The author’s note at the beginning of this novel invites the reader to accept his version of a real person, Charles Ignatius Sancho, fictionalised to “avoid the lugubrious snares of a history-laden story, full of choice educational snippets”. In telling “the story of the Black presence in the United Kingdom in the eighteenth century” the author is telling "the tale of a lucky African orphan, who despite being born in abject slavery, rose to become a leading light of the abolitionist movement”. Then we are offered the “Prologue 1775”, explaining that this account , hidden until after his death, is for Charles Ignatius Sancho’s son, and immediately we are unsure of where the fiction and non-fiction begin and end, so the reader must surrender to the ensuing story as historical fiction. The first person diary account flits back and forth between current and past diary entries as well as in the form of letters. We learn that Sancho was born on a slave ship on the way to sugar plantations, orphaned then sent to England as a three year old where he became a servant to a household of three women in Greenwich. The sisters were well connected and Sancho came to the notice of the Duke of Montagu who encouraged him to learn to read and play music, however the sisters forbade this and he had to pursue his education in secret. Eventually he escaped but was pursued by the slave catcher as his status as the child of slaves in England equated to slavery. Like Fielding’s Tom Jones our hero is flawed, with a weakness for food, drink, gambling and a blatant self-interest, relying heavily on rich benefactors. He endures hardship, often of his own making, “self-absorbed to the detriment of my character” p197. But Sancho turns his life around for the love of his life, Anne Osborne, eventually becoming a father and shopkeeper with the right to vote.
No doubt this is an important novel, shining a light as it does on an aspect of English history previously unexamined but I found the prose, self-consciously trying for a regency flavour, difficult and too often the author tells rather than shows us aspects of the era. I was prompted to go and look at Wikipedia to read “educational snippets” about Charles Ignatius Sancho so the book has succeeded in raising awareness about this little known figure. By scanning a QR code on the cover the reader can “Discover Sancho’s London”. The author’s status as a “beloved British actor” and the topical nature of the subject matter will ensure the book’s popularity.
Book three in this wonderful series of stories for younger readers will encourage calm in the face of anxiety as Ash prepares for her first big match. She has been preparing for weeks and is ready to show off her newly acquired skills. She wakes before anyone else and has to be content watching cartoons until everyone wakes. Dad makes breakfast and Ash is about to gobble it down until Dad points out that she might get a stomach ache and that would spell disaster. As they eventually drive away from home, she remembers her favourite cap, but Dad refuses to go back for it as it would make them late. The car in front has a flat tyre forcing them to stop for a while. Ash is very frustrated. Finally they read the tournament and the administrator cannot find her name. Just in time it is spotted and Ash must hurry to the court. Dad keeps telling her to calm down and have fun. And eventually she does.
Another warm hearted story showing the problems that may ensue when getting ready for your first match, the butterflies people feel and the need to stay calm.
All wrapped up in a charming tale of Ash and her first match.
The six books in this easy to read series of stories concentrate on how Little Ash feels in separate scenarios, but all showing positive role models, behaviour and outcomes.
The memorable opening scene has Josephine Alibrandi struggling with a multiple choice questionnaire in her final school year and falling foul of Sister Gregory as it is from “Hot Pants” magazine. Brazening it out in front of the class Josie comes across as funny and smart with a healthy disrespect for the system. She is attending St Martha’s Catholic school on a scholarship, a school dominated by rich, mostly Anglo-Saxon Australians where her friends are Anna, Seraphina and Lee. She lives with her single parent mother, Christina in a terrace house in Glebe. Josie’s mother works so she has to go to her Nonna’s after school and they are both strict with her so she is not able to go out a lot. In spite of being born in Australia as was her mother, they maintain strong Italian cultural ties in spite of the fact that the Italian community rejected them because of her mother’s unwed status. Josie is very close to her mother and knows her father’s name is Michael Andretti and that they broke up before he knew she was pregnant so when he returns to the area things get complicated.
