Text Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781922330079.
(Age: YA) Recommended. Dylan's French Mum is dead and now they will
never go to Paris together, instead she is left with Pat O'Brien,
her Mum's boyfriend who has his own issues. The outback Australian
town of Beyen is far from the sea where Dylan could find a ship to
take her Mum back to France, instead she is buried in the cemetery
and Dylan wonders "How can I be real without Mum?" p21. 14 year old
Dylan doesn't fit in, both for her brown skin and fuzzy hair and the
way she sees the world so acutely, she has been called "dumb as a
stump, or smart as a stick" or "a teabag: takes a while for things
to filter through" p7; we would put her on the autism spectrum but
she has the ability to see inside some people's lives. Pat and Dylan
set out on a road trip away from the town heading towards her
father's family she has never met. They travel from pub to pub, Pat
distributing promotional material for a brewery and gambling away
his money on the pokies. Dylan takes with her a tiny metal fish she
found while running away from one of her Dad's angry outbursts
before he left them forever, and a snow dome containing the Eiffel
Tower her Mum gave her, along with a photo of Dylan and her Mum in
happier times. Dylan blames herself for her Mum's death, and she is
travelling towards the Guyanan family associated with her violent
father but she courageously tries to make sense of her shifting
world and create a new story for herself. "Your heart can't grow
when it's hurting like that. I keep thinking of Mum, where the boat
is, who I can be without her" p86.
Told in the first person, from Dylan's very idiosyncratic
perspective, it took a while to adjust and let the story swirl
through the text. A second reading would be very rewarding because
the voice is consistent with an authentic edge suggesting the
author's own Irish/Afro-Caribbean heritage has informed the writing.
Viewed through her unique perspective Dylan struggles with grief,
identity and the prejudices she encounters growing up with a
coloured skin in Australia. In losing the mother she needed, Dylan
lost the only family she knew; in reconnecting with lost relatives
she finds someone who needs her. A sometimes funny, often profound
story that will reward the effort of reading Dylan's own voice
narrative, seeing the world through different eyes. "No point
running from yourself 'cause wherever you go, there you are" p244.
Recommended for young adult readers with Australian curriculum
detailed teaching
notes available from the publisher. Themes: Grief, Identity,
Mixed race heritage, Family.
Sue Speck
The funny life of sharks by James Campbell
Illus. by Rob Jones. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. ISBN:
9781526615497.
(Age: 8+ years) Recommended. The funny life of sharks is the
third book in The funny life of . . . series by author
James Campbell and illustrator Rob Jones. Before reading, a warning
is given that this is not a fact book and it is a book for four
different types of people: People who love sharks; People who do not
like sharks; People who are sharks; People who have no interest in
sharks. The reader learns that this is not an ordinary read where
you read from front to back but a book where you can begin or end
where you want or follow the signposts throughout the book. Finally,
on Page 14 the book begins with signposts to other pages. There are
interesting shark facts spread throughout the book and clever use of
humour e.g. Nurse sharks have been given that name as they are used
in hospitals as a way of keeping patients quiet and you are more
likely to be killed by your toaster than a shark.
While this book claims that it is not a fact book, the author has a
strong environmental message regarding plastics in the oceans and
endangered animals. There are also other interesting facets of
information about things related to sharks or not related at all.
Adelaide, S.A., even has its own page of information based on great
white shark attacks. The clever illustrations by Rob Jones
complement the text perfectly.
This is both a humorous and enjoyable read that will entertain
readers both young and old. Themes: Sharks,
Environmental facts, Humour.
Kathryn Beilby
Four on the run by Sophie Masson
Illus. by Cheryl Orsini. Christmas Press, 2020. ISBN: 9780648194576.
(Age: 5-8 years) Four on the run is a simple and
entertaining story about four old and rusty friends living in a barn
on a farm after their owner Mrs Brown has saved them from the scrap
heap. Maxie is shaped like a beetle, Lady is long with fins, Flash
is a motorbike and Fergie a tractor. All have their own special
personalities. They are worried that Mrs Brown is having money
troubles and think she is going to sell them. The four decide to
escape from the barn and travel to the nearest town and find a job.
Their first attempt at being musicians does not go well and the
police car is after them. They are rounded up by a pack of dogs and
taken to the Monster Truck Show where Crusher befriends them for his
own dangerous purpose. Fortunately, the four friends cleverly outwit
the monster trucks and Mrs Brown comes to their rescue. A surprise
offer comes their way and the story ends happily.
