Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526602527. 384pp.
(Age: Adolescent - Adult) This story begins with Hester Why's
enigmatic statement that 'love is fragile' and it is indeed clearly
her past experiences, her fear and unsettled present that, we
gather, are 'dragging her' to Cornwall in the midst of a chilling
winter, to find work as an escape from her previous life. Doctor
Pinecroft's large house, in which she is to live and work, is
depicted as 'grey, wide and squat' standing with its 'rough-cast
face' on the 'crest of the cliff'. This gripping tale tells of the
harshness of life at that time, as we are drawn into the chill, and
indeed the dread that Hester experiences daily, knowing that not
only might she catch the disease, but also is aware that her
employers would fire her if they were to discover her past and her
secrets.
Doctor Pinecroft is described as a visionary, determined to find a
way to treat the tuberculosis that has heavily affected his family,
and indeed that has taken the lives of so many others, but is also
in search of a cure. In his bold experiment, a group of prisoners
from a local gaol in Cornwall are released into his care. He sets up
a campsite, where he daily spends some time with them living in old
caves by the sea. His wild plan is that the crippling cold and sea
air will enable the men to beat the disease - a desperate hope.
Working for the doctor's family, Hester is one of the few women
involved in supporting the men. As the story is told through her
experiences, we learn about the lives of the servants of that era,
and their ever-present fear of illness and poverty. Opium, alcohol
and other drugs appear to be available, and we read of the problems
that these and other drugs cause. Yet we are positioned to grasp the
dread of the illness experienced by so many people during that time,
and to understand the consequent despair that runs through the whole
narrative. It is a wild story in its own way, lively, evocative and
sadly indicative of the terrible living conditions for many people
in that historical time and place.
This intriguing narrative, that gives us a vivid picture of the way
people lived and of the understandable fears that troubled everyone
at that time, is a comprehensive, well-written work that would be
most suitable for both adult and adolescent reading.
Elizabeth Bondar
Where's Peppa's magical unicorn?
Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780241412046. 10pp.
(Age: 1-4) Daddy Pig is helping Peppa look for her magical unicorn.
It isn't in her toy cupboard, that's just Horsey Twinkle Toes.
"Where else shall we look?" asks Daddy Pig. "A fairy-tale castle!"
says Peppa. And so the search continues, across an array of settings
including the beach and the bottom of the rainbow. But each time
Peppa is disappointed; the tail poking out of a dragon bush is not a
unicorn tail after all - it's a kite! And the glow at the end of the
rainbow? It's a pot of gold, not Magical Unicorn. A disappointed
Peppa heads home, but as soon they are safely inside the doorbell
rings; it is Grandpa Pig . . . with Peppa's magical unicorn. She's
been hiding out at Grandpa and Grandma Pig's house and Peppa is so
glad to see her.
Young ones will love lifting the flaps as they join in Peppa's
search for her special friend. The glittery front cover will catch
their attention and the familiar and comforting world of Peppa Pig
will hold their attention. This sturdily made board book will
delight little Peppa fans and allows for self-exploration as well as
shared reading. Themes: Board book, Lift-the-flap book, Peppa Pig.
Nicole Nelson
The Good Hawk by Joseph Elliott
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406385854. 368pp.
(Age: Upper primary - secondary) Highly recommended. The Good
Hawk by Joseph Elliott has a solid central character in
Agatha. It is a fantasy story where two friends are forced to leave
their ravaged home and travel to distant, frightening places that
are shrouded in dark history and mystery. The use of the
Scottish-Gaelic and Old Norse language throughout adds to the
ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere of this tale.
Agatha is a loyal and steadfast character who perseveres against all
odds to defend and uphold her clan and her friends. We hear her pure
and unaffected voice in the first person. She stutters but she
expresses herself with the clarity of the innocent. She sees through
people to their true core and she has a special and unique skill -
communication with animals. Early on the reader hears that she is
teased - told that she should have been thrown off a cliff as a
babe. We read that she looks different. We understand that she has a
disability, that she is not able to do some things and that people
think they can't rely on her. But she has a steely pride - she is a
Hawk. Jamie is her friend with his own fears and undiscovered
strengths.
Their journey to rescue their clan takes supreme courage in the face
of fearsome obstacles, the out-and-out brutality of evil foes and
frightening mystical, wild, primeval forces.
There is consideration of the alternative perspectives of all manner
of cultural and societal beliefs and practices as our two heroes
encounter extraordinarily outlandish good and evil characters during
their journey. Love remains demonstratively pure and powerful
throughout.
This book is not for the faint hearted but it is redemptive.
Elliott's depiction of a heroine with Down's syndrome is wonderful.
I agree with Katya Balen, author of The
Space We're Inin her praise for Elliott's portrayal of
Agatha. She is indeed . . . "the sort of hero children's literature
has been lacking for too long." The Good Hawk is a swashbuckling adventure set in a fantasy
world somewhere up in the North Sea in the vicinity of the Isle of
Skye, Scotland and Norway; The Space We're In is more
domestic. Both books are powerful portrayals of lived disability.
They will surprise and grip the reader. The gap that has existed for
books about heroes with disabilities is at last being addressed and
it is a very good thing.
I highly recommend both books to Upper Primary and Senior School
students. Teacher's
notes are available.
