Imaginations will soar as this book is read to younger children or read by those more proficient at reading for themselves. What to give a friend for a present is the task, and some hilarious options are perused which are shot down with imaginative flair by something quite extraordinary. An almost toothless smile greets the reader as the child tells us that they are making the best present ever.
Wonder filled illustrations colourfully fill each page as the imaginings of the narrator explode. Many words are in large print and brightly coloured, prompting readers to try them out for themselves.
At first the idea develops around a magical creature. But which one to choose? A dragon, pixie or unicorn, but just as the decision is made, a wicked witch comes by and with one magical word, Zap, causes everything to disappear. On to the next idea: a swimming pool full of candy! Sounds great but a gang of possums comes in the night and gobbles them all up. Next idea! A baby animal farm. What could go wrong? A heap of baby animals are shown in all their cuteness, but just as the narrator is set to pay for the animals, a baby goat eats all their money. But never mind, another idea is in the offing.
And so it goes on until an idea occurs that is neither outrageous, nor unattainable, one that will appeal to us all. But getting there is a barrel of laughs as the increasingly mad ideas take root across each page. The text uses different fonts, and highlights longer words, and is nestled inspiringly amongst the hilarious illustrations.
Lots of ideas float across each page: a huge trampoline, hundreds of ice cream filled balloons, an amusement park, a trip to the moon, a transforming scooter just for a start. Kids’ imaginations will ignite as they read of some fo the zany ideas and perhaps think about how cool they would be, and come up with their own preposterous ideas.
A glittering cover will encourage kids to pick up the book, and they will find it just as luminous inside as the ideas come thick and fast, supported by bright, vivacious illustrations.
It’s a bitterly cold season on Mount Kosciusko, with two people lost in a storm, first Sam and then his father Owens gone in search of him. But it is not just the weather that is cold, it is an isolated lonely place where 14 year old Beth waits with her Mama and her older brother ‘Little Sasha’, Sam’s twin. They each go about their duties, collecting firewood, preparing meals, caring for the chickens and horses, with few words shared between them as they wait. Mama says Sam and Owens are dead, but Beth cannot give up hope.
Hooper brilliantly captures Beth’s voice, the tone and the singular grammar of a young teenager, as well as her inner thoughts and fears. She is afraid of the harsh and unpredictable anger that springs from Mama, and is certain that for some reason Mama hates her. The reader is left wondering if the friction between them is the inevitable conflict between parent and teenage or whether there is some hidden reason that Mama seems to turn on Beth.
There seems to be undercurrents of tension that Beth is caught up in and struggles to understand, an adult world of suppressed emotions and secrets that she slowly starts to piece together: why her brother Sam left in the storm, and why the outlaw Wallace keeps coming around. Growing from a position of powerlessness, Beth stubbornly asserts her own personality and independence.
The mood of this book is so intriguing, a mix of smouldering silence and unacknowledged pressures that build until the explosive ending. Seen through the eyes of Beth we understand that each of the characters has their own story just outside of our understanding. Hooper has promised a prequel to this book that explores the story of enigmatic returned soldier Owens. I am so curious about his character that I will be grabbing that book as soon as it’s released.
A cold season is an outstanding debut novel, suitable for both teenagers and adults. Highly recommended.
Billy's brilliant butterflies by Jacquie Ward. Illus. by Winona Kieslich
Little Steps, 2024. ISBN: 9781922678324. (Age:5+) Highly recommended.
Billy loves his time at home. He spends his time outdoors having his own adventures. When things become too noisy or busy he quietly retreats to his tree house where he can watch the world go by. Billy’s life is about to change, as it is time for him to start school. He is unsure and worried and the butterflies in his tummy are tumbling around. The school uniform is unfamiliar and scratchy. The playground is noisy and he wishes his mum could stay longer.
At lunchtime, Billy is overwhelmed and the butterflies around him flap even louder. He is upset but Amelie joins him and they walk out to the playground together and explore. Amelie becomes Billy’s friend and they spend time together. Even when the classroom is too much for Billy, Amelie is by his side. Their wonderful teacher accepts all her students’ talents and personalities and encourages Billy to be himself.
