Orion Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781409184812. 704 pp.
(Age: Adult) Fans of horror stories and who have the constitution to
read this massive volume of 704 pages will find a different story to
Chbosky's famous The Perks of Being a Wallflower. After Kate
leaves an abusive relationship she hides in the small community of
Mill Grove, where she hopes she and her 7 year old son Christopher
will be safe. Christopher makes friends with a boy named Special Ed.
He and a group of boys spend a lot of time in the Mission Street
Woods where they build a tree house, given instructions by a strange
man that only Christopher can hear. Christopher appears to access a
strange world through this treehouse and disappears for six days,
reappearing with his learning disability gone. Then the town goes
into meltdown.
There is a sense of menace hanging over the narrative that is quite
frightening as Christopher gets headaches and a hissing lady
whispers into people's ears. Fear is the overarching theme of the
book and this pervasive fear may keep some readers reading to the
conclusion, with its overtones of Christianity. Verdict: Horror fans
will enjoy this, but other readers may find the repetition, strange
spelling and length of the story a problem.
Pat Pledger
Wheels by Sally Sutton
Illus. by Brian Lovelock. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760651589.
32pp.
(Age: 2-5) Highly recommended. Lots of fun to be had for any child
who is interested in things that move, this book will have young
children guessing just what wheels belong to the picture illustrated
as they read along to the rhyming verse. Rumbly wheels, grumbly wheels,
Hauling-up-the-hill wheels.
Wheels go fast, wheels go slow.
Shout what's coming, if you know!
Readers and listeners will love to chime in with the little boy and
child in the story as they guess the type of vehicle that the wheels
belong to. The refrain "Wheels go fast, wheels go slow. Shout what's
coming, if you know!" is repeated with each new vehicle and this
adds to the enjoyment of the narrative while making it a most
enjoyable read aloud for parents and teachers in the classroom.
Sutton's narrative and Lovelock's bright engaging illustrations give
lots of hints about the nature of the mode of transport and its
uses. For example, in the drawings of the rubbish truck, bins are
lined up on the streets in the very early morning, and garbage men
in bright safety coats are collecting them to take to the bright
yellow rubbish truck.
Children will also learn the proper name of the vehicles that are
described: a rig, motorbike, taxi, firetruck, rubbish truck, school
bus and scooter. On the second last double page spread the family is
seen riding bikes with the little girl scooting along and all the
vehicles parading on the elevated road above. And finally "Parts of
a wheel" is a labelled illustration that shows all the different
parts that combine to make a wheel.
The combination of Sutton and Lovelock have also produced Dig,
dump, roll, and Ambulance,
ambulance! and this is sure to be another book to please both
boys and girls. Themes: Transport, Vehicles, Wheels, Bicycles.
Pat Pledger
Tunnel of bones by Victoria Schwab
Cassidy Blake book 2. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781407196930. 272pp.
(Age: 11-14) Recommended. Cass and Jacob (her ghost best friend)
have another exciting adventure in the wonderful city of Paris,
where Cass's parents are filming their TV show The Inspecters.
Cass's skills as a ghost hunter are still growing and in this fast
paced story, she accidentally wakes up a very scary poltergeist in
the catacombs that lie beneath the city. It is up to her to stop the
ghost destroying things as it twirls around in a strange game of
Hide and Seek.
The book opens with a map of Paris, showing all the world famous
tourist destinations, which Cass and her parents visit, but it is
the catacombs that will fascinate the reader as Cass becomes
embroiled in the mystery of the little boy who begins to create
havoc in the city. The realisation that there are tunnels of bones
beneath the streets will intrigue while the story behind the young
poltergeist will also tug at the heartstrings as Cass and Jacob
gradually unravel what happened many years ago.
A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade and Children's
books (2019) this was a fun read and the setting of Paris was
fabulous. This could be read as a stand-alone but fans of the ghost
genre would really enjoy the first in the series City
of ghosts (2018), and at 272 pages it is not too long
and very easy to read. It is a book that will appeal to reluctant
readers as well. Themes: Ghosts, Paris (France), Psychic ability,
Friendship.
Pat Pledger
The Creature Choir by David Walliams
Illus. by Tony Ross. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008262198.
32pp., hbk.
Warble the walrus loved to sing and her dream was to one day take
part in The Great Big Animal Talent Show. Sadly though, her
warbling was somewhat less than melodic - in fact it was shocking -
and eventually the other walruses banned her from ever singing
again. While this made Warble very sad, she tried hard to stay
silent but she just couldn't and burst into song. The consequences
were disastrous - she caused an avalanche and everyone was buried in
deep snow. So while Warble slept that night they all crept away
leaving her alone. But she continued to warble and that attracted a
lot of other creatures who also liked to sing but whose voices were
also a little rough around the edges. Warble never said no to
any of them and soon they had a choir, one that sang all around the
world and was finally ready to enter The Great Big Animal Talent
Show!