The story has stood the test of time and along with the issues of feelings of not fitting in, there are the timeless issues of coming of age, negotiating young adult relationships and envisioning a future pathway. There have been successful film and play adaptations and now there is this lovely hard back edition. 30 years ago a single mother was able to buy a terrace house in Glebe, there were no mobile phones, the internet was in its infancy and Aids was killing many but this is a well told story that has stood the test of time. In the preface Melina Marchetti looks back on the thirty years since the first edition and reflects on its enduring popularity. She admits it has defined her but “Best of all it has made me grapple less with the questions of who I am and where I come from”, may it help others for many years to come.
Themes Italian Australian culture, Single parent family, Friendship, Relationships, Coming of age.
Sue Speck
The lost Ryu by Emi Watanabe Cohen
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761180101. (Age:10+) Highly recommended.
It is the mid 1960’s and Kohei lives with his mother and grumpy, violent grandfather, Ojisan. Most Japanese people have palm-sized dragons called ryu. Kohei’s ryu, Yuhara, perches on Kohei’s shoulder giving him advice, translating, and adding sarcastic quips. Kohei has a strange memory and believes that Ojisan’s bad behaviour is tied to the disappearance of the large ryu after World War 2. He hopes that by finding a large ryu Ojisan will be happy again.
Ten-year-old Isolde and her family from the USA move into an apartment downstairs. Kohei eventually makes friends with Isolde, who has Jewish/Japanese heritage and has an American dragon. Kohei persuades Isolde to go with him to a new Ryugu-jo where ryu are hatched from stones. However, from there their quest to the old, original Ryugu-jo becomes even more extraordinary and Kohei uncovers the mystery of what happened to the large ryus and Kohei’s much loved father.
This is an amazing story. The juxtaposition of reality and fantasy work well. The characterization and family drama are well developed and convincing. Kohei is a principled, determined character while Isolde is wise beyond her years, drawing on her experience and family heritage. Kohei’s mother is resigned to their unhappy life and tolerates Ojisan’s bad behaviour, repeatedly saying things like shikata ga nai – there’s nothing we can do. But Kohei acts on his father’s wise words yamenaide – don’t quit. There are many things to learn about Japanese culture and history in the story.
I found the fantasy aspects equally appealing.There are no whiz bang gadgets and the fantasy feels seamless. I loved the dragons and Emi Watanabe Cohen created a unique world which honors the Japanese connection to the ocean. Themes of terrible betrayal, the traumatic legacy of war, overt nationalism, and the need to be accepted make this a sophisticated deep and puzzling story at times, but totally worth reading.
Themes Dragons, Japanese culture, Racism, Bravery.
Winner of the 2020 Edgar Award for Best Novel, The Stranger Diaries introduced Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur who returns to solve more mysteries in The postscript murders. A ninety-year-old woman, Peggy Smith, has died, her death believed to because of a heart condition, but her carer Natalka, knows there is something suspicious when she uncovers multiple murder mysteries all dedicated to Peggy, PS: for PS. Two of Peggy’s friends, Edwin, an elderly ex-broadcaster who lives in the apartment building and Benedict, an ex-monk who runs a café on the beach, join with Natalka and when they are faced with a gunman who steals one of the books, Harbinder decides there is something suspicious going on. It turns out that Peggy had functioned as a murder consultant for authors of crime novels and Natalka, Edwin and Benedict decide to follow two of the authors to Aberdeen. From then on things begin to escalate as the action moves to a literary festival in Aberdeen, to Edinburgh and back to the English coast with authors being murdered.
Readers who enjoy reading about books and the publishing industry will find much to enjoy in the pages of the book, as publisher, agents, and editors as well as literary festivals are all described by a knowledgeable author. Those who enjoy following clues and trying to work out who committed the crimes will be in for some surprises in this entertaining and twisty novel. It could be read as a stand-alone, as Griffiths has the happy knack of making different supporting characters play a very important role in the action and narration of each of her novels.
A cosy mystery, this is multi-layered and complex, the narrative engrossing and easy to read.
Themes Books and publishing, Murder.
