University of Queensland Press, 2004. ISBN: 9780702234774. (Age:12+) Recommended.
Lomer has written a thoughtful novel that explores the cultural differences between Australian and Japan. Her personal experience of living in Japan and teaching English has given her an in depth understanding of what it is like to live in another country. She also has the ability to describe differences in language usage in a very humourous way.
The story opens with the main protagonist, Akira, a Japanese student, as the narrator of the story, relating his experiences to his friend Satoshi. Expected to take over his father’s business, Akira finds it difficult to adjust to the prospect of that and the demands of studying. The reader gets a glimpse of life in Japan and the pressures of family and education that Japanese teenagers face.
Akira is sent to Tasmania to study at university and to improve his knowledge of English before he commences work with his father. His experiences living with his host family, the Moffats, give an insight into the many language and custom differences that a person coming from another culture has to contend with.
However, it is the relationships between Akira and his host family, the Moffats, and the gradually emerging mystery around a missing family member that grip the attention of the reader. Akira becomes fascinated with the complexities that surround the Moffat family and how each member reacts to what has obviously been a harrowing experience. He is drawn to Angie, the eldest daughter, although she appears to bitterly resent him and refuses to help him adjust to life in a new country.
Akira gets to know the Moffats and is drawn into the tense atmosphere in their home. The suspense surrounding the person who had once occupied the spare room is maintained well by Lomer. The reader is drawn into the emotions and reactions of members of the family to the grief surrounding the missing family member as well as to the budding romance between Akira and Angie. The conclusion although satisfactory, was a little rushed.
One of the most attractive features about the book is the outgoing personality of Akira who is a very likeable main character. He is optimistic, friendly and eagerly takes advantage of the opportunities and freedom that he finds in Tasmania. He has the ability to forge friendships and to learn new skills. The other characters are not described as fully by Lomer.
This would be a useful novel to explore cultural differences and students who were hosting a student from overseas, or were planning to study in another country would find it interesting.
Themes Student exchanges, Japanese in Australia.
Pat Pledger
Joe Cinque’s consolation by Helen Garner
Pan Macmillan, 2016. ISBN: 9781925483574. (Age:16+)
This the true story of Joe Cinque who died from a massive dose of Rohypnol and heroin given to him at a dinner party where the guests had been told that there was a plan to murder him. His girlfriend Anu Singh and friend Madhavi Rao were later charged with his murder and tried separately. Helen Garner follows the two trials, meeting the Singh family and becoming close to Joe Cinque’s mother. It is an intimate look at the justice system and how crime affects the people involved.
This an absorbing if at times traumatic reading experience. The reader gains a clear picture of the narcissistic Anu Singh and her friend the easily led Rao, and is caught up in the compelling personality of Mrs Cinque and her overwhelming grief. The book opens with an immensely powerful verbatim dramatisation of Anu Singh’s phone call asking for medical assistance for the dying Joe. The self-doubts that the author Helen Garner struggles with are sympathetically portrayed, as are her battles to understand a legal system that doesn’t necessarily provide justice.
The book leaves its reader with much to ponder about: the murder of a young man and the light sentencing given; the duty of care of the bystanders; whether a victim’s family can ever recover a normal life and the struggle of an author to make sense of a senseless killing.
Themes Drugs, Murder.
Pat Pledger
Tersias by G.P. Taylor
Faber and Faber, 2007. ISBN: 9780571236084. (Age:15+)
Tersias, by G. P. Taylor, is a dark and frightening tale set in the poverty stricken streets of 18th century London. The story centres on Tersias, a young boy who has been blinded by his drunken mother in order to earn more money as a beggar. Acquired by the magician Malachi, he is kept in a gilded cage and forced to predict the future with the aid of the fearsome Wretchkin who invades his mind. As dark forces gather in the streets of London, his fate becomes entwined with that of Jonah a young highwayman, his two friends Tara and Maggot and the powerful Lord Malpas from whom Jonah has stolen a magical dagger and an alabaster box. Solomon, a crazed religious zealot who has bred a new species of giant flesh-eating locusts, also seeks to control Tersias and the dagger.
