Illus. by Pat Kan. Big Sky Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9781922265098.
(Age: 4-8) Themes: Painting, Sea Animals, Rhyming Story. This is a
first picture book for poetry writer Sandi Wooton and her poetic
story is the perfect accompaniment to Pat Kan's vibrant painted
illustrations. This was previously published as a poem in the NSW
School Magazine but it suits a printed book format really well. The
cover is particularly enticing, cleverly using sea creature features
and a paint brush to create the letters of the title. The story
begins 'I sat in my room on a cold rainy day, trying to think of a
fun game to play. I grabbed my new paintbox from under the table.
'Paint with Magic' it said on the label.' After painting an octopus
it shouts out to the artist, 'Hey you, with the paintbrush . . .
I've only got seven. You've left off one arm.' There clearly is
magic inside this paint! From there it continues with the octopus
helping the artist to paint a complete underwater scene. We never
see the artist, apart from a pair of hands, so it is easy for the
reader to put themselves inside the story and will hopefully inspire
them to be creative in their own artworks. This is a great
celebration of imagination and the freedom that painting brings.
Children will love how the octopus and the artist work together to
create the scene and how the artist wrangles back control by
painting in a shark!
Nicole Nelson
Kisses in your heart by Sonia Bestulic
Illus. by Nancy Bevington. Big Sky Publishing, 2019. ISBN:
9781925675924.
(Age: 2-7) Themes: Love, Comfort, Emotions, Rhyming Book. Similar to
The Kissing Hand, this Australian publication reminds us that
we carry the ones who love us wherever we go and can draw on that
love for strength and courage. The sun is going down and the young
girl in the story is getting ready for bed. Mum places kisses gently
on her heart and tells her 'My dear no matter where you go, listen
closely, you must know. Those kisses carry my love inside, hold your
head up, glow with pride. Whether I am near or far, my love burns
like a happy star.' The little girl feels warm and happy, and
explains that sometimes she feels scared, sometimes sad, worried or
lonely but then she feels the kisses in her heart and knows that
they carry love inside. There is some beautiful imagery in the text
and illustrations that do well at reflecting the girl's emotions (a
starry love heart burning strong and warm, the girl scared and cold
like a stone). This is a perfect book for young children who
struggle with separation, as parents and caregivers will be able to
use the language of the book (placing kisses on the heart, these
kisses carry love inside, etc.) to comfort and reassure them.
Nicole Nelson
Young dark emu, a truer history by Bruce Pascoe
Magabala books, 2019. ISBN: 9781925360844.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Non-fiction. Pascoe's revelatory book
Dark
emu, black seeds has now been made into a simplified
illustrated hardback version for younger readers - allowing a
younger audience to also learn of Pascoe's research into the
agricultural practices of Australian Aboriginal people. Pascoe draws
on historical records and artefacts to piece together a picture of
Aboriginal settlement before the arrival of Europeans, and contrary
to the long held view of the 'hunter-gatherer' existence that suited
the colonialists' idea of an 'empty' land, he reveals the existence
of Aboriginal farming and land care, permanent settlements with
houses and storage buildings, and complex aquaculture management
systems.
Teachers will welcome this book as an excellent example to show
students learning how to research primary sources for their
projects. Pascoe includes extracts from many original nineteenth
century colonial diaries and reports, and he revaluates the artwork
of colonial artists who showed cultivated fields in their paintings,
once dismissed as an English romanticising of the Australian
landscape. He urges the putting aside of preconceptions and
interpreting with a new eye the original materials. 'It is a
different way of looking'. Thus the so-called 'humpy' was actually a
substantial construction that could accommodate many families, the
'lazy' fisherman had actually engineered an ingenious fishing
machine, and fire was not a threat but a useful tool for tilling and
cultivating pastures.
Pascoe has collected the evidence to present the case that the
Aboriginal way of life actually met all the criteria of an
established agricultural society that lived in harmony with their
environment. This is not what the colonialists wanted to see, in
their quest to occupy new land. And it is evidence that was
destroyed as they took possession, and introduced their livestock.
This is an important book in the study of Australian history - it
provides a new perspective to be read and discussed. It needs to be
on every teacher's reading list and in every school library.
Helen Eddy
Detention by Tristan Bancks
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143791799. 240pp., pbk.
Highly recommended. Sima and her family are pressed to the rough,
cold ground among fifty others. They lie next to the tall fence
designed to keep them in. The wires are cut one by one.
