Ahoy there matey, and where is the treasure! If you love historical fiction with some pirate action, this is a great book for you!
Blackbeard’s Treasure by Iszi Lawrence, set during the eighteenth century in the Caribbean, when piracy was at a high, is a great novel for anyone who enjoys adventure and history. Filled with action and anticipation, no one knows who to trust or where they will end up.
The year is 1718, when pirates roamed the seas to pilfer and steal. The Caribbean islands were full of slaves and wealthy plantation owners, and life was tough. Abigail Buckler is an eleven-year-old girl who lives the affluent life with her father, in a wealthy sugar plantation lifestyle. However, she lives a lonely life; forbidden to play with slaves' children. But, unbeknownst to her father, she has a secret friend, Boubacar.
After an attack by pirates, her life changes forever. Thrown into a world that is completely upside down to what she is used to, she is forced into decisions that would once have been wrong. However, when survival is the highest priority, Abigail must make decisions to ensure her safety.
With Boubacar at her side, she is faced with a life that is foreign and survival instincts kick in. Her prior life seems just a forgotten dream, as she is thrown into a world of theft, deception and terror. How will she and Boubacar survive these treacherous times and endure the life that they find themselves in?
Bringing historical fiction to life, the reader journeys amongst the Caribbean seas, with infamous pirates, slave trade and the dangerous costs of luxury items. This novel provides an insight into what life may have been like back then.
Iszi Lawrence has created an engaging and interesting novel. This story will appeal to anyone who is interested in history, pirates and adventure. Abigail’s brazen and daring actions will keep you in suspense right up to the very end…. And where is Blackbeard’s well talked about treasure really hiding?
Another offering in the Eric Carle Library, this book is a Colours book, designed to introduce colours to the very young with a strongly bound board book and the Very Hungry Caterpillar making its way through an array of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables.
Using Eric Carle’s words the book shows the caterpillar eating its way through red tomato soup and strawberries, orange baked beans and orange juice, yellow macaroni cheese and banana, purple onion, cabbage and aubergine, blue lollipops, brown bread sandwich and a cookie, pink hot dog and a piece of watermelon, a green salad, a black and white lunch with a white salad filled wrap and some blackberries and finally a multicoloured fruit salad.
Kids will love the board book, eagerly turning the pages to see what the caterpillar will eat next and what colour it is, recognising the fruit and vegetables shown. They will talk about which of them they have eaten, and try some of the unknown ones for themselves. Astute teachers or parents will have a few of them ready for the young readers to try.
A great introduction to colour as well as the array of fruit and vegetables there are to try, children will learn lots from this book.
Through the caterpillar, the idea of lunch as a small meal with lots of fruit and vegetable is reinforced, and the variety shown will be most acceptable to them.
Interestingly there are several readings on YouTube and the version read by the person from the USA shows differences that are intriguing. Not only are there spelling changes but also the names of some of the food offered have minor changes. The USA version also heralds a different type of food offered sometimes for lunch. For older readers this may offer a point of comparison to discuss.
Themes Colours, Lunch, Fruit and vegetables, Humour, Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Fran Knight
One day by Joanna Ho. Illus. by Faith Pray
HarperCollins, 2023. ISBN: 9780063056923.
One day, your hair will tumble across your head as you embark on adventures Life will pull tears that Roll like rivers over your cheeks Let them roll, sweet boy Softness is a sign of strength
In this new release from the author of Eyes the Kiss in the Corners and Eyes that Speak to the Stars, a mother shares her hopes and dreams for her young child and her faith that he is destined for extraordinary things as he grows. Described by Kirkus as "an affirming and enchanting love letter from parent to child" it focuses on qualities the child will demonstrate such as curiosity, courage and kindness rather than the materialistic things of a big house, good job and flash car that many might think are a parent's wishes, perhaps sparking a philosophical discussion about the most important things in life - and even how the perception of these changes as we mature. All a parent wants is a "healthy baby" while all a grandparent wants is "good health."
