Reviews

The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Danny DaVinci: the flying machine of Lombardy by Bruce Whatley and Rosie Smith

ABC Books, 2008.
(Age - Middle Primary) A small graphic novel with some factual information through the story. Danny DaVinci, his sister Lisa Leonardo and his friends Mick Angelo work and play in his uncle Leo's art studio. When the Duke of Milan issues a challenge for someone to build a flying machine the boys think they have a plan that will see them gain the reward. Lisa quietly sorts out the problems as they arise and as the boys become more involved in creating the machine. A short story that could be a starting point for a more indepth look at any of the many ideas and characters mentioned in the story.
Sue Johnston
Marden Education Centre Library

Whose eggs? by Jeanette Rowe

ABC Books, 2008.
(Age - Junior Primary) Lift the flap on each page to find out whose egg is in the picture. Each egg is different in shape and colour and under the flap is a picture of the bird or animal who comes from that particular egg. There are other books in this series (eg whose belly? and whose feet?). A brightly coloured book that could be used to generate discussion within a class or small group. The idea could also be extended to have students preparing their own lift the flap idea to ask a question and then reveal the answer.
Sue Johnston
Marden Education Centre Library

Jimmy Coates: Sabotage by Joe Craig

HarperCollins, 2007.
(Age 10+) This is the fourth in this highly exciting series, Jimmy Coates was presumed dead at the end of number three (Revenge) But this boy, produced by a future dictatorial British government as a weapon, having just 38% of his body human, the rest machine, does not give up easily. Thrown into a situation where he has to fight his machine side to keep his human instincts alive, in the search for his mother and sister, he must use all of his powers to stay alive. NJ7 is after him, although they think that he is Zafi, another of the children born to be weapons, and it is not until Mitchell comes to the oil rig, that his true identity is revealed.

An exciting, thrill a minute series, Jimmy Coates is exhilarating. Young James Bond mixed with a dose of Famous Five, all wrapped up with a big dollop of morality as Jimmy tries to suppress his manufactured side which is bent on destruction. A heady mix for upper primary and lower secondary readers, the series is easy to read and will appeal to boys.
Fran Knight

Media Savvy by Jim Schembri

Lothian 2008 ISBN 9780764410252
(Age 12+) Cobey Myles is a model, and having her face and figure perfect requires all her waking moments. Taken as a work experience student to a snow field brings her luck as the interviewer falls and so Cobey must take her place. She then is put in place to interview the minister who comes to open a child care centre at the lodge, and so begins her meteoric rise to stardom. But her inquisitive mind and exceptional intelligence cause her to rethink things the minister said, and question some of the things happening around her.

Not your usual crime fiction story, Schembri has his tongue firmly in his cheek as he recounts the days spent looking in a mirror, preening, dressing up, talking about tips for dieting and so on, the normal world for aspiring models. Clue by clue is dropped for the reader and Cobey to pick up and mesh together as the story draws to a climax.

Although slow to get going, I found this a most enjoyable read, similar to several others from this author, ..set in an identifiable place with characters both normal and recognizable, Schembri grounds his stories in the everyday, with a touch of the exotic, leading the reader on through his maze of incidental information to a satisfying conclusion after many plot twists and turns.
Fran Knight

Paraphernalia's present by Diana Lawrenson

Illustrated by Dee Huxley
ABC Books.2008. ISBN 9780733317422.
(Age Junior Primary) A heartwarming story of chooks and friendship. Dottie and her hen, Paraphernalia share the goings on during each day. One day Dottie has an accident and is house bound for a while. During this time Paraphenalia lays an egg each day that hatch into chickens and from then on Dottie has so many eggs she is able to sell them and makes many new friends in the process. The book also contains some useful facts about hens, chickens and roosters which could be used as part of a unit of work for a class.
Sue Johnston
Marden Education Centre Library

Trust me! edited by Paul Collins

Ford Street Publishing, 2008 ISBN 9781876462574
A solid book (412p) containing short stories and poems by some 40 Australian authors and poets, with an introduction by Isobelle Carmody is a well needed resource for schools. Short stories and modern verse written by contemporary poets is in short supply, so I grabbed this to read more eagerly than some I have been sent to review.

