Reviews

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

Gold! by Jackie Kerin and Annie White

Ford Street Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781925804539.
(Ages: 6-10) Recommended. Gold! is an amusing true story about two pairs of brothers, one English and the other Canadian, and how they found a large nugget of gold on the Victorian goldfields. The story begins with the news of gold in Australia travelling around the world and people arriving in masses to search, dreaming of riches. The realities hit home for the four boys when they find the tiniest speck of gold and realise that the chances of striking their fortune are slim. While the book paints a fairly happy picture of the goldfields some of the hardships are gently portrayed: thieves, lack of food, lack of adequate sanitation, exposure to harsh weather conditions. But then one day, their luck changes . . . a huge nugget, as big as a leg of lamb. When they eventually leave the goldfields, a sequence of events leads them straight to England and to Queen Victoria, who exhibits their gold nugget at the Crystal Palace.
This is a fun, lively introduction for young readers to the gold rush and its impact. There are two pages of extra factual information at the end of the story that help to give differing perspectives and contextual information. The small paragraph about how the Dja Dja Wurrung people and land were affected by the gold rush is particularly important, as is the paragraph about how the Chinese miners were treated. Other information includes more about the digging for gold process, about the nugget of gold itself and about the historical people within the story (Governor Barkly, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria).
The watercolour illustrations were inspired by the goldfield artists of the mid-nineteenth century and paint a vivid picture of the landscape and the living conditions of the miners. Teacher's notes are available. Themes: Victorian gold rush.
Nicole Nelson

Dare to be you by Matthew Syed

Wren & Rook, 2020. ISBN: 9781526362377.
(Ages: 11+) In this empowering non-fiction book, Dare to be you: Defy self-doubt, fearlessly follow your own path and be confidently you!' readers are encouraged to be themselves, be different, pursue their dreams and to not be defined by what is considered 'normal'. Aimed at students entering high school, the book covers self-doubt, friendships, individualism, kindness and more. Filled with research and examples, including real-life examples from the author, well known successful people and a few celebrities, the book relates to young teenagers through these examples.
I found the book easy to read, due to layout and content, and I believe it will be beneficial to teenagers who are confused and searching for where they fit in the world. Throughout the book there are activities that the reader can undertake to further explore their own strengths, ideals and future pathways. Using a variety of imagery and text styles (as well as colour), the book will appeal to many readers. There are some really good suggestions to assist with empowering the reader to own being themselves. Well suited for readers between 11 and 15 years of age.
Themes: Self-empowerment, self-improvement, courage, self-doubt, questioning.
Melanie Phillips

Going for Gold by Matthew 'Delly' Dellavedova and Zanni Louise

Illus. by Nathalie Ortega. Daring Delly book 3. Scholastic Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781743832028.
Recommended for primary students (ages 7-11). This is the 3rd book in the Daring Delly series by Australian basketball champion, Matthew Dellavedova. A section at the back of the book includes a Q & A with the author, a biography page and a world map showing all the locations of Dellavedova's career highlights, from his beginnings in country Victoria to playing in the Olympics and the USA.
The title character in this series, Delly, is crazy about basketball and is a talented player. In this book his school is hosting the Junior Basketball Tri-Nation Tournament, with teams arriving from Japan and the USA. The visiting players are embraced by the community during the tournament-they all attend the local school for the week and most of them are housed by local families.
Dellavedova compassionately explores the highs and lows that come when children from three different countries are thrown together under pressure. The players navigate existing and new friendships and work in pairs on a basketball assignment for school, all while vying for tournament wins. They support each other through various struggles, show good sportsmanship and learn about cultural differences.
Throughout the story there are several play-by-play descriptions of basketball games which include just the right level of detail. This is enough for an enthusiastic fan to enjoy and be able to picture exactly what's happening, while not being so technical as to become boring to a non-basketball fan.
Whenever a new basketball term is introduced there is a diagram to show what that term means, and there are multiple little trivia notes scattered throughout which will interest readers who love facts.
Dellavedova's books are based on his own childhood experiences and he can proudly join other Australian sporting stars, such as Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, Shane Crawford and the Selwood brothers, in having created an entertaining book for young sports enthusiasts. Themes: sport, friends.
Kylie Grant

