Florence and Fox are the best of friends but when Fox wants to use the hammer from her tool kit, she decrees that it is not Sharing Day. Fox is perplexed. He has never heard of Sharing Day and asks if he can use it tomorrow. But he is told that tomorrow is not Sharing Day either, and the next Sharing Day could be hundreds of days away.
Fox is taken aback, but does not say anything. Later that day while playing in the sandpit, Florence asks Fox for his bucket. Fox is again unsure and he reminds Florence that she has said that this day is not a Sharing Day. She replies that sometimes things can be shared when it is not the right day to do so. Fox thinks about this, then gives her his bucket, intrigued about the odd sharing that is going on.
He then asks her for her spade, but is again reminded that this is not a Sharing Day. Later when Fox sits down to dinner a knock at the door reveals Florence with her bag of tools. She gives them to Fox, telling him that today is actually a Thank You Day.
Both parties are then reconciled with sharing going on despite the name of the day, giving children the opportunity to talk about sharing along with thanking someone for sharing.
Each character will delight younger readers as they watch their interaction, modelling the interaction they have with their friends, and allowing them to ask questions about what sharing is all about.
The delightful illustrations, produced with pencil and coloured pencil, watercolour and college will intrigue readers as they take in the detail offered each page. The endpapers with their flowers and grasses make a neat rounding off for the book.
Aussie Stem Stars: Georgia Ward-Fear is the autobiographical story of an Australian reptile biologist and explorer who is passionate about animals and conservation. This narrative non-fiction novel tells the story of Georgia’s journey from childhood to her world-renowned research. The story is an honest account of Georgia’s life, disappointments, hopes and dreams and talks about her love of nature above all else. The story begins with Georgia and her family holidaying in the Blue Mountains where their home backed onto a forest. It was here Georgia’s love of nature was nurtured. Eventually the family moved into their holiday home permanently and much to Georgia’s disgust, she had to change schools and life as she knew changed completely. The bush and the creatures inhabiting it provided Georgia with much needed space and solace. When circumstances changed again, the family moved to Lithgow where Georgia attended secondary school and then was accepted into a tertiary Science Degree. However Georgia took a gap year and travelled overseas where she worked and took holidays in other countries. During her time away Georgia was always observing the wildlife of the particular area she was in and how the climate, the people and the animals were all connected to each other. Eventually Georgia returned home to Australia to begin her University course. From then her life journey and passion for nature and conservation was on the way to being fulfilled.
This is an engaging and well-written story and would be suitable as an independent read or class novel especially for those students for whom nature and animals have a strong appeal. There is a contents page at the beginning, detailed glossary at the end, simple illustrations and highlighted facts throughout.
Themes STEM, Autobiography, Reptiles, Conservation, Adventure, Nature, World Travel, Science.
Such an apt title! Whereabouts brings together little scenes from a woman’s life as though piecing together a picture of who she is and where she belongs. Each short chapter presents a place: on the sidewalk, on the street, in the office, at the trattoria, in the waiting room… each almost a little story in itself. They present insights into other people’s lives, but the connection between them all is the woman herself, her thoughts and feelings. She seems to have many friends, even lovers, but the overall feeling is of a solitary person moving slowly through the world around her. And there is a sense of melancholy, of loneliness, and lost moments, missed relationships.
Originally written in Italian, by a London born daughter of Indian migrants to the United States, the novel reflects Lahiri’s sense of dislocation, and has its nascence in her love of Italy and the Italian language. The setting of Whereabouts is an Italian city, probably Rome, where one can wander from a bar to a trattoria down narrow winding roads, an observer of daily scenes, reminders of moments in one’s own life.
It is a beautifully written novel, poetic in the way that with just a few words it creates scenes, feelings and memories. It is one to pick up and read again and ponder.
Themes Identity, Loneliness.
Helen Eddy
Elsewhere girls by Emily Gale & Nova Weetman
Text Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781922330451. (Age:10+) Recommended.
Emily Gale and Nova Weetman are two Melbourne authors who are friends. In an unusual collaboration, they have written a book where alternate chapters refer to one or other of the two main characters - Cat and Fanny. Who wrote which character is for the reader to guess. In the acknowledgements Gale and Weetman explain that they wrote the book chapter by chapter and sent them ..."back and forth like letters." Both writers appeal to the junior and young adult female reader. Elsewhere Girls, like Weetman's Sick Bay and The Edge of Thirteen, will be in hot demand with our girls aged 10+ as the content is comforting as they experience the issues and concerns of adolescence.
