This is a sequel to the previously published How (Not) to Annoy Dad. The koala family are back and this time they are spending the day (not) annoying Mum. They are helping her have a relaxing morning (waking her up and asking her to help with homework), getting themselves ready for school (refusing the offered lunch snacks and losing shoes) and being good in the car (yelling about the song choice and finding mouldy sandwiches in the seats). And so it continues, for the entirety of the day: disrupting her when she is trying to work, whinging and nagging in the supermarket, (not) helping look after the dog, (not) eating their dinner, etc, etc.
Parents and children will find this ridiculously, laughably relatable. The Zoom meeting interrupted by the "I just did the BIGGEST POO" assertion is perfectly and hilariously illustrated by the ever-dependable Heath McKenzie. The outlandish requests, the nonsensical protests and the exasperating comments; it's all captured beautifully in both the text (mostly child dialogue) and the illustrations. It is also clever that the ever-suffering Mum and Dad are completely silent: scrambling and facially emotive but silent. There is finally a smile from Mum at the end when the children make her a card and a cake and pick her some flowers (albeit also making a gigantic mess) alongside the reassurance that "Mum thinks you're perfect. Just the way you are". This captures and normalises the daily and shared frustrations of parenting but champions the overall joy of family. Kids will think the disconnect between the instructive elements of the book and what the children are actually doing is outrageously funny. And no doubt they will say "I don't do that!"
If the title isn’t clear enough, the first image you see when opening the book is a rock falling from the sky. Prediction skills are on high alert when the next illustration is turtle standing alone and unprotected in an open space - with lots of visual emphasis and space given to the sky.
Turtle states, “I like standing in this spot. It is my favourite spot to stand. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
When you read this story aloud to children they immediately guess what is being foreshadowed, and are squealing and laughing at Jon Klassen’s deadpan style of humour. Of course, adults enjoy this story for exactly the same reasons.
Turtle does escape his deadly fate with the help of Armadillo, who with the reader, just senses something bad is going to happen.
Like all good comedy there is perfect timing and the wonderful anticipation about what is going to happen next.
Snake joins Turtle and Armadillo and gets involved in the crazy and at time surreal situations, such as Turtle denying he has fallen on his back due to falling off the rock, while he is on his back because of falling off the rock, a shared imaginary future between Turtle and Armadillo and the perfect funny ending that combines all the crazy antics - which I will not divulge, so there are no spoilers.
The story is divided in to 5 chapters and different coloured text makes it is easy to understand which character is speaking.
I highly recommend this book, in fact I insist everyone read the story to ensure they have at least one wonderful moment in their day.
Recommended for primary school students and everyone else!
Jane Moore
Not all heroes wear capes by Ben Brooks. Illus. by Nigel Baines
Ben Brooks, author of the very popular book, Stories for Boys Who Dare To Be Different, has written another very comprehensive and thought provoking book about everyday ordinary humans, both young and old, who do heroic things. Not All Heroes Wear Capes presents a myriad of people from all over the world who have made a difference to others around them. These people did not set out to be text book, motion picture stereotypes of heroes, and did not look for recognition as heroes but quietly went about their business. The number of heroes mentioned throughout the book is vast and one in particular stands out as he brought a ray of light and hope to the world crushing COVID pandemic. At 100 years of age, Captain Tom Roberts, chose to do something small and achievable to help raise funds for the frontline health care staff who were putting themselves at risk. His incredible efforts raised millions of pounds just by walking laps of his garden. Another much younger hero was ten-year old Tilly Smith who was holidaying in Phuket, Thailand in 2004. While on the beach she noticed the water was receding from the shore and remembered a geography lesson from school where her teacher had talked about tsunamis. She was able to alert everyone on the beach and they were able to run to safety.
The book opens with a discussion about what is a superhero and then is divided into ten chapters. Each chapter discusses a different aspect such as Dare to Dream, Look For Those Who Need Your Help and Share What You Know. Within the chapters are brief graphic style storyboards portraying the heroes and their story, more detailed text giving thoughtful and relevant information, clever images and large print headings to capture the reader's attention. The author's anecdotal and humorous style of writing engages the reader and may encourage further research and discussion. This book would be perfect for upper primary and secondary students.
Themes Heroes, Ordinary People, Kindness, Courage, Caring for Others.