Being one of those with a voice like Warble who liked to sing but
whose singing seemed to offend everyone (even strangers on a bus
trip in the middle of nowhere at midnight!) this story really
resonated with me. Being about being true to yourself and doing what
you love just for the sheer joy of it, not because you believe you
are the best (or even want to be) epitomises the feeling behind the
mantra "Dance
like nobody's watching!" This would be the most wonderful
story to have the children imagine and make the noises the various
creatures would, and create their own choir that sings and dances
just for joy. There could be all sorts of ways to explore tone and
rhythm and how they can combine to make something that is pleasing
to the ear while just having fun!
Barbara Braxton
Golden in death by J.D. Robb
In death book 50. Piaktus, 2020. ISBN: 9780349422084. 387pp.
(Age; Adult) Recommended. Fans of J.D. Robb's In death
series have been following the investigations of super cop Eve
Dallas and her gorgeous husband Roarke since the first book, Naked
in death, came out in 1995 and they have never been
disappointed. Robb manages each time to detail a completely
different case for Eve to investigate and Golden in death is no
exception. This time a gift box containing a golden egg is received
by much loved paediatrician Kent Abner and when he opens it is
overcome by the fumes of a deadly toxin. Eve is
quickly on the search for the killer but it is not until another
victim dies the same way that it is clear that something must
connect the two.
Like others in the series Golden in death was hard to put
down. Dallas's investigation leads her well into the past to find a
link that seems obscure at first, but delving deep into the
characters and events of that time, brings up clues to who is the
murderer. Fans will enjoy the timeliness of the fumes of a toxin
killing someone and other current issues (no spoilers here!) also
will appeal.
It was good to see the ever popular sidekick, Peabody, growing into
her role as detective and coming up with pertinent and helpful
suggestions, as she and Dallas interview suspects and research
backgrounds. The police procedures were fascinating and the in-depth
characterisations of the victims and the suspects very satisfying.
Not to mention the ever present love story of Eve and Roarke.
I have to say that Golden in death is a favourite amongst
the others that I have read recently.
Pat Pledger
The man in the water by David Burton
University of Queensland Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780702262524. 250pp.
(Age: 14 - Adult) Highly recommended. A book for mystery lovers both
teen and adult, Burton takes the reader to the Queensland outback
into a small mining town, uncovering secrets and competing interests
as Shaun a young teen sees a body floating in the local dam. When he
brings a constable back, the body has disappeared and he is not
believed by anyone except his best friend Will, and together they
decide to investigate the disappearance themselves.
Rural noir is very popular and The man in the water fits
into that category very well. Burton is obviously familiar with his
setting of mining towns and the outback and this background brings a
depth to the story. Disputes between the unions and management about
employing fly in fly out people rather than locals and drought
affecting surrounding pastoralists are described as Shaun and Will
try to work out why the body disappeared and who it could be.
Burton has fairly short chapters with minor cliff hangers at the end
of many of them and these proved to be the hooks that grab the
reader's attention and keep them reading on for more of the action.
There are lots of red herrings as Shaun and Will chase after
different clues and the reader is kept in the dark.
Will's friendship and trust in Shaun is a highlight of the novel, as
even Shaun's mother is convinced that he is seeing things, a left
over result of his father's suicide earlier. Mental health and the
issue of suicide in rural towns is also explored.
As a fan of mysteries I was intrigued by both the background and the
crime and believe it could easily be picked up by adults as well as
teens. Even though the main characters are in Year 10, the crime
itself is a fascinating one and will keep readers guessing until the
end. Teacher's
notes are available and it would be suitable for a literature
circle or class novel as a mystery story with lots of background
issues for discussion.
Themes: Mystery/Adventure, Family, Friendship, Honesty, Loyalty,
Courage, Trust, Grief, Suicide.
Pat Pledger
Alphaprints Australian Animals : Mothers and babies by Roger Priddy
Pan Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781783419418. Board book.
(Age: 1-5) Highly recommended. Little fingers are going to have a
treat with the latest offering from Roger Priddy. The Australian
mother and baby animals that are featured in this book are embossed
in the style of fingerprints which will be fun to touch and feel.
