Ella and her Dad decide to have a clean up day, after looking at their house, so full of useless things. They search, scramble and sort, poke, pick and pile, hunt, hoist and heave, filling their little car trailer with loads of things that are too old, too big, too small, too holey, or broken and altogether useless. Their next door neighbour takes the old bicycle, to him it is perfect. The lady at the end of the street asks if she can have the holey blankets as they are just what she needs. A jogger notices Dad’s old fashioned suit and jogs happily away with it. At the park two girls spy the leaking fishbowl, it is just what they want, while several other people take things from the trailer until, arriving at the dump Ella and her Dad find they have no useless things left in the trailer to leave behind.
A wonderfully witty tale of recycling and repurposing, children will begin to look around them with more than a cursory eye, seeing the things that are no longer useful to them, but may be useful to someone else.
Meg McKinlay’s sense of the unusual shines through as she uses alliterative words to describe the things they look for, or repeats the word useless at the start contrasting with the word useful in the last pages. Each of the neighbours finds just what they need from the trailer, prompting readers to think what their use might be. How could somebody really want a holed blanket or an 80’s suit or leaking fishbowl. Suggestions will come thick and fast from avid readers, eager to make something useless into something useful.
Blair’s watercolour and pencil illustrations add to the humour of the text, showing the pair as they dive into the useless things found in their home and shed, or fill the trailer, or leave behind stuff other people want to take, arriving empty handed at the dump. I love the front cover with the delicate balancing act by Dad, Ella and the dog, paralleling the fine line between useful and useless. And the last several pages where we see the use to which the useless objects have been put. The detail of the house and shed will titillate the imaginations of the readers, spying things others do not see, seeing out things which they may have at home, tucked away instead of being thrown out or recycled. And the endpapers too show the difference between useless and useful and I love the journey taken by Ella and her Dad, through the house then the neighbourhood and to the dump. A wonderful story promoting recycling and repurposing, but also being creative and encouraging a sense of community as the useless property is shared.
Themes Recycling, Creativity, Community, Rubbish.
Fran Knight
The best liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458452. (Age:10+)
Aubrey and Joel are the best of friends. They have always been friends, and while others might think they are odd, they are perfectly happy enjoying their make believe games, even if they might be getting a bit old for them now. When Aubrey returns from their camping trip having gone a separate way from Joel, and he has now disappeared, this makes Aubrey the last person to see him. The whole town is looking for him, but Aubrey might be the only one who can find him. Setting out to look for him with Aubrey’s older sister, Teagan, and Joel and Aubrey’s friend, Mari, they might find themselves along the way.
This middle grade book, set in America, is narrated by Aubrey, starting straight after the camping trip. The story unfolds naturally, moving forward smoothly, with a few flashbacks sprinkled throughout. There are a variety of characters, facing different issues, which are issues that many readers experience. Chapter length varies, with some chapters being much shorter than others. The novel is essentially a contemporary book with mystery and adventure, and heart. While we are living in modern times, children still experience racism and discrimination for being themselves, which this book looks at through the eyes of a preteen child learning about themselves. Good for fans of ‘Melissa’ (previously titled ‘George’) by Alex Gino.
Themes Lies and Truth, Mystery, Understanding, Relationships, Middle Grade, Racism.
Leilong the brontosaurus is a very good school bus, and the children are all ready and waiting as he goes from building to building to collect them. But being a brontosaurus in a modern city of cars and buses and trucks and people can have its drawbacks and Leilong finds himself banned and confined to the school gymnasium. He is so upset that he cries and cries... and finds himself a new career!!
Young readers first met Leilong when he took them to library storytime and they will be happy that he returns in another adventure. What if Leilong arrived at their school? What uses could he have? Have them write letters to the principal to persuade them that Leilong should stay...
Themes Dinosaurs, Libraries.
Barbara Braxton
The last gladiator by Anh Do
Rise of the Mythix 5. Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761065682. (Age:9-13) Highly recommended.
The Last Gladiator by Anh Do is the fifth book in the surprising Rise of the Mythix series. Minh, Kelly and Stanley are hiding out in an abandoned warehouse with Kelly trying to work out how to rescue Jimmy and also help Stanley remember part of the Mythix Prophecy. After returning from a search for food, Minh fills the others in on a news item about a huge person taking on and defeating the Hornets. This begins to make sense to Stanley, who with help from Kelly’s powers has remembered a passage from the ‘Prophecies and Portents’ book which states there may be more people born with mythical powers. What follows is a search for this mysterious person whom they locate but who does not want anything to do with them. Meanwhile Jimmy is in deep trouble having been brought back to his human form from stone but forced into a painting with the evil Medusa. They are released as an experiment and their first combined task is to burn the painting of Jimmy’s parents. It becomes a battle of wills as to how they will follow commands from The Collector.
