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.
Themes Historical fantasy, Watchmaking, Romance.
Pat Pledger
Haven by Emma Donoghue
Pan Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781529091144. (Age:16+) Highly recommended.
Scholar, priest, hermit, sage, soldier for Christ – these are all words used to describe Artt, the stranger who comes to a monastery in seventh century Ireland, seeking two followers to accompany him on a pilgrimage to found a monastic retreat on an island far from all the temptations of the world. It is a vision that came to him in a dream, and his two companions are to be the old hardworking monk Cormac, and the gangly young Trian. Cormac has skills in building, gardening and repairs; Trian is earnest and self-sacrificing, perhaps more clever than he appears; but Artt is most definitely the leader, the holy guide whose authority is never to be questioned.
Emma Donoghue is renowned for the book and film, Room (2010), the story of a boy and his mother held captive since a teenager by a child abductor. In Haven, Cormac and Trian are equally captive, beholden to the laws of their religion, and prisoners to the interpretation of those laws as provided by Artt, with his creed of abstinence, suffering and penances. The three are trapped together in a harsh unforgiving environment on a rocky almost uninhabitable island that sears upwards towards the sky.
The reader is privy to the unexpressed thoughts and questions that come to the minds of the two monks, trying to marry their observations and ideas with the pronouncements by Artt. It is once again a battle of science and religion, of questioning and wondering versus unwavering belief and fanatical faith; similar to the battle undertaken by Lib in Donoghue’s 19th century story of The wonder (2016) about a nurse trying to unravel the truth of the miraculous ‘fasting girl’.
In Haven, we explore the complexities of science and religion through the central characters, all brilliantly depicted and unforgettable. Trian has an inventive intelligence, and a natural infinity with nature, the world that God created; Cormac is honest, hardworking, a man of commonsense and compassion; while Artt is a driven visionary, unflinching in his righteousness. The novel raises questions about virtue, true values, and the fellowship of men. The conclusion is uplifting and a joy to the heart, yet still remains true to its depiction of each of the men. This is an unusual story that will remain in the mind long after the last pages.
Cathy Freeman runs towards us on the front cover, exciting readers as they put the name to the face, making them recall the footage they have seen: Cathy in her white suit winning at the Sydney Olympic Games.
Running is what she does within the covers of this book, running across the land of her ancestors, listening to its heartbeat. But the land is in dire straits. The mountains wail, the skies groan, the rocks cry out, each demanding her attention with their tears. They point out the dying trees, the dry riverbeds, the warming seas. The land is sick they tell her. So she collects seeds and runs from north to south and east to west spreading the seeds everywhere she can. She encourages others to do this as well. First they ignore her, then walk by distracted by other things, but eventually join in her scheme, spreading seeds as well. Soon the land is regenerated and the mountains, seas and rocks beam with delight, booming out their familiar heartbeat which helps Cathy run.
Within the text are words from the Kuku Yalanji language, that of the Aboriginal community from Far North Queensland where Cathy was born. Children will love predicting what the words mean using clues on each page, and their deliberations will be supported by the glossary at the end of the book.
The seeds of change are replicated in the wonderful endpapers, the opening pair showing a range of seeds which will intrigue the readers, and the last endpapers showing a diverse range of Australian flora just waiting to be identified. Between the covers, the illustrations by Harricks describe many parts of Australia, from mountains and rives, to wide open skies, coastal regions, and towns and cuties. Astute eyes will spot the degradation that is happening to the land and some of the causes. The overwhelming optimism of the book is reflected in the pictures at the end where Cathy’s work is bearing fruit. More about the illustrator Tanya Harricks can be found here.
Larrikin House promotes the love of reading and to this end is publishing a range of books and hosts book fairs. More can be found about this business here.
Themes Aboriginal content, Environment, Cathy Freeman, Flora and fauna of Australia.
Fran Knight
The golden enclaves by Naomi Novik
Random House, 2022. ISBN: 9781529100921. (Age:16+) Recommended.
The final book in the trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate sees Galadriel 'El' Higgins determined to re-enter into the hell which is the Scholomance to find Orion who she suspects has been eaten by a maw-mouth. She and the other People in the Scholomance had managed to escape but Orion stayed behind and El is heart-broken, knowing the never-ending suffering that he will face inside the maw-mouth. Her mother is unable to console her, but she is shaken out of her depression by her friends who want her to help save the London enclave and the other enclaves that are disintegrating. El knows she needs much mana before she can face the maw-mouth in the Scholomance, so she sets off with her friends to solve the mystery of the destruction of the enclaves and gain mana on the way.
