers will instantly know that Armpit will not make a good choice, but he is such a strongly drawn character, that readers will wish that he succeeds. In this exciting adventure story, Armpit's good nature comes to the fore, as he befriends the disabled girl next door, is attracted to a girl in his class whose friends scare her off, as he deals with his friend, X-Ray and his schemes. A very likeable and funny read about the boys who once inhabited the world of Holes, Small steps is easy to read with lots of twists and turns, as Armpit befriends a singer whose manager wants her dead.

Fran Knight

My swordhand is singing by Marcus Sedgwick

Orion Children's Books
(11+) A fantasy thriller that had me hooked from the start, My swordhand is singing is a most original look at vampires and the dread they engender. Tomas and his son, Peter are itinerant, moving from one village to another in search of work as wood cutters, always avoiding company and friendship. But Chust is different; the small village adheres to old customs, designed to keep away the vampires, it shows a meanness to strangers, it is isolated and inward looking. Just the place for vampires to feed.
Peter is growing up and attracts the attention of a young woman, Agnes, while Tomas spends much of his time getting drunk. But there is a fear abroad which captures the imagination of the village. A wife is convinced that her dead husband returns to her each night, Agnes is chosen as the bride of a man who has died, and when gypsies call on Peter's father to bring out his sword, tension spills over.
A breathtaking and imaginative telling of a vampire story, this novel is infused with a plethora of stories gleaned from tales, myths and legends from Europe's forest regions, where people lived their lives in dark and gloomy places, where implausible things happened and were transformed into terrifying stories by scared peoples trying to make sense of it all. I couldn't put it down, and this book will easily find readers amongst all ages in high schools.
Fran Knight

Nick & Nora's infinite playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Allen & Unwin, 2007
(15+) Catching sight of his ex-girlfriend on the arm of another guy at the club where his band is playing, Nick asks the girl near him to be his girlfriend for the next five minutes. Norah's answer is to pull his face down to hers. They begin a roller coaster ride through clubs, punk bands, music playlists and falling in and out of love, all taking place in the space of a night.
Told in alternating chapters by Nick, written by David Levithan and Norah, related by Rachel Cohn, this is a compulsive story that drags you along through New York's music and club scene. Fabulous dialogue, vivid characters and some very funny scenes make for a memorable read.
The strong language in the book may put off some adults but the authenticity of the conversations and the band's lyrics will really appeal to teenagers. The plot and setting should also ensure that this is a book that won't sit on the library shelf.
Pat Pledger

The legend of the worst boy in the world by Eoin Colfer

Penguin, London, 2007
(8+) The sight of Will dressed in his rabbit pyjamas strolling down the new road, walking straight along the line in the middle, but unaware that this new road meets the old road is enough to make the reader call out. Fortunately mum is on the run, chasing her 2 year old Will, but he thinks it is a game, so he runs faster. How all of this is involved in a story about a boy talking to his grandfather each weekend, trying to offload some of his worries is a very funny take on families and how they intersect.
Fran Knight

What Willow knew by June Colbert

Have 'they' finally caught up with Willow? A paranoid survivor of political protests, Willow has always believed that 'they' were out to get her. Now she has disappeared and Sarah is determined to find out what has happened to her. Sent to live with her father and his new family, Sarah has a battle on her hands to find her aunt and save her home.

Told in alternative voices, that of Willow and Sarah the narrator, this thriller takes the reader back to university days in the 1970's in Sydney and gives an insight into hippy culture, anti-nuclear demonstrations and conscription. The author uses a diary format to unfold Willow's story. Her encounters with political activists and drugs are quite compelling and the characterisation of the evil chemist student who pushes drugs and the hippy students is very believable. Sarah's trials of fitting in with her 'stepmonster' and having to babysit constantly add a believable everyday dimension to the story. Sarah is a feisty, loving character and the reader empathises with her dilemmas.

This is a suspenseful read suitable for teens who like mystery and suspense.

Themes Mystery and suspense.

Pat Pledger

The most beautiful lantern by Sally Heinrich

Lothian, 2007.
(Age 6+) Beautifully illustrated, this story follows Mei-Ling's quest to have the most beautiful lantern in the Grand Lantern Parade. As she searches the market for the perfect lantern, she is enticed with a sparking fish, a tiger lantern, an iridescent crimson bird, a rocket, a musical rainbow lantern, and a jade rabbit. With each find of a possible lantern, Sally Heinrich includes a description of the mythology behind it. The illustrations are marvellous – on the one hand we see Mei-Ling enjoying her daily life, eating with her grandfather, shopping with her mother and looking at old photos and then her vivid imaginary life is brought alive with wonderful colour, gorgeous swirls and fantastic animals.
The story gives children the opportunity to find out about the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, and the mythology and meaning behind many things like mooncakes, how one sun appears in the sky, and why the moon is always bright on the fifteenth day of every month. The visual depiction of a close family life is a joy, and Mei-Ling's final choice of a lantern is delightful.
This would be a great addition to a class or school library.
Pat Pledger

Guru Guru Pon-Chan by Satomi Ikezawa

Satomi Ikezawa has won prizes for her Manga series of works. She is held in high esteem amongst Manga artists and illustrators. This story is about a Labrador retriever puppy called Panta, who, on nibbling a bone brought to the house by an inventor, turns into a girl. The illustrations and perspective of the drawings had me reading to the end. Although I found the story line a little lame, it will appeal to kids in lower secondary. Graphic Novels are enjoying a resurgence of popularity amongst a wide audience.

