Reviews

Havoc! The untold magic of Cora Bell by Rebecca McRitchie

This book is aptly titled. Characters exist and events happen in a somewhat chaotic enchanted world.

There is a cast of multiple enchanted, magical beings in this story. Not only are they numerous but they all have different names, magical powers and allegiances which are a challenge for the reader to sort out as the story proceeds at a cracking pace. The central character, Cora Bell, is simultaneously escaping from an unspecified past and proceeding on an indeterminate quest. As the story progresses it all becomes clearer but it certainly requires a highly determined and able reader to hold the multiple threads together.

Cora is a determined girl, who has suffered much sadness and loss at the hands of evil magic. She is adaptable and full of grit as she meets each new peril on her quest to find her home and the people who are like her. Cora has two fairy friends (Tick and Tock) who stay loyal throughout the quest. She has to discover her true identity as a Syphon and all that that entails. She has to understand her own and her adopted powers and how to control them. She has to race against time to avoid a possible future as a Havoc as she is progressively overcome by an evil magical spell that has been cast within herself.  Together, they confront all manner of evil characters: vampires, demons, shapeshifters, warlocks, necromancers, witches, and hobgoblins- a whole gamut of fantastical creatures.

The narration is lively, dialogue is snappy and the plot is action packed. This is a very busy fantasy. It's hectic and demanding on the reader. Although threads begin to clarify at the end, for full satisfaction one has to read the sequel.

This book is for accomplished lovers of fantasy, who are capable readers able to follow multiple plot twists and characters.

Wendy Jeffrey

The wizards of once: Never and forever by Cressida Cowell

Never and Forever is the final book in the Wizards of Once quartet but it can stand on its own and be read as a fully contained story. In fact, this story, complete in and of itself, could be a great introduction to the wonder of fantasy literature to the uninitiated.

The narration is warm, chatty, instructive, funny, exciting, and observant and it is only at the end that the narrator is revealed. You must not turn to the end because "anyone who has skipped to this epilogue before reading the rest of this story is a big cheat and should go right back to chapter one or I will get really quite shirty"(Page 374). All the way through, the reader is accompanied by this energetic narrator.

The journey that is embarked upon by our protagonists Xar and Wish in The Wizard of Once series, is full of adventure and magic. There are whimsical characters such as enchanted spoons, forks, keys and pins. There are magical creatures such as trolls, sprites, giants and “piskies”.  There are wizards, witches and warriors: good and evil.  The story draws from the past- King Arthur, Camelot, Macbeth and Lancelot and is like a crucible of celebration of all great stories. Like all great stories it encompasses love, forgiveness, desire, tenderness, courage and endurance.  Fundamentally the message is that it is a terrible thing to deny love. The consequences can ripple through the generations and lead to annihilation. The quest within the series is to retrieve the spell to undo love denied. What a powerful and enduring message!

The Wizards of Once series has been translated into 38 languages and has been signed by DreamWorks animation.   Cressida Cowell is currently the Waterstones Children’s Laureate (2019-2021). She is the author and illustrator of the best-selling How to Train Your Dragon books series and author of the Emily Brown picture books.

Highly recommended for Year 5 through Middle Years’ lovers of fantasy and  for those who haven’t yet enjoyed the fantasy genre.

Wendy Jeffrey

Elvis Eager and the golden egg by Emily Rodda

Elvis Eager and the Golden Egg will appeal to young readers with its range of animal, human and fantastic characters engaged in this third adventure in the Monty’s Island series by Emily Rodda. There has been a storm on the idyllic island and a washed-up golden egg hatches an unusual creature called Ickle which eats gold. Bunchy uses her somewhat unreliable magic to turn things into gold for Ickle to eat. Monty is convinced by Elvis Eager, the new arrival, that they need to get Ickle away from the Oragoths. So, the bunch of friends set off on a mission to protect Ickle.  However, Elvis has greedy motives, and these are revealed.

The story, told simply and in present tense, has a pirate flavour. Especially since Clink is a parrot with full pirate gear and also speaks pirate. He provides humour with his rude retorts and antics. An illustrated glossary of the characters at the beginning is very helpful for a first-time reader of the series. The black and white illustrations by Lucinda Gifford really enhance understanding of the story for younger readers.The theme of everyone working together to achieve a good outcome comes through clearly. There is also a theme about the importance of conserving nature and not judging without more information. Yet it has a light optimistic tone ideal for children. It is designed to be read by young independent readers with its short chapters but will also be a fun read-a-loud.

