Hodder Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781444951653.
(Age: 6-9 years). Molly Mills is a nine year old girl who loves
pencil toppers and pencil cases but finds school a challenge. She
and her best friend, Chloe, do not like their teacher Mr Stilton and
Molly seems to put him offside throughout the school day. Tasked
with planning a pirate story Molly just does not know where to
begin. She is given a very old dictionary to help with her spelling
and after dropping the dictionary Molly finds a paper drawing of a
witch. Molly decides to cut the witch out and place it in her pencil
pot. This is the beginning of the magical Veronica Noates aka Notes,
a scribble witch. She knows that Molly is sad about her pirate draft
but that is minor in comparison to the bombshell that Chloe drops on
Molly. Chloe is leaving to go to a school closer to her house and
has one more day left at Dungfields School.
Molly spends the rest of the day in shock and cannot even talk to
Chloe. Chloe is hurt so spends time with Emily who Molly does not
like. Meanwhile Notes is getting Molly into more trouble with her
teacher by writing notes that are meant to help but do not.
Eventually Chloe is let into the secret of Notes and the two girls
spend the rest of the day watching Notes and her magic. Chloe's
final day with Molly is one of fun and togetherness with Notes and
Molly wishes Chloe could stay but it is not to be. However after
disappearing for most of the day, Notes has come up with a clever
way for the two girls to keep in touch.
Throughout the story are pencil drawings and handwritten notes and
words by Inky Willis. The change of font and emphasis placed on
special words creates a fun and entertaining read for younger
students. The notes and scribbles written by Notes are written in a
childlike and at times, confusing way and may need an adult to
explain the meaning initially to the reader. A second book in this
series, Scribble Witch: Magic Muddles is due out soon.
Themes: Best Friends, Leaving School, Friendship, Magic, Witch,
Pencil Toppers, School Life.
Kathryn Beilby
A perfect little monster by Penny Morrison
Illus. by Simon Howe. Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781742999944. 24pp.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. When Iris and her twin brother Fang go to
school, mad things may happen. The children are monsters. Mum has to
cover Iris' third eye and tuck in Fang's tail to make them look more
like the other children, but Iris knows that her brother's behaviour
will be embarrassing, because when he arrives he makes eye contact
with the children, smiling and saying hello as they walk through the
gate. During story time Iris rips into the books while the teacher
reads a story, but he says thank you when handed an instrument
during the music lesson, shares his toys with the others, plays on
the playground equipment without damaging it, and doing craft
leaving the pencils and paints as he found them. Iris is aghast,
this is not what a monster should do, and readers will laugh out
loud at the mayhem she causes as the story progresses, the hilarious
illustrations showing the world of difference between good and bad
behaviour, showing Iris and Fang to be complete opposites. Iris is a
whirlwind of bad behaviour, reflecting some of the behaviour
children will be exposed to when they reach school, but also showing
children that this behaviour while totally unacceptable, will leave
the person without friends.
A very funny look at expectations when children arrive at school,
the story also quietly exposes new arrivals to the range of lessons
and play they will have. Through Iris' bad behaviour, they will
learn the sort of behaviour that is acceptable, not only to the
teacher, but also their peers.
I love Mum's appearance almost out of sight, and the looks on the
other students' faces are worth watching out for. This is a
wonderful read aloud, encouraging children to join in as it is read,
miming Iris' bad behaviour, realising that Fang is the better
student. Themes: Monsters, Behaviour, School, First day at school,
Twins.
Fran Knight
Anzac girl: the war diaries of Alice Ross-King by Kate Simpson and Jess Racklyeft
Allen and Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760637019. 32pp.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Interspersed with telling and
informative illustrations the diary entries of Alice Ross-King give
a gruelling account of what she saw and suffered during World War
One in France. Leaving from Melbourne in 1914, the young patriotic
Alice was first stationed in a hospital in Cairo where she attended
the many wounded and dying from Gallipoli. She was shocked, as were
all the staff at the numbers and severity of their wounds. She was
transferred along with the hospital to France early in 1916. Here
many thousands of Australian troops were wounded at the Battle of
Fromelles, her fiancee Harry one of the dead. She found it hard to
carry on with this overwhelming news, but did so, eventually being
transferred to a clearing station near the front. Here she spent a
frightful night sheltering in a bomb crater after checking that her
patients were all okay.
