The Poppa Platoon in Saving Private Rabbit by Danny Katz
Illus. by Mitch Vane. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742769257.
(Age: 6-9) Recommended. Themes: Birthday parties; Friendship;
Humour. Tapping into the current trend for comic stories, Danny Katz
(of Little Lunch fame) has created a 'mission' to attend the
Friendship-Bear birthday party for Abbie. Her Poppa is the
responsible adult to accompany Abbie and her friends on the risky
manoeuvres through the local shopping mall to the Friendship-Bear
party store. The dangers and problems that beset the young troop
will be understood be all who have attended a large shopping Mall!
Poppa is perhaps the one who suffers the most from this excursion
into 'danger'. . . but the party is important. And when Private
Rabbit goes missing, Abbie demonstrates extreme bravery and
leadership.
This book is full of kid-friendly humour and illustrations, and
although there may be some indirect references to 'military'
procedures that will pass over the heads and understanding of the
youngest readers, the inclusion of the booger on the end of the
finger of the Boogey-Woogie Booger Boy will amuse the young.
Illustrations by Mitch Vane are in a messy cartoon and almost
caricature-style and are quite amusing. This is not a book for
thinkers, but will be enjoyed as light-hearted entertainment for
young independent readers.
Carolyn Hull
Where Dani goes, happy follows by Rose Lagercrantz
Illus. by Eva Eriksson. My happy life series. Gecko Press,
2019. ISBN: 9781776572267.
This book by Gecko Press publishing house that promises 'curiously
good books' from around the world, will have readers enthralled at
Dani's journey, willing her to find her friend but not a little
concerned for her safety along the way. The book touches on themes
not usually shown in children's books. Her father is depressed over
his wife's death, his parents not a little unhappy at being called
in to help, and the irrepressible Dani is travelling alone to
Northbrook. She runs into trouble on the way which she must contend
with.
Dani is a strong young girl and this the sixth in the series will
delight younger readers who love her character, but also those new
to her stories.
Dani has been left again with her grandparents while Dad goes to
Italy to stay with friends. Dani is not impressed and when she
realises that tomorrow is Ella's birthday resolves to be her present
and be with her old friend on the day. But no one can spare the time
to take her so she is allowed to go by herself on the train. Armed
with a mobile phone and knowing that Ella's family will be there to
welcome her when she arrives, Dani sets off. But hurdles beset her:
there is no one at the station, it is cold and snowing, the
stationmaster leaves her in the waiting room where she is accosted
by two youths and a dog, who take her phone, and someone walks in
when she is hiding under the bench so does not see her.
Each incident will have readers thinking about what they would do in
that situation and admire Dani's handling of her misfortunes. It is
a strength of this wonderful read that Dani although a child is
having to face more mature problems. In simply wanting to surprise
her friend, she takes steps which go awry, but there are people
there to help.
The illustrations show clearly the sort of young girl Dani is:
resourceful, playful and generous, wanting to see Ella again, but
also realising that there are other people to consider. She learns
more about her father even though he is in Rome, as well as his old
girlfriend, Sadie and her new friend, Cushion, and in going on this
journey to see her old friend, Ella, realises that things change and
accepts Cushion as her friend.
Fran Knight
Don't follow Vee by Oliver Phommavanh
Penguin, 2019, ISBN: 9780143505747.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: Social media, Families,
Mothers. Oliver Phommavanh's novel Don't follow Vee looks at
the current trend of parents to overshare on social media and the
positive and negative impacts on their families in a fun and
insightful way.
Vee's mum has recorded every moment of her daughter's life since she
was a baby. As her thirteenth birthday approaches, Vee needs to make
some big decisions, to continue with 'The Chronicles of Vee' or come
up with an alternate plan. The plan includes becoming anti-Vee
making her life unfollowable and turning her mum's focus onto her
pursuing new activities. Vee has boundaries as well; she protects
her friendships by not posting any of their photos. When her mum
breaks the Golden Rule, Vee really begins to question the realities
of constant posting.
