Argyll Productions, 2019. ISBN: 9781614505006. 174p.
(Age: 13-Adult) Recommended. Themes: Magic, Drought, Coming of age.
Oliver is a minor mage with the ability of being able to cast only a
few spells, including the ability of tying shoelaces together and a
pushme pullme spell. He is clever with herbs and helpful in his
village, but when his mother is away, the villagers insist that he
goes on a quest to bring rain to the drought stricken area. On the
way he faces much danger, including being imprisoned by a strange
couple, encountering a ghost and nasty bandits in a dark forest and
meeting the eerie cloud herders who could bring rain.
Ursula Vernon writes as T. Kingfisher for adults and this novella
has caused some controversy as her editor didn't feel it was for
children. It does contain some gory bits - a mage who makes harps
out of the bones and hair of humans who have been murdered, ghuls
who chase Oliver trying to eat him, some vicious and violent fights
and a theme of adults acting in bad ways when under the influence of
a crowd. However Oliver is still only 12 years old and sounds like a
child and his familiar the armadillo is an endearing character.
Kingfisher gives the reader lots to think about, especially the
nature of crowd behaviour and how a clever and influential liar can
influence how people act.
The brevity of Minor Mage, the witty dialogue and intriguing
situations that Oliver and his familiar find themselves in made this
an engrossing, quick read. I think it would be suitable for teens
who don't mind some gory details and adults who enjoy T.
Kingfisher's clever narrative and original ideas will find it a
treat.
Pat Pledger
Step sister by Jennifer Donnelly
Hot Key Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781471407970.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fairy tale retelling,
Stepsisters, Bullying, Redemption, Feminism. I'm very fond of the
retelling of fairy tales and this one kept me reading to finish it
in a couple of sittings. Award winning author Donnelly takes the
reader on an engrossing tour examining what happens to Cinderella's
step family after she leaves to marry the prince. Isabelle, one of
the ugly stepsisters, had cut off her toes in an effort to win the
hand of the prince and now finds it difficult to walk, while the
whole family has been shunned by the villagers who taunt them for
what they did to Cinderella. Meanwhile the Fates have mapped out a
path for Isabelle, one that Chance their rival is determine to
change. Tanaquill, the fairy queen also becomes involved in
Isabelle's life and offers her the chance to find the three missing
pieces of her heart, granting her one wish and hereon her life begin
to change. Isabelle believes that being pretty is the most important
thing that she could wish for and begins a journey to find her
heart, on the way learning that her strengths of bravery and
fearlessness are ones worth having.
Donnelly confronts society's view of what a young woman should be
like as Isabelle meets danger, and with daring and cunning overcome
much adversity. Her descriptions of how Isabelle was ridiculed for
her 'ugly' appearance and her fierce fighting ability and Tavi, her
sister, for her intelligence and scholarly interests will resonate
with readers who will relish the girls' gradual transformation from
a pair trying to be beautiful and fit a mould into doing what they
do best, even if it is not what their mother or many men judge fit
for young women.
Although a fairly lengthy book, (469 pages), short chapters and
snappy dialogue make this an easy to read story and the reader will
quickly identify with Isabelle as she struggles with how she has
behaved with Ella, her sorrow about losing Felix and her horse Nero
and her triumphant coming of age.
Pat Pledger
Africa Day by Chi Mary Kalu
Illus. by Jelena Jordanovic-Lewis. Little Steps Publishing, 2019.
ISBN: 9781925839197.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Africa, African food and
culture, Community, Family. Brisbane based lawyer, Chi Mary Jalu has
written a book about a special market day focussing on African food,
music and dance which will make readers' mouths water and feet beg
to move. A boy and his mother leave home early with baskets ready
for the special market day. Walking along some of the market stalls
they breathe in the smells and tastes of African food: fried buns,
jollof rice, bean pudding and Ethiopian coffee. They move on to a
jewelry stall where Mum buys some wooden beads and a bracelet. Next
is bag stall, full of cane and rattan baskets and bags. Then a
material stall where mum buys some shirts and lengths of fabric.
They watch some dancers, jugglers and fire breathers, and they move
on to the singers and musicians engaging the crowd with their lively
music, dressed in traditional costume. The music captivates Mum and
her son who dance until the stalls are taken down and packed away
and it is time for home.