Mama Ocean by Jane Jolly

Illus. by Sally Heinrich. Midnight Sun Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781925227659.
(Ages: 4-9) Highly recommended. Beautifully textured and flowing illustrations by Sally Heinrich breath life into this whimsical tale that carries a crucially important environmental message. As with 2017's Papa Sky this story feels almost like an ancient legend, both due to the grandeur of its illustrations and the sweeping simplicity of its language. Mama Ocean is depicted as a wise, elderly mermaid with long, flowing locks and a dedicated following of ocean creatures. She rises supremely out of the waves; 'My children . . . Gather near. And so they came'. But there is no happiness on her weary face. She is distressed. In an effort to cheer her the sea creatures bring her gifts that they find swirling around the ocean currents: bottle tops, buckets and toothbrushes. 'But Mama Ocean was sick. She was becoming bleached and frail. Her eyes were dulling and her spirit was breaking'. As she is slowly becoming smothered with these items the emerald water starts to grow murky and dark. Before long the animals are also being strangled by these foreign materials. The fish have cans stuck on their noses, the turtles have plastic can holders tangled around their middles, the seals have ropes twisted around their bodies and the seabed is littered with plastic cups, corks and old shoes. Finally they see, 'Oh Mama! This finery is fake. We must send it back from whence it came'. And so they throw back the gifts and the ocean carries them away and dumps them back onto the solid ground. Mama Ocean rises again: 'We need no gifts', she says.
There is a fantastic page without any text that shows a gigantic pile of waste on the edge of the ocean, that will provide a fantastic starting point for conversations about waste and how to solve the problem, not just of ocean litter but also litter in general. Descriptive and rich language choices make for an emotive and evocative read and the breathtaking illustrations are filled with details that will help the reader connect their own lifestyle with the devastation taking place in our oceans. The line 'we need no gifts' is also worth exploring with children. Children will no doubt feel empowered in their own ability to create change through some simple changes to their everyday practices. Teacher's notes are available. Themes: Oceans, Littering.
Nicole Nelson

Tribal Lores by Archimede Fusillo

Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760651954.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. This story is set in Australia, with a family of Italian immigrants living in the suburbs of the city, the father a butcher and the mother running the home, while helping her husband and caring for family. Archimede Fusillo has constructed a riveting tale of the challenges that face migrants in their new country, from the social mores, to the changing of the old rules to those of the new country, focusing on those that challenge the parents in this new country. The novel feels so real, Fusillo having constructed this evocative narrative with an authenticity that is rivetting.
We read how the children of migrants must learn to cope with school, socializing and learning the ways of the new country while living very much by the rules of the old at home. This nexus of worlds is at the heart of the divide that they face daily, as the new world intrudes on the old ways, and the parents and children have to adjust to their roles in this new place. Told with heart, this narrative brings to light both the extreme challenges and the daily adjustments, exploring how these differ for parents and children.
The old ways, however, dominate at home for the young people, and Fusillo focuses on how they face the challenge of fitting in to the new world while following the norms of their families. In fact, this seems an impossible challenge. We feel every emotion with the characters, so vivid is this tale, and we are torn by their emotional responses, as Fusillo's beautiful and powerful tale unfolds. This is a story appropriate for both adults and younger adolescents. Book Club notes are available.
Elizabeth Bondar

The bushfire book by Polly Marsden

Illus. by Chris Nixon. Lothian, 2020. ISBN: 9780734420077.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Subtitled, How to be aware and prepare, this book comes with a poster which summarises the thrust of the book and usable in a classroom or at home to remind families of the need to be ready.
In line with RFS regulations and in child friendly language, Marsden approaches the fears that children may have when talking about bushfire, an annual event caused by extreme weather in our country and overseas. Everyone in Australia needs to be aware and have a plan in case bushfire is part of their lives one day, but many chose not to do so.
So it is apposite that such a book is available to initiate discussion around awareness. After a few pages in which our fear of bushfires is discussed, several pages of facts are given under the headings fuel, heat and oxygen. Without these a fire cannot exist, and there are some clever people keeping watch. These include, emergency professionals, weather watchers, indigenous rangers and so on. In the past indigenous people used fire as part of their agricultural methods, but today with so many people living close together bushfires are a major issue.
The three steps on the poster are then reiterated, be aware, prepare and share, developing the steps each child can take to allay their fears. It is hoped that with the three steps known and discussed, the readers will have a better knowledge of how fires start, who is there to help and how they should react. At the end of the book is given the Fire Danger Ratings chart and the meaning of the words, Total Fire Ban. If the reader is still feeling anxious then the best thing to do is share their fears with a friend or relative.
The last page is a practical outline of the websites to go to for more information, Red Cross, from which can be downloaded a Bushfire Plan for the family to fill in and refer to, the Bureau of Meteorology for information about the weather and any warnings that might be in place, and WIRES which helps wildlife affected by fire.
A charmingly illustrated book which encourages discussion at home or in the classroom, this book includes lines about mental health and keeping yourself safe from anxiety and fear. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes: Fire, Emergency workers, Volunteers, Indigenous farming, Australia, Climate change.
Fran Knight