G.P. Taylor is a master at setting an intense, gripping atmosphere. His depictions of terrifying characters such as the doglike creature who pursues Jonah and the grotesque prisoner who stalks Tara in a pitch black cell, waving a rotten head on a stick are more graphic than is usual in books aimed at the adolescent market. Descriptions of The Citadel, Solomon’s headquarters, bring to life the religious cult and the cruel brainwashing that goes on there. The reader is relieved to find that there is a gentler, kinder place, Vamana House, where the healer Griselda lives and ethical behaviour rules.
Taylor does not attempt to portray his heroes as perfect; they are frail and uncertain and tread a difficult path to redemption. His villains, Malpas and Solomon, lust for power, whether it is spiritual or political. His introduction of more main characters towards the end of the book is unusual but doesn’t detract from the flow of the narrative. The dark themes of manipulation, corruption of power and religious zeal are very disturbing.
This book, with its combination of horror and fantasy, will have appeal to teens who enjoy being frightened.
Themes Cults, Magicians, Adventure, London.
Pat Pledger
Shielding the truth by Michael Panckridge
HarperCollins, 2006. ISBN: 9780207200526.
Shielding The Truth is Michael Panckridge's twentieth book for readers who like sports. This time sport identity, Laurie Daley, assists him with writing about rugby league. Sam Davies is the main character who loves rugby league so much that he is prepared to sneak out at night to watch any game. One night he witnesses something that he decides he must investigate with the assistance of his friends.
The combination of sport information with a mystery will hold the interest of readers both boys and girls. The main character Sam is engaging.
Shielding The Truth also includes a glossary of rugby league terms, for those who are not really familiar with rugby league. It will appeal to sports fanatics and young reluctant readers.
This is a compelling story set in the harsh bushland of Alaska in 1968 and 1969. The story unfolds in the words of four Alaskan teenagers who are each touched by Dove Alexie, a strange boy who lands in jail for hitting a white teacher and who is savagely beaten by the assistant marshall. When he turns up missing, Lorraine Hobbs, a loner who brings meals to the prisoners, begins to question why a 16 year old boy was in prison and involves Annette Weinland, the minister’s daughter who volunteers there. Thelma and Edgar, two Yup’ik orphans have encounted Dove at a boarding school earlier. With each teenager’s distinctive story, the reader gains an insight into their bleak lives and the mystery of Dove unfolds.
The author lived and taught in Alaska and she portrays the grim location in an unforgettable way. The harshness and isolation of the small town, the separation of the native Alaskan peoples from their families and the grimness of the boarding school all form an authentic background to the growth of the characters as they try to come into their own.
Orenstein deals with large issues like displacement, alienation, rape and death in an unforgettable way. She uses humour to relieve the bleakness, but the reader is left feeling overwrought by the fate of the young Yup’iks. This is a memorable, thought provoking story.
This is a rivetting tale, part thriller, part pop adolescent fiction, part expose of what makes things cool, about two engaging New York characters, Hunter and Jen. They meet when Hunter spots Jen’s unique shoelaces, which look like the red rising sun on a sideways Japanese flag. He asks if he can take a photo, using his new model mobile phone.
Hunter is a “cool spotter”, paid to spot new trends and report them back to big corporations. He invites Jen to go with him to a “cool tasting” to check out a new product and over the new two days, they go on a crazy chase through New York, trying to find Hunter’s missing boss, Mandy, and the coolest shoes that they have ever seen. The story is action packed with Jen and Hunter breaking into abandoned buildings, attending upper crust parties, and evading the Jammers, who work for the Anti Client, and who are trying to destroy market branding.
Readers will be challenged to name the products in Westerfield’s story – and identify those that are already obsolete (so yesterday). They will also be challenged to identify where they come in the cool pyramid – innovator, trend setter, follower, laggard or classicist and may not look at advertising in quite the same way again.
A mer person takes human form with the quest to save someone, a kind of initiation process in the mer world, and the challenge becomes to reunite lifesaver Sean with his inconstant boyfriend Dominic. The novel construct of Crest, the mer person becoming Ross on land, gaining legs and learning about the human world, provides for humorous scenarios that carry this novel along. That, and the side character of Kavya, Sean’s best friend, only too eager to tell it how it is, full of lusty gags and puns, keeps the comedy flowing.
This is a rom-com, as Sean himself recognises only too well as he is a great fan of rom-coms and has aspirations to be a film director, so the plans to get the faithless Dominic back are mapped out like the schedule of screenshots in a movie. It all goes to plan, until, as you might guess, fake date threatens to turn into true romance. The question becomes whether this is true love; and whether there is any possibility of Sean and Ross really getting together, since Ross must return to the sea at the end of the month.