This is a very gentle story with delightful illustrations about change and learning new ways to cope for children who are highly sensitive. The author has provided information on High Sensitivity and strategies for support in the final pages.
Themes New Beginnings, Highly Sensitive Person (HSP’s), Butterflies, Friends, School.
Sally Tinker is the world's foremost inventor under the age of twelve, and she just knows she can build a better brother than the messy, smelly version she has. Sally's invention - Brobot - is fantastic, until the remote breaks and Brobot careens out of control. Sally realises that maybe there's more to a sibling than just inconveniences.
One of the most popular activities I did during my face-to-face teaching days was to share Shel Silverstein's poem, Sister for Sale and get students to not only create an advertisement to sell their sibling - ensuring they pointed out all the good things so it would seem like an attractive buy - but also to then advertise for a new one. They had to consider what would be the essentials, non-negotiables and compromises they would accept and were often surprised to discover that what they wanted was what they already had!
The premise of this graphic novel for independent readers is somewhat similar - students could design their own brobot (or sisbot) using either their imaginations or the activity sheet, perhaps discovering, as Sally did, that their relationships with their siblings is deeper and more important than they thought.
Bad liar is the third in a series featuring Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade, married detectives who work in Bayou Breaux, in Louisiana. It follows A Thin Dark Line (1997) and The Boy (2018). Nick is not impressed at being called out to the horrific scene of a man murdered, his face and hands obliterated by a shotgun blast. Meanwhile Annie’s first day back on the job after a horrible attack is taken up with investigating the claims of B’Lynn Fontenot, who insists that her son Robbie, a recovering addict, has gone missing. During the course of the murder investigation it seems that Marc Mercier, a popular businessperson and former high school football star, has also gone missing. Is there a link between the two?
Hoag is a master at building up suspense. She uses the swampy setting of Bayou Breaux to great effect. Her first chapter is riveting, with a brief but searing introduction to alligators in the dark waters, a mother who cannot let go and a wife who celebrates her birthday alone. It is easy to imagine the family jealousies, the lonely wife and the small-town inhabitants clinging to the past. Domestic violence, drug addiction and jealousy are major themes in this dark mystery. The plot is clever and all strands come together in a gripping conclusion.
Nick and Annie are a formidable pair of detectives, Nick is intelligent and tough, while Annie follows her investigations with compassion. I look forward to another book by Hoag featuring this pair.
Themes Detectives, Murder, Domestic violence, Drug addiction.
Helen Milroy in telling a story of the natural environment and its interdependence, parallels the history of the First Nations people and their understanding of the environment in which they live.
Helen a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara Region of Western Australia, has written eight books published by Fremantle Press, and her books have been short listed for awards in Australia. Her stories tell a tale which kids will love reading, and woven through that tale are lessons to be learnt about country, the interdependence of the fauna and flora within the environment and directions about living with each other.
With The boab tree, Helen tells a wonderful story about this magnificent tree, and tells us where it belongs in the environment, how it reproduces, its dependance on the leaf litter and the work of small animals beneath the canopy. And entwined with the story readers will learn of belonging, kindness and bravery as the tree finds its way home.
A pod is about to fall from the Boab tree. As it does a large eagle flies beneath the tree and the pod lands on its back. Unbeknownst to the eagle, it flies off and eventually the pod rolls off into an unknown forest of large trees, unlike those the pod has ever known. He is alone and calls out for help. Mice answer his call and ask him where he has come from. The mice offer their help. But the pod must open and release his seeds to propagate the next generation of Boab trees. The mice scrape away a little hole for the seeds and wait and wait for the green shoots to appear. This takes longer than expected and the tree grows very slowly. The soil is the wrong sort of soil, and the climate and surroundings are very different from where the Boab tree comes from.
