Angus and Robertson, 2009. ISBN 97807322892
.
(Ages: 8+) This reissue in one volume of Ruth
Park's Callie's
Castle and Callie's Family will win the hearts of
many new readers as they are pulled into the story of Callie, at a
crossroads
in her short life, dealing with step sisters and brothers, missing her
own
father terribly.
Callie's father died when she was three, but
it is only now, as her mother and stepfather and siblings, move to a
new house,
that her fears come to the surface. Irascible at school and at home, it
takes
her grandfather, an old Scots, to put his finger on the problem, and
look for a
solution.
The superb writing make this a sure fire
winner as a read aloud, and the book will be picked up by middle to
upper
primary readers. The cover illustration will unfortunately be a put
off, old
fashioned as it appears, but the story, first published in 1974, has
lost none
of its appeal. Some readers will notice that the children do not rely
on mobile
phones and play outdoors, instead of in front of a computer, and Callie
is at
ease asking strangers for directions, but this points to a different
time,
albeit 30 years ago. The central issues of finding one's voice and
having a
space of your own will not be lost on today's readers.
Fran
Knight
Dark angels by Katherine Langrish
HarperCollins,
2009. ISBN
9780007214891.
(Age 11+) Recommended. After being
abandoned
by his parents at the monastery at the age of five, and terrorised by
Brother Thomas,
Wolf flees to the hills, where he is pursued to Devil's Edge by a pack
of dogs.
Believing that they are the Hounds from Hell, he runs and becomes even
more
terrified when he glimpses a strange little figure escaping into a
cave. This is a place known to be inhabited by
elves, goblins and demons. When Sir Hugo finds him, Wolf leads him to
the elf
child and finds himself at Sir Hugo's castle, looking after the strange
creature he names Elfgift. Nest, Sir Hugo's daughter, is determined to
do
something worthwhile before she is married and with Wolf she takes the
elf
child into her care.
I was drawn into this compelling medieval tale right from the
beginning. It is so
engrossing and well researched that it took me straight into the times
of the
Crusades, into a world on the border of Wales and England, where Celtic
myths
are mixed with Christian beliefs. The description of a place where
people look
at things differently makes for fascinating reading. The simple
acceptance of
the supernatural by the inhabitants of Sir Hugo's castle adds depth and
interest. I found myself, like the
characters in the book, believing in the existence of the White Lady,
an
ethereal ghost who begs to be allowed inside and the hearth hob who
plays
mischievous tricks on Wolf.
Langrish's characters are wonderful. I
became
absorbed in the character of outspoken Wolf, and longed for a happy
ending for strange
Elfgift and Nest. The unhappy Sir Hugo,
obsessed with the belief that he could recover his wife from Elfland,
and the
dangerous jester who beguiles him with strange songs and stories, are
brought
magnificently to life.
There is plenty of action for those who like adventure stories. With
its vivid
descriptions of medieval life, strong characters and often frightening
mysteries, this is a book that was very difficult to put down.
Pat Pledger
It's Yr Life by Tempany Deckert and Tristan Bancks
Random
House Australia 2009.
(Age
range: 14 - 16). Recommended. Two
students from opposite sides of the world are forced to email each
other for a
year 10 English assignment. Milla lives in Hollywood with all the
trappings of
a successful family. Sims is a street kid living in Byron Bay in a
foster home.
Neither are keen on the idea of the assignment, however as they begin
to
correspond they find a link developing and soon they are dependent on
each
other as they try and solve the mysteries they both find creeping into
their
lives.
Milla
discovers footprints outside her bedroom window and is anxious to know
who they
belong to and why the person is sneeking around her home. Sims
discovers body
parts in a bag whilst searching for food in a local supermarket
dumpster.
Unsure whether to go to the police or whether one of his house mates is
involved he confides in Milla to try and decide what best to do.
The
communication between the characters, written in true email teenage
speak adds
to the suspense of the story. Often short and to the point, other times
detailed and full of information, as the characters try and support
each other
through the trials of their lives.
Tempany
Deckert and Tristan Bancks communicated solely by email to compile this
novel
giving it an authenticity that helps the reader to stay engaged with
the
storyline and compelled to continue reading to ensure the issues facing
Milla
and Sims are resolved.
Tracy
Glover
Crossing the Line by Gillian Philip
Bloomsbury, 2009. ISBN
9780747599937.