Puffin Little Historian: Dinosaurs is another publication in the very popular and highly engaging non-fiction Puffin Little series. The personal invitation on the beginning pages welcome the reader to take part on a journey with little puffin to find out more about dinosaurs. The book introduces the prehistoric world including information about the Mesozoic Era, evolution and extinction as well as discussing 'What is a Dinosaur?' Other chapters look at the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods and include a range of dinosaurs that existed throughout these periods. Each dinosaur mentioned has a simple illustration, pronunciation of its name, when and where it lived as well as its size and diet and additional information. There is also timeline presented at the bottom of the pages explaining in which period a particular dinosaur lived. There is a detailed section on palaeontology and a fast facts page, pronunciation page, glossary and quiz. The format of the book and the ease of readability of each page will encourage younger readers to feel confident about reading this on their own. As dinosaurs books are continually sought after by younger students, this little book will be a welcome addition to any home, school or public library collection.
Themes Dinosaurs, History.
Kathryn Beilby
Love is for losers by Wibke Bruggemann
Pan Macmillan, 2021. ISBN: 9781529033724. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
In present day London we find Phoebe Davis - opinionated, out spoken and not too fond of people. She is 15 and preparing for the GCSEs. GCSE is the qualification taken by 15 and 16 year olds in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Phoebe's best friend Polly is enthralled in first love and their friendship has altered. Phoebe has some very definite ideas about love and can't imagine any circumstances where she would be as cliche, stupid and foolhardy as those around her. Told in diary format, Phoebe's observations and reflections on life have the reader laughing out loud or crying in solidarity. When Phoebe can't understand something, she googles it. The book is peppered with facts, and the knowledge that Phoebe is struggling with being socially awkward, and being caustic with her judgements.
Phoebe's Mum is a doctor working for a humanitarian agency. She regularly leaves Phoebe with her best friend, Kate, while away for months at a time in war torn countries. Phoebe's Dad died before she was born. While he has never been a presence in her life, she is now discovering more about him and has questions.
Kate, having previously worked with Phoebe's Mum, now manages a thrift shop. Phoebe agrees to volunteer in the shop following a designer kitten debacle. This close knit group (crotchety Pat, considerate Alex and perfect Emma) is richly drawn, endearing and, despite her best efforts, wind their way into Phoebe's life.
The relationship between Kate and Phoebe is nurturing and life affirming. Kate's character is well grounded and their relationship developed positively throughout the book. Kate's down to earth approach subtly delivered guidance, empathy and hope for all (including Phoebe) when the storyline explored some difficult themes. The diary format worked well for this story and enabled the reader a front seat in the confessions of a flawed individual who learns from her mistakes.
Milly is a quiet, shy girl in her final week of Year 6. Her family live in a seaside town and own five little cottages for rent. It's winter so the cottages sit empty and things feel strange and lonely at home. Milly's new baby sister has arrived early, and Milly's dad is racing to finish building a room in the attic before the baby and stepmother come home from hospital. Milly knows it makes sense for her to have more space and privacy in the bright new room, and for the baby to have her tiny old room next to the bathroom, but she can't help feeling a bit pushed out.
Then a wonderful stranger arrives to rent a cottage. Her name is Eliza Vanda and she needs space to finish an important job. Eliza is warm and lively. She introduces Milly to a world full of magic and fantastical characters, all accessed using buttons from Eliza's button box.
Buttons three, attend to me!
Take me where I want to be!
Milly embarks on a whirlwind of magical errands. She meets amazing folk including royal families, a witch, talking animals and people with tiny creatures (their emotions) living in their hair.
Milly grows so much over a week spent with Eliza. She makes smart choices, gains courage and belief in herself, and helps others with their courage and tempers. She speaks up for what is right, both to take responsibility for her own mistakes and to challenge authority figures. And over the course of a few days she comes to realise she is ready for change after all and is ready to move to her new room.
Multi-award-winning author Emily Rodda has written a rich story with wonderful characters, tangled mysteries and magical adventure.
This would be a good choice for a book club and has teacher's resources available. Points for discussion include not judging people based on looks, taking responsibility for your actions, emotions (especially courage, anger, resilience and empathy), what makes a home, and how language is used to convey different worlds.
The Big Book of Festivals discusses festivals from all over the world in both a colourful and informative way. The information is not onerous and the double page spread for each festival is cleverly set out. The lead-in page begins with the title, facts about the festival and where and when it takes place. The second page has further interesting information written in different fonts and colours. There is a detailed Contents page and Introduction plus a page showing children's images.They appear throughout the book and this encourages the reader to search for them.
