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.
This is a different kind of mystery story. Anja is at a loss, her mother has just died, her husband has left her, and she has just lost her job as an antiques assessor. And in a spontaneous moment she has spent her inheritance money on an old shack on an isolated patch of land set in a nature reserve next to a naval base. She is completely alone, with limited phone coverage and no wifi, and it is not long before she becomes aware of a presence outside in the dark. For a woman alone, the menace will always be men, men from the base, ready for a laugh at her expense, or a lone driver up her driveway ready to abuse her. She resorts to locked doors and sleeping with a knife under her pillow.
Interleaved with Anja’s story are redacted documents from a 1980’s military inquiry into strange happenings at the base, of possible cadet pranks and of mutilation of animals. Myths have sprung up about what happened there, myths that linger on in the memory of the locals. Perhaps the danger is something other worldly.
For the reader the mystery is complicated by a sense of the unreliability of the narrator. Anja tells us of the events that led to her dismissal but the detail is missing. Did she purposely smash valuable china, and injure an old lady in order to grab a priceless antique? Is she really a victim of malicious conniving by a manipulative colleague, or is Anja herself the paranoid stalker? Many of her actions, and her words, seem to be those of some-one close to the edge. The kindly local market administrator, Gemima, recognises her as a ‘possum’s broke its tail’.
Hydra is an intriguing exploration of death, grief and loss, and the unravelling of the mind, as Anja struggles to come to grips with her situation, and questions all her relationships. I read this book once, and then had to read it all over again: there is so much to explore in this novel. Whilst there are all the elements of a mystery novel, much of it is also very funny, particularly the dialogue where Anja tries to disrupt the euphemisms around death. The ending reaffirms women’s friendship and support, and is maniacal but also positive and affirming.
I would recommend this book for readers who have enjoyed the different perspectives offered in novels by Mark Brandi, e.g. The rip or The others.
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458872. (Age:Upper primary) Recommended.
A longstanding habit of mine, is to read the author’s acknowledgements and any notes before I start a new book. Reading these in Levithan’s Answers in the Pages, set the context for this highly engaging upper primary story, giving a very brief, but personal account of the queer novels, authors and supporters who have preceded and encouraged him.
Answers is a deceptively simple story in three strands that sympathetically teases out the issues of book banning, specifically ‘gay’ books, standing up for what you believe, working out what this actually is, and dealing constructively with conflict and differing opinions, particularly those of people who love and care for you.
Donovan’s fifth-grade teacher has assigned a class book that soon causes division across the small town, as parents debate whether the two characters are gay, and whether the book is therefore suitable reading for their children.
Rick and Oliver, ‘The Adventurers’, the two main characters in this book-within-a book, plunge into unbelievably extreme exploits, including wrestling alligators, escaping wild bears and defeating an evil mastermind.
In seemingly unrelated chapters, Roberto and Gideon become partners in a book project, and over time realise they want to be much more to each other.
It might take a while to get into the rhythm of switching between stories in each chapter, and personally, I found the Adventurers story too over-the-top to be enjoyable, but younger readers would probably enjoy the absurdity of it.
However, a few cleverly dropped clues hint at the final twist that ties together the three stories in a heart-warming finale, and demonstrates Levithan’s mastery.
Levithan’s characters are multifaceted and well-drawn, and he exposes their flaws and opinions without judgement or being heavy handed, even though he is addressing issues which would be real and relevant to many readers, like homophobia and parents who act inappropriately, but from a place of love and concern.
It is refreshing to have such a sweet, fun story incorporate contemporary issues, and add to the list of books that queer young readers can find themselves in/identify with. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Book banning, Coming out.
Margaret Crohn
A new Gemini by Anh Do
E-Boy 4. Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760879037. (Age:10+) Recommended.
In the exciting first chapter, Gemini has control of the small plane Ethan and Penny are piloting and all is looking bleak for the main characters. However, some frantic manoeuvring by Ethan through storm clouds has Gemini tossed off the plane and the link between Gemini and Ethan is finally broken. Penny convinces Ethan to land the plane and search for Gemini as she feels the connection between Ethan and Gemini is worth repairing. Ethan grudgingly agrees but knows it will not be easy. They rescue Gemini who is no longer functioning and fly to Professor Jackie Moore who is renowned for her brilliance in combining robotics and people. She does not have all the tools to successfully fix Gemini and they decide to travel back to Titus but must do it with false passports. Evil Agent Ferris is tracking Gemini and knows the three are back. What follows is a complicated cat and mouse game with Ethan, Gemini and Penny Cook outwitting Agent Ferris and his team for long enough so that Penny can attempt to fix Gemini but is their luck about to end? Agent Ferris is ready to activate Aquarius, his new secret weapon. And what a weapon Aquarius is. Gemini and E-Boy may not be a match for this massive robot. Plus, there is another dastardly well-kept secret that is to be uncovered.
