Simon & Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781471187674.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. A poignant and emotional story of
love, loss and hope set upon the backdrop of World War I. In 1916,
Francis Blythe enlisted in the Great War, knowing that his brothers
Will and Harry would follow him anywhere. Five years later, in 1921,
Edie, Francis' wife, has accepted that Francis' status as 'missing
in action' may very well be permanent. Then she receives a
mysterious photograph of Francis in the post; reigniting her resolve
to find him. Meanwhile, Harry has been hired by grieving families to
provide what little closure he can by photographing gravesites
throughout the country where he himself fought just four years
prior. When Edie requests that he locate and photograph Francis'
grave, Harry and Edie set out to discover the truth of what happened
to Francis. When their paths converge, they uncover many startling
truths that redefine their understanding of the past and plans for
the future.
A truly beautiful story with complex, compelling and utterly
realistic characters that find their way into the heart of the
reader along the course of the story, Scott's meticulously
researched debut breathes life into the world and lives of the
characters; taking the reader on a cathartic and emotional story
that will touch their heart and stay with them long after they turn
the last page. Highly recommended for readers with an interest or
passion for historical fiction and in particular the Battle of the
Somme and World War I in general. Warnings should be heeded for
graphic, war-related violence, descriptions and references to
suicide and strong themes relating to mental health.
Daniella Chiarolli
The promise witch by Celine Kiernan
The Wild Magic trilogy bk. 3. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN:
9781406373936.
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. Following Begone
the raggedy witches and The
little grey girl comes the striking finale to what has
been a unique and enthralling series. Witches Borough has been
struck down with a terrible drought caused by the old queen, the
rivers are drying up and there is little water in the wells. Mup's
parents are doing their best to bring peace to the land and begin a
school to educate all the children but the drought threatens
everyone's existence. Then the witch Magda comes back and sweeps Mup
and Crow off on a dangerous journey, determined to give them to
Mup's grandmother, the old queen. Mup knows that the old queen's
power must end for the good of the land and uses all her ingenuity
to try and find a way to do this.
Readers who have followed the adventures of Mup and Crow and the
little grey girl in the first two books will be enthralled with this
magical and very exciting conclusion to the series. Both Mup and
Crow grow into their powers and use them for the good of the land.
They learn that they must obtain the help of others and cooperate to
overcome evil and readers will cheer their efforts to stop the old
queen. There are some heart-breaking moments that will bring tears
to eyes as Crow desperately tries to bring his father back to life
and the fate of the little grey girl is decided.
It is the beautifully descriptive and emotive writing that keeps the
story going along at a fast pace and readers will be fully engaged
in the characters and events in Witches Borough. This is a series
that can be highly recommended for its portrayal of good and evil,
the resilience of the characters and the uniqueness of the stories.
Pat Pledger
The Silk House by Kayte Nunn
Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9780733643255.
(Age: Adult - Adolescent) Highly recommended. Riveting, haunting,
enigmatic and gloriously evocative of the past world of England,
this narrative is fascinating and gripping. Kayte Nunn has created
three stories that interlock in theme and subject matter over time.
A young Australian woman, Thea Rust, has travelled to England to
teach in a modern English boarding school that has recently admitted
girls to the school for the first time, and we see how the
adjustment to this new world is significantly challenging. The
school has its roots in a dark past and Thea Rust is determined to
create a world for the students that is appropriate in terms of
preparing the young people for the future, in a supportive and
challenging way.
A second narrative focuses on the area in London, in 1768, where the
silk trade was an important facet of England's economy, and again,
Nunn has created a female character who challenges the world of
fabric design. Choosing a vibrant and dangerous flower as a feature,
her design is seen to both thrill and, potentially, to disturb that
world. Set in the same year, the third narrative is focused on the
notion of herbs as valuable in healing human illnesses. Both of
these older worlds present an element of danger and we are caught up
in the rather thrilling darkness of this time.
The beautiful artistic depiction of aspects of the novel on the
cover of this book subtly catch our eyes but, more importantly, they
expose elements of all three stories. This is a powerful novel, rich
in detail, time and place, entertaining in story and captivating in
the mystery that Nunn creates. It would be suitable for adolescent
and adult readers.
Elizabeth Bondar
Boo loves books by Kaye Baillie
Illus. by Tracie Grimwood. New Frontier, 2020. ISBN: 9781922326027.
Recommended. Boo loves books is the most adorable story. It
follows a little girl called Phoebe who does not like to read. Her
teacher tries to encourage her but reading just makes her feel
extremely anxious as she does not want to get anything wrong.
