Transit Lounge, 2019. ISBN: 9781925760262.
(Age: Adult) This is a book to be savoured, not read in a rush. It
is full of the minutiae of daily life, intersections of people,
conversations with strangers, and thoughts about books, reading and
art. Trevor is a bookshop owner; he and his wife have drifted apart
and she has just asked him to move out of their house. And by
chance, Elizabeth, a face-blind book editor, has a room to let,
though she had in mind a young woman as a lodger, not a middle-aged
man who seems to want to reinvent himself as an artist. Gradually we
learn more about these two unusual people - Trevor, as a boy was
abandoned by his father, missing presumed dead; Elizabeth was
largely neglected by her mother, wrapped up in the excesses of a
Rajneesh cult. Now, strangely each finds themselves at the beck of a
returned demanding parent.
The story is one of two people gradually learning more about each
other and becoming more comfortable with each other. The developing
friendship seems fragile at first, but maybe they might actually be
good for each other . . .
This book is a delight to read, with its insights into friendship
and loneliness, and way that people build better understanding
through conversation and time together.
Helen Eddy
Arab, Australian, Other edited by Randa Abdel-Fattah and Sara Saleh
Picador, 2019. ISBN: 9781760785017.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Non-fiction.
Subtitled Stories on race and identity, this book is a
collection of different writings, including poems, on the experience
of being of Arab heritage in Australia, in a post 9/11 world. The
stories reveal the common experience of racism, schoolyard bullying,
police profiling, demonisation as a refugee, and stereotyping as a
terrorist or a 'Leb' or 'of Middle-Eastern appearance'.
They are also stories of struggles and adjustments within families -
a son coming out as gay, a girl wanting to perform in a dance
leotard, a daughter remaining a single woman, another marrying
outside her culture, another speaking out, rebelling against
parental expectation, engaging in online dating.
The stories reveal that the so-called Arabs are not one homogenous
group of people, they may not speak Arabic, they may be migrants or
descendants of migrants from 22 different nations, or they may
actually have been here since 1897.
The stories also reveal a strong current of love and pride in family
and community, respect for Indigenous culture, and empathy for
others. Each writer is forging their identity within an intersection
of cultures. The collection truly reflects 'the collective strength
of their divergent voices'.
This anthology is one in which most readers would find at least one
story that draws them in, evoking empathy or provoking a new
perspective on the lived experience of fellow Australians.
Helen Eddy
The Chain by Adrian McKinty
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9780733642517.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Themes: Thriller, Kidnapping, Murder,
Mystery and suspense. What a roller-coaster of a ride is The chain,
which has a thrilling and unique plot line: Listen carefully . . .
Your child has been kidnapped.
You must abduct someone else's child to save your own.
Disobey. Break the rules. Go to the cops. Your child will die.
Your victim's parents must kidnap another child before yours is
released.
You are now part of the chain. (Publisher).
Rachel Klien is recovering from cancer and a divorce when she is
told that her 13 year old daughter Kylie, has been kidnapped and she
is now part of The Chain. Unless she finds the ransom and kidnaps
another child Kylie will be killed and dreadful things will happen
to anyone she loves. Can she survive the recurrence of her breast
cancer and rescue Kylie?
McKinty has written a riveting and unique plot that will keep any
reader on the edge of the seat through the tense machinations of the
evil people who operate The Chain. Many readers will be familiar
with the idea of a chain letter from their youth, and the belief
that bad luck will follow if the chain is broken, and this idea
translates well into an unusual plot. It is very difficult to
predict what is going to happen next with McKinty adding many
unexpected twists and turns into the story.
McKinty's characters are very relatable. Rachel's hard time with
cancer and a divorce are easy to identify with, and the strength
that she has is great when she does decide that she will have to
break The chain. Her daughter Kylie is strong and feisty as well and
Pete, a recovering drug addict, proves that he can help out when he
has to.
A very compulsive and enjoyable crime story that lovers of mystery
and suspense are sure to enjoy.
Pat Pledger
How to save the whole stinkin' planet by Lee Constable
Illus. by James Hart. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760890261.
(Age: 7-11) Recommended. Themes: Recycling; Garbage; Waste
management. Written as an instruction manual for young
'Garbologists' or waste warriors, this is a light-hearted and
educational journey into the world of waste. The author encourages
young readers to consider how earth would benefit from a much wiser
approach to all things 'waste'. With short quizzes, small
eco-experiments and imagined journeys into stinking heaps of rubbish
or along recycling conveyor belts, this is a simple but effective
educational approach which utilises humour that would appeal to
young readers.
The cartoon style illustrations by James Hart are simple and
immediately reveal the comical approach to this significant topic.