Every morning she wakes to her mum snapping a picture to add to 'The
Chronicles of Vee' - an account her mum started when she was a baby.
They have 100,000 followers and Mum has found sponsors who provide
their products to promote. Her pencil case is stocked with the
latest Typo products. Mum has themes for different day, Saturday
becomes Fiturday as they train for the Colour Run. When her mum
starts doing things like making up stories that get Vee unwanted
attention at school, and breaking Vee's golden rule of not posting
pictures of her friends, Vee starts to wonder if maybe it's time to
stop.
Vee values her best friend Annabelle's close relationship; things
change when her mother adds her photo to Vee's posts. Vee's anti-Vee
antics including dyeing her hair bright red have repercussions at
school and home.
Oliver Phommavanh's humorous novel is character-driven as Vee, her
mother and her close friends both guys and girls grapple with their
own and their on-line personas. Themes of growth and resilience,
self-perception, peer pressure and the realities and consequences of
creating and maintaining social media personas are presented in a
humorous and easy to read style. What impact now and in the future
will the one billion users of Instagram in May 2019 have? Don't follow Vee is an inspiring story, perfect to share with
Upper Primary students engaging with social awareness and digital
communication.
Rhyllis Bignell
Raising Readers by Megan Daley
UQP, 2019. ISBN: 9780702262579.
(Age: Adult) Recommended. This is unashamedly a book about books,
the subtitle How to nurture a child's love of books clearly
places the author among those for whom books are a passion they want
everyone to share. However, instead of a lot of 'motherhood'
statements the first part is full of well researched information
about the mechanics of reading organised along developmental stages
with multiple strategies for enhancing learning and dealing with
issues as they are encountered. The difference between educational
readers and recreational reading is explained, stimulating different
kinds of learning in the child, one without the other will leave
gaps. Equally the importance of comprehension along with word
recognition is explored. Asserting the need for multiple strategies
for children learning to read, the author has included are many
first-hand accounts from experts and 'literary friends'.
Particularly valuable are the book recommendations which
refreshingly feature Australian books. Parents and educators need to
offer children a balanced literary diet but can unconsciously do a
disservice by selecting books with a gender bias. Marketing is often
quite gender specific and in one of the very interesting
contributions author Jacqueline Harvey talks about the frustrations
of adults making decisions that her books are not for boys. The
second part of the book looks at the features of different genres,
as a fan of graphic novels I was pleased to see them discussed and
valued. The chapter on multimodal and digital reading suggests the
decoding skills necessary for reading can be transferred
successfully into computational thinking, 'thinking logically,
decomposing into smaller parts, looking for and recognising
patterns, abstracting ideas, designing algorithms and making
judgements' p. 150. Computer coding is a language and learning it can
enable children 'not just to use digital technologies, but to read,
comprehend and create them p. 151. Making and creating are integral
parts of a reading strategy, from making book week costumes to
library makerspaces and the research skills acquired, the link
between enjoying stories and creating responses to them whether it
be written, oral or visual are not forgotten. Some of the more
subtle aspects of reading; mindfulness, sustainability and diversity
are discussed and there are some useful 'How to' guides at the end
of the book. Comprehensive end notes and contributor biographies
make this a surprisingly concise, readable, useful and inspiring
addition to any parent or teacher's library.
Sue Speck
Mr Walker gets the inside scoop by Jess Black
Illus. by Sara Acton. Mr Walker book 2. Penguin, 2019, ISBN:
9780143793090.
(Age: 7-9) Recommended. Themes: Dogs, Hotels, Therapy Pets. What do
you do with a wonderful dog who's been trained by Guide Dogs
Victoria, whose larger-than-life personality makes him too lively to
assist vision-impaired people? Mr Walker now lives with his official
foster carer at Park Hyatt Melbourne Hotel. Author Jess Black has
written an engaging series of junior novels based on Mr Walker and
his engaging interactions and encounters with both staff and guests.
