Grandparents for hire is the third book in a series for middle primary readers about a very enterprising 8-year-old girl called Willa and her large, albino wolf hound, Woof. The series started with Mimi is missing, followed by Birthday business in 2022. In this story Willa is concerned about the many children who are upset when their school principal announces that they are having a Grandparents Day. Many of them do not have grandparents nearby and Willa decides to help. She comes up with a plan to match some of the residents of the nearby retirement village to the children in need of grandparents for the day. Her scheme will also help the retirement village residents by providing an income to support their outings and afternoon teas, something the nasty director Mrs Wilson wants to get rid of. During her organisation of Grandparents for hire her four-legged friend Woof seems to be up to something and keeps mysteriously disappearing, especially when her teacher’s dog Lola is nearby. These easy to read, adventurous stories, from the author of the Alice Miranda and Kensy and Max books, are perfect for those readers ready to tackle slightly longer novels. The characters will appeal to most children and will be positive role models for this age group.
Anora can see the dead, is even able to turn the spirits she meets into gold coins. Moving to a new school, this is something she is keeping to herself, and needs to convince her mother that she isn't crazy - therefore, no more spirits into coins. But, by the end of her first day, she has managed to turn a spirit into a coin, and somehow lost the coin - which has never happened before. On top of this, Anora mourns the passing of her Poppa, and is fielding the advances and attention of two very interesting guys at the school. One of them is even in a secret society, whose sworn duty is to protect humans and guide the dead to the next part of their journey. Navigating all this in amongst the school gossip app and dealing with overly eager students, and the constant threat of being sent to an asylum if her mum gets any whiff of ghost talk, things aren't looking great.
This supernatural fantasy has an almost Twilight meets Wednesday (Netflix show) vibe. With interesting characters, drama and intrigue, the novel moves between the two main characters viewpoints, Anora and Shy, developing the story. The first in a new series, readers will eagerly await the next book as the series promises more twists and turns. Evenly paced with plenty of action and multiple layers to the story, Scarlett St. Clair has written a hit, which she kindly includes a trigger warning at the beginning of the book regarding suicide (suspected suicide in story).
Cicada sing song by Pat Simmons. Illus. by Katrin Dreiling
Little Steps, 2022. ISBN: 9781922358462. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
Who doesn’t love the sound on a warm summer’s night, when the cicadas fill the air with their beautiful melodies?
Cicada Sing Song is a celebration of those special moments when you can lay back and enjoy the symphony. But is it classical, rap, hip hop, rock, country, jazz or soul? The cicadas are all very talented!
This is a lovely picture book, filled with poetic text. It celebrates the sounds of individual cicadas coming together to create a festival of music. As the winds warm with Summertime, the cicadas make their unique music. The text is filled with rhyme and rhythm, with each playful verse creating a vivid image. Adding to this are the delightful and captivating illustrations.
Pat Simmons has created a charming melodical story. Creating verse for different characters and activities, it distinguishes their skills and move through the story seamlessly. Adding to the narrative are the exquisite illustrations by Katrin Dreiling which capture the essence of the story. Each bold and colourful page brings intrigue and interest to the text.
Cute, colourful and creative… This cacophony of cicadas is clever! Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Insects, Music, Sounds, Performing.
Michelle O'Connell
The Last Firedog by Ian Boyd and Gary Luck
Spirit of the Earth Books, 2022. ISBN: 9780648905745. (Age:8-12) Highly recommended.
The Last Firedog is the second eco-fantasy novel by Ian Boyd and Gary Luck, following the popular release of Melody Finch in 2020.
This time the story follows bullied but resourceful young cricketer, Reynold, who suddenly becomes a Tasmanian devil when a terrifying bushfire breaks out in his parents’ devil refuge. He must make fast decisions and juggle competing priorities to survive and get home safely. These priorities include saving another devil who is vital for the eradication of a terrible face cancer, helping other animals escape the fire, fulfilling the dying wish of a mother quoll, and unravelling the mystery of the mythical firedog, all while navigating new and old relationships.