(Ages: 13+) I
found this a harrowing read, the tension mounting as each chapter goes
by. Even
though the reader knows that a boy is dead, the alternate sections, Then,
telling of the past, and Now,
relaying what is happening as a
result, does nothing to unclench your muscles as you read. The bullying
and
terror tactics of some of the students, including the hero of the
story,
unsettled me, and lately I have read some gruesome books for
adolescents.
Going
to high school, Nick makes the wrong choice. He sides with one boy in a
fight
and so becomes part of the gang that goes around bullying and thieving
from
younger kids. On one occasion he says no, and becomes instead an
outsider, a
boy with a geeky friend, but when that friend is bullied again, a
second person
steps in, Aidan, his sister's boyfriend, who is killed. His sister,
Allie now has an
invisible
friend called Aidan, who she speaks to all the time, setting a place
for him at
the table, ensuring he is with the family on outings. Aidan's mother
cannot accept that Allie still
does this, a year after his death, and asks Nick to step in.
Told
in alternate sections, the story trickles out information of the
situation at
school, the groups, the bullies and those who try to stop it. It is
familiar
ground, but the way the story is told is electrifying. Told from Nick's
point
of view, he also tells us of his battle scared family, ill equipped to
cope
with what is happening, also trying to manage an aged, demented gran
living
with them. This book gives a background to some of the violence we read
of in
the papers, where youths use knives as their weapons against others.
Fran
Knight
Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy
Penguin,
2009.
ISBN: 9780141325170
(Age 9+) When Anya, her sister Kazia and their parents move
to Britain from Poland,
each is filled with dreams
of a place in which they can have a better life. Teenage Anya imagines
a pretty
picture book cottage complete with whitewashed walls, rambling roses
growing
around the door and a wonderful garden. Her arrival in Liverpool
falls far short of the images gleaned from her story books. Not only is
her
home unattractive, her hopes of quickly making new school friends and
automatically fitting in seem impossible to achieve.
Once Anya meets Dan, the school 'bad boy', she sees another
side to him and hopes that he will prove to be the 'angel' he presents
himself
to be when they are together. Through Dan, she experiences a different
side of Liverpool, and begins to make
friends. Problems arise,
however, and suddenly the concept of returning to Krakow
seems to be the worst possible thing which could eventuate. This is a
story of friendship,
resilience, romance and the desire to belong.
Cathy Cassidy has delivered yet another novel which will be
devoured by girls. Her style of writing is engaging and easily read,
the jelly
bean coloured covers are appealing and eye catching. As with her
novels,
Cassidy's website is interactive, presented using colour, stylised
imagery from
the covers of her books and keeps her fans up to date with new titles
and
author information. Here, the author promotes the importance of
friendship,
daydreaming, reading and writing, major themes in her books. Cassidy
reveals
that she is an 'agony aunt' and genuinely seems to know and understand
her
readers and their concerns. Angel Cake is another title which
will
never be
left on the shelf!
Jo Schenkel
Free to a good home by Colin Thompson
Random House
Australia, 2009. ISBN 9781741663181
Peter and Sally Smith are not ordinary
children. They, along with their parents, are known for collecting
things, but
none more strange than the day the children go shopping and come home
with an
old lady. Drawing on the tales children give their parents about
finding a
stray cat or dog, and the cry of 'it just followed me home,'
Thompson
has
created an intricate and absorbing picture book about an old lady and
her stay
with the Smith family. I loved every page, as I turned each over to
find other
things to look at and think about, drawings to unravel and words to
ponder.
As the children give their parents reasons
for the old lady to stay, she slips into their routines, cooking,
cleaning,
helping the kids with their homework, mowing the lawn, all the while
with the
Smith parents asking questions about who she is and why people are not
looking
for her.
As with Thompson's books, there is no resolution
but questions and ideas. Some of the pages are very bleak, giving an
impression
that something nasty is about to happen, and the way the old woman, now
'Granny' has them all tied up at the end, but with Christmas lights,
gave me
the eerie feeling that she was taking over. Wonderful illustrations
full of
things to look at and think about, the submarine in the Monet painting
is a
hoot, and the little things scattered on every page a delight.
