Pan Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781509876945.
(Age: Adult - late adolescent) Stunning in its impact, this is one
of the most disturbing books that I have read. It takes us into a
world of familial abuse that is shattering for the family members
and devastating in terms of their capacity to face life. Attempting
to live 'normal' lives, when a young person has experienced daily
bullying, beating, punishment and violence, mostly by the father, is
a tremendously difficult task. Even more difficult is to experience
such a life when the abuser and bully is a parent. We are positioned
to grasp the horror for the children as their father's actions and
words cut like a knife, crumbling any sense of loving family that
they may have managed to hold on to. The creation of a hell-on-earth
for children cannot possibly enable them to mature normally, nor
does it allow them to be 'normal' adults, and this is indeed the
scenario for a particular family in this novel.
When the father goes too far in his criticism, supported by the
mother, in a particularly dreadful episode of his violence, the
daughters are banished to the cold, dark shed for the night. Along
with his disgusting and shocking accusations, one sister finds that
she can no longer bear any more of his violence, and she kills both
the mother and father, stabbing them with a pair of scissors. In a
magnificent gesture that will haunt her life, the other sister
confesses to the murder and at that point the lives of both sisters
collapse. Years later, a television producer seeks to revive this
story and, having traced the sisters, the team move in on the story,
compelling a reaction. When we read about what their father did and
how the girls were treated, the only word for our response could be
absolute horror.
Well-written and gripping, this story emotionally draws us in to the
psyche of the sisters and the woman who befriends the innocent
sister, in an interesting reflection of the anger and violence that
is indeed part of the modern world, not only in the terrible actions
of the father, but also in the notion of a 'story' that is
discovered and used to make a 'winner' for the news media out of the
dreadful experience of others. This novel is disturbing, as Fiona
Cummins has constructed the narrative so that it reveals the reality
that some people experience. It is a gripping tale, mixing the years
across the connecting narratives, gradually including some of the
more horrendous experiences and actions, threaded throughout the
narrative. This brilliantly written novel would not be appropriate
for a younger child or early adolescent; indeed, I would recommend
it only for an adult or late adolescent reader.
Elizabeth Bondar
Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
Simon & Schuster UK, 2020. ISBN: 9781471192852.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended for older readers, this coming of age
contemporary romance is a delight to read. With strained family
relationships, potential first love and new friendships, Loveboat,
Taipei is a great read. Everett, Ever, Wong is living with a
hidden dream. She dreams of dancing, not going into medicine as her
parents plan for her future. It's her final year of school and she's
got one last dance performance at the end of term, but her parents
shock her with the news that they've enrolled her in an educational
camp in their home country of Taiwan. Lacking the courage to fight
her strict parents on their decision, Ever is off to Taiwan for
Chinese Summer School, fearing the worst. She is pleasantly
surprised to find it more of a party than a prison - called
'Loveboat' by the students. She learns to embrace her new found
freedom, but will she find herself and her voice?
The story of an American born child of immigrant parents is not
necessarily new, however this book deals with the complexities of
relationships that children in this situation find themselves living
with - parents who sacrifice everything for their children to have a
better life, friends from different cultural backgrounds who can't
understand the mentality that family expectations are everything,
and the people who always have your back, no matter what. As Ever
grows more daring through the book, finding her courage, I found
myself expecting her to have the most amazing summer with her new
friends, and found myself caring for her - despite her occasional
bad choices . . . Fans of romance and coming of age stories will
enjoy this book, as will readers who enjoy stories with cultural
settings.
Themes: Coming of age, Parent/child relationships, Culture, Romantic
relationships
Melanie Phillips
What do you call your grandpa? by Ashleigh Barton
Illus. by Martina Heiduczek. Harper Collins, 2020. ISBN:
9780733340864.
(Ages: 3-7) Recommended. With this debut book, Ashleigh Barton
provides a heartwarming depiction of child-grandfather relationships
around the world. 'In every country around the world are grandpas
short and tall. Though they go by different names, we love them one
and all.' Each page shows a grandpa and his grandchild somewhere
around the world and a short verse about them: 'Here's the world's
most dapper chap, in his vest and driving cap. Every week he's at
the barber. Levi calls his grandpa Saba'. At the end of the story is
a page explaining which language each name is from and countries
where it might be spoken. Each page shows the special relationship
between a grandfather and his grandchildren by depicting activities
they might do together: bike riding, playing hide and seek,
storytelling and telling jokes.