Themes Cooperation, Nature conservation.

Jo Marshall

Tashi: The Book of Giant Adventures by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg Illus. by Kim Gamble

First published in 1995, Tashi continues to be a much-loved character. In Tashi The Book of Giant Adventures Anna and Barbara Fienberg present eight of Tashi's bold adventures. These include some favourites, beginning with the storyteller Jack's introduction of this little character. Tashi is brave, curious, cunning and daring fighting evil giants, ghosts, witches and warlords.

Tashi's cleverness tricks the last dragon into staring at his reflection and tumbling into the river below. There is always another enemy to defeat: Chintu the mountain sized giant and his wife are challenged to cook the best dumplings instead of cooking Tashi, again his life is saved. Another tale tells the story of two demons who try to steal the town's bus and kidnap the driver's son. Yes, Tashi stays calm and thinks creatively to thwart these enemies.

Kim Gamble's sketches complement Tashi's daring tales, he brings the characters and landscape to life. Fantastic stories for a class novel and great for families to share.

Rhyllis Bignell

How to make a bird by Meg McKinlay. Illus. by Matt Ottley

How to Make a Bird is an exquisitely unique book that captures both the heart and the imagination. A dreamy narrative masquerading as a procedural text makes for a thought-provoking read aloud for children of all ages. The illustrations have an otherworldly Shaun Tan feel that will delight many of his fans. The language is poetic and graceful: 'Now give your bird, inside its brittle bones, a heart that beats faster than any human heart'.

A girl sits in a dark room staring out of a closed window and then begins to assemble a bird: first the bones, then the feathers to make it soar and the heart 'to carry it across oceans and continents'. Next are the 'keen eyes for hunting' and the 'strong claws for gripping'. But there is more to a bird than these mechanical parts, and the inventor's magic then breathes life into this still, silent shape of a bird. 'Set your bird upon the sill and watch while it stretches its wings and looks around with its clear, sharp ears'. The maker only really knows she has succeeded when she sets her creation free, watching it soar off into the vast cloudy horizon beyond. This is a beautiful book that speaks of art and imagination and encourages all children to delight in the magic of independent tinkering and creating. Teacher's notes are available. 

Nicole Nelson

Again again by E. Lockhart

Mickey Double L, Jack and Oscar, are all potential love interests entering Adelaide's life through alternate scenarios as she spends her summer catching up on her academic requirements at Alabaster College. Whilst she is supposed to be designing a model stage set for a play she is studying, she is more interested in her part-time job - walking the dogs of her various college professors. The lives of B-Cake, Ella Bella, Rabbit and the The Great God Pan are both a salve and a source of drama.

We become absorbed in many possible dates with Jack and finally Oscar, after learning that her long-term boyfriend Mickey Double-L had split up with Adelaide, not believing their relationship could sustain a summer apart.
The reader assumes the bold font passages are the fantasies, but the edges blur towards the end of the book and we doubt choosing her trysts with Jack as reality when she suddenly seems to have had a history with Oscar from day one. A little confusing but the strategy creates interest and engagement.
Perhaps Adelaide is just as confused as Lockhart's readers due to the very real hot/cold long-distance relationship with her younger brother, Toby, an addict living with their mother in Baltimore for treatment; while Adelaide remains with her father Levi, at his academic post at Alabaster. This constant and parallel inner angst, which impacts upon Adelaide's work and relationships so greatly, is more suited to experienced readers.

One thing we've come to expect from Emily Lockhart, the bestselling author of We Were Liars, is experimental writing born of a doctorate in 19th Century Literature. Read more about her craft at: www.emilylockhart.com 

Themes Coming of Age, Family, Romance.

Deborah Robins

Pages and Co. Series by Anna James

Tilly and the Bookwanderers. ISBN: 9780008229863.
Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales. ISBN: 9780008229900.
Tilly and the Map of Stories. ISBN: 9780008229948.

