The Peski Kids book 4. Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN:
9780143796367.
(Age: Upper primary+) Highly recommended. Near extinction is
the third book in The Peski Kids series. This time the Peski
(pesky) kids literally face their own extinction in a dinosaur park
on a class geography/paleontology excursion. The Peski Kids series is full of exciting, page-turning
adventure. Spratt exposes the reader to current
social/cultural/political concerns, language and vocabulary whilst
somehow managing an authentic tween/teen voice.
The characters are clever and outrageous young people who stun the
reader with their sharp banter and antics. You can't identify with
them (they're too wild) but the teenage reader would be impressed
with them, following their activities (from a safe place) and never
admitting openly (rather surreptitiously investigating) if they don't
understand some of the witty allusions. The Pesky Kids are
countercultural with some of their comments and actions. Being well
rounded characters, they all have flaws and strengths which happen
to be somewhat complementary.
Hilarious, current, politically incorrect terms and idioms by the
dozen fly in the rapid fire dialogue between the characters. The
smart play with language and meaning is perfect for the upper
primary child. We want our readers to be exposed to rich vocabulary.
The book demands active thinking too. The motivation is there
because this is rude, insolent, smart kid talk and as a kid yourself
you would not want to appear out of it. The author tantalizes the
reader with connections like " . . . my brother will bear a striking
resemblance to Anne Boleyn . . . " Many terms and concepts such as
man spread, misogyny, roadkill and human smoothies are thrown about
and hilariously dealt with by these characters. The Peski Kids: Near extinction conjures up a fantastic
visual adventure. Imagine a pink school bus with a theme park
dinosaur speared into the roof with a child caught in its jaws being
driven by jewel thieves at break-neck speed down a country road
chased by a rural policeman and international spies.
Even though The Peski Kids: Near extinction seems to be
about tough, naughty kids who go against the grain, it is also about
love, family, right and wrong and shades of grey. Adoption,
migration, international espionage, teenage relationships and
unusual family structures are embedded themes.
R.A. Spratt does not disappoint with The Peski Kids series
for older children. Highly recommended.
Wendy Jeffery
Hot Dog: Show time by Anh Do
Illus. by Dan McGuiness. Hot Dog 7. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN:
9781742997889. 128pp.
(Age: 6-8) Recommmended. In Hot Dog Book 7, the three main
characters, Hot Dog, Kev and Lizzie are once again ready for a new
and exciting adventure. Toy Town is holding a Talent Show and the
three friends are desperate to win - the prize being a voucher to
the best toy shop in town. They spend quite some time deciding on
what to do, with most of their trials not being successful. However
they decide on a song and set about writing the lyrics and making
the costumes, all with lots of fun and humour. The big day arrives
and the entertainment is awesome! The three friends are a hit with
the crowd and have everyone in the audience singing along. They
ultimately come a gracious second to the Daredevil Hamsters and win
a huge tray of cupcakes.
After the Talent Show they have to prepare for Emma and Ribbit's
wedding in the Big Top at the circus. The day does not go according
to plan due to rainy weather and Hot dog, Kev and Lizzie have to
pitch in and support the wedding couple with all the help they can -
from making bridal outfits, for the circus animals, finding flowers,
providing the entertainment and sharing their cupcakes.
The illustrations of Dan McGuiness complement the story perfectly
and keep the reader engaged in the simple yet engaging text. The use
of different sized fonts draws the reader's attention and maintains
interest in the story. The Hot Dog series is perfect for
emergent readers as well as those children who struggle with reading
as the use of the same characters and familiar words allows these
children to successfully read independently. Themes: Humour,
Friends, Talent show, Wedding ceremony, Family.
Kathryn Beilby
Silly, messy, amazing, magnificent ME by Kylee Cooke
Little Steps Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9781925839630. pbk. 28pp.
Highly recommended. Sometimes Em is told she can't do things like
wear certain clothes or be a dragon, but she does not listen and is
determined to do what she wants. With her family's support, her mum
tells her to 'wear what you feel good in and be confident!',
Her dad tells her 'anyone can play any sport.'
Em tries her best with both things she enjoys and things she is not
so crazy about.
Em knows she is not good at everything but Em loves everything about
herself, especially her name because backwards it spells ME.
This is a very positive book about the importance of loving
yourself, it doesn't matter how good or bad you are at something, it
doesn't matter if people say you won't be able to do that, if you
give it your best shot and enjoy what you are doing you can do
anything you want.
I highly recommend this book for its positivity.
Karen Colliver
Going the distance by Beth Reekles
The Kissing Booth 2. Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241413227.