At Rouen many were convinced that the Germans were breaking through,
and Alice's diary reflects her sombre thoughts and saddened state.
But suddenly Armistice was signed: everyone was able to go home over
the next few months.
This involving story, revealing the depths of despair and jubilation
that Alice felt as she plied her trade amongst the worst
battlefields of Europe will be easily read by the youngest of
readers as well as bringing understanding about war and its
brutality to older readers. The pages bristle with history, from the
postcards and drawings of the men and the battles they fought, to
the photographs and maps, letters and newspaper accounts. Between
these illustrations are excerpts form Alice's dairies, bold, clear
and unflinching. They allow us to view her life, one lived in the
most straightened of circumstances beyond our experience but her
words give us a glimpse of the world at the time and the sacrifices
people made, many without question.
The almost naive illustrations by Rackyleft are amazing:
unsentimental, unambiguous and revelatory. They enhance the text as
it shuffles between the author's writing and the diaries of her
great grandmother, the use of sombre colours making a clear
statement about the situation Alice and her peers are in. Themes:
Australian history, World War One, Nursing, Fromelles.
Fran Knight
Atticus Van Tasticus: The Map of Half Maps by Andrew Daddo
Illus. by Stephen Michael King. Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN:
9781760892913.
(Age:7-11) Recommended. Silliness, pirates, and eccentricity combine
in a rollicking tale of treasure maps divided into pieces that need
to be reconnected. Atticus is the ship's captain, and his rag-tag
crew get on well despite, and because of, their individual
capacities for strange behaviours. When they are at risk of attack
from another pirate ship - the Pegasis, and then from a marauding
Viking ship (with an Abba-esque singing captain), they must escape .
. . and do it quickly. A chance encounter with a raft containing
another eccentric, but nearly dead character named Half Map, gives
them hope of finding the missing piece from their treasure map.
Before they know it, they are back under attack and must go all out
to save their own ship.
Daddo has created a book of piratical lunacy with some rather sweet
moments, and some typically boy-friendly yukky moments, in
combination with quirky humour to entertain younger readers. There
are some hidden quirks, for example the Abba references and jokes
related to Abba songs; some naive poetry; the 'resurrection' of Half
Map a number of times; and the somewhat incorrect map in four
halves! Stephen Michael King's distinctive illustrations and
inserted pieces of visual comedy add to the sense of fun in this
book. This is a book just for the fun of it! Young readers will love
the pirate attacks, swinging from ship to ship and the knowledge of
conflict at close quarters (but sensibly there is very little
violence described in any detail).
Recommended, not as literature, but for amusement . . . for readers
aged 7-11. Themes: Humorous fiction; Pirates.
Carolyn Hull
Little Bilby's Aussie Easter egg hunt by Yvonne Mes
Illus. by Jody Michelle Pratt. Lothian, 2020. ISBN: 9780734419910.
16pp.
(Age: Pre-school) A group of bilbies is on an Easter egg hunt. They
trundle through bushland and areas of scrub, finding other
Australian animals and their eggs, begging the readers to identify
what they see.
In rhyme, this solid board book encourages young children to think
about the rhyming word, to watch out for rhythm and repetition. The
words in bold will encourage the audience to call out the noises
made by each animals, and to note the words in bold, teaching
children the difference between high and low, near and far.
The book shows the animals in their natural habitat, offering a
level of discussion after the book is read aloud.
This colourfully illustrated picture book showcases the diversity of
Australia's egg-laying animals. Each page opens to reveal an egg in
its natural environment asking the reader 'Whose egg could this be?'
One that the audience will love to answer. Themes: Board book, Read
aloud, Bilbies, Eggs, Easter.
Fran Knight
Beyond reasonable doubt by Gary Bell QC and Scott Kershaw
Elliot Rook, QC book 1. Raven Books, 2019. ISBN:
9781526606136. 352pp.