Hotel manager Henry Reeves and his family are the official carers of
Mr Walker, Labrador Ambassador. With the family off on a holiday
cruise, the friendly dog is left in the capable hands of the staff,
Omid Abedini, porter Thomas Glover and Elvis Head of Housekeeping.
Cue the drama, Jamie Gibson, hotel reviewer whose critiques are
often scathing is planning a visit, as well as a new hospitality
student from the country is arriving for a week's work experience.
The hotel staff go all out, cleaning, and tidying, making their
beloved hotel sparkle for Jamie Gibson. Poor Mr Walker is very
confused, not understanding Omid's figures of speech, 'Let's get all
our ducks in a row. What ducks?' Hoping to help he takes the
hospitality student under his wing and show her just what happens
behind the scenes. His attempts to help are comical and cause
troubles for the staff and Jess Black creatively handles the mix-up
between the student who is treated to a five-star stay and the
reviewer's time at the hotel.
With a beautiful hard cover and Sarah Acton's charming water-colour
illustration of Mr Walker fetching a paper, and black sketches of Mr
Walker's antics throughout this junior novel it is just right for
readers aged seven to nine.
Jess Black has created a loveable character who's valued by his
hotel family, and Mr Walker Gets the Inside Scoop is another
appealing addition to this fun to read series.
Rhyllis Bignell
The original Australians, the story of the Aboriginal people by Josephine Flood
Allen and Unwin, 2019. Revised and updated edition. ISBN:
9781760527075.
(Age: 16+) Non-fiction. Flood writes that her book was provoked by
requests from overseas friends for an introduction to Indigenous
Australia, and that she wanted to provide an informative and
objective account of Aboriginal history and culture that could be
read by the general public. She started out by collecting the kinds
of questions that people asked, such as where the First Australians
came from, their impact on the environment, was traditional life
idyllic, why were treaties not made, were Aboriginal children
'stolen', etc.
The resulting book begins with how Aboriginal society was gradually
discovered by the outside world, and thus starts with first contact
between foreigners and Aborigines. So we learn about the Dutch
encounters in the late 16th and early 17th century, the accounts of
Englishman William Dampier, and the trading relationship with the
Macassans, Indonesian fishermen, all before the arrival of Captain
Cook.
Other chapters are titled Colonisation, early Sydney; Confrontation,
in Tasmania and Victoria; Depopulation, a century of struggle
(1820s-1920s); Tradition, Indigenous life at first contact; Origins,
the last 65,000 years; Assimilation, a time of trouble
(1930s-1970s); and Resurgence, the story continues.
Clearly it is a mammoth task to write such a book. She is successful
in keeping the tone accessible to the general reader, at the same
time providing well referenced notes, and including various maps and
a collection of coloured prints of artworks and photographs
including ancient rock art sites. Surprisingly she does not include
the map of Indigenous language or tribal groups, an invaluable tool
in helping people to understand the diversity and number of
Aboriginal groups, and their 'Country', the places they were
connected to.
Some areas where there may be some dispute about Flood's account of
Aboriginal life may be in her assertion of their hunter-gather
lifestyle, ignoring recent interpretations of their cultivation and
agricultural methods, and also the assertion that Aboriginal
languages have no numbers beyond 3 or 4, ignoring the complexities
of Indigenous mathematical understandings that other writers are
exploring in the field of ethnomathematics.
Flood also takes issue with the word 'stolen' as applied to
Aboriginal children, and highlights the cases where Aboriginal
mothers gave their children into care; undermining the concept of
'stolen generations' and the ramifications for Aboriginal families.
And in the final chapter, Resurgence, in her description of the
Intervention, in highlighting views of the benefits to Aborigines of
the welfare card, she ignores any conflicting view of the impact on
their lives.
Flood ends on an optimistic point, in that whilst Prime Minister
Turnbull rejected out of hand the Uluru Statement from the Heart,
possibly new Prime Minister Morrison may come closer to giving the
First Nations people a voice in government.
