HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 9781869506650
(Age 11+) Recommended.
A gripping fantasy called Nina's Saga is told by Bard the
Restless. A slave called Nina is the
heroine. She is the one who must
overcome the darkness and the multitude of evil creatures which
threaten to
kill her and her companions, a thief and a giant, for she is a thumb
hurter. The plot is dense with unusual
creatures and the Rut army wanting to outwit Nina and her allies. The
plot moves swiftly for Catran uses
imagery beautifully and the poetry foretells the coming battles. Nina
becomes an awe inspiring leader who
rejects the treasure and finds Lightskin, a costume of silver chain
mail which
fits her perfectly and Brightsong, a sword with a red-braided hilt and
ruby set
scabbard, damaged but with no pommel stone. The minor characters are
strong and believable and add to the
intensity
as the drama unfolds. There is scope for
a sequel.
Sue Nosworthy
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. Retold by Robert Swindells
A & C Black, 2009. ISBN 9781408104361
Swindells has taken on a task which would
daunt many people: retelling Shakespeare's stories for a young audience
in the
twenty first century. Using contemporary language, but with a
sprinkling of the
Bard's words still intact, Swindells captures the essence of this funny
play
with ease.
Divided into the same five acts, the story of love and
desire meets
the play within the play, as Oberon, playing a trick on his love,
Titania, has
a potion poured onto her eyelid so that she will love the first person
she sees
on waking. He has the same thing done to Demetrius, in the hope that the first person he sees is Helena,
who
loves him passionately. But his scheme fails, and both Lysander and
Demetrius
spy Helena, and follow her blindly, leaving poor Hermia to wonder where
her
love, Lysander has got to.
In the meantime, Titania has woken and spies
Bottom, one of the characters from the play within the play, dressed as
an ass.
She falls hopelessly in love with the ass and they wind flowers through
their
hair in her bower. Oberon must turn around the night's fun to regain
Titania's
love and put the lovers together again.
Within the 70 pages the story of one of
Shakespeare's best loved comedies is presented, along with a list of
characters, and drawings by Tomislav Tomic. Middle to upper primary
readers
will love this easy to digest introduction to the 400 year old story,
or have
just a great tale to read for themselves. Swindells has rewritten a
number of
other plays as well in this series for A & C Black of London. For
those
classrooms tackling Shakespeare, then this series will be a great
introduction
to the storylines of these plays, and help acquaint the students with
settings
and characters.
Fran Knight
The sea-wreck stranger by Anna Mackenzie
Text Publishing, 2009. ISBN 9781921520361.
(Ages: 11+) Recommended. A
half drowned, battered man washes up on the shore of a closed island
community,
one where its inhabitants risk death if they walk near the sea. The
community
turned its back on the sea years before after many of its people died
after
eating fish. Nes, more spirited than most, feels drawn to the sea and
so
finding
Dev amongst the seaweed, patches his wounds and hides him in the cave
she often
visits.
Her life however is unsettled, only vaguely linked to the
people she
lives with, she is closest to a woman who lives alone close by, but who
falls
under suspicion for possibly breaking the taboos of her village. This
dystopian
world, a small remnant of a civilization now decimated by environmental
pollution, has become closed and male dominated, suspicious and wary.
The
claustrophobic feeling when reading this book is overwhelming, as you
read of
this young girl, trying to capture something of the outside through the
man she
rescues. She is intrigued by what is there, a place her father visited
before
he died, and resents the ominous presence of the next door neighbours,
especially after being told that marriage between she and his son would
unite
the two farms.When
other members of the village become aware of the man's presence, the
search is
on, and Ness must try to rescue him before he is discovered and her
part in his
survival known.
A breathtaking, very scary story, which I hope will
have a
sequel.
Fran Knight
The Soul Trade by E. E. Richardson
Corgi Books, 2009.