A story entitled, Abandoned, by Robert Hood, grabbed me as it was a crime story set in a rubbish dump. What more could you ask for? This was followed with a foray into Bill Condon's little treat about bullying and rats, called The cost of air. For dessert, I read Doug MacLeod's laugh out loud poem, Smarty, then a night cap with Carol Jones, Under/Over. And that was just for starters.

As with any book of short stories, there are some that grab and some that leave you cold, but any reader will find something to amuse, delight and entertain in this tome. Its range of stories is impressive, from horror to mystery to science fiction and even romance, there is something for everyone.
Fran Knight

Jungle by Maurice Pledger

Summit Press, 2008. (Sounds of the Wild)
(Age 4-7) This 16 page pop-up book tells children of the sights and sounds of the jungle. Each double page spread has a host of colourful and intriguing vistas which illustrate the animals and birds which live in that particular jungle. On the following page is an explanation of each spread, with headings and a key to the preceding page. Joining the wonderful pop-ups is sound, initially scaring the pants off me, but thoroughly enjoyable to a child reading the book with an adult.

On the Australian page, for example, is a colourful presentation of the Australian bush, replete with pictures including a cockatoo, kookaburra, koala, wombat, lorikeet, as well as a kangaroo, and assorted waratah. The page opens with a squawk from a cockatoo, and following is a page which explains all that is displayed. That page entitled The Edge of the Forest, seems to include a range of animals, plants and insects common to many areas in Australia.

As with all pop-ups, the book would best be used with a child and an adult, because of the ephemeral nature of a pop-up book, and this dazzling treat is sure to engage young children with its colours and sounds. There are some problems with this book, however, I could not see why it was written or who it was written for. Is it an information book? If so, then there is a lack of consistency, no headings and titles on the picture pages, and no index or contents page. If it is a picture book just for kids to look at then consistency of the word jungle needs to be addressed, and words culled to make it accessible to younger readers.
Fran Knight

Pip: the story of Olive by Kim Kane

Allen & Unwin 2008
(Age 11 – 13) It's not easy having a mother named Mog who was once a hippy and now is a well respected lawyer and judge, a father whom you've never met but you only know as WilliamPetersMustardSeed and a best friend who has the 'perfect' family and who suddenly disowns you to hang out with 'the most elegant girl in Year 7'! On top of this you discover you have a twin sister....or do you? Olive has never felt like she belongs and as she enters high school, life becomes a little more challenging. With a desire to fit in and the sudden arrival of Pip, Olive sets out on a quest to find her father and try and discover who she is. Along the way she makes a new friend and discovers some talents she didn't realise she had. Life as a teenager is filled with self discovery, friendship issues, search for identity, family relationships and the need to belong. This is a great first novel that explores the chaotic life of adolescent girls and the ways they cope with the challenges life throws them.
Tracy Glover

Take it Easy, Danny Allen by Phil Cummings

PanMacmillan, 2008 ISBN 9780330423731
(Age 8-12) The sequel to the engaging and lighthearted, Danny Allen was here, is just wonderful, as Danny must roll with his parents' decision to move to the city after the failure of their farm in the Mid North of South Australia. Remembering comments from his friends at Mundowie sees Danny suspicious and unsettled, and their arrival in the city is marred by their friend, Thommo, being taken to hospital after his truck crashes.

Their 'apartment', a third floor cramped set of rooms, where the three children must bunk in together, is in a strange part of town, next to a run down old theatre, and a sparkling new Mercedes franchise. Looking out of the window, Danny sees an eccentric old man replete with a multi coloured apron, waving at him. The warning words of his friend come back to him, and he refuse to return the wave, watching instead as the man scoops something from the road, giving it to the mad old woman he has already seen around the streets.

The setting is brilliant, evocative of the things a kid would see newly arrived in a totally new place, with people and things, all so fresh and rather unsettling. Instead of looking for friends, Danny is suspicious and backwards, but it takes a loose dog in the park for friendships to develop, and from there the ease of transition to the city becomes less difficult. A warm and engaging story, Take it Easy, Danny Allen will find a host of fans in middle to upper primary schools.

Scribble sunset by Ann Shenfield

Hachette Livre (Lothian Children's Books) 2008.
(Age 7+) Ann Shenfield, a prize winning animation filmmaker, has come up with a delightful picture book that will fuel the imagination of anyone who reads it. A little girl is determined to find the sunset and on the way she scribbles down her thoughts about the clouds she sees, a magpie and its babies, and Jones, the one person she doesn't want to think about.