Jason June creates an interesting fantasy with his depiction of the mer world where there are no binary gender definitions: Ross hasn’t experienced gender distinctions, and isn’t comfortable being defined as male. The pronoun for Ross are ‘they’ and ‘their’. The nice thing in this novel is that everyone, Sean included, accepts this naturally and just moves on.
Because this is all new to Ross, there are numerous references to ‘hard-ons’, ‘driftwood’ and ‘bone talk’, but the intimate scenes actually include really good conversations about consent. And the strong messages that resonate throughout are about building self-esteem, being authentic, and talking things through when there are problems. It’s a mixed bag of comedy, romance, self realisation and social comment; with an ending that is not as predictable as you might expect.
Themes LGBQTI+, Humour, Romance, Identity, Acceptance of diversity.
This novel set in the Hundred Years War fought between England and France seven centuries ago reveals the transitory nature of war, alongside the barbarity and utter randomness of death and mutilation. Jones, an academic well known for his earthy presentations of medieval society, has turned his hand to historical fiction. Exciting and fast paced the novel, Essex Dogs, is based on a small group of people to whom things happen that reflect everyone’s part in war, from the kings and princes to earls and lords to captains, archers, swordsmen and foot soldiers.
What impressed me was the gritty day to day life of the ten men we get to know well: the Essex Dogs, a company of men who fight, eat, sleep, pillage and march together. Their leader, Loveday, an older, experienced man, watches over his unit with fearful eyes, aware of the danger they will be facing, encouraging them to watch out for each other, knowing that his peak fighting skills are behind him.
It is these ten men we see throughout the book including Father, a priest and fighter, Millstone Scotsman and Pismire as well as two Welsh brothers, and Romfort, who make good use of his long bow.
Their lives reflect how they are treated, fed and housed, how the orders are given, the infighting between those in charge. We are introduced to the foot slogging tedium of life on the road, how a siege works, the seemingly random butchery of many villagers along the way. Each chapter heading quotes writing from the time, giving a strength to the details Jones includes in his writing.
Jones gives a vastly different account of the son of Edward the Third, the Back Prince, eager to be king, and shows his power, at odds with his father, contrasting with the relationship between Philip V1 and his son.
The army travels across the English Channel to northern France, there to engage the imposter king, Philip V1 of France. The ten breaks up, Father part of a ruse to undermine the French, is tortured and killed, while Romfort is taken by the Black Prince because he is able to supply drugs, the Welsh archers go their own way, leaving only four left to fight. But they become tied up with the plans of those in charge, enabling Jones to give us a worm’s eye view of the campaign, particularly as it draws near Crecy.
I loved listening to the audio of this book. It was an eye opener to the everyday behind the battles of war, of losing your shoes, of sharpening swords, of looting the villages - this detail was fascinating. The language Jones puts into their mouths was confronting, and I had to fast forward a couple of scene of brutality, but these are minor quibbles as I was transfixed, readily absorbing the plethora of detail found within their conversations.
This is the first book in a trilogy, the second, Wolves of Winter will be available in October.
Themes One Hundred Years War, France England, War, Battle of Crecy, Historical fiction.
Fran Knight
A chicken called Hope by Danny Parker and Tamlyn Teow
Dirt Lane Press, 2023. ISBN: 9780648899686.
Hope the chicken is the captain of Courage, a somewhat ramshackle ship that criss-crosses the oceans of the world, relying on Hope's blind faith that all would be well throughout its voyages. When Hope feels queasy she clucks out a tune until the feeling goes; when she feels tired she dozes in the breeze... But when the ship develops a leak, and, as usual, Hope procrastinates about fixing it things start to deteriorate and Hope finds that hope is not enough to save the ship, and she learns a powerful lesson about being proactive.
On the surface, this is a pleasant story that will engage young readers, particularly as they engage with the onomatopoeia as the drip, drip, dribble becomes larger and use the illustrations to tell the story that the words don't. They might even explore the old adage "A stitch in time saves nine" and how such traditional sayings can still apply to modern life. What situations can they identify that that saying could apply to? Are there other sayings that might apply to Hope's predicament?
