Renegades trilogy, book 2. Pan MacMillan 2018. ISBN
9781760559526
(Age: 12+) Book two in the Renegades
Trilogy, Archenemies allows the trilogy to take shape even
more so than before. As the budding relationship between Nova and
Adrian grows, can they keep their private lives private for much
longer or will the true identities of the Renegades most wanted
Nightmare and Sentential be revealed at last?
Coping with the aftermath of the Detonators death and the revelation
of her uncle's survival, it appears to be more important than ever
for Nova to succeed as a renegade. She is a spy and constantly on
alert for any threat. Yet she is also a decorated Renegade, being
publicly thanked prior to the reveal of a new weapon that will
change everything. A weapon that could strip prodigies of their
powers. Unable to silence her concerns about prodigy rights, Nova
quickly discovers he concerns are shared by other Renegades.
Renegades who don't trust other Renegades to consistently do the
right thing. Will her growing closeness with her team and with
Adrian put her in a compromising position? What does she stand for?
Is she a Renegade, an Anarchist, or neither?
A coming of age superhero story, Meyer presents Nova with a number
of big decisions to make not just about her life, but the lives of
people around her. Nova is in a unique position of power and it is
up to her to determine what the right path forward is not just for
her friends and family, but for the people of Galton City together.
Kayla Gaskell
Moscow Sleepers by Stella Rimington
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408859759
(Age: secondary to adult) Themes: Spying, Cold War, Refugees,
Unaccompanied children, Hacking, Trafficking. Another great
Rimington read exposing the back story to some of the tactics played
out by spying communities around the world, this book is a stunning
thriller as Liz Carlyle, an officer within MI5, tracks the work of
two Russian sleepers in Germany. Irma is the head of a school which
takes in refugee children, but unbeknownst to her husband, Dieter,
she alerts her Russian handlers to the cleverest amongst these
unaccompanied children and they are taken to a school in rural
England where they are ostensibly trained to spot computer hacking,
but what they are really doing is hacking government computers
around the world.
With fingers being pointed at various governments at the moment
about computer hacking, this makes an up-to-the minute read. A
series of seemingly unconnected incidents come together in Liz's
mind as Peggy interviews an older teacher at the school in Suffolk,
dismayed at the way the school is operating, Liz goes to Eastern
Europe to interview a mole whose brother in the Russian military is
offering information, the two in Germany come under suspicion
because of their activities and Bruno McKay is sent to Russia to
recruit the brother. A heart stopping read ensues with many things
being juggled but coming to a neat conclusion, not before Liz must
once again contact Chief Inspector Pearrson as part of her
investigations and their relationship moves forward.
Former head of MI5, Rimington tells a smartly detailed and involving
thriller, steeped in a world she knows inside out. The authenticity
of the background of the tale demands the attention of the reader
and this is readily engaged to the very last page.
Behind the scenes Rimingtin gives a glimpse of the fate of
unaccompanied children, some trying to get to England by themselves,
others losing their families along the way, some used as in this
book by unscrupulous forces to exploit their computing skills, while
Border Force cannot patrol the whole coastline to catch those
attempting to land along the remote Suffolk cast.
Refugees are an issue for many countries, and it is with some relief
that the children in this book are treated at the end with a
generosity of spirit to be admired.
Fran Knight
Whitebeard by M. C. D. Etheridge
Flash Knight, 2018. ISBN 9780648359005
(Age: 8-10) Themes: Pirates, Christmas, Fantasy. Whitebeard
is a fantastical mix of pirates, derring-do acts, fights on the High
Seas and has a motley cast of characters with Captain Whitebeard at
the helm. This madcap adventure is fast-paced, overflowing with
Christmas references and plenty of piratical plundering.
Captain Whitebeard is the fiercest pirate on the High Seas, his ship
Rudolph's Revenge is crewed by seven tough men Dasher,
Dancer, Prancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, as well as one
feisty female Vixen. Just before Christmas, they use sneaky
disguises to board a Spanish galleon, fight the crew and seize all
the booty, gold and jewellery. Underneath his tough exterior,
Whitebeard shows kindness when he releases the slaves chained up on
board. One of those released is Gretchen the evil witch who uses her
large emerald Green Envy to cast spells and cause major problems.
Compounding their problems even more, is Captain Jack Frost who's
pursuing his archenemy Whitebeard. He lost the sight in one eye
during a ruthless fight. Onboard the Frostbite are twelve
zombified mummies with blades instead of limbs; these Swiss Army
Knives dressed as Swiss Guards are primed to cut down Whitebeard and
his crew.
