CreateSpace, 2018. ISBN 9781984930217.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Darcy's family are having a relaxing
beachside holiday in Thailand when Darcy finally gets her wish
granted - to go on an elephant trek in the jungle. It is all very
exciting until the elephant, Dao, sends her tossing headfirst to the
ground. Her family are convinced the elephant was dangerous and
shouldn't have been on the trek, but Darcy knows it was something
else. She saw the look in the elephant's eye . . .
Recovering afterwards with a bandaged wrist and a scarred face,
Darcy finds herself alone in her determination to find out what
happened, and why the elephant threw her. Her family doesn't
understand and even her best friend seems to have deserted her. But
Darcy persists and her research leads her to find out more about
elephants and the tourist industry.
The story is written in Darcy's voice, and gradually we come to
understand why she feels on the outer, with her family, her friends,
and at school. She wants to be taken seriously but she struggles
with self-image and lacks the confidence she needs to put her
viewpoint - until she starts to find support in unexpected places.
One of the nice things about this book is that the characters aren't
stereotypes. Bettison portrays the ups and downs of friendships and
sibling relationships in a realistic way. Even the mean 'popular
girl' is recognised for what she can contribute to Dao's cause. And
Darcy learns that the issues in the Thai tourist industry are more
complex than she at first thought.
I put the suggested reading age at 13+ because although Darcy is a
15 year old, it is a very accessible easy-to-read book, and the
issues of identity, self-esteem and self-empowerment are relevant to
the younger teenager. The book also presents the issues of ethical
treatment of animals, tourism and poverty in a way that all readers
can understand.
It is worth noting that the book is dedicated to Boon Lott's
Elephant Sanctuary and part proceeds from book sales go to support
their work. And an author's note at the end reveals the inspiration
for the story of Dao.
Helen Eddy
Another book about bears by Laura and Philip Bunting
Omnibus Books, 2018. ISBN 9781742991931
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Bears. Humour. This
wonderfully entertaining book consists of a dialogue between the
writer and the bear, as the bear, realising that yet another book is
being written about his species, refuses to comply. 'After all says
the bear, there have been too many books about bears; bears are
grumpy, lazy and a bit ferocious, and would prefer to be doing
something else.' The bear walks off the page leaving the author to
come up with a variety of different storylines to entice the bear
back into the picture.
This very funny look at the role of bears in children's books, has
the bear offer many other suggestions of animals to appear in a
book. Each is considered but rejected: the dodo? too extinct, the
horse? neigh, marmosets? too crazy. The quirky suggestions will have
readers laughing out loud as they consider a picture book about the
animals offered. Once bear has gone through all the animals he can
think of, the author and the bear come to the conclusion that there
is no one better than a bear but the bear still refuses. But the
author has an idea!
This hilarious look at the number of bears in children's books will
have readers of all ages laughing uproariously as they too will
question the representation of bears in books, and try to imagine
books where other animals are used and laugh again at the idea
offered by the author at the end.
Philip Bunting's readily identified illustrative style will delight
readers. The bear stares out at the reader, sometimes with only the
slightest move of the eyeball or eyebrow to tell the audience how he
is feeling, but each time eliciting a laugh of recognition. The
husband and wife team has produced a classic tale of standing up for
yourself and of negotiating change to make this happen. The dialogue
is snappy and funny, the different speakers denoted by different
sized fonts, while other bears make their feelings heard with
banners and signs.
The bear with his mobile phone trying to elicit help from other
animals is a hoot, while the end papers with an array of sharks
underlines the predominance of bears in children's books (and not
sharks, or dodos, or echidnas).
I loved this book and can imagine lots of discussion with readers
going to their shelves or the library to see just how many books
there are about bears.
Fran Knight
The fast 800 by Dr Michael Mosley
Australian and New Zealand edition. Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN
9781760850180.