The author Lee Constable is a Science Communicator and host of a
Children's television Science show and has effectively used the
language of 'disgusting stuff' that would appeal to kids (but in an
appropriate way). Poop, rot, fungi, bacteria all get discussed and
potential solutions to waste management that could be employed by
young people are unpacked in an easy-to-read format.
Recommended for eco-interested readers aged 7-11. Teacher's
notes are available.
Carolyn Hull
Where are the five frogs, Spot?: A numbers book by Eric Hill
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241383964.
(Age:1-4) Recommended. Boardbook. Themes: Counting, Numbers. With
the addition of felt flaps for little hands, this numbers book is a
bright addition to counting books for the very young. Spot has lost
his five friends the frogs, and is trying to find them. He looks
behind the gate, but there is 1 duck with 2 ducklings, behind the
log are 3 nibbling rabbits, 4 chirping birds behind the bush to
finally 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 frogs splashing in the pond.
The left page contains simple text in large, bold black print asking
who is hiding and the right side of the page has a felt flap that
lifts up or across to show what is behind it. The felt is easy to
manoeuvre for little fingers and is coloured in rich tones, giving
the reader an opportunity to learn colours as well as have fun
lifting the flap. The pages are painted in scenes of purples and
lilac, orange and brown, tones of greens and blues giving lots of
occasions for the young child to learn that there are different
shades of colours and perhaps learn new names for them (aqua blue
and emerald green).
Young readers will also be introduced to new vocabulary, 'nibbling
ribbbeting' rabbits, 'chirping birds' and 'splish, splashing' frogs.
This is a brilliant boardbook, robust and strong, which is ideal for
learning both counting and colours and will be appreciated by fans
of Spot and those new to the character. Sure to become a favourite
with the young child.
Pat Pledger
The giant moth mummy by Andrew Hansen and Jessica Roberts
Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN:
9781760650018.
(Age: 10+) Recommended, Mummies, Egypt, Humour. The second in the
series, Bab Sharkey and the animal mummies has boy pharaoh,
Bab return to the Egyptian city of Memphis to confront the mummy
with an upside down head, ready to save the city from this monster,
one amongst many. The first of this singularly funny stories, The
weird beard appeared in 2018, penned by The Chaser's Andrew Hansen,
and co author, Jessica Roberts who developed the idea for these
stories after her trip to Egypt where she saw mummified animals in a
museum.
The first in the series introduced the hero Bab and his encounters
with the pharaoh's strange beard amongst the city of Animal Mummies
brought oddly to life. Magic and fantasy meld in these books, and
with lashings of an off beat humour will appeal to mid to upper
primary people.
The second novel, The giant moth mummy has a giant moth
which causes havoc with only Bab able to pacify it along with the
help of the other odd animal mummies in the city. I was intrigued
with the amount of information given about Egyptian history as the
stories unfold, blended in between the magic and adventure, enough
for readers to develop some ideas about Ancient Egypt and perhaps
have them look further. A third outing of this fine series, The
spongy void, is also available.
Fran Knight
The seven keys by Allison Rushby
Walker, 2019. ISBN: 9781760650797.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: Cemeteries, Magnificent
Seven, London, Victorian age, Death, Supernatural, Foundling
Hospital. Standing at the gates of Kensal Green Cemetery, Flossie
knows that something is wrong. The Turnkey, Hugo Howsham, worked
with her to prevent a Nazi takeover of Great Britain seven years
before, the two combining the power of their keys to destroy the
skull that allowed the dead to communicate with the living. Hugo had
made her promise to keep this secret and Flossie had not told any of
the other Turnkeys about the power contained within their keys when
they are united. But when he steals Flossie's second key she knows
that he is amassing the keys to gain power over the Magnificent
Seven, the seven cemeteries within Greater London. But to what end?
She tries to elicit the help of the Turnkeys of the other
cemeteries, but they are so disappointed with her that they repel
her, forcing her to work on the problem herself. Surprisingly Hugo
allows her to summon Daisy, her former maid and the two investigate,
all the while keeping watch on Hugo.
A glittering sequel to The
Turnkey (2017), the ghostly Flossie is an admirable character,
keeping watch over the interred in her cemetery, Highgate. It is her
job to keep everyone at rest, but when the interred in several
cemeteries seem disturbed, she must act.
She is dismayed when she sees Hugo march the interred to Kensal
Green and even more upset when she realises that his possession of
three keys makes him almost visible to the living.
She and Daisy go to his former house and there search his archives
to find the reason for his removing the interred from their place of
rest. As an architect he proposed the building of an enormous
pyramid to house all the dead, rather than waste space in the city
of London on the seven cemeteries. Flossie realises that he is
putting this plan into operation using the dead as his slaves.