At work they do all that is expected: they arrive on time, they are neat and take their work seriously, all except for one. Fran did not emulate her coworkers. She was never on time, wore brightly coloured scarves, and certainly did not take her work seriously. She shared treats, told jokes, and did not obey the rules, getting her noticed by the supervisor. Given another chance she had to work twice as hard to catch up, often working late into the night. But this did not work and she was still laid off. She had to reassess her good points and she might not be like the other chickens, but she could cook and loved treats, so opened a sweet shop to which all the chickens came to marvel at her treats, and listen to her jokes and spy her brightly coloured scarves. She was a marvellous business chicken after all.
A wonderful fable about finding your place, of looking out for your positive abilities, of not being one in a crowd, will thrill younger readers as they watch Fran come into her own. She rejects being an average chook and steps out to try something different.
I love the illustrations, with a nod to the painting of Collins St, using the same colours to reprise the image of men going to and then returning form work. And the dark Hopper style images of the city and the offices contrast visibly with those of Fran and her sweet shop, so light and bright. The end papers show a page of ties and one scarf but the last end paper shows the opposite. The last double page gives kids a recipe to follow and I am sure many classes will try out this delicious sweet, Brownies, to eat while they read the story of finding your own path in life.
Themes Work, Business, Dreams, Aspirations.
Fran Knight
The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer
Hachette, 2023. ISBN: 9780733649578. (Age:Mature teens to Adults) Highly recommended.
The latest book by well-known Australian author Kelly Rimmer, The Paris Agent, is a fast paced and riveting historical fiction novel centred on the true stories of real-life female SOE WWII agents, Violette Szabo and Diana Rowden.
Beginning with a prologue set in 1944, readers are introduced to SOE agent Fleur, codenamed Eloise, one of the two main female characters who is a prisoner of the Germans travelling on a train to an unknown destination. She is still hopeful that she may survive whatever lies ahead even after everything she has suffered at the hands of the enemy. Travelling with Eloise is another SOE agent Josie, codenamed Chloe, whose story will also be revealed throughout this deeply moving story.
The narrative then shifts to 1970 where 25-year-old Charlotte and her father, Noah Ainsworth, are grieving the tragic and unexpected loss of their wife and mother, Geraldine. Her death has raised deeply hidden memories and secrets for Noah, SOE agent codenamed Marcel, and his burning desire to find the agent who helped him to escape capture by the Germans. This leads both Charlotte and Noah on a difficult and moving journey to uncover the truth of what really happened over a number of months in war torn France.
Throughout this book, the telling of the actual events change from one character or time frame to another. Written in first person, the reader learns the true story and experiences the danger, the bravery, and the terrible suffering experienced by Eloise, Chloe and Marcel. They also journey with Charlotte as she learns that her father had another life before she was born. A life where he was courageous, resilient and an instrumental part of the war effort. Charlotte also meets Theo, who has a search of his own to complete and is integral to the final outcome and the ultimate search for truth.
The thorough and extensive research by Kelly Rimmer into these little-known women of history and the role they played in the SOE, is vital to our understanding of the powerful part women played quietly behind the scenes during World War Two.
Themes History, World War Two, Espionage, Secret Agents, French Resistance, Special Operations Executive (SOE), Betrayal, Relationships, Family, Grief, Guilt, Secrets.
Kathryn Beilby
Scarygirl: The origin story by Nathan Jurevicius
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761069277. (Age:7-12)
This colourful, wordless graphic novel was first published in 2009 and since then there have been multiple manifestations of Scarygirl’s story, most recently a much-anticipated Australian animation film. For those not familiar with the story there is an introductory page followed by bios for eight characters reminiscent of collector cards, including Scarygirl, "on a mission to find the man behind her haunting dreams” and Blister “a super-intelligent giant octopus, Scarygirl’s guardian”. From then on readers need to pay close attention to the pictorial narrative as there are almost no words. Colour is used effectively to indicate mood and the graphic thought bubbles, mostly in the form of simple equations indicate thoughts and intentions. As Scarygirl and her friends (who are not always reliable) set out to find the mystery man in her dreams they encounter psychedelic worlds and degraded maze-like landscapes where it is not clear who is to be trusted. The highly detailed, vivid graphics keep the reader wondering where the next threat will come from as the adventure unfolds. At the end of the book are pages from Nathan Jurevicius’ notebook of line drawings that inspired some of the film concepts. The lack of words makes this accessible to a wide age group but some of the action really is scary, involving cash for betrayal, drugs and operations, requiring some caution when recommending to younger readers.