The story races along with plenty of humour and a cast of great characters - both human and animal. During the adventure we learn interesting information about bushfires, the environment, and a huge variety of Tasmanian wildlife. We also learn about friendships, family, and love, as well as resilience, bravery and doing the right thing even when it's tough.
The pairing of Ian Boyd and Gary Luck brings together the best of their two backgrounds. Boyd is a South Australian author with experience in children’s entertainment, gardening and landscape design. He is passionate about the outdoors and fascinated with the idea of seeing life through the eyes of animals. Luck is a wildlife ecologist with a special interest and focus on conservation and sustainability in Tasmania.
Together these two have crafted a wonderful second novel which is engaging, magical and undeniably Australian/Tasmanian.
Whispering wire: Tracing the Overland Telegraph Line through the heart of Australia by Rosamund Burton
Wakefield Press, 2022. ISBN: 9781743059609.
This story is much more than a historical recount of the expeditions leading to the building of the Overland Telegraph Line in the 1870s between Adelaide and Darwin.
The author weaves meticulously researched facts with narratives of the places visited and people she and her friend Fleur meet on their journey to retrace the steps of the explorers, first by cycling from Adelaide to Farina (800 miles!) and then by driving (with Alison) to Darwin. Her observations of the flora and fauna are amazing as are her reflections on the effects on the Aborigines of the building of the Telegraph Line.
A very readable book which would be worth studying for the changes in communication and living conditions for indigenous and non-indigenous Australians since South Australian settlement.
Themes Overland Telegraph Line (N.T. and S.A.) - History, Telegraph - Australia - History, Travel - South Australia, Travel - Northern Territory.
Ann Griffin
Grandfather Shark and the robbers by John Riviere Morris. Illus. by Hugo Shaw
Imagine a shark who looked after your town. Protected you from everything and anyone. Wouldn’t that be great! This story puts an interesting twist on our fascination with sharks and throws a different light on them entirely. It feels almost like a folktale or legend, a story John has shared with his family and now is sharing with us. The great Grandfather Shark, protecting us all from dangers.
Grandfather Shark and the Robbers is a unique and interesting picture book that many readers of all ages will enjoy. Its suspenseful storyline continues to build until the very end, leaving the audience captivated and enthralled. They will be completely enchanted and wondering what Grandfather Shark is going to do next.
Grandfather Shark is old and rather grumpy, but he loves the little town of Point Lonsdale and all the town’s folk in it. He is always listening out and looking to protect them from any dangers that may arise. So, when some robbers come to steal from the people, Grandfather Shark goes into action. How will he protect his town from these baddies?
John Riviere Morris has created a narrative to enthral. Building in suspense, the audience will be captivated until the very end, wanting to know what their hero shark will do next. Hugo Shaw’s use of pen and watercolour illustrations add detail and further engagement for the audience. Each large, full paged illustration supports the text and allows the audience great visuals which add to the storyline.
Grandfather shark is like some sort of mythical creature from the sea. Protecting the townsfolk from the dangers and saving the day to become the town’s local hero. Wouldn’t we all like to believe there is a Grandfather Shark out there in our waters!
Themes Sea creatures, Beach, Action.
Michelle O'Connell
The book that no one wanted to read by Richard Ayoade. Illus. by Tor Freeman
Have you ever wondered how books think? Well now is your chance to find out! This is an entertaining story of a shy, unwanted book written by actor, writer and director, Richard Ayoade, best known for his role as Maurice Moss in the comedy series The IT crowd. He has chosen to write his first book for young readers narrated by a book, giving them an insight into what it might mean to be a book; judged by its cover, left lying around, neglected and dog-eared by uncaring readers. Ayoade’s flippantly humorous voice comes through clearly as he covers all things book related, including how libraries organise them and what it means when a reader finds their perfect book. He then shrewdly encourages young writers to take a pen and write the story for this book themselves. The text is written partly in playscript style so could be a shared read for adults and children or an opportunity to dramatize parts of the book. The comic style illustrations support the story and extend the humour, providing much for the reader to explore and enjoy long after reading.
Themes Books, Reading, Writing.
