Roald Dahl, how to avoid witches by Roald Dahl. Illus. by Quentin Blake
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241461792. (Age:Primary school age) Highly recommended.
Roald Dahl, How to Avoid Witches is a perfect companion guide book to be read/presented alongside Roald Dahl's The Witches. What a lot of fun for the parent, teacher or librarian to capture student imagination with the host of possible spin off activities this book presents.
The original book, The Witches was first published in 1983. In Roald Dahl, How to Avoid Witches, Quentin Blake's illustrations appear again but this book is written by Kay Woodward, published in 2020 and the copyright is held by The Roald Dahl Story Company Ltd. This book is a guide, speaking directly and instructively to children, about how to save their lives if they ever meet a witch!
It is such a FUN book. It's funny - HIGHLY engaging! Font, illustrations, diagrams and typesetting is varied throughout. There are multiple activities including choice quizzes, motto-making guides, "witchograms", bad witch jokes, word searches, witch world flight paths, witchy recipes, fact files, mazes, ratings, flip book guides and much more.
Extracts from The Witches and Boy are included in just such a way that children may well be enticed to go and find the original stories and read more. Bonus material including links to apps and audiobooks read by some..." very FAMOUS voices" are included at the end with the reminder that Roald Dahl Day is every year on the 13th September.
Teachers, Librarians, if you want to mystify the children - keep them guessing - this book is an instruction book that will tell you how. A must for the school library if librarians are able to part with it to share with teachers and children.
Themes Witches, childhood initiative and resilience.
Friday Barnes’ life is complicated. After a wrongful arrest and time in the juvenile correction facility she is convinced that she will never again be involved in solving mysteries. But it does not take long before she finds herself in Italy solving Art and historical heists from right under the noses of police. With her friend Melanie and her ex-boyfriend Ian she puts her great powers of observation and her logic to work to solve the mystery. Friday Barnes is no longer a child and romance is also a mystery to be solved.
Lovers of this series have grown up with Friday and will enjoy her growing maturity and the refinement of her skills and intelligence.
The notorious pamphlet, Arcadian Adelaide, published in 1905, made scathing remarks about the ‘Village’ of Adelaide, the place, the people, the manners and customs. Author Thistle Anderson, a nom-de-plume for Scottish born, world traveller, Mrs Herbert Fisher, declared her motive to be that ‘Adelaide has crushed my youthful ambitions and possibly narrowed my ideas.’ She found the City of Churches to be less holy, a place of drinkers, prostitutes and opium dens; the society shallow, the men boring and the women stupid. It was a place of terrible wine and food, with cruelty to animals evidenced in the suffering of the horses pulling the city trams. The few redeeming features did not belie that the best thing about the Village was leaving it.
A reason for reprinting it? Derek Whitelock (1985) says he found ‘its wit and polemics a bracing and informative diversion from the masses of self-congratulatory civic and state publications.’ Certainly the original pamphlet upset many Adelaideans, the controversy ensuring high sales. With Adelaide now long known as both a City of Churches and a City of Corpses, perhaps modern day residents are more impervious to its barbs, confident now in the quality of Adelaide food and wine, its arts scene, and universities. Why, Adelaide can now proudly boast it ranks as Australia’s most liveable city in the 2020 Ipsos survey, and is listed in the top ten most liveable cities in the world in the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2019 Global Liveability Index . . . though still behind Melbourne and Sydney.
This new publication by Wakefield Press provides another perspective to the historical image of South Australia as the progressive state unblemished by convict origins. Thistle’s witticisms are a delight to read, and the pen drawings and old photographs add to the enjoyment.
Themes Adelaide, History, Social life and customs.
This non-fiction book is full of (mostly) positive stories and starts out with an introduction by Lady Gaga. Each story is from someone new, with different themes in each story. They include anything from heartbreak to poverty, harassment to art or self discovery to love. And each story has a form of kindness – such as inclusivity, protection or self kindness. The individual story tellers have either experienced great kindness that inspired them, or saw a need and filled it with their own kindness. There are some truly sad and rough stories in the book, but the overall message is of hope and kindness.
While the stories are universal in their message of hope and kindness, it’s worth noting that the book is American and the listed suggestions for helpful groups are American groups. That’s not to say there aren’t Australian equivalents, or even that readers in Australia might see a need for a particular group in their own hometown, and be challenged to create one. There are calls to action throughout the book and comments on each story by Lady Gaga. While reading this book, you’ll laugh, cry, be inspired and challenged.