Fans of this series will be enthralled with this latest release. Full of action and a fast-moving story. Book 5 will be out soon.
Themes Robots, Androids, Good vs Evil, Fighting, Technology, Trust, Danger.
Kathryn Beilby
The shop train by Josie Wowolla Boyle. Illus. by Paul Seden
In this loving memorial to times past, Josie recalls travelling to the train to get supplies and the mayhem caused when the bags split on the way home. Her recollections of times with her family, using the Shop Train as their supplier brings back many images of the part these trains played in many Australians’ lives. That this service ceased to run in 1996 is astonishing. And may beg the question of what happens now when goods are needed by people living along the train line.
The East West train line running from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie and back supplied not only the railway men and their families but all those people who lived in remote communities along the way. Josie recalls the things they bought, the different sections of the train, catering for all sorts of needs, the excitement of the people when one was due, the hearing of its whistle in the heat, the interplay of the driver and the children. Josie tells the story from the perspective of Rosie a young excited child, driving with her mother through the remote and harsh Wonghi country to meet the train. The rough dirt road gives a hint of what might happen on the way back.
Aboard the train, Rosie’s mother buys groceries in brown paper bags while Rosie watches the mail being thrown off the train into the ute, and where the green groceries and vegetables are bought. Alongside is a hairdresser, a butcher's shop and clothing store. Each section is busy with customers.
A tribute to times past, The shop train will encourage readers to think about change and the way of life now no longer seen. This new book by Josie Boyle is a warmhearted and loving testament to her work as well as her family and the life they lived in this remote landscape. And is a fitting memorial to Josie who died in 2020.
Seden’s illustrations, done mainly in septa with an occasional splash of colour, are majestic in detailing the remoteness of their lives, but also the richness of their knowledge using both Indigenous and European resources to solve a problem.
Seden includes details which readers will relish: the occasional animal in the background, the array of vehicles, the detail of the train, the number and types of carriages, the vastness of the horizon. All will be intrigued and many readers will spend time deliberating over the particulars in the lives of these children.
And they may try out a wooden yardy dish for themselves to see if they can separate the tea leaves from the rice, or the flour from the sugar as Rosie’s mother does. Descriptions of the land on which they live give a blunt look at the harshness of these people’s lives, punctuated by trips to the Shop train. Teacher's notes are available.
YouTube and social media star, Mr Beaky the budgerigar, is now in print. This clever cheeky blue budgie has been taught the Taungurung language of his First Nations parent and has important messages to share with young readers. This beautifully presented book with gorgeous photos of Mr Beaky, begins with an introduction in Taungurung, Wumindjeka Daungwurrung Biik “Hello Welcome to Taungurung Country.” The following page shows a map of where Mr Beaky’s home is on Taungurung Country in the state of Victoria.
There are several important messages throughout the story, one being that First Nation Peoples in Australia do not all look the same just like all the different coloured budgerigars in Australia but what is important is their murrup, “soul and spirit.” Mr Beaky himself is a blue budgie unlike those in the wild that are green and yellow, but he knows where he belongs and that it is to his Country. From Mr Beaky, the reader learns about the Aboriginal people being the world’s longest continuing civilisation and that importantly, all people must care and show gilbruk “respect” for Elders and Country.
The opportunity to learn about Aboriginal language and culture through the eyes of Mr Beaky, is a perfect starting point for children and adults in understanding, acceptance and Reconciliation. A wonderful book for every school and public library.
From very humble and impoverished beginnings, the story of Professor Ajay Rane OAM is one of incredible sacrifice and the belief that education has the power to change lives.
Ajay’s father Murli, lived in a small Indian village where poor cotton farmers from the lowest caste worked hard to save enough money to send one child from the village to secondary school. That one child was Murli, who was given this quite incredible opportunity and studied hard to become a doctor. He travelled to England where he did further training and eventually returned with his family to India to set up a hospital in the community from which he came. Murli’s focus was on women’s health, in particular supporting those women who suffered serious and debilitating complications from childbirth. Ajay who grew up helping his father in the surgery and operating theatre, eventually went on to study many aspects of medicine both in India and overseas. Ajay and his wife Paula, also a doctor, finally settled in Townsville Australia in 1996. Like his father Murli, Ajay was primarily concerned with women’s and children’s health and strove to provide better care. From the early 2000’s Ajay began travelling back to India to work with, and train medical staff to help neglected women as well as provide medical equipment to hospitals and support an orphanage.
This book is really the story of two doctors, Murli and Ajay, and the difference they have made to the world through one act of kindness and foresight in a little Indian village so many years ago. A perfect addition to this wonderful collection of Aussie STEM Stars books.