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Following on from his very successful book
about 5:2 fasting diet and The 8-week blood sugar diet,
Mosley has brought together the latest research into when and what
to eat to achieve a healthy weight. This book subtitled How to
combine rapid weight loss and intermittent fasting for long-term
health is an easy to read book, giving details on a 800
calorie a day diet. It begins with a chapter entitled 'Why we put on
weight' and gives an easy to understand description of the effects
of carbs and raised sugar levels. A chart of the foods that are
found to be most addictive (with milk chocolate heading the list and
ice cream coming in second), is helpful as it provides the
information that it is the combination of 1g of fat to 2g of carbs
that the body loves so much (pg. 30). Details about intermittent
fasting and time restricted eating follow and new evidence promoting
the case for rapid weight loss is interesting.
Moseley is an advocate of the Mediterranean diet and there is a
useful section of recipes by Dr Clare Bailey, all of which appear to
be easy enough and delicious enough for a busy person to shop for
and make. There are also meal planners to follow, for both 3 meals a
day and 2 meals a day, for those wishing to have additional help on
eating the right foods and amounts to lose weight. Exercise and
beating stress are also emphasised and have a chapter each with
achievable ideas and goals to improve health. The fast 800 is a quick accessible read, and makes a very
good case for losing weight fast using the Mediterranean diet and
intermittent fasting and then maintaining that loss for a healthy
lifestyle.
Pat Pledger
Lucy Newton, little witch by Phoebe McArthur
Christmas Press, 2019. ISBN 9780648194507
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Themes: Witches. Spells. Cautionary tale.
Lucy's mother, a witch, leaves the house on the way to a meeting.
Lucy is a little peeved as Mum seems to always be at meetings,
leaving her alone. Only one instruction is given: not to go into the
study. Lucy plays with her doll for a while, but as the doll's arm
is falling off, she searches the house for needle and thread to
repair the toy. Unable to find these, she ventures into the study,
thinking about the last time when she accidentally called up a spell
resulting in porridge spreading through the house. Of course she
opens the spell book, but determined not to make the same mistake
again, she starts to close it, but sees a spell for a cat, and tries
it out. After all with a cat for company she does not need the doll.
But of course things go wrong, instead of a cat she has a nasty
green, slimy slug. But help is at hand when the book begins to talk
to her, offering its help. To stop the slug she must find the white
hairs from a cat, and in doing this finds a friend in Thomas the cat
next door, and as it turns out his mistress as well.
With nods to The sorcerer's apprentice, this easily read
cautionary tale will reinforce the reasons instructions are given
and the consequences of not obeying them.
Funny illustrations by the author support the tale throughout the
book, splitting the text into easily digested pieces. Presented in
nine short chapters means early readers will have little trouble
accessing the book for their own pleasure.
Fran Knight
Clementine Rose and the bake-off dilemma by Jacqueline Harvey
Random House, 2018. ISBN 9780143780595.
(Age: 7-11) Recommended. Themes: Cooking. Family. Clementine Rose's
family and Penberthy House are preparing for the arrival of some
interesting guests - the stars of a TV cooking show, but
Clementine's mother doesn't seem to be coping. The local community
also goes into a spin when Clementine Rose lets the news of the
guests escape. The planned bake-off is scheduled to include local
participants, who are all desperate to show off their talents.
Clementine is also keen to be involved, but it seems that children
will be excluded from the competition and filming. Clementine though
has a great idea, if only someone will listen. With a bit of
treachery, some intense competition, exciting family news, messy
cooking attempts, there are many moments of sweet delight in this
story and evidence of Clementine's detective skills.
This is the 14th in the Clementine Rose series by Jacqueline
Harvey and lovers of the series and the young central character will
be delighted with another intriguing episode in Clementine's life.
Recommended for readers aged 7-11
Carolyn Hull
The forgotten beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
Fantasy Masterworks. Orion, 2017. ISBN: 9781616962777.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Winner of the inaugural World Fantasy
Award 1975. In my quest to read some of the award winning books that
I have missed over the years, I was very fortunate to pick up this
outstanding story by Patricia A. McKillop. First published in 1974,
the fact that it is still in print after so many years is a
testament to its lyrical writing and timeless story.