Many of the festivals may not be familiar and their discussion opens up a whole new world of discovery. For example the reader will learn about the birthday of Guru Nanak who was one of the founding fathers of Sikhism, the Festival of Giants which takes place in France and Belgium, the Gelede celebrated in some African countries which pays tribute to the power of mothers and from Australia the Bunya Dreaming festival held on Queensland's Sunshine Coast when the bunyas are in full fruit and ripe for sharing. Other more well-known and traditional festivals are discussed such as Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Lunar New Year, Diwali and Eid Ul-Fitr. There is also information about seasonal festivals as well as remarkable regional festivals.
The authors have certainly covered a variety of festivals from around the world and presented the information clearly and the naive, yet vibrant and colourful illustrations add to the appeal. The endpapers show a map of the world with strategically placed images on each continent. The Big Book of Festivals is a worthy addition to any school or public library.
This is a deeply emotive, beautifully written book that will have a tear welling in the corner of every eye. Christopher Cheng, author of One Tree, has taken the personal experience of his wife's cancer diagnosis and created a book about the absoluteness of love and how true friendship means carrying each other through the toughest of times and beyond. Stephen Michael King's soft watercolour illustrations and the superb way he uses natural elements to convey meaning, change and emotion are perfectly suited to the gently paced and heartfelt text.
There is a little bit of Guess How Much I Love You and a whole lot of that age old question, 'Will you still love me if . . . ' But instead of Rat asking Bear if he will still love him, he is wondering "Will we always hold hands like this?" What about when we are old and wrinkly? Or when I am scared or sleepy? What about when we have to cross the river or when I am crotchety? Or if I do something bad or get really sick? Bear's answers are gentle and comforting, always reassuring Rat of his unconditional support. He will stay home, he will forgive him, he will carry him across the river, he will care for him. The tenderest conversation comes when Rat asks "What if I have to leave and go somewhere you can't come?". Well, Bear says, he will cry and cry but then he will remember all the great times they had and he will carry him with him forever. It is simply gorgeous when Rat asks "Where will you carry me?" and Bear points to his foot, his head and his heart.
This is an absolute gem for children and adults of every age that is sure to prove timeless and universal in appeal.
Sarah J. Maas is back with another sexy, action-packed instalment of her hugely popular A Court of Thorns and Roses series. For the first time, we do not see the story from the viewpoint of Feyre and her High Lord of the Fae husband, Rhysand. A Court of Silver Flames breaks from the previous books in the series to focus on Feyre’s older sister, Nesta.
Nesta is damaged. She lashes out at those she cares about in cruel and unforgivable ways. Yet, like Feyre, Nesta is beautiful, powerful and immortal. She has devoted sisters, a safe home and a budding romance with an alluring Fae warrior. For fans of Maas, this all might sound familiar and welcoming. It should be easy to slip into this story and enjoy the romances, friendships and battles. However, there is one major issue.
Nesta is, and always has been, a thoroughly unlikeable and unsympathetic character. And she does not do much in this book to negate that image. It is difficult to empathise with a protagonist who has been deeply and cruelly unpleasant towards almost every other character in four previous novels. There is little to connect most readers to Nesta. Her personal growth and the progression of her story is at the core of A Court of Silver Flames, but this 700+ page interlude only serves as a distraction from other, more beloved characters.
Maas has clearly intended this to be a redemption story, with Nesta presumably joining the cadre of heroes we already know, in future books. But for many readers, it will be too little, too late. A Court of Silver Flames reads as the sexy romance Maas wanted to write, rather than a novel that advances the world of Feyre and Rhysand in any meaningful way. A Court of Silver Flames could function easily as a standalone romance novel rather than the middle book of an expansive fantasy series. Fans of Maas will always read and enjoy another offering of her hugely popular writing. Just don't expect much in the way of plot or story progression.