(Age: senior secondary/adult) I have three crime fiction books on
the go, but once I picked this up, they were all set aside. Elliot
Rook, fifty or so years old, a QC in a prestigious London practice,
a successful old Etonian, is approached by a solicitor who tells him
that his client has asked only for him. Billy Barber is an
acquaintance from Rook's days in the Midlands, a product of the
disgruntled ex coal mining towns in the shadow of Thatcher's
Britain, a criminal who blames immigration for Britain's woes. Rook
would prefer to forget all his dealings with this man, the brother
of his closest friend through school and early adulthood, but Barber
knows things about his past and he is forced to represent this
racist thug when he is accused of murder. But he will not answer any
questions from the police or Rook which forces Rook to make his own
inquiries. The Girl was found naked, badly beaten and strangled
along a disused railway track, and Barber's phone records tell the
police he was nearby. His racist threats, known to all via media
posts and action groups outside the mosque, make him a prime
suspect.
At a loss to defend his client, Rook and his new junior, Zara
Barnes, travel to Cotgrave in Nottinghamshire to trawl through some
of his past. Here Zara is reminded of why she wanted to get out of
the place, and Rook follows leads into Barber's life which get him
almost killed.
A non stop breath taking journey sees all the work done by Rook and
Barnes coming together at the Old Bailey, Court Number One, Zara's
first case. Here the routines of the courtroom are explained as the
case proceeds, making the reader fully aware of just how the system
works without being overwhelmed with information. Bell makes it all
so readable, so I was thrilled to see that this is the first in a
series about the wonderful Elliot Rook a man whose past has
implications everyday, making his decision making all that more
complex. Themes: Crime fiction, Law courts, Trial, Racism,
Prostitution, Trafficking.
Fran Knight
Never forget by Clare Hallifax and Simon O'Carrigan
Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781743835050. 32pp.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. A unique look at World War 1, the
illustrations in this book won't be forgotten easily by any reader.
Dark brown colours and black outlines bring to life the story of the
hardships and horror that the soldiers faced during wartime. The
reader is taken through scenes of trench warfare, of wounded
soldiers and the nurses who cared for them, of death and longing for
the familiar blue skies of home.
It is not until the reader comes to the end of the book and reads
the Illustrator's note by Simon O'Carrigan that it is realised that
the illustrations were inspired by actual drawings and photographs
by soldiers and war artists depicting what was happening around
them. There are two pages of artwork reference material
acknowledgements at the back of the book, and reading through them I
was astonished at the depth of research that had gone into the book.
References range from the works of well-known artists like Arthur
Streeton to those of Elias Silas, a soldier. This realisation that
the illustrations were based on the work of people who were on the
battlefields makes it all the more poignant and the words below are
a strong call for peace: When you're lifting the fallen
amidst grieving goodbyes
it's home skies that beckon
as we ask ourselves why
those who urge us to fight
are not by our side.
Never forget.
As the section above reveals, the narrative is very powerful and
could be read aloud slowly and carefully to help people realise the
horror of war. The refrain 'Never forget' is repeated throughout and
adds to intensity of the message about war.
There are many books about the Anzac tradition but this one stands
out as original and heart-breaking. It is an important addition to
any library collection. Themes: World War 1, War in art, Anzac Day
Pat Pledger
The League of Llamas: The Golden Llama by Aleesah Darlison
Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760894160. 118pp.
(Age: Year 3-6) How many gags can you make about llamas in a James
Bond style llama spy adventure? Lots!
Phillipe Llamar LOL (League of Llamas Agent 0011) uses SPIT (Space
Precision Initial Test) technology to try to thwart the enemy
badgers, in particular General Bottomburp.
He is aided by fellow agent Lloyd Llamanator and meets a mysterious
lady llama dressed in a red gown (llama in red).
No prob-llama! Except Lloyd is obsessed with eating and Phillipe
loves to constantly look at his beautiful fringe.
Phillipe's assignment is to retrieve the prestigious 'Golden Llama'
statue taken by General Bottomburp and he must use all of his highly
skilled techniques and equipment, while driving around in his
llamaborghini.