Set against a white background, the animals can be seen in their
habitats. What makes the animals special (apart from the engaging
embossing) is that some of them are shown made out of everyday
objects. The reader will have fun with the echidna and her three
little puggles, their bodies made from a clothes brush; a sugar
glider is made from a little hat while her little joey's body is a
ball of grey wool. The heads of yabbies are electric light bulbs and
the quokkas ears are made from chocolates, while the bilbies ears
are shells. There are also a few animals that readers will have fun
trying to guess it there is an everyday object somewhere on their
bodies.
The rhyming text in bold print is also a joy to read aloud and is
sure to become a favourite with the very young. This is a sturdy,
beautifully produced board book that will bring hours of fun and
education to the very young.
Pat Pledger
Coming home to country by Bronwyn Bancroft
Little Hare, 2020. ISBN: 9781760501921. 24pp., hbk.
The saying "there's no place like home" has never been expressed so
poignantly as in this new book from leading indigenous artist
Bronwyn Bancroft who always creates a visual feast accompanied by
lyrical text. The young girl is coming home across the old wrinkled
hills, through the palette of "leaf green, red rust, yellow ochre,
deep blue and crimson" to draw in the breath of the valley, listen
to the bird orchestra, slip into crystal clear waters and be held in
the embrace of her ancestors.
"This is peace" and even with its bright colours and traditional
busy patterns, that is exactly the feeling that is evoked by the
gentle words as they envelop the reader. With the tumultuous summer
we are experiencing with such weather extremes and the insatiable
fire dragon, this is the book that we and our children need so we
can retreat to somewhere safe and know that there is the evidence
that Mother Nature will prevail if we would only listen to those who
have cared for the land for generations. In her dedication she urges
her "three warriors" to keep rallying for change so that "all
children can have hope for the future" and know that the
fire-ravaged, desecrated landscape that they are seeing right now
can heal.
A timely release as we seek to comfort those for whom everything
currently seems bleak and black and silent so they know that there
can and will be colour and noise and life again soon.
Barbara Braxton
The secret of the youngest rebel by Jackie French
The Secret Histories Book 5. Angus and Robertson, 2019. ISBN:
9781460754801. pbk., 110pp.
French's historical novels present an area of history readers know
little of, but by the time they read her books, they will have
gained an overview of the period in which the book is set, a glimpse
into the lives of people their own age and a strong feeling for the
setting of the incident.
Based on eyewitness accounts, this fifth title in The Secret
Histories series reveals a time of rebellion amongst the
disenfranchised in the early years of Sydney Town. The Castle Hill
Rebellion of 1804 is given scant attention in history books, but
French fleshes out the rebel Philip Cunningham, the reasons for the
uprising, its failure and consequences for the colony.
Like the four other novels in this fine series, a young person is at
the centre of the action and we see this doomed riot against the
government through his eyes.
Homeless in Sydney Town sees Frog stealing for a living, waiting at
meetings to pick pockets and one day he meets Mr Cunningham, an
Irish convict, sent to Australia in irons for his part in the anti
British uprisings in Ireland in the late eighteenth century. Told to
watch out for the fire at Parramatta, the signal for the rebellion
to start, Frog is taken up with the cry, Death or Liberty, and sets
out to join Cunningham and his army of rebels.
But the series of fires set as the signal to join in do not
eventuate, spies and traitors within the camps having given them
away. Wounded and watching from his vantage point in a tree, Frog
sees the rebels killed, captured and taken away, the rebellion put
down.
He is taken in by a family who look after him and he hears of the
wider problems within the social structures in Sydney Town, caused
by the power and influence of the NSW Corps or Rum Corps as it was
known. French adds several pages of information at the end of Frog's
story filling in details about Sydney Town at the time and why
people were so unhappy they were willing to fight.
A piece of Australia's history is made known to a wider audience
through this well told story of Frog. French does not overtax her
readers with facts, leaving them at the end for people to read after
the story has finished, but unbeknownst to them, readers will have
gained more than they realise through the story.
Fran Knight
Mr Archimedes' bath by Pamela Allen
Angus and Robertson, 2020. ISBN: 9781460758960. 32pp., hbk.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. As the 40th anniversary reprint
testifies Mr Archimedes' bath has become a children's
classic as each new generation learns about the Greek mathematician
Archimedes and the physics of water displacement in the best
possible way - with lots of fun and giggles! With delightful
illustrations of a portly Mr Archimedes, Kangaroo, Goat and Wombat,
Allen brings to life the mathematician as he tries to work out why
the water overflows when he and his animal friends get into the
bath.