Searching
desperately for a gift for his stepmother, Nick stumbles upon a shop in
a
unfrequented alleyway, called Bargains. Here he is intrigued with the
array of
glass orbs, and knows his step mother will like one. The sinister
shopkeeper
asks Nick for one of his drawings as payment for the orb, and Nick,
without
much thought, tears out a page in his sketch book and gives it to the
man. Next
day when at school in his favourite lesson, Art, he is despondent to
find
that he can no longer draw. His passion for art was leading him to find
a place
at an art school, and so devastated at the loss of his kills, seeks out
the
shop again to resolve what it happening to him.
But
here he makes another bargain with the shop keeper: he will do some
debt
collecting work for him in exchange for his drawing and his skills. So
Nick
sets out on a perilous mission, one fraught with an ever present
feeling of
danger and fear. What he finds in recalling debts owed to the
shopkeeper unsettles him even further as he is drawn into the world of
Bargains.
A
scary story sure to thrill those horror readers in your school: it will
make
them rethink the consequences of bargains.
Fran Knight
By Royal Command by Charlie Higson
Puffin, 2009.
(Ages 11+) Recommended. The fifth in
the series, Young James Bond, sees
James rescue one of
his
schoolmates from certain death on the slopes of the Austrian Alps,
where Miles,
an arrogant and disliked young man, falls after drinking before skiing.
James
puts himself at incredible risk to rescue him, and when the two are
hospitalized, James sees something he perhaps shouldn't have, a raving
von
Schlick prior to surgery. It is a few years before World War 2, and
Higson
includes the future king of England, Edward and Wallis Simpson along
with some nasty
Communist spies and Nazis to mix together an amazingly readable plot.
James
sees
von Schlik again in Miles' home, when his parents thank James for
rescuing
their son. Following him amongst the hallways, he stumbles upon Edward
and Mrs
Simpson, who are then joined by von Schlik and several other men. The
conversation turns to the sympathy shown by Edward towards Hitler, and
the
downturn of Britain's fortunes. James leaves and taking his aunt on a
tour of
the school for King George's birthday, realises that the huge load of
garden
fertilizer delivered to the school the day before, could be used as a
bomb to
kill the king, Edward's brother. Sure
to be a
hit with middle school readers By Royal
Command has all the elements of a gripping read. James is involved
in a
life and death plot, one which could change the course of history. His
cunning
and skills save the day of course, and along the way the brutes from
his school
get their just deserts. The episodes where James is abused at the hand
of the
older boy at school are tough to read, and recall Tom
Brown's Schooldays
and others in exposing the stupidity of the class system, and the
lessons he
learns from his experiences there certainly underpin the morality of
the spy,
James Bond in Ian Fleming's stories.
Fran Knight
Far from home by K.M. Peyton
Usborne, 2009. ISBN 9780746090886
(Ages 10+) Minna has followed Theo, her childhood friend, now captain
of a Roman cohort in central Britain, on his march to destroy the
Celtic barbarian, Kimbelinus and his ragged army of savages. She has
her friends, Dracos and Benoc to keep her cheerful, as she is seen as a
camp follower by the other women trudging behind the cohort. Her brief
conversations with Theo, centre on their horses, and what will happen
when they meet the opposing forces. Minna is mortified to think that
she will be sent back with the women, out of harm's way, and talks Theo
into allowing her to spy with Draco.
She feels proud that she is helping, but when the battle finally
begins, she is overcome with grief at the death and dying around her.
She finds that her brother is one of the dead, and learns that the
taciturn Draco has deserted to the other side, but when her horse,
Silva is captured by some of the fleeing Celts, she takes action.
An exciting and informative sequel to Minna's Quest, any reader
will
easily further their knowledge of Roman Britain reading this adventure.
Minna is headstrong, and often blurts things out without thinking,
landing herself in trouble. Her love for Theo holds strong, despite the
death which surrounds her at the end of the battle, and she forlornly
remains with Benoc, when Theo takes his cohort on further skirmishes,
keeping the Celts at bay. A third novel, No Turning Back
completes the
trilogy. A stirring trilogy of historical novels from a fine writer.