Her musings raise all sorts of ideas about perspective in art and the whimsical illustrations could stimulate the reader to ask questions about different intriguing paintings and art works. These could be used to send the reader off on a quest to investigate them.

Perception, about art and people, is another major theme. As the little girl muses: 'Some things depend on where you're standing.' - a line could be a line or it could 'be the ocean with a glorious sunset over the horizon.' The author also explores, in a very gentle way, how the little girl's perception of Jones changed when they reached the ocean and she got to know him.

I loved this book and the ideas and pictures lingered in my mind long after I read it.
Pat Pledger

Genius squad by Catherine Jinks

Allen and Unwin 2008
(Age 12+) Highly recommended for its originality, this sequel to Evil genius will enthral its readers with its high tech hero, Cadel Piggott, deciding to use his hacking skills to fight evil. With the Axis Institute for World Domination blown up and Prosper English in gaol, he and his friend Sonya are approached to join a group of talented kids known as the Genius Squad. But can he trust the people at Clearview House?

Jinks has mixed together a clever mixture of technology and computers with an appealing hero who is learning to have a conscience and sorting his way through right and wrong. Memorable characters crowd the pages and the plot twists will keep the readers moving along at a fast past.

Intelligent readers who like books about technology and who appreciate a brilliant plot and wonderful imagination will grab this fast moving adventure.
Pat Pledger

My life and other catastrophes by Rowena Mohr

Allen and Unwin, 2008 (series: Girlfriend Fiction)
(Age 11-14) Poor old Erin Costello, not only does she have to keep a diary, a written record to improve her expression, for English, but her parents have split up, and mum's new boyfriend, Creepazoid, has moved in, almost. Through the long diary entries, we see life totally from Erin's self absorbed perception. As she toys with the idea that Creepazoid is not all he seems, and she has to put up with him not only at home but at school, where he is the PE teacher, she also has conflicts with her best friend, Rami, an environmentalist who is trying vainly to get Erin more aware.

From one episode to another, the diary entries build the tension as the reader can see where it is headed, although Erin cannot. A very funny look at a self absorbed year 10 student, trying to be part of the play at school, watching her mum's boyfriend, and taking time off school the better to investigate him, this book will have broad appeal to girls in upper primary and lower secondary school.
Fran Knight

Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb by Kirsten Miller

Random House, 2007
(Ages 11-15 years) An amazing group of young girls gather as hi-tech crime solvers on the streets of New York. Led by Kiki Strike, who lays claim to the throne of Pokrovia, the friends combine their amazing talents and take the reader on a fast-paced story of intrigue and adventure. Combining school with a good deal of nocturnal investigation tests the girls, but they are determined to rid the city of its latest villain, even if they have to resort to some masterly, home-made potions and devices!

Ananka tells the story of the exploits of the six best friends with great humour and honesty, providing plenty of personal comments on the action. The reader is swept along by the author's appealing style and language. There are kidnappings, the theft and copying of valuable art pieces, and deceit and intrigue when one girl discovers her father's criminal past. With the help of some street kids, the girls go to extraordinary lengths to solve a mystery which threatens to entangle them all in a web they may not escape from.

The Empress's Tomb is a wonderful read, well told and constantly holding the reader's attention. Set in a modern city with an intriguing past, and full of memorable characters, this story is thoroughly enjoyable. This is the second Kiki Strike adventure – it follows Inside the Shadow City. It is highly recommended.
Julie Wells

The uncommon reader by Alan Bennett

Faber and Faber, 2007.
(Age Secondary to adult) The uncommon reader, by the delightful Alan Bennett is filled with glorious asides by the Queen, little passing barbs at the royal family, the government and its civil service, The uncommon reader is a hoot. Bennett has cast his acerbic eye towards Buckingham Palace, where the Queen spies a van at the back of the kitchens. Investigating, because the corgi is causing a stir, and one doesn't want another person bitten by the royal dog, she finds the City of Westminster traveling library, and it opens a new world of reading for her. So much so that the equerries are concerned that she is neglecting her public duties.

A wonderful read for anyone with a few hours to spare, The uncommon reader will make you laugh out loud. The twists taken by the story are wholly believable, and the championing of reading as an activity for all is sterling Alan Bennett. There should be a copy in every library.
Fran Knight