Pan Macmillan Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781743535660.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Anna doesn't want anything to stand
in the way of achieving her dream to become a doctor; she sets
herself a strict study schedule, and Nassim her new boyfriend is
understanding and supportive. But the secret Anna carries every day
suddenly explodes when Nassim finally gets to meet her mother,
Cathy, whose fierce alcohol-fuelled reaction to their relationship
seems fired by racism.
Anna goes on the run; she tracks down the family that has always
been hidden from her, her fragile grandmother, Bette, and severe
grandfather, Hessel, living on an isolated run-down property in the
shadow of a ruined Victorian mansion. But the mystery only deepens,
as she gradually becomes aware of other secrets that have been kept
hidden for so long.
Nieman's writing kept me enthralled, and while there are hints along
the way that had me guessing, this is not a predictable story and
the ultimate revelation is shocking. At the same time there is an
authenticity to the characters and relationships - the tension
between Anna and her mother goes very deep and is not something that
is easily resolved. Other tensions of violence and intimidation are
equally well described.
There is also a beautiful portrayal of the kind, caring, and
exuberant Basil, the young Aboriginal boy, son of her mother's
childhood friend Leonie. Growing closer to Leonie and Basil, Anna
has to confront her own prejudices and lack of knowledge of the land
and its original custodians. Learning from Basil, she builds an
appreciation of the natural environment that surrounds her.
This novel draws together themes of alcoholism, abuse, racism, and
violence, but it is not a dark book. It is not oppressive. It
explores the values of friendship, the continuity of life in all
things, and the connectedness of everyone and everything in the
world. The ending is positive but also realistic, all threads are
not completely tied up; Anna still has to find her way, but there
are no more secrets and the circle of people around her are willing
to give it a go. It is as the publisher says a "deeply compelling
coming-of-age YA novel" that both teenagers and adults will enjoy
reading.
Themes: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Alcoholism, Racism, Violence, Teenage
pregnancy.
Helen Eddy
My best friend is a dragon: A lift-the-flap book by Rachael McLean
Penguin Workshop, 2020. ISBN: 9780593093993. board book, 14pp.
(Age: 0-3) Recommended. The bright colours of this sturdy lift-the-
flap book will attract the attention of the young child who will be
fascinated by the green and yellow dragon and the little child who
rides it. What fun to have a dragon for a best friend, a friend who
can help when things need doing. When it is too cold to play in the
snow the dragon can melt a spot and when the child needs to make the
tower tall, the dragon can help stack it high. He can light up a
room, light a fire and unscrew a cookie jar lid - all very useful
things for a best friend to do!
The lift-the-flaps are simple and suitable for very small fingers
and are strongly attached to the page so should withstand some hard
handling.
The illustrations are very cute and on each page are lots of small
details that will be very appealing to little children. There is a
yellow cat with a little beanie on its head, colourful birds fly
across the sky and flowers and little animals abound in the grass,
while fun slippers are under the bed and a robot toy can be seen on
some pages.
Pat Pledger
Peppa's summer holiday
Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780241412251.
(Ages: 3-6) Little Peppa Pig fans will love reading about Peppa's
holiday in the sun, especially when she is surprised by all of her
friends. The story shows Peppa and her family as they prepare for
the holiday: packing, driving to the airport and then checking in
for their flight. Their holiday involves swimming in the hotel pool,
watching turtle hatchlings on the beach and a jungle walk to find
sloths. Everywhere they go Peppa and George discover lots of their
friends are holidaying here too! It isn't long before they are all
having fun and dancing in the pool together. Even when their flight
home is delayed and they are all stuck on the plane they manage to
have a fun time to end their holiday.
This cheerful, bright celebration of family holidays and friends is
a joyous read, sure to be loved by Peppa Pig lovers. Themes: Peppa
Pig, Holidays.
Nicole Nelson
I saw Pete and Pete saw me by Maggie Hutchings
Illus. by Evie Barrow. Affirm, 2020. ISBN: 9781925972825. 32pp.,
hbk.