But, in line with the publisher's philosophy of "tackl[ing] important social issues cleverly disguised as narratives" there is an allegory that older readers might like to tease out and not only discuss the issues it raises but why an author might choose a picture book format to portray them, thus developing their literary understanding of the purpose and power of the picture book. It could also be an interesting exercise in perspective - do all the readers identify the same message and if so (or otherwise), why? They might even debate whether using a form of entertainment for children is a legitimate or ethical way to portray a political message, exploring the text-to-self and text-to-world connections, as well as suggesting others they have read with a similar theme. Food for thought that enables this book to be used across age groups.
This is a wonderful retelling of the old fairy tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Superstition says that children who are born facing north will travel far from home. Rose is one of seven children and her mother is terrified that she will lose her to the icy northern realms because she is a north child. When a great white bear confronts Rose and tells her that her sick sister will be cured and the family’s fortune restored if she travels north with him, she agrees to go. Rose grows to love the white bear and when she discovers that he is a young man who has been put under the spell of an evil Troll Queen, she realises that she must rescue him.
This book is difficult to put down because of the memorable characters and the many adventures that Rose encounters. Pattou entices her reader into the story with beautiful descriptions of landscape and ice, everyday life like the art of weaving; extraordinary events and deep felt love. Rose is a strong willed and determined heroine, the Troll Queen avaricious and corrupt, the great Bear mysterious and alluring, Neddy, Rose’s brother patient and loving. The epic journey to the ice palace in the north is fraught with danger.
This is an outstanding adventure fantasy and will be enjoyed especially by people who like C. S. Lewis, Tamora Pierce and Robin McKinley. Highly recommended.
The Bayview Crew - first they had to prove they weren't killers, then the next group had to outwit a vengeful copycat. Now it looks like it's all happening again, when a billboard in town reads 'TIME FOR A NEW GAME, BAYVIEW'. Those who have survived Simon and then the Truth or Dare game have bonded over the trauma, and now they are worried - because not only is someone about to 'play a new game', but it even looks like someone could be back for good - Jake went to prison for his involvement in Simon's set up of Nate and Addy to take the fall, almost killing Addy as a result. But now he's out on the streets, and people are disappearing... including their own. This is another game that no-one wants to play, but everyone is caught up in it anyway...
Karen M. McManus has done it again - another stunning mystery/thriller perfectly encapsulating heart racing suspense with the right mix of relationships and humour, and a great cast of characters. The final installment of the One of Us is Lying series, fans of the series and of the author will devour the book quickly - wanting to know what each character is up to as well as what the latest mystery is all about. How McManus manages to keep readers on the edges of their seats every time, as well as keep them guessing, I honestly don't know. Perfect for fans of the author, as well as for fans of YA mystery/thriller. Best if read after the first two of the series, though readers could manage to pick up enough of the first two books to understand the history as well as the new mystery.
Themes Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary, High School, Revenge, Relationships.
Ripper is an addictive novel that had me enthralled until the last page and had me immediately going back to read Burr’s first novel Wake.
Gemma’s small rural town of Rainier is notorious for one reason – three people had been murdered by the Rainier Ripper seventeen years ago and the last victim died in her arms in her little teashop. Now a tour operator wants to promote tours of Rainier as the murder town and the town is divided about its impact. Some want the custom that visitors would bring, while others dread having the memories of their loved ones being viewed by curious tourists. When the tour operator is found dead in the fountain in a copycat murder Gemma is drawn into the dark secrets that haunt the town. Her husband Hugh is a police officer still suffering the effects of investigating the first murders, while townspeople are becoming desperate because of the lack of visitors bringing trade to the town. Gemma is drawn into the investigation, and so is a prisoner named Lane Holland who has been asked to find the identity of the first victim, an unknown Czech woman.
Ripper is a gripping thriller that is difficult to put down. Burr vividly describes a country town that has been by-passed by the highway between Sydney and Melbourne, and which has lost its tourist visitors because of its reputation as a murder town. The difficult relationships between some of the families living in the town and the grief of family members who have lost a loved one add to the underlying tension. Gemma believes she knows everyone, but who can be the killer? There are quite a few characters to become familiar with, but I found the Rainier Ripper Trial Tour VIP list pg. 6., a handy reference point while working out who is who in the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ripper and can see why Burr’s first novel Wake, enjoyed acclaim and awards. I read it as a stand-alone, and then read Wake, but readers who have not read either would benefit from reading Wake first as Lane Holland’s story can be found there. Another great rural noir novel for readers who enjoyed books by Garry Disher, Jane Harper and Chris Hammer.