Readers will be entralled right from the first illustration where Mr
Archimedes and the animals are all stuffed into a bath, Kangaroo's
tail and paws sticking out, Wombat's head just above water and
Goat's hoof resting on Kangaroo's neck while water pours onto the
tiled floor. This sets the tone for the rest of the illustrations,
one in sepia on the left hand side of the page and a full colour
drawing on the other. The expressions on the faces of all are
delightful and readers will have a wonderful experience following
the story through the illustrations.
The story itself features big print which will be a boon for
beginning readers and the mathematical ideas will delight any child
or adult as Allen demonstrates the ways that Mr Archimedes
experimented and worked out his mathematical theory. He measured the
depth of the water, but it still rose and all the animals denied
doing it; when they all got out of the bath the water had gone down.
When Kangaroo stayed out it still rose and so on with each animal
until only Mr Archimedes was left. Then the friends have so much fun
making the water go up and down with such a mess.
Commended in the Children's Book Council Book of the Year Awards
1981, and winner of the Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's
Literature (1980), Mr Archimedes' bath is a must for every
library and will fit in beautifully with the mathematics curriuclum
in the classroom. Teacher's
notes are available. Themes: Problem-solving, Humour,
Measuring, Scientific method, Mass, Volume and Capacity,
Mathematicians.
It is such a wonderful story with truly memorable illustrations that
parents will find it becomes a firm favourite with children and a
book that will be kept for the next generation.
Pat Pledger
Earth Hour : A lights-out event for our planet by Nanette Heffernan
Illus. by Bao Luu. Charlesbridge Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9781580899420. 32pp.
(Age: 5-12) Highly recommended. Earth Hour this year
takes place on 28 March 2020, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. This is an
ongoing worldwide response to the impact we are having on our planet
with our use of energy consumption. The World Wildlife Fund for
Nature (WWF) sponsors this event and thousands of communities from
all over the world support the initiative. Earth Hour by Nanette Heffernan is a cleverly written picture
book which explains very clearly how we use energy in our day-to-day
life. The text is simple but thoughtfully crafted and so easy for
children of all ages to understand. This book explains what Earth
Hour is and how it unites the world on one evening in March. It
shows images from famous icons in different countries and provides
more information for both teachers and students at the end of the
book. The illustrations are beautifully drawn, so colourful and
clear even when the lights are out.
This book is a wonderful resource for both parents and teachers to
share with children and explain the reasons behind the Earth Hour
movement. Themes: Energy, Environmental issues, Conservation,
Sustainability, World-wide unity.
Kathryn Beilby
Weird little robots by Carolyn Crimi
Illus. by Corrina Luyken.Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406387988.
pbk., 240pp.
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. As the title suggests, Weird little
robots is centred on robots created out of bits and pieces.
Eleven year old Penny Rose Mooney is new to town and more
importantly, new to her school. Her father is an entomologist who
has taken over responsibility for running the household as Penny
Rose's mother has a new job in a bank which is why they have moved.
She is an only child who spends her time in her own ramshackle shed
constructing small robots out of anything she can find such as
dentures, a calculator and an old mobile phone. She gives the robots
names and talks to them as if they are real. Penny Rose's neighbour
across the road is Lara Hinkle who is in her class at school and is
seen as a geek by her classmates. Lara constructs bird houses and
has a relationship with the birds who live in them. She wears large
sunglasses at all times and is a loner. Penny Rose's parents
encourage her to make friends with Lara and through a series of
amusing events this eventually happens.
Mysteriously, after a cold wind blows through the shed, the robots
come to life. Lara, who is sceptical about the robots at first, comes
to love the robots as much as Penny Rose and together the two
friends construct an amazing metropolis for the robots called
RoboTown. At Lara's instigation the girls sign a proclamation
promising never to discuss the robots with another living soul.
However as what happens so often with girls and friendships, one of
the friends decides to choose another more popular group over her
true friend. The pull of belonging to a Secret Science Society is
just too much for Penny Rose and she abandons her friendship with
Lara. After some very difficult challenges for Penny Rose, she
eventually realises that Lara is her true friend and they carefully
rebuild their relationship and slowly form friendships with other
students.
Throughout the story are clever black and white illustrations which
perfectly reflect the text and keep the reader engaged. This is an
enjoyable read for middle primary students. Themes: Girls,
Friendship, New school, New challenges, STEM, Inventions, Science.
Kathryn Beilby
Peppa the Easter Bunny
Penguin Random House, 2020.ISBN: 9780241411827. 16pp.
(Age: 1-4) Peppa has an idea: "Let's have a surprise Easter-egg
hunt, George!". "Yippee!" cheers George. Peppa and George decorate
Easter eggs and hide them in the garden for their friends to find.