Dr Josephine Flood is an expert archaeologist so this volume is a
worthy addition to the literature on Aboriginal Australians; however
the non-expert reader may be a little wary of generalisations made
about a people who are a diverse group with varying opinions on some
of the topics covered.
Helen Eddy
Happy birthday Wombat by Jackie French
Illus. by Bruce Whatley. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN 9781460751596.
32pp., hbk., RRP
Highly recommended. There are a few modern characters in Australian
children's literature that are a must-have in the literary and
literacy journey of every young reader, and one of those is Mothball
the wombat. It is 16 years since we first met her in 2003 in Diary
of a Wombat and here she is, back again in a new adventure.
Today is her birthday and while her human friends are set to enjoy a
party for her, birthday parties seen through a wombat's lens are
different to those through a child's lens. A jumping castle may be
fun for the children but it's an enemy to vanquish to a wombat! The
result is an hilarious adventure that combines the minimal text of
Mothball's thoughts with the classic illustrations that tell so much
of the story, and which thoroughly engage the young reader as they
follow Mothball's day.
Anyone who follows Jackie's Facebook page will be aware of the
adventures she shares about Wild Whiskers and friends, and knows of
her love for and affinity with these creatures, including that they
bite and they can be very destructive. But her portrayal of these
characteristics as being almost childlike in their single-mindedness
not only appeals to the audience for whom she is writing, but also
raises awareness of these creatures in our environment, encouraging
a love to protect them from an early age. Living in the country as I
do, sadly wombats are often the victims of cars and I will never
forget having to pacify Miss Then-3 when she saw 'Mothball' on the
side of the road and clearly in wombat heaven. It took a lot of
talking to assure her it was a distant cousin who hadn't learned the
road rules and Mothball was very happy still living with Jackie near
Braidwood.
Long may she go on to have many more adventures that will bring such
delight and empathy to our very youngest readers.
For those who need to satisfy curriculum outcomes, teachers'
notes are available.
Barbara Braxton
Gravity is the thing by Jaclyn Moriarty
Pan Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781760559502. 472p.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Abigail Sorensen is a suburban, single
parent, who settles it - ordinary persons invariably experience
extraordinary events. Abigail is a wellspring of the paradoxes and
insecurities of modern life. Jaclyn Moriarty hasn't only written a
mystery novel for adults, whimsical in language and without
chronological structure; but a gentle rendering of characters, most
of whom respond to the human quandary by attempting to lead moral
lives.
Abigail's sardonic inner monologue running parallel to the narrative
are nearly as delightful as her young child's frequent malapropisms.
Oscar is the product of a one night stand, motivated by her
husband's long-term affair and subsequent abandonment. The polar
opposites within the central character know no bounds - she owns a
flaky happiness-themed-cafe and reads self-help books, yet she's a
qualified lawyer.
Equally the book's premise is anything but a trope. From the age of
15, Abigail has been the recipient of the intermittent and
unsolicited chapters of a self-help book, she calls, The
Guidebook. The story starts when she agrees to attend a remote
weekend retreat to learn the truth behind the subscription, which
she could never bring herself to cancel. The first instalment of The
Guidebook arrived at approximately the same time as her twin
brother disappeared - a sign from the universe that tempered both
her scepticism and her hope that somehow the two events were
connected. Abigail decides to meet with the other long-term
subscribers, who are dumbfounded that the book was not as
metaphorical as they thought - but in fact, a practical manual.
With a stable of YA novels to her credit, Moriarty is at ease
writing for adult readers. Indeed, the author makes us more open to
possibilities because of her refreshing demands on adult
imaginations and that's what makes Gravity is the Thing a
departure from adult literature but nevertheless, thought provoking
and addictive. Abigail's brief epistemological musings reward us
every time we resume reading. This mundane yet enigmatic piece of
adult literature is one for Senior Fiction. Why not recommend to
staff for pleasure or as reference material for their philosophy
classes.
