The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Lucerne by Katrina Nannestad
ABC Books/ Harper Collins, 2019. ISBN: 9780733338199.
Highly recommended for readers aged 9-12. Themes: Family
relationships; Lucerne; Mystery; Secrets. The girl is Freja - a
delightful and wise young lady; the dog is Finnegan - a rambunctious
and exuberant hound, with his nose in everyone's business and their
food as well; and the writer is Tobias - a clumsy crime-writer with
a heart of gold, or perhaps chocolate. They have arrived in Lucerne
with the opportunity to reconnect with Freja's mother Clementine who
is fragile and ailing in a hospital overlooking Lake Lucerne. Freja
is living with the hope of a miracle, and to some extent she
discovers small miracles in the love of the people around her, and
the opportunities to solve another mystery involving copious amounts
of milk chocolate, the Swiss alps and a woman bandaged from head to
foot. The delight of a story with chocolate, alpine castles, secret
passages, and wonderful and unique characters is sometimes shadowed
by the secret that Freja's frail and very unwell mother has yet to
share with her daughter. Tobias and Finnegan take Freja to wonderful
places between her visits to the hospital, and the growing love
story with Tobias and Vivi - the Italian chocolatier, plus the
growing mystery of the chocolate thefts distracts Freja from
thinking too deeply about the secret that her mother has not shared
with her. Ultimately this is a story about love and the love that
can be known in family and in overcoming difficulties together.
This is the third book in the series with The girl, the dog and
the writer and it could be read in isolation, but the
personality growth and maturing of Freja would be understood more
fully by reading all three books - in addition this would give three
times the enjoyment!. The dog and writer are both impossibly
reckless in a completely loving and warm way. Who wouldn't want to
have discussions about the way a body might fall from a third story
building so that it might be included in the next crime novel, or
have the cream licked off your hot chocolate and the chocolate
licked from the corners of your mouth? Their personalities and
slightly disorderly approach to life contrast beautifully with the
endearing and growing bravery of Freja.
Everything about this book is sweet (and not just because there are
lots of chocolate tortes and chocolate delicacies scattered
throughout) and the relationship warmth between all the characters
will warm the heart of any reader.
Carolyn Hull
The Book of Stone by Mark Greenwood
Illus. by Coral Tulloch. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760650872.
Recommended for a school library collection. Themes: Geology;
Poetry. This book is a poem with reverence for the place of stone in
our existence. That sentence almost seems strange as I write it, but
Mark Greenwood has led us on a journey of reverie beginning with one
stone, and layering it with possibilities as he unfolds and reveals
the many ways that stone appears in our world and through time. The
language is spare and yet crafted beautifully, almost like a
weathered rock itself. The illustrations by Coral Tulloch are
delightful - mostly detailed pencil sketches, with variations
depending on the content. The endpapers include detailed
illustrations of on array of different stones, rocks, fossils and
gems. As Greenwood says, "Every stone has a story" and the
combination of words and pictures in this The Book of Stone
together tell the story of stone and illustrate it with finesse.
This is a great book that I could see being used by teachers in a
poetry unit rather than as a reference book for those interested in
geology. Particularly as it points out the way that stone is used in
the course of the human story rather than to just describe a
geological formation story. Classroom
ideas are available from the publisher.
Carolyn Hull
Atlas of Ocean Adventures by Emily Hawkins
Illus. by Lucy Letherland. Quarto Group, 2019. ISBN:
9780711245303.
Highly recommended. This beautiful book, focusing judiciously on the
world's oceans, is a timely addition to any library collection. The
pages are busy with detailed soft water-colour illustrations of
marine animals and birdlife of every ocean and continent with each
placed within their particular habitat. The book is large (37x27cm)
and the pages are of good quality, responsibly sourced paper.
Each double page opens to reveal a new part of the world. A large
marine landscape/habitat covers both pages. Upon this landscape the
creatures can be found and each is accompanied by interesting facts.
Each page contains an inset box with a map highlighting the place in
the world depicted in the landscape. Most pages contain a second box
with a detailed labelled diagram of particular animals.