Gabrielle Anderson
Rosie and the friendship angel by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker. Illus. by Jane Ray
Mother and son team, Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker has created a series of books called, Guardian Angels, this being number three. Rose is starting a new school and Daddy drops her off to her new teacher Miss Marshall. All looks well but the girl Miss Marshall has nominated as Rosie’s buddy is resentful and mean to her. She does not take her role with the new student seriously and leaves Rosie on the outer. Rosie’s first day is not what she expected and lying in bed that night she says, ‘I wish I didn’t feel all by myself'.’Her cry is heard by the Friendship Angel, Frederick and he takes action. He knows just how important friends are.
The next day he swirls up the snow with his wings, making it impossible for Daddy to be on time to pick up Rosie. While waiting for him, she talks to another girl in her class Indira who is waiting for her mother. A friendship blossoms. Frederick has done his job well.
This engaging text, stunningly illustrated, will delight newly emerging readers. The large size looks like a picture book but is enticingly older with more text than usual encouraging early readers to tackle it by themselves. The vibrant illustrations are full of detail and interest. For Australian readers the image of snow lying on the ground and the brick school buildings with fenced playgrounds and a small town blanketed in snow, will be a treat. The detailed classroom will draw their interest, looking at similarities and differences from their own experience. I loved the technique used to quieten the class, and felt the cold as Rosie snuggled into her bed, and shivered at the images of the snow covering the car outside. Each page is a treat with text and image, the one supporting the other. The gentle text engaged me from the start as the idea of a Guardian Angel took shape.
Themes Angels, Bullying, School, First day, Friendship.
Fran Knight
Mary had a monstersaur by Mike Dumbleton. Illus. by Peter Bath
Using Mary had a little lamb, the well know nursery rhyme as a template, Dumbleton has written a funny version where Mary meets a dinosaur, left over from the meteor shower which blanketed the earth sixty million years ago, wiping out all dinosaurs. Our lone fellow lives in a hole behind the garden shed, and just like the lamb in the original tale, follows Mary everywhere. He goes to school with Mary, causing a sensation as he steps on her face and sits on the bus, but his long tail comes in vey handy as a slide in the pool. But when he eats all the lunches in the school canteen and wrecks some play equipment, he feels he does not belong and so begins to move away. But the whole group stops him, telling him that they love him and asking him to stay. Supporting their friend, millions of likes appear on social media, urging him to reconsider his decision.
Smart rhyming lines will intrigue readers and listeners as they recall the original Mary had a little lamb, and work out how Dumbleton has twisted the story to incorporate the dinosaur. Kids will have a great time predicting the rhyming words and reciting the original as well as comparing the two. And they will learn a little information about dinosaurs along the way and laugh at the twist in the tale as the hole in the garden reveals something unexpected.
Illustrations by London based Peter Bath add another level of humour to Dumbleton’s words, the endearing monstersaur will engage readers as they follow his plight. Not fitting in and feeling left out are common feelings for the young and they will empathise with the dinosaur and his attempts to be sociable.
I loved the green monster and his hovering eyebrows, and surprisingly few lines giving so much expression to his face. Children will love teasing apart the word larrikin, the name of the publishing house which produced this book, to see what part being a larrikin plays in the story.
Larrikin House aims to create quirky, edgy, original funny kid-focussed books. And more can be found here.
You are 25% banana by Susie Brooks. Illus. by Josy Bloggs
Red Shed, 2022. ISBN: 9781405299084. (Age:5+) Highly recommended.
What a title to get young grades interested and involved from the start. Non fiction at its best the story of genetics is told with laughter and merriment as basic information is given linking us all through our genes. Each double page brings to light another arresting and astonishing set of facts.
Using the analogy of a recipe book, we are told about our recipes or genes and so 25% of those recipes are shared by humans and banana. These recipes determine what we look like, what colour our hair is, how tall we will be, whether we have two or four legs, or exist on a stalk. Half of our genes come from our dad, and half from mum. Some genes are bossier than others which explains why more humans have brown eyes, and most tigers are orange. The book goes on telling us who and what we are related to. Some, like daffodils, dogs and dung beetles, will surprise while others like chimps may not. Reading through the book, the percentages increase as we get closer to the chimp (99%) on the second to last page, and along the way percentages continue to surprise. Who would have thought we share 60% of our genes with fruit flies, which explain why they were sent into orbit. Or that we share 80% with cows, another animal like us that relies on milk from its mother when young, or we share 90% of our genes with cats. The very last page shows that every human in the world shares 99.9% of their genes with every other human and it is one gene in every thousand that makes each an individual.