This is a fun, humorous 118 page novel about secret llama agents and
their exploits. The text is interspersed with drawings and these
stories will appeal to students in years 3-6. The League of Llama series has a second title in print Llama
possible and 2 more novels are coming soon, Undercover
Llamas and Rogue Llama.
Darlison's previous books include picture fiction Little
meerkat and Emerald, the green turtle's tale and
novels, Running
from the tiger and Ash
Rover: Keeper of the Phoenix.
This would be a fun addition to any school library.
A short book
trailer is available.
Jane Moore
Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
Picador, 2020. ISBN: 9781529014273. 329pp.
(Age: Adult - Adolescent) This is an interesting novel told through
more than one voice, and from a differing focus, as Alexis Schaitkin
takes us through many years of wondering why and how a young woman
on a Caribbean island may have died many years ago. The voices are
different, and we realise that each is telling what is known to
them, or just what they will reveal, some wondering, puzzled and
still, many years later, very interested in just what happened to
Alison.
There were many who believed that she was murdered, but the police
could not arrest anyone, having insufficient evidence as to the
truth of the stories that they were told by those who may have been
involved in her death. Was it an accident or was she deliberately
killed and, if so, why? We are left to ponder this question
throughout our reading of the novel and we learn much about her
family, friends, and acquaintances as the stories are told, some in
the first person and others in the third person. The language is
lyrical at times and clearly descriptive of the place and time,
Schaitkin drawing us into the narrative and holding our attention.
This is a novel that is appropriate for both adult and adolescent
readers, its language richly descriptive, its narrative both complex
and enigmatic, its focus both challenging and absorbing.
Elizabeth Bondar
Only mostly devastated by Sophie Gonzales
Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9781444956481.
This is a powerful story of adolescence with its joy and its pressures, its highs and its lows. Sophie Gonzales draws us into the lives of the characters, evoking our empathy for them in their adolescence, their journey through school and their hopes for the future. Gonzales presents the world from the point of view of an adolescent whose feelings are complex and whose choices are determined by his recognition of who he is, and his definition as homosexual, presented in an utterly captivating, evocative and candid narrative.
Portraying so vividly the joys and the disappointments of the lives of teenagers, Gonzales paints a vivid picture of the interactions of adolescents, with other adolescents, their teachers and the adults who are part of their lives, particularly with their parents. Her focus is on their questioning of the values that they discover, both good and not so good, describing, vividly, their fear of failure, in school, relationships and life. Yet she tempers this more serious aspect of adolescence with the excitement that lies at the heart of this time of change in their lives, based so much in their changing body, point of view and hope for the future. Gonzales focuses on young people's quest to find their path, while maintaining their own identity, evoking our empathy and enabling us to see how we all have to face the necessity of making choices, of listening and observing the world, and choosing to spend time with people who enable us to be true to ourselves.
Choice is at the heart of this novel, seen so vividly in the attraction of the young male protagonist to another male, where Gonzales describes the description of the glow that envelops us when we first realize that we are captivated by some one else. When Ollie falls in love with Will, he is stunned. Through beautifully described reactions, thoughts and interactions, we see how this narrative raises questions about what it is to be human, about how to handle the dawning of alternative sexuality, Gonzales drawing us in with her focus on the right to be different, and ultimately so gently describing the indescribable joy that humans experience when they share the joy of love.
This is a moving and powerful story of the joy and the ache of adolescence, of the fear that one won't be good enough in so many ways, and of the dread of failure, in school, work and mostly deeply felt, in relationships. Deftly drawn, these characters are alive and real, with their emotions so clearly understandable and their lives so beautifully described. Concerning the sexual attraction of the same gender, Gonzales' describes society's responses to same sex interaction, gently and realistically showing how we can accept and be proud of our inborn drives. Themes: Homosexuality, Cancer, Dating.
Elizabeth Bondar
Meet the Planets by Caryl Hart
Illus. by Bethan Woollvin. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781408892985.
32pp.
