Whimsy and Woe: The Final Act by Rebecca McRitchie
Angus and Robertson, 2018. ISBN 9781460754672
(Age: 10+) Recommended. "As a blazing inferno rages through Whitby
City. Whimsy and Woe Mordaunt see their last clue go up on flames
and their journey to find their parents has seemingly come to a
fiery end. That is until the siblings spot a very familiar man in
the crowd . . . .
In the final act of this dramatic tale, Whimsy and Woe must escape
villainous thieves, travel beneath a desert, climb the Mountainous
Mountains and perform a death-defying trapeze act in the Benton
Brothers Circus . . . all before going undercover at the annual
Thespian Society Masquerade Ball.
Can they stop the Purple Puppeteer's evil plans in time and rescue
their parents? Or will the Purple Puppeteer pull their family's
strings forever?" (Publisher)
We had a number of excited students who were eagerly awaiting the
release of this book. And I am sure they will not be disappointed
with the result. McRitchie has managed to continue the gripping
story line from the first book, Whimsy
and Woe. Whimsy and Woe continue to be enthralling characters
who rise to the many twists and turns that are presented to them.
Although the book is quite thick, the text is fairly large and
interspersed with illustrations.
A must to fit on the shelf along side the first book. Suitable for
ages 10 and up.
Kathryn Schumacher
The 13th reality: Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner
The 13th Reality series. Scholastic, 2018 ( First
published by Simon and Schuster in 2008). ISBN 9781742998190
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Alternate realities;
Adventure; Heroism. Atticus Higginbottom (best known as Tick to his
friends) has again been needed to restore some order to the world
(and worlds of alternate realities). With his friends Sofia and
Paul, and the other odd assistant Master George Deems they needed to
solve the incredible tweaks of strangeness that have entered the
world and Tick is the one who seems destined to be the solution.
Unleashing the most incredible bravery, intelligence and
uncontrolled capacity for power, Tick is again required to be a
hero. In the first book in this series, Tick was revealed as having
extraordinary capabilities with Chi'karda - part of the wisdom and
magical power of the unconventional world where quantum physics seem
to explain alternate realities. In Hunt for Dark Infinity
Tick is needed to respond to a challenge that seems to send him on a
course of potential destruction in opposition to Mr Chu - the evil
'alternate' to his favourite science teacher. The forces surrounding
the Dark Infinity seem to be both evil and insane and Tick is needed
again to solve puzzles and make things right. But his powers seem to
be operating messily without rules. Where will it all end, and what
was the message that his mother nearly 'spilled' before the
adventure spun out of control?
Yet again James Dashner has unveiled a tense and riveting adventure
tale of fantasy, with more than a dash of science fiction, involving
young teen protagonists. This is best read as soon as possible after
the first book, Journal
of Curious letters, in order to maintain the flow. Young
readers will probably want to binge read this series in the same way
they devour a Harry Potter fantasy. It has a similar good vs evil
atmosphere and the pace is charged with the same serious intensity.
It is not quite as long as J K Rowling's books and more science
fiction fantasy than magical fantasy, although there are points of
similarity. And yes, there are more books in the series.
Recommended for fantasy lovers, aged 11+
Carolyn Hull
Lemonade Jones by Davina Bell and Karen Blair
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781925266733
(Age: 6+) "There are a lot of rules that don't interest Lemonade
Jones.
No running in the classroom, not even in an emergency.
Dangerous animals should be in cages. No biting. (Not even your
worst enemy)
It's especially hard to stick to rules when you're trying to make
life loud and exciting.
And Lemonade Jones likes it when loud and exciting things happen.
Two delightful stories about Lemonade Jones, a feisty girl with a
lot of fizz." (Publisher)
I love the fact that the lead character is a quirky girl who likes
to bend the rules or at least push the boundaries. The first story,
The First Day Backis a great starting point for children with
worries about beginning school. I like the idea that it is not a
picture book and would be a great read aloud for those starting at a
new school. Parts of the book are quite funny - and raises some
great conversation starters including it's ok to make mistakes and
how we can learn from them.
This book is a light hearted book presented with a mix of pictures
and text. The latter being a reasonable size - while at the same
time making the reader feel as if they are reading a chapter book
(although there are not any chapters in the book!). I can see this
book fitting into a 'quick read' section of a school library and I
am sure with the bright cover it will not spend a great deal of time
on the shelf.