This is a perfect read aloud for Junior Primary students as it is
short and will appeal to children who could easily imagine that
vehicles may be able to talk. Those younger readers who are
progressing to independently reading novels will find the larger
text and repetition of key words an asset to reading fluently. The
clever illustrations by Cheryl Orsini provide extra interest and
support to the reader. An activity
pack is available. Themes: Friendship, Humour, Adventure,
Farms.
Kathryn Beilby
Ruby Tuesday by Hayley Lawrence
Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9781760894894.
(Ages: 14+) Ruby Tuesday describes the life of an Australian
teenager, living in semi-rural Australia with her paraplegic mother,
with the story starting up at the funeral of her grandmother. Ruby
and her mother's lives revolve around music - for Ruby it's singing
and creating music, for her mother it's precision piano playing.
Given the start of the book (family funeral), Ruby is going through
a hard time, which is not made any easier by attending a party a few
weeks after the funeral. It was not a good party. All aspects of her
trust have been shattered. Ruby is faced with moving on, while
everyone around her insists on reminding her of that night.
This is a contemporary novel, covering issues that are still
impacting teenagers today: peer pressure, underage drinking, rape,
estranged friends, dealing with loss and dealing with unwanted
attention. While I understand that the author wanted to highlight
these issues, I find myself frustrated that women are continually at
a disadvantage in society, and while Ruby and her situation are
relatable, there are aspects of the story that some readers will
find frustrating. The story is evenly-paced but lacking any real
drive - it is simple enough to read though. Throughout the book Ruby
deals with anxiety, loss, love, trust, fear and the aftermath of a
sexual assault.
The author has written a contemporary novel which utilises social
media and YouTube, as well as deals with relevant issues.
Themes: Music, Relationships, Disability, Anxiety, Human
relationships, Facing fears, Trust.
Melanie Phillips
Alice, curiouser and curiouser edited by Kate Bailey and Simon Sladen
V and A Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781838510046.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Described as 'a mind-bending journey
into the story of Wonderland', this sumptuous hard cover book has
been published to accompany the exhibition of the same name at the
Victoria and Albert Museum, an exhibition exploring the origins,
adaptations and reinventions over the years of Lewis Carroll's
original stories of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through
the Looking-Glass.
The first section of the book is a collection of beautiful and
intricately detailed illustrations by Kristjana S. Williams
that children and adults alike will enjoy exploring. They are
colourful scenes from the Alice stories decorated with plants and
flowers, strange creatures, timepieces and hidden mirrors to search
out.
Then follows the story of Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) and his
creation of the fantasy stories for his young friend, Alice,
daughter of Henry Liddell, dean of Christ Church, Oxford, while
passing the time on rowing expeditions with her and her sisters.
Those stories of strange other worlds with nonsense verse and absurd
dialogue questioning reality and perception were to become a source
of delight for both adults and children, and an inspiration for many
later adaptations and interpretations in literature, art, film,
theatre, science and popular culture.
This book collects together iconic images from the early
illustrations by John Tenniel to surrealist art, to the fashion
statements of Vivenne Westwood, Viktor and Rolf, and Galliano for
Dior. An allegory of Alice's adventures has been used as an
introduction to the quantum world, and in a reference to her quest
to discover more about our universe, her name was given to the
'Large Ion Collider Experiment' at CERN, the European Organisaton
for Nuclear Research.
The legacy of Alice in Wonderland lives on in so many ways;
this book provides a wonderful insight into the amazing impact those
early stories have had, and is a volume that many will find much
pleasure in perusing.
Helen Eddy
You were made for me by Jenna Guillaume
Pan Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781760559137.
(Age: 13+) Sixteen year old Katie wants to be a writer; she is also
good at art. Her best friend, Libby, wants to be a scientist or an
editor and together they tell a story of how they made the perfect
boy. Neither is in the "cool" group at school who call them mean
names; pretty girls who have real boyfriends, led by Mikayla
Fitzsimmons. For Katie, the perfect guy is Declan Bell Jones, the
gorgeous, sporty boy in her geography class but he happens to be
Mikayla's boyfriend. When Katie is hit in the head with a soccer
ball kicked by Declan she doesn't care about the concussion or her
broken glasses, just that he spoke to her and helped her up. Back
home the girls play a game called Silly orSerious with Katie's
neighbour and good friend, Theo and she admits that the most
embarrassing thing is that she has never been kissed. Katie wants
her first kiss to be perfect but her friends assert that nobody is
perfect. When Libby asks her what the perfect guy would look like
she produces a sculpture of him. As they finish the sculpture and
coat it with a mixture concocted by Libby, the girls discuss exactly
what the perfect boy would be like. What follows explores what it is
like to get what you wish for.