368pp.
(Age: 15+) Noah has left for college while his girlfriend Elle and
brother Lee navigate senior year in his shadow. Lee made the
football team, but he's not quite the player Noah was, meaning Elle
doesn't get much sympathy from Lee as she yearns for Noah. Lee is
consolidating his romance with Rachel more and more, which means
Elle becomes more and more friendly with the new boy to the group.
Levi is cute if not a tad maudlin having been dumped by his
girlfriend, since moving interstate.
Tension builds as Noah is pictured on social media, enjoying frat
parties and meeting pretty college girls. High School rumours
precipitate a showdown between Noah and Elle. Will their
relationship survive or are new love interests the natural outcome
of trying to sustain a long distance relationship?
Acclaimed adolescent author, Beth Reekles is on a winning YA formula
with the success of her Kissing Booth series. Both
manuscripts so far have been adapted for Netflix. The cliched
romantic plot shies away from any number of modern, familial or
social themes. Interesting that this volume in depicting the
obligatory obsession of adolescents with romance is, according to
the author, somewhat improved in the television manuscript. The
comparison just may be a boost to both readership and views but
certainly won't condemn the reality of peer pressure in the manner
of the best of jarring and jolting YA literature.
Deborah Robins
The reef rescue by Delphine Davis
Mermaid holidays series. Illus: Adele K. Thomas. Penguin
Random House, 2019. ISBN: 9780143796473.
(Age: 5-7) The Mermaids are going to Sea Star Reef Summer Camp
together, a holiday that Olivia Ocean is really looking forward to
sharing with her friends. She plans to have as much fun as possible
and do some exploring of the reef while she is there. Finding the
elusive 'Dumbo Octopus' becomes the driving motivation for Olivia
and her mermates. They do however break some rules and put
themselves into a risky situation which might have some
consequences.
This is a story that is like a cartoon episode with animated
characters and slightly lame humour and sea-themed terminology. The
essence of the story is just about friends getting together, but the
cartoon-like illustrations reveal the underwater fantasy and the
slightly odd characters in the mermaids' holiday world. Text within
the book has coloured capitalised words scattered throughout to add
interest, and many of the expressions and idiom have a marine theme.
This is just a light-hearted story to engage early readers.
Suited to readers aged 5-7 who have graduated to easy chapter books.
Themes: Mermaids, Friendship.
Carolyn Hull
Saga by Nikki McWatters
University of Queensland Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780702262517.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Three eras, three random women in a long
matriarchal line beginning in the 11th Century with Astrid, a
priestess of the Temple of the Goddess Nerthus, fighting to save her
doctrine and community from destruction by the Roman Church. Even
the mighty Vikings convert and threaten everything Astrid holds
dear. Her second sight and her role as the Skaldmaer, in learning to
write the King's epic poems, prompts her to record the tenants of
her religion for posterity. Unfortunately, she is distracted by King
Olav, her childhood sweetheart, proposing marriage and making her an
enemy of the state.
Fast forward to the 19th Century to an orphaned girl purchased from
the Glasgow Poorhouse by a ruthless undertaker. Mercy escapes to
London where her bold nature opens another door, indentured to
novelist and feminist, Anne Radcliffe. Mercy is self-taught but Anne
completes her education as a social experiment. Though thriving,
Mercy longs to discover her true identity returning to Glasgow to
use her skills to help educate poor children.
McWatters must imagine a modern counterpart and this time it is Mia,
living in present day Australia, who inherits the ancient book
Systir Saga. Ostensibly a valuable family record, written in an
ancient language, she and her bestie travel from the Blue Mountains
to an island in Scotland to learn about her mysterious heritage. Saga completes the trilogy, which began with Hexanhaus,
then Liberty. Like these earlier novels, Saga may
stand alone but the rule of three still applies - three strong
women, three periods in human history, weaving intergenerational new
characters to highlight all nine heroines in a long matriarchal
line, championing the meek and changing the course of history. One
for both feminists and fans of historical fiction. Teacher's
notes are available.
Deborah Robins
Haunted Warriors by Lian Tanner
The Rogues book 3. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN:
9781760293543. 315pp.
(Age: 9-13) Highly recommended. Six warriors - Duckling, Pummel,
Otte, Sooli, an enchanted chook and a cat along with Alms - mistress
Krieg and Grandpa (Lord Rump) travel by magic tarpaulin blown along
by Grandfather Wind. Their dangerous mission is to go back to a
massive castle known as the Strong-hold in the cursed city of Berren
in the country of Neuhalt. Their quest is to get to the Strong-hold,
find out who raised the evil Harshman from the grave and send him
back to the grave. They aim to restore the rightful heir, Otte, to
the Faithful Throne and remove the curse from the city.
