Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN: 9780241317747.
(Age: 8-16) Themes: Computer programming, Programming languages,
Computer games - design and construction. Computer coding
projects for kids presents a visually appealing step by step
guide to computer programming for kids, beginning with the
playability components that make a fantastic computer game,
characters, mechanics, objects, rules, goals, controls difficulty
levels and the game world. Computer games range span across
different genres - traditional, combat, role playing or puzzles. By
developing understandings of how coding works, the basics of Scratch
3.0 and sourcing the program, we are introduced to the first game
Star Hunter. With clear instructions, screen grabs, easy to follow
instructions and little pixelated characters providing helpful
hints, young programmers will soon achieve success.
Computer coding concepts are also explained from using coordinates,
looping, Boolean expressions and writing strings of coding. In the
Scratch section, there are progressively longer games to program.
Cheese Chase is a maze game where Mimi the Mouse tries to avoid the
beetles and ghosts on her journey to find the cheese. Jumpy Monkey's
mission is to jump and eat all the bananas. In the second section,
the Python language is introduced, utilising the same format while
building on the concepts learned in the Scratch chapters.
Dorling Kindersley publications are always visually appealing and
realistically written to suit the target audience. Each computer
game is precisely broken down into easy to understand steps, with
plenty of tips and concepts explained. Computer programming for
kids has been revised from the 2015 edition to bring the
coding up-to-date with Scratch 3.0. Just right for young techies
keen to begin programming and for those who enjoy the challenges of
mastering more complex gaming techniques.
Rhyllis Bignell
Zanzibar by Catherina Valckx
Gecko Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781776572564. 65p
(Age: 7+) Early Chapter Book. Zanzibar is an ordinary, contented
crow who unfortunately begins to believe that he is lacking in some
way. Achille LeBlab is to blame. As the special correspondent to the
'Voices of the Forest' newspaper, he is seeking interesting
subjects to write about. He tells Zanzibar that apart from his name,
there is absolutely nothing special about him.
Without rhyme or reason, Zanzibar reaches the very arbitrary but
specific belief that his special talent is the ability to lift a
dromedary in the air with one wing.
The quest for an Arabian camel begins and he tells Paulette the mole
his intentions. Sidi, the Fennec fox, helps him to find a very thin
camel called Cheb. Madam Adelle is a moth yet the postman is a
Seagull, named Monsieur Seagull. It seems only animals with jobs
have surnames and these describe their species, or their occupation,
since the lizard reporter is Monsieur LeBlab.
But will Zanzibar's belief in his ability be justified and will
Monsieur LeBlab want to write a story about an incredible feat?
Indeed, where is the evidence?
Historically, crows were trouble and not extraordinary. Nearly 200
years ago, the Indian crow was introduced to the island of Zanzibar
but spread to the mainland where it very quickly became a pest.
Coincidentally, 100 yrs ago, George Bateman translated an East
African folktale about a clever crow in his collection, Zanzibar
Tales. Science has decided, they are actually extremely good
problem solvers.
Thus, the retro look and feel of this children's book hints at the
kind of story we will read. But Valckx's Zanzibar is naive,
more like the characters in enchanting French classics such as Babar,
where animals seem to be concerned with one dimensional
circumstances before reaching a simple conclusion. And so . . . we
discover that it is never too late to do something incredible.
Learn more about this Dutch author.
Deborah Robins
Searching for cicadas by Lesley Gibbes and Judy Watson
Nature Storybooks. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781922244420.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Cicadas, Environment,
Observation, Grandparents. An older man and his grandson go cicada
watching each summer. The pair pack their sleeping bags and tent and
walk down to the Apex Reserve where they camp with others to observe
the insects. They look out for the insects called surprisingly,
Double Drummers, Yellow Mondays, Green Grocers and Floury Bakers.
Each cicada has a strong body and six legs and two pairs of wings
that fold back. The boy's excitement is obvious. This year he wants
to spot a Black Prince, a cicada rarely seen.
Beautifully told, the pages have text in two different fonts: one is
a more formal font which outlines the story of the boy and his
grandfather, while the other more casual font gives information
about the cicadas. In this way, as with all the wonderful books in
the Nature Storybooks series, the reader can enjoy the story
and read the facts as well.
On each page the pair is depicted strolling to the park, setting up
their tent, waiting for the dark when they get their torches out to
search for the cicadas.