Fran Knight
The forest of hands and teeth by Carrie Ryan
Orion, 2009. ISBN
9780575090859
(Age 14+) Mary's life is confined to the village where she lives. In
her constricted post apocalypse world the Sisterhood control all
knowledge and lay down confining rules. The Guardians protect everyone
from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. The village is surrounded by a
fence to keep out the Unconsecrated, zombies who relentlessly push
against it, trying to get in. One bite from them is enough to turn a
normal person into a walking undead. As the Unconsecrated crowd in,
Mary has difficult choices to make. Should she chance the forest path
and hope to find the sea her mother has spoken about, or should she
stay and fight the undead?
Told in the first person, this is a coming of age story. Mary is on the
verge of becoming an adult and is a strong determined character who
holds onto her dreams of a bigger world beyond the fence. She is in
love with Travis, who is betrothed to her best friend, Cass. The
Sisterhood command her to marry Harry, but she is torn with doing what
she has been told to do or trying to follow her heart. When the
Unconsecrated take over her village, she sets out with Travis, Harry,
Cass and an orphaned boy Jacob, to try and escape. The love triangle
will appeal to romance fans who like their love interest entwined with
some horror.
There is plenty of action for fans of horror with the Unconsecrated
determined to kill everything in sight, and both Mary and her brother
being forced to kill people they love or else see them turn. The
suspense is quite rivetting after the first 100 pages or so with the
zombies in hot pursuit of the little group. Although there is a
satisfying conclusion there are enough unresolved issues to ensure that
the reader will want to read the sequel.
Pat Pledger
Dance of the sugar plum fairy by Sue Whiting
Ill. By Sarah Davis. CD
narrated by Antonia Kidman.
New Frontier, 2009. ISBN 9781921042621
(Ages 5-10) Recommended. Sue Whiting has written a fascinating story
around the music of The Sugarplum Fairy from The Nutcracker
ballet by
Tchaikovsky. Marcus and Mary are the finest candy makers in the
kingdom. Their sugarplums are so delicious that the greedy king is
overjoyed with them and orders 50 jars to be delivered by sun-up. Even
though it is an impossible task they do their best to make them. After
working frantically and using up all their sugar, they only have 25
jars. They go to bed exhausted and in the morning discover to their
delight that there are many jars full of sweets. A sugarplum fairy has
come to their
rescue, and keeps helping them out.
Sarah Davis' illustrations are a delight. She made all of the
characters seemed come alive for me. I loved the little sugarplum
fairy. She is a gorgeous mixture of ordinary little girl in leggings
and magical fairy with stunning wings. Her smiling face and gleeful
expressions brought a smile to my face. The music on the CD is
wonderful and an unforgettable way of introducing children to classical
music. As well as being a good story for parent or teacher to read
aloud, children can also listen to the narration by Antonia Kidman.
Notes about the composer and The Nutcracker ballet can be found
at the
back of the book.
This is a lovely story that young children will enjoy both for the tale
and for the accompanying music.
Pat Pledger
They told me I had to write this by Kim Miller
Ford Street, 2009.
ISBN 9781876462840
(Age 12+) Highly recommended. What an emotional roller coaster ride for
Clem, and all who read this
absorbing and challenging book. Kim Miller's knowledge and
understanding of angry and unhappy youths comes through
very strongly as he writes with emotion and candour through an
adolescent's voice. The title implies an unhappy youth, yet
throughout the novel hope shines through. Clem believes his mother's
death at his birth is his fault. He and his father have a
tumultuous relationship made more difficult from a sexually abusive
teacher! He writes to his recently dead grandmother at the behest
of the school counsellor called 'the Rev'. The language is that
of
a teenager at war with himself and the world, (he's in a school for
toxic teenagers), but wonderful pieces of wit and humour and growing
self awareness are laced throughout the letters and gives the reader a
real sense of hope for the 'Clems' of this world. Clem finds
peace within himself, a first love and a strong bond between father and
son.The topics are tough and of our time but the enduring
strength given by the teachers in Clem's school is a reminder of the
positive effect teachers can have on each child's development. A
fast paced novel well worth reading no matter who you teach.