This fantasy has all the medieval trappings - the castle, baileys,
keeps, towers and chambers together with the people - the cooks,
chambermaids, nobles, simpering courtiers and soldiers. Other
characters are from Tanner's imaginary fantasy world - the Margraves
and Margravines, the Bayams, Harshman and the warriors themselves
with their magic powers. The warriors are haunted - each in a
different way and they are not without their own flaws and difficult
pasts. The haunting is part of their special identity and gives
individual (and complementary) magic powers which come in handy for
their survival.
The strong-hold court rituals, the formal protocols of respect and
address, the structure of life are reminiscent of military, royal,
religious and other institutional organizations where an
understanding of the way things work is vital. There is a real sense
of power and manipulation. Our heroes have to work smart using their
wits and special skills to win back control from their foes. Haunted Warriors is a classic tale of the fight between good
and evil in the fantasy genre. Sacrifice, togetherness,
protectiveness, courage and most of all the power of the bonds of
love overwhelm evil in the end. The reader is exposed to the
concepts of " . . . love and friendship and
comfort-in-times-of-trouble . . . " versus ". . .graves and rotten
fruit, and murder and loss and dispossession . . . " and are granted
a window into what the misuse of power can look like.
Action-packed and magical, this book (and the highly acclaimed
series) is highly recommended for 9-13 year olds.
Wendy Jeffery
The new kid : Very popular me by James O'Loughlin
Pan Macmillan Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9781760554835. 224pp.
(Ages: 6+) Highly recommended. In the second book in the New kid
series Sam is adjusting to life in Canberra, his new school,
friendships and is preparing to become a big brother to a new baby
sister. The story starts with Sam still trying to make friends and
learn the intricacies of the school classroom and student dynamics.
As the story progresses, Sam is faced with many dilemmas as he deals
with his sudden popularity and later with the devastation of
becoming the teacher's pet. All this occurs due to Sam finding an
interesting and sort after marble in the garage of his house and
this leads to his popularity as every student tries to win the
marble during playtime when marble games are strongly contested. Sam
struggles to hold onto both the marble and his popularity as he at
first refuses to partake in matches and then realises that the
marble has taken over his life and he eventually loses it. He also
deals with his first girlfriend who has lots of rules about their
relationship and finally the loss of everything when a new teacher
arrives and makes him the teacher's pet.
The story focuses on Sam's attempts to un-pet himself and regain his
popularity or at least his average kid status. Sam struggles with
life and friendship and the story is written in such a way that the
reader at times feels sorry for him and at other times wishes that
he would just see what is right in front of him. Like many primary
aged children, Sam is struggling to find his place amongst the
unfamiliar environment of a new school and a new home, and as life
changes for the main character the reader will sympathise with these
changes and reflect on their own school experiences.
The book will appeal to a wide range of readers as it is full of
laughs, real situations that the reader will recognise from their
own school experiences. Because of this the book will captivate the
classroom audience as a read-aloud and will engage the reader.
I would recommend this book to primary school aged readers as they
are the ones who are most likely to identify with the storyline,
however, younger readers would enjoy these books too. Themes:
School, friendship, family, peer pressure, humour.
Mhairi Alcorn
DK Life Stories
Dorling Kindersley, 2019. Albert Einstein by Will Mara. ISBN: 9780241322918. hbk.,
128pp. Gandhi by Diane Ailey, illus. by Charlotte Age. ISBN:
9781465474636. hbk., 128pp.
Wil Mara has made Einstein's life story an engaging and fascinating
look at this very complex human being, one whose ideas have shaken
up the foundation of modern physics. As a patent clerk in Bern
Albert had time to think about and discuss his ideas, publishing his
four ground shaking papers in 1905, which made the academic world
take notice. Teaching at Berlin he saw the rise of Fascism in the
1930's a direct result of the punishing Treaty Of Versailles which
ended World War One. A committed pacifist he took the position at
Princeton in the USA and there he was able to advise people on the
road Hitler and his scientists were taking. The Manhattan Project
grew out of his advice, paradoxically doing the very thing he
thought countries should not do. Considered one of the greatest
minds of the twentieth century, Einstein died in 1955.