A fabulous time has been spent at Africa Day at the market, and
readers will have joined in the fun of the day, learnt some things
about African culture, had their tastes tingled by the food offered,
and learnt a few African words. A book to encourage diversity and
harmony, Africa Day is full of verve and vigour, wonderfully
evocative illustrations cover every page, full of life, colour and
movement, encompassing the splendour of this continent across the
Indian Ocean. I love the endpapers with the range of African fabric
designs, repeated on the title page, and the happy, laughing faces
on all the participants at the market.
Fran Knight
The Girlhoods by Hilary Rogers
Girltopia, book 3. Scholastic Australia, 2019. ISBN:
9781742994604.
(Age: 10-12). Highly recommended. Themes: Girls, Friendship,
Political power, Epidemics. The third book in the Girltopia
series, following Girltopia
and Boss
girl, this novel brings the story of Clara and her friends to
an explosive and exciting end. In this series all the males in
Melbourne have been struck down by a mysterious sleeping virus and
the place has been renamed Girltopia. Clara, the main character, and
her friends have joined a group called The Girlhoods who are working
to find out how and why the virus was released, which they all
suspect was no accident.
The girls have all come to appreciate the freedom of having a female
only society but it is hard work caring for the males who have been
struck down with the virus and the restrictions at the border mean
some foods and other commodities are hard to come by. They are all
proud of how everyone has stepped up to reorganize society to fill
in where the males were, and this has created a feeling that some do
not want the males to be cured as they are enjoying their newfound
power.
Clara's mother has been jailed just as she is about to release the
cure for the virus, so Clara needs to work with her friends to get
it from the Lab and to those who can release it. Clara needs to sort
out which adults to trust, particularly as some seem so nice but try
to stop her as they believe the world needs to see that women are
better leaders than men.
I have read this series with my twelve-year-old granddaughter and we
have both thoroughly enjoyed all the books. There have been great
opportunities to talk about social media and its effect on people
who over-use it. The adage that 'it's not my business what others
think of me' is a sub-theme in this story and by the end of the book
Clara feels more confident because she has realized she has stopped
worrying about what others think of her. A great book for class
discussion on these topics.
Gabrielle Anderson
Timothy the worm by Helen Reynolds
Illus. by Natasha Hagarty. Little Steps Publishing, 2019. ISBN:
9781925839036.
(Age: 4+) Worms, Recycling. Timothy the worm has lived all his life
in a compost bin at the bottom of the garden, where the gardener
keeps him happy, piling his garden scrapes into the bin. One day
adventurous Timothy decides to leave his comfortable bin and explore
the world outside. In so doing he finds there are faeries in the
garden, and a red eyed creature tells him that he watches over the
faeries in the garden, and gives him permission to be there as well,
offering to help him meet his friends. Timothy spends the day with
the faeries and other creatures that live in the garden and when he
goes back home to his compost bin, he has a lot to tell the other
worms who live there with him.
Some of the offerings from this bespoke publishing house (Little
Steps) have been impressive with their illustrations, layout, design
and text. But Timothy the worm fails to meet the same standard. The
author has missed the opportunity to focus on Timothy and his
composting role, while the layout intrudes with a larger amount of
text than usual in a picture book, and offered in a small font.
For a class looking at the role of composting or of worms this may
prove a useful introduction to the theme, and will encourage readers
to look further for more information.
Fran Knight
A different land by Paul Jennings
Illus. by Geoff Kelly. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760528720.
128 pg.
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Themes: Resilience, Migration,
Courage, Loneliness, Humour. Standing on the platform watching a
steam train pull away but with no one there to meet them, Mum (Pat),
her son Christopher and Anton, the boy from the boat are concerned
that they have come all this way for nothing. Applying for any job
she could meant getting out of the migrant camp and this one could
not have been more isolated. 1500 miles and greeted by a grizzled
man expecting to pick up another man to help in his hotel,
dumbfounded that Pat is a woman and with two young boys in tow. But
with no where else to go, they are bundled into his truck and in
paths cut into the forest, drive to his hotel, a run down, dirt
floored, building smelling of barbecue and with little in the way of
the comforts they were hoping for.
In telling this story, Jennings is recalling the concerns of all
migrants, as they come to a new land, full of hopes that may be
dashed, fear lurking beneath the surface, but resilient enough to
see their decision through. Pat is determined to make their move
work, and bolsters up the two boys when confronted with things like
the camp stretchers, snakes, wild boar and long drop toilets.
Jennings has included many things which will make his audience laugh
out loud, but a loving family and a welcoming lot of isolated people
ready to accept a new family in their midst gives the story an
emotional edge. Readers will recognise courage and resilience in the
dreams of the new migrants, reflecting the feelings Jennings and his
family had when arriving in Australia as 'ten pound poms'.