The Collector cunningly announces the Gladiator Games where the strongest gladiators in the nation will fight each other, with a prize worth fighting over. The mysterious giant person from the search enters the Games and becomes known as the Kraken, with four massive tentacles. He and the Cyclops eventually face off in the final. But Kelly, Minh and Stanley are also in a fight for their lives. And will they separate Jimmy from the Medusa? An exciting story awaits the fans of this series with Book 6 coming soon.
Themes Fantasy, Myths, Dystopia, Adventure, Power, Good vs Evil, Friendships, Danger.
Kathryn Beilby
Ninni Yabini by Cheryl Kickett-Tucker and Tyrown Waigana
When Mother and Father swan rebuild their nest, they are so engrossed in their task that they do not see the baby swan is missing. A storm has washed their home away and they must build a new nest. Their beloved offspring, named Ninni Yabini after the evening star, wanders away, following a willy-wagtail, and finds herself alone and scared.
The beginning of the story evokes its setting, a place near the river, amongst reeds which they use to build their nest along with river grasses and sticks. While the story develops we learn of the tasks each of the swans does in daily life and the things they collect to make their nest.
When Yabini wanders off, her dad, Maali calls in vain. Yabini spies the evening star, her namesake and feels comforted, following its lead. As she stumbles over logs and runs through puddles, the little star gets brighter and brighter as she nears home.
A happy reunion follows although not without dad telling his cygnet not to follow the willy-wagtail ever again. But all is peaceful as the little family snuggles together to sleep that night, happy and content.
The story models a strong family relationship with the parents kissing and cuddling their child, strengthening the bonds that tie them together.
The illustrations support this theme admirably, from the spectacular front cover showing the baby being held in the parents’ wings to the back cover with the lost very unhappy cygnet being led by the evening star. The strikingly modern illustrations are different from what is usually expected complementing an Indigenous story and will encourage readers to look more closely at the art wok of a range of books.
Written in Noongar and English, and illustrated with wonderful striking artwork, this book celebrates family and home, while at the end is a list of the six Noongar seasons. The use of Noongar language throughout the book encourages children to try out the language for themselves, and an easy place to start is to learn the names of the six seasons.
Author, Cheryl Kickett-Tucker belongs to three areas of the Noongar people – Wadjuk (Swan River), Balladong (Wheatbelt) and Yued (Moora) and her stories reflect the inspiration of her family’s experiences in the bush. For more information about Cheryl and her books see here.
The illustrator, Tyrown Waigana is a Wardandi Noongar (south-west cape country) and Ait Koedhal (Torres Strait Islander) multi-disciplinary artist and graphic designer. An interview with Tyrown can be found here. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Aboriginal themes, Aboriginal stories, Western Australia, Family, Belonging, Home.
Fran Knight
Flipper and Finnegan by Sophie Cunningham. Illus. by Anil Tortop
Albert Street Books, 2022. ISBN: 9781761180071. (Age:4-8)
Flipper and Finnegan are are Little Penguins enjoying a glorious life on Phillip Island. They love their special place in the world alongside other wildlife such as seals, bandicoots and Cape Barren Geese. Their days are filled with fish hunting in the clear blue ocean and at night they waddle up the beach to their cosy burrow. When an oil spills covers most of their colony in oil the ranges at the Wildlife Centre know that the penguins are in grave danger. Oily feathers mean the penguins can't keep warm and if they try to preen themselves to remove it the oil will make them sick. Inventive thinking and lots of help from knitters all over the world results in the penguins being put in tiny woollen jumpers until they can be properly cleaned.
There is a small paragraph at the end of the story about the true history behind the tale of Flipper and Finnegan and what we can do to help Little Penguins. There are a few penguin facts scattered within the story and the illustrations and text give a wonderful sense of place (both of Australia and Phillip Island itself). Anil Tortop's illustrations use light to great effect and her animals are cute and cuddly. This is a heartwarming story about what can be achieved when we come together for a cause but is also a reminder of the damage human activity is having on the world around us. While great for younger children this presents the view that after the penguins have been cleaned up they are returned back to a perfect world. This may be a bit simplistic and miss out on teaching points for older children (however it could also be a useful springboard for discussing these issues). A second true story title by this same author and illustrator is titled Tippy and Jellybean: The True Story of a Brave Koala Who Saved her Baby from a Bushfire.