Deborah Robins
Elizabella and the great tuckshop takeover by Zoe Norton Lodge
Illus. by Georgia Norton Lodge. Elizabella book 2. Walker,
2019, ISBN: 9781760650551.
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. Themes: School Stories, Self-perception,
Families. Author and illustrator team sisters Zoe and Georgia Norton
Lodge bring us the second engaging Elizabella story. She's a
fourth-grade student at Bilby Creek Primary, who often spends time
in 'think about what you've done' corner. She loves playing with her
tall Chinese friend Minnie, creating new ways of conversing and
spending time outdoors. Her older brother Todberry has spent the
summer working as a lifeguard at the local pool. At home, Dad's
introduced new tasteless breakfast food from the Nutricorp
multinational company.
On the first day back at school, Elizabella notices that her
much-loved school is falling apart, even Miss Duck the tuck-shop
manager must ration supplies. Principal Mr Gobblefrump's
cost-cutting measures include no maths textbooks, teachers writing
their lessons in chalk, closing off sections of the playground and
suspending the recorder program. With no funds for any resources or
repairs, the principal meets representatives of Nutriicorp who offer
to take over the canteen and turn a profit. Soon everything at
school has a Nutricorp brand, and even the students wear promotional
stickers and use labelled stationery.
Elizabella takes a stand when Miss Duck's role is threatened. She's
a third-generation baker whose pies and pikelets the students love.
An outbreak of headlice adds additional problems, forcing her to cut
off the tangled knot of hair she's kept since her mother passed
away. Things become complicated with Huck, Elizabella's guy friend,
when her Dad develops his relationship with Huck's mum. There are
too many changes. Can Elizabella stop the corporate takeover which
sweeps though Bilby Creek and how can she help Miss Duck find a new
outlet for her culinary skills?
Zoe Norton Hodge conveys a sense of fun, quirkiness and drive in her
characters, and includes themes of loyalty, identity, sense of
community and building family relationships. The character sketches,
additions of songs and a new version of Little Red Riding Hood add
to the appeal of Elizabella and the Great Tuckshop Takeover.
This is an engaging story for readers from eight to eleven years,
just right for a Middle Primary class novel leading to discussions
about how one child can make a difference.
Rhyllis Bignell
Box car racers by Meredith Costain
Illus: by Danielle McDonald. Olivia's Secret Scribbles, book
6. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781760660031.
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. Themes: Friendship; Competitions; Recycling.
Recycling week at school gives opportunity for Olivia and her
classmates to show incredible creativity to make constructions out
of boxes. Olivia and her best friend Matilda create box cars which
leads to a further contest and a class 'car' race. The excitement of
the challenge influences everyone - including the teachers.
Written in the style of a personal journal with illustrations in a
very naive style with splashes of a single colour, this series
immediately appeals to young female readers. Every young reader will
recognise the friendship dilemmas, the interpersonal friendly
rivalry, the family interactions between Olivia and her older sister
Ella and the joys of a simple life!
Carolyn Hull
Amazing Transport: Journey through the history of transport by Tom Jackson
Illus. by Chris Mould. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408889770.
(Age: 8-12) Highly recommended Subjects: Transport-history, Aircraft
- History, Trains, Ships, Cars. Travel back in time to the beginning
of transportation. The first boats were built over seven thousand
years ago and have transitioned through man power, wind power to
steam engines up to the mighty ocean liners. Every type of transport
is wonderfully presented. In Amazing Transport, author Tom
Jackson presents detailed descriptions, exciting discoveries and
engaging facts from across the globe and through history.
In Overground and Underground read about the Corinthian ships hauled
overland on the Dioklos trackway, the 1515 Austrian funicular built
to cross above the mountains. Where would we be without the wheel?
From carts to Central Asian chariots, a steam-powered Hippo-mobile
to Henry Ford's Model T, the age of cars has revolutionised travel.