Themes Murder, Country towns.
Pat Pledger
Meet Mim by Sandra Severgnini
EK Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781922539557. Recommended.
Where the cool river meets the warm ocean and the roots of the mangroves provide sanctuary for all sorts of creatures on the sandy seabeds of the Indo-Pacific region, lives Thaumoctopus mimicus. But what is this creature? Is it a brown-spotted flatfish? A spiked lionfish? A banded sea snake? Perhaps it is a hermit crab, maybe a jellyfish or even a sea anemone. A seahorse? A feather star? A seashell or stingray... No? Wait, perhaps it is all of these things...
In this intriguing book young readers are introduced to a fascinating creature that can change colour, shape and skin texture at will mimicking those around it to deter predators. For Mim, is, in fact an octopus!! Discovered in 1998 off the coast of Sulawesi in Indonesia but also found around the Great Barrier Reef, this master of disguise is the first of the genus to be observed impersonating other creatures and is the first known species to take on the characteristics of multiple species. A video can be seen here.
Using a guessing game technique that is so much more engaging than a fact sheet <https://www.marinebio.org/species/mimic-octopuses/thaumoctopus-mimicus/> , accompanied by detailed illustrations, this is a book that will captivate young readers who are interested in the miracles of Mother Nature, particularly how creatures protect themselves through camouflage. The double-page spread that compares Mim to those she imitates is fascinating and the STEM activities of the teachers' notes offer lots of suggestions that will encourage further exploration, including investigating the differences between "disguise" and "mimicry". They also offer some suggestions for how we, as humans, can develop mindfulness strategies by mimicking Mim but perhaps older students could explore the concept of human disguise - who are we and what are we doing when we choose to use make up, follow a fashion trend, adopt a hairstyle and so forth. Why do we try to "disguise" ourselves and are our strategies successful?
This is another of the new breed of non fiction that demands to be in the collection so that our students have access to all sorts of stuff that goes beyond the curriculum and into the worlds of wonder and curiosity to spark the imagination and investigation. Seriously, who among us knew of this little creature let alone well enough to introduce it to our students?
Themes Mimic Octopus, Marine life.
Barbara Braxton
That's not my monster by Fiona Watt. Ilus. by Rachel Wells
Another in this highly entertaining board books series will thrill young audiences as it is read to them, the reader encouraging the little hands to feel all aspects of the creature on each page.One in the series, Usborne Touchy-Feely Baby Book, each page presents the creature with ears or spines to feel, each time asking little fingers to touch the body part talked of. So the toddler will touch their eye brows, spikes, paws, horns and finally the ears. Each body part raising another word which describes what they will feel. The body part could be bobbly, hairy, frizzy, bumpy rough and fluffy, encouraging the readers to understand what these words mean. The very funny illustrations and repetitive text will engage young readers as they pick up the book to be read again and again to them. This robust board book will fit comfortably in the hands of younger readers. Little people will love reading along with the adult, and predict the first line on each double page spread.
Pick a Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure by Sarah Coyle and Adam Walker-Parker
HarperCollins, 2023. ISBN: 9781405299053.
Gwen was very excited about having a fancy-dress birthday party, the decorations are up and the food set out. But suddenly the birthday cake that Dad has made disappears! Who has taken it?
Well, that depends on what the reader decides because depending on whether they choose the unicorn, robot or dinosaur they are taken on a different adventure, each time being able to choose the next chapter in their story.
While choose-your-own adventures have been in novel format for years and been immensely popular because of all the possibilities they open up, a picture book format is unusual. Young readers will love the interactivity that takes them beyond the more familiar lift-the-flap and gives them the power to decide the direction of the story. And when one is told, they can return to the beginning and start another. The power of choice.
There are three in this series now - a pirate/alien/jungle/adventure already available and a dragon/mermaid/superhero adventure to be released in time for Christmas - so all those characters that young readers love are covered and they can follow all sorts of paths and trails through the stories. Putting the reader in the writer's seat is empowering and they might even be able to suggest a new combination or adventure, teaching them that they can not only be readers but writers too. Sarah Coyle talks about her interactive Pick A Story picture books here.