Suitable for children 6 and up.
Kathryn Schumacher
Dinosaur day out by Sara Acton
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781760650049
(Age: 2-6) Recommended. Themes: Dinosaurs, Museums. Dinosaur Day
Out by author/illustrator Sara Action will entertain and
excite its young audience with a multi-layered approach. While we
read the story of Sally and Max's day out with Dad and their visit
to the museum, there is so much more happening in the visual
storytelling.
Sally and Max love dinosaurs and are keen to see the dinosaur
exhibition. Unfortunately, the area is closed with a large sign
stating "Dinosaurs Unleashed . . . dino's day off!" The children are
upset and their father buys them a book all about their favourite
animals. Off to the park they head, with "paths to explore and trees
to climb." Dad keeps up their spirits by reading dinosaur facts
aloud, "did you know about the diplodocus, the pterodactyl or the
stegosaurus?" While their father is busy reading and eating Sally
and Max are thoroughly enjoying the dinosaurs' day out! Hanging
upside down on a branch with the pterodactyl, feeding the diplodocus
leaves and watching it drink from the fountain. Even the t-rex
enjoys a triple scoop ice-cream when they stop for a treat. Their
day ends with Dad piggy-backing Sally as they walk back through the
park observed by a pack of dinosaurs.
Sally Acton's wonderful pictures seamlessly blend the dinosaurs into
the familiar park and city settings, natural tones of green and
brown sweep across the spreads. She shows Max and Sally's enjoyment,
their liveliness and interaction with the dinosaurs, a story within
a story that will enchant the reading audience. Dinosaur Day Out
is both an imaginative and informative picture book just right for
sharing with pre-schoolers and junior primary students.
Rhyllis Bignell
Inheritance by Carole Wilkinson
Black Dog Books, 2018. ISBN 9781760650360.
(Age: 12-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Australian history.
Aboriginal peoples. Time travel. Family histories.
"Generations of women in my family have been able to time travel...
" Nic (Veronica) tries to explain to her only friend in her new
town, Strathmartin. Keeping a secret like this is proving difficult
for a lonely girl who has been left to live with her Grandfather on
a very remote farm. She is at a new school, a situation with which
she is very familiar having been to numerous schools over her
childhood after losing her mother at birth and having a father whose
music career has taken precedence over raising his daughter. To her
dismay the townspeople seem to be holding a grudge because of the
actions of her wealthy ancestors who grew up in the area. Thinking
her mother is dead and wanting to find out more about her family she
stumbles onto the "isching", as one relative calls it, which enables
her to travel back in time. Her grandfather objects to her
"travelling" but this does not deter her as she searches desperately
for the answers to the many questions about her family.
Written mostly in the first person this novel also has several
chapters written by her relatives and other characters, which allows
the author to round out this extraordinary story. The theme of
conflict between Aboriginal people and early settlers runs through
the story. Nic's journeys into the past lead her to believe her
mission is to prevent the slaughter of a local Aboriginal tribe and
this theme will provide valuable discussions in History classes.
A very enjoyable book has lots of opportunities to study Australia's
early history. The detail included by the author about sourcing
evidence and primary sources for historical study will also prove
valuable in schools.
Gabrielle Anderson
His name was Walter by Emily Rodda
HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9781460710203
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Storytelling. Books and
reading. Mystery and suspense stories. Folk tales. Supernatural
phenomena.
The idea was to do some research for an authentic History lesson in
an historic outback town, but what the four students and their
teacher encounter that night is much more powerful than anything
they had ever imagined. After they are stranded when their bus
breaks down they rush to take refuge in an old house nearby as a
wild storm brews around them.
This book is suspenseful, eerie and enjoyable from start to finish.
It gives a story within a story as the students decide to fill in
the time by reading aloud a hand-made book they find in the house.
The story is written and illustrated in a fairytale/folktale way
using animals as characters and while some of them dismiss it as
just a story a few feel an unearthly power that draws them into
believing they need to finish the book and release some supernatural
phenomena that seems to be lurking in the house. The theme of true
love conquering all is also a strong influence in the story.