One day, her teacher Mrs Spinelli announces that they will be
reading somewhere different tomorrow. Phoebe is even more worried!
Her mum tries to reassure her, but this feeling will not go away.
What happens next is just so lovely. The class goes to the animal
shelter and they all are given a dog to read to. With the teacher's
help, the once timid reader finds her voice and reads confidently to
her dog pal Big Boo, realising that everyone gets scared sometimes.
This book would be great for a young reluctant reader. It could show
them that they are not alone and that things will get better. I love
the idea of reading to an animal, and this could be used as an
introduction to this very idea - or even reading to a favourite soft
toy.
I read this book to my 6 year old reasonably reluctant reader, and
she thought that reading to our dog Sargent would be an awesome idea
(if only he would keep still . . . but we are working on that!). She
really liked the pictures (and so did I, the facial expressions are
so accurate) and wanted to read the book again the next night. This
book is a must for any school library, so when new and reluctant
readers are identified this could be used as a strategy for
engagement and as an idea to send home to families. Teacher's
notes are available. 4 out of 5!
Lauren Fountain
Hawk: a Maximum Ride novel by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9781529120011.
Hawk is a skinny 15 year old with a black mohawk, multiple piercings
and a tough attitude. She has to be tough, living in the City of the
Dead, a place abandoned long ago. Now it is home to the homeless,
drug addicts and gangs so Hawk has to keep her wits about her as she
ventures out each day to find food for the small band of misfits she
calls her family. Every day for the past ten years she has turned up
to the street corner where her parents told her to wait, for a
specific time, but they have never come. Now she and her group live
in the children's home where they would starve without Hawk's
foraging and where they live in fear of being taken off to be
experimented on like other children, who never came back. Life is
brutal in this post-apocalyptic world of constant video streaming of
government propaganda and mind scrambling 'Voxvoce' sounds. Six
powerful gangs control the city. Hawk's secret weapon is that she
has wings and can fly, helping her escape difficult situations. When
a new prisoner is brought to the jail adjoining the children's home
the government broadcast declares he is a child killer, the worst of
the worst, but is he?
This is the tenth book in the Maximum Ride series but stands
alone quite well. There were a lot of characters and the members of
Hawk's family were a bit sketchy apart from Clete; the rest are
probably better developed in the other books and this might just
encourage new readers to go back and read more of the series. Hawk
is a great teen character, veering between personal angst and
responsibility to her family and she even has a rather unlikely love
interest. The book is fast paced and action packed as the Flock
fight a corrupt leader in a violent world, though I found their
willingness to join in the violence, dropping bombs regardless of
collateral damage, disturbing.
This will be snapped up by readers of the series which traces its
origins back to Patterson's 1998 novel When the wind blows
and will appeal to a new generation of younger readers looking for a
fast paced dystopian fantasy novel.
Themes: Science fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia.
Sue Speck
Know your place by Golriz Ghahraman
Harper Collins, 2020. ISBN: 9781775541424.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. What an amazing woman! Golriz
Ghahraman came to New Zealand as a nine year old with her refugee
parents from Iran. She went on to become a human rights lawyer
working on United Nations tribunals around the world, and eventually
became the first refugee to be elected to the New Zealand
parliament.
The first part of her autobiography describes the situation in Iran
that led her parents to flee. Ghahraman's mother was a psychologist,
her father an agricultural engineer; they were secular, intelligent
and progressive, political activists in the time of the Shah, but
shocked by the hijacking of the revolution by Islamic
fundamentalists. Determined that their daughter should know freedom
not oppression, they escaped, eventually seeking asylum in Auckland,
in a country where they were immediately given food, legal rights
and community support on arrival.
However her early experience of being an outsider, identification
with minority groups, a growing awareness of race issues, and later
experience of an abusive relationship, all combined to lead to a
career in human rights and political activism. It was a definite
choice - sitting down to think about what she wanted her life to be
about and how to go about achieving it.
The book includes Ghahraman's maiden speech in the NZ House of
Representatives, and her speech in response to the Christchurch
mosque terror attacks, both inspiring reading. There are coloured
photographs from her life, from the hijab-wearing little Iranian
girl, to her citizenship ceremony as a teenager, to her swearing
into Parliament as a member of the Green party, to her welcome to
refugee Behrouz Boochani in Auckland Airport following his escape
from Australia's Manus detention camp.
For students interested in politics, human rights, and social
activism, I would put this book alongside The
power of hope by Kon Karapanagiotidis and How
powerful we are by Sally Rugg - it is another truly
inspiring story of an individual with decent moral values and a
determination to make the world a better place for others.