Balloons lifts our eyes skyward, from Montgolfiers' wood-fired
balloon flight to the 1999 Breitling Orbiter that flew around the
world for twenty days without stopping to land. Human power
showcases bicycles through the ages, from models without brakes,
push pedals, bone-shakers, BMX sports bikes to the Olympic
superbikes and streamlined helmets.
Chris Mould's outstanding illustrations soar, dive, dig and sail
across the spreads, and black and white detailed images provide a
visual panorama. Add humourous characters, inventors stepping over
clouds, Apollo 11 astronauts walking on the moon, racing cars and an
array of ships swirling in a whirlpool: there's so much to view and
explore. A timeline border presents key dates and facts that can be
matched with a caricature and type of transport. Amazing
Transport is a fabulous resource for History and STEM units in
both the Primary and Secondary school. Families will enjoy sharing
both the engaging information and delving into the wonderful
depictions of transport through time.
Rhyllis Bignell
You're crushing it: Positivity for living your real life by Lex Croucher
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408892473.
(Age: Teens) Recommended. 'The trick is to work out how to help
somebody in the way they need most'. You're crushing it is an honest and hilarious journey through
the realities of life in a social media powered world. It is
thoughtful and relatable, and anyone who reads it should brace
themselves for the read of a lifetime.
Social media sensation Lex Croucher is a vlogger who covers topics
from beauty and books to feminism and animal rights. Her YouTube
videos have been viewed by 15 million people, and she has hundreds
of thousands of social media followers over multiple accounts. Lex
utilises her fame to attempt to achieve positive change in our
world. She is particularly invested in female rights and
empowerment, feminism and protecting women from sexism and abuse. You're Crushing It covers family and friends, body
confidence, technology and social media, relationships, mental
health, success and more. It can be described as almost a 'survival
guide' for those struggling to deal with crazy, topsy-turvy,
whirlwind roller coaster ride we call life in modern society. It is
packed to the brim with hilarious anecdotes, which are successful in
making the book more relatable and establishes a sense of belonging
within the reader. You're crushing it gives advice which is not aspirational,
like much of the things that are seen on sites such as Pinterest,
but rather, realistic and inspirational advice, which will actually
help teenagers struggling with real life issues. Lex Croucher writes
with wit, and uses a tone which assists the reader to feel valued
and special, even if they are only one of thousands who read this
book.
As a teenager who has previously struggled with body confidence and
the pressure of social media on a young person's life, I urge any
teenagers struggling with any of these issues to read this book, and
then reread it again and again. It is that amazing and I promise
that it will help you face any of the prominent issues in our
society today.
Isabella C. (Student)
The visitor by Antje Damm
Trans. by Sally-Anne Spencer. Gecko Press, 2019. ISBN:
9781776571895.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Loneliness, Friendship. First
published in Germany in 2015, this is another 'curiously good book'
to be published by New Zealand house, Gecko Press. Their books
promise 'good heart and strong character' and in this book, we see
just that. Elise lives alone in her dark, gloomy house. She is
frightened of everything: spiders, people and even tress, and never
goes outside, preferring to clean her house every morning until it
is spotless. She sometimes opens a window to let in some fresh air,
and one morning, a piece of paper flies in. She is nonplussed, and
scoops the paper plane into the fire. But she has bad dreams that
night about the piece of paper taking over her house. The next
morning she is startled by a knock at the door and opening it finds
a young boy looking for his paper plane. He searches the house,
asking questions of Elise and for the first time in a long time she
sits and reads to him. They do all sorts of things together until he
must return home, but that night, Elise makes a paper plane, a
remembrance of the day and hope of things to come.
