Reviews

The dragon in the library by Louie Stowell

Nosy Crow, 2019. 224pp., pbk. ISBN: 9781788000260.
Kit can't stand reading. She'd much rather be outside, playing games and getting muddy, than stuck inside being quiet with a book. But when she's dragged along to the local library at the start of the school holiday by her two best friends, she makes an incredible discovery: the local library is run by wizards . . . and she's one too! The youngest wizard ever, in fact.
But someone is threatening to tear down the library and disturb the powerful magical forces living beneath it. And now it's up to Kit and her friends to save the library . . . and the world.
The first book in an exciting, imaginative and brilliantly funny new series, which Miss 8 curled up with on Christmas afternoon when it was too hot to be outside. Full of illustrations and written in short manageable chapters, it is a fast-paced story with the perfect mix of reality and fantasy to capture her imagination. It also captured mine and it sheds a new light on the value of both libraries and reading for those who think neither has anything of value for them.
This is the perfect book to recommend to teachers as the first read-aloud for the new school year to encourage students to investigate the magic in your school library.
Barbara Braxton

The sea and us by Catherine de Saint Phalle

Transit Lounge, 2019. ISBN: 9781925760415.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. The Sea and Us is a fish and chip shop, with rooms upstairs to let, and that is where Harold ends up, returning to Melbourne as a 36 year old, after spending 18 years in South Korea. Gradually we learn about why he walked out of his home as a young man, leaving behind his Czech mother, deserting her just as his father did years before. And we learn of his love for the beautiful Korean girl Ha-yoon, his apprenticeship with master potter Do-yun, and his friendship with street girl Marylou, and the wrinkled old man Sung-ki.
The old friends in Korea and the new friends Harold makes in Melbourne are like 'flotsam, jetsam, ligan and derelict'. They float in and out of his life, and he has to discover who can be rescued from abandonment, and who it is there is no hope of reclaiming.
It is a gentle story of kind people and genuine friendships that warm the heart. There are themes of abuse, deception and disappointment, but they are dealt with understanding and compassion, and the overall feeling one is left with is of the magical connection between people from many different walks of life. It is a treasure of a book, a pleasure to read.
Helen Eddy

Nop by Caroline Magerl

Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760651251.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. When Nop looks around him in the Dumporeum he sees lots of goods just like him: old and tattered, unsure of where they belong, crumpled, piled in heaps on the floor. But each night many tealights are lit and the others get out thread and buttons and sparkle and mend each other so when people come into the Dumporeum the next day, paper bags are filled with the mended toys. But Nop is left on the shelf: the buttons do not look right, the scarves are too big and the ribbon too long. He picks up a discarded bow tie from the litter which has fallen to the floor and puts it on, remarking that a bear with a bow tie can go anywhere, and so begins to plan.
Next morning he stitches together the scraps and rags and string until he has made a balloon which takes him over the houses until he spies a small green space and he leaps from the basket into the arms of a friend.
This charming tale of friendship, of never giving up, or making a plan will appeal to younger readers as they perhaps grapple with the idea of making friends. Nop flies long way away from his home in the Dumproreum to find a friend, making use of the rubbish around him. Readers will delight in the detail given in the ink and watercolour illustrations, searching for the lonely figure of Nop on each page. The soft hues underline the transient nature of the Dumporeum, and the impulse to sneeze at the dust and heaps of discarded clothes and toys tickled my nose.
The endpapers too are a treat for inquisitive eyes, working out just what is meant by dumporeum, and searching for one such shop in their own community.
Caroline Magerl is an author illustrator known for Maya and Cat, and Hasel and Rose, both books about hope. Classroom ideas are available.
Themes: Bears, Loneliness, Adventure, Decision making, Hope.
Fran Knight

The space we're in by Katya Balen

Illus. by Laura Carlin. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526610942.
(Age: Mid upper primary +) Highly recommended. Katya Balen's The Space We're In is a moving story about autism. The behaviours and the situations experienced by Max and his family members are perceptively painted. It would be a hard-hearted reader who could remain unmoved.
Autism is grounded in the life and world, universe and cosmos. It is a book about love, acceptance and joy. It's about where we all fit in and how love binds us together - that we are all made of stardust - and somehow everything makes sense like the existence of the Golden Ratio.
The story is told from the perspective of ten year old Frank. He is initially embarrassed by and ashamed of his brother, five year old autistic Max. He loves and protects Max but (before he learns to be proud) he joins others who deride Max. As if life isn't hard enough, his family is knocked for six with further tragedy. Somehow love prevails through time and the care of steadfast friends, family and community.
I want to lend this book to friends with autistic children. I want teachers to read this book to classes to build an empathy for disability and the lived experiences of families. It's a searingly sad but uplifting book. It helps us to understand our own part in community.
There is a lot a teacher could do with this book. Frank has an affinity for numbers. Code permeates the book. When deciphered, it forms chapter headings, which make a lot of sense e.g. meltdown, sorry, joy, fury, magic, wild, fight, treasure. A wordle created from the vocabulary would capture the essence of living with disability. Text to text background reading for children and teachers are Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and Michael Rosen's We're Going on a Bear Hunt.
The illustrations by Laura Carlin, including quirky fonts and layouts, are in themselves, a soft and subtle visual journey that travels with the storyline.
Wendy Jeffery