Often, as adults rushing to be where we aren't yet, we miss the
little things on the way, but not so kids. They see and they notice
because they are so much more in the moment so when the little boy
sees the homeless man begging on the footpath he does not hurry on
like the adults who are either not seeing or choosing not to.
Instead he stops and is rewarded with a chat and a beautiful yellow
bird drawn in chalk on the path. And that chat leads to his mum
seeing Pete and others in the community who had not seen him before
. . .
But one day Pete gets sick and disappears. No one has seen him and
all the little boy wants is a sign that he is OK . . .
This is a charming story, at times confronting, that really
resonated with me because earlier this year a little person at a
school that I have been associated with was just like the boy in the
story. She saw, she thought and she acted, initiating a schoolwide
fundraiser that raised enough money to purchase some sleepwear for
those who were about to endure the coldest of winters on the streets
of the national capital.
Homelessness is a significant issue in this country and sadly our
students are likely to know someone not much older than them who
will not sleep in their own bed tonight. While its causes and
solutions are as diverse as each individual, nevertheless stories
like this (dedicated to the author's great-great-grandmother who was
homeless) can start to build social awareness in the same way we are
actively promoting environmental awareness. While the issue itself
is hard and spiky, this is a gentle story of caring, unselfishness
and hope accompanied by equally engaging illustrations that might
encourage all of us to look and really see, not to avert our eyes if
we don't like the scenery and have the courage of both the little
boy and my little girl to act.
Barbara Braxton
Kookaburra by Claire Saxby
Illus. by Tannya Harricks. Nature Storybooks. Walker Books,
2020. ISBN: 9781760651060.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Part of the dawn chorus in Australia,
the laugh of the kookaburra is most distinctive and Saxby imitates
that sound in her text as it follows the lives of a kookaburra
family, mum (Kookaburra) and dad and their three offspring. They
laugh together on the branch of a tree, watching for signs of food.
When a lizard is spied, dad swoops down to grab it in his amazing
beak, bringing it back to Kookaburra, offering it to her as it is
close to mating season. They search for a nesting position, wary
that it should not be too accessible by other animals. Another group
of kookaburras comes close to their territory, and dad, solicitous
of his family, makes his presence known. They posture at each other
across the river and the interlopers move on. Food is gathered when
a single kookaburra appears. It is nesting time and everyone is
tense, the family swoops at the invader and it flees. The story of
Kookaburra and her family is told in one font, enticing readers
along a path that shows the animals and what happens during a day,
while along the bottom of the pages is a text in a different font,
giving more academic information about the birds. So children will
read of the territories of the kookaburra and the fact that they
often return to the same nesting place from the year before, and
often pair for life.
Each page offers the story of the family over the year, and this is
augmented with a sentence of two of factual information, giving the
reader so much more than a non fiction text or a story book.
I like the Nature Storybooks series, the mixture of fact and
story gives a broader multi-layered feel to the book, and they are
always supported with great illustrations and design.
At the end of this book as with all the others in this fine series,
is a page of information about kookaburras, a page about the author
and illustrator and a brief but adequate index.
I particularly like the opening and closing pages, the first at dawn
with the kookaburra family on a bough outlined against the morning
sky, while the last page shows the end of the day, the sun setting
over the hills, the family welcoming the evening with their raucous
laugh. Teacher's
notes are available.
Themes: Kookaburras, Family.
Fran Knight
The odd 1s out the first sequel by James Rallison
Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781760973377.
Highly recommended. The Odd 1s out: The first sequel is the
second funny book in the Odd 1s out series by James
Rallison. It is a story that has many funny anecdotes about his life
in Arizona and is (in his own words) "full of pointless advice".