The illustrations rendered first in pencil, brush ad ink, use a
monotype technique before all is transferred to Photoshop for
assemblage and colour. And the finished product is stunning. Readers
will pore over the pages looking at the incredible detail included
on each page, the depiction of Australian plants producing a chorus
of wows amongst the children, while the detailed cicada will draw
entreaties to go out and see them for themselves.
The relationship between grandpa and grandson is beautifully
presented and the subtle layering of community gives an extra warm
moment for the readers. What the people are doing is not common and
so will encourage others to look out for these themselves, to
observe, to research, to wonder. A beautifully arresting book with
an index, and extra information about the cicadas, author and
illustrator on the last pages. Classroom
ideas are available.
Fran Knight
The agony house by Cherie Priest
Illus. by Tara O'Connor. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2018. ISBN:
9780545934299.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult
Readers. Themes: Ghosts, Horror. With a clever graphic/novel hybrid
The Agony House provides chills and thrills for the teen
reader. Seventeen-year-old Denise Farber, her mom, and her
stepfather are trying to renovate the Argonne House, a very old run
down house in New Orleans, but ghosts inhabiting the house are not
happy. Denise finds an old comic book in the attic, starring feisty
Lucida Might, crime fighter and it may have clues to an old crime
and the reason that horrifying incidents are happening in the
'Agony' house.
The gripping composition of this combination of types, graphic and
novel, make it quite difficult to put down. O'Connor's illustrations
from the comic and stand-alone pictures all stand out in blue, while
the text from Priest is engrossing and easy to read. Denise is a
determined heroine, very able in confronting not only ghosts but
opposition to the renovation from her neighbourhood. The agony house is a memorable ghost story that fans of ghost
stories and the supernatural are sure to enjoy.
Pat Pledger
Let's celebrate at Mass today by Danielle Binny
Little Steps, 2019. ISBN: 9781925545814.
(Age: 3-6) Danielle Binny provides a simple but complete picture of
the celebration of Mass. A little boy goes to church with his
parents and baby sibling. Starting with a friendly wink on the front
cover, he explains to the reader just what happens when he goes to
Mass. He blesses himself with holy water, saying the traditional
words, 'In the name of the father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Amen', then goes on to sit with his family following the actions of
the priest with details of what is happening.
As well as giving readers a vivid picture of the ceremony of Mass,
Binny shows a loving and caring family and a welcoming and diverse
community in the church. The pictures of the father, carefully
holding the baby to his chest are heart-warming. The little boy is
handled gently by his mother, knowing that he must whisper if he
needs to say something and when everyone gives a handshake and a
smile for the sign of peace.
A glossary at the back of the book completes the picture of Mass.
The book would be very useful when looking at different religious
ceremonies giving young readers a clear picture of what happens at
Mass and for those who are Catholic, will emphasise the importance
of Mass for their faith.
Pat Pledger
Encyclopedia of grannies by Eric Veille
Gecko Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781776572434.
(Age: 4+) Themes: Humour, Grandmothers, Diversity, Expectations.
With a tongue placed firmly in the cheek, this overview of what to
expect from a grandmother will encourage howls of recognition
alongside surprises for the unwary as a huge array of behaviours are
attributed to the grandmothers of the world.
The board book type of publication will be able to ward off rough
wear and tear as many young children will want to read of their
exploits and share what their grannies do. From the front hard cover
showing a grannie in her tights springing across the page her two
grandchildren hanging onto a leg each, readers will respond with
smiles and lots of laughter. This is not what a grandmother is
expected to do.
Opening the book, a page is devoted to the general sort of
grandmother, then their ages, and what to call them. And over the
pages, more unusual behaviour is shown: knitting, flexibility,
vocabulary, their cats, the way they use buses, how they travel and
so on, each different page alive with humorous comments about how
they live and expounds the idea that they are knowledgable, clever,
fond of cats, certainly fond of their grandchildren and live lives
full of interest and variety. Not to be underestimated, and
certainly not ignored.
Funny illustrations serve to highlight the text, and readers will
have fun reading the small boxes of text on each page to see how it
fits with the theme. This book will serve to be a great starting off
point for discussions about grandparents as part of the family.
Fran Knight
Castle Hill Rebellion by Chrissie Michaels
My Australian Story. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742991863.
pbk., 236 pgs.
(Age: 10+) Themes: Australian History, convicts, Castle Hill,
Sydney. A little known Australian event comes to life in the latest
My Australian Story series, Castle Hill Rebellion. It
was a great history lesson for me because I had never heard of this
uprising. Castle Hill Rebellion is told through the eyes of young
12-year-old Jonathan Joseph Daley.