In this beautiful book, Dragon World written by Tamara Macfarlane, readers are taken on a journey to meet the fire breathing beasts of mythology. The stunning illustrations by Alessandra Fusi capture the reader's interest immediately and provide visually appealing images to complement the text. The book begins with a contents page where the information is divided into four headings: Asian Dragons, European Dragons, Dragons of the World and Dragon Discoveries. A short description of the world of dragons piques the reader's interest and is a perfect introduction. There are maps to show where the dragons being discussed originated from, stories about the dragons, and each dragon is described under the headings of appearance, dwelling, powers and traits. There is even a dragon from Australia mentioned. It is known as the Marsupial dragon and had a body similar to a kangaroo, dwelled in rocky areas, breathed fire or blue smoke and used strong legs to strike enemies. In the section titled Living Dragons the Australian Leafy Sea Dragon is mentioned alongside other well-known dragon named species of plants and animals alive today. The book also has pages on how to draw a dragon and design a dragon as well as a detailed glossary and index.
Dragon World would be a wonderful gift for any child who is fascinated by these creatures or as an introduction to dragons and mythology. A very welcome addition to a home, school or public library.
Themes Fantasy, Dragons, Mythology, Legends.
Kathryn Beilby
Unsheltered by Clare Moleta
Scribner, 2021. ISBN: 9781761100758. (Age:12-17)
Li, Frank and five year old daughter Matti live in a small town in a country of devastating extreme weather events and a society failing to cope both with the climate but also war and economic collapse. Authorities have pulled back into closely guarded 'sheltered' areas leaving smaller outlying towns to dwindle with failing power, water and transport opportunities. Entry into the sheltered places is strictly controlled and informal 'makecamps' have arisen outside the compounds. Sheltered or not all children are conscripted into the army at 15 as the country is continually at war. When Matti is eight, Li and family move to one of the camps where Frank is killed in an industrial accident. When Li is outside the camp setting snares there is a fire and the camp is destroyed. Surviving children are rounded up by authorities and sent north, no one knows where. Li sets out across the devastated land to find Matti with only her own survival skills and an unshakable need to find her daughter.
The author’s note tells us 'the setting of this novel is Australian but not Australia. Geography, distance and time have been moved around and others invented entirely' but I found little sense of place with fire, flood, wind and drought seeming to run closely together. I also found it hard to follow the various timeline threads populated by many characters. The story settled down as Li journeys across the dystopian Mad Max like landscape, living by her wits and bravely enduring multiple losses and injuries. A grim story about a world where climate change, out of control bureaucracy and exclusion have overtaken common humanity.
Themes Dystopia, Family, Climate change, Society breakdown..
Sue Speck
Heroes of the secret underground by Susanne Gervay
Why do I work!!!! I couldn't put down the new book by bestselling author Susanne Gervay, Heroes of the Secret Underground. Susanne has managed to put together a heart-racing time-slip story inspired by her own family's escape from Budapest during World War 2.
The story is set in different two timelines. Winter 1944, Budapest during the Nazi occupation during the war and today in Sydney, Australia at The Majestic Boutique Hotel which has been owned by a three generational Hungarian family.
We are introduced to the two families in the two different timelines through a rose-gold locket with a mother-of-pearl shell. First we learn how the locket was taken away from a girl in Budapest and then how it was found by a girl called Louie in Sydney today. When Louie finds the locket we are thrown into the story of solving the mystery of the mislaid rose-gold locket and who was the girl that dropped it.
Three children, Louie, Bert and Teddy are the centre of the story. We learn about their life living ar The Majestic Boutique Hotel. They are surrounded by family, love, food, and music. All three children unwillingly travel back in time to Budapest. Here they experience how it is to live in war torn Budapest during World War II. They learn how thousands of people managed to survive starvation and being captured by the Nazis and the fascist group of the Arrow Cross through the help of people and the underground and of course The Glass House history.
I found myself thinking 'How many secrets has my family kept about their past especially during the war years?' Louie, Bert and Teddy discover secrets that their families have never talked about from their past and I bet they are not the only ones. Maybe because people want to forget the dark past. I still remember my godmother telling my son a couple of years ago that she as a child would find tortoises and sell them to German soldiers as a child for money to help feed her family. There must be many, many, stories out there that are slowly being written into books which I am grateful to read to learn about the past. Does your family have heroes?
Heroes of the Secret Underground is great read about families today and how their families lived during World War II. If you do read it as a class book there is a teacher's guide which I will be using in class soon.
Love the cover too.
Themes World War II, Time travel, Family.
Maria Komninos
Coco and the butterfly by Laura Bunting and Nicky Johnston
Coco and the butterfly is the second book in a new series by Laura Bunting the first being "Coco, big city kitty". It is a beautifully illustrated large format picture book with an embossed cover. The soft watercolour, pencil and ink illustrations portray the mood of the story perfectly and are reminiscent of books such as Ruby red shoes by Kate Knapp. It is quite a different type of book from her previous offerings in collaboration with her partner Philip Bunting such as "Koalas eat gum leaves", "Kookaburras love to laugh" and "Lyrebird".