With beautifully appropriate soft edged illustrations by Hilary Jean Tapper, the phrases on each page point to words that need to be said to defuse a situation which many children and adults come across. The words point to a kindness, an emotion felt by the speaker, comforting the other person in a situation we can all recognise.
So at home, a child has drawn on the wall, and owns up with ‘I did it’. Many people will see this event, sometimes more often that they wish, but the simple owning up defuses a situation which could cause distress. At home too, a child may feel left out and the simple question, ‘Want to join in?’ makes that person feel part of the group and be thankful that the questioner is so kind. Similarly when at school, one child has wet themselves and the other reassures her that ‘happens to everyone sometimes’, so reaching out to an embarrassed child, offering comfort. In other situations: talking to a person in hospital or an older family member possibly in a nursing home, or needing help in class, all sorts of situations are described by the illustrations and given apt phrases to respond with. Readers will eagerly say what has happened to them in a similar situation and the reader will be able to encourage a response that is appropriate and kind, offering comfort and support.
Very much a book to produce if people in the class are being unkind or showing signs of being unable to resolve a situation, this book has wide educative uses both at home, and in the classroom.
The beautiful illustrations beg to be interpreted and discussed, leading on to revealing emotions and feelings. These emotions will then lead to solutions and the text gives the best solution: kind words, kindly offered as the speaker feels sympathy for the person involved.
Stroud returns with another adventure featuring the audacious and notorious Scarlett and Browne. This time they have evaded their enemies in the wilds of Mercia and Northumbria, while conducting some exciting heists. Using Scarlett’s planning skills and shooting ability and Browne’s ability to read minds, the pair have been successful until they are faced with a dangerous adversary while trying to pull off a near impossible mission.
There is all the excitement, snarky asides, and humour, wrapped up in a fast-paced plot and beautiful writing that one expects from an author of the calibre of Stroud. In The notorious Scarlett and Browne, Stroud takes his adventure story a step further and gives the reader some solid and often heart-breaking background about his two protagonists. Browne is afraid of his powers and often fails to use them when needed, while Scarlett’s path into being an outlaw is explored in depth. The pair grow closer to understanding each other, and the delightful Joe and Ettie from the first book, appear again.
There is a map at the beginning of the book that shows the paths that the outlaws take and is a useful reference for readers who are not British. The descriptions of the Faith Houses and the Brothers of the Hand that have grown up in response to the threat of the Tainted are frightening and easy to imagine happening in a dystopian world. An execution scene is vividly described as a stage-managed event and had me on the edge of my seat in fear. Albert’s observations about the plight of children as slave labour and the poverty and hunger also added a dimension to the story.
A film based on the first book, The outlaws Scarlett and Browne, is being planned. Meanwhile fans are sure to be thrilled to read this sequel. I look forward to any future books in this series and fans might like to read Stroud’s Lockwood and Co. series while they wait.
Living as a servant in the immobile sky castle, Midori, Kurara keeps to herself and only her best friend, Haru, knows that she can manipulate paper to become animals, stars, basically anything. They live a quiet life serving throughout Midori, then a Crafter finds her – Crafters are those that control paper, and Kurara is one of them. Escaping the Midori, she joins an airship whose main purpose is chasing and destroying rouge Shikigami, giant monsters made out of paper. Learning how to become a proper Crafter, Kurara travels with the crew across Mikoshima and faces a whole new world full of adventure and intrigue.
Told from multiple perspectives throughout the story, Rebel Skies is about young Kurara learning more about the world and more about herself. Set in a world full of skyships, flying cities and paper spirits, this book feels like a Japanese anime with action, adventure, humour and cultural aspects including clothing, character names and weaponry. At the start of the book, there is a map showing land cities and sky cities, as well as a few illustrations to assist readers in understanding the world that the author has built. This fantasy novel is the first in a new series of the same name, and readers will find the book is evenly paced with a nice steady flow of story. With a wide variety of characters, those reading the book will find some characters relatable and others annoying, which gives a nice depth to the story. Fans of Studio Ghibli anime will enjoy the book, as would fans of manga.
This enthralling story of a pair of peregrine falcons nesting in Collins Street in Melbourne will touch the hearts of all readers, young and old as they see wild animals surviving in the harsh city environment. New words will be learnt, facts about these birds given while a story of the life cycle of these animals will be eagerly absorbed.