The polar bear in Sydney Harbour by Beck Feiner and Robin Feiner

ABC Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780733339400.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. On her way home from the zoo, across Sydney Harbour on the ferry, Hannah notices a polar bear. She befriends him and calls him Rodney, wanting to keep him as a pet. But Rodney is too hot in the Sydney weather and so she does a few things to cool him down, eventually realising that he has not come to Sydney for an adventure, but by accident. She is also puzzled by the fact that no one else can see him. She takes him to Bondi Beach, there hoping to find someone to help Rodney get back home. But they are all too interested in having fun on the beach to notice Rodney. She takes him on the underground and the same thing happens, and so she take him Christmas shopping. Surely someone amongst the huge crowds will notice him, but they are all too preoccupied with their shopping to notice a polar bear. Dispirited they return home, but Hannah notices the lighthouse and has an idea. They climb the building and Rodney basks in the light, his fur reflecting the light all over Sydney, making everyone sit up and take notice. They work with Hannah to get the polar bear back home and he leaves on a ferry to return with a snow dome of Sydney Harbour as a parting gift.
Hannah's persistence has paid off and now everyone is aware that a polar bear does not belong in Sydney Harbour, awakening them to the perils of climate change and its consequences.
This will be an interesting and questioning book to read and discuss with classes. As I write this review, two humpback whales have been found in East Alligator River in Kakadu National Park, veered off their course through the Timor Sea. So animals out of their usual spaces are now not uncommon. And all begs the question of why and what can we do about it.
I love the illustrations with blocks of colour, each page having a host of details to absorb and explore. Views of Sydney are very recognisable, even to those who live elsewhere, and I love the maps in the endpapers, giving younger readers an idea of where the animal lives and what his journey back will look like, hopefully tempting them to look at a larger map to see just where polar bears do live, and how far they are from Australia. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes: Animals, Climate change, Polar bears, Persistence, Sydney.
Fran Knight

They wish they were us by Jessica Goodman

Razorbill/Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780593114292.
(Ages: 14+) A YA murder mystery revolving around a prestigious high school with a not so secret society - the school's elite, called 'The Players'. The story follows Jill Newman in her final year of high school, three years after her best friend, Shaila, was murdered. Shaila's boyfriend, Graham, was convicted of the murder, and Jill and her friends have tried to put that horrid night behind them. This is their last year of high school, they run the school as The Players, everything should be perfect. But Graham's sister contacts Jill making a case for Graham's innocence and Jill starts questioning everything - her friends, her family, her boyfriend and her 'perfect' school life.
Packed with underage drinking and drug use (hence the suggested age of 14 years and up), They Wish They Were Us explores the pressures of fitting in, parental expectations, the complexities of friendships and how secrets can be kept by anyone. Similar in style to People Like Us by Dana Mele, They Wish They Were Us is a good introduction to the teen murder mystery genre. Many teen murder mysteries are well paced with plenty of action, however this book has a moderate pace with numerous flash backs. Readers may find it hard to keep track of the story, though I did read a proof edition and perhaps the published edition distinguished the past and present in a more obvious way.
Themes: Popularity, murder mystery, secrets, ambition, friendships.
Melanie Phillips