The golden enclaves is full of action as El and her allies face the real world. Her life with her mother who is such a calm person, is described, and could not be more different to life in the Scholomance. The readers sees what it is like to live in an enclave and experiences the difficulties of the people who work for the wizards but are excluded from their lifestyle. It is easy to understand why El wants to build golden enclaves that will include these outsiders. Meanwhile the prophecy that her grandmother had made about El’s dark magic destroying enclaves seems to be wrong as she works out what happens to ensure the security of the enclave and makes some difficult moral decisions on the way. There are many surprises for the reader especially about the New York enclave and the magic of Orion’s mother, and El must face some hard truths in her quest to rescue Orion and her desire to build golden enclaves.
I look forward to reading any future novels by Novik, the author of The Temeraire series, Uprooted and Spinning silver.
Themes Fantasy, Good and evil.
Pat Pledger
Growing up in flames by Zach Jones
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458360. (Age:14+)
Having recently lost her mother to a bushfire, Kenna has moved from her home to her uncle's in the small town where her mother grew up - somewhere she's never been, and isn't sure she'll fit in. Her uncle's young family has welcomed her in, but Kenna feels like an intruder - in the home, in the town, everywhere. One night, Kenna spots a fire in the distance, and goes to see what's happening. She stumbles across the general store, on fire, and a boy watching it burn. Realising he has a petrol can, she intercepts him when he tries to leave, and ends up with his bag. The bag, belonging to Noah, is full of items desperately needed. As their paths cross again and again, while Kenna learns that there was more to her mother than she knew, Noah and Kenna might be able to help each other - or something might end up in flames instead.
This hard hitting, honest contemporary novel full of complicated relationships and mystery covers a number of different topics and emotions, ranging from loss, mental health, control and trauma to anger, guilt and longing. Swapping from present day to the past, from Kenna's perspective to Noah's, along with characters from the past, the story moves seamlessly despite these constant shifts. As the story unfolds, readers will be able to lose themselves in the well written depiction of a small Aussie country town. Where everyone knows each other and history runs deep. Jones has done a great job of writing about family relationships. With some topics having the potential to cause some readers to be triggered by traumatic events, it might be advisable to make this available only to older readers. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Contemporary, Family & Relationships,Trust, Loss, Tragedy, Country Town, Family History, Mental Health, Control, Trauma.
Alice Sun attends a highly prestigious academic school in Beijing. She’s the only scholarship student among her rich, elite peers and she often feels invisible. Then, to her surprise, one day she actually turns invisible! She can’t control it and it usually only lasts a few hours. She decides to benefit from this strange circumstance and creates an app, with the help of her academic rival, classmate Henry, in which students pay her to uncover secrets, or keep information hidden, completely anonymously. Alice is hopeful she can earn enough money to pay her upcoming school fees. However, her ambition and desire to rise out of poverty means her morals start to slip and she is soon accepting unethical jobs that have real world consequences. Meanwhile her rivalry with Henry soon develops into something more romantic.
This book grapples with self-identity, morals, class division and what it means to be successful. Alice is a sympathetic character, who grapples with knowing right from wrong. The backdrop of China provides a beautiful insight into Chinese culture and the slow romance building between her and Henry, while predictable is very endearing. This book is great for ages 13+.
Themes Magical realism, Romance, Coming of age, Multiculturalism.
Jade Goudie-Hall
Moon sailors by Naomi Woodward and Rachel Gregg
Ford Street Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922696182. (Age:3+) Recommended.
Inspired by her experiences of marvelling at rock pools on the Mornington Peninsula as a child, Naomi Woodward has created a charming tale of rock pools on the moon.
Using the bed sheets and straw broom as mast and sails, the children set sail for the moon. They find moonshells and press them to their ears, listening to the sounds of the planets. They follow the snail trails and find oysters and pearls, cockles buried in the sand, clamber over the rocks, to find clams. The tide is out so they seek out the smaller creatures hidden in the rocks: octopus, necklaces of seaweed, abalone and urchins.