Etheridge keeps up a fast pace, adding so many side plots, dreams,
poems, sea shanties, extra characters and settings to the mix. The
descriptive narrative is filled with alliteration, tongue twisters -
'powder monkeys trained for peanuts' and 'freebooting French
filibusters'! Be prepared for singing mermaids who've lost their
children and the evil trolls who've captured them ready for a tasty
meal. He includes many festive signs including a special robin who
guides Whitebeard's decisions and a dream of his childhood and first
love Mary who also tells him the right way to live. The author's
historical references jump over two centuries from the Great Fire of
London, to the Age of Pirates and then to optometrists! Olivia Ong's
graphic line drawings add to the drama and excitement of Whitebeard.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernot
The Text Publishing Company, 2018. ISBN 9781925603743
(Ages: 10+) Highly recommended. A hauntingly beautiful journey of
self-discovery, loss, grief, and finding beauty even in the darkest
times. At eleven years old, Lottie, the daughter of German migrants,
is grieving the loss of her mother when she becomes fascinated with
collecting dead animals. Trying to revive and recreate these
animals, Lottie attempts to preserve them, as she slowly learns the
art of taxidermy. In creating beauty out of death, she attempts to
hold on to memories of her mother, and work through her grief, all
while moving through the milestones of life.
Written in lyrical verse, Sharon Kernot brings Lottie and the
supporting characters of this novel to life, much as Lottie attempts
to bring her treasures to life through taxidermy over the course of
the book. Kernot's use of poetic language brings a special charm to
the story and compels the reader to fall in love with Lottie as well
as her unique perception of beauty. Filled with symbolism, an
appreciation of the Australian landscape and its natural beauty, and
most of all, heart, The Art of Taxidermy is a book that will
stay with the reader long after they turn the last page.
A brilliant novel with powerful, insightful and authentic
characters. A melancholic yet touching read.
Daniella Chiarolli
Someday by David Levithan
Text Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781925603903
(Age: Teenagers 14+) Recommended. 'Everyday a new body. Everyday a
new life. Everyday a new choice. For as long as A can remember, life
has meant waking up in a different person's body every day, forced
to live as that person until the day ends. A always thought there
wasn't anyone else who had a life like this. But A was wrong. There
are others. A has already been wresting with powerful feelings of
love and loneliness. Now comes an understanding of the extremes that
love and loneliness can lead to - and what it's like to discover
that you are not alone in the world.' (Publisher) Someday by David Levithan is the gripping sequel to the
previous book, Everyday. Someday explores a number
of themes such as love, loneliness and what it's like to be human as
well as giving readers a satisfying conclusion to the series. In
this book, Levithan has delved deeper into the complex lives of A
and Rhiannon and the struggles that they've been through in the past
few months since where the previous novel left off. A struggles with
their love for Rhiannon and the challenges that they've faced being
alone once more. Meanwhile, Rhiannon can't quite let go of A even
though she has no idea where A is or what A looks like. The story
gets increasingly more suspenseful with a new antagonist, previously
known as Poole, who is set on hunting A down and as the story goes
on, we discover more about his true motives and sinister way of
life. This storyline kept me hooked until the very end and it left
me thinking, long after I'd turned the final page. Someday follows the similar ideas and themes as Everyday
but with a completely new storyline. It's told in a number of
different perspectives that are all equally as engaging and
interesting to read about. Levithan has a very unique style of
writing which is one of the reasons why I enjoyed this book so much.
Someday explores a number of relevant and important themes
and teaches the reader to never give up on those you love and to
live every single day to the fullest. It also questions what it
really means to be human and what it's like to discover that you're
not alone in the world. These are are all very insightful and
thought provoking ideas that will really open your eyes to what it
truly means to love one another.
Overall, Someday is a gripping and heartwarming sequel to Everyday
that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I would highly recommend it for
teenagers over the age of 14 who are fans of some of David
Levithan's other books. Someday is a beautiful story and if
you enjoyed Everyday, you will not be disappointed by the
sequel.
'There are some days you know ahead of time are going to be
important, but most of the important ones end up catching you by
surprise. The best thing to do is to treat all your days well. Then
see what happens.' - David Levithan, Someday
Grace Austin (Student)
The Poppa Platoon in Operation Dessert Storm by Danny Katz and Mitch Vane
Omnibus, 2018. ISBN 9781742769240
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Humour. Illustrated novel.
Food. Major Poppa, Abbie, and her little brother Flynn are on
a mission to eat as much as they can at the Wibbly the Cheeky
Wizard's Spooky All-You-Can-Eat Family Buffet Restaurant, but still
keep some room for dessert. Of course when they arrive, things go
awry even though they had undergone training before their mission.