The wealth of information contained within these pages is easily
retrieved by the young researcher through the index or the contents
pages and further enhanced by titles, sub-titles, friendly language,
maps, illustrations and diagrams. The casual reader's attention
would be drawn by the sheer pleasure of turning the huge pages and
looking at the intricate pictures. Atlas of Ocean Adventures opens with a large double page map
of the world's continents and oceans and then focuses on particular
oceans and the unique wildlife found in each. At the end there is
information about the dangers to oceans and activities which send
the child back into the book searching for details in the
illustrations.
This is a very special book. Junior and Middle Years teachers would
find it a useful and attractive resource for teaching within the
Geography and Science areas of the curriculum. It is a book that is
made for sharing - adult to children or children together. It's the
kind of book that would make a very special gift for a child.
Although it could be in a general student borrowing circulation,
this book deserves to be displayed prominently in a reserved
reference area within a library where it could be available for
maximum access for students and teachers.
Wendy Jeffrey
The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
Orbit, 2019. ISBN: 9780356507002.
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Listen. A god is speaking.
My voice echoes through the stone of your master's castle.
This castle where he finds his uncle on his father's throne.
You want to help him. You cannot.
You are the only one who can hear me.
You will change the world.
This challenging and thought-provoking fantasy will have fans of
award winning Leckie wanting to talk and discuss it. A change from
her science fiction (Ancillary Justice and Provenance) Leckie
explores the idea of how gods and men fare when a pretender takes
over the throne.
Written to the warrior Eolo in the second person (using pronouns
you, your, and yours), by the Raven, it took me some time to become
familiar with this as it was relatively new to me, but once I
settled into the book, found it a fascinating way of getting to know
the characters from a different perspective. Eolo is a warrior, body
guard to Mawat, the true heir to the throne, and seen from the
Raven's eye is cool and courageous and very willing to take risks to
uncover what is happening and whether murder has been committed.
Underlying all is the story of the Stone, a great and patient god,
and the stories of how men use gods to try and understand and
manipulate what is happening in their world. And what an ending! It
will stun readers and leave them desperate to reread parts to see
how Leckie managed to pull it all together.
This is a challenging fantasy; the second person writing may daunt
some until well into the novel and the thought of how people have
worshipped different gods over the ages makes for a fascinating
background to the story.
Pat Pledger
The Girl and the Dinosaur by Hollie Hughes
Illus. by Sarah Massini. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408880524.
(Age: 3-7) Recommended. Themes: Rhyming Book, Imagination,
Dinosaurs. Sarah Massini's (Kiss it Better, The Boy and
the Bear) beautifully rich and detailed illustrations are
perfect for this magical, dreamy tale. 'There's a town beside the
sea, not so very far from here, with golden sands and rock pools,
and a tattered, battered pier. And there's a girl upon the beach her
name is Marianne, she's digging for a dinosaur just beneath the
sand.' The fisherfolk are worried that Marianne is too preoccupied
with old bones; 'She needs to find some friends', they say. But one
night Marianne wishes with all her heart for her dinosaur to come to
life. 'The wishing stars burn bright that night, the air is thick
with dreams, and a deeply sleeping dinosaur is waking up, it seems .
. . ' And so, we are witness to Marianne and her dinosaur friend's
magical journey in the night: past unicorns and giants, through
magical moonlit clouds and to a party place for all children and
their dream creatures. 'Back to the town beside the sea and back to
empty beds, and back to secret memories to keep from grown-up
heads.' Upon waking, Marianne finds other children who also dream
and imagine and they dig and explore together.
The peaceful, sparse and windy English seaside scene created by
Massini is reminiscent of Emily Sutton's illustrations: evocative
and full of texture. There are so many stunning double-page spreads
and the colour choices and Marianne's flowing red hair are perfectly
executed. The poetic language used throughout is rich with imagery
and flows beautifully when read aloud.
This is a calming and charming bedtime story perfect for dinosaur
lovers and all children who dream.
Nicole Nelson
Bluey: The Beach by Bluey
Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760894054.
(Age: 2-5) Board Book, Lift-the-Flaps Book, Independence. As a TV
show, Bluey has been a phenomenal success, so it is no surprise that
there was great anticipation around the release of the accompanying
books. This one is based on a similarly titled Bluey episode in
which she and her family head to the beach for a fun day out. When
Mum heads off on a walk, Bluey asks her why she likes walking alone.