Sue Nosworthy
Second star to the right by Deborah Hautzig
Walker Books, 2008. ISBN 9781406315493.
(Age 13+) Recommended.A hauntingly distressing book, made all the worse
for it's a reality to
anyone suffering anorexia nervosa. Leslie at 14 thinks that her
life
would be perfect if she was thin but as she says on page 69: 'I'll
know when I'm thin because I'll be happy.' She has very high
expectations of herself, well loved by her family and has a supportive
good friend in Cavett. This is a revealing emotional ride for us
all,
especially as this is partly biographical. The sad journey takes
Leslie from home to hospital where we leave her with others in a
similar position, struggling to be able to eat again. The stark
cover
will draw many adolescent readers to look inside. It's a novel to
share and discuss with young people
Sue Nosworthy
Oddly by Joyce Dunbar
Ill. by Patrick Benson. Walker Books, 2009. ISBN
9781844280322.
(All ages) What a strange but memorable picture book! Three weird
creatures, Lostlet, Strangelet and Oddlet, are roaming in the woods.
The Lostlet is going around in circles and doesn't know what he is
hoping for. The Strangelet asks himself, 'What am I?' and doesn't know
what he is dreaming of. The Oddlet asks, 'Who am I?' and wonders what
he is wishing for. A little boy, who is also lost, comes along, and
doesn't know who or what he is. The four get together and
discover that love is what makes you better.
This tale looks at identity and self-perception in a warm and loving
way. The three strange creatures are very appealing especially when
they evolve into Huglet, Snuglet and Foundlet. The little boy has a
wonderfully expressive face, each emotion clearly depicted by the
beautifully illustrations by Patrick Benson. Indeed, it is the
illustrations with their gorgeous sweeps of pale orange and blue
backgrounds that bring this story to life.
I can imagine reading it aloud to very young children who will be
reassured that love is still waiting even if they get lost or feel
strange or odd.
Pat Pledger
A finder's magic by Philipa Pearce
Walker Books, 2008. ISBN 9781406309225
(Age 7-12) Highly recommended.
Reminiscent of Philip Pullman's The Scarecrow and the Servant,
this
beautifully crafted novel is a joy to read. Till's dog Bess is
missing and Till is shattered. He meets a strange man who calls
himself Finder who offers to help find Bess. Finder gently
teaches Till to believe in himself and to ask questions of a mole, a
heron, a cat who talks in riddles and the two old ladies, Miss Mousy
and Miss Gammer. It's a mystery with Finder subtlety suggesting
ways to look for Bess. It is written by Philippa Pearce for her
grandsons and illustrated by Helen Craig, the boys' other grandmother,
who painted and sketched the delicate pictures which enhance the
already evocative text. Till's full name is an anagram of the
grandsons' names. This is a story to be shared with a child, so
together the finer points of language and illustration, can be talked
through and enjoyed. The paper is smooth with a silky touch and
the embossed cover makes this a special and delightful reading
experience.
Sue Nosworthy
Little chick by Amy Hest
Ill. By Anita Jeram. Walker, 2009. ISBN 9781406316414
(Ages 3-6) Three short stories about Little Chick make up this
beautifully illustrated picture book. Little Chick longs to be able to
make her carrot grow and her kite to fly. She wants to touch her star
in the sky and put it in her pocket. But with the help of Old-Auntie,
she realises that while she cannot always immediately do what she
wants, there are things to be thankful for in the present. She is a
good and patient gardener, she can skip very nicely and she is a good
stretcher.