This light, teen romantic comedy is predictable in its premise but
the author uses it to explore issues of friendship, sexuality,
loyalty, bullying, grief, diversity and peer pressure with a light
touch and an Australian flavour. As Katie gets swept up in the
thrill of owning her own perfect boyfriend she forgets her friends
who she relies on for practical support. But real friends fight,
make up and accept each other. This is a journey of self-discovery
by characters still finding out who they are and what matters most
to them. A fun book suitable for younger YA audiences. There is some
adult content but nothing explicit. Teaching
notes are available.
Themes: Romantic comedy, friendship.
Sue Speck
Rowley Jefferson's awesome friendly adventure by Jeff Kinney
Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760897888. 218pp.
(Ages: 8-12) Recommended. This is the second in a new series by Jeff
Kinney. It is written from the perspective of Rowley Jefferson, Greg
Heffley's more virtuous friend (Diary of a Wimpy Kid series).
Rowley has decided to write a fantasy adventure about flute-playing
Roland, who embarks on a mission to save his mother. She has been
kidnapped by the White Warlock and taken to the Ice Fortress. Rowley
is accompanied by his best friend Garg the barbarian. They meet many
characters from classic books along the way such as Sherlock Holmes,
Medusa and trolls and pixies. Many of the characters join them on
the journey. At the end of each chapter Greg advises Rowley to make
the story more "bad-ass" and appealing to a modern audience. Greg
thinks the book needs to be made into a movie with lucrative spin
offs like video games, action dolls and toys in fast food meals.
Rowley, always a stickler for doing the right thing, increasingly
doesn't agree with Greg's sexist, violent and wasteful suggestions.
This is pretty funny, clever material. I recognised semi-subtle
references to the highly popular blockbusters Game of Thrones
and the Twilight series, amongst others. There is a lot of
fun in the contrast between sweet nerdy Rowley and more worldly
Greg. The satirical look at the commercialisation of books and films
is bound to get readers thinking. I laughed out loud at Stephen the
half-man, half-cow, with an udder and Greg saying "Librarians will
go nuts for all the classic book characters." Cartoon-like
illustrations are integral to the humour of the Jeff Kinney brand.
This is enjoyable reading for reluctant through to well-seasoned
readers. Kinney's books play an important role in getting kids
reading.
Jo Marshall
Whine guide by Beck & Matt Stanton
Self-Help for Babies book 2. ABC Books, 2020. ISBN:
9780733341168.
(Age: All) Recommended. Another great addition to the series, Whine
guide will have adults grinning at the descriptions of all the
whines that a baby can make as well as the allusions to all the wine
that an adult could drink. The following passage on the back cover
gives the flavour of the book: Dear Baby Do you feel like you're speaking a million words a minute,
but no one truly understands you? Don't worry. A lot of babies feel this way. We're here to help you get your message across, when it
matters most. Chat soon!
The book starts with the instructions of how to match the right
whine to each occasion and follows with guides to the thirst
quencher, the bubbly, the glass half empty, the surprise party, the
nightcap, the fragrant drop, the bottom of the barrel and the sweet
whine all paired well with appropriate actions. Every parent will
recognise these familiar situations and will have fun identifying
the various whines that their infant makes.
Each double page spread contains simple black and white
illustrations on a coloured background, with the expressions on the
face of the baby an absolute delight to look at.
It is obvious that the authors are very familiar with small babies
and bring their expertise in illustration and humour to reassure
parents about their baby's behaviour while giving them something to
laugh about. A great series that would be a wonderful gift to new
parents.
Pat Pledger
Paul Kelly, the man, the music and the life in between by Stuart Coupe
Hachette, 2004, reprinted 2020. ISBN: 9780733642340.
(Age: Adult) Stuart Coupe, former manager of Paul Kelly, says he was
motivated to write this biography of the musician because there was
so much missed out of Kelly's autobiography How to make gravy,
published in 2010. Coupe's book fills in the early career, and
portrays a driven and ambitious artist who was totally focussed on
himself. "He had this philosophy of being true to yourself, which
basically meant ignoring everyone else". Kelly's years of heroin
addiction are also given plenty of attention, along with the whole
world of drugs and the music scene at that time.
In writing the book Coupe obviously had access to the confidence of
many fellow musicians and friends, including Kelly himself, though
the women in Kelly's life have been more reticent. It makes for a
long and detailed collection of snippets about the singer
songwriter's journey to success.
Interestingly the book does reveal the full circle of his life,
describing how Kelly came to seek out collaboration with new talent,
particularly Indigenous musicians; he helped to highlight the work
of people like Vika and Linda Bull, Archie Roach, and Kev Carmody.