It begins with two falcons nesting on a ledge high above Collins Street. The male falcon, the tiercel lands next to the female and hands over his catch, a pigeon which he caught on the wing using his incredible speed, talons and dexterity to grab the prey. The female eagerly pulls apart the flesh and eats. She later lays four eggs in the gravel scrape. These are rolled around under her making sure each stays warm and the tiercel keeps bringing in food he has caught, while at times he takes over the nest duties while she hunts.
After six weeks they begin to hatch, and three small fluffy balls are in the scrape while the fourth egg is rolled to the back. Called eyases, the chicks grow steadily on the diet the tiercel brings in. During the day the pair take turns hunting and keeping them safe, while at night the male watches while the female sits on the chicks. Hunting is lessened as the chicks grow, their fluffy feathers replaced by darker stronger ones. They practise walking up and down the ledge preparing for the day they will leave. Their parents are watchful but bring in less food, forcing the chicks to take to the air. They leave behind the scrape, the fourth egg and feathers and bones regurgitated after their meals.
The precise text brings the life story of these animals to life, introducing words readers may not know, but encouraging them in their use. The story is intertwined with information, told in such a way that it is absorbed without hesitation. It is simply fascinating, telling of how animals survive in what is considered a hostile environment, encouraging children to look out for the peregrine, the largest and strongest of the falcons. Children will scan the skies over their cities to watch for these birds.
At the end of the book is a page of information which adds to the facts already given, along with an outline history about the falcons in Collins Street.
The illustrations are magnificent, drawing the eye in to look closely at their feathers, talons, beaks and plumage. The background of the ledge with its spill of feathers and dung adds a note of admiration for these animals, making the most of a strange, hostile environment for their nest. The almost photographic images will make students gasp as they turn the pages. The picture of the diving tiercel, the city at night, the pair at the scrape, the chicks hatching … all are simply wonderful, giving the reader a very intimate view of the family of falcons. The claustrophobic ledge, the protection of the parents as they watch over their chicks, the final leap to flight, are all given an extra emotional pull through the detailed, close up illustrations. Jones’ obsession with the way pictures tell a story shines through as he depicts falcons here and penguins (2021).
When they were nine years old, Mina McCreery’s twin sister Evelyn vanished overnight from the bedroom they shared. For Mina that meant an immediate change and “everything about her life was public property” - even now, nineteen years later.
An unsolved crime with a million-dollar reward draws a lot of attention, including from private investigator Lane Holland who needs that money. And as Lane’s cold-case investigation progresses we learn more about the complicated pasts of both Mina’s family and Lane himself.
We also learn about the various ways different people deal with trauma, and we get disturbing insights into the ghoulish delight some take in whipping up suspicion and spreading ‘fake news’ online.
Crime fiction is not my preferred genre but this book drew me in immediately. I loved that the outback setting is almost a character itself – the fictional small town in NSW is described in vivid detail, giving this novel an unmistakable Australian flavour. And along with Mina and Lane a host of other likeable and believable characters are richly drawn, including Mina’s best friend Alanna, and Senior Sargeant Emily Starrett of the local police in the next town over.
The layers in this story are revealed slowly, with unexpected turns throughout. Several times I thought I’d figured out where it was going next, only to find myself gasp aloud at the newest revelation. Readers under 16 may be disturbed by some details in this book, including the mentions of child abduction and harm.
The story wraps up in a satisfying way with the overall message that it’s never too late to speak up or for the truth to be revealed.
When Souls Tear is the second novel in the young adult fantasy series, Time Catchers, by Australian children’s author, Karen Ginnane. At the end of the first book in the series, When Days Tilt, we left Ava, Jack and their friends at a crossroads. Ava is back in Victorian London while Jack has returned to his blacksmith apprenticeship in the mirror city of Donlon. Jack is suffering the after effects of a torn soul and is having increasing trouble hiding his symptoms. Ava is feeling lost and confused as she tries to determine the best way to fulfil the task left to her by her late mother: to destroy the time snatchers once and for all.
Like its predecessor, When Souls Tear is narrated by both Ava and Jack in alternating chapters. Both protagonists reach a point when they must make a momentous decision. For Jack, is he willing to travel down a dangerous path to find a cure for his debilitating illness? For Ava, how much is she willing to trust new and former foes in her quest to rid both worlds of the evil of time stealing?