When they make their escape, a guard raises the alarm. Shouting,
smoke bombs, people tackled to the ground. In the chaos Sima loses
her parents.
Dad told her to run, so she does, hiding in a school and triggering
a lockdown. A boy, Dan, finds her hiding in the toilet block.
What should he do? Help her? Dob her in? She's breaking the law, but
is it right to lock kids up? And if he helps, should Sima trust him?
Or run?
Whatever decisions are made will change their lives forever.
With the rise and spread of nationalist, right-wing conservative
governments around the globe, xenophobia is alive and well in
communities and countries around the world. In Australia it is
always a hot topic particularly around election time and especially
since former prime minister John Howard declared, 'It's about this
nation saying to the world we are a generous open hearted people,
taking more refugees on a per capita basis than any nation except
Canada, we have a proud record of welcoming people from 140
different nations. But we will decide who comes to this country and
the circumstances in which they come' in an election speech just
weeks after the attacks on the World Trade Centre buildings in 2001.
Having just had another federal election with the rhetoric of asylum
seekers, detention centres and people's rights claiming a lot of
media space and votes, this new book from Tristan Bancks is very
timely. In it, through the students in the Reading Superstars class
and their teacher Miss Aston, he asks the questions that need to be
considered about the plight of refugees, particularly as much of
what the children say is the echo of their parents' perspectives.
Bancks says he has tried to tell the story as 'a human one, rather
than a political one' and he has achieved this as the reader becomes
very invested in the plights of Simi and Dan and constantly wonders
what would they do if they were either of those characters.
In my opinion, the greatest power of this book is in the hands of a
class teacher reading it aloud and discussing the issues as Miss
Aston does while she and her charges are in lockdown. That way, a
range of points of view can be explored and explained, taking the
story to a whole new level, rather than being an individual read
that throws up questions but for which the reader doesn't seek
answers. And that teacher should be prepared to answer the
inevitable, 'What would you do if you were Miss Aston?'
Books for this age group are rarely the focus of reviews on this
blog, but I believe that this is such an essential read as part of
any study about migration and refugees, it deserves all the
publicity it can get. Superb. Teacher's
notes are available.
Barbara Braxton
No baths week by Katrina McKelvey
Illus. by Cheri Hughes. Big Sky Publishing, 2019. ISBN:
9781925675429.
(Age: 3-7) Themes: Bathing, Pets, Play. This is a fun, colourful
adventure about Ben and his best mate Bandit (his dog) and their
mission to avoid the bathtub for an entire week. The best part about
this is the unstructured, messy, creative, outdoor play that Ben and
Bandit engage in without an adult hovering by and directing the
action. In addition they live in a big old house surrounded by space
and lawn and a cow over the next door fence. Mum is patient and fun,
caring for them, while at the same time letting them be independent.
They finger (and paw) paint their secret hide-out, they explore
forbidden and dirty places like under the house, they bake dog
biscuits (even snail-flavoured ones), dig to the very bottom of the
sandpit, make sticky mud pies and a mud slip and slide. At the end
of each day they come up with a way of getting clean that doesn't
involve the bath (the sprinkler, the mobile dog wash, even the car
wash), each one with humorous results. They are running out of ideas
when Mum suggests the hot, steamy dishwasher . . . that has Ben and
Bandit running for the bath! Ben's unbridled spirit is obvious as he
announces that next week is go to bed late week! There is a definite
message for parents about giving kids freedom and access to creative
and outdoor unstructured play (Ben even wears a t-shirt that says
'Art is Education') and the depiction of this play in the funny,
busy illustrations will thoroughly entertain and engage young
children.
Nicole Nelson
Hey baby! by Stephanie Warren Drimmer
National Geographic Kids, 2019. ISBN: 9781426329319. 192pp., hbk.
'In every corner of the Earth - from the Arctic to Australia, from
ocean depths to mountain tops, from dry deserts to lush rain forests
- tiny tots are learning to find their way in a big beautiful
world.'