Pat Pledger
Charlie's whale by Libby Gleeson and Hannah Somerville
Charlie loved the sea, and all the creatures that lived within it - seashells and seahorses, sharks and stingrays, crabs and crayfish. He loved the gentle tickly waves and those that crashed and trembled. But most of all, Charlie loved whales - minke whales, orcas, beluga whales and humpbacks, sperm whales and right whales, and especially the great blue whale. He loves to read about them, research them on the internet and play with his toy whale and imagine... But most of all, he wants to see one. Will his patience, persistence and perseverance pay off?
As the humpback highways of our east and west coasts reach their peak as over 30 000 whales make their way north to warmer waters to breed, many, like me, will have been privileged to see these amazing creatures, and, just like Charlie will have waited in anticipation and then been overwhelmed with joy. For something that appears for just a few seconds, maybe as it breaches or just sends a plume of spray into the air, it gives immense pleasure and all the waiting is worth it as a lifelong memory is made. As well as being a story about waiting for a dream to come true, it is also one about having the patience to wait for something so fleeting, particularly in this world of instant gratification and click and collect.
Libby Gleeson's words are lyrical, and Hannah Somerville's illustrations are almost ethereal as they combine to make a story that is as magical as the whales themselves.
Kiara and her brother, Marcus, are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison. But while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent - which has more than doubled - and to keep the nine-year-old boy next door, abandoned by his mother, safe and fed.
One night, what begins as a drunken misunderstanding with a stranger turns into the job Kiara never imagined wanting but now desperately needs: nightcrawling (sex-work). Her world breaks open even further when her name surfaces in an investigation that exposes her as a key witness in a massive scandal within the Oakland Police Department.
Based on true events involving institutional exploitation, brutality and corruption in the Oakland police department, this novel depicts a desperate teenager having to make some terrible choices to survive, and finding way to cope with the horrific traumas inflicted upon her. The author says in her notes - “When I began writing Nightcrawling, I was seventeen and contemplating what it meant to be vulnerable, unprotected, and unseen”.
While this book has a beautiful sense of rhythm and language and has many memorable quotes, such as “The idea of drowning doesn’t bother me, though, since we’re made of water anyway. It’s kind of like your body overflowing with itself” and describes the city and melting pot of cultures in Oakland in vibrant colour and details, it also includes graphic depictions of rape, violence and abuse, and is a harrowing and ultimately depressing read that mirrors the reality of life for many people living in poverty.
I did enjoy this book and it certainly opened my eyes to a world I have little knowledge of, however it is not for the faint hearted.
Themes Poverty, Sex-work, Family, Corruption, Substance abuse, Racism, Power dynamics, Loss of innocence.
Engineer Mike Lucas presents an engrossing rhyming text all about the ins and outs of building a house. From buying the block of land, to bringing in the digger to prepare the site, to laying the cement, the tradies are all hard at work. And supported by Daron Parton’s humorous illustrations, readers will easily follow the tasks undertaken by each member of the host of people needed to build a house. When the wooden frame is built, thumbs are hit inadvertently by the hammer. The frame up, brick laying starts, then the roof fixed and just in time as they look up at the incoming weather.
When the windows are put in the key can be handed over. But then another team of tradies appears; this time to do the inside work: plumbing, wiring and painting. Finally the building is over and dad and his daughter can sit down and rest.
Children will learn a great deal from this infectious predictive text covering the features of building a house. They will ask questions about the equipment used and what use it is put to, they will be able to see some of the construction and engineering from the illustrations but will also ask questions about the work the people are doing. Each page is almost like a Kim’s Game of detail. I kept looking at each page the trying to recall all the things involved with building that I could remember after each page was turned. The illustrations also lend themselves to creating lists and model making.
Astonishingly Good Stories, written by Australian author R.A Spratt, is a novel filled with stories that will have its audience laughing out loud. Spratt has written another collection of tales to thoroughly entertain. Building on from her original Shockingly Good Stories, this new novel is crammed full, with a plethora of fun filled twists of parody on fables, myths, classics and more. This latest book was designed to bring back a little bit of frivolity and happiness, and that, it sure does!