The inclusion of an Indigenous Australian language name and the fact
that each name is not tied to a place or country shows how well
thought out and inclusive this book is. While each
illustration hints at a place or country, it doesn't specify and
most could be anywhere in the world. There are children in countries
all around the world using these name words for their grandparents,
whether they are in the country where the language is prevalent or
not. 'Across the globe these grandpas roam. Now let's meet one close
to home. Sing it out from where you are. What do you call your
grandpa?'
This is a beautiful and important book for children living in our
culturally diverse country. Themes: Grandfathers, Languages, Rhyming
story.
Nicole Nelson
Blood moon by Lucy Cuthew
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406393446.
(Age: Yr 9 +) Recommended. This is not for the faint hearted, but is
well worth the read. Frankie and her friends are going about their
days, planning their futures, talking about their crushes, flirting
with boys and enjoying life. Until besties Frankie and Harriet have
a falling out over Harriet's poor decision making skills, leading to
issues at school, in the wider school community and their circle of
friends. Then Frankie has a very intimate moment with Benjamin, her
first of any intimate moments, and she gets her period. Awkward. But
both Frankie and Benjamin agree it's all good. Only blood. Whatever.
Until the entire school finds out. And a horrid meme featuring
Frankie goes viral. Frankie finds herself lost, alone and enduring
online shaming to a volatile level. Who can she trust? What can she
do? Is she disgusting, like everyone is saying?
My reaction to this book? Wow. Lives up to the hype. I really felt
for Frankie, the ups and downs of her experiences, her changing
friendships, her confusion over her romantic interest and the abyss
of online bullying. I flew through the book in under a day, partly
due to the unusual structure (the book is presented in an almost
'text message' format), though I flew through it mostly due to the
gripping story. It is full of current pop culture references as well
as issues in society - particularly around girls. A focus on
astronomy throughout the book as a passion for Frankie and Harriet
is well laid out and fits in to the story perfectly. Hashtags are
incorporated throughout the story to emphasize thoughts and
feelings, while the chapters are extremely short. I've not read a
book like it. It is a powerful story, which should be read by all
genders, more suited to older readers. I give it four out of five
stars. Book
Club notes are available. Themes: Relationships, Periods,
Bullying/Trolls, Shame, Feminism, Bravery.
Melanie Phillips
Big city atlas by Maggie Li
Pavilion, 2020. ISBN: 9781843654599. 64pp., pbk.
During this pandemic the world seems to have shrunk as nightly news
bulletins bring the tales of heartache from the world's major cities
into our lounge rooms. Even though we can no longer visit the cities
that are becoming household names even to our younger readers, we
can join Penguin on this adventure as he journeys around the world
getting involved in the activities they have to offer.
Cities visited include San Francisco, Mexico City, Chicago, Toronto,
New York, Washington DC, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Dublin,
London, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Rome, Madrid, Cairo,
Istanbul, Cape Town, Dubai, Mumbai, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong
Kong, Singapore, Sydney and Auckland and the reader is invited to
spot Penguin on the pages. With the information provided in speech
bubble chunks, this is an engaging book that will interest and
intrigue all budding young jetsetters - who may actually be able to
travel by the time they grow up!
Barbara Braxton
There's a zoo in my poo by Felice Jacka
Illus. by Rob Craw. Pan Macmillan Australia, 2020. ISBN:
9781760783044.
(Age: 5-12) Recommended. Professor Felice Jacka is a world expert in
the field of Nutritional Psychiatry and gut health and this book
will satisfy all those poo-obsessed and curious children wanting to
know more about the amazing stuff going on in their bodies. A snappy
rhyme at the start of the book introduces readers to the idea that
your poo is a zoo and the zoo keeper is you. Bright, funny
illustrations of microscopic bugs help to guide readers through the
sometimes complex and in-depth content, not all of which will be
accessible or understandable for the youngest of the target
audience. Separated into chapters, it looks at the bugs that live in
our body, the role of bugs in our digestive system and their
importance for our overall health, the importance of exposure to
dirt and germs and what we should and shouldn't feed our zoo. There
are also some easy recipes included at the back of the book that
utilise gut-friendly, high-fibre ingredients such as lentils,
legumes and wholegrains.
This is a super important book not just for children but also for
parents who are trying to improve the gut health of their children.
It makes it so much easier to get children on board with eating
nutritious food when they understand the reasons for doing so and
this book provides child-friendly and engaging content to enable
this. This book will spur lively conversations around the dinner
table around whether we are feeding our bugs the right sorts of
foods and give children the language and scientific knowledge to
explain why some foods are good for us and some are not. Some older
kids will love reading this from start to finish but other parents
may like to read parts of the book with their children separately to
help them understand their digestive system and to encourage healthy
eating choices.
