Reviews

Tinsel: The girls who invented Christmas by Sibeal Pounder

Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526619273.
(Age: 8+) Highly Recommended. Tinsel: The Girls who Invented Christmas is a cleverly written book by Sibeal Pounder, author of the popular Witch Wars and Bad Mermaids series. What if history had it all wrong and Christmas and the Santa story was really begun by two young girls? This very exciting and humorous story brings in traditions of Christmas that readers of all ages will relate to. Blanche Claus lives under a bridge in London of long ago when poor orphaned children struggled to survive. She has no inclination or resources to embrace the festive season and would prefer to sleep through it. However on one special evening she is given a magical red bauble by an old woman. In the bauble she sees a surprising image and this begins her journey. She finds an abandoned horse she names Rudy and promises to care for her forever. While riding Rudy she meets Rinki, another orphaned child, and they share a mince-pie picnic. They lose touch but eventually find each other again and the mince-pie picnics become significant to the storyline. Blanche, disguised as a boy, becomes one of the best carters in the docks. She meets Captain Garland who entrusts her with a precious box which she delivers to his home not realizing Rinki is now living there with her two dads. Given their earlier impoverished circumstances Rinki and Blanche make a promise to try to provide a present for every child on Christmas Day. The evil neighbour Mr Krumpus and the three jealous carters play important roles in trying to thwart everything the two girls' attempt.
Throw in elves named Carol, a larger than life fir tree, a young cook called Santa, a new home in the North Pole, a magical sleigh and you have an entertaining story full of adventure and magic. An enjoyable and exciting read. Themes: Magic, Fantasy, Adventure, Good Vs Evil, Friendship, Christmas Traditions, Humour, Loyalty.
Kathryn Beilby

What cats want: An illustrated guide for truly understanding your cat by Dr. Yuki Hattori

Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526623065.
(Ages: 10+) Written by Japan's leading cat doctor, Dr. Yuki Hattori, this illustrated guide to what cats want is a wonderfully light and informative book. Starting with 10 rules for understanding cats, the book has six main chapters broken up into short segments. After the 10 rules, it moves to cat biology (primarily covering cat senses) and wellbeing (including diet and home environment). The next chapter covers cat behaviour and how to 'speak cat'. Next up is the chapter focusing on everyday care, ranging from sharing your home with a cat to health care. The fourth chapter covers cat happiness and how owners can best treat their cats to ensure they are content. The following chapter details how to make your home cat friendly, while the final chapter describes how to work towards a long and happy life for your cat.
The topics are covered in such a succinct manner, with illustrations and 3 main points for each topic. These also have illustrations and text in two different colours - black indicating facts, history and useful tidbits; orange indicating suggestions, causes or explanations. Having had pets throughout my whole life, many of those being cats (including my girls I rescued when they were kittens: 16 year old, Mindy, and 12 year old, Persnickety), I found this book delightful. I could easily associate behaviours exhibited by my two fur babies, as well as cats I've known over the years. A few things I learnt include that Mindy is considered a geriatric as she is 16 (!), and that essential oils are essentially poison (thank goodness I never use them!). I highly recommend this book to those who are considering getting a cat, those who have a kitten and those who have had cats for years. Also ideal for those interested in animal psychology and wellbeing.
Themes: Pets, Cats, Pet care, Cat biology, Pet wellbeing.
Melanie Phillips

The Two Lost Mountains by Matthew Reilly

Jack West series. Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781760559083.
(Age: Secondary/adult) The Two Lost Mountains is the sixth in the Jack West series. Jack again teams up with his extraordinary group of loyal friends who are ready to die for their beliefs and put their trust in his leadership.
Again Jack finds the powers of evil: Sphinx (aka Hardin Lancaster X11), the Omega Monks and unexpectedly General Rastor, all aiming to find The Supreme Labyrinth in order to gain ultimate power. At their beck and call are seemingly endless supplies of arms, aircraft, ingenious technologies, robotic armies of bronzemen and silvermen and of course allies all willing to aid their cause in the hope of gaining wealth and power.
Jack's daughter Lilly has been abducted and is in peril for her life and as the evil plans of Sphinx, Rastor and the Omega monks unfold so are the lives and freedoms of humanity. As usual the odds are stacked against Jack and his friends, but just when situations are most desperate some how Jack and his crew are able to escape. However there are some casualties amongst Jack's nearest and dearest, which I will leave the readers to discover.
The pace of the narrative is unrelenting, with disasters happening all over the globe. It's like a violent video game on paper. There is mayhem, explosions, destruction of major historic buildings and an enormous body count.
Reilly is able to blend classical mythology and his own rich imagination to create a world that is his own unique narrative. It may not be for everyone but for his legion of fans I'm sure they'll not be disappointed. However be prepared for the fact that the story does suddenly and abruptly end just as all the players reach their goal. There will be a wait to find out what fiendish twists and turns await the hero as he and his chosen few battle through the labyrinth.
Themes: Adventure, Evil.
Mark Knight