Featuring 20 independent short chapters, each myth, fable and legend are not quite like those you have heard before. Oh no… these have unique and special twists, expertly told by Nanny Piggins herself (the world’s most famous flying pig). There are also a few other short stories throughout to add a little variety, and each one will keep the audience amused. Filled with humour and fun, the reader and/or listener will find themselves captivated and wanting more. From ‘Swine Lake’ to ‘Robin Hood’, ‘The legend of the Trojan Horse’ to ‘The little Merpig’ Nanny Piggins always manages to put a hilarious spin on everything. Making each story completely memorable; you may never look at these classics the same way again!
Filled with imagination and laughter, this novel will appeal to those who appreciate a good laugh. If you enjoy reading books with vivid creativity and humour, such as David Walliams, Tim Harris and Roald Dahl you will enjoy these stories too. Spratt is without a doubt a great storyteller, whose creativity and fun are destined to entertain you. If you love a good laugh, enjoy a little amusement and mischief, then this novel is not to be missed!
Astonishingly Good Stories would make a wonderful read aloud for parents and teachers alike. If you are unfamiliar with Nanny Piggins and the Friday Barnes series, then you may like to also check them out.
Richard Osman has done it again with the third in his series, being just as entertaining and quirky as the Thursday Murder Club and The man who died twice. The four pensioners are faced with a 10 year old murder case. Where is the body of the young television presenter who was chasing down a story about money laundering? Then there is a new mystery to unravel and Elizabeth is faced with a dilemma from her past – will she kill or be killed?
As always the plot rattles along with many funny and sometime poignant moments as the four retirees bring all their intelligence and special abilities to solve the mysteries. There is danger, action and excitement, all making the reader eager to turn the page to find out what is going to happen next.
This is a cosy mystery that is very enjoyable and will leave readers hoping for more in the series.
Themes Mystery, Detectives.
Pat Pledger
Colours, colours everywhere by Julia Donaldson and Sharon King-Chai
Wow! What a beautiful book and a wonderful way for children to use their imaginations while learning about colours. This is a must for a family or school library. Donaldson and King-Chai, creators of Animalphabet and Counting creatures have collaborated in another stunning lift-the-flap book that combines rhyming text with gorgeous illustrations. Any young child will be enticed to open the book, with the hard cover showing a young girl in a red air balloon and there is a cut-out just right for small fingers to turn to the next page. It opens to a vivid scene of birds flying against a red air balloon, white clouds and blue sea, with a flap that lifts up to display a child’s hand holding a paint brush with dabs of many different colours. The child is then asked to imagine what they could paint or what the artist in the book would paint:
My paints are waiting in their tray. I wonder what to paint today.
A flap is lifted and blue is the colour decided upon, with a finger sized hole to lift the next page revealing a bright blue tree frog, who will continue on throughout the story. The text is perfect to read aloud, flowing smoothly in rhyming couplets following the little girl’s adventures and featuring the colours blue, green yellow, red, white, pink, black, purple, brown and grey. The illustrations are bright and happy, the frogs and birds delightful and all will lend themselves to children using their creativity.
Colours, colours everywhere is a keeper and would make a perfect present for a child, particularly if it was paired with a set of paints that would allow them to make their own colour story.
Themes Colours, Painting, Imagination.
Pat Pledger
Little Ash: Friendship fix-it! by Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
Tennis superstar Ash Barty has worked with Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin to create a laugh out loud series of books set around family, friendship, school and sport. Every Wednesday Ash in year two is allowed to play tennis with the older kids. She can’t wait, Wednesday seems to take ages to come around. Today is also the day to present their projects in class, and Ash has brought in hers all about Evonne Goolagong Cawley. James is late and in his rush to get to class trips and breaks his project. Their teacher tells him that he will have time at lunch to repair it so James looks to Ask for help. But lunch is tennis! What a dilemma.
In this seemingly simple way a conflict occurs which Ask must resolve. Should she support her friend in his problem, or play tennis. It is a choice that she has to make, and all children will be aware that choices such as this must be dealt with quite often.
It may appear to be a simple choice but many other things impact upon the problem, and Ash must make up her mind.