Any adult who has ever faced a huge buffet will immediately relate
to the problems that the Poppa Platoon face and will really enjoy
reading this with younger children. Kids who enjoy reading by
themselves have a hilarious, quick read to amuse themselves with and
those who are looking for something to read after the Treehouse
series by Andy Griffith and Terry Denton, The Bad guys by
Aaron Blabey and the WeirDo series by Anh Do will eagerly
pick up this series, which started with The
Poppa platoon in World War Chew.
It is extensively illustrated with very funny cartoon-like pictures,
all in black and white, which bring the characters, the people at
the buffet and the food vividly to life. I especially loved the very
cheeky look on baby Flynn's face and Abbie's actions were a scream.
Major Poppa of course looks like everyone's stereotype of an army
boss. The type is in different sizes and shapes and emphasises the
importance of what is going on, or the noise level of the voices.
This laugh-out-loud book is sure to be a hit with kids who love a
laugh and will encourage those who don't like reading much to pursue
the story.
Pat Pledger
Super science stars by Meredith Costain
Ill. by Danielle McDonald. Olivia's secret scribbles book 4.
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781760277093
(Age: 5-7) Recommended. Themes: Science. Friendship. Diaries.
Meredith Costain's fourth story in the Olivia's secret scribbles
series focuses on the school Science Fair. Olivia's excitement is
hard to contain, her diary entries are filled with her own projects,
ideas and drawings of her experiments. She's made a glittery lava
lamp, slippery slime and grown a magnificent array of mould on
watermelon, cheese, cookies and sandwiches. These stinky items are
hidden under her bed!
Mr Platt's divided the class up into four groups and Olivia's happy
to be working with her friends. When the classroom door opens and
new girl Bethany with the bouncy hair joins their group, Olivia's
put out. Bethany's ideas are better, she brings in cute T-shirts
with Super Science Stars printed on them. Nothing seems to be going
right, Olivia's secret scribbles show that sometimes it's hard to be
part of a team. She desperately wants to build a Time Machine;
however, the others don't think it is realistic and choose Bethany's
egg experiment instead. On Thrilling Thursday, Sage and Samira's
group make a mirror rainbow and Milo and Mehmet's group prepare to
video their duck experiment. Stinky Friday is a rather fun day, when
Olivia's group reveal the results of their tests. After an exciting
weekend, Olivia is determined to have her group build a volcano,
once again Bethany's idea is chosen.
Meredith Costain's easy-to-read book is just right for readers from
ages 5-7. Olivia's secret scribbles series is an excellent
introduction to chapter books for young girls. There is a brightness
and bubbliness to Olivia's point of view, that is presented with
pink-coloured bold text. Danielle McDonald's cartoon illustrations
add to the excitement and enjoyment of the story. Super science
stars looks at acceptance, how to be a team player and
celebrates having fun with Science.
Rhyllis Bignell
It's not scribble to me by Kate Ritchie
Ill. by Jedda Robaard. Penguin Random House, 2018. ISBN
9780143790136
(Ages: 3-5) Themes: Drawing. Creativity. Rhyming books. The young
bear pictured on the front cover talks directly to the reader: 'I
have to say I'm not generally bad, but one thing I do makes my
family mad... You see, Mum, that red is far from a smear, it's
actually Santa, with a grin ear to ear'. This book is written from a
parent point of view and is aimed at parents. It starts by
identifying something that all parents struggle with (children
drawing anywhere and everywhere) and then reminds them that those
scribbles on the curtains, walls, windows (and sometimes a piece of
paper) have meaning. The voice changes towards the end of the book
and the little bear speaks to her parents: 'So please, Mum and Dad,
the next time you start crying and wailing at my works of art...
take a really deep breath and imagine you're me, then look a bit
harder, I promise you'll see - it's not just a scribble...' It is
then difficult to tell if the parent in the story or the reader is
being addressed: 'So what about you? Could you sit next to me, and
please draw me the magical things that you see?'
Yes, it's about how children create meaning through drawing (even if
it isn't visible to adults) and how important it is to provide
materials for expression. However, this is a written for parents
(albeit it slightly belittles them) and isn't going to be
particularly interesting for children. Also, we can encourage kids
to draw without advocating for total house destruction.
Nicole Nelson
The next person you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780751571899
(Senior secondary - Adult) Deeply evocative of the anguish we
experience when someone we love dies, this story is constructed as
both a reflection on life and a conversation with those who have
died. Mitch Albom tells the story of one woman, Annie, who is killed
in a freak accident, taking us through her life and the five lessons
that she experiences when she 'meets' five people who were part of
her life on earth.