Wonderfully evocative of nineteenth century London and its seven
cemeteries, the storyline is captivating, the main character,
Flossie an engaging young girl, working hard to ensure her interred
remain happily at rest.
Daisy, a new character in this book is from the Foundling Hospital,
a London charity begun in the late eighteenth century, which takes
in children. Now open to visitors, it is a salutary reminder of the
numbers of vulnerable children with nowhere to go in the times
described so well in this novel. Add it to your list of places to
visit when next in London.
This fine historical novel, is an engaging and spirited sequel which
will leave readers wanting more.
Fran Knight
Shepherd by Catherine Jinks
Text, 2019. ISBN: 9781925773835.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Catherine Jinks has won many awards for her
writing for Young Adults, including being four times the winner of
the Australian Children's Book Council Book of the Year. This latest
novel, Shepherd, is set in early New South Wales at the time
of convict transportation. The main character and first person
narrator is Tom Clay, the only survivor of a notorious poaching
family, who has been transported for his crime. The reader is first
introduced to Tom on a remote and small sheep property where he
guards the sheep by day and sleeps at night in a small hut with
another transportee. Tom is quickly established as a patient and
careful shepherd despite his past history of poaching. The sheep are
named and accounted for at the end of each day and Tom has special
rapport with the sheep dogs. Tom is interested in his surroundings,
the plants and the animals, and learns the topography of the area
quickly despite its alien, to him, qualities. He regrets not having
the kind of deep understanding of the natural world that he had in
his home county. The action begins quickly with the arrival of a new
shepherd, Rowdy, and the reappearance of a brutal convict escapee
who has earlier attempted to kill Tom before disappearing, presumed
dead. Carver, however, is far from dead and is determined to destroy
the shepherds and the farm itself. The action is like that of a
nightmare in which whatever Tom and his co-workers do to protect
themselves and however badly Carver is injured he always reappears
vengeful and sadistic. It becomes clear that Tom is the only one
alive on the farm apart from Carver, but still Carver pursues him,
forcing Tom to eventually make a brutal choice.
The descriptions of life on the farm and the desperate struggle
against Carver are interspersed with Tom's memories of his
upbringing in England. After his mother's early death he is loved
only by his dogs. His father is a hard, violent man who is
eventually hanged for murder, and Tom, a desperate twelve year old,
survives by living off the land. He is caught, sentenced and
transported, but seems to regret leaving only the land that he
understood so well. He lives by several precepts; silence is
preferable to speech (Rowdy doesn't agree) and that animals' loyalty
must be respected. The reader is prepared for the final scene in
which a young indigenous boy saves Tom, by the frequent mentions of
the 'blacks' whose fires can be seen in the distance, by Tom's
realisation that Carver is responsible for the acts of savagery that
they have been blamed for and by his expressed longing to understand
this new natural world.
The action is frequently brutal, dramatic and fast-paced. The
descriptions of life on the farm are detailed and precise. A strong
picture is established of the hut, the farmhouse, the cookhouse and
the home paddock, all places where Tom and Rowdy must try to escape
from Carver, and of the weapons that are available (muskets,
pistols, carbines and their idiosyncrasies). The thorough research
is reflected in the authenticity of the descriptions of place and
characters. The language is simple, engaging and vivid.
The novel is recommended for readers older than thirteen and is
perhaps one that boys may enjoy.
Jenny Hamilton
Dolores by Lauren Aimee Curtis
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9781474611930.
(Age: 16+) Recommended.Themes: Identity, Sexuality,
Convent life, Suffering. Dolores is written by an
Australian author but the book has a distinctly European feel to
it. It tells the story of a young girl who turns up at a convent
in Spain with a lace tablecloth pinned to her head and a Bible in
her hands, then faints at the gates. This is the beginning of the
story, but as the nuns take her in, and she adjusts to the austere
life, we gradually learn about her past and how she has come to
this point.
It is a tale told with a strange detachment as though recounted
from the outside - almost cinematic, as Dolores describes the
scenes and where people stood and what they did. We guess at the
emotions that are suppressed, of the yearning of unrequited love,
and the loss of a sense of self.
Yet Dolores is a strong person - she changes from being the person
who seems to drift with whatever happens to her, and finds a way
to shape her own life.
It is an unusual story, the language spare but poetic, and the
reader is drawn in, intrigued to find where it leads. It is not
much more than a short story, a novella - Curtis has previously
written short stories - but it is intense and stays in the mind
long after reading. I am sure that readers of this work will be
searching out more from this author.