"From outside on the busy north London high street, Pages & Co looked like an entirely normal bookshop. but once inside it didn't quite make sense how everything fitted inside its ordinary walls. The shop was made up of five floors of corners and cubbyholes, sofas and squashy armchairs, and a labyrinth of bookshelves heading off in different direction.  A spiral staircase danced up one wall, and painted wooden ladders stretched into difficult-to-reach corners.  Tall arched windows above made it feel a little like a church when the light spilled in and danced on the air. When it was good weather the sun pooled on the floor and the bookshop cat - named Alice for her curious nature- could often be found dozing in the warmest spots.

During the summer the big fireplace behind the till was filled to bursting with fresh flowers, but at is was October, a fire was roaring there..." Does this not conjure up every booklover's dream of a magical place, a bookstore where magic and mysteries, adventures and escapades beckon?  And for it to be the home of Tilly who prefers the company of book characters to the people in real life and, although not having been outside London, is a seasoned traveller within the pages of the books that abound on the shelves just shouts that this is going to be a series for booklovers and readers that will deliver all that is expected and more.

But what if your favourite characters could not only come out of the books and have real-life conversations with you but could also take you back into the book to have your very own adventure within the story? Tilly discovers that this is part of her relationship with her books and that, unlike other series where it is a secret power, this one is shared by her family,  There is much more to her grandfather and grandmother and the family's history and lives than she ever imagined. Bookwandering is what this family does, and it might explain the mysterious disappearance of her mother and the absence of her father.

Created for independent readers or perfect for classroom read-alouds, this is a series that really needs to be read from the first one in order so that the subsequent adventures have context but it will have the book lover hooked from the start, regardless of their age, and wishing they too couldbookwander into the magical, mystical world of their favourite characters.

I just loved it!!! Once your students know about it they will be queuing up!

Barbara Braxton

Tree Beings by Raymond Huber and Sandra Severgnini

Look closely at the cover of this book.  Look closely at the bark of the tree and the gaps and spaces in between the branches and roots.  For there you will start to discover the purpose of this book, its importance to the planet and why so many people are passionate about their preservation, particularly those whose stories are told within. 

More than 30% of the planet is covered with forest providing clean air, pure water, shelter and employment for both people and animals but the rate of deforestation and degradation is alarming and changing the planet irrevocably.  With a foreword by Dr Jane Goodall, and a focus on four big ideas:

* Trees give life to the planet.
* Trees can help save us from climate change.
* Trees are like beings.
* Trees need our help and protection

our children will learn about the value of trees and how essential they are to the healthy life and biodiversity of the planet. As well as understanding how trees give the Earth life, how they 'talk' and why they are our best allies in the fight to slow down climate change, readers will meet some of those who have devoted their lives to bringing attention to the plight of the forests and their preservation, the eccentric British professor who travelled the world for seventy years telling people how trees can save us. Written for independent readers in a style that draws them in and keeps them reading, and beautifully illustrated with diagrams, vignettes, close-ups all botanically correct, this is a stunning book that will be eye-opening to many. Trees are so much more than a home for a bird.

And for those who want more, there is this clip from Gardening Australia that opens up even more understanding.

In a world where students are so aware of climate change, where they have seen the destruction of our bush from the Summer of Fire, where "environment" and "sustainability" are words that even our youngest know and understand and want to act on, this is a book for all ages that will offer yet another avenue of awareness that will allow them to make a difference.

Maybe they will be inspired like the 9-year-old-boy who has a plan to plant a trillion trees to save the planet and start their own project!

Barbara Braxton

Dr Karl's Surfing Safari through Science by Karl Kruszelnicki

"The year 2020 has reminded us that science is a bit like a wave. By that , I mean, that science is a dynamic process that ebbs and flows, rather than being something set in stone.... science is NOT a collection of facts-that's what you have an encyclopaedia for.  Instead science is a process of discovering facts through curious exploration and then using them to understand the Universe around us...Science is an ongoing process,  It's self-correcting- which, let me emphasise, is a strength not a weakness. That might sound confusing at first, but scientists are flexible and willingto look at results and tweak the advice accordingly..."

So like its predecessor, Dr Karl's Random Road Trip Through Science, the familiar Dr Karl takes a journey through a broad range of subjects in which the scientific thinking has changed over time or there is a greater understanding of the why because of new thinking and developments. 