Castle Hill rebellion was a rebellion against colonial authority of
New South Wales in the Castle Hill area, in Sydney. It is a story of
the first and only convict uprising in 1804 which was suppressed
under martial law. Oh those redcoats were nasty.
Joe tells us the story of his life as a convict in Australia through
journal entries. Joe is a quiet shepherd boy and we learn of his
harsh life, especially against some of the other boys. Along with
his friend Pat and Kitt we learn of their hardships and how they
unwillingly become embroiled in a plot to overthrow their captors
and return to Ireland.
I can see how readers will be drawn into the adventures of Castle
Hill. A great book on Australian history with connections to the
Australian Curriculum. Historical notes can also be found towards
the back of the book and resources
from the National Museum Australia are available.
Maria Komninos
Becoming Dinah by Kit de Waal
Orion Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781510105706. 243p., pbk.
(Age guide: 13+) Highly recommended. Who doesn't love a road trip
novel? This is not a standard coming of age story but a fresh take
on a much-loved classic. Kit de Waal uses the road trip to chart the
journey from one state of being to another, using flashbacks to
explain the main characters' pasts and how they came to be where
they are. The author takes Melville's Moby Dick and brings
it into the current age, casting Ishmael as a girl and Ahab as the
former leader of the defunct New Bedford Fellowship. Both are in
pain and both are obsessed - Ishmael/Dinah struggling with sexual
identity and coming of age; Ahab with the pain of a life he
cherished in ruins. We join Dinah and Ahab as they traverse the
countryside in The Pequod, an old VW camper, in an attempt to
retrieve Ahab's stolen van, and we feel the darkness and confusion
that has taken over their lives. Their obsessions define the story
and are quite heartbreakingly relatable and tragic. This is a novel
about love and loss and isolation; about looking back and the
process of rebirth in moving forward. It is about finding out who
you are . . . finding your tribe. Given the variety of themes -
obsession, sexual identity, isolation, personal growth as well as
being a retelling of Moby Dick, this book could be used in
the classroom as a class text or as an independent reading novel to
explore a number of ideas.
Gaye Howe
The runaways by Ulf Stark
Illus. by Kitty Crowther. Gecko, 2019. ISBN: 9781776572342. 129p
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Kitty Crowther's colour pencil illustrations
create low expectations of an outwardly self-published title, but it
wasn't long before this reader was teary eyed. Indeed, fan's of
Fredrik Backman's A man called Ove will appreciate the
humour and pathos behind every grumpy old man.
Grandpa is retired. A ship's engineer, he built his wife a white
house, high on an island. The Runaways is a typical
inter-generational story where the patriarch and his grandson share
a close bond. Of course Grandpa is a blue collar worker while Dad is
a white collar type. Dad never makes time to visit his father who
broke his leg in a fall, after Grandma's death. To make matters
worse, Grandpa makes the hospital staff as miserable as he feels.
But Grandpa remains a strong influence on Gottfried Jnr and the two
plan an escape with the help of Adam. Adam is really Ronnie, the
freckled baker, but everyone calls him Adam because of his prominent
Adam's apple. Adam, a worthy adversary for Grandpa, agrees to help
the runaways to catch the ferry and spend one last night in
Grandpa's old house. Gottfried conceived a football camp and Grandpa
claimed to be visiting Gottfried's father - just so Grandpa can sit
in Grandma's chair by the window and understand what she saw.
Metaphysical questions arise about memory and what we each perceive,
given our separate memories, experiences and imaginations.
Figurative language enchants the reader: 'I held Grandpa's hand and
after a while he went to sleep. I looked at him and thought about
all the things we'd done together. He looked happy. He snored
quietly. It sounded like a ship starting its engines, about to
depart.'
Grandma's lingonberry jam, retrieved from his own cellar on the
island, inspires Grandpa to live to finish the jar, but the sublime
Gottfried has his own quest - convincing Grandpa that there is an
afterlife.
Deborah Robins
The Pigeon has to go to school by Mo Willems
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781406389012.
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Themes: Fear, Going to school. Another
wonderful book from Mo Willems will be just right to read to young
children who are off to school or pre-school and are having a few
fearful moments wondering what will happen. Pigeon is afraid that he
really, really won't like school. Perhaps the teacher won't like
pigeons and there is so much stuff to learn. His head might pop off
if he learns too much. He thinks there should be a place to practise
all the stuff - yes that's right, it is school! And to top it off he
has to take the bus - wow! (A nod to the first book, Don't let the
pigeon drive the bus.)