'I just do', she replies. Bluey thinks it's a strange answer, but
when she gets an opportunity for a solo walk of her own she begins
to understand. Her journey across the sand is filled with adventure
and independent problem solving. She is faced with a flock of
seagulls, a big wave, a weeing pipi, a myriad of crabs, an abandoned
sand castle and a pelican blocking her path. As she proceeds she
gains confidence and persists even in adversity, leading to a joyous
reunion with Mum. 'I love walking by myself', she says. She doesn't
know how to explain why; 'I just do', she says.
The Bluey TV show and this book are filled with typically Australian
cultural and social references and most children and families will
identify with at least something in this book; burying yourself in
the sand, listening for the ocean in a shell and poking jelly blobs
on the sand. The book is made more engaging by the use of flaps,
that in themselves are part of the story and help to create a sense
of movement and action. The text reads fine but it works better if
the reader and the audience are already familiar with the narrative
from the television episode. This is fine, however, because the
target audience will be. It certainly won't disappoint the millions
of dedicated Bluey fans out there.
Nicole Nelson
My folks grew up in the 80s by Beck and Robin Feiner
HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780733339417.
(Age: 6-10) This publication is a nostalgic walk down memory lane
for parents and a chance for their children to giggle at the
craziness of childhood in another time. The front and back cover
feature a hair crimper, leotard and legwarmers, scrunchies and
cassette tapes, trolls and heart-shaped sunglasses (just to name a
few). 'My folks grew up in the '80s. And from what I've heard, it
was a really bizarre time!' It goes on to describe all the weird and
wonderful things that people wore and did in the 80s, from using a
phone book and a landline telephone to aerobic exercising in front
of a Jane Fonda VHS.
The pictures are full of neon and '80s patterning and loaded with
cultural references and details that will make parents cringe,
giggle or both. Floppy discs, slinkies, forgetting to rewind videos
before returning them to the store, a BMX Bandit flag on the back of
the bicycle, Space Food Sticks and Pop Tarts in the kitchen . . .
it's all there.
It is quintessentially Australian and it is quintessentially '80s
and it will have kids asking questions and parents wanting to share
what life was like when they were a kid. As the last page points out
(complete with a nod to the Dirty Dancing water lift scene), it
might even help children understand why their folks are so weird.
A fantastic conversation starter for kids of 1980s Australia and
their curious and disbelieving offspring.
Nicole Nelson
If you meet an elephant by Debbie Smith
Illus. by Emma Middleton. Little Steps Publishing, 2019. ISBN:
9781925839104.
(Age: 3-6) Rhyming Book, Elephants, Friendship. This story explores
in picture and rhyme what it would be like to make friends with an
elephant. 'There are things you must know when you're out and about,
if you meet a large elephant there. It may help you to know of some
traits they might show . . . ' The text has mostly good moments
(With their big booty bottoms and flip- flappy ears, there'll be
CHAOS and MAYHEM in store') but is a little too nonsensical in parts
('You had better take care if an elephant's near . . .
especially when hosting high tea. Because ALL children know it's the
start of the show when the elephants come to . . . eat free!')
Emma Middleton's illustrations are whimsical and playful, featuring
a cute, smiling elephant and a bike-riding mouse and do a fair job
of portraying the immense size difference between the two main
characters. It seems a shame though, that the bright colours
featured on the cover give way to mainly muted dull tones as this
may have helped give the story some extra vibrancy. The story
finishes with 'But wait! Can you imagine how cool it would be . . .
if an elephant made friends with you? The intended message is that
even though being friends with someone different to you can put you
into uncomfortable situations it would also be rather exciting, but
this message does seem a little lost.
Nicole Nelson
The Somerset Tsunami by Emma Carroll
Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9780571332816.
(Age: 10-12) Highly recommended. At last, a book to challenge young
minds! A book with some substance! The Somerset Tsunami
takes the young reader to another place and time - to the socio-
economic and political landscape of early seventeenth century
Somerset. For the Australian child, this is a leap. Not only is the
geography unfamiliar but the vernacular, the lifestyle - everything
that goes on in the lives of the characters is of another time.