Recognition of this led to Kelly being awarded the Order of
Australia in 2017 for his service to the performing arts and the
promotion of the national identity through contributions as a
singer, songwriter and musician. However Coupe's book neglects to
include Kelly's more recent encouragement of Dan Sultan.
If you are a serious fan of Paul Kelly and you want to look back at
every step along his career, or if you are interested in the rough
side of the music scene, this book has it all. However if you are
more interested in the inspiration and thoughts of the artist, How
to make gravy might be a better read.
Helen Eddy
Punching the air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008422141.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Amal's name means hope, but it is
hard to feel hope when you are a black kid that has been hauled in
for street fighting, and there is white kid in a coma in hospital.
Amal knows that he has already been shaped into a monster in
people's minds, and it doesn't matter what he says. He is innocent,
but everything is stacked against him.
The story is fictional but draws on the lived experience of
co-author Yusef Salaam, one of the 'Exonerated Five', the group of
black boys falsely convicted of assaulting and raping a young white
woman jogging in Manhattan's Central Park in 1989. The five boys
were victims of racial profiling by the police determined to find
their culprit and were all given lengthy prison sentences. Only
years later were they exonerated when the real offender admitted to
his crime, corroborated by DNA evidence. With their book, Punching
the air, authors Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam have collaborated
together to highlight ongoing issues of racial discrimination,
police violence and injustice still happening today.
The story is written in verse, similar to Manjeet Mann's Run,
rebel, with the same heart-felt rawness and honesty. We
feel Amal's fear, his retreat behind a stony-faced silence, his
confusion and desperation. His only relief is his art and his
poetry. The pages are illustrated with lines and smudges of black;
it is only when there a human connection with someone outside of the
prison, that his drawings become butterflies, because the flutter of
a butterfly's wings can have an impact around the world.
The story is bold and confronting with themes similar to the work of
Angie Thomas, The
hate U give, and On
the come up, but the book is easy to read; the verse
pages carry you along from the despair of the courtroom to the
harshness of prison and then finally the rediscovery of hope through
art, and the love of caring people.
Themes: Racism, Police brutality, Prison, Black Lives Matter, Social
justice.
Helen Eddy
Rocky Lobstar: Time travel tangle! by Rove McManus
Scholastic Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781760665067.
Recommended for primary students. This is the second enjoyable and
'krilliant' book in the Rocky Lobstar series by comedian Rove
McManus. It is an ideal stepping stone for younger readers moving up
from early fiction - it has similar humour to the Treehouse
books but comes in at around 100 pages shorter.
Rocky Lobstar is part-boy, part-lobster. He is the star of Felidi's
Fabulous Sideshow Carnival which also boasts a bearded strong lady,
an alligator magician, a contortionist, a sword swallower and
others.
Rocky might burp too loud and use an array of silly lobster-themed
exclamations, but he is overall a likeable character with many
positive qualities. He is energetic, quick thinking, cheerful, a
responsible owner of his pet sea-pig, Bubbles, and is always polite
(even to machines). He has a great sense of daring and humour, is a
loyal friend and never gives up.
In this adventure Rocky and his best mate Goober accidentally break
a prized tea set belonging to Carnival boss, Mr Felidi. Luckily a
visiting celebrity professor happens to have left her new time
machine at the carnival. What follows is a journey that stretches
the imagination, tangles time and includes some great rhymes along
the way.
McManus holds a fine art qualification along with a lifelong passion
for drawing and animation, and he has packed humour and liveliness
into every page and drawing in this book. The story leads to a
wonderful double page illustration bursting with amusing characters,
where you find more fun details the longer you look. Themes:
Creatures, Travel, Friends.
Kylie Grant
Marshmallow Pie the cat superstar on TV by Clara Vulliamy
Harper Collins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008355890.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Marshmallow Pie the cat superstar on TV
is the third book in the popular series by Clara Vulliamy. The books
are narrated by Marshmallow Marmaduke Vanilla-Bean Sugar-Pie
Fluffington Fitz-Noodle himself, and tell the story of one
incredibly arrogant cat and his acting life helped along by his
human owner, Amelia. In this story Marshmallow Pie has been chosen
to appear on a TV commercial with Gingernut, a kitten. However Pie
dislikes kittens intensely and does everything in his power to
outshine the kitten on the first day. On the second day of shooting,
a series of mishaps causes Brad, the unpleasant Director, to
completely chastise the young kitten. Pie begins to feel very guilty
as he realises that it was his actions that set in motion the events
leading to Gingernut's fall from grace. In order to shift the blame
off Gingernut, Pie completely destroys the set and both cats are
fired. But there is always a silver lining! By the power of mobile
phones the chaos Pie caused on the set appears on Youtube and he
becomes an instant overnight sensation. The next book will continue
with the acting career of one Marshmallow Pie.