Fran Knight
Journey of dreams by Marge Pellegrino
Frances Lincoln
Children's Books, 2009. ISBN 9781845079642
(Ages 12+) With planes overhead dropping poison to
deforest the land, young men rounded up and taken by the guerillas and
the army
to bolster their numbers, and mother railing against the civil war
around them,
the village is in turmoil. But when one of her sons is taken, mother
and her
younger son escape to Mexico. Father and the other three children
escape the
village as the guerilla army moves in, killing everyone and burning it
down.
Their escape route to Mexico is fraught with danger as they must elude
the
forces ever at their heels and the bureaucracy which seeks to send them
back. All the while they must be canny enough to avoid the pitfalls
which besiege
all those
on the refugee route to another land.
A heart stopping survival story of a young
girl and her family fleeing the war in Guatemala, Journey
of Dreams is about every refugee, forced from their home
and country by war beyond their power and understanding. This books
takes the
reader into a little known war in a continent few of us are even aware
of. It
would sit well in a study of refugees which might include books like
Mahtab's Story (Libby Gleeson),
Soraya the
storyteller (Rosanne Hawke),
and the Parvana trilogy (Deborah
Ellis).
Fran Knight
Chook Shed Snake by Phil Cummings
Scholastic, 2009. ISBN 9781862918115.
(Ages 7+) One of a series published by
Omnibus, called Mates,
Chook Shed Snake has broad appeal,
as Phil Cummings, once again, draws upon his wonderful childhood
memories to
relate a story about dad and the snake in the chook shed. Filled with
warm,
endearing characters, families everyone dreams of, and augmented with
Greg
Holdfeld's illustrations, this book, one of four in the series will be
well
used in junior primary classes, where the print size and short chapters
make it
instantly appealing.
Dad, sent by mum to mend the chook house, a
task he had been promising to do for years, is squeamish after Harry
spies a
snake heading towards the little building. He gingerly uses the rake to
pull
away the straw to see where the creature could be hiding, but is pecked
by one
of the chooks, and decides to leave the task to another day. Full of
gentle
humour, the details about life on a farm remind us all of childhoods in
the
past with love and affection.
Others in this fine series, include Thorpey
by Ruth Starke, The Wombat and the Giant Poojam by
Jackie French, and The Smartest Dog of
All by Ian Horrocks.
Fran Knight
Boy on a Wire by Jon Doust
Fremantle Press, 2009. ISBN
9781921361456
(Ages:15 - adult) Highly
recommended. Boarding
at one of Perth's private schools from his farm in SW Western
Australia, Jack
learns that the life of a student is far from the happy and carefree
life he
knew at his local primary school. Hit by teachers and prefects, bullied
by
other students, the brutality of the boarding school is one which
affects him
for many years after he leaves.
But
he is no victim; Jack asks questions, enraging staff and students
alike, making
him the recipient of the slipper, the cane and the sandshoe, his words
cutting
the cornerstone of their privileges and customs. It is accepted at home
that
this will happen to him, and a code of silence ensures that it
continues. Jack
supports one other new boy, a quiet, solitary figure who has come to
this
school from the now, well known school to the north of Perth, where
abuse was
exposed. Jack is religious and it is this part of his life which gives
him some
comfort, although the questions he constantly asks of god are never
answered,
and the chasm between his religion and the practice at this school is
overwhelmingly deep.
At
times very funny, many times scarcely credible, but often moving and
sometimes
sad, this semi autobiographical story of a boy's life, growing up to be
a man,
will enrage, endear and instruct its readers, as they follow the boy
balancing
on the wire. The models of manhood he sees about him everyday in no way
reflect
what is expected of him as he grows to manhood, and the behavior of
those paid
to care for him is dreadful indeed.
This
highly original story will be picked up eagerly by senior students.
Comparisons
with Catcher in the Rye, and Lord of the Flies, amongst
others spring
to mind as a boy
struggles
to survive in an alien environment, and search for some meaning in his
life as
he approaches adult hood.
Fran Knight
Frannie in pieces by Delia Ephron
Harper Teen, 2009.
ISBN 9780060747183.
(Ages 12+) Recommended. Frannie is fifteen and angry about her artistic
father's
premature death. Her mother has
remarried Mel and Frannie finds them both boring and distasteful. Everything about her father is important to
her and when she finds a beautifully carved box with 'FRANCES ANNE
2000' on it
she assumes it's for her birthday. As
the mystery of the contents of the box gradually unravels, Frannie
learns about
life, a boy and her Mother and Mel. Cleverly constructed, the plot engages the reader who, with
Frannie, is
fascinated with the time changes and the assumptions that aren't
necessarily
what they appear. It's an engaging read
as Frannie learns about love, friendship and her caring family.