Peppa has another idea: "Can I surprise my friends and dress up as
the Easter Bunny?". "Cheep? Cheep?" asks George. After a riffle
through the dressing-up box, Peppa and George are all set and it
isn't long before their friends arrive. "This is the best Easter-egg
hunt ever!" cries Candy Cat. But where are Peppa and George? Tap!
Tap! Tap! There are two enormous eggs and they are beginning to
crack! "Surprise" says Peppa the Easter Bunny. "Cheep!" says George
the chick.
The beauty of the world of Peppa is that it so often shows the
family working and playing together and this is no exception as
Mummy and Daddy Pig help George and Peppa prepare the hunt, dress up
and hide. It's a fun book that emphasises a giving element of Easter
(preparing something that will be enjoyed by others) and of making
your own fun. This will be enjoyed by little ones who love Peppa,
dressing-up and treasure hunting. Themes: Board book, Peppa Pig,
Easter.
Nicole Nelson
19 love songs by David Levithan
Text Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781922268921.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Short stories. This collection by
award-winning author David Levithan is full of heart-warming,
sometimes funny, stories of young friendship and love. The scathing
humour of quiz bowl team member, Alec, immediately drew me into the
first story 'Quiz Show Antichrist', the story of a mismatched quiz
team vying in an interschool competition, and I often had to laugh
at his jokes. But at its heart is the story of his unarticulated
crush on Damien, the cool guy, little realising that true love lies
elsewhere, close at hand.
'The Good Girls' is the story of a boy who hung out with all the
good girls - a sisterhood and he was the brother. Only gradually
does he become aware of his gayness and develop a circle of good
guys. It is a gentle story, no bad things happen, just a gradual
awakening.
This is the flavour of this set of stories - gentle love songs. I
must admit I caught my breath on reading of the date between
six-foot-four transgender star quarterback Infinite Darlene and cute
male cheerleader Cory from the opposing team. I kept anticipating
something mean, some cruel sabotage, but no, it is a lovely first
date, ending with a first kiss.
The other stories, which include a cartoon strip on first kisses, a
song playlist and a poem, all provide insight into the gradual
exploration of identity, friendships and love.
The final poem 'Give Them Words' dedicated to librarians, teachers,
writers and others, highlights the power of words to share
experience and understanding of others. This book is a wonderful
collection of words that provides insight into the experience of
LGBTQ+ young people in a way that we can all identify with and enjoy
reading. I recommend this book for all school libraries. Teacher's
notes are available.
Helen Eddy
Morphing Murphy by Robert Favretto
Illus. by Tull Suwannakit. Ford St Publishing, 2019. ISBN:
9781925804324. 32pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Murphy the tadpole loves life in his
weedy pond. He swims around and around all day long. But one day he
notices two tiny bumps near his tail. He is concerned and tries to
shake them off, but they grow into legs. His new legs give him extra
speed and maneuverability, but then, two more bumps sprout near his
gills. These become front legs which allow him to steer and get
food. All is good, and life goes back to normal again, but then, his
tail disappears. He is aghast and tries hard to find it, but notices
that without a tail he can jump out of the water and breathe the
air.
The metamorphosis of the tadpole to a frog is complete, and readers
will not only have an endearing story of Murphy and his concern
about change, they will learn the stages a tadpole goes through to
become a frog, finding out all the benefits that accrue, and see
that change is a good thing, saying goodbye to the old and welcoming
the new.
The patterning of the words make it an excellent read aloud, with
children quickly picking up the repeated refrains and calling them
out with the reader.
The repetition of 'life is good, I won't change a thing' is followed
by 'But the', alerting readers to another change in Murphy's body.
They will turn the pages with eager anticipation seeing how Murphy's
body is transforming. And of course, the wonderful twist at the end
of the tale will have readers laughing out loud, recalling lots of
stories about frogs and the myths about them.
Suwannakit's wonderful water colour illustrations recall the green
weedy pond, with other small animals hiding in the watery plants in
Murphy's world. I love the pages after a new appendage has developed
showing Murphy scrambling all over the pages trying to shake off the
new growth. The pages are full of movement as the text follows the
little tadpole, highlighting for the reader the dismay Murphy is
feeling at change.
Suwannakit is a Melbourne based illustrator known for his Sad,
the dog and Thimble.
Favretto lives near Melbourne and has several funny vampire books
for middle primary people published.
And new words will be introduced focussing on the word, 'morphing'
used in the title, encouraging readers to thinks about what it means
and where it comes from. Teacher's
notes are available.
Themes: Frogs, Tadpoles, Change, Metamorphosis.
Fran Knight