This is a recommended addition to the non-fiction section of every
school library. Themes: Digestive Health, Microbiota.
Nicole Nelson
Monty's Island: Beady Bold and the Yum-Yams by Emily Rodda
Illus. by Lucinda Gifford. Allen and Unwin, 2020. ISBN:
9781760529864.
(Age: 6-9) Highly recommended. This is the second book in the Monty's
Island series. Monty lives on a desert island with his friends
and companions who are clearly introduced visually, early in the
book. They are full of excitement as trading day has arrived and
they eagerly anticipate the arrival of Jolly's Bring and Buy ship.
Each quirky character has special items to trade and they set off
for the long walk to the only safe landing place on the island.
Along the way they hear the ship's horn and are surprised at how
early it is. However it is not Jolly's ship but Bold's Better Bring
and Buy ship. From the very start of the trading process something
does not seem to be right and Monty and his friends are apprehensive
about the trade transactions taking place. After the Islanders are
given Yum-Yams, chaos descends, and it is up to Monty and his
friends to solve the problem or they may be an environmental
catastrophe on Monty's and the neighbouring islands.
Emily Rodda has written an entertaining and exciting story. She has
a sound understanding of what young children enjoy and what they
will be entertained by. The clever illustrations by Lucinda Gifford
complement the text perfectly and will keep the young reader engaged
to the end. This series would be an excellent read-aloud for
classroom teachers or parents reading to children at home as the
chapters are short and full of meaningful interaction. The third
book, Monty's Island: Elvis Eager and the Golden Egg, will
be released in January 2021. Themes: Desert Island, Friendship,
Fantasy, Animals, Trading, Adventure, Excitement.
Kathryn Beilby
The sloth and the dinglewot by Nicole Prust
Illus. by Amanda Enright. New Frontier Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9781925594966.
(Ages: 3-7) Recommended. Rich, vibrant illustrations by Amanda
Enright complement this slow, rhythmic story about a brave sloth who
dares to go adventuring. The sloths are reminiscent of the sloth in
Margaret Wild's The
sloth who came to staybut the setting in this book is
vastly different to the sparse suburbia portrayed there. The jungle
scenes in the book are layered and textural, filled with plants,
flowers and animals. The night scenes are especially beautiful, as
elements seem to glow and the bright colours really pop off the
page. The illustrations are similar in style to Leonard
doesn't dance(illustrated by Judy Watson) and the
story carries similar themes to Once
upon a small rhinoceros by Meg McKinlay. The slow pace
of the longish text sits well with the context of this slow sloth
story, also allowing time to take in the magical illustrations on
each page.
It's sunrise in the jungle and the sloths are still snuggling
happily in their beds ('Some grumbled and groaned in their little
brown hut, Some peeked at the sun and then closed their eyes shut').
But Samuel the sloth has had enough rest; he's ready for something
more. 'He yearned for adventure, he yearned to explore, The sloths
found him strange because he wanted more'. Venturing to the top of
the tree, Samuel meets a strange bird: 'I'm the Dinglewot Jinglewot
Dingledum Dee, If you want an adventure then please come with me!'
Samuel is a little worried at first but with a little encouragement
from the Dinglewot and some bravery he decides to give it a shot.
And so begins his adventure, flying through the air, dancing with
baboons, listening to the bat brass band and eating pineapple
fritters in dinglewot world.
This is a sweet and fun story about venturing outside of your
comfort zone and the rewards that can come from being brave enough
to try something new: more adventures, great friendships and
happiness. Teacher's
notes are available. Themes: Adventure, Bravery, Rhyming
story.
Nicole Nelson
The Phantasmic Detective Agency by Julian Leatherdale
Illus. by David Allen. Eagle Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780648194538. pbk.,
283 pp.
(Age: 10+) A gripping, historical fantasy story set in London, 1911,
Christmas Eve. Lily and Leo Keeper are children of the famous stage
magician Edmund Keeler. Their lives are in danger and torn apart
when their parents disappear while performing a new magic trick on
stage. Along comes their eccentric Uncle Alfred who is a brilliant
and notorious Sherlock Holmes-like paranormal detective.
Lily and Leo are led on an adventure to find their missing parents
and along the way they find secrets their parents have kept from
them. They are in a fast changing era of our history of giant
warships, aeroplanes with bombs, spies and assassins and the fear of
war with Germany.