Sybel is a young wizard who needs only her magical animals, Gules
the Lyon, Gyld the dragon who yearns for gold, Cyrin the boar who is
a master of riddles, Ter the fierce falcon and Moriah, Lady of the
Night. When she is given a baby, Tamlorn, to care for, she becomes
embroiled in the politics of the kingdom and the world of revenge.
It was a joy to become immersed in Sybel's world which is vividly
imagined in a sparse 208 pages, unlike many of the fantasy books
written today which often are over long. Memories of McKillip's
dangerous world, her fantastic beasts and the love story between her
and Coren and the awful taint of captivity and revenge will stay
with the reader long after finishing this book.
Readers who enjoy stories by Juliet Marillier and Robin McKinley
will be thrilled to discover another author whose tales delve into
fantasy worlds. I will be pursuing other books written by McKillip,
who also won a World Fantasy award for Ombria in shadow,
which I have put on my to-read list.
Pat Pledger
The extremely weird thing that happened in Huggabie Falls by Adam Cece
Ill. by Andrew Weldon. Huggabie Falls trilogy, book one.
Text Publishing, 2018. ISBN: 9781925603484.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Themes: Humour. Winner of the Text Prize for
Young Adult and Children's Writing, this tale about Kipp Kindle and
his friends Tobias Treachery and Cymphany Chan will tickle the
fancies of many mid to upper primary people. The trio lives in
Huggabie Falls, the oddest town on Earth. It is simply normal, part
of its DNA, that strange things happen everyday. But when something
even more weird happens, Kipp and his friends know that something is
wrong. They must find out what is making everything turn normal, and
to return the weirdness to Huggabie Falls.
But Cymphany has been turned into a baby hippopotamus, and an
outbreak of killer bats has been summoned up by the evil Felonious
Dark, a scientist who wields a wand. With his vegetarian piranhas
and a Portuguese-speaking lab rat called Ralf, Kipp, Tobias and
Cymphany are undaunted. The first book in the Huggabie Falls
trilogy, this book will delight mid to upper primary readers looking
for something silly, zany and a lot of fun, something to read out
loud to friends, to share the silliness behind the engrossing
illustrations and simply sit down in a shady spot and laugh until
the tears fall onto the pages.
Book 2: The Unbelievably Scary Thing that Happened in Huggabie
Falls appeared in October 2018.
Fran Knight
Embassy of the Dead by Will Mabbitt
Ill. by Chris Mould. Orion Children's Books, 2018. ISBN: 9781510104556.
(Age: 8-10 ) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy. Opening a strange box is
the starting point of this amazing adventure for Jake Green as it
contains a severed finger, summoning the Grim Reaper which takes him
into the Eternal Void, a place to be avoided. In this place he
must run for his life, but finds he can communicate with the other
inhabitants: the ghosts. In this appalling place, Jake teams up with
several other creatures, Cora who uses a hockey stick for
protection, Stiffley the undertaker and Zorro the ghost fox, all of
whom, like Jake are searching for the Embassy of the Dead, a place
where they will find refuge.
In the background of this tale, in the only too real world, Jake's
life is being torn apart with his parent's decision to split,
bringing to an end all that Jake knows. It is an issue he must deal
with. Mabbitt, the author of the Mabel Jones series for slightly
younger readers, lives in England and enjoys wandering through
graveyards, which seems to me where he gets his great ideas. Full of
humour and adventure, this story is full of laugh out loud lines,
the strangest situations anyone can get themselves into and a nod to
the lives of modern children, alluding to some of the things they
must deal with.
The illustrations by Chris Mould add to the zany adventures of Jake
Green.