A companion piece to the two 'different' stories, A different
dog and A different boy, themes unite the stories and
the last of the three will draw a wide, appreciative audience,
loving the life and death adventure Christopher finds himself part
of and equally delighted by the black and white illustrations
accompanying the text setting the scene for the readers. Scroll down
the page for teacher's
tips from the publisher.
Fran Knight
Return of the Temujai by John Flanagan
Brotherband, book 8. Random House, 2019. ISBN: 9780143785941.
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Themes: Action; Adventure; Conflict;
Teamwork. John Flanagan writes with an amazing flair for tension and
action-adventure stories for young adults who have grown up on
video-game conflict. In this, his 24th book since the original
successful Ranger's Apprentice series began and the 8th book
of the side-shoot Brotherband series, there is action
aplenty with risks taken and plans and strategies employed to defeat
the advancing Temujai - the war-hungry nation of horse-riding
archers. The Brotherband, usually sea-faring but also well-trained
land-based fighters, are required to assess the defences of their
Skandian countrymen. After an attack in a mountain strong-hold, and
then in what seems to be an impossible up-river and against-the-odds
sortie, the small band of misfit 'brothers' led by their youthful
leader, Hal, are required to change the course of the threatening
Temujai. The multi-faceted nature of their combat skills makes them
a formidable defence team, but they are a quirky bunch of
individuals!
This book is action from beginning to end, and yet there is warmth
in the relationships between the ship-based Brotherband (which
includes one female warrior) that tempers the adrenaline and
ferocity of the conflict. This gentle warmth, trust and
companionship makes this (or any book in the series) a book to
recommend for male and female readers. The pace and tension of the
story, with the intelligence of strategy as the characters are
required to overcome adversity and fight to survive, will be loved
by many readers.
Carolyn Hull
If you're out there by Katy Loutzenhiser
Balzer + Bray, 2019. ISBN: 9780062865670. 320p. Hbk.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Friendship, Mystery, Romance, Social
media. An engrossing story featuring female friendship and a mystery
is sure to engage both fans of suspense and those who like a
romance. Zan is devastated when her best friend Priya ignores her
calls and emails after moving to California. Her social media posts
don't sound like her at all and she can't believe that Priya would
just leave her hanging without saying why. With Logan, the new boy
at school, she begins to investigate what has happened to Priya even
though everyone believes that she should just let go of the past. A
clue in Priya's latest selfie and then a cryptic email make her
continue on her search for her friend.
Zan is the sort of friend that everyone would want. She believes
that she knows Priya so well that she can't be the shallow person
posting comments and selfies and so she decides to try and do
something about it. Logan, who has lots of problems of his own, is a
supportive and helpful friend and the dialogue between the two is
witty and humorous. Family dynamics play an important background
role in the story with Zan's mother giving advice from her therapist
viewpoint, and Zan coming to terms with her father's treatment of
her when her parents split. Loutzenhiser's skilful writing also
gradually brings to light Logan's bad boy background story in a
satisfying way and keeps the reader in suspense wondering whether
Priya has ghosted her friend or whether she is in trouble.
With its themes of social media, relationships and a diverse set of
characters, this light and easy to read story is sure to be popular
and its theme of female friendship is one to recommend.
Pat Pledger
The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Christmas Eve by Eric Carle
A lift-the-flap book. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241350249.
12p.
(Age: 1-4) Recommended. Themes: Christmas. What fun to meet the very
hungry caterpillar again, this time haunting a house that is getting
ready to celebrate a snowy Christmas. The reader is encouraged to
lift the flaps following the narrative that is set out in rhymes and
is great to read aloud: It's Christmas Eve
and the moon shines bright,
Who's at home
on this silent night?
In gorgeous bright hues, the reader is introduced to three
inhabitants of the house, a cat, a dog and a mouse, and must lift
the flap to find out which one is behind it. Then after lifting a
beautifully decorated Christmas tree, the final page reveals a
special surprise: Father Christmas, wishing everyone a happy
Christmas. Meanwhile, the reader will also have lots of fun finding
the very hungry caterpillar who is lurking somewhere on each double
spread.
The cover of the book is particularly eye-catching with a background
of gold foil and its gorgeous Christmas tree, surrounded by presents
and decorations. The caterpillar is well camouflaged as well! The
back cover is equally as gorgeous with its gold background and
little cat batting at snowflakes.