Coco has moved from her big, exciting city apartment to the country, and she is not happy about it. She hates nature, such as bugs, noisy birds and scary trees and they all seem to be invading her everyday life too much for her liking. After pleading with her parents to move back to the city she runs outside to avoid more unpacking and meets a caterpillar who seems to be as afraid of change as Coco. As Coco tries to help the caterpillar, she helps herself to see that some changes are not as bad as they first seemed.
Coco and her family are wonderful characters and portray a close loving family trying to make a better life for themselves away from the rat race of the city. Children will recognize and appreciate the things that Coco’s parents are doing to make life in her new home better for her and they will look forward to future adventures from Coco.
Themes Change, Moving house, Country life, Cities, Nature.
Skywake invasion by BBC film critic, screenwriter and gamer Jamie Russell is the first book of a trilogy, kicking off what is sure to be an action packed scifi series for readers aged 9+. This is not the usual story of a portal out of the real world to somewhere else; this is a frightening conflation of real life world and the arrival of an alien world which, it was thought, had previously only existed in the artificial world of gaming.
Casey is the leader of a high ranking gaming team, the Ghost Reapers. She and her team meet for the first time in real life (IRL) at a live SkyWake tournament at a large shopping mall. Simultaneously around the world in other major cities, other top level gamers are meeting to compete at this international level. However Casey sees a sinister shimmer above the mall and there are sinister 'cosplayers' who seem to be overplaying their roles with what looks to be real weaponry. By chapter three the stage is set. Casey, her family and her gaming team have been introduced. Developing the plot rapidly, Russell builds an atmosphere of foreboding with flashes and shimmers of possible illusions that are inexplicable. Interwoven is the team's relationship which has to be built on trust IRL before they can possibly effectively work together to prevail against the massive power of the evil alien forces which is suddenly unleashed upon not only the gamers but on all the human beings at the shopping malls around the world.
The action is savage and lethal. Abductions of the smartest of the gamers are happening and the police forces with all their strongest equipment are rendered powerless against the aliens. Casey and her team have to use their gaming skills and trust each other to stop the aliens. But in book one, after riveting, page- turning, heart in the mouth action and adventure, they haven't succeeded. In fact . . . where is the next book? We need it NOW!
Themes Sci fi, Gaming, Adventure, Teams, Loyalty.
Wendy Jeffrey
Dragon legend by Katie and Kevin Tsang
Simon & Schuster, 2021. ISBN: 9781471193095. (Age:9+) Highly recommended.
A sequel to Dragon Mountain, we travel into the Dragon Realm to defeat the Dragon of Death. Dragon Legend is a story about twelve-year-old Billy and his friends Charlotte and Ling-Fei and their search to find good friend Dylan. This adventurous story begins with the children in a cave, along with their very own bonded dragons Spark, Buttons, Xing and Tank. The children and their dragons need to work together to defeat the Dragon of Death and save their life as they know it. They travel through a portal back in time to search for their friend Dylan, who can help them defeat the Dragon of Death. Dylan, who had previously been kidnapped by Old Gold, was once trusted but now seen as a traitor to them all. Dylan and the children work together with Old Gold's grandson JJ, who they don't know if they can fully trust and travel through a portal back in time to begin their quest.
Together, their close bond of friendship and the magical pearls for extra powers support them in fighting evil and black magic, but will it be enough? The dangers and experiences that they encounter in this new place are both exciting and captivating, keeping the reader enthralled and engaged. During the story, Billy begins to doubt his reasons for being there and his ability to fight the greater evil. Spark, his bonded dragon, reminds him that he is 'loyal, strong, brave and true' and their reason for being there is to save them all for both current and future times.
As they fly throughout the land, they notice many slain dragons. They discover that these dragons have refused to join the Dragon of Death and conquer the land they know. Will they have enough strength to fight and defeat the Dragon of Death, especially if Old Gold joins the forces? Will they be able to find the magical pearls that will give them extra powers? This sequel keeps the reader turning each page to discover what will happen next. An enchanting story with strong imagery throughout, it leaves the reader feeling they are along for the journey. This story will be enjoyed by all who love mythical adventures, suspense and thrills.