The dreamy illustrations are enticing, making any reader feel that they are there, on the moon, searching through rock pools. Children’s eyes will dart amongst the seaweed looking for a variety of creatures, excited at their find. They will be transported into this fantasy world, along with the two children, until they return to earth before the sun rises, and fall in bed asleep. Rachel Gregg’s pencil and water colour illustrations shimmer, reflecting the moon’s glow as the children speed towards it in their craft. The understated colours are magical, redolent of the fantasy world the children occupy. I love the touches of sea creatures in their bedroom, and readers will love checking out the array of sea creatures seen in the night sky. More can be found about Rachel Gregg here.
Go to Ford St Publishing for a drop down menu of their authors and illustrators for further information about the writing and illustrating of this book. This is a lovely story, enticing and beguiling as the children go on a magical tour before they sleep. Activities are available.
Smarty Pup: Friends Fur-ever by Anh Do and Anton Emdin
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760526399. Recommended.
Life is a little ordinary for Lily right now, particularly as she has lost her mum, but things change when her Dad decides they could be a family of three again by getting a dog - something both Lily and her mum had wanted for ages.
At the animal shelter, Lily chooses JJ, who is kind of clumsy, but something about his smiley face makes her really happy inside. They change even more when Lily discovers that JJ can talk and is actually super smart. He can speak a number of languages, and knows the answers to maths and geography questions. This could be the answer to her constant dilemma about having something interesting for show-and-tell, but then things get complicated. It's one thing to be the centre of attention for a few minutes, another to be accused of something you didn't do.
Anh Do is one of Australia's most popular and prolific authors, and this new series is somewhat of a cross between a picture book and a novel. Told by Lily herself, highly illustrated in colour with conversations in speech bubbles and different fonts, it is an ideal stepping stone between basal, instructional readers and the novels newly independent readers are aspiring to. The story is grounded in the familiar situation of what to share for Show and Tell, and the characters are relatable, although of course there is the usual Anh Do twist. Reading a popular author loved by older peers and siblings is an added bonus!
A new series that will have a lot of fans and followers.
Themes Dogs, Show and tell.
Barbara Braxton
The very hard book by Idan Ben-Barak and Philip Bunting
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760526221. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
A book to deter readers from turning the pages, a book which encourages them to stop and think about what they are seeing, to talk about the words and images on each page, and pause to reflect. From the Escher style construction on the front cover to the invitation to the gallery as the book is opened, to the last endpaper containing a glossary of all the things seen in the book, this is an incentive to think, to muse, to inspire, to stimulate, to think about the thinking that goes on when a word and image is placed in front of them which confuses, delights, intrigues and befuddles. Can you be in an empty room, or be somewhere else for a minute, do something you don’t want to do, create a new colour? All of these and more are placed in front of the reader, stimulating them to think about their response and how they got to that response. Can you not think about purple turtles, or stop thinking for a minute, or stop you hair growing. All of these will stimulate discussion amongst the readers, strengthening their own metacognition, helping them to think about their own thoughts.
The last endpaper contains a catalogue of what the reader has seen in the gallery with further discussion prompts.
Philip Bunting’s illustrations will tease and delight, as readers follow the small creatures with antlers that lead them through the pages. Each page demands attention with its quirky illustration and pithy comment. It challenges the reader to take notice, not to turn the page but stop, sometimes laugh and think about what they are reading and seeing. Brain food in a book, designed to enhance the thinking skills of younger readers will also help to calm them, as quiet moments rule.
Themes Metacognition, Thinking, Mental health, Thought processes, Humour.
Fran Knight
Wild is the witch by Rachel Griffin
Fire Reads, 2022. ISBN: 9781728257617. (Age:14+) Recommended.
Lovers of books about witches and wildlife will be immediately drawn to this story about 18-year-old Iris who accidentally casts a spell that could have dire consequences not only on Pike Alder, the annoying intern at the wildlife refuge, but on the surrounding countryside. Iris has been hiding her ability as a witch after her best friend’s magic was taken away from her by the Witches’ Council, and her father refused to move away with her and her mother. Now settled happily working with animals and birds, the only thing that upsets her is Pike’s attitude. She is used to getting rid of her frustrations by writing curses and sending them into the earth but when writing one about Pike, an owl swoops down and flies away with it. She knows that she must recover it by following the owl’s flight path, and her mother insists that she takes Pike along as a companion on her journey.
The story follows the familiar trope of enemies into friends as Iris and Pike find out about each other’s fears and strengths as they hike through mountainous country. Readers who enjoy romance in their reading are sure to like the growing feelings and understanding between the pair.
The author has cleverly joined the fantasy aspect of witchcraft, spells, and magic with the reality of working in an animal refuge, while creating a world that feels real to the reader. The owl and Iris’ wolf, Winter, are appealing characters, too, while Iris’ relationship with her mother is strong.