Helen Eddy
Pippa by Dimity Powell
Illus. by Andrew Plant. Ford St Publishing, 2019. ISBN:
9781925804270.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Pigeons, Family, Independence,
Predators, Cautionary tale. Pippa the young pigeon dearly wants to
fly. She sidles to the edge of the branch and looks out over the
fields, only to have her parents, Percy and Peg, call her back with
stories of what might happen when venturing out alone. They snuggle
their baby in close at night, telling her that she is still young.
She keeps exercising her wings until they are strong. One day when
Percy and Peg are out foraging, she flaps her wings and leaps off
the branch and flies above the paddocks and the river and the trees,
feeling free.
But a blur shoots past her in the form of a falcon. Together they
weave and dodge across the sky, Poppa's heart racing, as she tumbles
into a barn. Here she is still not safe, a fox lies in waiting. She
takes to the air once again, this time looking for the safety and
comfort of home, and she flies across the night sky until a familiar
smell rises to meet her. She is home.
This beautiful story resonates with the comfort offered by home, but
also allows the small pigeon leeway enough to go out exploring for
herself, albeit beset by predators.
The dangers of the outside world are obvious but with cunning and
fortitude she makes it back home.
Andrew Plant's illustrations show the little pigeon, Pippa, with
immediate appeal. Her small face and staring eyes are hungry for
adventure and seeing what is beyond her domain. She soars above the
fields, swirling and twirling, the images moving across the page.
When the falcon pursues her the images and the words roll across the
page paralleling the ducking and weaving being undertaken by Pippa
as she tries to elude the falcon. I love the image of the fox in the
barn, the falcon coming out across the page, the night skies as
Pippa tries to find her way back home.
Everything about this book will intrigue and delight the readers,
and they will go back as I did to look again at the way the text and
images fit together creating a subtle cautionary tale about leaving
home.
Fran Knight
First Maths glossary by DK Australia
Senior Editor: Beth Patch. Australian Edition. Dorling Kindersley,
2019. ISBN: 9780143795001.
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Themes: Mathematics, Arithmetic, Counting.
Dorling Kindersley have again produced a beautiful and
well-presented book with an explanation of very simple mathematical
concepts. The clarity of information and the presentation make this
a suitable book for young students up to Year 2 at school or could
be used to support students who are a little older if they have
missed the 'basics' or are young ESL students. The topics covered
begin with counting, then number operations, and also includes,
time, measurement and representation of data. Everything is defined
using a 'concrete' illustration and is exceptionally clear with one
to two sentence descriptions.
This would make a good library addition or a great book to have
within a classroom.
Carolyn Hull
Graveyard shift in Ghost Town by Michael Pryor
Ghost Town book 2. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN:
9781760523930.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Themes: Ghosts. Humour. Melbourne,
Diversity. Wow! What a great sequel to Gap
year in Ghost Town. Pryor brings back Anton Marin and Rani
Cross, ghost fighters extraordinary, with their researcher friend
Bec, in another exciting and funny adventure as an extreme ghost
plague takes over the city.
Written in the first person by Anton, the reader is faced with
humorous narration and lots of funny asides as Anton relates how he
is feeling about the dangers of ghost fighting and his
self-professed goal of becoming more mature. Rani and Bec's romance
continues and while Anton sometimes feels left out, the three manage
to stay good friends.
There is action galore as well as Anton and Rani take on the plague
of ghost thugs that have taken over Melbourne (Australian readers
will love the descriptions of the sights and alleyways of this
city). There are so many ghosts to fight, not just the lingerers
that Anton knows so well, but moaners, weepers and thugs. When
Anton's Aunt Tanja makes an unexpected appearance, after many years
of being lost, in the warehouse where people are being tortured,
there are many questions raised about the nature of the ghost plague
and what to do about it. Bec's research skills come to the fore and
Anton and Rani must excel in fighting.
People who loved the first book will delight in the snappy prose and
character development in Graveyard Shift in Ghost Town and
will look forward to the next in this highly entertaining series.
Pat Pledger
Now that's a hat! by Heath McKenzie
Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781760664022.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Hats, Shopping, Choice,
humour. Walking into a hat shop, the happy dog tells the uppity goat
shop assistant that he is looking for an everyday sort of hat,
something he can wear in all seasons. From there readers will laugh
out loud as the assistant shows the customer an array of hats, each
worse or more showy than the last, while each of the lines forms a
rhyme which is sure to intrigue and delight as the reader predicts
the possible word that will rhyme with the line before.
From tall hats and short hats, long hats and upside down hats, dotty
hats and potty hats, to the more outrageous boot hats and loaf of
bread hats, to hats that are too Roman or too Dutch, many many are
simply too much.