(Age: 3-6) Highly recommended. Blast off in a rocket to meet all the
planets in the solar system, including Pluto the dwarf planet. In
rhyming couplets, Caryl Hart has provided readers with a fun and
informative book that is very enjoyable and which describes each
planet and its characteristics.
Children will enjoy the rhymes which read aloud very well and they
will have fun joining in and learning about each of the planets.
Starting off with an introduction to the sun (I'm friendly but
don't get too close now / or I'll frizzle you up to a fry!),
the small child accompanied by a dog, zooms around meeting each
planet in turn: speedy Mercury, Venus covered in fierce spitting
volcanoes, Earth and its silver Moon, Mars covered in rust-coloured
dust, Jupiter the biggest of planets, Saturn with its sparkly rings,
freezing Uranus, ice giant Neptune and little dwarf planet Pluto.
Set against a black background, the planets are illustrated with
wide eyes giving each a distinct character and the vivid colours
also match the characteristics of the planets. I loved the
illustration for Mercury, with colours streaming behind its grey and
white face, making it easy to remember that it is the fast planet.
Jupiter, vivid in yellow and orange, hugs its moon Ganymede and is
huge, taking up a whole page. The end papers show the planets
revolving around the sun in order. They are a perfect complement to
the clever text and will really appeal to young children.
This book is a memorable and unique way to introduce children to the
planets and will be enjoyed by all who read it. Themes: Astronomy,
Planets, Rockets, STEM.
Pat Pledger
BumbleBunnies : The Balloon by Graeme Base
BumbleBunnies book 4. Angus and Robertson, 2020. ISBN:
9781460754030. 24pp.
(Age: 2-6) Highly recommended. Young children will be thrilled to
read about the latest adventure of the Bumblebunnies in their yellow
and black striped super hero suits and masks. Wuffle the puppy, Lou
the kitten and Billington the duck are relaxing in the garden after
all of the noise of the birthday party next door when a large pink
balloon floats over the fence. The trio are frightened that it is
going to burst and race off to find a place to hide, but the
Bumblebunnies fly to the rescue.
As always Base's illustrations are exquisite. The suburban backyard
is one that will be recognised with its flower gardens and wooden
fence. The roses, lilies and iris in the backyard are beautifully
detailed while each of the characters has a distinct personality
that the young reader will be able to identify with. I loved the
look of horror on the face of Billington the duck when he can't find
anywhere to hide and then laughed as he stuck his head in the water
in the pond. Of course he couldn't see or hear the others call out
as the Bumblebunnies fly overhead.
The narrative is great to read aloud and the short sentences and
pictures illustrating what is happening on the page would help the
beginning reader work out the words and action. Young readers would
also have fun coming up with ways that the Bumblebunnies could stop
the balloon from bursting. And of course they will love the fact
that they know who the Bumblebunnies are, while Wuffle, Lou and
Billington remain ignorant of their identity.
This is a series that will become a favourite, with each book
reading as a stand-alone. Themes: Problem solving, Super heroes.
Pat Pledger
The Republic of Birds by Jessica Miller
Text, 2020. ISBN: 9781922268044. 304pp.
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. I am a fan of fairy tales and
folklore and was immediately drawn in by this imaginative and
exciting tale of Baba Yaga, magic and maps. Olga is fascinated by
the work of cartographers and loves to research their old maps and
books. She longs to be a map maker but being a girl, this is denied
to her. Nevertheless when her family is banished to the edge of the
kingdom and her sister Mira is kidnapped by the bird army she
decides to go into the Republic of Birds in an attempt to rescue
her. But first she must learn about her magical ability to see into
maps.
As the story progressed I was gripped by the story of the Baba Yaga,
their magical abilities and most of all, the houses that they lived
in and which moved around on chicken legs. Olga is not so thrilled
to find that she is a Baba Yaga, as they are banished in her
country, but she uses the skills she learns to go on an exciting
adventure in search of her sister.
Descriptions of icy terrain, mountains and most of all the birds who
inhabit the Republic of Birds are fascinating and make Olga's
journey even more interesting as she battles difficult terrain and
fierce birds to make her way to Mira, who is imprisoned in a cage
and must dance for the queen of the birds.