Elsewhere Girls is a timeslip novel, somewhat reminiscent of Ruth Parks's Playing Beatie Bow. Cat is a contemporary 2021 girl who has won a swimming scholarship which has brought her family from rural Orange to Sydney. She is ambivalent about her future as a swimmer. Fanny is based on the real Sarah Frances Durack who had to fight hard for women's rights to swim in the Olympics. Subsequently she became the first Australian woman to win Olympic gold.
The two girls live over two hundred years apart in time but in a strange, mysterious twist they find themselves in the other's time zone and body. Both girls have to adjust to the time slip, body swap, family swap and life swap. Both must maintain the pretence of being the other. Weetman and Gale have managed to present both eras extremely authentically. The story is narrated by Cat and Fanny so the reader experiences their inner thoughts. The characters in Elsewhere Girls are well rounded. The reader feels the intensity of the emotions of the two main protagonists as they try to negotiate life in their new time zone. The family members are warm and realistically representative of the times in which they live. The minutiae of the detail in the setting, the technologies, the clothes and the language is captured well by both authors. There are awkward moments, funny moments, unexpected challenges - all very reassuring to read about when you are a similar age.
The friendship difficulties, rivalries and the business of physically and emotionally growing into womanhood, though presenting different challenges to the two girls who are living lives that are two centuries apart, still have a universal resonance and this is what attracts our young female readers to books like Elsewhere Girls and authors like Weetman and Gale.
Space detectives by Mark Powers. Illus. by Dapo Adeola
Bloomsbury, 2021. ISBN: 9781526603180. (Age:7-11)
Floating above Earth is the encapsulated space city of Starville. This amazing space station is home to a variety of famous celebrities and wealthy citizens.
Connor and Ethan are spending their summer holidays on Starville, selling ice creams and waiting to solve crimes and mysteries. Edwina Snoddy is the daughter of Starville’s supreme governor and during a mishap at the ice cream stall the two boys are invited by Edwina to a special function for the governor. It is during the function that disaster strikes, a mysterious computer virus affects Starville’s orbit and the whole space city is on track to being destroyed! Ethan and Connor are the space detectives but can they save the space station from crashing into the moon?
This is a fun space story with alien creatures, inventions and interesting plot twists. Readers will enjoy the wacky space creatures, such as the “Tufted Grotsnobbler” who features throughout the story.
A vibrant front cover and black and white illustrations throughout the book add to its appeal.
Mark Powers has written other fun stories such as the “Spy Toys” series and a fantasy series called “Drafted.” This is the first fiction series Dapo Adeloa has illustrated and he is the co-creator of a picture book called “Look Up”. Both author and illustrator live in England.
An amusing book for students 7 to 11 years old. A short book trailer is available here.
Themes Space stations, Holidays, Detectives.
Jane Moore
How to talk to a tiger by Jason Bittel. Illus. by Kelsey Buzzell
The title How to talk to a Tiger and Other Animals and the beautiful cover illustrations instantly draw the reader in. This engaging non-fiction text gives a myriad of information about how animals communicate. The contents page is divided into four sections, Sights, Sounds, Smell and Taste, and Electrosensory and Touch, and discusses many animals and their behaviour. From electric blue flames found in the seas off the islands off Bermuda which are actually Bermuda fire worms, how the jackdaw uses its eyes to engage in a staring competition to keep a nest and to the male lyrebird of the south of Australia that mimics all sounds it hears, this book will continue to provide hours and hours of reading enjoyment. While the font is relatively small it is broken into easy to read and follow chunks and is complemented by wonderful illustrations which draw the reader’s eye to the text. As well as a detailed index, this book also cleverly labels each sense reviewed next to the odd page numbers.
This book is a perfect book to browse as there is so much information to be learnt and shared and would be a perfect addition to a home, school or public library.
There is something nice about reading books by Australian authors published by relatively new Australian publishing houses.