One day a storm is predicted, and the mice help the little tree cling onto the surrounding branches and pile up the soil near his trunk, so that he survives. He wonders how he can help the mice who have been so kind to him. They tell him that one day they may be able to use his help. And of course, a time for help does come around. Foxes have returned to the forest. Usually the dingoes help the mice but they are not here, so the tree tells the mice to come inside his hollows. They do and the foxes run straight past.
One day a white feather falls to the ground and Boab recognises it. It is from an osprey, a large bird from his county. He sees Osprey is injured and calls the mice for ideas about how to restore him to health. The mice call the old possum and help him bring Osprey down to a makeshift nest formed in Boab’s branches, where he can rest and recover.
In return Osprey will help Boab move to his home. He flies back and tells everyone that he has found the little Boab tree. Together the community works to tie Boab to the eagles, ospreys, cockatoos and crows who are there to help. They fly off, lifting Boab into the sky. They find his place and position him on a ridge where he can look out over his country. And he does, growing to a large old tree, remembering his friends from the forest, and now and again the mice think they can hear Boab’s singing from a long time ago.
Paintings face each page of text, reflecting the story being told in dots, masses of colour and images of the animals. Young readers will love poring over the paintings, finding the things mentioned in the story, sharing the tale and what it tells them of the Boab tree and its place in the environment. Teaching notes are available.
Themes Aboriginal stories, Boab tree Environment, Kindness, Bravery.
Fran Knight
The wild life: A berry long walk by Laura and Philip Bunting
The first in a series of environmentally friendly books with a group of Australian animals having adventures, will have instant appeal to those newly adept at reading chapter books and like the joy of lots of illustrations. And illustrations by Philip Bunting will be recognised by children as they follow the animals and their daily travels. In the first book, A berry long walk, the idea of feeling safe is explored as Wombat refuses to go on a walk with his friend because he fears the unknown. Roo comes to see Wombat with his idea but Wombat balks, jumping into his burrow. He tells Roo that he does lots of things to keep himself safe. He tells Roo about his poo, which is expelled in little squares. When a butterfly wings by, Wombat takes a step back in fear. He continues to outline his fears in the face of Roo’s promising him berries, and the two set off, Roo then a little fearful himself that the story of berries is only a rumour.
This long chapter of about 25 pages, is followed by seven more chapters of shorter length, allowing a newly confident reader to taste reading a book by themselves.
Chapter two sees the two friends, still having the same discussion. Wombat sees a massive mountain that it fears and Roo calms his fears urging him on. Chapter three sees them overcome the mountain, in chapter four the pair meets an echidna, and in chapter five Wombat almost falls off the mountain. On they go, the argument recurring all the time as Wombat wants to go home, and Roo adamant that they will find some berries.
The text displays a common argument between friends when each want to do something different. The text encourages all readers to assimilate the division that can occur over a point of view.
Supporting the text are Philip Bunting’s wonderful illustrations, showing the animals in all their argumentative best finding their way through the various obstacles in their way. Physical obstacles are shown on each page, and the emotional obstacles are shown in their faces as Roo encourages, cajoles, pushes, lifts his friend Wombat to their goal.
Bunting shows many Australian animals on the way to the berries and includes a fantastic map at the end of the book to reprise where the animals went. Readers will love the continuing argument between the two friends, each showing a respectful attitude toward the other’s point of view, and the environments they travel through to get to their goal. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Australian animals, Environment, Wombats, Arguments, Points of view.
When is a gnu not a gnu? It is also called a wildebeest, adding another level of snorting mirth to Good gnus! Phil Cummings’ latest book, which makes fun of the word, gnu, with its silent g. So what else can also be found in this work? What about saying the word gnu out loud, remembering the g is silent. Then it sounds like news and so underscores the ways in which the word is used on each page, homophones offering two different meanings for the word, gnu. Young readers will have a belly laugh at each pair of words. What about ‘late gnus’ (think news) or ‘overseas gnus’, ‘old gnus’, ‘live gnus’ and ‘hard hitting gnus’?