But these are not human babies - they are animals of all shapes and
sizes and each has its own life story, some more complex and
demanding more attention than a human baby. Using the most stunning
photos, this is a collection of pictures, poems, stories, folktales
and information from Nature's nursery that will introduce young
readers to the diverse creatures of this planet. Grouped according
to habitat such as mountains and plains, forest and streams, oceans
and seas, each creature has a short fact box giving the name of the
young, its home and its food as well as other information, and each
section also has a Tot Lot which is a group of eight creatures with
not quite so much detail but adding to the wonder of the variety of
fauna that shares this planet with us. Many have a story or even a
classic poem to accompany them, such as 'The Legend of the Pink
Dolphin' or 'The Duck and the Kangaroo' by Edward Lear to further
engage the young reader as this is a book to be shared or read by an
independent reader.
An investment in a child's learning.
Barbara Braxton
My real friend by David Hunt
Illus. by Lucia Masciullo. ABC Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780733334894.
32pp., hbk.
Rupert is William's imaginary friend, a role he is quite happy to
have because they do so much together. Make music, paint pictures,
play games . . . it's all great fun except for two things. He
never gets to choose the game and be the hero, but worst of all,
that William will stop imagining him and he will fade away. And one
day, William breaks the news to him . . .
Told from Rupert's perspective, this is a charming book for early
readers who are familiar with imaginary friends. As Rupert contrasts
his life with William's, there is a lot of humour in his
observations and sometimes Rupert's life in the imagination seems
more fun. Poignant though his comments are, there is always the
expectation that this story will not end well for Rupert but
Masciullo's clever mixed-media illustrations soften the blow and his
appearance as the shadow on William's new friend's skateboard is
masterful, suggesting that William might not quite have let go yet.
Friendships, real and imaginary, wax and wane over time as
circumstances and situations change and this is a celebration of
that. Rupert is a vital part of William's childhood, as imaginary
friends are for many children, and the letting go as social circles
widen can be painful. It validates those imaginary friends of the
young readers and opens the doorway for discussions about the
difference between the two and the place they have in our lives. It
is a way of encouraging those still rooted in their immediate
concrete world to start viewing things from another perspective,
particularly through Rupert's weariness of always being the victim
or the loser! Teacher notes
to guide the discussions are available.
Barbara Braxton
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Pan Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781529014518.
(Age: Adolescent - Adult) In a stunning, revelatory and riveting
work, Ted Chiang plunges us into extraordinarily different worlds,
past, present and future, such as the old world of Baghdad, evoked
both in its past and present, where his characters travel through
time and place to find their old selves to settle what they perceive
as awry in their current lives. His notion that some beings can
change, as a result of understanding their lives through revisiting
the past, is pivotal in this work, just as he explore how others
might be able to change as a result of experiencing the future. This
is explored deeply in his work.
In exciting ways, and in lucid prose, Chiang captivates us while
positioning his characters to act in ways that enable us to grasp a
point. While some characters are shown to have been fortunate in
their choices, others are led to understand that their self-centred
nature, perhaps as a younger person, has caused them to have lived a
less fulfilling life determined by what they did in a past life. His
ultimate message is that living beings can learn from their actions,
and indeed from their mistakes, understanding this through this
portal of time, and comprehend what they must do to atone for, or to
attempt to fix, what was not a good past decision.
Each one of Chiang's ideas is about the deepest notion of human
culpability and responsibility to live our lives well, not just for
ourselves, but for others too, tying us to human interaction and
goodness as at the heart of being human. Exciting and exhilarating,
this novel is different, emotionally both disturbing and affirming.
It would challenge all readers to consider the way we live today, in
our values, aspirations, fears and responses to others. Brilliantly
capturing the digital age and ironically placing this
alongside/within future worlds or the world of the past, Ted Chiang
compels us to consider what we do, why we act as we do, and to
wonder if we could have chosen a different way of being ourselves,
or indeed, a different way of considering life and living our
allotted span. This enlightening work would be suitable for
adolescent and adult readers.
Elizabeth Bondar
Puffin book of bedtime stories: eight favourite Australian picture books
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143796732.
Recommended. When it is time for kids to calm down, snuggle up in
bed or just laze the afternoon immersed in a book, Puffin book
of bedtime stories is a great place to start. It is filled
with 8 stories all by Australian authors and illustrators, many of
which have been well read by children over the years.
I really liked the pillowy feel of the cover, and although it is a
thick book the cover adds to the 'bedtime' theme. The dark blue
background with vibrant pictures also makes it very easy to find on
the shelf amongst all the others!
Some of the titles include Bed Tails by Meredith Costain, Sophie's
big bed by Tina Burke, One very tired wombat by Renee
Treml (my personal favourite) and Jesse by Tim Winton.