This would make a delightful book to have on hand to read before
Christmas.
Pat Pledger
Goodnight, little tough guy by Michael Wagner
Illus. by Tom Jellett. Harper Collins, 2019. ISBN: 9780733339356.
(Ages: 2-6) Highly recommended. Bedtime story. This is the ultimate
bedtime story; a joy to read, soothing to the ear and nourishing for
both adult and child. It reminds us at the end of a hard, busy day
of the extreme busyness of being a kid and of how hard they work
every day at learning and practising new skills. The text has this
assertive, newsreader tone as it says goodnight to all the tough
guys in the world. The use of alliterative language is inspired
here, as it leads the reader to read slowly and enunciate each word,
making for an even stronger text ('The firefighters are fitting in
forty fabulous winks. And the soldiers are slipping silently into
slumberland'). It utilises all the things that kids love to play in
both sports and imaginative play; pirates, lion tamers, wrestlers,
race car drivers, etc. For each we see the tough guys either heading
to sleep or already asleep (often in the middle of their play!). The
illustrations will draw a chuckle from adults and kids alike; two
helmet-clad kids fast asleep in their double pram still clutching
their makeshift steering wheel, the flaked out toddler asleep with
superhero mask and dummy. Tom Jellett's illustrations are always
amazing. He has a way of portraying children and life with kids that
is cartoonish but so realistic. The title uses 'guys' in the modern
non-gendered way, not only portraying both boys and girls but
supporting non-traditional gender roles (including female
footballer, soldier and builder). This is a supremely clever and
wholesome bedtime story that will become a favourite of all the
little tough guys and their storytellers!
Nicole Nelson
The adventures of Anders by Gregory Mackay
Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760632076.
(Age: 7+) This large book contains the first three graphic novels
about Anders and his friends, by author and illustrator Gregory
Mackay celebrating friendship, adventure and creativity. In the
first, Anders
and the Comet Anders and his classmates are surprised
when their teacher gives them a homework assignment for the school
break. They have to write a report on their holiday activities.
Anders, his cousin Eden and new mate Bernie enjoy family outings,
visiting the zoo and a carnival, exploring the local park, playing
video games and play and craft activities. They make bows and
arrows, build a box cubby, imagine they are in far off lands and
have adventures with the Green Grabber.
The second in this compendium is Anders
and the Volcano, which has the three friends camping
near an extinct volcano. When a new friend, Veronica, joins them
with her own flying beetle, Bernie is reluctant to try, and all
seems to go well until they find themselves in a tricky situation.
The third in this collection, Anders and the Castle has mass
appeal once again, pitting the friends again in a tricky situation
they must join their talents to find a solution. While reading this
funny tale of survival, readers will learn a great deal about
castles, as Mackay illustrates various components of castles,
explaining what each is used for. Keeps, moats, castle walls,
drawbridges, cellars, lots of winding staircases and battlements all
figure within this graphic novel to intrigue and inform the readers.
Anders is a positive role model of how to support, interact and
build friendships. He accepts his friends and their choices they
make without hesitation. He is inclusive and encourages new
friendships with the people he meets wherever the friends go. The
full colour graphic novel incorporates explicit learning with
information given to the readers in all three stories, about comet,
volcanoes and castles. The three stories are broken up into chapters
and presents an easy read for younger readers who are just beginning
the journey into graphic novels.
Fran Knight, Rhyllis Bignell and Annette Mesecke
The most ungrateful girl in the world by Petra James
Illus. by Anna Zobel. Penguin Random House Australia, 2019. ISBN:
9780143793670.
(Age: 8-10). Recommended. Themes: Friendship, Gratitude, Mystery and
suspense, Competition, Manners, Secret service. Ten-year-old Izzy
Winkle seems to be surrounded by people who have talent. She is on
the hunt for her special talent when a flyer for a mysterious
competition floats from a polka dot balloon and into her bedroom
window. Izzy takes it as a symbol and decides to sign up. There is
one problem though, the competition is to find the most ungrateful
girl in the world and Izzy has faultless manners. The reason for her
great manners is her grandmother who is Daphne Du Bois, the
Etiquette Queen of the Southern Hemisphere. Both she and her mother
have been trained from birth to have the best manners, even though
her father seems constantly to try to undermine her grandmother's
efforts.
Izzy uses pure logic to come up with the idea that she could become
ungrateful; they are two sides of the same coin, after all. Little
does Izzy know that there is an evil plot afoot to bring bad manners
to the fore and change the world, one bad mannered girl at a time.