This masterful look at genes and genetics for young readers had me hooked from page one, and there are many active minds out there waiting for information that is relevant, informative, funny and engaging. Illustrations in bright bold colours inform and intrigue as does the layout of each page, drawing the eye to take another look before ht pages are turned.
Susie Brooks travels and develops ideas for her writing that are different and thought provoking. Learn more about her here.
Josy Bloggs is an illustrator who specialises in non fiction, and is from the UK. More can be found out about her here. Her particular interest is in layout and design and this is echoed in her distinctive work.
The inside of the back cover retells the information on each page.
Two dogs with nothing in common, could they possibly find some common ground?
Pugnacious & Scuttlebutt Ready… Steady… ITCH written and illustrated by Adam Wallace and Wayne Bryant is hilarious. Be entertained by the frivolity and silliness of two dogs who are thrown together under terrible circumstances. Could anything good come from it?
Filled with wit, humour and ingenuity, this story will keep its audience captivated until the very end. Fun and light-hearted, this is an enjoyable read that will tantalise the reading tastebuds of even those reluctant readers. If you like a little adventure and enjoy a huge laugh, you must meet these two unfortunate mutts.
Pugnacious is the most volatile creature. He is mean, nasty, vicious and awful, and always looking for a fight wherever he goes and whatever the circumstance. He will turn the most innocent situation into something mean. But maybe he is just misunderstood?
Scuttlebutt is the fastest greyhound ever. That is, until a nasty prank sees his butt itching like nobody’s business. Now he can’t concentrate on anything but his butt! Will he ever be able to focus on anything else again?
This fabulous short fiction novel is extremely fast paced with a highly energetic and engaging storyline. Filled with loads of fun black and white cartoon pictures, speech text and action, and in a style mixed between a graphic novel and standard novel, this targets a wider audience and will appeal to many. Containing short chapters, large print and a really cool layout, this is a great story for all ages. Similar in format to Adam Wallace’s previous series, FARTBOY, so, if you enjoyed them, then you certainly won’t be disappointed.
If you love a little bit of silly humour, and loads of butt jokes, then you won’t be able to resist reading this one.
The slow movement is spreading its influence. From its beginnings in promoting slow food it advocates a cultural shift to slowing down life’s pace, pointing out that all our needs are the same and do not require to be met at a faster step.
This beautiful book exemplifies this movement, advocating a slower pace of life, turning off the digital world as we reconnect with each other and the world we live in.
In seemingly simple rhyming lines, the family resolves to take things nice and slow, to stay longer in bed and forget their worries, have breakfast together with their favourite - pancakes, lounge about spending time together to rediscover what we like about each other, to revisit old toys, do things that have been postponed and dance with loud music or just relax. Each activity is shown with several of the family doing things together, underlining the sense of togetherness and family, making the slowness a house hold theme.
With a strong emphasis on chilling out, the illustrations show a family relaxing together, doing all sorts of things that people hear about but perhaps do not try for themselves; building a fort in the lounge with cushions, meditate, watch a line of ants, cook a meal together, relax under the stars. Using a soft and warm palette of colours, Purnell captures the essence of a family caught up in relaxation and ease, a sense of dreaminess oozes from the page as the family takes life nice and slow.
Every parent’s wish, of sleeping through the night materialises in this disarming rhyming tale of why humans need children to sleep. Hopefully the sleepy verses and calming repetitive words will help the child along its way, and the reasons behind the necessity of sleep will form the reason behind this nightly ritual.
The authors cleverly compare our species with others, creating a platform of facts which emphasise that all creatures need their sleep, but not all in the same way.