Illustrated with the fabulous drawings of Pigeon, with black
outlines, and one eye, and with colourful one tone backgrounds, the
reader will delight in the funny antics of Pigeon, and will readily
identify with his fears. The print is easy to read and beginning
readers will have fun with the narrative, while younger children
will have many of their fears about beginning school allayed by
Pigeon's humorous dialogue.
Mo Willems strikes just the right tone with his characters, and The
pigeon has to go to school is sure to become a favourite, just
as Naked
Mole rat gets dressed became a household favourite with
my grandchildren.
Pat Pledger
Songspirals: Sharing women's wisdom of Country through songlines by Gay'wu Group of Women
Allen & Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760633219.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Non-fiction.
Laklak Burarrwanga and her family produced the beautiful book for
younger readers Welcome
to my country, an introduction to the rich and complex
culture of Yolngu Country, north-east Arnhem Land. This latest book
is for adult readers, and the group of authors is now known as the
Gay'wu Group of Women. They are 4 Yolgnu sisters and a daughter,
along with 3 non-Indigenous women accepted into their family,
collaborating together to share the songspirals and stories of the
women of their Country. We are invited to learn about milkarri, the
ancient songs, expressions of Yolngu Law, linking them to their land
and providing guidance in their lives. Songspirals are this and also
much more than this - the first chapter attempts to explain their
significance in English words:
'Every songspiral is a song, a ceremony, a picture, a story, a
person, a place, a mapping, some things that we did, that we do and
that we will always do, and it is all of those things together
because those things are really the same. And it is more, much more.
It is knowledge and language and Law.'
The word songspiral has been chosen, rather than songline, to convey
the idea that they spiral in and out with many layers of meaning.
Reading these songspirals is a chance to gain some insight into
Yolngu culture; many layers of meaning are revealed to us, but there
are always more deeper understandings that are only appropriate for
the right people with the right knowledge.
The sisters share five songspirals. They are poems or songs - they tell
stories and lessons but they each also reveal something more about
the relationships within the group of women who are sharing them.
For me, I loved to read about how Laklak, leader of the collective,
was honoured in very special ceremonies, in the fourth women's
songspiral of the Rainbow Serpent, the men's ceremony of Wapitja,
the sacred digging stick, and also with an honorary doctorate from
Macquarie University.
The fifth and last songspiral is that of the keepers of the flame,
keepers of tomorrow's knowledge. We learn about some of the next
generation, the children and grandchildren who are ambassadors for
their culture; Siena Mayutu Wurmarri Stubbs, as a 12 year old
student, was author of Our
birds written in both English and Yolngu and illustrated
with her own photographs. Maminydjama, the model known as Magnolia,
is another ambassador and advocate for her family, community and
people.
Thank you to the wonderful women who have created this book, along
with the beautiful coloured photographs. Readers of Songspirals
will gain some insight into a wise and richly layered culture
through the milkarri of the women.
Helen Eddy
Max's dinosaur feet by Lana Spasevski
Illus. by Penelope Pratley. New Frontier, 2019. ISBN :
9781925594638.
(Age: 3-6) Highly recommended. Themes: Humour, Babies, Family. What
a lovely story, loaded with wonderful illustrations and showing the
love and fun in a family where there is a new baby. Max has a pair
of dinosaur slippers that he loves to use to stomp around the house.
But Max also has a new baby sister, Molly, and Mum doesn't want her
to be woken up. So she shows him how to walk on dinosaur eggshells
and Molly stays asleep. Then Dad comes home with his surfboard,
dripping wet and falls over Max's toys and Max has to show him how
to walk on dinosaur eggshells. When Pop comes in, he too has to
learn to walk quietly as does Max's sister Merida and soon everyone
is walking through the house on dinosaur eggshells until . . .
Jen Storer has admirably captured the warmth of this close family
and the illustrations from Penelope Pratley are an absolute delight.
Children will immediately recognise the fun that dinosaur slippers
can bring to a child, but will also know how important it is not to
wake the baby. Those who do have a baby in the house will know the
results! Max does a great job of teaching everyone to be quiet but
sometimes out of control events take over.
Sparse but insightful text make for a great read aloud and the
illustrations will have children laughing out loud. I can see this
becoming a family favourite, especially where children have dinosaur
slippers.