Wendy Jeffrey
Spinoza's overcoat: Travels with writers and poets by Subhash Jaireth
Transit Lounge, 2020. ISBN: 9781925760460.
(Age: Adult) Non-fiction. This collection of essays by Jaireth
explores the poetry and lives of some of his personally selected
writers and poets, some probably not well known to many readers.
However his book also includes poems that are the subject of his
study, so the reader is able to read the original words and also
follow his explorations of meaning and place. Jaireth is intrigued
to actually visit some of the scenes described, or the places where
the words were written, seeking to understand more fully the
experience of the poets he is curious about. Thus he travels to
hidden places in Prague, Paris, Leiden, Amsterdam, Moscow and other
cities, to trace the paths of Kafka's sister, Paul Celan, Bulgakov,
Spinoza, Pasternak, and Hiromi Ito, among others. And in sharing his
explorations, and his search to understand more of the written words
that fascinate him, he also shares some snippets of his own life,
his personal travails and search for self-expression.
I was most interested in his discoveries of the ancient city of
Baghdad, the City of Peace, a circular city built within a circle of
fire, setting for many of the stories of The Thousand and One
Nights, the original city now replaced and overbuilt by a
sprawling new city, following wars, terrorism and looting. Jaireth
hopes that the tales of Baghdad may be rediscovered in sculptures by
Ghani Hikmar and new monuments dedicated to the rebirth of Iraqi
culture.
For Jaireth, the writer's choice of particular scenes, particular
words, the rhythmic meter, the form and shape of poems, and
especially the choices made in translation, are a constant source of
interest and he shares with us some of the history and the art of
the poet, the writer and the translator, an insight that can only
enrich our appreciation of the written works he wants us to
understand better.
Helen Eddy
Dippy and the Dinosaurs by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
Angus and Robertson, 2020. ISBN: 9781460754092. 32pp., hbk.
Dippy the Diprotodon has dug a new hole and the best thing about a
hole is that if you have sharp claws you can make it bigger and
bigger. In fact you can make it so big it can take you into another
world! A swimming hole, to be precise, one filled with creatures
that Dippy doesn't recognise but who he is convinced will want to be
friends. But will they?
Right alongside Mothball, Dippy is my favourite literary character
because his innocence and expectation that he will be loved
epitomises and reflects that of our youngest generation as they
learn to navigate the world beyond home and family. It never occurs
to Dippy that the creatures that he discovers (and who discover him)
will do him harm or be unkind. Both French and Whatley capture this
perfectly in text and words demonstrating that while new situations
might be different, even strange, that doesn't necessarily mean they
are confrontational and antagonistic.
As our littlest ones head off to preschool and big school, they can
go with a positive attitude and confidence that yes, it's a new
world but it doesn't have to be scary. To explore this in the
context of a book about dinosaurs which resonated with that age
group is just genius.
For those of you who want to explore the world of Dippy, diprotodons
and other megafauna there are teachers'
notes (written by me) available.
Barbara Braxton
Under the Milky Way: traditions and celebrations beneath the stars by Frane Lessac
Candlewick Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781536200959. 31pp.
(Age: 5-10) Recommended. Lovers of festivals and Astronomy
enthusiasts are in for a wonderful time as Lessac takes the reader
around North America looking at different places and their
traditions, all under the Milky Way. Beginning with the ever popular
Halloween festival, readers will be enthralled by the detailed
illustrations of what the festival looks like in Salem,
Massachusetts, with pumpkins peering from all the houses, ghosts and
spiders adorning the trees and children all dressed up in costumes.
Then there is the information about the origins of the Halloween
festival, and Salem. This formula of very colourful and detailed
illustrations with captions about the tradition and the place
visited is followed as readers find about ice skating in Maple
Grove, Minnesota, dragon dancers in San Francisco, night time
markets in Toronto, Canada, dog racing in Nome, Alaska, the Nations
dancing in Seattle, Washington and so on. At the top of the page is
information about the night time celebration in large print which
will facilitate reading the book aloud, and the smaller captions of
information could be used for discussion about the cities and the
festivals.
Two pages of information about the Milky Way and star formations is
given at the back of the book and finally readers are instructed to
find Lessac's dog Banjo, which is featured on every page. This will
immediately make the reader turn back to inspect the busy, brightly
coloured pages with all their tiny figures to seek out the small
brown dog.
A companion to Lessac's Under
the Southern Cross, this book is ideal for libraries and
classrooms where children will learn not only about festivals in
North America but some of its geography and history as well. Themes;
Astronomy, Festivals, Night and Day, Galaxies.
Pat Pledger
Love from the Crayons by Drew Daywalt
Illus. by Oliver Jeffers. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008384920.
32pp., hbk. Love is yellow and orange.
Because love is sunny and warm.
Join the Crayons
as they bring us another charming tale, this time about how love is
many colours depending on how we are feeling and what we are doing
at the time.
Explore how love can be shown in so many ways apart from saying
those three words, and then take it further by investigating how we
often assign colours to our emotions and how colours can affect and
reflect our moods.
Something charming for Valentine's Day and Library Lovers'
Day.
Barbara Braxton
Imaginary friend by Stephen Chbosky
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