Using well known characters in books by Beatrix Potter this series of lift-the-flap books will quickly find a place at home or in a library or classroom, with information on the cover telling the reader that there are lots of flaps to look under. And there are.
Peter Rabbit has been called inside by his mother and he and his siblings, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail, get ready for bed. They have been out all day playing with their friend Benjamin and their toys, and must say farewell to their friend and gather up their toys to put them away. A problem occurs when they cannot find the snuggly toy bunnies, their companions when going to sleep, so Peter must search for them before they goes to bed. Lifting the flap to find the toy bunnies will have readers guessing where they might be. Their eyes will roam over the detailed pages of illustrations: of the woods where they play, the wonderfully warm kitchen, the bathroom, the lounge with the bookcase, and lastly the bedroom. Each room redolent of the smaller hand sized stories by Beatrix Potter with which many children will be familiar.
All the evening routines are included, supper is a cake and hot drink, then a bath, brushing the teeth clean, sitting by the fire with Mum, and settling down for bedtime. But Peter is dismayed, he cannot sleep without his toy bunny. While cleaning his teeth he remembers a game he and his sisters played during the day and rushes to the bookcase which was then a mountain to find the bunnies. The girls find theirs but Peter’s is still missing.
Eventually the toy is found and all is well for the children to go to bed and sleep. This is a lovely lift the flap story to read before bedtime, a winding down book that outlines the steps to going to bed for the night.
And children will have lots of fun with lifting the flaps that show up on every second double page, watching out for their favourite characters and following the story of Peter Rabbit.
Ten minutes to bed: Little Dinosaur's big race by Rhiannon Fielding and Chris Chatterton
Penguin, 2023. ISBN: 9780241545638.
Designed to help children wind down after the day’s activities, readying them for bed, each of the tales in The land of Nod, opens with a map of the area covered. Here is the Giant’s town, Outer Space, Golden Swamp, we see the Creepy Castle and the Emerald Green laid out before us. Eager readers will scan the places shown, knowing they are in for a journey through the land that leads to sleep.
In this story, Rumble and his dinosaur friends are readying to compete in the competition on Midsummer’s Eve. All the other dinosaurs are surprised that Rumble is there, after all he is very small, and they all agree that he will come last.
Told in rhyming lines, children will quickly pick up the rhyming sequence and predict the rhyming words, eager to show their expertise to the reader as it is read out loud. Joining in along the way, many children will learn some of the lines and eagerly listen as Rumble competes with the other dinosaurs.
During the countdown, Rumble competes with flying dinosaurs, fairies, leaping and jumping dinosaurs, until at last with one minute to go they see the flag at the end of the race. But by this time they are all asleep.
Cute illustrations show the sparkly dinosaurs as they rush through the jungle, fly through the air and compete with each other to get to the flag while soft pastel colours warm each page, as the big eyed animals beguile the readers.
A texting story with which to end the day and help children fall to sleep.
A new book in the series, Ten minutes to bed, the others are shown on the last page of this book.
Zana Fraillon (The Bone Sparrow) has created a contemplative book about the marching on of time and the unresponsiveness of many people to others and the world around them. The stone gargoyle in the story has been displaced from his rooftop due to new development and we see his city - dark, gritty and grafittied - as he travels by train. When he is kicked off the train for not having a ticket ("She doesn't look at the gargoyle. Just holds out her hand and booms for 'TICKETS!'") the child narrator opens the suitcase he has left behind. It is filled with the gargoyle's memories; "Blazing moments of great happinesses and fiery saddnesses, flickers of endless days and infinite nights, of moons waxing and waning, of stars dying and being born..." In addition, he sees the gargoyle's hopes for the future: a vision of him planting a seed that grows into a tree. Mirroring the way older generations are often viewed, the gargoyle is mostly seen as an imposition or an annoyance by the other passengers on the train. He isn't treated with respect or dignity. The story ends hopefully, with the child planting the seed and restoring some life and colour to the city, in memory of the gargoyle.