The book on Gandhi has the same format, presenting to younger
readers a leader of the twentieth century known over the world. It
begins with his family and childhood in India where he became aware
of the oppression of British rule. Moving to South Africa to work as
a lawyer, their system of keeping black and white separate
infuriated him, and he did all he could to support the
underrepresented. He successfully developed the idea of satyagraha,
a way of dealing with the British through non-violence and civil
disobedience which was instrumental in winning India's freedom from
British rule in 1947. This potted biography presents a flawed man
who in developing ideas of peace and non violence influenced others
who came after him such as Martin Luther King. Born in 1869, he was
assassinated in 1948 by a fanatic who disagreed with his peaceful
approach to non Hindus.
Divided into ten (Einstein) and 12 (Gandhi) chapters, the sentences
are short and pithy, illustrations dot the pages and the whole is
complimented with fact boxes, asides and photographs, designed to
entrance the younger reader. A detailed glossary, most useful index,
family trees, who's who and timeline of their lives are rounded off
with a quiz that readers will love to try.
The books are part a series, DK Life Stories, and while the
format may not immediately attract some readers, a teacher will be
able to point them out to students as a valuable and involving
source of information.
Fran Knight
Amazing Animal Earth by Alessandra Yap and Anastasia Popp
Little Steps Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9781925839425. pbk. 28pp.
Recommended. This is a fun story that visits the continents of the
world Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Australia
and Antarctica looking at the iconic animals from each of these
areas.
Each of the animals listed on a page are somewhere in the
illustrations on that page. This adds to the story as you try and
locate the animals you have just read about.
This book can be used as a starting point for teaching about animals
from different continents.
This book shows the reader that there are many amazing animals
around the world.
I recommend this book for young children to enjoy and teachers to
use it to introduce the topic of different animals around the world.
Karen Colliver
Don't follow Vee by Oliver Phommanvanh
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143505747. hbk., 192pp.
Vee has always gone along with her mother's taking a picture each
morning to put on her Instagram account called 'The Chronicles of
Vee' - an account her Mum started when she was a baby. Vee always
says yes when Mum asks her if it is OK to continue, but this year is
different. Vee is in high school, and Mum has begun accepting things
from businesses to have Vee wear at school and show online. She has
also started trying to jazz up Vee's life and show baby pictures.
She tries being anti-Vee, doing things that Mum would hate,
attempting to turn the account upside down, but she gains more
followers! Mum is aiming for 150,000 followers so Vee must find a
way to stop it all. So she turns the table on her mother, snapping
her one morning before she wakes. She encourages her mother to get
out more, join a singing group and meet new friends. As her
strategies begin to work, Vee almost loses her best friend,
Annabelle.
This is an excellent middle-primary book about the use of the mobile
phone, of friendship and family. Phommanvanh's humour is a treat,
easy to read and laugh out loud at the antics of Vee as she tries to
subvert her mother's interference in her life without causing mayhem
in the house.
Along the way are some neat sideswipes at the power of the mobile
phone, as children cannot wait to see the number of likes, or what
the next instalment of Vee's life is about or how many burgers her
friend Bryan has eaten, or what Mum is doing to get her daughter
noticed. The underlining imperative of 'get a life' appealed to me
and will touch those who read the book and may find that reading it
better than looking at a screen!
And I loved Vee, trying hard not to upset her mum who has brought
her up alone but equally aware that she needs to focus on something
else, and make a life for herself. I hope there will be another
instalment of Vee's life, as her character is hard to let go.
At the end of the book is a teaser of the first three chapters of The
other Christy. This was published in 2016 and is equally as
enjoyable, so it will gain another audience after kids have enjoyed
Don't Follow Vee.
Fran Knight
The Besties to the rescue by Felice Arena and Tom Jellett
Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9781760890971. 80pp.
(Age: Beginner readers) Highly recommended. Felice Arena and Tom
Jellett have teamed up again with a new series called The
Besties. In the series, in each book, the two main characters
are introduced through illustrations and speech bubbles on the first
double page. 'Hi. I'm Ruby.' 'Hi. I'm Oliver.' These are fun,
page-turner beginner readers that are grounded in everyday
situations that engage children who are learning to read. The books
are small and easy to hold (approximately eighty pages) and each
page has a varied amount of large font text which is typeset in
different places on the pages - above, below and around the
illustrations for variety and interest. Sentences are well
structured; vocabulary is accessible; interest level is high. Even a
reluctant reader would want to read on to find out what is going to
happen to Olly and Ruby next. Because the situations are familiar,
much of the text (even the difficult words) could be inferred so
that the beginner reader would not stumble and lose the thread.