Complemented by numerous illustrations, the story will be well received by its target audience, in a setting they all understand, the children lovingly supposed by family and friends. I love this series. It reminded me of the Little lunch series (Danny Katz and Mitch Vane). It is great to have a set of books which parallel children’s activities, set in a place they know and giving both sides of a moral dilemma. It is also wonderful to see a set of books aimed at junior primary, well written, thought provoking and accessible, giving readers something other than the bland offerings seen lately, purporting to be issues based and educative.
This is a great set of stories for kids to mull over, there are four in the series so far. (Perfect match, Tennis rush, Goal getter and Friendship fix-it) and looking at the HarperCollins website, there are now two more.
Themes Tennis, Determination, Problem solving, Friendship, School, Humour, Little Ash (series).
Fran Knight
Digging up dad and other hopeful (and funny) stories by Morris Gleitzman
Gleitzman has an amazing knack of telling a serious story in an eccentric way. In this collection of short stories there are some with an underlying, subtle message, but often this is hidden to all but the astute reader. There are stories that poke fun at the way adults operate, and particularly in the 'Burger Buns Behaving Badly' story and the 'Does my Mum Look Big in this?' tale, there are children reminding their politician parents of the need to behave in more responsible ways. A somewhat sadder tale tells of the child who must relocate from the home where her father’s ‘ashes’ have been scattered and desperately wants to collect as much of the backyard as possible to take with her to her new home. Fortunately, in all the stories, even though there are some sombre or thought-provoking issues, there are also quirky moments that are peculiarly funny.
Although this is not always a laugh-out-loud book, there are enough Gleitzman humour gems to entertain young readers. The first story introduced a few moments of confusion for me, there were too many generations involving spiders, but eventually the main point of the story became evident. Most of the stories though just demonstrated children attempting to solve adult-sized problems in unique ways. There is one exception – the story that tells of an unimpressive driver being given a lesson by a speed hump and some small discarded toys, remarkably told in the voice of the speed hump. Readers aged 10 and up will enjoy the journey, and hopefully recognise the light-hearted messages being communicated in Gleitzman’s wise and witty words.
Themes Short stories, Humour, Parents, Politicians, Babysitting, Environmental issues.
Carolyn Hull
Little Ash: Perfect match by Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
The first in this highly entertaining series about sport and family, school and friendship, introduces Little Ash and her family as they prepare for Ashleigh’s first day in year two. She has her best friend, James with her and confides to him that her biggest problem is having to choose a sport that she likes and wants to do. They try out several games, but none gives Ash that tingly feeling that means it is her sport. Then James encourages her to try imagination-ball. All goes well until the paint incident, and they must clean up the paint for their teacher, Mr Howard.
Back home, Ash despairs of ever finding her sport and goes outside with her squash racket and tennis ball, hitting it against the brick wall in the backyard. James is amazed and calls the rest of the family out to see Ash’s skill. Dad gives her a tennis racket and Ash has found her sport, one she absolutely loves.
Each of the stories promotes open discussion between friends and family, they model supportive friends and family and promote determination and resilience. The stories are easy to absorb, do not preach and are attractive with informant about Ash Barty, and the writer, Jasmin and illustrator, Jade inside the back cover.
Themes Tennis, Sport, School, Family, Determination, Little Ash (series).
Fran Knight
The Watchmaker's Daughter by C. J. Archer
Glass and Steele bk. 1. C. J. Archer, 2016. ISBN: 9780648214694. (Age:15+) Recommended.
London in the 1890’s is the setting for this easy to read historical fantasy. India Steele is frantic. Her father has left his watchmaker’s shop and business to her fiancé, who has cast her off and none of the other watchmakers will give her a job, almost appearing to be afraid of her. Then a mysterious man, Matthew Glass, from America comes looking for a watchmaker who had given him a strange watch that keeps him alive. India is employed by him to help in his search, but rumours of the Dark Rider, swirl around London and she is uncertain if Glass is that outlaw.
During their efforts to find the watchmaker, Glass and Steele face danger and deception while trying to ignore the chemistry that flows between them. The Glass household is an interesting one and each of the characters there are well developed.
This is the first in a long series and will appeal to readers who enjoy their fantasy set in the late 19th century.