Ross Morgan's illustrations are haunting, in some parts quite realistic and in others very dreamlike. You can really feel the hardness and impersonal nature of the city, the lack of care or interest that the train passengers have for each other, but especially for the gargoyle ("no one helps him or offers him their seat"). Environmental print (New Development Coming Soon, Demolition Work in Progress) and grafitti provides the sense of place, where old things are being torn down or falling into disrepair and nothing is respected. This is a heartfelt tale with lots of interesting ideas to unpack and at its core a simple plea for kindness and compassion.
Themes Ageing, Time, Legacy.
Nicole Nelson
The comforting weight of water by Roanna McClelland
Rain, rain and more rain. McClelland submerges us in a world of water, rain, mud, floods and storms. The sun only comes out for an hour each day, until one day it doesn’t. The story is told by the one person who delights in the water. For one adolescent child, the water baby, it is a joy, and a comfort, but for old Gammy living in a hut on the edge of a village, it is a curse, and also a threat, as she and the child are isolated from the other villagers who distrust and resent them.
This is a dystopian world, not one of heatwaves and fire, but a world of overwhelming water. The adolescent has adapted, often shunning clothes, and running and swimming with scaly feet, and long-held breaths underwater. The villagers, though, struggle to survive, and are dependent on offerings of food left by the child each day. The waters continually rise, and the future is bleak. Gammy knows from past experience that in such an environment, it is easy to turn the blame on someone who is different. She knows that the threat is very real.
McClelland’s writing is completely immersive, every detail of the water-logged world is described, the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the tastes. It does become relentless, just as the environment she is describing is relentless, and it is only in the second half of the novel that the action picks up. If you can persist with the reading, the twist of the last section adds another thought-provoking layer to the story.
A worthy sequel to My epic Dad! Takes us camping and My extraordinary Mum, kids will laugh out loud at this caper as all the old fishing jokes are on show as the predictable and unpredictable happens when Dad thinks he is an expert in the field. Putting his children into the jeep with lines and tackle, dinghy and waders see them all set out to the river. In rhyming lines the story unfolds as Dad tries to catch a fish and show his kids how it is done. The first thing he does is fall in, causing a mild panic when a fin cna be seen in the water. The kids work their hardest to drag him back on board, crabs snapping at his cheeks. Back on board he feels a shock run through him as an eel wraps itself around his leg, but worse follows when a selection of crocodiles appear. One takes the bottom out of his pants, one eyes the bait on the end of his line and one takes his shoe and sock.The children cast a line and a hook impairs itself in Dad’s lip. Giving up the dinghy the family puts on waders to try their luck in the shallower parts of the river. Even here, Dad attracts things that are not wanted. A snake coils around Dad’s rod, and he falls into a poison ivy bush while being covered by the worms he bought along as bait. Running through a spider’s web he falls into a wombat hole. What a day!
Kids will roar with laughter as Dad gets into all sorts of scrapes and be pleasantly surprised when the children finally catch a fish at the end of the day, just in time to cook for tea.
A positively funny tale of a family doing something outdoors together, overcoming obstacles, keeping on trying, until a fish is caught.
Younger readers will appreciate the family centred activity and be able to predict the rhyming words at the end of each line. The funny illustrations will keep readers equally amused as they see the humour in the background, the snippets of Dad jokes used and recognise the looks on their faces. I love the looks on everybody’s face as they go from laughing to surprise to patience and impatience, resignation to frustration and finally love and support.
Butterflies be gone! Yoga theraphy for fear and anxiety by Loraine Rushton & Adele Vinvent. Illus. by Andrew McIntosh
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922833655. (Age:5+) Recommended.
Parents, carers and teachers who know or work with children who suffer from anxiety or heightened behaviour, will find this beautifully illustrated new release, Butterflies Be Gone: Yoga Therapy for Fear and Anxiety, a welcome addition to their toolbox of strategies used for support. Beginning with an important introduction to Yoga Therapy, this book then covers simple exercises to explain breathing, relaxation, movement and meditation through an engaging story.
Young Jesse finds school noisy and busy and struggles to get up as he has butterflies in his tummy. He breathes through a series of simple exercises to overcome the worries creeping into his thoughts. Through a gentle story he travels to an imaginary place to help ease his anxiety. Finally, he feels able to face the day.