Fire burn, cauldron bubble by Paul Cookson ed. Illus. by Eilidh Muldoon

Bloomsbury have done well with this delightful collection of approximately 70 poems chosen by Paul Cookson for children on the theme of magic. It is orange and black, hardback, A5 size, available as a clothbound edition if you like and easy to hold in your hand. Its pumpkin orange and the illustrations within, in black and white, are delightful and appropriate and drawn by Eilidh Muldoon. There is even a delightful little flowery pattern that dances from page to page as you flip through. This book is a physical delight to hold in your hands. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble. Magical poems is an example of how pleasurable the sheer physicality of a book can be.

It is about time that Paul Cookson, well known as a poet and performer in the UK, is introduced to Australian children. Poetry is without a doubt, a genre that needs to be revived. Poems are in fact, compacted messages, concepts, stories and ideas where every word is selected with discernment. The reader, even one who is a disenchanted child with a short attention span, can, with poetry, enjoy in a short read, big pictures, feelings and ideas.

In this collection, Cookson has found poems which  appeal to all interests and tastes ranging from the 16th Century with extracts from Shakespeare's  Midsummer's Night Dream and Macbeth, through the 19th century with Tennyson's The Kraken and Lewis Carroll's Dreamland  through to the dub poetry of Afro-Carribbean poet Benjamin Zepaniah and the poetry of Brian Moses who is a current well-known British children's poet. A smorgasboard of poems, even one from our South Australian author Janeen Brian, are included. Together these poems are silly, spooky and sinister - so much fun! Cookson has included a few of his own. 

Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble. Magical Poems is a lovely collection. Please introduce it to your children. It's a treasure. I'm a teacher/ Librarian. My only question is - why do teachers have to take a such a  bad rap in these poems? Is it because we are actually secretly loved by children?

Themes Magic.

Wendy Jeffrey

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406396119.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. It begins with the back cover of the book that invites the reader into two worlds.
Challenger Deep is located in the Mariana Trench and is said to be the deepest point in the world's oceans. Caden Bosch is on a ship headed to that place. Caden Bosch is a high school student whose days are consumed by walking and the thoughts in his head.
The author skilfully and compassionately draws the reader into Caden's reality, a confusing world where ordinary objects take on extraordinary properties. Caden's world is sculpted by schizoaffective disorder. Neal Shusterman presents a world that doesn't make sense and crafts a story that gently reveals to the reader that Caden is unwell. Shusterman's characters are richly drawn and urge the reader to consider the pain and loneliness of the individuals and their families as they grapple with the consequences of mental illness.
We learn by reading the author's note that the artwork for the book was provided by the author's son and that, though this is a work of fiction, the author has firsthand experience in supporting his son through a journey with mental illness. This goes some way to explaining the complexity of the detail in the story, the deep understanding extended and the intensely moving description of the road to healing in the hospital.
This is a powerful book that is profoundly affecting. It is compelling and very difficult to put down. If ever there was further encouragement needed for us to ask "Are you okay?" - this book is it. A must-read for teachers and parents it comes with a trigger warning for mental illness and suicide. A discussion guide is available.
Linda Guthrie

The space between worlds by Michaiah Johnson

Hodder & Stoughton, 2020. ISBN: 9781529387100.
(Ages: 13+) Highly recommended. In a world where traversing through the multiverse is possible due to the scientific genius of Adam Bosch, only those whose counterparts on the parallel Earths have passed away can travel to that particular Earth. And it's a job, not a holiday, of which Cara is all too aware. Originally from the wastelands, Cara finds herself in the position of traverser, primarily because while there are 380 parallel Earths, her counterpart is dead on all but 8. This makes her a highly valued commodity for Eldridge Institute as she can travel to most of the parallel Earths. As an outsider in the walled-off Wiley City, Cara is willing to do what it takes to stay, including the dangerous job of a traverser. When one of her doppelgangers is murdered though, Cara finds herself in a plot that endangers all the Earths in the multiverse.
Covering a diverse range of themes including identity, privilege, abuse, poverty, sexuality and more, all woven into an extremely well crafted story, this science fiction is sure to delight YA readers. The protagonist of the story, Cara, is tough and vulnerable, a relatable character who presents to others as having confidence but is looking for her place in the world. She works closely with Dell, her watcher, and Jean, her mentor, in the Eldridge Institute. The entire storyline is well thought out, with plenty of intrigue, action and twists. Fans of the Starbound series by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner will enjoy this Sci-fi adventure.
Themes: Science fiction, Identity, Self perception, Self worth, LGBTQI+ people, Belonging.
Melanie Phillips