When Souls Tear is an enjoyable sequel that will satisfy fans of the first book. However, it is unfortunate that the author’s issues with pacing have continued into this novel. Events seem to either rush past at breakneck speed or take more time than should be necessary. While When Souls Tear is a definite improvement on When Days Tilt, Ginnane still has a way to go in creating a consistent structure for her stories.
Themes Fantasy, Historical, Steampunk, Family, Friends, Time, Adventure, Victorian London.
A Very Special Moon Mission is a newly released early middle grade story that will appeal to those children who are fascinated with space and enjoy reading short stories. Best friends Phoebe and Elliot, who are space fanatics and desperate to be astronauts, sneak out of their homes and visit a nearby Space Station to find out as much as they can. They are followed there by Julia, a quiet, unpopular classmate whom Phoebe is not happy to see. The three children are welcomed enthusiastically by the person in charge who generously allows them to wander around the station. They meet the three female astronauts in training and decide to try on their space suits. They wander around and discover the rocket, The Obsession, which they climb aboard and accidently send off into space. They are enjoying their adventure but discover the computer system has a mind of its own! It tips Phoebe out of the door hatch onto the moon and then shoots off deeper into space. Julia is able to reprogram the computer system and they fly back to rescue Phoebe in a very clever way. Once back safely at the Space Station they realise that no one knew they were missing and due to their secret journey, a worrying and complex problem is solved.
Themes Friends, Astronauts, Space Travel, Moon Landing, Adventure, Humour.
Weaponized is fundamentally a book about evolution – but not as we know it. Set in the distant future on a newly colonised planet, we witness the rapid and violent evolution of humans as they struggle to acclimatise themselves to an increasingly hostile world.
Ursula is the leader of the new colony on Threpsis, a planet with enough similarities to Earth to make it viable for humans – just. She and her fellow pioneers are determined to escape the artificial intelligence that controls much of human society, spread across hundreds of worlds throughout space. They have decided to live as “humanly” as possible, without the aids that AI provides them. While the colonists have the technology to adapt to a strange world full of carnivorous plants and poisonous insects, they are not prepared for the raptors – vicious and destructive predators who may just be more intelligent than they are.
Set against the backdrop of an intergalactic war with an alien race, Ursula and her fellow colonists find themselves fighting a war on two fronts. With dwindling resources and firepower, they decide that their only choice is to weaponise the best assets they have left: themselves. To survive, they might have to become like those they fear.
Weaponized is an extremely fast-paced action narrative. The reader is carried along with the colonists as they fight for their lives in almost every scene. The battles are vicious and, as the narrative progresses, more gruesome. There is very graphic violence and fight scenes.
The non-linear narrative does become frustrating at times as the reader has to continually adjust back into the plot of the current timeline, as the author works to blend past and present to round out Ursula as a character. Some of these chapters feel unnecessary to the plot and detract from the urgency and action of the main narrative. Nevertheless, Weaponized is an enjoyable read, particularly for fans of hard science fiction.
Themes Science Fiction, Action, Space, Aliens, War, Artificial Intelligence.
The four lined rhyming stanzas, concisely underscore the love between family members and friends the world over, paralleled and augmented by the illustrations which reflect the diversity and scope of the world’s children.
No matter who we are or where we live, no matter the circumstances or environment, we all say 'I love you', in different ways but the meaning is the same no matter where we are.
We have children often going to school saying 'I love you' as they leave the house, or children returning to the classroom after play saying 'I love you' to their friends, or a child lying at home, too ill for school, saying 'I love you' to her mother, or children waiting for the school bus after farewelling their parents with the words, 'I love you'. A whole array of situations is given, each having the child say 'I love you' to someone else. And the verses tell us more than the three word phrase, often the verse gives us information about the child or its family, their environment or home.
And the words themselves are given in the language the child speaks, linked to the name of the child in the verse.
Readers will love learning 'I love you' in thirteen different languages, from French and Italian to Tongan and Central African. Each child’s name too will be a word that is tried and tested in that language.
The illustrations reflect the country of the verse and the phrase 'I love you', giving readers a chance to spy out things which typify that country. The bold colourful illustrations will draw children’s eyes to seek out the detail which reflects the place the child lives.
I loved the French page, a cold wintry day waits for the child as she comes home on the bus, to be met by her grandparents and taken the rest of the way. The French buildings and street furniture are instantly recognisable.
A wonderful book with which to introduce the term 'I love you' in many languages and encourage children to see outside their classroom, as well as showing them that those three words beg to be shared with their families and friends.