Amy Hest has created two lovely characters in a warm and loving
relationship. Little Chick is enthusiastic and wants to try out the
impossible. Old-Auntie is a wonderful adult, always able to think of
positive things and able to reassure Little Chick about her ability to
do things.
Anita Jeram's soft muted watercolours highlight this loving connection
and make the story come alive. A picture of Old-Auntie putting her wing
over Little Chick and protecting her in a blanket of love is very
memorable as is Little Chick dragging along a leaf for a kite.
The print is large and clear and each story can be read by itself or as
an interconnected whole. This would be a good read aloud for young
children and would especially show the importance that caregivers can
have in children's lives. It also examines the fact that sometimes
people fail at what they want to achieve, but they learn important
lessons on the way.
Pat Pledger
Sting by Raymond Huber
Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781921150890
(Ages 7-10) Ziggy is a little bee who just doesn't fit in. He is
called Oddbee by the other bees in the hive because he likes to explore
and do different things. He goes on a quest to find out why he doesn't
fit in with the other bees. He has many adventures on the way to
discovering who he really is and why being different can sometimes be a
real help in times of danger.
Sting is told in the first person, from Ziggy's perspective. Huber
takes the reader on a wonderful journey told through the eyes of the
little bee. It is full of danger for Ziggy, who has to answer many
questions about why bees are being trained to sniff out explosives and
where the black cloud of killer bees has come from. On the way many
fascinating snippets of information about bees are described and the
reader becomes very aware of the complex life they lead.
All of the characters seemed real and alive to me. Huber has managed to
give his little bees separate and engaging personalities. I
particularly liked the way the author used names for the bees starting
with Z - Ziggy, Zabel, Queen Zenova and so on. This alliteration and
the fast paced action would make the story fun to read aloud.
There are many themes in this book that could be explored through
discussion and lessons. It has a strong message of tolerance for
difference and an anti-war thread is evident throughout the plot.
There is a good glossary at the end with information about bees and the
fact that they are dying out throughout the world. Sting would fit into
a classroom activity about insects, conservation and understanding of
diversity. Classroom ideas can be found here.
Pat Pledger
The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
Scholastic, 2009. ISBN 9781407109084.
(Ages 13+) It is the near future. Panem, once known as North America,
is controlled by a dictator who manipulates reality TV to control the
population. It is divided into 12 Districts and is run from the
Capitol. Each year 2 teenagers from each district are chosen by
compulsory lottery to participate in the Hunger Games. All must fight
to the death, but the winner will never be hungry again. When her
little sister is chosen, Katniss Everdeen takes her place and together
with Peeta Mellark, the baker's son, they are taken to the Arena
knowing they will probably be killed.
Katniss is a survivor. She has been looking after her mother and sister
ever since her father died. With the help of Gale, an 18 year old young
man, she has left the confines of her village and ventures out into the
wilds to gather food for the family and to barter for other
necessities. Faced with the Hunger Games, she puts all her knowledge
about the wild into use. She thinks her way through the game, just
barely keeping ahead of the monster wasps, werewolves and the rest of
the teenage pack. She is a strong and gutsy heroine and the reader
cheers on her efforts to stay alive.
The story is full of non-stop action and violence and the suspense
keeps the reader glued to the page. Collins has created a dystopian
world that is well developed and realistic enough to pull the reader
in. Her vivid writing made the terror and anguish that the teens go
though in the Games come alive for me, almost as if I was actually
watching it on TV. Indeed, for people used to reality TV, The Hunger
Games show feels quite familiar.
All Collins' characters are well drawn and engaging and their
development is clear and deftly handled. The touch of romance between
Katniss and Peeta and Katniss's feelings for Gale make for an appealing
love triangle which teenage girls will enjoy. Readers will want to read
the sequel to see what happens.
This is one of the most exciting books I have read this year, a
compulsive survival book with a frightening dystopian society driving
the action.
Pat Pledger