While reading I found the story similar to reading Miss
Peregrine's Peculiar Children series. It was full of secrets,
espionage and monstrous creatures that threaten to destroy the
Keeler family.
I enjoyed the reading the historical events and places they visited
especially the Catacombs in Paris. I could picture them there as I
have visited them and many other places that were mentioned.
I managed to find teacher's
notes based on the book and think they would be a great
history lesson with the students. Just imagine how you could use
this novel in your class
This is Julian Leatherdale's first children's novel. He has written
adult novel. I enjoyed reading The Phantasmic Detective Agency
and can't wait to see what will happen on Lily and Leo's next
adventure.
Maria Komninos
Her Perilous Mansion by Sean Williams
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760877361. pbk., 336 pp.
(Age: Middle school+) Sean Williams brings us his new stand-alone
middle grade fantasy novel. Her Perilous Mansion is a wonderfully written story about two
children that find themselves working in some strange mansion miles
from anywhere. Almanac is an orphan boy and Elta is the youngest of
12 daughters. They both have been invited to the mansion and work
side by side in the largely deserted rooms. They never meet the
inhabitants of the mansion but do talk to them through the walls,
doors and chimneys. They soon realise that this is not an ordinary
mansion and they are trapped there and quickly realise they have to
solve a puzzle to leave.
I enjoyed reading this fun filled story of mystery, magic and
fantasy. I wanted to learn more about the characters and their
background that were living within the mansion and how they got
there and why could they not show themselves.
I liked the way Sean has set the novel which kept you reading and
solving the pieces of the puzzle to break the spell upon the
mansion. He does know how to keep a reader reading.
Middle grade who enjoy fantasy with adventure will enjoy reading Her
Perilous Mansion while trying to uncover the secrets the
mansion holds.
Maria Komninos
A dance with Fate by Juliet Marillier
Warrior Bards book 2. Macmillan Australia, 2020. ISBN:
9781760784225.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Following the Aurealis Award
shortlisted novel, The
harp of kings, once again the reader will be drawn into
an ancient Celtic world, where Liobhan and Dau are determined to win
a place on Swan Island's elite force. In their final bout, Dau
accidentally knocks his head and loses his sight. Not knowing the
awful treatment that Dau had received at the hands of his family,
the leaders of Swan Island contact Oakhill. His family blame Liobhan
for the accident and she agrees to go back with him and spend a year
as a bond servant, but things are difficult there. Both Dau
and Liobhan are treated badly and dark secrets abound. Meanwhile
Brocc is trying to fit in the Otherworld with Eirne, fighting the
Crow Folk and struggling to understand why they behave as they do.
The story is told in the voices of Liobhan, Dau and Brocc, each
chapter giving their points of view of what is happening. Oakhill is
a dangerous place for both Dau and Liobhan. Seanan, Dau's older
brother, has virtually taken over running the estate, as their
father is ill, and the servants must tread very warily, obeying his
often-cruel commands. Memories of the awful treatment that Dau and
his dog received at the hands of his brothers plague him and he
struggles with despair, but Liobhan is resolute and caring,
determined to help him behave like the Swan Island fighter that he
has been trained to be even though he is blind. The steps that bring
them to an understanding of what is happening at Oakhill and the
resolution that brings Liobhan, Dau and Brocc back together is
exciting and satisfying, and will leave the reader wishing that the
next instalment in the series was available to read immediately.
Themes of abuse, both human and animal, torture, redemption,
misunderstanding between husband and wife and the growing
relationship between Liobhan and Dau are key elements of A dance
with fate. Readers will enjoy reading how Dau and Liobhan both
grow in strength and maturity, and how Brocc's compassionate and
inquiring nature may lead to identifying why the Crow folk act as
they do.
This series is beautifully written and sure to please any fan of
fantasy.
Pat Pledger
Edie's Experiments: How to be the best by Charlotte Barkla
Illus. by Sandy Flett. Penguin Random House Australia, 2020. ISBN:
9781760891763.
(Ages 8-12). Highly recommended. Being the new kid in a primary
school is never easy and for Edie, who lives and breathes Science in
her daily life, it can be a bit of a struggle to make others see the
importance of her endless Science experiments and Environmental
tests. This is the second book in this series which began with the
book Edie's
experiments: How to make friends .
Edie has settled into her class with her best friend Annie B, so
when their teacher announces a science competition Edie is sure she
and Annie can win it. However, a former student, Dean Starlight, who
has spent the last year at a special Science school, returns. He is
very popular with all the other students who all look up to him. He
is an impressive student who always seems to have the right answers
in the teacher's eyes and is extremely capable in class. However,
when Edie tries to make friends with this apparent science soul
buddy, he becomes quite sneaky and nasty, causing havoc with Edie
and Annie's project with some very awful pranks.