Definitely unusual and slightly difficult to comprehend at the start
of the novel, this is not so much a story as a treatise on love,
care, generosity, decency and the values that we often overlook in
our busy lives. As Albom delves deeply into the reality of our
tendency to feel guilty when someone dies, so we begin to understand
that what is more relevant to our living on this earth is to
connect, to feel, to think about and to cherish those with whom we
live and those with whom we come into contact. Essentially this book
is about that idea of really connecting with others that enables us
and offers a renewed spirit in ourselves and in those with whom we
spend time, even if it is only a passing meeting or a short time.
Underlying the narrative is the feeling of guilt that pursues the
soul of those whose actions have caused the death of others, be it
strangers or loved family members. Moving between this temporal life
and that one he proposes as the spiritual life of heaven, Albom
positions us to see accidents from the survivor's point of view as
well as that of the ones who died. At its heart is that notion of
the incredible capacity of people to forgive others, and he proposes
that those who cannot forgive themselves suffer enormously. Hence we
are led to see the ending of a life and Albom's proposition of the
idea of 'heaven' as a simple concept. He writes of the value and
quality of what we offer others as intensely precious. Indeed, his
proposition is that the soothing balm of loving forgiveness heals
the pain of those who have hurt others.
Whether or not his afterlife reflects a possible life after death,
this little story posits the notion of loving kindness when fate
causes death. It proposes a connection between this world and
another, the 'afterlife', and this author asserts the inestimable
value of forgiveness as an act of goodness that has the capacity to
heal even the most damaged soul.
Elizabeth Bondar
A miniature Christmas ed. by Beattie Alvarez
Christmas Press, 2018. ISBN 9780648194514
Recommended. A miniature Christmas is an anthology of stories all
written by both emerging and established Australian story tellers,
based on the theme of 'miniature'. There are 12 wonderful stories
that feature characters such as elves, goblins, fairies and even
genies.
The stories are all equally fun and interesting; with a Christmas
twist of many different forms. There is a modern story about an app
that comes to life, a short story with magical disappearing green
men typing on a computer and even a story about a lifelong
miniaturist passing on his skilled trade to his granddaughter. All
of the stories are steeped in Christmas spirit and will delight
readers from approximately 4 years of age.
I loved that each story had its own illustrator, who presented the
story in their own way using a variety of mediums such as pencil
drawing, painting, models and cartoon-like characters. This added to
the book as I could compare and contrast the different stories and
illustrators, picking and choosing my favourite parts of each. The
final pages of the book also give a wonderful little behind the
scenes story about each author and illustration - a finishing touch
that I personally enjoyed.
My 4 year old enjoyed the shorter stories such as 'The Vaswe Elves'
and 'Quack', whilst Master 8 was able to read all the stories at his
leisure. There were a few difficult words, but he enjoyed this
Christmas themed book none the less.
This is an interesting and engaging compilation of books put
together by Beattie Alvarez, which would be well placed on any
library or book shelf at Christmas time. Beautiful illustrations and
a great range of writing styles, all from Australians!
We give it 4 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain
Hopping around the Christmas tree by Johnny Marks
Book and CD. Ill. by Benjamin Johnston. Performed by Colin Buchanan.
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781743811429
(Ages: 3-6) Recommended. Themes: Christmas. Colin Buchanan, former
Play School presenter, brings great energy to this very catchy
Christmas sing-along. The classic song, Rockin' Around the
Christmas Tree is given an Australian twist, as Aussie animals
begin to gather for a bush Christmas celebration. The words are
mostly all changed but fit perfectly with the tune, making it easy
to sing along. In fact, it is difficult to read - it demands to be
sung! The illustrations are crisp, cheerful and full of action,
mirroring the energy of the song. Sometimes these adaptations suffer
because in the attempt to get the words to fit the tune sentences
start to lose meaning. That is not a problem here - it really is
well done. Each verse features a different animal (joeys are
'hopping around the Christmas tree, at the Christmas party hop';
cockatoos are 'flapping around the Christmas tree, let the Christmas
bells sway'). This is a real treat for young ones who will love
dancing and bopping along. Perfect for schools and music teachers as
well.
Nicole Nelson
Dear Santa by Elise Hartley
Ill. by Shannon Horsfall. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742993683
(Ages: 5-8) Themes: Christmas, Letter Writing, Humorous Stories.