Themes STEM, India, Caste System, Medicine, Women’s Health.
Kathryn Beilby
High voltage by Kensy and Max 8. Jacqueline Harvey
Kensy and her twin brother Max, and their family head to Portugal for a holiday. Kensy’s family have a secret, they are agents for Pharos, a secret company. Their grandmother Cordelia is the head of the agency and she is adamant that while they are on holiday, they are not to investigate anything. It is a family holiday and nothing else.
Before heading on holiday Max, Kensy their dad and Fitz need to retrieve Max’s notebook that was left at the house of Magoo MacGregor. They have a close shave but manage to recover the notebook. The holiday starts off being relaxing, but as it goes on different members of the family end up looking into strange things that seem to be occurring in relation to Wolf Racing. Kensy and Max witness a kidnapping, they then spend some time trying to work out why the person was kidnapped and where they were taken. They manage to locate where she is being held and with help from their mother who is a retired agent manage to free her and ensure that the people who are trying to sabotage Wolf Racing don’t succeed with their plan.
This is a fun book with several twists that all come together in the end. The code at the start of each chapter adds to the enjoyment of this book.
I highly recommend this book.
Themes Investigations, Motor racing, Portugal.
Karen Colliver
A perfect wonderful day with friends by Philip Waechter
This is a warm hearted picture book about the outdoor adventures of a group of friends on a perfect sunny, summer's day. One quest leads to another, then that quest leads on again and so on until the whole community of friends is involved. Raccoon wants to bake a cake because he is bored, but finds he has no eggs. He goes to see Fox who needs a ladder to fix a leak in the roof. Together they seek out Badger who lives in the most extraordinary house, all clutter. but he also needs help solving a crossword puzzle so they all set off to find Bear. Along the way they meet Crow who joins their adventure. They find Bear fishing unsuccessfully at the river and debate about what she should use to catch the fish. All of the friends jump into the river and have a swim, lying in the sun to dry off afterwards. The five friends are having the best day out: fishing, swimming, picnicking and finally home to bake the cake, but find they must cook two cakes because bears have such big appetites.
The wonderfully funny look at a group of friends finding things to do without really trying is sure to appeal as they meander their way through meadows, pick blackberries, debate about the best way to catch a fish and finally come home to make a cake.
All the memories of a perfect summer’s day during childhood are here, meeting friends, doing nothing but being with each other. The illustrations stand out and children will love picking out the details, while the repetition of language and musical text make an irresistible read aloud begging children to join in.
I loved picking out the differences in the landscape from what we see in Australia, and children will delight in seeing the world from a different perspective.
Philip Waechter was born in Germany. A freelance graphic designer and illustrator in Frankfurt he is known for his beautifully classic illustration style. In 1999 Philip and Moni Port co-founded the community studio LABOR. This books is translated from the German edition by Melody Shaw.
Two great advantages of the wonderful non-fiction being currently published is that it covers a diverse range of topics and provides something to interest everyone, both young and old. The new release, What’s the Big Idea? written by Sue Lawson and Karen Tayleur, is one such book. The authors have collaborated and collected material on an array of Australian inventions in the following areas: Medicine, Technology, Communication, Sport, Agriculture, Tools, Home & Food, Great Ideas, Charity Events & Services.
The information is presented in a large hardback format with glossy pages and clear photographs of inventions, and inventors where possible. Each invention is clearly labelled, has its own position on the page and the text is easily accessible for all ages. The book has clever endpapers, contents page, introduction, glossary and index. The welcome addition of a Timeline begins with Firestick Farming used 60,000 years ago to manage Country with the final invention being a Mobile Laundry Van for the Homeless in 2015.
For those currently watching the Commonwealth Games, two of the sport inventions will be of interest. A popular theory is that Yorta Yorta runner Bobby McDonald is credited with the crouch start for sprints in 1887, and in 1928 the Speedo brand was created for a one-piece racer-back costume.
This book will be a wonderful resource for all libraries whether home, school or classroom. It contains so many familiar and unfamiliar inventions from those of First Nations people through to the present day.
Kathryn Beilby
Friday Barnes Undercover by R.A.Spratt
Penguin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761043659. Recommended.
Friday Barnes finds herself surrounded by mystery. She heads to Norway to help Binky, her best friend’s brother who is facing court martial after possibly being attacked by a polar bear. Along the way there are other mysteries that pop up that need Friday’s attention. People seem to gravitate to Friday when they have a problem that needs to be solved, and Friday does her best to logically analyse the problem and get to the bottom of it. In the process of helping Binky Friday discovers that there is more going on than she first thought. In the end all of the mysteries come together, and Friday survives a real polar bear to help solve the case.
This is a fun book, if you have enjoyed any other Friday Barnes books you will enjoy this one.