I just really liked this specific collection of stories and we
really enjoyed reading a couple each night at bedtime. My 4 (almost
5) year old agrees, stating that it's 'good at bedtime and quiet
time'. Mister almost 9 wasn't too phased by the whole thing, however
he did read Come down, Cat by Sonya Hartnett to her so I
count that as a win!
There are lots of great themes within the stories such as bedtime,
counting, Australian animals, transition into a big bed, grief and
change (bring the tissues for the beautiful A bear and a tree
by Stephen Michael King! Such a wonderful story about having just
one more day . . .), growing up, adventures and a good old-fashioned
cat rescue!
I thought the majority of the illustrations were wonderful, vibrant
but soft, and the felt and wool tawny frogmouths in Baby Tawnies
were different and blurry. We enjoyed the story.
It is a great book to keep on the bedside table, but also to take on
holidays instead of dragging around loads of different titles. An
interesting group of Australian authors and illustrators all in one
place, 4 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain
Land of the Echidna People by Percy Trezise
Illus. by Mary Lavis. Angus and Robertson, 2019. ISBN:
9781460756614. 32pp, hbk.
'Aboriginal oral history tells of hundreds of Dream Roads
criss-crossing the Australian continent which were made by Ancestral
Beings during their travels at the beginning of the Dreamtime. It
also tells of a vast freshwater lake at the top of Australia and
stories about ancestors like the Anta Moola sisters. There is also
scientific evidence to suggest that 36,000 years ago there was a
large freshwater lake at the top of Australia. Scientist called it
the Lake of Carpentaria . . . and it was also known as Balanorga,
the big water.'
The Journey
of the Great Lake series tells the story of Jadianta, Lande
and Jalmor,three children of the Kadimakara People who were caught
in a storm and stranded across the great lake, Balanorga and their
quest to return to their homeland as they journey around Balanorga,
along the Dream road of the Anta Moola sisters to find their way
home. The series, first published 20 years ago, comprises Home
Of The Kadimakara People, Land
of the Dingo People Land
of the Magpie Goose People, Land
of the Emu People, Land
of the Snake People, Land
of the Kangaroo People, Land
of the Brolga People and the final in the series, Land
of the Echidna People.
Written at a time when there was very little indigenous literature
for young readers available, the series was and is a valuable
addition to resources supporting studies of Aboriginal cultures,
providing young readers with an insight into the life and lands of
northern Australia 30 000 years ago.
Barbara Braxton
Under currents by Nora Roberts
Piatkus, 2019. ISBN: 9780349421926.
(Age: Adult) Themes: Domestic violence, Family dynamics, Stalking,
Resilience. Another classic book by Nora Roberts, showcasing the
importance of family and supportive friends, delves into the horrors
of domestic violence. Zane Bigelow and his sister Britt live in a
beautiful house with their picture perfect parents, a successful
surgeon and community minded wife. But behind closed doors, things
are different, and everything comes to a head one momentous night.
Told from the point of view of Zane, the reader is taken into the
nightmare that if his life as a teenager, and then his life when he
finally comes back to his hometown, as a successful lawyer. He meets
Darby, a landscape architect, who also has secrets in her past and a
loving relationship evolves. Roberts is very skilful at writing
about relationships and family life and her characters come to life
on the page. Darby is a wonderful survivor, full of life and
determined to make her business grow. Zane's aunt is helpful and
kind and her detective husband a wonderful role model.
The scenes of domestic violence are quite graphic and Roberts
describes not only family violence but two separate incidents of
husbands abusing their wives. She shows how difficult it can be to
leave an abusive relationship and how important it is to have family
and community support. These themes overshadow the suspense of who
is stalking Zane and Darby and seasoned readers will have no trouble
working out who is doing it.
Roberts always delivers a story that keeps the reader engrossed
right to the end and this is no exception.
Pat Pledger
Cats and Robbers by Russell Ayto
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408876503. 32pp., pbk.
While inside the house everything appeared to be as it should,
outside three robbers were spying on it and making a list of things
they would take once they were inside. They had dismissed the
paintings, the vases, the sculptures and the sweets and their
primary goal was the safe! So in they crept intent on their mission.
But they did not know they were being watched by two cats. Two cats
who had their own reasons why the safe was sacred and would not be
taken, and who put into place a plan to protect it.