Olga has always felt second best in her talented family, especially
as Mira is a wonderful dancer, but her skills as a reader of maps
and cartographer are what help her on her journey to find Mira and
she realises that what she has is unique even if it is not as easily
recognisable as the more overt skills of her family.
Readers will enjoy the richness of the folklore behind the story and
helped by a map at the beginning of the book will be dragged into
the adventures of Olga as she struggles across a difficult
landscape. They may also enjoy Vasilisa
the wise: and other tales of brave young women by Kate
Forsyth. Teaching
notes are available.
Pat Pledger
Mum's elephant by Maureen Jipyilya Nampijinpa O'Keefe
Illus. by Christina Booth. Magabala Books, 2020. ISBN:
9781925936728. pbk., 32 pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. The image of the mother lying with her
back to the reader, clutching her teapot remains with me. It is a
powerful reminder of just how lonely people can be despite what is
going on around them. In her hand she clutches an old aluminium
teapot, shaped in her children's eyes, like an elephant, a remnant
perhaps of days gone by but one she still uses when her friends and
family drop in to share a cup of tea on the rug outside in the sun.
Maureen Jipyilya Nampijinpa O'Keefe, a Kaytetye-Walpriri woman from
the Northern Territory was reminded of her mother after finding a
teapot in a secondhand shop. She wrote this story, brimming with
love and understanding of her mother's life, revealing their lives
on an outstation a long way from any town or city. Here the children
play together, eating damper and jam for breakfast. Mum likes to
clean the teapot, keeping it shiny, and has harsh words to say if
anyone picks it up by the trunk, or takes it from the shelf as a
plaything. Sometimes she sits all alone on her rug, talking to the
elephant, telling it stories, and sometimes she shuns her family.
But when she has visitors, especially the ladies dressed in their
finery, afternoon tea is to be had, with the teapot in pride of
place.
This beautiful story tells of life lived far from many of our
students' lives in urban Australia: it tells of remoteness and how
people live with that remoteness, it reveals the life of a sad
woman, clutching the familiar to her, we see family life, the
strength of the community, the routines of the day. And all is
beautifully illustrated by Christian Booth, a Tasmanian artist with
a feel for the environment which radiates from this book. The sweep
of the orange sandy background, the few trees and sparing amenities
is depicted, while the community's lives are lived on rugs on the
red earth. Here the children play, the adults meet and drink tea and
Mum finds refuge with her elephant. Booth's illustrations of the
Aboriginal community are glorious: happy and poignant, boisterous
and contemplative, revealing past memories and lives lived today.
The sweep of colour draws the eye to all the details she offers,
slyly revealing the teapot a small piece at a time, until it is all
revealed. Themes: Aboriginal themes, Aboriginal life, Outback
Australia, Depression.
Fran Knight
Will the Wonderkid: Treasure hunter of the Australian outback by Stephanie Owen Reeder
Heritage Heroes. NLA Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9780642279521.
132pp.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. In the summer of 1914-1915,
15-year-old Will Hutchison travelled with his father and a small
party of men looking for gold in South Australia, travelling through
some of the most inhospitable land, at the hottest time of the year,
during the worst recorded drought.
We meet Will at the Adelaide Railway Station as he boards the train
to begin his journey to Hergott Springs, now known as Marree.
The true tale of Will's arduous journey has been skilfully told by
Stephanie Owen Reeder, bringing the reader along on the expedition,
experiencing the heat, flies and the desperate search for water.
Will and the men use camels to travel and rarely meet any other
people along the way. It is obvious how perilous their journey is,
and the author compares their expedition to previous explorers,
Leichardt, Sturt, Giles and Burke and Wills, some who perished
crossing the continent.
Although the men did not discover gold, young Will found opals and
discovered what is now Coober Pedy opal fields.
This beautifully crafted book describes Will's adventures through
story, excerpts of information, old photographs, drawings and
paintings.
This is the fifth title in the award winning Heritage Heroes
series.
At the time of writing, the author currently has Trouble
in the surf in the CBCA Notables for 2020.
I highly recommend this book to any school library.
Jane Moore