Themes: Refugees, Human rights, Activism, Racism, Black Lives
Matter.
Helen Eddy
The stone giant by Anna Hoglund
Gecko Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781776572731.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Swedish author, Anna Hoglund has
created a fable like story of a young girl who saves her father
using cunning and ingenuity. Translated for an English audience by
Julia Marshall, the story is wonderfully supported by copper plate
etchings with splashes of watercolour. The simplistic but never
simple drawings are evocative of the bleak landscape and the sparse
life of the girl and her father. He is a knight and must go out and
deal with a giant turning people to stone. She waits at home alone,
and as time passes she despairs that he will not return and so
decides to try and find him. She looks at her mirror and asks
herself what would happen if the giant saw himself in the mirror.
She sets out with her mirror and a knife and swims through the cold,
dark water not knowing where she is going. She stays overnight with
a woman who gives her an umbrella and she moves on to find a land
with many many stones. When the ground begins to shake and the giant
approaches, she unfurls the umbrella, and the giant looks down
through the hole he makes in it and sees himself in the mirror.
Her courage kills the giant and saves those turned to stone. She and
her father now live in a peaceful land and neither will be alone
again.
This is a lovely hand sized book which children will often return
to, reading of the girl using her courage and ingenuity to rescue
her father.
And the delightful illustrations will attract their attention as
they read the text. Gecko Press publishes 'curiously good books' and
the website tells us that one good book can spark a lifetime of
reading. The books they publish are certainly books that spark
interest and are very different to those offered by other
publishers. Read more here.
Themes: Courage, Giants, Mirror.
Fran Knight
The Betrothed by Keira Cass
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008158828.
(Age: Young Adult). Keira Cass fans have been eagerly awaiting for The
Betrothed since the last book in her hugely popular The
Selection series was published in 2016. Unfortunately, they
may be disappointed when they read it. Unlike the author's previous
works which focused on a Bachelor-style love contest set in a
post-dystopian America, The Betrothed is a historical
romance pivoting on a much maligned YA trope - the love triangle.
King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, a noblewoman
who has grown up around the King, constantly vying for his
attention. While initially delighted to have been singled out by the
monarch, during their courtship Hollis meets Silas, an artisan from
a refugee family that has fled a neighbouring country. Hollis is
drawn to Silas, despite her inital attempts to resist him and when
King Jameson proposes to her she must decide whether being queen is
what she truly wants in life.
While the novel begins intriguingly and promises a fun romp, it soon
devolves into cliche after cliche as Hollis 'ums and ahs' over what
she should do and who she should choose. A frustrating ending is the
unfortunate cherry on top for this disappointing plotline.
A positive for the novel is Cass' easy-to-read style. As in The
Selection, her prose is frothy and bubbly; well suited to her
target young adult audience. There are also some well-developed
secondary characters who make for enjoyable reading. However,
readers who were initially ecstatic for the start of a new Keira
Cass series may find themselves reluctant to continue reading
further. Themes: Love, Royalty, Friendship, Identity.
Rose Tabeni
In my dreams by Stef Gemmill and Tanja Stephani
New Frontier, 2020. ISBN: 9781925594928.
(Age: 6-7) Highly recommended. From the moment I laid eyes on the
book In my dreams by Stef Gemmill and Tanja Stephani I was
excited to read it. You are greeted with the most wonderous cover
that has bright colours, hints of gold sparkles, funny creatures,
and a whimsical feeling. I could not wait to open it.
I was not disappointed! This story is about the wonderful places
that a dream can take you, how you can find fruit flavoured
rainbows, race against pirates, fly on a dragon's back, and seek
shelter in an igloo. Each page takes you to another magical,
interesting place where you are drawn into the illustration looking
at the characters' faces and imagining the dreams that could be
conjured up from these very pages.
The same characters are seen throughout the book which adds some
continuity and something to search for - and I especially love the
little puppy who is often having the most amazing time running with
sled dogs or riding on a dragon.
At the end there is a couple of pages about how the darkness and
shadows can be a scary place for some children. The books states
"They have no power over me. I can blink my eyes and they're gone"
which is a great little message for many children and hopefully
another strategy to add to their collection on particularly dark
nights.
Overall, I absolutely love this book and think it would be such a
great addition to any young child's library. I think it would be
suitable for children up to 6-7 years of age, but as I really
enjoyed it too I feel that children of all ages would probably be
able to find something they could relate to within it. Teacher's
notes are available. 5 out of 5!