Izzy stumbles through a world of secret agents who ask her to be an
undercover agent for them in order to find out who is behind this
dastardly plot.
With her best friend and genius Katie Skittle by her side, Izzy
plans to do her best at being her worst. She enlists the help of
Horace Unthank, the rudest man in the world to coach her for the
competition. His story of the towns of Thank and Unthank intertwines
with Izzy's to give the story some more interesting twists. Younger
children will enjoy many of the gross details of the people who
lived in the town of Unthank such as their general rudeness, their
snotty noses, matted hair often full of food and clothes splattered
with mud.
The book is written in first person by Izzy and the way she tells
this story is funny and self-deprecating which will appeal to
everyone. I am not sure if every student will find the idea of a
book about manners enticing but it will appeal as a mystery and
suspense story involving a girl who becomes a secret agent. The
suggestions for good and bad manners which appear at the beginning
of each chapter could be used as a discussion starter if the book is
read to a class.
Gabrielle Anderson
Armageddon by Jack Heath
Liars, book 5, Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742993430.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Themes: Espionage, Terrorism, Adventure,
Truth and lies. Jarli and his friends are at the pointy end of the
Liars drama series. The truth App that Jarli created is of limited
help in the face of the threat of total destruction of his home town
- a true Armageddon is possible. The villain, Viper, has yet to be
revealed, Jarli's friend, Doug, is dead (or is he?) and memories
have been lost. Where is truth in the midst of the chaos and can
Jarli save his community and his friends and family from the
devastation? This is another action-packed adventure that reads like
a roller-coaster ride with bumps and spirals and gut-wrenching
uncertainty; the conclusion to the story thread has incredible
drama, villainous plot twists, and adrenaline surges and although
entirely unbelievable is a great teen adventure.
This is not a book that should be read independently from the other
books in the series, as there are details and characterisation that
are well presented earlier in the series, and not enough is given in
this easily read finale to recommend it as a stand-alone book. But
everyone who has started the series will clamour for the opportunity
to discover Armageddon. Jack Heath certainly knows how to
enthrall young readers who love action-adventure in a technology
rich world.
Recommended for readers aged 12+
Carolyn Hull
Australian sea life by Matt Chun
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2019. ISBN: 9781760504694. 36pp, hbk.
Even though Australia is surrounded by ocean, not everyone has the
chance to visit it regularly and even fewer have had the opportunity
to explore it as a scuba diver and really see the diversity of life
under the waves. (Believe me, it is a fascinating world and even
more diverse at night.) So in this companion to the 2019 CBCA
shortlisted Australian birds, Matt Chun has taken his
talents beneath the surface to give us a peek at what is in the
waters that enclose us.
From the Great White Shark to the Dugong to the Weedy Sea Dragon,
readers can explore and discover pictorial and textual descriptions
of familiar and not-so creatures that are part of our natural
seascape. The attention to detail is again superb, and while most
children won't recognise as many of the species as they might have
in Australian birds, this is the perfect time, with summer and beach
holidays around the corner, to pique their curiosity, raise their
awareness and inspire thoughts of conservation.
If Australian birds inspired your class to be involved in
this year's Aussie Bird Count later this month, then perhaps there
could be an in-school project to identify the marine creatures the
students discover over summer.
If we are to protect our planet and its inhabitants, knowing about
them first so they are valued is essential and this is the perfect
starter.
Barbara Braxton
Give me back my bones! by Kim Norman
Illus. by Bob Kolar. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781406384932. 40pp.,
hbk.
A stormy night and the fast-flowing ocean current has uncovered and
scattered the pirate's skeleton all over the seabed and he is
desperate to put himself back together. And with clever language and
a rollicking rhyme, young readers not only help the pirate gather
himself but also learn how their own skeletons go together and the
correct names for all the bones. Help me find my head bone,
my pillowed-on-the-bed-bone,
the pirate's flag-of-dread-bone,
I'm scouting out my skull.
But as he comes together, a danger even greater than storms and
currents is lurking. Will this be his last hurrah?
From the scattered bones on the front endpaper to the complete
skeleton on the back, this is engaging, entertaining and educational
and little ones will love to have it over and over, soon chanting
the rhymes for themselves. Lots of fun and lots of learning, the
ideal way to introduce the body's anatomy, find their own bones and
the potential for the children to try to piece the body parts
together for themselves.
Barbara Braxton