The hapless customer becomes very frustrated with the assistant, now
trying out everything he can jam on the customer's head, surrounded
by the rejected hats on the floor around them.
Even passers by look through the window at the mayhem, as the two
become more and more agitated with each other.
McKenzie's wonderful digital illustrations will have all readers
watching each page with interest as they spy the different hats
being tried and rejected, the looks on the faces becoming more and
more disgruntled and the floor even more littered with a variety of
hats.
The text and images play together across each page, no one page the
same as the one before, as the two tussle trying to buy and sell a
hat.
I can imagine many readers building their own hats after reading
McKenzie's story and copying the hats shown in the book. Fun for all
and the twist in the tale will bring tears of laughter and
recognition to any reader, young and old.
Fran Knight
A boy called Bob becomes an AFL Footballer by Bob Murphy and Tony Wilson
Illus. by Phillip Marsden. Piccolo Nero, 2019. ISBN: 9781760641429.
(Age: 8-11) Themes: AFL Football, Bob Murphy, Western Bulldogs
Football Club, Families. A Boy called Bob Becomes an AFL
Footballer is a laugh-out loud, footy-filled novel that
reveals the highs and lows, hard work and dedication need to be an
elite footballer. Bob shares openly and honestly about his family:
his mum was a nun and his dad a priest. They fell in love, were
married, became teachers and raised three children including Robbie
the youngest. Sock footy, tree climbing and visiting his many
cousins made his childhood fun. The school oval was a rectangle and
covered in gravel, the team sure was tough!
Each chapter heading gives a fun explanation of what's to come. In
chapter 5 Bob meets his future partner Justine Quigley at the high
school swimming carnival. Bob dreamed of being an AFL player; he
trained hard, loved the smell of new Sherrin footballs and had his
family's support. Two dozen relatives and friends watched the AFL
draft pick when eighteen-year-old Bob was chosen for the Western
Bulldogs team.
His first year was one of highs and lows: free gear, his photo on
footy cards, and pain from the hard training, overcoming shyness and
feeling judged were difficult. Bob shares from the heart, the
elation of scoring a goal in the final seconds and the tough times
when the coach is challenging them to do better, spraying Bob in the
front row with spit. There are triumphs and tragedies when Bob
injures his knee twice, tons of footy tips and plenty of on field
action.
Tony Wilson author of the The Selwood Boys and Bob Murphy
have co-authored a rousing junior novel, written in an easy to read,
fun style just right for sports and AFL fans. Phillip Marsden's
cartoons add humour as well. Bob's knee is totally twisted around on
the stretcher! Share A Boy called Bob Becomes an AFL Footballer
with a middle primary class and they'll love the asides, the family
support and learn about the hard work and dedication needed to be at
the top of any sport.
Rhyllis Bignell
Microbat Mayhem by Candace Lemon-Scott
Illus. by Aska. Eco Rangers book 2. New Frontier Publishing,
2019, ISBN: 9781925594829.
(Age: 7-9) Themes: Wildlife Conservation, Bats, Animal Rescue,
Amusement Parks. The Eco Rangers, Ebony and Jay are best friends who
are passionate about animal rescue and rehabilitation. They love
working closely with Doctor Bat and Doctor Tan, vets at the local
conservation centre who guide them in their animal care.
As a reward for their pelican rescue, they receive annual passes to
the Super World Theme Park. Ebony's take charge attitude sees the
duo ignoring the 'Do Not enter' sign at the old rollercoaster to
save two baby microbats in the rubble. With the help from the vets,
the Eco Rangers take the babies home to care for them. Risking
danger, they return to soon to be demolished Wild Jungle Ride to
discover a colony of microbats living inside.
They come up against a formidable opponent, Ms Pitts manager of the
theme park, who wants the old ride knocked down quickly. At the
hardware store where the friends are buying materials to make bat
boxes, they overhear her discussion with the security guard who's
purchasing baits, traps and poisons to wipe out the colony. The
manager has broken her promise to hold off on the demolition for
three weeks to allow the Eco Rangers to move the microbat colony
safely. The tension and drama build as Ebony and Jay are forced into
difficult actions to save the animals.
Author and wildlife lover, Candice Lemon-Scott's fast-paced
narrative champions caring for our wildlife. With themes of
friendship, animal rescue and rehabilitation and caring for our
environment, Microbat Mayhem is an exciting read for middle
primary students. The Eco Rangers series supports the Year 4
Science curriculum where learners describe relationships that assist
the survival of animals and sequence their life cycles.
Rhyllis Bignell