Sue Nosworthy
The book of a thousand days by Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury,
2009. ISBN 9780747597810.
(Ages 10+) Highly recommended. Award winning author Shannon
Hale has written another memorable heart wrenching tale of heroism
and
courage.
Based on the Grimm Brothers' story, Maid Maleen, Hale has set
her tale
in
Asia. Lady Saren refuses to marry Lord Khasar, the man her father has
chosen
for her because not only is she is terrified of him, but she is in love
with
Khan Tegus. Her father is furious and locks her in a tower with her
maid, Dashti,
until she comes to her senses. But even the tower doesn't keep them
safe from
the evil Khasar, who arrival brings great danger, while Khan Tegus's
appearance
brings hope.
Told from the point of view of Dashti, in the form of a
diary, the reader is swept into the lives of Saren and Dashti as they
struggle
to survive in the tower. Even though they have been left enough food
and
firewood to survive for seven years, the tower has been completely
walled up so
they live in darkness except for the meagre light that comes from the
fire and
candles. Rats attack their food and the guards outside desert them.
Dashti's
diary descriptions are compelling and the reader will never be able to
think of
being shut in a tower without shuddering.
Hale doesn't follow the usual rules for a fairy story. Her
heroine is not a beautiful princess, but the lady's maid, a Mucker girl
who has
been raised on the steppes and who has a disfiguring birthmark on her
face.
However it is Dashti's indomitable spirit that keeps them from falling
into
deep depression and it is her perseverance that eventually gets them
out of the
tower. She is the brave one, who records their story and who is
prepared to die
for the love of her life. Saren is weak and whiny and would never have
survived
without Dashti.
This is an exciting read, with a wonderful heroine,
adventure, courage, plot twists, romance and heartbreak. Rich in vivid
descriptions, some charming illustrations and a very exciting and
satisfying
conclusion, this book is a keeper for fantasy and fairy tale readers.
It would
also be a powerful read aloud.
Pat Pledger
Naked Mole rat gets dressed by Mo Willems
Walker Books, 2009.
(Ages
3-7) Recommended. Naked mole rats are a little bit rat, a little bit
mole and
are all naked, except for Wilbur the naked mole rat who likes to get
dressed.
All the other moles think that he is very peculiar and go to Grand-pah
complaining about his lack of nudity. Grand-pah is very wise and after
much
thinking makes a proclamation. But his response is a big surprise.
Award
winning author Willems has created a funny and appealing race of
creatures with
his little naked mole rats. Young children will find them irresistible.
The
illustrations are a delight with each naked mole rat looking individual
- just
by changing the shape of the ears and eyes in the illustrations!
It is
a great story about being prepared to be an individual and sticking to
your
beliefs even when everyone else thinks that you are wrong. The message
of being
prepared to look at things in a different way and answering the
question 'Why
not?' is never didactic but rather couched in gentle good humour. A
memorable
book for all the family.
Pat
Pledger
Malcolm and Juliet by Bernard Beckett
Text Publishing, 2009. ISBN
9781921520327
(Ages 14+)Recommended. A group of 16 year olds in various schools,
all with some connection, each with their own idiosyncrasies, are mixed
up with
Malcolm, intent on winning this year's science prize with his research
into the
first sexual experiences of his peers. What you get is rather wry, but
very
funny novel about teens and their activities. Beckett hits just the
right note
of humour in this look at teenage conduct and his mix of a range of
adolescents
is masterful, as the climax swings into view.
Kevin lusts after Brian who lusts after
Charlotte who lusts after Malcolm, who thinks he has no show of seeing
Charlotte, but his friend Juliet who is being blackmailed, tries to
setup a sex
talk line and lands Brian, who finding out who the voice on the end of
the line
belongs to, is chasing her. Complicated? No the novel glides along
smoothly and
wittily, making me laugh out loud as Malcolm asks the oddest of people
to be
interviewed. At one stage his mum consents to be interviewed and we
hear of her
first sexual experience, and Charlotte, who is a virgin, details what
she hopes
to be her first experience, and Malcolm, knowing he could never match
her
description, gives up on her. Very funny, lots of witty looks at
teenage
culture, hits at education, principals, predatory males, and culture.