Aimed at older, independent readers there is a more in-depth look at some of the more unusual phenomena from what it means to be winded to vegan diets to the 5G network, as he explores all sorts of topics assisted by an augmented reality app which has a hologram of Dr Karl offering a more in-depth introduction and then buttons to explore even further information. 

Most students are familiar with Dr Karl and know he not only talks sense but he speaks in a language that is easily accessible to them - you don't have to be a scientist to understand what he says.  So this book, which stands alone without the technology but is definitely enriched by it, is one for both the novice and the more experienced with an interest in the world around them.

Barbara Braxton

Look, Baby! by Janeen Brian and Renee Treml

There is so much in this world to introduce a little one to that it can be overwhelming but this cleverly written and designed picture book is the perfect start.
On each page Baby is encouraged to focus on something through a cutout - a dolphin, cloud, grasshopper, frog - but when the page is turned, instead of the anticipated word there is a whole environment with like-minded inhabitants! The dolphin reveals a seascape with seagulls and shells and turtles and sandcastles; the owls reveal a tree with "shiver-quiver leaves that shade you and me". The final pages are just delightful - give a baby a mirror and sit back and observe - bringing a sense of the happy ending that stories for this age should have. Then, as an added extra, the final page revisits all the details in the big pictures to encourage the child to re-focus and ensure they found them all. So perfect for a re-read and then a trip outside to see what can be spotted in the real world and what extra things might be added. What else can you see in the sky? Is it always blue like the picture? Consider having preschoolers paint a picture of a particular habitat, perhaps with labels, to share with their younger siblings so they can show off what they know and add to Baby's repertoire.

With its interactivity, its rhyme and rhythm, its gentle illustrations, and clever design that fosters focus on both detail and broader picture, this book has all the best elements that encourage our little ones to find joy and excitement in stories and books. It builds up those essential concepts about print and early reading behaviours that are the hallmarks of early reading success.

Any new parent will love to have this as a gift - it promises hours of entertainment.

Barbara Braxton

Bluey: Hooray it's Christmas

For any child that loves Bluey (and really, who doesn't??!!) this Christmas activity book will be a winner! And for those who may be new to this loveable Blue Heeler and her family it is a great introduction!

This activity book contains a heap of activities including a Christmas Bingo game, a sticker jigsaw, create your own snow globe, a recipe for custard. All of the activities are bright and colourful and relate well to the TV show including the episode Verandah Santa. Children will love writing their own letter to verandah, or sharing one of Bandit's (Bluey's Dad) funny jokes at the Christmas table. 

I gave this book to my 6 year old one very hot afternoon and it kept her occupied for almost 2 hours. She LOVED the sparkly, foil stickers and thought the snow globe was the best. She needed some assistance getting the stickers off the backing without ripping them, and reading some of the instructions but it was mostly an independent activity for her. Afterwards we made the custard recipe and admired her handiwork. 

When I asked her what she thought about the activity book, she said "This one is awesome! Its better than my other Bluey book and I love the stickers. They are shiny and just like a christmas tree."

This would be a great gift for a young Bluey lover, or even for a road trip around the Christmas season. We give it 5 out of 5 stars for Christmas fun!

Themes Christmas, Dogs, games.

Lauren Fountain

The girl and the stars by Mark Lawrence

The Girl and the Stars is the first book in a new Mark Lawrence series, Book of the Ice. Set in the same world as the Book of the Ancestor novels, this story takes place in the most isolated and inhospitable area of the lands known as Abeth.

When Yaz was born, her parents took her to see two oracles. The first oracle touched her and died. The second oracle prophesised greatness and torment. Yaz has always known she was different. She is not quite as strong as the others in her tribe and she can sense something in the earth, far below, that no one else knows is there. The problem is that for Yaz’s people, the Ictha, different is bad, different is dangerous and in the frozen and bleak landscape of remote Abeth, different will get you killed.

When Yaz’s brother Zeen is set on a path to mortal danger, she unthinkingly follows him. Her mission to rescue him, however, introduces her to a new and treacherous world. Yaz learns that her society and religion is built on the backs of an oppressed class of misfits like herself and it will be up to her to find a way out of the darkness.