Lauren Fountain
Respect by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson, illus. Lisa Kennedy
Magabala Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781925936315
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Across pages of disarming
illustrations, full of colour and movement, redolent of the reds and
browns of outback Australia as well as the bright blues of coastal
environments, the theme of respect is drawn in tightly written
authoritative prose. Fay Muir, a Boonwurrung Elder of the Port
Phillip Bay area of Victoria, has worked with celebrated author, Sue
Lawson, to create a story that is older than the red earth and older
than the flickering stars.
Respect is held for stories, for the Elders, for Ancestors, for
songs. It is held for the sea eagle, for the leaves on the trees
falling to the red earth, for families who pass on their stories,
for those who listen, learning from the Elders. Through learning to
love and respect Country, we learn to love and respect each other as
well as ourselves.
Respect is at the heart of any Aboriginal community and reaffirming
respect will reinforce its application to all Australians who care
about the natural environment and the people who live there.
Lisa Kennedy a descendant of the Trawlwoolway people of north east
Tasmania, has used acrylic paint and collage to create her vibrant
illustrations which bring together art, culture and story to promote
respect: a quality that underpins Aboriginal sensibilities.
Themes: Respect, Aboriginal themes, Generations
Fran Knight
Dear child by Romy Hausmann
Quercus, 2019. ISBN: 9781529401424.
(Age: Adult - Senior Secondary) Highly recommended for people who
can cope with books in the vein of Room
by Emma Donoghue. Locked in a windowless cabin in the woods, Lena's
life is bound up by rules made up by the man who captured her to be
the mother to his two children. Everything is regimented, and there
is severe punishment if she deviates from, or questions, his demands.
Lena manages to break free from the cabin one night accompanied by
Hannah, but her escape raises many questions. Who is she? What has
happened to Lena who disappeared 14 years ago? Who is the man found
dead in the cabin and what has happened to Hannah's little brother?
This is a tightly plotted thriller that keeps the reader guessing
the whole way through with its twisty, exciting, and often
heart-wrenching events. There are many tense moments, and the
description of Lena's treatment in the cabin is not for the faint
hearted. It is also disturbing to read about her attempts to make a
normal life again and the grief and heartbreak of Lena's father
Matthias and his desire to find out what happened to Lena is very
compelling.
Written in three voices, that of Jasmin, Hannah and Matthias, the
story unfolds as they tell their version of what has happened and
how they feel.
The conclusion is stunning and very memorable. Dear child will
leave the reader determined to read any novels that this talented
author might produce in the future.
Pat Pledger
Manticores are not real by Nick Dyrenfurth
Illus. by Andrew McIntosh. Little Steps, 2019. ISBN: 9781925839500. Manticores are not real is a picture book about Micah, a
young boy who is awoken in his dreams by a manticore (a creature
part lion, part flamingo and part gazelle with a man's face!) who
takes him on an adventure to his mystical land with a pinkish sky,
shimmering mountains and many other manticore friends. They attend a
party and have a wonderful time. The story concludes with Micah
being woken by his father, and he wonders if it was all a dream or
if in fact . . . manticores were real!
To be honest I was not a huge fan of this book. The story was so
similar to many I had read before: child has a dream, wakes within
the dream, goes on adventure, wakes up in the morning and wonders
whether it was all real or not; and unfortunately it didn't really
hit the mark.
The rhyming throughout was clumsy and I found it hard to read with a
good flow - I had to keep going back over sections to get them to
sound right. There were words put in that seemed to be written just
to keep the rhyme but did not make a lot of sense.
The illustrations were nice, I liked the colours and the attention
to detail in the shading and landscapes.
I think this book could have been written about a real child who has
had this very dream! This is a lovely gesture and will be an amazing
keepsake for years to come. I think the rhyming could be refined a
bit more to ensure that it is easy to read with flow and good
intonation.
I give this book 2 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain
Girl from the sea by Margaret Wild
Illus. by Jane Tanner. Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760524302.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. The whispers of a young girl, drowned
at sea, reveal her longing for life. She sees a cottage by the sea
where a family plays on the beach. She spies the cat and dog as she
comes to the house, and they spy her. She follows the family as they
collect shells along the water's edge. She longs to be with them,
walking more closely to the mother. If she lived in the cottage, she
tells us, she would sweep the floor, and make the children laugh,
but her feet are always in the water. She wonders if they can hear
her as she sings in the wind, or feel her as she wraps herself
around them, or see her as she stands in the garden.
She is a breathe, a shadow, a murmur of a young girl lost in the
waves, as she sighs for what might have been. The animals know she
is there, waiting to be petted, and Mum becomes more aware of her
presence as she makes her way along the beach, with just the
suggestion of a third child by her side.