This book will appeal to younger readers who love humour and animals
outwitting the humans. The illustrations by the author are both
clever and entertaining. This would be a great read aloud in a
Junior Primary classroom or at home to a younger child. Themes:
Cats, Friendship, Humour, Acting.
Kathryn Beilby
Marshmallow Pie the cat superstar by Clara Vulliamy
Marshmallow Pie. HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008355852. 128pp.
This is a lovely short story about Marshmallow Vanilla-Bean
Sugar-Pie Fluffington-Fitz-Noodle (or Pie for short) becoming an
acting star. The story follows Pie and her human Amelia as they
navigate the ups and downs of the audition process. The book is
reasonably easy to read and would be good for students who are
independent readers.
The story is written from Pie's point of view and I really like this
aspect! Pie comes from a very posh background and you can tell by
the way she narrates the story. The author Clara Vulliamy puts just
the right amount of 'fancy' into the text which is great fun when
you're reading this book out loud. I read this book to my 6-year-old
and we had lots of fun putting on posh voices for both Pie and then
changing it up for her owner Amelia.
The illustrations are also a great addition to this book, as they
help engage the reader and add an extra element to the text. My
favourite illustrations are those of Marshmallow Pie as Clara gives
her such wonderful facial illustrations, you can really imagine what
type of a cat she would be like! I like how she has formatted the
pictures too, some are placed within frames, at the top of the page
or within the text - each one adding interest.
Overall, this is a funny book, with excellent illustrations that add
to the story. Clara Vulliamy is a great author/illustrator who has
really hit the target market of beginning independent readers. The
text is clear, concise and uses an excellent amount of words that
readers at this level would know/be able to decode. I think this is
a great start to a series, bring on book 2!
Lauren Fountain
Bluey: Grannies
Penguin Random House Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781760899363.
(Ages: 2-5) Recommended. This new instalment in the Bluey
board book series is based on the incredibly popular Grannies
episode, which sees Bluey and Bingo trying to work out whether
Grannies can dance. Children who are familiar with the episode will
find all their favourite bits and quotes of the episode accounted
for: 'I slipped on ma beans!', Dad unblocking the stinky toilet,
Nana's ineptitude with FaceTime and the car crash into the sandpit.
There is even a holographic page at the end that children can use to
make the Bluey and Bingo grannies floss.
A nice message about getting along is also instilled in the book
when it is established that Bluey is right: their granny can't
floss. Bingo feels sad that she is wrong and doesn't want to play
anymore but Mum explains that sometimes you can't keep the game
going AND be right. Which is more important? Bluey's solution is to
teach Nana how to floss - that way both Bluey and Bingo were right.
As a television series, Bluey is a lovely celebration of play,
family relationships and imagination and the accompanying books help
to reinforce these strong messages of positive family interaction
and self-awareness. Themes: Grandparents, Board book, Dancing.
Nicole Nelson
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Inheritance Games, book 1. Penguin, 2020. ISBN:
9780241476178.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Wow! This is one for fans of twisty plots
and games that keep the reader guessing right until the end. Avery
is a girl who is struggling to keep her head above water, hoping for
a better future. She lives with her half-sister, Libby, works as a
waitress and has one good friend, Max. Then out of the blue,
gorgeous Grayson Hawthorne turns up at her school, saying that she
has been named in his billionaire grandfather's will. Avery has
inherited most of his wealth and the family is not happy about this.
She finds herself playing a deadly game with the four grandsons,
Grayson, Jameson, Nash and Zander as they race to work out the clues
that Tobias Hawthorne has left in his final letters to them.
Avery has no idea why she has been left with a fortune. A
strong-willed character, she finds herself the owner of an amazing
mansion and a huge amount of money. With her sister Libby, she must
fit into a lifestyle that is completely different to what she has
been used to while maintaining her own values and beliefs. Then
there is that mystery to solve. Why was she left a fortune by an
unknown benefactor? Who can she trust from the Hawthorne family as
the four brothers try to solve the game their grandfather left them?
Who is trying to kill her? And which brother is she most attracted
to?
The pace is fast, and the book was one that I had trouble putting
down. It is gripping and the characters are so well drawn that it is
easy to feel familiar with them. A sub-plot of domestic violence was
also well depicted and fitted in with the main story.
The first in a series, the conclusion was satisfying, but left open
hints to where the next book might go, enough to keep readers
eagerly waiting for it. Readers who enjoyed this might like One
of Us is Lying by Karen McManus and We
were liars by E. Lockhart
Pat Pledger