Fran Knight

The Hunting Forest by Michael Coleman

Orchard Books
(11+) The third in the series about bears (The Bear Kingdom) where bears rule the earth and humans, the saps, are their slaves is no less exciting than the first, The Howling Tower. Mops, Benjamin and Spike have escaped their captors and are headed to Hide Park, a place renowned as a safe and secure sanctuary for humans. Once they get there, surviving all sorts of hardship and avoiding capture, they are surprised when the bears bring more humans to its doors, as well as food and water. What is going on?

They find their way to Inspector Dictatum's winter lodge and there, seeing the bloody and torn clothing of their comrades, arranged along the wall like trophies, they realise that they are about to be hunted. They must warn the others. An exciting series, where the tables are turned, the bears being the rulers and the humans, their slaves, should appeal to upper primary and lower secondary kids looking for an adventurous mystery set in a parallel world.
Fran Knight

The last days by Scott Westerfeld

Penguin
(14+) Cover up your necks, the vampire peeps, parasite positives, are taking over the city. Black water is pouring out into the streets, worms have taken over the subways and cats are gathering to scavenger in alleys. Infected people throw away the things they used to love and Moz and Pearl rescue a 1975 Fender Stratocaster guitar thrown out of a window. Gathering Zahler, Minerva and Alana together, they form a band and build up a collection of weird songs that Minerva composes. And then the Night Watch, an organisation working to kill the parasites, hears them, and they are grabbed to help save the world with their music.

A sequel to Peeps, it is probably best to read the books in order to get a good idea of the background and action. However The last days will stand alone as it has new main characters and action.

It contains all the ingredients for instant appeal – vampires, romance, danger, thrills, action and music – but it also touches on the current fear of epidemics and is not your current run of the mill vampire story. Highly recommended.
Pat Pledger

Nemesis: The beast within by Catherine MacPhail

Allen and Unwin
What a humdinger. Told from several perspectives, Ram is on the run, but without any idea of who he is or why he is running. On the moors with a beast slathering behind him, he eagerly takes the offer of a lift in a car with a stranger. The man takes him to his isolated home, a farmhouse in the middle of the moors with no neighbours, where he meets the man's smiling wife. Ram is dumbfounded when he is told that he is their lost nephew, Noel. He has run away before, and must be protected lest he do it again.

Uncle William takes him to the isolated school the next day introducing him as his lost nephew. Ram has no idea what is going on, but little by little things begin to fall into place. With the other two in the school, Kirsten and Faisal, the group begins to investigate the murder of a boy whose body is found on the moors. They all believe it to be the abused boy, Paul, one of their former classmates who disappeared several weeks before. Into this mix comes the Dark Man still on the hunt for Ram, and MacPhail cleverly plots the story with a huge number of exciting near misses as the Dark man and Ram seem almost to dance within an eye space of each other.

Nemesis (series) by Catherine McPhail has a boy on the run. I didn't read number one, Into the shadow, but only this second book, The beast within, and found it was so exciting that I will read number one. The first book should give me information about why the boy is running, and clear up some of the mysteries inherent in reading the second in the series, but I found it nevertheless riveting. I'm sure lower secondary and upper primary students will love it. The two books mentioned are now available with two more about to be released. (Sinister intent and Ride of death).
Fran Knight

Lonesome howl by Steven Herrick

Louis Braille Audio. Read by Rebecca Macauley
13+ The howling of a lonely wolf - or a wild dog - entice Lucy and Jake to take a hike into the hills to see if they can discover the animal's lair. Lucy is running from an abusive father and Jake wants the chance to prove the accuracy of his father's story of sighting a wolf. When bad luck overturns their plans, Lucy is forced to make difficult emotional decisions and Jake is challenged to overcome physical hardship.

Rebecca Macauley's reading of this verse novel highlights two very different families. She manages to bring to life the two main characters and their families. Lucy's heart-rending voice is captured as she struggles to maintain her integrity in face of physical abuse from her father. She mourns the loss of her beloved grandmother and despises her mother's weakness in not facing up to her father. Jake's voice, on the other hand, recounts the life of a loving family and gives the listener a respite from the trauma and fear that Lucy faces on a daily basis. The character of Peter, Lucy's brother, is caught beautifully.

The listener is swept along with the adventure on the mountain and amazed at Lucy's courage and determination. Thankfully the novel ends on a positive note with hope that Lucy will find family love and security.

This reading will appeal to both boys and girls and is a good example of free form poetry to use in the classroom.

Pat Pledger
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