The reader needs to be familiar with Pullmans’ fantasy series, The Dark Materials and The Book of Dust, in order to read Serpentine. This is set in a short period of time when Lyra is working in the Northern Lands. Prior to this story, in The Amber Spyglass, Lyra was on the shores of the World of the Dead and she had to separate from her Daemon, Pantalaimon. This was highly traumatic and since then they have mistrusted each other and been unhappy. During her time up north Lyra goes to get advice from Dr Lanselius who is Consul to the Witches. She wants to know how the witches and their daemons cope with separation. This leads to a better relationship between Lyra and Pantalaimon, but not directly as a result of Lanselius’ advice.
This is a handsome novella and Duxbury’s lino cuts add to the feel and design of the book beautifully. There is a lot of conversation which engages your attention. However, you really need to be familiar with the characters and events for the story to make sense. If you are a fan of Pullman’s series then Serpentine is a short read and effectively transports you back to his wonderful, deeply intelligent and creative series.
Themes Fantasy, Relationships, Trust.
Jo Marshall
Derek Dool supercool : Run for your life by Adrian Beck. Illus. by Scott Edgar
Derek Dool supercool : Run for your life is the third book in a series starring Derek Dilbert Dool, a highly likeable rascal.
Derek's wish is to be supercool and famous. He thinks there is an opportunity to achieve this by winning a school cross country event. The lead up to the event is action packed with much mischief, plenty of hilarious, laugh-out-loud mishaps and mayhem.
The third person narrative is active, buoyant and observant. The narrative is laced with cool vocabulary, popular lingo, idioms and jokes. The situations that Derek finds himself in are often awkward and embarrassing, difficult at times and mostly always hilarious. Descriptions of situations prior to the race like the parent interview, the conversation with his father in the shower and the performance in the town centre are hilarious. There is much toilet humour; many fart/diarrhea instances. "Dad-jokes" abound and are integrated well within the plot.
Derek Dool supercool : Run for your life is highly illustrated in the vein of Diary of a wimpy kid. The font is similar and typesetting is varied with pictures and text arranged to produce exciting page layouts."Bonus chapters" are included. This might be quite a surprise to the reluctant reader! This book (and series) is perfect for both the confident and the reluctant reader. It is naughty and rude - just what kids love.
Despite the loss of storyline coherence during the race, this book (and series) will be an enjoyable addition to any humorous, highly illustrated collection. It is certain to be greeted with hilarity by students - especially primary years boys. It is ideal for read aloud in the classroom especially if children are in need of some lighthearted fun. It is very important to bring back fun into children's lives and particularly important that it is done through the medium of books. Books like Derek Dool supercool : Run for your life will help entice another generation of children back to reading for sheer enjoyment.
The rock starts with a rant; it is meant to shock, shake people up. It demands that people open their eyes, open their minds, to recognise the dark heart of Australia, its harsh history, and the ongoing schism between the privileged whites and the First Nations custodians of this Country. Smith’s book is a memoir of his six years as editor of the ‘Torres News’ whose primary readership were Torres Strait Islanders, a people he became determined to know better, as mates, as community.
The Rock is the familiar name for Thursday Island drawing connections with Alcatraz prison, and the Earth as the third rock from the sun. The Torres Strait Islands are a focal point for so many of the widespread struggles between Indigenous people and oppressive bureaucracy, issues of identity and culture, native title, stolen wages, climate change, Closing the Gap, and racism. It was Australia’s failure to address these issues that led to poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal returning her MBE, highlighting the ongoing suffering of her people.
Smith is blunt, in your face, but the issues he exposes are important and should have more exposure in our media. How could a Sydney airport, in a ‘sky-high moment’ be named after an aviation icon, Nancy Bird Walton, yet her family be denied Australian citizenship? How could Aboriginal Australians be told they were ‘aliens’ under Dutton’s revised citizenship laws and be threatened with deportation?
These are just a few of the many anomalies, and injustices, that Smith turns a spotlight to; his articles winning him the Indigenous Issues Reporting mantle at the 2014 Queensland Clarion Awards. I would recommend his book to senior secondary students for a critical perspective on serious issues that do not get attention in mainstream media. Also worth a listen, is the Good Reading interview with Smith on Australia’s cultural and moral divide. Highly recommended.
Themes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Australian citizenship, Aboriginal culture, Indigenous issues.
Helen Eddy
Into the wild by Robert Vescio and Mel Armstrong
New Frontier, 2020. ISBN: 9781925760651. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
Into the Wild is a thoughtfully written story that will bring a sense of a calmness and peace to its reader. With stunning illustrations, this picture book shares the story of Roman who wanders alone enjoying and discovering amazing things among nature. At times he would love to share his findings with someone special and one day comes across a surprise. He investigates and follows, and then stumbles upon something that will change his way of looking at things.He realises that he does not have to be alone to enjoy his nature wandering and wonder of the world.