Before giving it Master 10 to read, I sat down for a look and really
enjoyed it. James Rallison is a great writer within the humour/comic
genre and as I got through the book, I found myself smiling,
chuckling, and wanting to keep reading! I loved that although it is
a humorous retelling of parts of his life, James adds in interesting
(albeit pointless) information about toads and types of cacti, plus
attempts to make light of things such as fears and dislikes all in
the name of individuality. One of the main takeaways I got was that
he was showing all the wired and wonderful parts of his life, and
how the most important thing is to just be you, to change your mind
if you want to and to be unique. Who would have thought that a
YouTuber would be able to write such a funny book full of life
lessons!
Lauren Fountain
This book was very funny. I loved every part of it and thought it
was funny that he put in a section about Australia and it was upside
down in the book! I agree with him that Vegemite is the key
ingredient in Asphalt-YUK!
I really liked the cartoons, especially how he draws his dog Georgie
and cat Poppy. I like drawing too so used his drawing to practise my
cartoon animals.
I loved this book so much that I now really want to go and read the
first book, watch his YouTube channel and look on his website. It is that good. 5
out of 5 from me.
Aston (10 years old)
Brasswitch and Bot by Gareth Ward
Walker Books, 2020, ISBN: 9781760652210.
(Age: 11+) Recommended. 'Until today, being called a Brasswitch
would have got you killed. Now, it may save your life.' (Back
cover). In this book, the first in a new Steampunk series, set in
the Victorian era, Wrench is forced to choose between outing herself
as a Brasswitch and saving countless lives, or allowing the runaway
tram to crash, killing her and all the passengers. Wrench chooses to
stop the tram using her Brasswitch powers which enable her to
control machines, but is arrested as an aberration. Saved from her
interrogation by the mechanoid, Bot, Wrench becomes the Brasswitch
of the elite 'Cabal Thirteen'. Working with a team of regulators
with Bot her new boss, Wrench must come to understand and control
her powers, while hunting down rouge aberrations. Sadly orphaned by
the cabletram accident that killed her parents, Wrench has spent
years hiding her Brasswitch powers, fearing the regulators. With a
good balance of self doubt and sassiness, Wrench befriends her new
team consisting of other aberrations, combining humour and
compassion.
The first book of a new Steampunk series, The Rise of the
Remarkables, Brasswitch and Bot follows Wrench, the
female protagonist, finding herself, working with a dynamic team and
facing prejudice from all fronts. This action packed story is well
paced, humorous, detailed in a Victorian era setting and ideal for
middle grade readers. I found it just plain clever and I think
you'll 'bally-well' enjoy it!
Themes: Steampunk, prejudice, relationships, good and evil.
Melanie Phillips
Grumbelina by Esther Krogdahl
Illus. by Aleksandra Szmidt. Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9781869714291.
Recommended. I feel like the book Grumbelina, by Esther
Krogdahl was written about my daughter! The similarities are far too
easy to spot . . .
Hazel Spratt grew to be a happy, well mannered child who was a true
joy to her parents. Then one day when she turned three-and-a-half
things took a turn for the worst and she turned into Grumblelina!
The girl who was suddenly grumpy, irritable, whingey, and whiney!
She did not want to play, and everything was just not right. Her
parents exhaust all the strategies they knew to make her happy but,
in the end, they just seem to give up. Suddenly Grumblelina
disappears and back comes their lovely Hazel! She hugs them and
smiles and gets tucked into bed . . . but Grumblelina is not gone
for good yet!
So many parents can identify with their three-year olds' mood swings
and the fact that they just cannot get anything right. Esther
Krogdahl does a great job of sharing this well-known story through
rhyme and with the edition of Aleksandra Szmidt's illustrations it
turns in to a wonderful picture book. The illustrations are my
favourite as they really show the facial expressions of Hazel which
I know so well from my own feisty daughter. I feel a page worth
sharing which sums up the twists and turns of a 3-year-old is this
'She grumbled about that and grumbled about this. She screamed "Go
away!" then demanded a kiss'. The author really captured so much in
these two sentences, and I love every bit of it!!
This is a funny picture book that will entice both young listeners
and parents alike. 4 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain
When I was Ten by Fiona Cummins
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