Emma Carroll brings historical fiction alive. The Somerset
Tsunami storyline develops through the voice of Fortune, a
brave and smart heroine. She comes from a poor family who live in a
tiny hamlet called Fair Maidens Lane, somewhere on the Bristol
Channel. Carroll locates the story in a time of great social divide
where the poor cottagers lived powerless hand-to-mouth existences
with the greater social evils of the slave and sugar trades as a
backdrop. The role of women in society at that time is painted for
the reader and the threat of Witchcraft trials overhang the
characters as they fight for survival. Family love and loyalty tie
the characters together in the face of constant danger.
As well-known by today's inhabitants, a tsunami did destroy the
coastal hamlets in Somerset changing lives forever and perhaps
offering new opportunities to the brave. The rush of the tsunami
mirrors the chilling rate of challenges faced by the characters as
they try to evade their pursuers.
Carroll presents a cast of well-rounded characters. Gender roles are
explored. The characters are not stereotypical and they survive and
thrive. This is great representation of difference for young readers
to empathise with. Our heroine, for one, is no shrinking violet -
eventually going to sea as a sailor. Carroll allows her characters
to grow into themselves with natural acceptance of whatever that may
be. Love and relationships and what one does for love of the other
are central to the story.
This book would be ideal for age 10 to 12 stronger readers and would
work well as a serial read. Young readers could be encouraged to use
their atlases and explore historical themes arising from the book
that interest them.
Wendy Jeffrey
The girl who reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury
Translated from French by Ros Schwartz. Mantle, 2019. ISBN: 9781509868339.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Travelling on the Paris Metro to work
in a real estate office, Juliette had often passed her time covertly
making out the book titles or the page being perused by fellow
commuters, and wondered about the lives of the readers and their
book choices. In a spontaneous variation to her route one day, an
encounter with a sprite of a girl, Zaide, leads her to the strange
dusty world of a bookshop, 'Books Unlimited', and its mysterious
owner Soliman, who dispenses books to 'passeurs' - not the agents of
the secret French resistance WWII escape routes, but people who pass
on books to the person most in need of them. Soliman tells Juliette
about Hornbaker's concept of BookCrossing, releasing books into the
wild, leaving books in public places for people to find; only
Soliman wants his passeurs to give the right book to the right
reader. It reminded me of Ranganathan's laws of library science:
every person his or her book; and, every book its reader. Juliette
had been studying readers on the Metro for a long time but the idea
of matching the right book to the right reader seems overwhelming to
her. But somehow she seems to have the knack . . .
The novel is set in the modern world of stressed work lives and
mobile phones, but the story invokes the quirkiness of past French
films, and I could just see Amelie star Audrey Tatou in the
role of Juliette, a person of lightness and grace, caught in the
humdrum of daily life, and bringing a spark to her encounters with a
variety of unusual people: the man in the green hat with his insect
book, the sad woman with Italian recipes, the pretty young woman
tearfully reading page 247 of the romance novel.
However Juliette has always led a sheltered life, never going
further than the few Metro stops to her work, her only adventures
those in the books she's read. When she enters into the bookshop
with its teetering piles of books, and then is suddenly asked to
take care of it all, the task seems overwhelming. But the friends
she has come to know help her to inevitably take courage and find
her true vocation.
This is definitely a book for book lovers; there are many references
to treasures of literature, both classical and modern. At the end
there is a list of amazing books. Readers will be familiar with
many, but are invited to also add their own favourites, books they
would "recommend to a friend - or to your worst enemy, so they will
no longer be so, if the magic works".
Helen Eddy
The very super bear by Nick Bland
Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781743831267.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Bears, Verse, Humour, Problem solving,
Environment. When Bear finds a cape on the ground, he swings it onto
his shoulders, swishing it here and there, when a voice from on high
asks him to fly up and help.