Pat Pledger
Extraordinary birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781526610874
(Ages: 9-12). Recommended. Themes: Foster care, Families, Birds,
Bullying. A truly heart-warming story that gives the reader insight
into the life of a child in foster care. December is eleven and has
been to many foster homes in her short life. She firmly believes she
is a bird and will soon develop wings to allow her to fly away, she
just needs the right tree from which to launch. She has fallen from
many trees in her quest to find the one that will encourage her
wings to sprout from the large scars on her back.
Her biological mother left her behind when she was 5 with the scars
and a book called The complete book of birds: volume one.
Therefore, December's knowledge of birds is encyclopaedic and the
facts that the author uses constantly throughout the book add
another layer to the story for her young readers. December uses
facts about birds to categorize the people she meets or what they
are doing, helping her make sense of her ever-changing world.
December's self-sufficiency and independence means she is often a
target for school bullies and this subject is also covered in the
story, bringing in a character that December befriends at school who
is a boy transitioning to a girl. Her relationship with Cheryllyn
helps her character develop to trust other children and form her
first close friendship. Not getting too close to people is something
she has been very good at through her life as it makes moving on so
much easier.
When December is placed with Eleanor, who also loves birds she is
not sure if she can let go of the story that has given her life
meaning for so long and finally find a place where she belongs.
Eleanor gives her the space and care she needs to come to the
realisation she can be part of a family and be happy.
Gabrielle Anderson
Fly by Jess McGeachin
Puffin Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9781760892562.
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. Themes: Birds - Care and health, Flight,
Inventions, Aeroplanes, Grief, Kindness, STEM. What a lovely
multi-faceted book! Lucy is a little girl who is very good at fixing
things and when she finds a bird with a broken wing she believes
that she can find a way to help it fly although Dad says its wing is
broken and it won't be able to fly again. She and Dad are by
themselves and she has to help Dad out as well. With lots of
experimentation and trials, Lucy comes up with a design for an
aeroplane, makes it in her shed and takes Flap the bird for a trip.
Then everything falls apart. But as Dad says 'Not everything that's
broken can be fixed'.
This saying is central to the two themes that permeate the story,
that of the bird with the broken wing and why Lucy and her father
are alone. McGeachin's narrative brings alive the warmth of this
single parent family. The reader doesn't know why there are only the
two of them and will need to look for small details like the photos
on the walls to try and guess what has happened to Lucy's mother, as
well as what happens to Flap.
The story is also celebration of the power of the imagination. Lucy
is a determined child who really wants the Flap to fly. She tries
lots of ideas about flight before she builds her aeroplane and
readers will love her feelings of exuberance as she takes Flap for a
ride and the thrill when all the birds help her land safely.
There are lots of ways that this could be used in the classroom. It
could be used to discuss death and grief as well as the mechanics of
flight and the power of imagination and curiosity. An activity
pack is also available.
Pat Pledger
Lapse by Sarah Thornton
Clementine Jones book 1. Text Publishing, 2019. ISBN:
9781925773941.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Mystery, Crime, Football. A debut
mystery from a new Australian author is always good to find and Lapse
is a treat. Clementine Jones had a momentary lapse and ends up
living an isolated life on the outskirts of Katinga a small country
town, but coaching the local footy team brings her out into the
open. When she starts investigating why Clancy her star football
player has quit, she begins to uncover dirty little secrets in this
quiet country town and her secrets are threatened as well.
Clementine Jones is a great character who quickly grabs the reader's
interest. She is determined to get her footy team into the finals
for the first time in 53 years, at the same time giving them
self-respect and self-confidence. The reader is kept guessing until
towards the conclusion of Lapse, just why she is hiding out in
Katinga. Her sidekick Torrens adds realism to the story. It is very
easy to imagine this young man who likes to blow up mailboxes and
has spent time in jail, doing his best to not only win the footy
games but to help Clementine find out what is happening.
When violence erupts in Katinga Clem has to use all her intelligence
and investigative powers to sort out what is happening and she is
lucky that she has some friends to help her out of danger.
This is a tense thriller that holds the reader captive until the
very end. Themes of the way people in small towns are brought
together by football, racism towards the local Aboriginal people,
and the class structure that allows rich people power to subvert
justice, plus a thrilling plot, make Lapse a great read.
Readers are sure to want to grab the next in the series. Fans of
Jane Harper and Garry Disher will enjoy this book.
Pat Pledger