This is a perfect book to encourage both children and adults to observe the natural environment around them and see how the simple things in life can bring great joy and contentment.
Continuing on from the end of the first book, Ulla and Pan set out on a journey to find the kidnapped Eliana, as well as continue the quest for Ulla’s birth parents. Their expedition reveals a possible long-lost father for Ulla, and a Troll secret society. Joined by their colleagues, Dagny and Elof, they continue their journey to learn more about this secret society, Eliana’s kidnapping and Ulla’s heritage.
The Morning Flower is the second book in The Omte Origins, and is a contemporary urban fantasy, where Trolls live hidden among humans, as well as having Troll only towns (think Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter series). This novel is filled with descriptive writing and delves deeper into Troll society, which was detailed thoroughly in the first book. Following Ulla’s lifelong quest to learn more about her heritage after being abandoned as a baby, readers will enjoy a few twists and turns as she learns more about herself along the way, and develops connections with new friends and even a possible romance. Several mysteries emerge through the book, which may be connected to the secret society, or Ulla's heritage. While learning more about her past, more questions arise, leaving readers wanting to know more. At the end of the book, there is an extensive glossary for Troll terms used in the book.
Themes Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Self Discovery, Relationships, Folklore/Myths and Legends.
Melanie Pages
Mind the gap, Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760526214. (Age:Young Adult)
New Yorkers Dash and Lily are looking forward to pursuing their individual goals while maintaining a healthy relationship. For Dash, this means becoming a student at Oxford University while 18 year old Lily is not so sure of her pathway. She has a successful dog walking business which has expanded to include online sales of dog merchandise but there is family pressure for her to take up the offer of a position at a prestigious university. While the couple are prepared for a long distance relationship, after six months apart Lily is upset to learn that Dash is not coming home for Christmas. She decides to surprise him by flying to London where she hopes to sort out her future and reassure herself that Dash is ok. This is the third in the series and reprises the theme of puzzles and books in an Advent calendar Lily has made for Dash and some great literary references. The characters are relatable, but the plot is contrived and stilted, relying on a series of unlikely coincidences as the characters’ internal struggles take centre stage in the alternating first person narratives. The London setting is explained for a US audience; Barbican, 'an arts place like Lincoln Centre' p. 126, and a Twickenham thatched house is 'an ordinary English house' p. 91. There is the feel of a film script which suggests it might follow the recent Netflix series adaptation of the first book.
It might have been helpful to have read the previous books, Dash and Lily's book of dares and The twelve days of Dash and Lily but while Dash and Lily say they are a couple, there is little sense of it in this story. They are both wrestling with issues of identity and the conflict arising from making personal choices while maintaining important connections. These characters come from privileged backgrounds and their affluence makes the whole angst seem self-indulgent but young adults who have seen the Netflix series or read the previous books and Sam and Ilsa’s Last Hurrah by the same authors will hopefully find that 'what a great book does, right? It traps you into feeling something important. Whether it’s about yourself, or society or ideally both' p. 222, and that has to be a good thing.
Themes Identity, Relationships.
Sue Speck
Super-me by Jane Martino. Illus. by Annie White
Smiling Mind bk 2. Penguin Random House Australia, 2021. ISBN: 9781761040061. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
Super-Me is the second picture book in a new series developed with leading Australian mindfulness organisation, Smiling Mind. The author Jane Martino is a cofounder of Smiling Mind, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing free pre-emptive mental health and well-being programs via their apps and website. In this sensitively written and highly appealing story, Sonny is beginning school. On his first day he is naturally apprehensive and has butterflies in his tummy. He grabs his tutu on his way out of the house because when he wears it he feels fearless and he becomes Super Sonny. Once in the school yard Sonny puts on his tutu to help him cope with the newness and unfamiliarity. Sadly he is ridiculed by other children but his teacher rescues him and offers a solution to wearing the tutu. However Sonny finds it hard to focus on the school day without his tutu until his teacher asks the class to talk about their own special thing. His teacher explains that each person is different and likes different things and Sonny realises that everything is going to work out at school.
This is beautiful story to share with children who are beginning a new school year. The thoughtful illustrations by Annie White perfectly complement the text.
Themes Well-being, Identity, Belonging, First Day at School, Gender.
Meg, fleeing from an abusive husband, now lives alone in the bush. When approached to shelter Nerine and her children, she agrees although she is breaking the law as her home is a perfect place to hide, isolated and lonely. But Nerine wants her to get a gun and her children are terrified. Then frightening things begin to happen. Has her abusive husband tracked her down, or is Nerine’s violent husband prowling around?