In The Besties to the rescue, Ruby and Oliver rescue a baby
bird. There is much exciting action around this central activity. At
the back of the book are detailed instructions about what to do if
you find a baby bird, a cartoon related to the topic by 'Olly
Comics,' a little ukulele song with an online address for lyrics,
chords and strumming patterns, two pages of jokes, information about
The Sporty Kids series and fun, child friendly information
about the author and illustrator.
There is plenty here to engage and indeed expand the world of the
beginner reader. Teachers would be pleased and relieved to see that
Felice Arena does not play 'cool-not' games with incorrect grammar.
The beginner reader is exposed to only correct grammar and
punctuation! Hooray! Extracts could be used to direct student
attention to correct English usage as models for their own writing.
Highly recommended for both reading and interest level for beginner
readers.
Wendy Jeffery
Pie in the sky by Remy Lai
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781250314093. 384pp.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Pie in the sky is the debut novel by
author/illustrator Remy Lai and will appeal to children who like
graphic novels and is a fantastic way to move from the graphic novel
genre into narrative fiction. The story revolves around Jingwen who
has moved from his home country to Australia with his mum and
'annoying brother' Yanghao. In Australia he struggles to make sense
of the language and schooling, while at home his mum is working long
hours and is rarely at home. As the story progresses the reader
learns that Jingwen's father has died prior to leaving his old home
and his grandparents have stayed behind as well to look after their
cake shop. The plan was for Jingwen's family to move to Australia
and open a cake shop called 'Pie in the sky', and as the story
progresses Jingwen enlists the help of his brother to bake the cakes
that he and his father had planned to sell, even though his mother
has forbidden him to use the oven when she is not at home.
This book is an engaging read although some children may find it
difficult to follow the story as it chops and changes between
graphic novel, illustration and written narrative that at times
feels repetitive and bogged down in unnecessary details. However,
the story allows children to think about the struggles of those who
are immigrating to a new country with 'alien' languages and
different customs and may inspire them to be kinder to those around
them, including their siblings.
Jingwen is a relatable character who will engage the younger reader
and will allow all readers to delve into the life of the main
character and the family surrounding him. The author also encourages
the reader to think about how the loss of a parent might affect them
and the ways that memories can be kept alive through repeated
activity, even when you have been forbidden to do so!
The addition of a cake recipe at the back is a fantastic addition as
the book focuses on the baking of cakes which leaves the reader with
the desire to taste the creations of Jingwen and his father. Teacher's
notes are available. Themes: Family, Migration, Graphic
novel/fiction hybrid, Grief, Cooking, Siblings.
Mhairi Alcorn
The secrets of Magnolia Moon by Edwina Wyatt
Illus. by Katherine Quinn. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760651541.
(Age: 6-11) Recommended. Magnolia Moon is a young girl with
enigmatic charm and joyful exuberance and zest for life . . .
and an imagination that is unique and peppered with idiosyncrasies.
Sometimes she also has secrets and conversations with the moon
(wouldn't you if your last name was Moon). Her creative friendship
with Imogen May meets a hurdle when Imogen announces that she is
moving away. Who will she share lunch time with and who will
understand her quirky conundrums? Magnolia's family are also loving
and warm and they too have a secret ready to share.
This is a delightful and whimsical journey into the life of Magnolia
- a slightly funny nine-year-old (soon to be ten). Sometimes she
seems too naive to be this age, but her zest for life is delightful
and will spark joy for readers aged 6-11. The writing by Edwina
Wyatt has an energy and whimsy that is very appealing and I can
imagine this book as a shared bed-time delight between a young child
and someone older - especially for a young child expecting a new
sibling. The illustrations are also gently sweet and slightly quirky
- enough to create atmospheric charm. This is not a difficult book
to read, so is a great recommendation for encouraging independence
in reading or for older readers who might struggle with literacy.
Recommended for readers aged 6-11. Themes: Family, Friendship,
Secrets.
Carolyn Hull
Whose nose do you suppose? by Richard Turner
Illus. by Margaret Tolland. Starfish Bay, 2019. ISBN: 9781760360627.
hbk., 26pp.
Highly recommended. 'Richly detailed and realistic illustrations of
various animals in their natural habitat invite children to guess
which animal each nose belongs to and then to learn a variety of
facts about each animal'. Publisher.
The illustrations in the book are beautiful and they make this story
so engaging for young children and the reader alike. The information
that accompanies the discovery of whose nose it is makes this book
more enjoyable. It tells you where each animal can be found
and some fun facts about that particular animal.
This book is a fun guessing game with children as they try and
work out whose nose it is.
It can also be used as an educational resource both with the
predicting of the animals and the learning of the facts about the
different animals.
I highly recommend this book to both families and educators.
Karen Colliver