I want to be a Superhero by Breanna Humes

Illus. by Ambelin Kwaymullina. Magabala Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781925360400.
(Ages: 3-6) Recommended. Breanna wants to be a superhero. A special, flying superhero. 'Can you wish on a shooting star to become a superhero?', she asks Mum. Mum says 'no'. She asks her Karbali the same question. 'No' says Karbali. But when she asks Pop, he says 'You never know unless you try'. Pop takes them out looking for a shooting star. They see lots of stars twinkling in the Milky Way and then suddenly, a shooting star! Breanna quickly makes her wish: 'I want to be a superhero.' But nothing happens. Karbali tells her she can be a superhero doctor, or lawyer or engineer or vet if she goes to school everyday and studies hard. Breanna still wants to fly though, and we see that she has drawn herself in all of those roles . . . with the addition of a cape!
The young author, Breanna, wrote this story when she was just eight years old and this shows; there is a beautiful innocence and simplicity to the story and it has a fantastic realism to it. Kwaymullina's colourful illustrations are fantastic as always, containing distinctly Indigenous elements but with a contemporary edge. This is a story for all children who dream of both the possible and the impossible and for the adults who encourage both their crazy and their not so crazy dreams. It also contains an important message about sticking to school, working hard and becoming a person that you can be proud of.
As an aside and one that should definitely be pointed out to young listeners, Breanna achieved both her the academic dreams of her Karbali (she is studying Environment Sciences) and her flying superhero dreams (she spent five years in the Air Force Cadets).
Themes: Superheroes, Dreams, Education.
Nicole Nelson

LEGO Harry Potter magical treasury by Elizabeth Dowsett

D.K. Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9780241409459.
(Age: 9+) Recommended for fans of Harry Potter and LEGO. Subtitled A visual guide to the wizarding world (with exclusive Tom Riddle minifigure) readers will have fun following the wizard's world as well as finding out what LEGO sets are available to build. The cover with its little figure and the end papers with Hogwarts Castle will entice readers in to see what comes next. The extensive Contents page is illustrated with the Hogwarts Castle train, giving a good introduction to the wizardry world. Chapters include Magical Students, Hogwarts and Staff, Wizarding World, Fantastic Beasts and Behind the Scenes, each subdivided with easy to read information. The Introduction tells the reader to "Delve into the pages of this book . . . to discover how this spellbinding world has been recreated in LEGO sets since 2018." On the opposite page, the use of Data files is explained, giving an example with the Set name, Year, Set number, Pieces and Minifigures. As the reader browses through the book they get an excellent idea of the scope and size of the sets that make up this Harry Potter LEGO world. First, comes Harry Potter, and shows the figures change as he progresses from first year on Hogwarts to his fourth year. Then key moments are covered: Privet Drive, Harry at Hogwarts, Ron Weasley and the Burrow, Hermione Granger and so on. There are illustrations of Hogwarts castle (6,000 pieces), Hogwarts Great Hall (878 pieces) Hogwarts' grounds (253 pieces) and Grindelwald's carriage (132 pieces).
The behind the scenes section shows the Harry Potter team at work and gives a fascinating insight into how they came up with the creation of the world, winning two Toy of the Year Awards in 2019. They are interviewed and give their inspiration and favourite characters and show how the figures are made. The character gallery shows all the different figures for each of the characters and there is an extensive index.
Owners of the book will have fun deciding what sets they would like and will get a good overview of Harry Potter's world. This would make a great gift for LEGO fans and a fun look at Harry Potter for fans of the books and movies.
Pat Pledger