Jinks’ use of ordinary occurrences to build suspense is frightening. The sound of wind chimes when there is no wind, a flyscreen found on the ground, a footprint in a garden bed, are all things to which the reader can relate. The tension is ramped up gradually with Nerine’s insistence on needing a gun to protect herself and the children’s willingness to hide in a safe place. Meg’s recounting of the way that Keith, her husband, psychologically abused her and her daughter also adds to the reader’s trepidation about who is lurking around the house.
This dark and gritty psychological thriller kept me glued to my seat as I followed Meg’s dilemmas and desire to protect the children. Many chapters ended on a cliff hanger, ensuring the book was read in a couple of sittings. Unexpected twists and turns surprised and an ending that left me gasping made for an unforgettable read, while the setting will appeal to those who enjoy rural noir novels, like The lost man by Jane Harper.
I will certainly be recommending this thriller to my Book Club. Book Club notes are available from the publisher.
A delightful read set in Victorian London, this historical romance stars a smart heroine and a swoon-worthy hero. It is 1861 and Lucinda Leavitt has just come home from finishing school. Her father does not want her to use her outstanding mathematical ability in his counting house and her only solace had been a novel serialised in Wheathill’s Magazine. When it is announced that the author has died with no conclusion to the story, she is determined to find out what happened to her.
Lucy has little to do and it is not until David, her father’s young business partner, overwhelmed by the amount of work he has, gives her some of his mathematical work to complete that she able to use her ability with numbers. In return she engages his help in seeking out the unknown author and the reader will have fun following the pair as they travel around the country going to Bath, country estates and churches.
The setting feels very authentic and readers will learn much about life in Victorian England. It is a time of great class divides, and Lucy must withstand being ostracised from London society because her mother was a maid and her father a self-made man. At the same time many of the aristocracy are suffering from loss of income, and American heiresses are flocking to London in search of a title in exchange for their fortune. A note by the author at the end gives additional information about novels published at the time, the Tooley Street Fire of 1861, and the fire hazards of crinolines and dress reform by Amelia Jenks Bloomer
The last word is a fascinating introduction to historical romance for teens, with a feisty heroine who loves maths, an interesting mystery to solve as well as an authentic background to Victorian times, all written in an easy to read and witty style.
Another easy-to-read compulsive thriller from McManus will be welcomed by her fans. Author of the best-selling One of us is lying, McManus is a master at writing mysteries that are very hard to put down. This time, three cousins Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are invited to work for the summer on the island resort of their rich grandmother, whom they have never seen. She had disinherited their parents before they were born so it is very surprising to hear from her. When they arrive, it is clear that she doesn’t welcome them and the longer they stay the more they learn about their family and the secrets their parents have harboured for years.
The book is written in alternative chapters in the voice of the three cousins and their backgrounds and personalities are easy to follow, while at the same time, many questions about why their parents were disinherited are raised. Readers will be tantalised by the information revealed in the chapters by 18-year-old Allison, mother of Milly, and wonder if murder has been committed and if so by the parents of the cousins.
The class divisions between the very rich Story family and the towns people, the mansions and holiday homes, parties on the beach and a Gala all form a background that adds depth to the story. The characters are equally as richly described, and it was easy to sympathise with each of the cousins as their strengths, flaws and vulnerabilities are revealed.
I read this in one sitting, eager to find out why the cousins’ parents were disinherited, trying to guess what happened and totally satisfied with the stunning ending.
This is a terrific heartwarming story about a group of seven 10-year-olds who are inspired by their teacher, Ms. Dillon, to ride their bikes to school. Beginning at the start of a new school year, we learn about the children’s personalities, homes and family through their individual voices. They also report on what is happening in class from day to day, friendships and the development of the “bicycle bus” project. Finally, Max and Zoe take on a big challenge of fixing a road that is unsafe for bike riding, with a little help from kind Mr. Bertoldi, the lollipop man. The children realise that in small ways they are saving the planet. All of them grow in confidence and overcome fears.
Steven Herrick is known for his award-winning verse novels, which subtly take on real world issues from a child’s perspective. He is humorous and doesn’t have an overly didactic touch. Valid examples of dangers for bike riders, in part due to our car-focused society, are compared with the practice of how Japanese children safely go to school. He also manages to incorporate funny lessons about homophones and homonyms. The class visits by Fire Officer William provide comical moments and show the spirit of the class but were a little lame for me! Nevertheless, I like the way wise quotes were used and the optimistic goodness which pervades this book. It would be really effective as a middle primary class novel and the students could take on reading the roles of the different students.