Each page adds another reason to guffaw as readers get the joke and add what they know about the news they hear on television. They will be able to tell stories they have remembered which can be placed into the categories Phil outlines. Who has heard some ‘good gnus’, or ‘gnus flash’, perhaps someone has heard of a ‘gnus desk’ or ’local gnus’ or ‘overseas gnus’. I can imagine kids bubbling over themselves with a story they have heard and want to share.
Some of the pairs make for a more contemplative response such as, ‘sad gnus’, but most are very funny, showing the range of news stories we are exposed to every day. Some will require more thought: ‘fake gnus’, ‘scary gnus’, ‘hard-hitting gnus’.
Words and their meanings are at the heart of this story, as children will learn of the way we get news, the way it is promoted and the importance we attach to it. And reading any of Phil Cummings books out loud rewards readers and listeners alike as the infectious rhythm takes over.
Phil’s humour is mirrored by Daron Parton’s wonderful digital illustrations. Each page is a delight to pore over, with a text that invites an imaginative response and an image which charms the eye. The two gnus cause havoc from the time they get up. We see the ‘morning gnus’ bounce on their bed, causing Dad’s ‘gnus cross’. The two play outside, ‘live gnus’, and play cricket, ‘hard-hitting gnu’s, when a window is smashed, ‘breaking gnus’, the parents call ‘no gnus.’ Every image reflects the pair of words wonderfully aligned to an illustration that will tickle the funny bones of all who read it. After a hectic day of ‘gnus flash’ the children go to bed, ‘gnus just in’. A full day of activity sees the parents eager to have their kids retire to bed.
What more could mystery aficionados and lovers of the paranormal want than a murder to solve, with a detective team of a girl who turns into a werewolf at the full moon, a handsome warlock and a poltergeist who is a great cook? All set in Manchester, with its Upside for people who are normal and Downside for those with supernatural powers. Sage lives with her poltergeist friend P and is trying to make sense of her life. Oren Rinallis is a warlock, notorious for the way he upholds the law for the Arcanum, the institution that keeps order in the supernatural world. He is sent to investigate the murder of a young woman in her apartment and there encounters Sage who has come to visit her. Together with P they set out to discover who is murdering young werewolves in the city.
This is a clever combination of crime, the supernatural and found family. The twists and turns of the plot around the murders will keep readers glued to their seats, wanting to find out who the murderer is. Who is leaving a bunch of the herb sage as a warning? Will Sage be the next victim? The Downside, the home of the supernatural creatures is vividly described, with a Yuletide Ball as a fascinating culmination, while the everyday activities of Sage’s teenage friends contrast with the grisly murders that she and Oren are investigating. The back stories of Oren who is feared by everyone in Downside and Sage who is unable to accept her werewolf side will tug at the heart strings and readers will want to see their personal growth as much as they want to solve the mystery.
All the hidden monsters is a riveting novel and I look forward to the next in the series All the lost souls. Readers who enjoy books by Cassandra Clare are certain to want to pick this up, while readers might like to try the Edinburgh nights series by Tendai Huchu or Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch.
Themes Werewolves, Warlocks, Murder, Found family.
Pat Pledger
Eyes that weave the world's wonders by Joanna Ho and Liz Kleinrock. Illus. by Dung Ho
In the annual family photos where everyone gathers in matching clothes and shoes and laughter, everything is the same for everyone - except for one. Because no one has eyes like hers - eyes that kiss in the corners. Despite their shape, she sees the wonder of the world through her eyes and those around her, but who gave her those eyes? And where and why and what if and what happened? Questions that every child who is adopted asks eventually, and even though there may be no immediate answers, she understands that sometimes 'love must look like letting go'.
This is another wonderful story from the author of such masterpieces as Eyes that Kiss in the Corners and Eyes that Speak to the Stars, and once again Joanna Ho has used her gift of language to create something that brings a common situation into the spotlight. This time it is that of the adopted child and co-author Liz Kleinrock focuses on this in a note to the reader at the beginning of the book. Between them, authors and illustrator have created another story of awareness, understanding and acceptance not just by the protagonist but also the reader and I know that whenever I pick up a title with Joanna and Dung Ho's names on the cover I am going to be changed by the reading of it. And this is no exception. It's not the shape of our eyes that matters, it's what they see that counts.