The students' characters are also used to develop the story - the
shy new boy who is grieving the loss of his grandad and their
country home, the computer nerd who doesn't believe in anything he
can't see, the popular girl who always gets what she wants, the shy
sensitive girl who feels the supernatural power of the book first. A
large range of readers will find someone to relate to in this book
and I think it could be successfully read aloud to a class. Walter,
the character in the Folktale is also worth a mention as he develops
from a meek boy to an assertive character who accepts his fate but
always tries to do the right thing.
A mystery from the town's past is solved, and the book has a
fantastic way of showing how history can be uncovered in the most
unexpected places and corrected by uncovering the truth. Teacher's
notes are available.
Gabrielle Anderson
The amazing world of Olobob Top by Leigh Hodgkinson and Steve Smith
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408897652
(Age: 3-5) The amazing world of Olobob Top is an activity
book created by Leigh Hodgkinson and Steve Smith based on the ABC
and BBC Children's show Olobob Top (If you have young children there
is a good chance you will have seen this show before!).
The blurb states "Have fun in the wonderful world of Olobob Top...
weave your way through mazes to explore forests, climb mountains
and soar up into the sky! With lots of exciting mazes and over 250
stickers, there are so many adventures to be had with the Olobobs"
and I think it sums it up pretty well. Each page surrounds a
different character or activity and asks the reader to complete
tasks and decorate with the supplied stickers. You may have to
follow the lines through the sky, find your way out of a maze or get
the Olobobs home safe. This part was probably the only downfall of
the book, there were just too many follow the line/maze pages
(actually all of them) and were a touch repetitive for Miss 4.
We did however love all the stickers and it kept her amused for an
hour which was a win for me!
It was also a good vehicle for directing learning towards shapes,
colours, sizes, counting and following directions - all of which are
key skills for young children.
I think this book is probably best suited for 3-5year olds who are
familiar with the show and its characters. There is another activity
book available (Make your own Olobob Top home), plus two
board books which would be fun activities for any young fan. We give
it 3 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain
Crowboy by Ricky Gibson
Serenity Press, 2018. ISBN 9780648230427
(Age: 6-9) Recommended. Themes: Differences. Acceptance. Need a book
for Halloween? Here is one that might work, that is neither too
dark, nor too grim!
Crowboy is not like the other children. He has tried to fit in and
be like them... but he just doesn't like what they like. He likes
haunted houses and other macabre things, and gets driven home from
school in the undertaker's hearse (with the coffin on top). When the
teacher sets a creative writing task, Crowboy has the opportunity to
share his imaginative side and he discovers a new accepting audience
for his dark and spooky tale. This is a book that shows that we
don't have to all be alike to find points of connection.
With a dark and slightly macabre illustrative style, with a touch of
whimsy, this picture book may not be suited for all in the under-9
age group, but there will be some who recognise the character hiding
behind the dark disguise - the one who is keen to be known, despite
his differences.
Recommended for the edgy children who 'do not fit' in the Under-9
age group.
Carolyn Hull
What should a horse say? by Fleur McDonald and Annie White
New Frontier, 2018. ISBN 9781925594201
(Age: 2-5) Themes: Farm animals. Horses. Farmer Rochelle's farm is
filled with noisy animals, all mooing, baaing and even clucking
"chick chick". However, she has one big problem, her horse also says
"chick chick"! She asks her friend Farmer Hayden for help, even his
tractor, quad bike and truck make the right noises. He's just not
sure about "what a horse should say". Farmer Rochelle continues her
quest to find the answer ringing her friend Susan who can't help
either. Her cocky just wants more chocolate and everyone she meets
still can't provide her with the appropriate solution. Dr Swan the
vet drives up in his red ute, ready to investigate what is wrong
with the horse. After a thorough check-up, he gives him some funny
tasting medicine and rubs yellow cream on to his throat. Has the vet
saved the day?
Annie White's sweeping vistas, close up farm scenes and lively farm
animals are delightful. Her large brown horse is the one to watch,
especially when Dr Swan checks his temperature. Find the little
happy chickens jumping and dancing throughout.
Fleur McDonald's noisy story What should a horse say is an
entertaining read aloud. Young children will love joining in with
all the farm animal noises. They will love the question and
response, knowing that all the way through the horse should be
neighing.