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526622426.
(Age: Adult/Young Adult). Highly recommended. Piranesi knows many things. He knows that he is a man of thirty five, that is one of just 15 people to have lived throughout history and that his home is the House, a labyrinthine complex of stone halls peopled by statues and regularly visited by fierce tides from the surrounding ocean. Piranesi has one friend, the Other, who he meets with twice a week for an hour. Piranesi knows that he is helping the Other discover the Great and Secret Knowledge of the world, even if he does not understand what that knowledge is. Piranesi is content with his life writing journals and surviving in his harsh environment until one day the Other confirms something Piranesi has long suspected: that there is a sixteenth person in the world and that this person wishes to do them harm. Suddenly Piranesi's carefully regulated life is plunged into chaos and intrigue as he begins to question everything he knows about the House, the Other and himself.
What an extraordinary and unexpected book. Piranesi is everything fans of Susanna Clark have been waiting for since she last published a full-length novel in 2004. Sixteen years ago, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was hailed as a revolutionary and exemplary example of historical fantasy. Readers who have waited for almost two decades for another offering will not be disappointed by Piranesi. Clarke's characteristic dreamy and almost hypnotic writing style is again present but is honed to perfection. While Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was a fantasy epic of over one thousand pages, Piranesi is less than a quarter of the length. Readers are introduced to this new world, guided through the novel's core mystery and released almost before realising that the book has come to an end.
Piranesi is a novel so unique it is difficult to make comparisons with other works. Clarke has proven once again that she is a master of her craft and unafraid to push the boundaries of modern fantasy writing. This book is highly recommended.
Themes: Identity, Isolation, Friendship, Labyrinths, Secrets, Mystery.
Rose Tabeni

Rudie nudie Christmas by Emma Quay

ABC Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780733338342.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Following Rudie Nudie (2012) which was shortlisted for the CBCA picture book award, comes another look at that time between bath time and bed time, when many kids allow their bodies to be left uncovered. The fun of prancing around the house unencumbered is given full rein in this second book, now devoted to Christmas. The first Christmas book I have seen this year, this one is buoyant and fun filled as the two dance around the house, happy and carefree preparing for Christmas.
All the fun of Christmas is mentioned, encouraging children to view the customs of Christmas in western societies: wrapping presents, following a star, singing carols, putting up decorations, hanging their stockings for Santa to come by.
Each joyful page shows a happy family bathing their children, following them through the house, decorating the Christmas tree, making gingerbread, playing hide and seek, underlining the family features that are celebrated at Christmas around the world.
All readers will delight in the drawings of the two children, high spirited and energetic as they romp around the house, playing with their parents, finally wearing themselves out and going to bed, waiting for Santa to come calling.
The fun of the book is just one aspect of this multi layered offering from Sydney based Quay. It will enable classes to discuss what is important at Christmas time, encouraging children from different cultures to join in and learn why these aspects are celebrated. And of course, the verse form, encourages younger children to predict the rhyming word, making them more aware of the beauty of language. A cute opening story for Christmas, one of many that will follow, but this one will stand out.
Themes: Family, Christmas, Nudity, Verse.
Fran Knight

What we'll build by Oliver Jeffers

HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008382209.
(Age: 4+) A father and his daughter build a life together, using the things in the tool box to construct the foundations of many years together. They build a house, one which will keep people out, making them feel safe, but equally they can open the door, to let people in. Time will pass, and over those years, many things will happen, things that they will explore and share together. They will build bridges to other places, seek out other spheres, knowing that they have built a love which is stable and unassailable. In times of duress they will have resources to fall back upon: things they have kept aside, love that is still there kept in times when needs are greater.
Jeffers offers his promises to his daughter, Mari and the life he is laying before her in this highly personal poem of the special relationship between a father and his daughter.
At times the poem feels overwhelming in what he is offering his child: peace, warmth, comfort and safety, but equally he is aware that there will be times of loss and hardship, but promises he will be there to encircle her and keep her safe. Any adult reading this cannot help but be moved by the responsibility Jeffers feels towards his daughter, and equally children reading it will be in awe of what a parent does for them.
Against the backdrop of Jeffers' stylish illustrative technique, younger readers will be entranced with the detail he includes on his pages and follow the path of his toolbox through the pages, representing the detail and substance of their life ahead.
Themes: Future, Fathers, Daughters, Lifestyle.
Fran Knight

Quidditch through the ages by J.K. Rowling

Illus. by Emily Gravatt. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526608123.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Lovers of the Harry Potter series will grab this companion book, first published in 2001. The 2020 volume has  Emily Gravatt's fabulous illustrations and gives a tour through the game of Quidditch. J.K. Rowling, using the pseudonym of Kennilworthy Whisp, uses her amazing imagination to go deep into the game and history in this book which graced the library at Hogwarts. Avid readers will find chapters on the evolution of the flying broomstick, ancient broom games, the arrival of the golden snitch, changes in quidditch, teams of Britain and Ireland and Quidditch today.
Emily Gravatt, twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, has brought to life this wizard sport. Starting with a portrait of Professor Dumbledore with Fawkes his pet phoenix, she goes on to make fabulous illustrations of flying broomsticks, teams, referees, and even an ancient manuscript depicting the Quijudge carry the four balls into the centre during a game. Small black and white illustrations grace virtually every page and add to the fun of reading the book.
This is a handsome volume with a sturdy hardcover and bookmark ribbon. And with proceeds going to Lumos, an international children's charity founded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling, and Comic Relief, it would make an ideal gift for any fan.
Pat Pledger