Themes Adoption.
Barbara Braxton
Counting miracles by Nicholas Sparks
Sphere, 2024. ISBN: 9780751585551. (Age:16+)
Three lives are drawn together in the little town of Asheboro: Tanner, the highly trained ex-military agent searching for his biological father, Kaitlyn the attractive doctor and divorced parent of Casey and Mitch, and Jasper the reclusive burn-scarred old man living alone in his cabin. Gradually the threads draw together, romance brews, and a mystery is solved.
The writing is unadorned, and the plot predictable. There seems to be a lot of ‘filler’ episodes, memories and other bits and pieces, which really don’t add anything of value, as though to bulk out what would otherwise be a much shorter story; it is slow reading and the pace only picks up towards the end.
Jasper draws on Bible readings to guide his life. Basically if you know the story of Job in the Bible, the good and devout man stripped of everything he holds dear to test his faith, you have the story of Jasper. Thrown into the mix is a beautiful white deer, a symbol of spirituality, that haunts the forest, and that Jasper is determined to protect. It leads to much suffering for him, but the reward is there in the end.
This is definitely a ‘feel-good’ story which would appeal to readers who ascribe to the Christian faith, and who enjoy moral stories with a little bit of romance and mystery thrown in.
Themes Bible story, Christianity, Moral values, Family, Romance, Mystery.
Helen Eddy
The daughter of Auschwitz: The girl who lived to tell her story by Tova Friedman
The Daughter of Auschwitz: The girl who lived to tell her story by Tova Friedman is a moving and heartfelt memoir that recounts the author's extraordinary survival as one of the youngest Holocaust survivors. Adapted for young readers, by children's author Hilary Freeman, this book is a truly compelling and sensitive tale for a younger audience. Based on Tova’s vivid memories of the atrocities she endured as a child, growing up amidst the horrors of Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II, this story will captivate and give the reader a greater understanding of an important part of history.
Tova was only a baby when her family was forced into a Jewish ghetto, where they faced starvation, violence and daily fear. At the vulnerable age of five, Tova and her mother were sent to Auschwitz, the infamous death camp. With her father sent to another camp and separated from them, they were left alone to be strong to survive. With harrowing detail, she describes the unimaginable cruelty they witnessed and endured; and the daily fight to stay alive. Her mother’s strict rules of survival - such as remaining as inconspicuous as possible and following instructions - were essential in protecting Tova from the continual threat of death.
What sets this memoir apart is Tova's remarkable ability to reflect on her experiences with both the clarity of a survivor and the perspective of a child who had to endure far more than anyone should. Her brave and determined stance to share her story so others learn and do not repeat history is remarkable.
Friedman’s detailed recollection of life in Auschwitz gives readers a heart-wrenching glimpse into the brutality of the Holocaust, while also emphasizing the importance of resilience, hope, and humanity. She speaks not only for herself but for the millions who perished and those who survived, stressing the need for tolerance, peace, and the acceptance of others in today’s world. Her story is not only a testament to survival but a call to action to ensure people learn from the past and history is not repeated.
Themes History, Survival, Auschwitz, Holocaust, Second World War, Courage.
Things cannot get much worse for Kidan Adane. Besides the small issue of fighting the murder charge she has just been accused of, her sister June has been missing for more than a year and she has run out of leads in her search. Kidan is certain she knows who took June, but she has no way of finding either her sister or the perpetrator. But then Kidan is given an unexpected lifeline. Her estranged aunt has died and Kidan is now heir to a dangerous and powerful legacy: the ownership of one of the oldest and most powerful of the ruling houses that govern Uxlay University. Uxlay is a place that exists both within and separate to the rest of the world. It is a place of secrets, shadows and blood where vampires and humans learn to uneasily coexist. If Kidan wants any hope of finding June, she will need to enter Uxlay and claim her birthright, because that is where she will find the man – the vampire – that she is certain knows where June is. And Kidan will do anything – even murder – to find her sister.