Margaret Wild's sparse prose give the bare outline of a lost child
and what she has missed. Each sentence rings with longing as she
sees a life that might have been. She watches the family which could
have been hers as they go about the very ordinary things families do
when together on a beach. She yearns to be with them, to be
acknowledged, to be part of their days.
Readers will fall into Jane Tanner's illustrations, reminding them
of times at the beach, playing with their siblings, watching the
birds and dolphins, making sandcastles, collecting shells. She has
used her darker coloured pencils along with charcoal and a charcoal
pencil to develop the most exquisite of beach scenes. Dark and
ominous, yet enveloping and comforting, the darker tones emphasise
the loss of a child, drowned at sea. Her feet are always in water in
Tanner's drawings, her hair wild and unkempt, her look wistful and
full of longing. Shells appear on the beach and in their hands, near
the gravestone and on the windowsill. The sepia images, sometimes
tinged with blue, urge the reader to look more closely, to compare
their own experiences at the beach with those before them, to
imagine more of the story behind the few words and the images, to
fill in the spaces.
This is an outstanding offering from two of Australia's foremost
book creators, and will be lovingly read by children of all ages.
Themes: Drowning, Sea, Longing, Family.
Fran Knight
Henrie's hero hunt by Petra James
Illus. by A. Yi. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760650858.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. This fast paced sequel to Hapless
Hero Henrie (2019) will have instant appeal after Henrie receives a
call on the Hero Hotline, a phone she is not allowed to answer.
After all her hero status is not confirmed by the Melchior family,
one in which only the male line takes up heroism.
With Aunt Ellie trying to get her away, and Henrie prevaricating on
whether to answer the phone or not, thirty pages roll away with the
two sparring over words, and Henrie speaking directly to the reader
while the stage is set for another foray into the hilarious
adventures of Hapless Henrie.
The girl on the other end is unsure but Ellie traces the call.
Marley has rung them after finding an ad for the House of Melchior
amongst her dead aunt's things. Her great aunt, Agnes Hunt has left
clues behind leading the two to a dig in Egypt, uncovering Agnes's
association with the Carter expedition of 1922 which resulted in the
discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen. Further investigation reveals
that Agnes was accused of stealing a statue from the tomb. Marley is
appalled and they are determined to find the answer to this mystery.
A trip to the Museum of Antiquities reveals not only that the statue
Aunt Agnes was supposed to steal is not on the Tutankhamen
inventory, but there is another operative after it as well. Violeta
Villarne kidnaps Alex and Marley and bribes Henrie into handing over
the tiny key found in Agnes' embroidery box. From there with Alex
and Marley locked in the backroom at the museum, Henrie must work
hard at outwitting the smart Violeta.
Petra James throws lots into the mix, ensuring middle to upper
primary school readers will be absorbed with hieroglyphics, morse
code, deciphering, espionage, walkie talkies using spy jargon, along
with pages of text broken up with notes and letters, lists and
instructions with illustrations by A. Yi, adding to the fun.
They will be intrigued with the sub plot of Henrie's search for her
parents, last seen in Prague nine years ago, and this amongst many
others layers will keep them reading right to the end.
Themes: Humour, Spying, Family, Egypt, Tutankhamen.
Fran Knight
The Puppet Show by M.W. Craven
Washington Poe book 1. Constable, 2018. ISBN: 9781472127440.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended for mystery
lovers. CWA Gold Dagger Award 2019. Washington Poe is brought in to
investigate a series of murders where the victims are burnt alive in
prehistoric stone circles. His name has been carved into one of the
victims and accompanied by Tilly Bradshaw, an awkward criminal
analyist, he follows a trail that is obviously set up for him. I
picked up The puppet show after thoroughly enjoying Black
Summer, the second in the series as I found the
personalities of both Poe and Bradshaw to be ones that I really
liked and wished to read more about.
Craven's narrative is engaging and there are enough twists and turns
to keep any mystery fan engrossed in trying to work out what is
happening. And that ending was a surprise for me, which always makes
for a more enjoyable read for a person who reads a lot of mysteries.
There is a gradual fleshing out of the personalities of Poe and
Bradshaw and the growth of trust between them makes for a great
working relationship. Both are unusual characters, Poe dogged in his
following of the case, over-riding his superiors and going his own
way, and Tilly socially inept, but brilliant in her ability to
analyse what is going on.
The cold landscape of Cumbria with its prehistoric stone circles
makes an interesting background to the murders and the serial
killer, nicknamed The Immolation Man, is one scary murderer.
This is a series that is sure to have a strong following from
readers who enjoy clever plotting and excellent narratives.
Pat Pledger