Fran Knight
Dolls of war by Shirley Parenteau
Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN: 9780763690694.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: World War Two, Japan, Dolls,
Prejudice, Museums. In 1941, eleven-year-old Macy James lives near
the Oregon coast with her father, the director of a small museum.
Miss Tokyo, one of fifty-eight exquisite friendship dolls given to
America by Japan in 1926 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_friendship_dolls)
is part of the museum's collection. This doll represents more than
the place of her mother's birth; it links Macy to her mother who has
recently died. It is a doll they spoke of together often, Mrs James
wanting to take Macy to Japan to meet the people she grew up with
and it was her dearest wish that she meet the maker of the doll,
Miss Tokyo. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, many of Macy's
neighbours demand that Miss Tokyo be destroyed. From Macy's friend,
Lily who thinks it should be put away to those who want it
destroyed, Macy has to stand firm.
She decides to hide this doll which reminds her of her mother, and
keep it hidden until people's discomfort with the doll dies down.
But as the war progresses, Macy begins to have persistent doubts
about her actions, and begins to think that perhaps her neighbours
were right in their push to destroy the doll.
An engrossing story of conflicting loyalties, of prejudice and
judging people, this is one of a trilogy called Friendship Dolls,
the first two being Ship of Dolls (2018) and Dolls
of Hope (2016). The story of these dolls can be found in
the Wikipedia site above, which details what happened to the 58
dolls sent to the USA. The background of the story is riveting,
bringing up small details of life lived during the war for many
people, and of the prejudice shown to people who have been friends
and neighbours for years.
Fran Knight
Old friends, new friends by Andrew Daddo
Ill. by Jonathan Bentley. ABC Books, 2018. ISBN: 9780733338137.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: School, First day at school,
Friendship. Coming back to school for the new year, the young girl
finds that she is in a new class. Her old friends are in a different
class and she knows no one. Her stomach tightens and she feels
uneasy, her hands feel soggy and she feels that she may cry. But she
recalls her mum and grandpa. What would they say? Their strength
helps her be strong, as she knows that her best friend will always
be herself. She loses her stomach rumblings and joins in with the
rest of the class, smiling and happy to be there, willing to be
friendly with all of them each for a different reason: one to be a
friend playing games, one as a friend when quietness is needed, one
to eat lunch with, and looking around the classroom she can see many
people who will be her friends.
Everyone has to start afresh sometime, be it a new school, a new
class, a new job or group, each requires strength in seeing that you
are just as important and worthwhile as the next person. For many
this can be an unsettling experience and Daddo shows the young girl
with butterflies in her stomach, feeling unsettled, clutching her
stomach as if in pain, an image which will resonate with all
readers. But inner strength is called up and all is resolved as she
looks around the class of new friends.
Bentley's images of happy smiling children are infectious and
readers will recognise the images of school: the children dressed
with their uniforms and all important hats, running, jumping,
cartwheeling as well as quietly sitting when the need arises. And I
love the illustration across the book's cover, of new friends linked
together, reinforcing the theme of the story inside.
Fran Knight
Shadow of the centaurs: an Ancient Greek mystery by Saviour Pirotta
Ill. by Freya Hartas. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN: 9781472940254.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Ancient Greece, Mystery. Saviour
Pirotta's fourth book in the Ancient Greek Mysteries series is a
lively tale of mystery and celebration. In Shadow of the
Centaurs the citizens of Athens are preparing for the festival
of Anthesteria to honour Dionysus the god of wine and to celebrate
the beginning of spring. Pirotta's attention to detail from
clothing, architecture, food, daily life, even conversations about
politics, class structure and religion bring the Ancient Greek world
alive.
Told through young Nico's eyes, a free man who scribes for Master
Ariston the travelling poet, he and his friend Thrax who is the
poet's personal slave quickly become involved in a small mystery.