Fil and Harry is written by Jenny Blackford of Newcastle, illustrated by Kristin Devine of regional NSW and published by Christmas Press in Armidale. Jenny Blackford is winner of the 2020 Davitt Award for Best Children's Crime Novel, Kristine Devine is winner of the 2019 New England Illustration prize and Christmas Press (which is also part of United Publishers of Armidale, with fellow publisher Little Pink Dog Books) has as its mission, a desire to support a wonderful book community. In this endeavour they have been assisted by the Australian Government and Australian Council for the Arts. Obviously United Publishers of Armidale are extremely discerning about what they publish.
And so... we have the sweet and gently humorous story for younger readers- Fil and Harry. It's short. There is a little fantasy in it. Harry is a talking cat. Fil is the central character. She is negotiating her way through the complexities of home and school life. These familiar struggles will resonate with young readers. At home she has an older teenager brother, her hapless, well-meaning father, her "try hard" stepmother and her grandmother. They are all trying to make life work. At school she has made a seriously bad choice in friends and she is hurt. Fil is such a likeable character and Harry the cat looks out for her.
The third person narration is light and breezy. Humour laces the storyline. We feel for Fil; we worry about her problems. We think we know where she is going wrong with her friendship choices. We love the way her family rally around her. There is a tangle in the story which any young child would recognise. Harry the magical cat has a solution and the ending is very satisfying. The pencil sketches scattered throughout the story are soft and comforting. Stars and cat paw prints accompany the text.
This is a delightful little book. As a school librarian I will be looking out for more from Jenny Blackford and Christmas Press. Little stories like Fil and Harry are lovely for our children to read themselves or have read aloud in the school library, classroom or of course by family.
Where do the Stars Go? is a playful tale about a curious young possum who wonders: "Where do the stars go in the daytime?" An array of stunning and realistically drawn Australian animals help him on his quest to discover the answer. Kookaburra draws his attention to the drops of water on the blades of grass. They may be shiny but "those aren't stars" says the rakali, pointing Possum's attention to the stars that "play in the water during the day". Each animal by turn (bungarra, numbat and galah) points out something else within the natural environment (the cross indent within a gumnut, yellow wattle flowers, and a sea of star-shaped flowers) until Possum is seeing stars everywhere he looks. Finally, safe back in the tree with his mother, Possum watches as the real stars begin to appear in the night sky. "They don't hide on the ground . . . They stay in the sky and appear in the dark" he realises. Even though Possum now knows where the real stars are during the day he still wants to look for more tomorrow.
This is great book to encourage young childrens' curiousty about their natural environment and to pose their own questions about the world around them. It could be used as a springboard text for getting out and about and looking for 'stars' or other interesting things. Possum is also useful as a model for early critical thinking. The mention of familiar and widespread plants such as wattles and gumnuts allows Australian children to recognise their native environment within the illustrations and the use of Indigenous names for some animals (rakali and bungarra instead of water rat and goanna) is important and well-considered.
Meet the Oceans is a wonderful vibrant read-aloud book showcasing the main oceans and seas on Planet Earth. Each page is filled with bold, bright colourful illustrations and fun rhyming text to engage the younger reader. The story follows a young child and trusty dog on a mini submarine journey around the major oceans and seas covering Earth’s surface. Along the journey they meet numerous sea creatures and formations such as beluga whales in the Arctic Ocean, silver swordfish in the Atlantic, jawfish in the Caribbean Sea, the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea, giant Blue whales in the Indian Ocean and icebergs, penguins and Antarctic research stations in the Southern Ocean. On the Pacific Ocean pages the author discusses the effects of plastic on sea creatures and on the South China Sea pages talks about large ships jostling for space and seabirds. On the final pages is a plea for us to take care of our oceans and seas and the book finishes with a cleverly drawn map of the world.
This book is a perfect introduction to oceans and seas for early years and primary students. A welcome addition to any home, school or public library.
Themes World Oceans and Seas, Sea Creatures, Rhyme.
Kathryn Beilby
The Strangeworld Travel Agency : The edge of the ocean by L.D. Lapinski
The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: The edge of the ocean is the second book in the Strangeworlds trilogy written by UK author L.D Lapinski.