In lovely rhyming verses, the tale of the bear and his cape unfolds,
him insisting that he may have a cape but he is not a super bear,
and cannot fly like super heroes. But each time he is asked for
assistance, he tries somehow to help. His first request is an
elephant stuck high up on a palm tree. Not able to fly up to help,
Bear climbs the tree, helping to rescue the elephant. But when the
elephant gets off he leaves the palm like a giant spring which
flings Bear into the air. He flies alongside a goose (Bruce) who
call for his help because a monster is gobbling up the trees in
their forest, and even though Bear insists again that he is not that
sort of bear, he tries to help. He does indeed find a monster
ripping up the trees and concocts a very funny solution to the
problem, using his cape, the flowers and the bees.
The acrylic illustrations are just delightful: the look on Bear's
face telling of his exasperation in not being able to convince the
other animals that he really cannot fly is memorable, while the
antics the Bear performs when donning his cape or throwing the
flowers are so full of movement many readers will get up and try it
out for themselves. Readers will laugh out loud at the animals'
attempts to rid their forest of the invader, and think about the
destruction that deprives these animals of their habitats. The
verses, so wonderful to read aloud, will entice children to call
out the rhyming word each time a second line is read, and they will
ask for the story to be read and read again.
Fran Knight
My grandma is 100 by Aimee Chan
Illus. by Angela Perrini. Little Steps, 2019. ISBN: 9781925839531.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Themes: Age, Family, Birthdays, Numbers,
Presents, Celebrations. Children will love recognising the customs
surrounding birthdays as the narrator in this story talks about his
grandma's approaching 100th birthday He wonders about what people
will come along: will there be 100 people, or 100 birthday presents?
And then of course, what sort of food to have: Grandma tells him she
needs grown-up food like sandwiches and quiche not potato chips and
little pies which she cannot eat, and he wonders whether they will
need the fire brigade to put out the fire of 100 candles on the
cake. Children will laugh along with grandma at the questions he
asks, enjoying the hunour underlying the young boy's inquisitive
nature. But they may be questions they ask as well, especially when
they have a much older relative who needs special care. We find that
his grandma is in a nursing home, so when the question of a present
arises, he must be careful that it is not too big or noisy. He
deliberates over what to give her, remembering how she only had a
doll when she was younger in times which were, she tells him, a lot
simpler.
Children will enjoy reading of the organisation around birthday
parties, and particularly when someone turns 100, they will love
questioning along with the narrator, and thinking about what they
would do for their older relative.
The bright illustrations concentrate on the customs of the birthday
party: lots of images of cake and presents, candles, flags and
guests, making it a happy, involving look at how a birthday is
celebrated.
Fran Knight
Roly Poly by Mem Fox
Illus. by Jane Dyer. Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760896348.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Polar bears, Sibling rivalry,
Families. Learning to get along with a new member of the family,
especially one who wants what you have, can be a painful transition
for some, and Mem Fox brings this issue to life with her delightful
character Roly Poly, imaginatively sculpted by Jane Dyer and
photographed by Jeanne Birdsall.
Roly Poly is used to having his own space. His bed is his bed and
his alone, the fish he catches are his fish and his alone, his
walrus tooth that he plays with is his and his alone. Repetition
entwines the listeners into the story, and they will say the words
out loud, waiting for the verbal clues to show them the way. The
beautifully timed lines create an image of a bear not used to
sharing his life so when a baby brother appears in his bed one day,
he is indignant. He pretends not to hear when his parents tell him
about Monty, and he storms off when this brother tries to play with
him. But Monty follows him, and when the ice flow begins to crack,
Roly Poly pretends not to hear the cries for help, and turns his
back once again.
The images created by Dyer are magical: pulled wool results in a
fluffy felt like appearance, giving the impression of the polar
bears' fur, and the addition of little things like the bedroom
furniture and the scarves add reality to each scene.
It is amazing how lifelike the expressions on the bears' faces
become as the story unfolds, making it clear to all readers that
this book is not just about bears.
Readers will love listening to the story read aloud, anticipating
the repeated words, repeating some of the lines as it is read.
Equally reading it for themselves will be a treat, searching each
page for details, marvelling at how lifelike the bears are,
recalling for themselves times when they have been less than
sympathetic with their siblings.
As a read aloud, a discussion starter about siblings and their
disagreements, or just a good read about two brothers, this latest
offering by Australia's most loved author, Mem Fox, will never be
left long on the shelf in any library. You may need several copies.