Friendship and teamwork are important themes throughout this book
and finding out the reasons behind Dean's behavior towards Edie
forms an integral part of this story. Most of Edie's Science
experiments involve an Environmental theme. Her family endures cold
showers in her attempt to force them into saving water by having
shorter showers as a homework project. Edie is all about doing small
things to make an improvement to our environment and this is a
lesson we can all take out of books such as these. She makes science
look fun and cool for everyone.
I think these books could provide the kids who really like science
an opportunity to engage with like-minded characters and follow
their interests. Themes: Science, Experiments, Science competitions.
Gabrielle Anderson
Peppa Pig: I Love You, Daddy Pig
Peppa Pig. Ladybird, 2019. ISBN: 9780241371572. 32pp.
(Ages: 2 - 6) Recommended for lovers of Peppa Pig. Fans of
the TV series are in for a treat as Peppa and George have lots of
fun with Daddy Pig. Daddy Pig makes everything into an exciting
adventure for the young pigs. When they go to the supermarket, he
rolls the tins down his arm and into the trolley and fills it right
up to the top. Lunch with Granny and Grandpa Pig turns into a Pirate
lunch and Miss Rabbit takes them off in her helicopter to Daddy's
work. There they sit in a big truck pouring concrete all over the
playground and then they go off to the fair and fill in holes. What
a fun day for everyone.
This is a lovely book to read aloud. Not many daddies could fly
their children to work in a helicopter! Children will enjoy
discussing what jobs their fathers do and contrasting them with the
day out that Peppa and George had with their daddy.
As always with the Peppa Pig books, the bright colours and
beautiful expressions on the faces of the pigs will keep readers
involved, and toddlers will love the blue sparkly cover. Emerging
readers will be happy to try and read about the familiar characters
in the book, and the text, supported by the drawings, will aid their
endeavours.
Full of enjoyment and illustrations of love, this will be a perfect
book to read aloud on Father's Day.
Pat Pledger
Baby touch. Hello, Daddy!: a touch-and-feel playbook illus. by Lemon Ribbon Studio
Ladybird Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780241422328.
(Age: 0-3) New fathers will love reading this Baby Touch
book to their little child. And any baby will love the
touch-and-feel aspects of the books, feeling the soft nose of the
horse, the black stripes on the tiger, the soft white fur of the dog
and textured pink material of daddy elephant. The bright colours are
very attractive and will hold the baby's attention, their simple
shapes and design engaging.
A lot of fun can be had when reading the book, with the adult making
the appropriate noise that goes with each baby animal and its daddy.
There will be lots of neighing with daddy horse, roaring with daddy
tiger, woofing with daddy dog, and tooting with daddy elephant. But
the page that the baby will most love is the last page with its
wonderful mirror with the words, Baby, look. Here you are!
Others in the series are Baby
touch: Opposites and my little grandson's
favourite, Baby
touch: Night-night.
Pat Pledger
The Paris secret by Natasha Lester
Hachette Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9780733641886. pbk., 450pp.
(Age: Secondary) Historical fiction at its best that will set you
flying high above the clouds. Australian author, Natasha Lester
brings us her new novel about three women who are bound forever by
war. Lester's blending from fact to fiction is perfect in The
Paris secret. I can just imagine how much research she did to
make it this story feel real, making me feel as if I am there in the
story. The Paris secret is set in the 1930s, 1940s and present day
Australia. It's a story about fashion, aviation, spies, romance,
lost love, friendship that lasts a lifetime and war. We follow the
story of Kat Jordan discovering secrets her grandma has kept for the
last 65 years. We discover her role during the war and about the
lengths people go to protect one another. Skye Penrose and her
sister Liberty have an amazing story alongside Skye's soulmate
Nicholas Crawford who is engaged to Margaux Jourdan.
Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres especially about
women and how they survive in a man's world. I loved reading about
the struggles of women pilots in the war, as men then didn't believe
women had the intelligence and strength to fly planes. Well this
story shows us otherwise and the role that some females played. We
learn a bit about the Air Transport Auxiliary and how women were
treated in concentration camps. I am not a fashion person but learnt
quite a bit about fashion designer Christian Dior and his sister
Catherine. I would really love to see the blue dress.
As an educational book, I think this is a great read for readers to
learn about the struggles of single mums and female pilots and
female spies with their struggles and what they achieved during the
war.
Maria Komninos