The authors have cleverly interwoven each movement into the story and the illustrator has skilfully shown the reader how they can be done by reflecting Jesse’s body in a different pose from the main image. The colours used throughout reflect the calmness of the story, with Jesse’s character being the main focus, and other images soft and muted.
In the final pages, all of the yoga movements shared in the book are listed and step-by-step instructions with diagrams are given. A very worthwhile resource for a home, school, or public library.
Jessica's smile by Sian Turner. Illus. by Rebecca Cool
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922833914. (Age:3+)
Jessica is the essence of style. Each second page the repeated pair of lines talks about her style accompanied with a great big smile. She has a smile for everybody; the children dancing in the park, the juggling clown, the girls with balloons. Each time she interacts with people in her neighbourhood, they are impressed with her smile. She is happy.
In rhyming pairs of lines we see Jessica and her stylish clothing impressing the people she meets, and sharing her lovely smile.
But one day it is her birthday and she is turning eight. Her smile has disappeared because she has no one to share her birthday with. Readers will recognise that sometimes we are sad for different reasons and some days find it hard to have a smile on our daces.
They will be concerned for Jessica and be relieved when turning the page find that everyone in the neighbourhood has turned up to share her birthday, and so her smile returns.
Repeated lines on every second double page will attract readers who will try and predict the rhyme, as well as the different clothing noted in the verse. Kids will easily learn the repeated lines saying them with the reader as it is read out loud.
The bold colourful illustrations are entrancing, drawing the eyes to the children on each page and the clothing the stylish Jessica wears.
Kids will love talking bout how they feel when they smile, and when the smile disappears. They will be able to talk about the difference having people close helps with how they feel.
Former yellow Wiggles, Emma Watkins has now produced three books about Emma Memma, highlighting all forms of communication, particularly dance, Auslan, movement, mime, gesture, crafts and listening. In this book, the words hello, and how are you are repeated over and over, showing the forms of sign language used to say them. A short clip to accompany the book can be viewedhere and will have kids singing and signing to the catchy tune. As they read through the book, they will also learn the signs for great, good and goodbye as they meet and greet a range of animals while they walk.
Emma is instantly recognisable with her big hair, flowers and sparkling dress, while her partner repeats the signed words to her. Kids will love the colour, movement and signs, trying it all out for themselves.
Completing a master’s in Media Arts and Communication at the University of Technology Sydney, Emma’s deep interest in Auslan and signing, led her to further study resulting in a PHD from Macquarie University in the artistic interpretations of signing.
Her expertise has led her to promote Auslan and signing, and raise awareness of the Deaf community.
Three books are available now, while two others will be available later in the year.
Hello, Emma Memma(February, 2023), Enna Memma’s sticker activity book (June, 2023) and Emma Memma: how are you (June, 2023) and watch out for Emma Memma’s alphabet day (October, 2023) Emma Emma’s craft book (October, 2023).
Twelve-year-old Mia is just trying to navigate a world that doesn't understand her true autistic self. Mia would be happy to just be herself, stims and all, but the other students have trouble understanding her and even bully her, while her mother is full of strategies to help her attempt to mask her autism. Although she wishes she could stand up to her bullies, she's always been able to express her feelings through singing and songwriting, even more so with her best friend, Charlie, who is nonbinary, putting together the best beats for her.
Together, they've taken the internet by storm; little do Mia's classmates know that she's the viral singer Elle-Q! Ironically, one of her biggest fans is also one of her biggest real-life bullies, Laura. But while the chance to perform live for a local talent show has Charlie excited, Mia isn't so sure.
She'll have to decide whether she'll let her worries about what other people think get in the way of not only her friendship with Charlie, but also showing everyone, including the bullies, who she is and what she has to say. Though she may struggle with some of her emotions, Mia does not suffer because of her autism. Rather than a cure as though there is something about her that needs to be fixed, she just wants acceptance, understanding and tolerance, just like the other characters who have other issues that drive their behaviour.
For older, independent readers this is a graphic novel by an autistic author/illustrator offering a sympathetic depiction of one young person's experience of autism, and because it is by one on the spectrum it is an authentic voice giving an insight into what it is like to be different at a time when peer acceptance is so important to who we are.