This is a collection of mostly unrelated letters from different
animals to Santa. There is a letter from a moose asking if he could
take the place of a reindeer on the sleigh, one from a skunk asking
for lots of very nice-smelling gifts for Christmas and one from an
emu asking for a jetpack to help him fly. There is also a final
postcard from an elf who has popped off for a holiday in the
sunshine. The humour in here is mostly suited to older children as
many of the references won't be understood by those younger (the
turkey asks for Santa to give everyone chicken and vegetarian
cookbooks). There is one narrative thread running through the
letters which helps to hold it all together (the mouse asks Santa to
take away the cat he left him last year, the cat asks for
rollerblades to catch the mouse, the dog asks for a new skateboard
because the cat next door borrowed his). Older children will pick up
on all of these threads and will understand the witty humour in each
letter.
Nicole Nelson
Excuse me, Santa! by Dave Hughes and Holly Ife
Ill. by Philip Bunting. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742997896
(Ages: 4-7)Themes: Christmas, Humourous Stories, Manners. This is a
follow up to last year's Excuse Me! and it is basically the
same story except this time it is Santa with gas instead of Martha
May. It is Christmas Eve and Martha May has been polite all day when
she is 'woken up by the sound of very loud, and very impolite,
eating'. There in her kitchen is Santa and she has caught him eating
the reindeer's carrots. 'Delivering presents makes me so hungry!'
Santa admits. Martha May, being the well-mannered young girl she is,
offers Santa some Christmas pudding. Santa just keeps eating and
eating and Martha May is too polite to tell him to stop. 'Gurgle!
Gurgle! Gurgle' goes Santa's belly. Back in the sleigh, Santa can't
move: he's too heavy. 'Christmas is ruined!', the reindeers
announce. Meanwhile, Martha May whispers an idea in Santa's ear and
he lets out an incredible fart that 'sounded like Jingle Bells, it
smelt like cinnamon and it sparkled like glitter'.
This is a completely silly story but kids will no doubt think that
Santa farting is hilarious. This will be loved by fans of the first
Martha May book and toilet humour aficionados.
Nicole Nelson
Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies: The Giant Moth Mummy by Andrew Hansen
Ill. by Jessica Roberts. Walker, 2018. ISBN 9781760650018
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Magic, Ancient Egypt. Comedian
Andrew Hansen and his artist wife Jessica Roberts transport us back
to Ancient Egypt in a second uproarious instalment of Bab
Sharkey and the Animal Mummies.
Twelve-year-old Bab lives with his archaeologist mother in the
Sharkey Shack in Egypt. With his magical Pharaoh's beard attached,
he becomes Pharaoh of the Lost City of Mumphis and all of the animal
mummies. His job is to keep everyone safe, however, his archenemy
the Unpharaoh and her loyal jackal, Cainus are out to destroy all
the Mumphis mummies and Bab. With her special powers, she creates a
giant mummified moth who loves to devour dust, clothing and people's
sweat. The Unpharaoh sneakily disguises herself in six of the
jackal's shoes and unleashes the moth at the Osiris Theatre when
Bab's friends Prong is testing his comedic skills. Chaos ensues; the
giant moth Mummy is unleashed and begins to devour the audience of
animal mummies.
Unfortunately, in all the chaos, Bab is eaten and is sent to the
Underworld with Anubis as his tour guide. He uses spells from the
Book of the Dead to guide Babs into the Paradise of the Afterworld.
So much madcap adventure, difficult situations and desperate action
occurs; Babs even removes his own heart to be weighed on the golden
scales in the Hall of Truth. If he is judged to have a light heart
because of all his good deeds Babs can cross the river into
Paradise. Ingenious plots, a touch of magic and crazy actions are
needed to save the day.
Hansen and Roberts add some fabulous historical facts perfect for
readers to research. Their magical world is exciting and imaginative
and they take the reader on a frenetically paced journey. Jessica
Robert's lively line drawings add to the excitement. There are
possessed fluffy bunny slippers and snowshoes, a magical beard
scooter and Prong the ibis mummy whose head has been stitched on
upside down. The Giant Moth Mummy is a humorous action and adventure
junior novel just right for sharing as a class novel.
Rhyllis Bignell
Finding Your Path: A happy start to school by Amba Brown
Finding Your Path
Books, 2018. ISBN 9780648233930
A new school years is just over the horizon and next year's
Kindergarten students are starting their transition visits to 'big
school'. So this book by Positive Psychology author Amba Brown is
ideal for preparing them for what to expect when they begin this
next phase of their young lives, particularly as anxiety about
making this move is common and natural.
Written in rhyme with bright bold pictures, it will capture their
attention and help allay any fears they might have. Explaining some
of the things they will learn and encouraging them to try hard, use
their manners and smile will reassure the most concerned, making
this transition full of the fun, excitement and anticipation that it
should have.
Barbara Braxton