The end and other beginnings: Stories from the future Veronica Roth

Harper Collins Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780008347765.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Veronica Roth is amazing! Her Divergent series was hugely successful and her youthful understanding of young people is again demonstrated in this collection of short stories set in future worlds and imagined scenarios of beginnings and ends. This book contains six short stories that are equally compelling and potent in their exploration of what might be expected in the future. The scenarios are set in an array of different earth or space-inspired locations, all with some similarities to our present world but with a variety of warped situations or circumstances or technological advancements. The characters though are all battling recognisable challenges or internal conflicts, and the short story genre gives a relatively quick (but certainly not saccharine) resolution to each complication. This is a brilliant short story collection to recommend to lovers of science fiction or dystopian fiction and the skill of Veronica Roth in creating new Sci-fi vernacular or possibilities is note-worthy. Despite the genre implications of 'new worlds', there is something very familiar about the young teen characters who contend with the internal challenges in the world of the future.
This is certainly something to recommend to younger readers, but the Short Story genre is well handled by an author who is creative and sometimes unnerving in her view of what the future could look like. I am sure there will be many readers who wish that Roth had extended each story into a longer novel.
Highly recommended for readers aged 14+ and for lovers of sci-fi and short stories. Themes: Short stories; Futuristic fantasy; Science Fiction; Dystopian worlds; Extra Terrestrials.
Carolyn Hull

An unwanted guest by Shari Lapena

Transworld, 2019. ISBN: 9780552174879. 320pp.
(Age: Adult) Recommended. What a thrill to try and work out 'who dunnit' in this nod to the locked room mystery genre. Instead of a room, Lapena has put a group of guests who don't know each other into a luxurious boutique hotel in a remote forested area. Then a blizzard causes all roads into the hotel to be closed and the electricity is cut off, and it becomes totally isolated from the outside world. Suspense and tension grows as the guests begin to be murdered, one by one, suspicion falling in turn on each one of the guests, leaving the reader desperately trying to figure out who has committed the crimes among a myriad of red herrings and alarming back stories of the guests.
Easy to read in one or two sittings, Lapena has developed her guests so well that the reader feels that they know them and their fears and feelings. It is very difficult to work out just who could be the murderer as each character has strengths and flaws which Lapena skilfully describes as the body count grows. Each murder has different characteristics - a fall down the stairs, a drug overdose, and a bashed head, all of which makes it hard to know if there is more than one person on a killing spree or a stranger lurking in the hotel picking off the guests. And that twist at the end! What a well-constructed and satisfying finale to a great read.
I really enjoyed this book and will be sure to pick up other books by this best-selling author. Fans of Adrian McKinty and Ruth Ware may enjoy this book.
Pat Pledger

The illustrated encyclopaedia of ugly animals by Sami Bayly

Lothian Children's, 2019. ISBN: 9780734419019. 130pp., hbk.
If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then ugly must be too and so natural history illustrator Sami Bayly has collected the creatures for this compendium to celebrate her passion for all things weird and wonderful.
There are more than 60 unusual creatures to explore through scientific illustrations and facts and figures, some of which will be familiar but many not-so. With information about what each looks like, what it eats, where it lives and its conservation status, as well as a collection of fun facts, readers are introduced to creatures such as the hellbender, the maleo, the sarcastic fringehead and the black rain frog. Just the names are intriguing.
This is a unique book, something totally different to add to the 591 section and to introduce to your budding natural historians. I suspect it will become one of those that groups of boys, particularly, will pore over in that group reading experience which is so essential to their literacy development.
You can learn more about the creation of the book and the selections within here and here while comprehensive teachers' resources are available here.
Barbara Braxton

Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza

Cold Fear by Mads Peder Nordbo

Greenland book 2. Translated by Charlotte Barslund. Text, 2019. ISBN: 9781911231301. 400pp.
(Age: Adult) Recommended for lovers of dark Nordic noir, Cold fear takes the reader on a cold and grisly trip through Greenland as Matthew Cave tries to solve the mystery of his sister's abduction and father's disappearance. Cave first appeared in The Girl Without Skin and while Cold Fear could be read as a stand-alone, it continues the story that had been hinted at in the first novel. Matthew is faced with the question of why his father disappeared so many years ago, and why he was accused of a double murder. Now that his cold case has been reopened on the suspicion that he is still alive, it becomes imperative to work out what happened. But more immediate is the urgency of finding what has happened to his sister. Tupaarnaq, the woman with many tattoos, returns to help find his sister, while on her own quest for revenge.
Not for the faint hearted, Cold fear has many horrifying scenes of child abuse and imprisonment, grisly murders and dangerous attacks all set against the cold bleak landscape of Greenland which Nordbo describes so well. There are many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing as old secrets are brought to light. Readers will be fascinated by the role that Greenland has to play in international politics and could find themselves looking up locations found in the book.
Throughout all the nail biting events Matthew Cave's determination and persistence in carving through the lies and treachery lends authenticity to the story as he works out what has happened with skilful investigation. And what a thrilling and unexpected ending!
Pat Pledger

Invisible in a Bright Light by Sally Gardner

Zephyr, 2019. ISBN: 9781789544848. 320pp.
Recommended for those who like a challenge, aged 14+. The dream-fantasy scenario and premise of this book has all the logic and clarity of a medication-induced dream. Initially very confusing, the book follows the characters Celeste and Maria who are one and yet two, and who must rescue the people who have disappeared from the ghost ship. Their life in the theatre is muddled with their former life before the mysterious disappearance of many of the ghost ship's characters; they are in the spotlight and also invisible. A formidable man in an emerald green suit (akin to Rumpelstiltskin) appears and enables the girls to win a contest to save the lost souls. Along the way, they rescue the daughter of an objectionable operatic genius and perform like stars on stage.
Sadly, this bizarre narrative is so perplexing and dream-like as it ripples through time, with characters appearing and disappearing, acting with eccentric personality traits in an unfamiliar context, that it may leave young readers floundering. However, if you loved Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and like to be confused as you read, then this book is for you. Entering someone else's dream is automatically confusing, but ultimately a persistent reader may actually enjoy the theatrical journey of this book and the rescuing of the young character Hildegard and putting the broken shards of the 'glass' back into some semblance of order. Be prepared to be confused! Themes: Fantasy; Dreams; Ghosts; Theatre.
Carolyn Hull

Little possum by Roger Priddy

Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781783419401. Board book, 10pp.
(Age: 0-3) Highly recommended. This little board book, with its gorgeous pictures of Australian animals is a keeper that will give hours of delight for young children. The different things to touch and feel are sure to intrigue both the adult reading the gentle rhymes and looking at the beautiful photos of Australian animals as well as the children who won't be able to resist the touch and feel textures.
The book is beautifully produced and it is impossible not to want to touch the fur of the ringtail possum and sugar-glider, stoke the grey softness of the wallaby, marvel at the strangeness of the frill-necked lizard and platypus and feel the feathers of the fairy penguin.
With this brightly coloured and sturdy board book, very young children will have the opportunity of learning the names of Australian animals as well as the tactile sensations of feeling fur and feathers.
This would be a very welcome gift for a new baby or toddler.
Pat Pledger

All bodies are good bodies by Charlotte Barkla

Illus. by Erica Salcedo. Little Hare, 2019. ISBN: 9781760503932. 24pp., hbk.
I love hands!
Hands that are white and hands that are brown,
Freckles mean sunshine has sent kisses down.
Short fingers, long fingers, bendy or straight,
Hands to clap, or high-five your mate.
Even though the human body comprises the same elements, each is unique. No two are the same unless you are an identical twin. In this superbly illustrated book, each body part such as hands, hair, eyes and even tummies is featured while those characteristics which make them unique are celebrated. It doesn't matter if your nose is long and thin or short and flat or even turned up like a pussycat, we each have one and each does its special job.
With its bouncy rhyme and positive message about accepting the diversity and differences which make each of us special, it actively promotes the acceptance of the body regardless of shape, colour, or size so that we appreciate our individuality and are inclusive in our choices. When even our youngest readers are aware of their physical appearance these days and start to develop their relationship with their body, this is a critical message that encourages the positive mental health mindset so essential to developing resilience and empathy and offering lots of scope to collect and interpret data as the children compare and contrast their differences.
Barbara Braxton