This delightful story of friendship, reflected in the sorrowful life
of Elise, revitalised by the simple paper plane will resonate with
younger children as they read of the growing friendship between
Elise and the boy. The wonderful illustrations reflect the
developing friendship, colour coming into her world as the boy goes
upstairs, turning the stairway red, they read and the room becomes
radiant, a stark contrast to the greys of her house before the boy
entered. I love the cut out effect, black and white images placed
against the greys and browns of the house, the boy bringing in
colour, the pink coming into her cheeks just like the picture of her
as a young girl on the stairwell. The endpapers show what can be
achieved through friendship, and will trigger responses from the
readers. This book, a New York Time best illustrated book, will lead
to many discussions about older people living alone, grandparents
who may not see their grandchildren very often, the relationship
between youth and age, and would be a natty addition to
Grandparents' Day, an annual celebration in Australia during
October.
Fran Knight
How it feels to float by Helena Fox
Pan Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781760783303.
(Age: 13-17) Recommended. Seventeen-year-old Biz lives with her mum
and her younger twin siblings in Wollongong. She has a circle of
friends at school but is particularly close to Grace, until she
kisses her and then worries she has ruined the friendship. She also
worries that she has unwittingly offended Jasper, the new boy at
school. Biz is particularly close to her dad, who sits on the end of
her bed and tells her stories about his life. She can't tell anyone
this though, as her dad died when she was seven, and she blames
herself for his sadness and his death. Biz has learnt to float
through her day-to-day life, appearing to be an ordinary teenage
girl. But then an incident at the beach sets off a series of events
which leave her spiraling further into mental illness. She drops out
of school and experiences more hallucinations and panic attacks,
often finding herself unable to remember events as they really
happened. Through a photography class she befriends an
eighty-year-old lady who turns out to be Jasper's grandmother. Biz
and Jasper go on a road trip which she hopes will reconnect her with
her father, but she might find out more than she ever wanted to
know.
The first-person narration in this book describe Biz's mental state
in uncompromising detail. Helena Fox reports in her acknowledgements
that she herself has lived with mental illness her whole life, and
this is so evident in the way we experience Biz's thoughts and
feelings. While not an enjoyable read due to the rawness of emotion,
it is incredibly well-written, and will speak especially to
teenagers who might find themselves experiencing similar feelings.
Donella Reed
Dead at first sight by Peter James
Roy Grace book 15. Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781509816408.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Crime, Fraud, Online romance,
Internet. The apparent suicide of Susy Driver, a supposedly happy
late middle aged Brighton woman, leads DS Roy Grace into a very
murky world. It also adds friction to the already abrasive
relationship between Roy and his line manager ACC Cassian Pewe, who
would rather have a neat tidy suicide than a murder, which would
make his statistics very untidy.
Susy has been using an online dating service, but had warning signs
when she was asked for money by her online 'lover'. She began to
check, and finds to her surprise, that her man of the moment is Toby
Stewart a motivational speaker and Master Chef contestant, who also
happens to be gay and happily married. She also discovers his image
has been used multiple times. Unfortunately her delving has rather
nasty consequences, and not just for her.
Susy isn't the only victim of 'romance fraud'. Others in the UK,
Germany and the USA had been scammed, and some sought to get back at
the scammers and seek their revenge without the aid of the seemingly
powerless police forces.
Roy Grace has few clues, but a couple of chaps of African appearance
one of whom wears distinctive bright red shoes seem to be involved.
The situation also becomes more curious with the entry of Tooth, a
very accomplished assassin. What on Earth can he have to do with all
this?
Peter James has used an actual event on which to base his Toby
Stewart character. This has in turn put him in contact with the
disturbing data surrounding 'romance fraud'. Victims seem to be
older well educated men and women who have often been in long term
relationships and have looked for companionship and romance online.
They often find that they are only too eager to respond with ever
increasing amounts of money when requests come through to help out
with sick relatives, or provide short term loans in battles with ex
partners. Many of the victims are too embarrassed to admit they have
given away their life savings to a non existent 'lover'. The
agencies in question are often based in Ghana, Nigeria and Eastern
Europe where there is little hope of any justice for the victims.
This is the 15th Roy Grace novel, and those who have enjoyed the
others will be sure to embrace this new wrestle with these more
faceless criminals and those who wish to stop them.
Mark Knight