This is a delightfully funny story that will have young readers in
stitches as the slapstick comedy plays out and they want to discover
who wins! The twist in the end is perfect . . .
Written with repetitive phrases and clever use of bold font, it is
made for reading aloud with the reader using the cues to build up
the tension and suspense. This is not a book that can be read in a
monotone with no passion or engagement. Lots of fun and lots of
scope for ideas to foil the robbers and their plans.
Barbara Braxton
The Three Musketeers by Russell Punter
Illus. by Matteo Pincelli. Usborne Graphic Legends. Usborne, 2019.
ISBN: 9781474938112. 104pp., pbk.
In 1844 Alexandre Dumas gave the world his story of Les Trois
Mousquetaires and now 175 years on it is again being made available
to young readers in graphic novel format so they, too, can share the
adventures of young d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel
to Paris, to join the Musketeers
of the Guard. Although d'Artagnan is not able to join this
elite corps immediately, he befriends the three most formidable
musketeers of the age - Athos, Porthos and Aramis, 'the three
inseparables,' as these are called - and gets involved in their
adventures. Set in the France of 1626 when there was fierce rivalry
between the republicans and the monarchists, and bound by the famous
cry of 'All for one and one for all.'
Graphic novels have proven to be an invaluable way of introducing
young readers to the classic stories of old and this is no
exception, and with the current thirst for high action, high
adventure with superheroes, this is the perfect way to lead
children's reading on to something just as exciting while opening up
a new world of literature. To help with understanding the
context because it is set in the real world but a different time,
there are pages at the back that set the scene and Usborne have
their usual Quicklinks page to help the reader explore even further.
A must for independent readers seeking to expand their horizons, as
well as an addition to a unit comparing superheroes past, present
and future!!
Barbara Braxton
Fated by Teri Terry
Orchard Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781408350669. 460 pages, paperback.
(Age: Teenagers+) Recommended. Fated is an exciting origin story to
the Slated series. It tells of the chaos that started when
the borders closed around the UK and the forceful control the
government imposed, the start of rebellion from both those who wish
harm to others and those who just want peace, and lastly the
consequences of the actions made by all. The story follows Sam, the
daughter of the deputy prime minister, and Ava a scholarship student
who goes to school with Sam. Both are thrown into a flurry of events
when the government starts to lay blame on the youth, imposing rules
and restrictions that only apply to them.
This story is truly a gripping read and the perfect choice to help
you decide if you want to read the Slated series. Sam's
character is very intriguing as she is still figuring out what she
wants to do with her life, she knows what she likes but doesn't have
the motivation to pursue it. Though thankfully with the help of Ava,
she slowly comes to find something to believe in and that provokes
her to take action. Ava is different from Sam as she is very driven
in her studies, and knows that sometimes it's best to keep her head
down and focus. Both girls are discovering themselves and with all
the chaos that unfolds around them, it isn't easy.
Overall, this is a wonderful and enticing story that has definitely
gotten me interested in the story enough to want to read the
trilogy. I would recommend it to teenagers and up.
Kayla Raphael
The beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
Zaffre, 2019. ISBN: 9781785768934.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Lefteri tells
the story of a Syrian couple, Nuri and Afra, traumatised by the
destruction of their home and the death of their young son Sami,
setting out on a path with other refugees to seek safety in another
country offering some kind of hope of a normal life. Afra has been
struck blind by the same bomb that killed their 5 year old son. She
is dependent on Nuri to dress her, care for her, and find some kind
of livelihood. Yet as we read on, we gradually come to realise that
Nuri himself is a broken man, haunted by images and memories that
will not let him rest.
The two of them cling to the hope of reuniting with another Syrian
couple, close friends, Mustafa and Dahab, joint partners in their
former bee-keeping venture in Syria, who have now found safety in
the UK. Their dream is to care for bees together again in England.
Bees are an amazing community that works together for the benefit of
all.
Lefteri interweaves stories and experiences of other desperate
refugees, people who shared their stories with her whilst working as
a volunteer at a refugee centre in Athens. That experience stayed
with her of people who had been through the most horrific of
circumstances in their journey towards survival and renewal. As she
says The beekeeper of Aleppo is 'about profound loss, but it
is also about love and finding light'. It is to be hoped that her
book will provide some greater understanding of the global refugee
problem and the need for all people to open their hearts to caring
about fellow human beings, who from no fault of their own are in
desperate need of refuge and support.
Helen Eddy