Immortal Dark is a brilliant debut from Ethiopian-Australian author, Tigest Girma. The novel weaves East African history and mythology into a dark academia fantasy with a true enemies-to-lovers romance. Kidan is a complex heroine, at times both compelling and repelling but her deep love for her sister and her determination to seek truth and justice is clear on every page. Older readers who like their fantasy as dark as possible will enjoy this novel, the first in a planned trilogy.
Themes Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Dark Academia, Vampires, Family, Sisters.
A book for the very young about the love that exists between a mother and her baby. Each page offers a new activity between a mother and her child, stressing the need of one and the comfort of the other.
In the middle of the night when all the others are asleep, the baby stirs and reaches out for her mother and senses her nearby. The child is hugged and kissed and knows that she can feel her. Mother whispers into her ear that she is near, and the baby hears her. The baby’s tummy rumbles, and mother hears her hunger. The baby is given a bottle and shows that she needs her. The baby falls asleep, now she is content. Suddenly she holds out her arms and trusts her mother to come and pick her up. Mother is there when she falls back to sleep, safe. Mother is everything to the baby, her world and returns the love she is given.
This most unusual book about the love between a newborn and her mother is aimed at the very young, reminding small babies of the love, the selfless love given them in all sorts of situations and times. This book seems to look at a typical night, offering the sleeping habits of a young child, who is always safe in the knowledge that mother is there, despite waking and needing another feed or a simple hug to get back to sleep.
Young parents will recognise all of the stages of the evening as they sometimes struggle with the developing sleeping habits and routines of the newborn. This book may serve to remind them that their efforts will not go unrecognised.
The book I read is the ‘Bottle feeding edition’ which assumes there is another edition which shows breastfeeding.
Themes Babies, Sleeping, Safety, Nurturing.
Fran Knight
The many lies of Veronica Hawkins by Kristina Perez
Little Brown, 2024. ISBN: 9781408719022. (Age:16+) Highly recommended.
Perez’s mystery thriller has an unusual structure. The first half is presented as the published memoir of journalist Martina Torres, the trailing dependent spouse of Spencer, an entitled young American newly transferred to Hong Kong in a bid to boost his career. Martina, aka Marty, becomes intoxicated with the city of Hong Kong and also her new friend Veronica, a queen of old world wealth and sophistication. Veronica encourages a new sense of self in Marty, sponsoring her entry into a world of luxury and corruption. But the blurb for Marty’s memoir reveals that Veronica suffers a mysterious and tragic death. Marty’s story describes the rapid growth of their friendship and seeks to understand what happened on the night when Veronica disappears over the side of a boat during a gala fundraising event held in Hong Kong harbour.
The mystery unravels and compounds in the second half of the book, as we gradually come to understand that Marty has been an unreliable narrator and her memoir may have glossed over relevant details. The intrigue for the reader is in understanding what the attraction was between the two women, and what they each hoped to gain from the relationship. Perez explores themes of bullying and manipulation, toxic friendships and class barriers. The hunger for acceptance can lead the victim of bullying and exclusion to only too easily be drawn into repeating those behaviours towards others.
Marty writes that her story is a love story, a love letter to her best friend and also the city where they met. Certainly we are given all the details of a fascinating glittering world, the history of its colonisers, and the stratified society of the wealthy and the corrupt. Hong Kong, the city, becomes a central character, and Marty revels in her account of the glamorous lifestyle, the fashion, and the undercurrents of power and influence.
This is a detective mystery story with a difference. With an unreliable narrator, it becomes a question of whose version of events is real, and which of the many suspects is implicated in Veronica’s death. It’s interesting enough on that level, but the real strength of Perez’s novel is her depiction of an intense and manipulative relationship between two women each determined to get what they want. A complex and absorbing twisty thriller.
Themes Hong Kong, Privilege, Friendship, Deception, Manipulation, Corruption.