A climate in chaos by Neal Layton

Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9781526362315.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. In young reader friendly language, Neal Layton explains how the world got to be in the mess it is in.
We rely on breathing out carbon dioxide after taking in oxygen, and plants take in carbon dioxide, breathing out oxygen. The greenhouse gas layer kept us warm. So it has been for millions of years, but two hundred years ago we started burning fossil fuel to create energy to power machines and the balance became uneven. More carbon dioxide is created, making the greenhouse gas layer too thick and changing the climate around the world. Added to this the animals that breathe out carbon dioxide have been farmed, increasing their number, so creating more carbon dioxide, and human population has increased rapidly, adding to the amount as well. Trees and forests which soak up the extra carbon dioxide are being pulled down and the warmer temperatures are changing our climate.
Animal habitats are being changed as well, making it difficult for them to survive.
So what can we do about it?
Layton lists his suggestions with regard to transport, consumerism, waste, food, energy and forests. Each suggestion has a paragraph of information about how these should be changed for the better. Food, for example, tells us that eating more plants reduces the impact of livestock farming, eating food that is grown locally reduces the need for it to be transported while growing our own is even more beneficial.
The biggest issue of them all is burning of fossil fuels, and Layton advocates a change to renewable energy sources, wind, tidal, geothermal and solar power.
Layton explains what a sustainable house looks like with a drawing and information around it to show where savings can be made. Many children will have heard of several suggestions here and some will be practising some at home, while your school may have solar panels and a garden, but all put together this makes a fascinating reference for a classroom to read about and research to find out more information. Questions will spring up: where do we get recycled loo paper, what is a composting toilet, does it smell, how can we have a garden on the roof? And so on. The double page with the sustainable house will create a great deal of imaginative discussion, and kids will want to know what their school and council is doing to create a sustainable pathway for the area. At the end of the book Layton acknowledges the work being done around the world, and finishes with a list of things we can all do in the home to create a better environment.
A book well worth reading and sharing.
Themes: Sustainability, Climate change, Greenhouse gas, Fossil fuels, Future, Renewable energy.
Fran Knight

The mountains sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

As a young girl in the school taught by her grandmother Dieu Lan, Huong wonders why foreign armies keep invading her country, Vietnam: first the Chinese, the Mongolians, the French, the Japanese and then the American imperialists. As the Vietnam (or American) war continues, it is her grandmother's stories that keep her hope alive. Learning that her grandmother has survived the French occupation, the Japanese invasion, the Great Hunger, and the Land Reform, Huong is determined that she will find safety once again with her parents Ngoc and Hoang, both soldiers in the war against the American enemy and the South Vietnamese.

Readers of this novel will learn through Dieu Lan's stories of the horrific ordeals the people of Vietnam have endured. The chapters alternate between the struggles of Huong and her grandmother during the Vietnam war, and the past stories of Dieu Lan's suffering of mass famine in 1945, the brutality of land dispossession and massacres during the Land Reform movement in the 1950s and then the conflict of the Vietnam War. Dieu Lan was the mother of six children, each of whom she had to find some way of protecting, even if it meant actually abandoning them to ensure their survival away from her. It is a heartrending story. When Dieu Lan retraces her steps to find her children again their outcomes are not always what she would have hoped for.

Each of Huong's relatives is affected by the Vietnam War, through separation from family, to beatings and rape, to Agent Orange poisoning, to traumatic amputation. But somehow, the spirit of Dieu Lan survives and even forges a way towards Buddhist forgiveness, peace and calm. It is a harrowing story, but one of the delights of this novel are the Vietnamese proverbs that Dieu Lan passes on to Huong, "fire proves gold, adversity proves men", "soft and persistent rain penetrates the earth better than a storm", and "only through love can we drive away the darkness of evil from this earth".

Millions of people lost their lives during the Vietnam War. This novel tells the stories of some of them, in the hope to learn from the past and prevent future armed conflict.

Themes Vietnam War, Famine, Endurance, Survival.

Pea and Nut go for gold! by Matt Stanton

Harper Collins, 2020. ISBN: 9780733340680.
(Ages: 4-7) Recommended. Matt Staton, author of There is a monster under my bed who farts and the Funny Kid series of books, knows how to make kids laugh. This newest picture book, featuring a chilled-out panda and a hyperactive flamingo is heavy on visual humour and full of silly fun. Pea the Panda is just chilling by the pool when she is cajoled and tricked into having a swimming race with her friend Nut the flamingo. Nut uses Pea's competitive nature to get her riled up for the race: 'Hurry up Fuzzball! You won't defeat me!' Children will laugh at Pea as she gears up for the race in her yellow bikini and settles into her blow-up flamingo: 'I may look like a sinker but under this fluff . . . is a swimmer's phy-sique made of lightning-fast stuff.'
The humour continues as the race gets wackier and wackier, with the friends upping the game each time. Nut is not swimming, he's walking! Pea uses her inflated flamingo as a blaster. Nut puts his flippers on. Pea fashions a windsurfer. But it is Nut who gets the last laugh; his pool noodles are now water skis and he flies over Pea's head to win the race.
This is a fast-paced, rollicking read that will have kids of all ages smiling and giggling with joy. A celebration of friendship and a reminder of the fun of friendly competition. Themes: Friendship, Swimming, Rhyming story.
Nicole Nelson