The heroine is the resourceful and gutsy twelve year old Felicity (Flick) Hudson who in the first book in the series, realised that she was in possession of the magical power of being able to create a schism - "a tear in the fabric of reality" in order to gain entry to other worlds. The growth of contol of this power mirrors the growth of understanding of much including the gentle brushstrokes of suggestion of budding single sex attractions that occur in an uncontrived manner alongside all the other relationships between the characters within the book. Thus The Strangeworlds Travel Agency:The edge of the ocean, besides being a fantasy/sciencefiction/adventure book, is also a coming of age story.
Flick joins the Strangeworlds Travel Agency which consists of a tight group of interesting characters. Their travels to other worlds are accomplished by stepping into the right suitcase which takes them from the ordinary world of Little Wyverns to impossibly magical otherworlds. The friends are summoned by a pirate queen to save the world of The Break, a map of which is conveniently placed at the beginning of the book. The Break is a two dimensional world which is rapidly shrinking as parts of the edge break off. This loss of land could be caused by evil forces or the reader could see this story as an allegory referring to the eco refugees of today. Flick and her friends have to unite previous enemies and ultimately lead the inhabitants of The Break to safety through a combination of magic and trust. This book is well written, full of high action and dangerous, heart stopping adventure with escapes constantly made just in the nick of time.
The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: The edge of the ocean is a robust read for capable readers who are able to hold multiple storyline threads together. Readers of Terry Pratchett's brand of humorous fantasy and science fiction would enjoy this new series.
An unknown piece of our history of involvement in World War Two is revealed in the story of Sister Marie Eileen Craig, one of a group of nurses flown to Papua New Guinea to bring back wounded Australian soldiers. The tales of women's participation in war has long been overlooked and books such as these refresh people's ideas about the number of women who put their lives on the line during times of conflict.
Marie had always even interested in nursing, caring for her toys in the backyard, under the photo of her father, a survivor of World War One. When she was able she volunteered for the Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service, one of a group of women who took to the skies to tend the wounded.
One particular incident is recounted in this book, handsomely illustrated in watercolour and gouache by Sawannakit. In this flight, headed for New Britain, the air surrounding the plane exploded with munitions, and on landing, soldiers rushed from the jungle with their camouflage canvas to cover the plane. When that was in place the food and parcels for the soldiers were unloaded and wounded soldiers put in their place. Marie held the hand of one blinded soldier, and when the plane struggled to get off the ground, reassured them all. Gaining altitude, Marie gave Alfred her own oxygen mask as they were one short. With the room on the plane taken up by the wounded, Marie had to stand all the way home, and saw one of the engines catch fire, but landing with fire engines covering the tarmac with foam saw them all arrive safely back in Australia.
This is a small incident amongst many but reveals the place of women in the war as well as the significant displays of courage under fire. For younger children it tells of times past, an introduction into the march of World War Two which came so close to our door. They will have a map of our northern neighbours and be able to trace the route the plane took; and talk about the role of nursing and nurses during conflict.
Suwannakit's sepia illustrations reveal a host of detail to be pored over and discussed, kids will love looking at images of the plane, her uniform and the details of the soldiers' injuries. I love the endpapers with their reproductions of war posters revealing the roles women had in that conflict.
Themes World War Two, Nursing, Rescue, Papua New Guinea.
Fran Knight
Huda and Me by H. Hayek
Allen & Unwin, 2021. ISBN: 9781760526023. (Age:9+)
Huda and her siblings have been left with their 'Aunt' Amel(a family friend) for two weekswhile their parents have had to rush off to Lebanon to tend to a sick grandparent. Aunt Amel does not have her own children and is looking for a way to occupy them all whilst at the same time having time off to have a holiday herself.
Aunt Amel devises a list of chores for each of the childrento do which she explains is something that will enhance their skills in life and will also be helpful for the smooth running of the household. What the chores really are, are ways for Aunt Amel to relax and not have to do anything herself except to look after baby Raheed who she adores.
Huda and AKeal are working day and late into the night to get all their chores done as well as attending school. Their brothers and sisters are looking sad and exhausted as well and Aunt Amel is watching them all like a hawk so that they can't report back to their parents or neighbour Mr Kostiki. As a result, Huda devises a plan to travel to Lebanon to let their parents know what is happening back home. She uses Aunt Amel's credit card to buy tickets for her and Akeal and from here on the two go on an adventure across the other side of the world.