Thrax's deductive powers and his careful observations have assisted
in solving of other mysteries and he's asked by Master Zeno the gym
master to unravel the problem of his stolen dog. When the boys visit
his house, Thrax comments on the gruesome floor mosaic depicting a
battle between soldiers and centaurs. When the boys return late at
night to investigate why the little dog who always barks at
strangers was stolen then returned, they discover a hidden secret
under the mosaic floor. Soon they come upon a plot to assassinate
Pericles the general of Athens and they become deeply embroiled in
searching for the evil people behind this. Thrax mysteriously
disappears, his cloak found supposedly torn by a lion and Nico even
succumbs to an extreme bout of food poisoning. With the help of
street urchins and other members of their secret Medusa League Thrax
and Nico sneak into the festival at the Acropolis and perform one of
their greatest feats. Shadow of the Centaur is a wonderful historical
representation of ancient Athens, filled with recognisable figures
like Socrates and Pericles. Pirotta addresses the role of women in
society, the structure of the classes and opens the reader's eyes to
a new world. Readers who love historical mysteries will enjoy these
junior novels and can quickly refer to the glossary and learn about
everything from agoras - meeting places to tympanums - tambourines.
What a valuable resource for teaching Upper Primary History
researching the roles of key groups in Athenian society!
Rhyllis Bignell
The Boy by Tami Hoag
Broussard and Fourcade book 2. Trapeze, 2018. ISBN:
9781409169635.
(Age: Adult - senior secondary) Recommended. Themes: Mystery and
suspense, Detectives, Death, Domestic violence, Children at risk,
Bullying. As a fan of Tami Hoag, I grabbed The boy as soon
as it arrived on my desk and found myself totally involved in the
characters and even better for me, the murderer remained unknown
right until the gripping conclusion. Hoag returned to Louisiana and
her two detectives Broussard and Forcade in this story which can be
read as a stand-alone. It opens with a horrifying scene of a woman
covered in blood, fleeing for help for her son who has been
attacked. Detective Nick Fourcade is first on the scene and finds
Genevieve's 7 year old son, P.J., dead and no clues as to why he was
killed and why his mother was allowed to run for help. Meanwhile
Annie Broussard is with the grieving mother who cannot help her with
the crime.
As the two investigate, each using their particular skills, Annie's
understanding of the emotions of the people involved and Nick's
dogged determination to find the murderer regardless of the cost,
the question still remains - why was the only witness left alive?
Then the boy's babysitter, thirteen-year-old Nora Florette, is
discovered to be missing and the mystery deepens.
Hoag is a master at building up suspense and is also very clever in
her portrayal of the main characters. The marriage between Annie and
Nick survives through the problems of their work, Nick's temper
about injustice and a boss who is not helpful. The difficulties of
single mothers are highlighted, not only with Genevieve and her boy
but with the relationship between the police chief, his fiancee and
fiancee's teen son, and the problems with supervising her family
that Nora Florette's mother has while her husband works far away.
This is a tense, dark, emotional murder mystery, which will leave
many readers wanting to read more of Tami Hoag's stories.
Pat Pledger
The extraordinary life of Michelle Obama by Sheila Kanani
Ill. by Sarah Walsh. Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN:
9780241372739.
(Age: 8+) Michelle La Vaughn Robinson, the descendant of a slave,
was raised in a small apartment in Chicago. At the age of forty-four
she became the First Lady of the United States. Sheila Kanani's
biography explains why being the President's wife was only one of
the reasons why Michelle Obama's life has been extraordinary.
The chronological narrative emphasises how Michelle has overcome
economic and social challenges with determination and education. She
used her position as First Lady to promote healthy eating, and
campaigned for improvements in education, housing, and conditions
for veterans. While the author emphasises Michelle's self-belief,
she also acknowledges her competitive nature, and the difficulties
she has faced. These difficulties have included racism, economic
inequality, her father's multiple sclerosis, and the demands of
balancing motherhood with her legal career and her husband's
political ambitions. Kanani has also noted Michelle's gratitude for
the encouragement she received from a caring family, and from
lecturers who recognised her potential. These insights into the
sources of Michelle's insecurities as well as her strength of
character increase the book's credibility as a short but
well-rounded biography. The author's writing style, choice of
vocabulary and provision of definitions in text boxes, demonstrate
that she is mindful of the needs of her young audience. A brief
overview of the United States system of government is helpful for
non-American readers, while monochrome drawings, a timeline and an
index facilitate an understanding of the text. A list of sources for
quotations helps to reveal the author's research process.