Daughter of lies and ruin by Jo Spurrier

Tales of the Blackbone Witches book 2. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9781460756348. 352p.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. In another action packed adventure, Elodie and her mentor Aleida are on the road when they are attacked by vicious bandits, swooped upon by unearthly beasts and meet a sword wielding girl with a secret. But there is still more to come - the whole of the world may be threatened by supernatural creatures. Even Aleida is afraid, and Elodie knows that means there is danger ahead.
This follows on from the first in the series A curse of ash and embers, and could almost be read as a stand-alone, but of course it is always better to get to know the characters and their backgrounds by reading a series in order.
Spurrier has written a vivid world where bandits threaten innocent people, where nuns take in girls and women and give them a productive life, and where witches wield enormous power. Griffins swoop down on travellers, an evil witch is concocting a strange ritual and has turned men into beasts and the Blackbone witches are hard pressed to stay alive.
Elodie is still coming to terms with the fact that she is a witch. Even though she has had a difficult childhood acting as an unpaid servant in her home, she still believes in the good in people and is willing to stand up for them. She often doubts herself, but Aleida's tough stance and gritty example gradually help her to realise her abilities and hone her skills, making her more self-confident and able to find solutions when under enormous pressure. Her skill of making a fissure between worlds, guided by her little familiar, is unique and priceless in their war against the underworld.
The relationship between Aleida and Elodie is central to the plot and the compassion that Elodie feels for the sword wielding but often misguided Kara, makes friendship a key theme.
And of course there is action galore to keep the reader glued to the page.
Themes: Witches, Curses, Coming of age.
Pat Pledger

The salmon of knowledge retold and illustrated by Celina Buckley

Starfish Bay Publishing, 2019. ISBN 9781760360702. 36pp.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Finn wants to be a great warrior but first he must spend time with a poet, as training for his destiny. The wise poet, Finnegas, takes Finn and begins to train him. All the while, Finnegas wants to catch the Salmon of Knowledge which lives in the river nearby. One day he spots the salmon and with luck, catches it. He gives it to the boy to cook and clean, warning him not to eat any of it while he sleeps.
The Salmon of Knowledge had swallowed nine hazelnuts from the hazel trees which grew over the well of wisdom, and so had become sought after. Anyone eating a little of the fish would take on all the wisdom of the world. And this Finnegas craves.
But the boy notices a blister on the fish and punches it down, then licks his fingers. When Finnegas eats the fish he knows that he has not taken on all the wisdom of the world and asks Finn how he had cooked the fish. Inadvertently Finn has ingested some of the fish and now knows all the secrets and the wisdom of the world. Finnegas can teach him no more, so Finn goes off into the world.
In Irish mythology, the story of the Salmon of Knowledge is one of the stories in The boyhood deeds of Fionn, the lad who becomes the leader of the Irish Mythical Heroes, the Fianna. In 1999 a sculpture of the Salmon of Knowledge was erected in Belfast but is known locally as the big fish. Starfish Bay Children's Books is an independent publishing house located in Adelaide, South Australia. It aims to publish quality picture books for children primarily aged 3 to 8, from international and national sources, with first-rate literary and artistic content. Established in 2014, by Luke Hau, this philosophy continues as his company breaks into the US market.
This company publishes a variety of books some of which are most unusual. The salmon of knowledge has a different and most interesting font, surrounded by unusual illustrations which will intrigue readers.
Themes: Myths and legends, Irish folk tales.
Fran Knight

Brave and bold: Female DC super heroes take on the Universe by Sam Maggs

DK Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN: 9780241389164. hbk, 127 pgs.
Ages: any super hero fan, but if I have to give an age 7+. I so much love my comics but don't know much about DC super heroes until now. I do know the major ones and this book opens up a new universe to me of DC female super heroes. It's a great introduction and especially helpful to those teachers and parents out there who want to be in the know for their students and children. I would keep Brave and bold nearby for quick reference.
You will find a forward by Gail Simone who is a bestselling DC writer. Then you get a two page spread-out for each female super hero presented in the book. You get a page about the character that I found very easy to read and very informative. You also get colourful drawings of the characters that looks awesome and will find children and fans drawn to the book. Did you know that some people who have seen Supergirl in action say she may be more powerful than Superman?
I loved how each page starts with a character's quote and I did recognise some of them from movies or comics. It is also separated into 4 different parts, compassionate, bold, curious and persistent, all traits that the super heroes have.
Reading through the book, I was thinking how many female super heroes are there? There are heaps. I was also thinking, where is my favourite super hero of all time, Raven? I even came across Lois Lane who I wouldn't have considered a Super hero. I was getting closer and closer to the end and my heart missed a beat . . . there was Raven from Teen Titans.
Brave and bold would be great on anyone's book shelf that likes their super heroes.
Maria Komninos