Huda is a loveable, outgoing and adventurous girl who drags her brother Akeal along for a rollercoaster of a ride. Akeal is compromised as he promised his mother, he would look out for his sister but he also wants to do what is best for his family and at the moment his family is suffering under the guardianship of the conniving Aunt Amel.
This is a fun, light hearted adventure suitable for all ages and would particularly appeal to readers who enjoy reading about family relationships.
Gerri Mills
Themes Family, relationships, other cultures.
This is the dog by Maura Finn. Illus. by Nina Rycroft
Won't kids have a ball, stressing the first THIS each time the page is turned, joining in with the person reading the book out loud, predicting the rhyming words and laughing at the images presented to them as they read of the dog's plight.
The deceptively simple stanzas are full of emotion as the little dog, with snuffly snout, half crumpled ear and fur that sticks out watches as all the other dogs in the rescue home are taken. He longs for a place of his own, a forever home, and one day when the door is left open he decides to find his place by himself. Adventures crowd around as he sees an array of places and people, but no one sees him. Children will sympathise with the animal as he searches for his place, finally sighing with relief when someone stops and notices him. She can see what others cannot see, and together they make a wonderful team.
The illustrations this book will draw responses from the readers as they see the dog for the first part behind a door. Each image has a door like frame with latch and hinges, making it appear as if the dog is shut away. When that door is left open, he escapes and from then on the images spread across the page as he searches for someone to share his life. Readers will love the image of the closed door, the lock in the latch, the open door beckoning him out, and may encourage discussions about independence and self reliance, as the dog takes his future in his own hands.
Readers will love following the little dog as he marches though the streets, checking out the people, wondering whether this person or that one could be his new owner.
Rycroft's little dog is instantly appealing with its floppy ears and pleading eyes, searching the faces he sees in the street.
Polly and Swan are two teenagers in a 'Post-pulse' world. When Polly's mother is kidnapped just after she is about to tell her something, Polly's world is turned upside down.She later on meets Swan after running away and he takes her to an organization called the Base. They then meet Kel, a rem, and they are led down by Swan to the Base. Swan knows that these two are special, and runs away with them, and away from the Base, his only home.
After this, the Base and the Ghost squad are on their tail as they dive into a world that they do not quite know anymore. A world filled with pems, dems and rems, all of which are a variety of the reincarnated. Polly and Swan are thrown into the crossfire of two opposing organizations, determined to find out more about the afterlife, with information that could change life as they know it. They also chase afterKel, a kid that the unlikely duo found who is not quite what he seems, the two organizations throw Polly and Swan on the run. Never knowing who to trust, they try to find the person who started this all: a man who goes by the alias, Hermes and started both the Base and ghost squad.
Told in a 3rd person narrative for two voices, this story has an on-going theme of why the truth is so important and how sometimes you never know who to trust, with many twists and turns along the way. With its shifting points of view, it shows the differences between someone who is learning about the world and that of someone who thinks they know of the world. The characters Polly and Swan are interesting and always are connected and brings the plot together, always keeping it moving and giving an air of mystery.It’s a story that shows that sometimes it would be best not to have to pick a side, and instead stop the fighting. Polly, Swan and Kel show how when time are tough they will have to stick together. Readers who want a new view of ghosts and afterlife will enjoy this book.
The gentle genius of trees is both a thoughtful and fascinating read. Philip Bunting provides the reader with clear, simple information and drawings about the beauty of trees and their appeal to humankind. The journey begins with a description of what trees contribute to our lives which then leads into an understanding of how trees even provide the air that we breathe. There is a clear explanation, with diagrams, of photosynthesis and the root system of trees. The reader will be able to learn about communication and co-dependency between trees and how trees grow with absorbing facts about the relationship between parent trees and their seedlings. The author also shares with the reader how humans can learn from the journey and growth of a tree with the final words being . . . "And if we learn only one thing from the gentle genius of trees, let it be this . . . Grow slow, grow strong".
As the title suggests this is a gentle read. It is the perfect combination of informative yet easily understood text, with scientific terms included where necessary, and beautiful illustrations in true Philip Bunting style. His humorous manner in both words and pictures is evident throughout. A worthwhile addition to a home, school or public library.