The Restless Girls by Jessie Burton

Illus. by Angela Barrett. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526618474.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Princesses. Twelve excellent Princesses, all with talents unique and exceptional, are plunged into a virtual prison by their father, the King, after the unfortunate death of their mother. The grief over the Queen's death unsettles the King and makes him irrational in his attempts to protect his daughters. The girls are unable to find consolation from within their imposed locked room existence . . . until they find a hidden mysterious fantasy palace where they can again know joy. This fantasy experience gives them opportunities to live life abundantly (with talking animals and food of every description) and to dance again. But the secret life they are enjoying must be kept hidden. The King though becomes suspicious! Will they be released or will the escape into their fantasy palace come to an unhappy end?
Written in the lyrical style of a classic fairy-tale, Burton has written a wonderful story that esteems the intelligence of girls and reveals their capacity to solve problems and to express their loyalty to one another. The illustrations by Barrett are delightful and reveal princesses that do not have Anglo-Saxon heritage. Published as a hard cover 'fairy-tale' book, this would make a lovely gift or also a good read-aloud book. Highly recommended for ages 8+.
Carolyn Hull
Editor: This review was originally for the hardback version, ISBN: 9781408886915.

Vote 4 me by Krys Saclier

Illus. by Cathy Wilcox. Wild Dog Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781742035956.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. With bright, breezy illustrations by cartoonist Cathy Wilcox, the basics of the preferential system of voting are given in short, pithy sentences, easily understood and absorbed. Saclier is a well versed electoral educator, highly experienced in explaining the system of voting used in Australia to school children.  
In this book a class at Mount Mayhem School hosts an election. They are tired of their school uniform, the dreary healthy foods in the canteen and the lack of sports equipment. One person will represent them all in making change. Four people nominate for the position and these four names are placed on a ballot paper. Their teacher, Ms Sparks, explains that each child must put the numbers one to four next to the four candidates in order of preference. Each candidate tries to win the votes of their classmates: one using food, one being threatening, one by dressing up and one simply believing he is the best.
When the votes are counted, one boy, Farrel has more votes that the others, but not a majority. There must be 13 votes against someone's name for them to win. So the votes of the person with the least votes are used for their second preference, and so on until one person has a majority. The sequence is explained very clearly with voting papers, charts and figures used to follow each vote and addition of votes.
Eventually one person has the required votes and she wins. Change will occur at Mount Mayhem School.
At the end of the procedure is an outline of major government reforms through the time of European colonisation, leading children to question some of the decisions and possibly why they have not been made sooner. It begs the question what will be next?
This fascinating guide to Australia's voting system is accessible to all children. It provides a marvellous template for classes to follow. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes: Preferential voting, Elections, School, Change.
Fran Knight

Counting Creatures by Julia Donaldson

Illus. by Sharon King-Chai. TwoHoots, 2020. ISBN: 9781529040517.
(Age: 3-5) Highly recommended. Children will be immediately drawn to the wonderful owl with her babies in a cut-out on the front cover and will beg for the book to be opened to see more of the beautiful illustrations inside. This is a counting book, but what a lovely one. Starting with a mother bat, coloured in black against a deep blue background, after lifting the flap the child will learn that she has 1 baby. On the opposite page, is the question "Who has more babies than that?" Turning the page, the reader will see a sheep and turning over the page will see 2 lambs, "One of them eating, The other bleating." It is fun to call out this refrain and guess how many babies the leopard, the wild dog, the owl, the fox, Artic hare, mouse, duck, potbelly pig, all counting up to 10. Children will learn the scientific names of the baby animals as they go along and then they will find out that a turkey has 15 poults, a butterfly has 20 caterpillars, the frog has 25 tadpoles and to top everything off the spider has lots of spiderlings. Then children have the opportunity to go back and count the spiders that appear all over the book.
The language is great to read aloud, with rhythm, rhyme and alliteration:
This wild dog has
4 pups
Nosing and nestling.
Writhing and wrestling
The illustrations are gorgeous, with vivid colours and lovely leaves and flowers in the background. Little children will love the slanting eyes of the birds and animals and will want to count each baby. The book is exceptionally well produced with a sturdy hard back cover and the pages are well stitched to allow for heavy use, as it is sure to become a popular re-read with pre-schoolers. Flaps and cut-outs too are in heavy paper, so with careful handling should remain intact.
This is a keeper, sure to be a favourite that is handed down to the next generation. You can see the book here.
Pat Pledger