Rhyllis Bignell
From Elizabeth Mary Cummings, author of The Forever Kid
ISBN: 9781925675399.
A lifelong bookworm, English was my favourite subject at school. I
studied Psychology and Business Studies at University before doing a
postgraduate in Primary School teaching. I discovered my passion for
teaching and my love of working with young people.
Recently I have focused on developing and publishing my writing with
a special focus on mental health, writing about real life situations
in narrative form. This narrative therapy approach to discussing
mental health issues with children is something that I think is a
very strong tool for helping heal and develop positive communication
strategies especially when talking about difficult subject matter
with young people.
I got the idea for The
Forever Kidwhen I was thinking about my uncle who I
never met. He died when he was a teenager before I was born. My
father often spoke about him and described how sad the family was
that he had died, even though he had been ill for a long time before
then. I had been talking to my parents about life and family and so
I think that my mind was focused on family matters. I woke up in the
middle of the night and the whole story was there in my head. I got
up and write down my thoughts straight away and then spent three
years honing the narrative as well as seeking community engagement
and feedback before pitching it to publishers. It was so vital to
ensure that the story's message rang true and that the integrity of
the message remained intact throughout the creation.
My hope is to not only share this story but to facilitate a greater
awareness in society of grief from a child's perspective and to
start a dialogue with families and their support networks on the
matter of death and grief
The Forever Kid by Elizabeth Mary Cummings
Ill. by Cheri Hughes. Big Sky Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781925675399
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Grief, Remembrance, Loss. The
Forever Kid is about remembering a child who will never grow
up. The family in the story celebrate the memory of the child who is
no longer with them by celebrating their birthday with the food and
games that that child loved.
This is a lovely book written from a child's perspective which means
it is easier for children to relate to the story. It encourages the
sharing of feelings in a safe supportive way.
The illustrations in this book are simple and they support the story
beautifully.
It can be used as a starting point for discussions on the topic of
grief both by parents and teachers, as this is a sympathetic way to
discuss the topic of loss. Some activities
are available from Just Write for Kids blog.
I highly recommend this book for 4+
Karen Colliver
The Botanist's Daughter by Kayte Nunn
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780733639388
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Starting a little slowly, yet
creating two worlds that have no defining link, this novel is
captivating, rich in depiction of the past, and cleverly
interspersing the two stories. The title suggests a story of a
family and an interest in botany, and it is that, yet this book
offers much more than a simple family history. One story is set
firmly in the present, where a young woman can take herself off to
England to seek an understanding of the book's provenance, while the
other plunges us into the past, particularly referring to the place
of women at the time of the story, telling a story set in the 1880s.
Both narratives delve into the lives of women in their era,
especially elucidating the differences between the possibilities for
the two: between education, freedom to travel, learn, work or
interact outside the family, and to create a life for one's self.
Placing her narrative in these two distinct eras, beginning the
story in the 1886, in England, and Sydney in 2017, Kayte Nunn takes
us into the lives, and indeed the minds, of two characters,
exploring their worlds and considering the wider world and time in
which each lived. Each story is lightly told while both are
revelatory of the particular differences for women in their times.
The modern story begins when an old book of beautiful botanical
illustration is discovered hidden within the wall cavity of an old
Sydney house, the owner, a young woman, is stunned. Captivated by
the beauty and artistry of the illustrations, the owner, Anna,
realizes that she is keen to unravel the mystery of the origin of
this book, and her determination to do so takes her to England. Back
in Australia, while Anna is redecorating the house, relishing her
discoveries and enjoying the search for what kind of person was this
ancestor of hers, she comes to believe that perhaps it was an
inherited interest that drew her into botany and the kind of life
had she has lived.
The story is told in two parts, that of the historical search by an
English woman and her servant, and that of the modern woman who has
found the intriguing diary. Moving back and forth between the
narratives, Nunn reveals that the original botanist was Anna's
grandmother, yet we are eager to unravel the mystery of why the book
was hidden and what is the accompanying history of this grandmother.
Beautifully written, clearly and simply narrated from the
perspective of both grandmother and granddaughter, who had not known
one another, this captivating novel creates a link between two
distinct eras. Nunn deftly creates an enigmatic story-line, while
subtly revealing the differences in the freedom and choices of women
in the modern era and that of the past in England in 1886, and
indeed of the violence that took place in defence of what one
believed to be the right to ownership.