So we see possums on the rood - a nocturnal animal which does its sleeping in the day, horses sleeping standing up, contrasting with humans who need to be prone, sea creatures sleeping with their eyes open, meerkats sleeping tumbled together, large flying birds that sleep on the wing, giraffes that are quick naps, while some creatures sleep upside down. Each creature has a different way of sleeping and the text often tells the reader why this is so. Giraffes need to be aware of predators, flying birds cover large distance, meerkats seem to need to bond. While other animals’ need for sleep in a different way begs the question from younger readers - why?
Each creature is different and children will become aware of these differences through the verse and the illustration accompanying it. In this way they will get a double take at how other species sleep, underscoring their own need for sleep. A sleeping child picture on each page further stresses this important part of our daily routine. And all the rituals of bedtime are there to help the child see this as an important part of its routine: a comfortable bed, parents reading a story, it is evening and the stuffed toys are waiting.
A Youtube clip of Teeny Tiny Stevies song which incorporates part of this book can be accessed here.
Byll amd Beth Stephen have a media presence with their website which can be found here.
Themes Sleep, Family, Animal traits, Rituals.
Fran Knight
One book was all it took by Wenda Shurety. Illus. by Amy Calautti
EK Books, 2022. ISBN: 9781922539137. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
In searching for a book to read that she had not read before, Violet grabs the one book holding up the kitchen table and sets in motion a chain of happenings that result in her one wish coming true; getting a library in her town.
When the table falls over, dad messes his shirt which needs changing and so he is late for his bus to work. Next door the woman asks him for a new cake recipe and he gives her one, but the resultant cake makes her feel ill so she dumps it in the bin, where her cat eats it. Feeling ill, the cat takes her from her job of repairing the town hall roof which now leaks, causing the clerk to fall down the stairs, spilling the bunch of letters he has in his hand. One drops by the Mayor’s feet and picking it up she reads the letter sent by Violet asking for a town library.
The Mayor smiles recalling the library of her youth and so sets in place the building of a new library for the town.
This neatly resolved story will cause much laughter from the reader, most of whom will know the value of their own community or school library and so feel sympathetic to Violet’s wish. The chain of events set in place, like the old woman who swallowed a fly, come thick and fast, one leading to another. Readers will love seeing the link between each event.
They will certainly enjoy the funny, character filled illustrations. Each person illustrated is quite individual, sparking recognisable attributes which children will enjoy. The book parade the Mayor recalls will have children predicting the book from which each character comes, and the library itself will spark stories of their own use of a library.
Born in London but now living in Brisbane, Wenda enjoys writing for children. Amy, an illustrator from Western Australia enjoys dealing with a fun story creating illuminating illustrations as her Facebook page attests.
Three years of living with COVID has seen a resurgence of holidays in our own backyards, as people and particularly families have taken to the roads which wind around Australia. Once the habitat of the grey nomad, now many younger people and families are making the trip, often taking many months to complete their circumnavigation of this island.
One family to do so is that of the Parry-Valentines, setting off in their van, their home on wheels. Along with their young daughter, Hunter, the family explores our continent from Perth and in a clockwise direction taking in many sites around Australia.
In rhyming stanzas the trio makes their way through some very well known spots, taking in the outback, Broome, crocodiles in the Top End, Uluru, hot springs in Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef, hot air ballooning in Sydney, the Great Ocean Road, then across the sea to Tasmania, where they encounter a lavender farm, an underground motel in Coober Pedy, across the Nullarbor Plain, then Esperance and home.
Each spot they visit is shown in detail and children will delight in pointing out the animals and features depicted at each site.
Many they will recognise but some will be more unfamiliar, and they will be able to share common experiences of their travels to these places. Classes will have great fun plotting the route taken around Australia, marking the sites seen and finding out more information about each place. Perhaps some teachers might encourage the class to think about places that could be included on a such a trip. And incorporate those on a map in the classroom.
Alongside such classics as Are we there yet (Alison Lester, 2004) and To the Top End; our trip across Australia (Roland Harvey, 2009) a class unit could be developed using these books as a step into the geography of Australia.
A map of Australia with the places visited is situated on each of the endpapers adding another level of interest for the reader as they track the family’s journey.
A scattering of the family’s photos of their journey too will encourage readers to recognise the place they are visiting in the photograph.