Michelle Obama's life demonstrates how a supposedly ordinary
upbringing can foster a desire to achieve extraordinary goals.
Readers can learn from Sheila Kanani's biography not only what the
former First Lady has achieved, but also how she has used her
education and influence to help others.
Elizabeth Bor
The first adventures of Princess Peony by Nette Hilton
Ill. by Lucinda Gifford. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN: 9781760650445.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Castles, Play, Princesses and
Princes, Imagination, Getting along. Peony (a princess) lives in a
castle with a courtyard guarded by her dragon (Totts, her dog). Her
brother, Prince Morgan, is a troll, who likes to undermine her games
in the garden, and declares that they must build a trap for the
bears. Princess Peony who likes to be obeyed, does not like the idea
of bears coming into the garden. She helps him build the trap but
becomes trapped herself. The troll refuses to set her free, only
agreeing when she promises him her dragon. But first he must take
the dog four times around the courtyard, something he seems eager to
do, but the dog is so fast he calls a halt. Exhausted, he agrees to
let the princess out of the trap, and together they make traps to
catch any bears that may wander from the nearby zoo.
This delightful story about siblings getting along, although with a
few hiccups along the way, will entrance younger readers marvelling
at their imaginative use of the garden and its surrounds to build a
fantasy world. Peony and her brother, Morgan, are single minded
about what they want but eventually come together to create a world
that suits both of them. Hilton's writing is always subtle and
understated, ensuring the readers use their own imaginations to
explore what they might do in a similar situation.
The clear uncluttered prose set against white space is easy to read,
and words highlighted in childish handwriting will ensure these are
taken note of and practised. The reduced colour range used for the
illustrations makes for an uncluttered look to each page, and the
readers will laugh as they notice the difference between the text
and the images, underlining the rich imaginative world of the
children, and reinforcing their ability to use things in the garden
to create their world. A delightful tale set outside, encouraging
readers to look past their screens.
Fran Knight
Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman
Walker, 2018. ISBN 9781406386851.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Themes: Droughts. Survival.
California. Climate change. What would happen if suddenly there was
no water in your house - nothing to drink, nothing to wash with or
cook with, let alone use on the garden? This is what the
collaboration between Neal and Jarrod Shusterman explores as the
people in California find that their taps have been turned off. When
Alyssa's parents go missing on a mission to get water for their
family, Alyssa and her little brother Garrett find themselves
teaming up with their neighbour Kelton, the son of people who have
prepared for Doomsday. They go on a dangerous quest to find water to
keep themselves alive. Along the way they pick up others in an
equally dire situation and discover just how people react when their
lives are on the line.
This a frightening scenario that readers who are familiar with
droughts and fights about water allocations will immediately
identify with as it seems like a very real possibility in our world
where water is a precious commodity and greed often overrides the
needs of everyone. The duo describe in detail what could happen in a
disaster when the taps are turned off. It is all too easy to imagine
the chaos that the Tap-Out would cause, the way that neighbours
would turn on each other, the slowness of officials to respond and
how some people would take advantage of what is happening in a time
of crisis as well as those who would help others.
The suspense is built up as the small group face danger as they
venture on the road to find water and each person's character,
strengths and weaknesses are brought to light as they face difficult
decisions and events.
Fans of Neal Shusterman will find this collaboration as riveting as
his other books as will people who enjoy the challenge of
speculative fiction. It would make for lively and uncomfortable
discussion as a class novel or literature circle book (A discussion
guide is available from the publisher).
Pat Pledger