Mark Lawrence fans will recognise some similarities to his previous stories: a cold and desolate world, a harsh society and a lone outcast who has no choice but to fight for the survival of herself and those she loves. Unlike Lawrence’s adult series however, The Girl and the Stars is solidly young adult, with the characters acting and behaving as inconsistently and frustratingly as teenagers do. A few other young adult fiction tropes, for example, the love triangle, have also found their way into the plot. Nevertheless, The Girl and the Stars is a captivating beginning to this new series. While the audience does not need to have read the Book of the Ancestor series, prior knowledge of some of the religious and socio-political hierarchies of Abeth makes for easier reading.

Themes Fantasy, Dystopia, Family, Community, Religion, Oppression, Conflict.

Rose Tabeni

The crayons' Christmas by Drew Daywalt

Peppa Pig: Peppa's Night Before Christmas

Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241448625.
(Age: 2+) Recommended. Using the rhythm of Clement Moore's classic Night before Christmas, this story will delight Peppa Pig fans as they listen to the exploits of Peppa on Christmas Eve. Peppa couldn't sleep so she crept out of bed and listened carefully - could she hear Santa? Then George wakes up and when they hear a bang, it appears that Santa needs help with the lights on his sleigh. Peppa comes to the rescue by giving Santa a magical unicorn with a flashing horn, that was under the Christmas tree .
Bright colourful illustrations bring this story to life. Peppa and George are dressed in special red Christmas pyjamas, the Christmas tree is beautifully decorated and the white snowy landscape outside highlights the northern hemisphere's cold winter. The rhyming words lend themselves to be read aloud and as always Peppa is helpful and good at solving problems.
A happy, joyful book, Peppa's night before Christmas is one that little children will enjoy listening to in the lead-up to Christmas.
Pat Pledger

The paper bag princess by Robert Munsch

Illus. by Michael Martchenko. Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781760974602.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. With the dragon retiring to his cave with the kidnapped Prince Ronald, he leaves in his wake a fire ravaged castle and a naked Princess Elizabeth. She determines to rescue her betrothed, donning a paper bag to cover he nakedness, using her resourcefulness to follow the dragon's tracks.
Stalwart and fierce, determined and unwavering, Princess Elizabeth is not put off by the dragon's slammed door nor his fiery breath.
She tricks him into showing off his considerable skills, thereby exhausting himself, enabling her to release Ronald. Readers will laugh out loud at the wily Princess Elizabeth and the overconfident dragon.
But the humour does not end there: a twist in the tale sees Ronald dismissing his lady love because of how she looks and Princess Elizabeth can skip off into the sunrise ready for adventures anew.
This lovely twist of a classic rescue from a dragon fairy tale will be eagerly welcomed by a new audience, a wonderful story first published forty years ago. My battered copy from the 80's sits on my shelves but now will have a handsome companion in this hard cover reissue.
The story is humorous and witty, reworking an old story but with a twist which will tickle the funny bones of all readers. Lots of thoughts and ideas will be sparked by this story: twisted fairy tales, the role of princesses and princes, image, clothing, appearance, while readers will question why people are expected to behave and dress in a particular way, and look at how this impacts on our behaviour.
In this edition, a note at the start by Chelsea Clinton, sets the scene of a family reading the story. She talks of the strengths revealed by the story, strengths children can emulate, defeating the dragons without losing their kindness and goodness.
This is followed by a short essay, 'Stand up to dragons' by Francesca Segal, an award winning British journalist and author, and the book is closed with an account of the book's beginnings by Ann Munsch with Robert Munsch.
(I was intrigued by the way the authorship was penned, so found more information from Wikipedia.)
Each of the three additions to this edition make interesting reading for the adult before they read the story out loud to the class, and older students will be intrigued by the beginnings of the book and how it came to be.
The wonderful illustrations will delight today's readers, marvelling at the way an illustrator can use small strokes of his pen and brush to give human qualities to the images of the characters. And I love the drawing of the nonchalant dragon, one leg crossed over the other, and the toadying Ronald, complete with tennis racquet admonishing his rescuer.
Lots of fun will be had with this reissue of the classic, The paper bag princess.
Themes: Image, Twisted fairy tale, Appearance, Dragons, Kidnapping, Rescue.
Fran Knight