Fran Knight
The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan
Egmont, 2019. ISBN: 9781405293679.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Imaginary lands,
Adventure, Magical Creatures, Good vs Evil, Twins. Rose and Arthur
are twins who have spent holiday time with their grandad. As young
children they played in Grandad's attic and created a mythical land
where they were the heroes of imaginative battles and adventures.
Now back at Grandad's home as eleven year olds, Rose and Arthur are
not quite the connected twins that they used to be. Rose is only
interested in her mobile phone and impressing the older girl next
door whereas Arthur is keen to relive their childhood adventures in
the attic. Rose treats Arthur disdainfully and Arthur keeps on
hoping Rose will become the adventurous and fun sister she once was.
Grandad decides that this year he will give the children the attic
as their own space but they will need to tidy it up and throw things
out. While clearing things out, Arthur finds two important childhood
memories of the Land of Roar which he cannot quite believe are true
- an old hand drawn map and a sign saying "Enter here for the land
of roar". While Grandad is helping Arthur he disappears into the
Land of Roar through a rolled up bed mattress. This is where the
twin's amazing journey begins. Arthur follows and meets all manner
of magical creatures in his search for his missing grandfather. Rose
eventually joins him and with their friend, Win, they must fight the
evil Crowky in order to save their grandad.
The author has used every fragment of her imagination to create an
exciting adventure where anything and everything is possible - magic
roads, magic tunnels, stuffed scarecrows that fight, Lost Girls,
dragons, mermaids, Prosecco the wooden horse from the attic and so
much more. Young readers will enjoy the action and tension
throughout the book as well as the clever illustrations to support
the story. Throughout the whole story, Arthur is never quite sure if
the Land of Roar is real or something he and Rose made up. Grandad
tells him it is real in his imagination and "I wonder if every child
has a world like this only not everyone is lucky enough to find it."
Kathryn Beilby
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
Del Ray, 2019. ISBN: Del Ray, 2019. ISBN: 9781529100594. 404 pg., paperback.
No one speaks of the Grace Year. Little is known about what goes on
during it, but every girl in the county knows one thing is certain.
It will change them, if they survive it that is. The Grace Year
by Kim Liggett is a feminist thriller centered on Tierney James, who
lives in a village where all the girls are banished to the outskirts
at sixteen for the entire year. To brave the wilderness and expel
their magic is what they are told but really, they must also brave
each other. Trust no one, not even yourself. The Grace Year kept me grabbing the book wanting more and
more whenever I had the chance. Kim wrote of such compelling
characters that had such complex feelings and compulsions of their
own that I wasn't able to tell what was going to happen next. Kim
also described Tierney James well: she is a strong minded, logical
yet rebellious girl coming into her womanhood and after following
the rules of the county for all of her life she still finds it hard
to break free from it all, to finally be free of what she has been
told is expected of her. Going against what has been told of her,
going against the men who control her life, even going against the
other women around her, Tierney faces it all with as much strength
as she can muster. The question is: Will it be enough?
Kayla Raphael. 404 pg., paperback.
No one speaks of the Grace Year. Little is known about what goes on
during it, but every girl in the county knows one thing is certain.
It will change them, if they survive it that is. The Grace Year
by Kim Liggett is a feminist thriller centered on Tierney James, who
lives in a village where all the girls are banished to the outskirts
at sixteen for the entire year. To brave the wilderness and expel
their magic is what they are told but really, they must also brave
each other. Trust no one, not even yourself. The Grace Year kept me grabbing the book wanting more and
more whenever I had the chance. Kim wrote of such compelling
characters that had such complex feelings and compulsions of their
own that I wasn't able to tell what was going to happen next. Kim
also described Tierney James well: she is a strong minded, logical
yet rebellious girl coming into her womanhood and after following
the rules of the county for all of her life she still finds it hard
to break free from it all, to finally be free of what she has been
told is expected of her. Going against what has been told of her,
going against the men who control her life, even going against the
other women around her, Tierney faces it all with as much strength
as she can muster. The question is: Will it be enough?
Kayla Raphael