This is an easy-to-read fantasy. Older readers might enjoy Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher and The lost witch by Melvin Burgess.
Imagine opening a page in a book and finding yourself staring into a lifesize eye of a baby blue whale. There's not much more of the whale on the page, but nevertheless, it gives an idea of its overall size.
From the tiny baby honey possum about the same size as a fullstop, young readers are taken to visit various animal babies all portrayed in the same scale so they understand the difference in size, inviting them to think about how they compare with these amazing creatures. From baby zebra seahorses that look like comma-sized squiggles on the page to the amazing four-page spread that is as tall as a baby elephant, young readers can compare themselves in all sorts of ways suggested by the text as well as learning the concepts of measurement and scale as they work out the dimensions of the adults using the book itself as their measuring tool.
This is one of three in this fascinating series which includes Dinosaurs (already published) and Deadly Animals (due April 2023), each of which is intriguing in itself but also an opportunity to show how the library can support the maths curriculum making them relevant to a much wider audience than early readers. Imagine a collaboration between older and younger students where they actually mapped the real sizes of creatures, first using the book's size as suggested, and then converting this to more formal measurements. As well as bringing the concept of scale to life in a meaningful way for the older students, they could compare the babies to the adult versions and determine which grows the greater amount both in proportion and percentage, and compare that to human growth. Younger students would have lots of fun consolidating the vocabulary of measurement beyond just comparing themselves to their peers, as well as mapping their own growth since birth or comparing the length of their bones or even trying to find an accurate way to measure around their head.
The value of books like this that go far beyond their intended purpose and audience, including building connections between children, cannot be underestimated. IMO, this a must-have.
Themes Baby animals, Size.
Barbara Braxton
The sun and the mayfly by Tang Tang. Illus. by Zhang Xiao
Little Steps, 2022. ISBN: 9781922678041. (Age:5-8) Highly recommended.
The Sun and the Mayfly is a beautifully written story about a curious mayfly who begins and ends life in a single day. She is the happiest of creatures and when she sees Sun rising in the sky she begins her questioning of Sun and all whom come into contact with her. She is keen to learn as much as she possibly can about everything around her. She tells all that she interacts with in nature that she only has one day to live as they tell her about their own life cycles. Mayfly asks Sun to tell her what it is like living beyond one day and Sun explains about night and day, the seasons, the weather and the whole world. Mayfly realises that her time is running out and she tries to fly to the sun.
The illustrations in this story are quite stunning and brilliantly complement the text. There is so much that can be discussed and shared in this gentle story especially about finding the positives in every day. A worthwhile book for a school or public library. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Mayfly, Sun, Nature, Questions, Positive Thinking, Life Cycles.
Gus’s mum, Delphine Able has a gift; she can see and talk to dead people. However, her bullying boyfriend Troy has been exploiting this gift, taking money from people keen to communicate with their dead relatives. The whole experience leaves Delphine distressed and anxious so when she bundles the family into the car and blocks the boyfriend’s number, Gus knows they are not going back. Big sister Alice seems to take it all in her stride and little brother Artie is only concerned about leaving his Transformer toy behind, but for nearly 12 year old Gus, that was the 10th house she could recall and she dreads going to yet another school where she won’t fit in, afraid to make friends she will inevitably lose. This time they drive north for four days until, at a service station their mother spots an advertised position at Calvary, a small town surrounded by sugar cane fields. The job is to manage the Starlight Drive-in Cinema, a run-down venue with a caravan for them to live in. They set about cleaning and sprucing up the place which was established in 1956 with an update in the 1980’s and Gus settles in to the local school where the big event will be the coming of 'Rileys Comet', seen in the sky every 70 years. Working on a science project on the comet helps Gus settle in and planning the re-opening of the drive in absorbs the whole family. Gus is to be the projectionist and when the owner’s father, Henry, who is supposed to be dead, helps her out Gus assumes she has the family gift of being able to talk to dead people. In spite of the first opening being far from successful the family settle in to the place and gradually win the support of the community but there are many hurdles to negotiate and unexpected insights to be gained.
This is an appealing story about family and finding a place to belong, the main character bravely faces challenges and takes responsibility for the success of their venture. The first half flowed well but then got more tangled and complicated. There was little character development with a stereotype of a vegan family and the comet story was confused. A quick read with a nice family feel.