This book is intriguing and would be appropriate for older
adolescent readers and indeed most interesting for adult readers,
particularly those who love a good historical novel that has an
added twist.
Elizabeth Bondar
The A-Z of Wonder Women by Yvonne Lin
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9781526361547
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Subjects: Women - Biography. Award-winning
industrial designer Yvonne Lin is a leader in creating innovative
products for women. She designed The A-Z of Wonder Woman for
her young daughter Roni introducing her and other girls and boys
around the world to positive female role models. She has drawn
inspiration from leaders in various fields of endeavour, from
ancient times to the current day. Women of different ethnicities,
different ages and stages in their careers are presented in
alphabetical order by their first names. She has included popular
figures and those that are less well-known.
The book begins with English mathematician Ada Lovelace who invented
the first punch card algorithms in the mid-1800s. Cathy Freeman runs
across the page in her Australian Olympics uniform proud to be the
winner of the gold medal in the 400-metre race. Florence Nightingale
is celebrated as an English statistician who championed proper
sanitary procedures in hospitals and founded modern methods of
nursing. J K Rowling started a literary revolution when she wrote
her Harry Potter series, encouraging reluctant readers around the
world to read all 3407 pages.
Yvonne Lin commends Italian educator Maria Montessori, suffragette
Kate Sheppard from New Zealand and Oprah Winfrey one of the most
influential African-American women globally. The author has
recognised comedian and producer Tina Fey as a "titillating tickler"
and Yayoi Kusama the eccentric Japanese artist whose installations,
sculptures and paintings have influenced Hockney and Warhol's
styles.
The amazing layout of this book includes colourful backgrounds,
portraits of each women, a concise account of their achievements and
an encouraging quote. As a bonus thirty more influential women are
mentioned at the conclusion of this informative book. The A-Z of
Wonder Women is ideal for History and Social Sciences students
as a stepping stone for researching women who have influenced
changes across the globe.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbet
Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763688042
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Gusta loved the golden sound of her
horn, the way the notes could make you ring like a bell, from your
hair bow to your toes. Its music was so large and grand. She was
quiet by nature, but the horn was the bravest part of her her sweet,
large, secret, brassy voice.
Throughout the book Gusta (Augusta) develops as a strong leading
female character. She lives in New York with her mother. Her German
father is wanted by the law with the threat of World War 2 looming
on the horizon. Gusta finds herself being uprooted and sent to live
with her grandmother and aunt who own an orphanage. She is
continually trying to make everyone around her happy and only truly
feels at ease when she is playing her horn. Gusta is surrounded by
children of varying ages from all different walks of lives and
develops a special bond with her cousin Bess. Throughout the story,
she has to make some incredibly hard decisions that even an adult
would find challenging. Gusta is determined to find the wish that
her great grandfather who was a sailor left behind. This allows for
a thread of magic to be interlaced throughout the story.
Themes such as justice, fairness, loyalty and friendship are
discussed. It was interesting to read the author's notes at the end
of the book that this was based on Nesbet's own mother's life.
This book is suitable for children 10 and up. A must have for the
collection.
Kathryn Schumacher
Collecting sunshine by Rachel Flynn
Ill. by Tamsin Ainslie. Penguin 2018. ISBN 9780143785187
(Age: 1-4) Recommended. Themes: Childhood; Play; Memories. An early
childhood book with two central characters who go to a park with a
paper bag ready to gather their own collection of treasures. When it
rains the bag breaks, but the children continue collecting, only
this time they collect memories which they later record in their own
art gallery. This is a simple picture book, with limited text and
appealing naive illustrations. The illustrations appealed to the
nearly-two-year-old that I shared this book with. She loved
searching for the dogs, the cat, and the bike in the illustrations,
but more particularly she loved identifying the blue budgie hidden
on every page. It wasn't until I was ready to review the book, that
I also discovered the illustrator had deliberately hidden a mouse on
every page as well as the blue budgie. The idea that you can collect
memories is the essential feature of the book.
This is a book that would appeal in a child-care context, prior to a
walk in the park, collecting sunshine and memories along the way.
Recommended aged 1-4 years.
Carolyn Hull