So Romeo, sorry Malcolm, must avoid all the
pitfalls of blighted love to reach his goal. His inexperience, combined
with
his goal of winning the science prize, makes him an amiable
protagonist, one we
all want to succeed. A marvelous novel for teens of all ages to read
and share.
Fran Knight
Sharp Shot by Jack Higgins and Justin Richards
Harper Collins, 2009. (Series: Danger runs in the family)
(Ages 12+) John Chance on a dangerous mission in Iraq in
1990, sets the scene for an equally danger filled operation today as
his two
children are kidnapped by an old enemy, blackmailing him to return a
statue
left in the desert all those years go. The stage is set for a
thrilling, fast
paced adventure as the twins, Jade and Rich must make some fast and
decisive
decisions while their father is away.
Escaping a group of highly armed and
dangerous killers, Jade and Rich throw in their lot with the stranger
who came
to their door asking for help. They realise that he is not what he
seems when
Rich is taken by the pursuers, and Jade, left with McCain, comes to
understand
that she is being held. Their father, in an effort to free Jade,
complies with
McCain's requests, and in coming to the desert to swap the statue for
the girl,
is left with his small party alone and bereft of anything which may
save their
lives. But in the manner of all good thrillers, they are rescued, and
can then
fight back.
A credible, page turning adventure, this
story, one in a series about the Chance twins, will please high
spirited upper
primary and lower secondary readers, wanting something closer than
World War
Two, and complete with descriptions of the weaponry and technology now
used in
war and peace.
Fran Knight
The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Anderson Press, 2008. ISBN 9781842708445
Highly
Recommended. Humour
belies the undercurrent of poverty and despair tugging at the heels of
the
diarist, Arnold, as he tries to alter the accepted path for boys like
him. He
enrolls at a more academic school, twenty miles from his homeland. That
the
school is a white middle class institution in a town where Arnold and
his
people from the nearby Spokane Indian Reservation are not wanted makes
for some
cutting and deft observations about racism. Drawing heavily on his
background,
Sherman Alexie is able to nimbly circumvent political correctness and
tell it
like it is.
Arnold's
teacher gives out the geometry books on the first day of high school.
Arnold is
keen to get stuck into this new subject, and when he opens the book to
find it
was used by his mother, 30 years before, he knows that he will never
break out
of the mold. Opportunities given to Indigenous kids are just not there.
At the
nearby white school, he finds himself the only Indian student in a sea
of white
faces. The customs at his last school must be unlearned, his culture
put behind
him and his loyalties divided between the two worlds he inhabits. Some
people
on the 'rez' avoid him, his best friend deserts him, but some are
proud, and
his uncle calls him a warrior for doing something so brave.
In
different hands this book could have been cheesy and even insulting,
but
Alexie's intimate knowledge of the reservation makes this a uniquely
powerful
read. The story cries out for recognition of the Indian plight. Moved
to
reservations with little opportunity for employment or activities, poor
education and blighted by racism, Arnold speaks for his generation. The
path he
chooses is burdened with pitfalls however, in having to live a divided
life,
being seen as a traitor on one hand, and a curiosity on the other.
The
debate over indigenous people writing their own stories flourishes,
none more
vocal than the website hosted by Debbie Reese in USA. She applauds the
writing of indigenous
people, particularly American Indians, and deplores the writing of non
indigenous writers using an indigenous point of view. Her views are
widely used
and her website
often quoted. The
recent issue of Fiction Focus, an
adolescent fiction journal from the Western
Australia Education Department, outlines some of the current debate
about
indigenous writers writing their own stories, in an article called
Whose
Story? Indigenous Peoples in Fiction, and gives
information
about some
of the books written by indigenous writers, including the excellent,
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Indian by Sherman Alexie.To
find out more about Sherman Alexie's background, go to http://www.fallsapart.com/. And
to find out about the
reservation he
grew up on, visit, the
official
website for
the Spokane Tribe in Washington.
Studying
this novel in the classroom would be a knockout for lower secondary
kids. It
will turn their faces to the reality of living in an indigenous
community
whether in Australia or USA or New Zealand. Stories written by other
indigenous
authors could be studied, and some written by non indigenous authors
could be
looked at to compare the tone. As part of a unit of study about racism
or
prejudice or specifically North American Indians, this novel has all
points
covered. I would expect that many schools will buy this as a class set.
Fran Knight
