Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760523565.
(Age: 4+) Theme: Environment, Inventors, Pollution, Determination.
Melbourne artist and designer Sher Rill Ng's debut picture book, Our
Little Inventor tells the readers about a young scientist,
Nell, who wants to save the Big City from the smoke and soot that
pollutes the air. Strong and determined the girl takes her invention
to the Big City and provokes and annoys the men in the government
offices, and consequently is shown the door. But the secretary Miss
Li believes in her and writes to her to say so. Receiving the letter
at home, determines Nell to try again, and she and her siblings make
a bigger version of her pollution solving machine.
Once again she goes to the Big City, to be greeted with derision
once again from those in charge, but in turning to the coughing
populace, she asks whether she should try. Receiving a resounding
yes, she turns on her machine to the betterment of all.
Strong and resilient, inventive and determined, Nell is a wonderful
role model for readers, making a machine which she then takes to the
Big City, solving an environmental problem common to many countries.
The painterly illustrations, with nods to Steampunk and gaming
illustrative techniques, reveal a nineteenth century landscape which
begs readers to look closely at the richly detailed pages as they
are turned.
I love the endpapers giving a before and after view of the Big City,
impelling readers to look for such evidence in today's cities.
Images of today's Beijing spring to mind, while before and after
images of London can be found after the Great
Smog of London in 1952 forced authorities to take action.
Fran Knight
Izzy + Tristan by Shannon Dunlap
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9781510104358.
(Age: 15+) Themes : race, romance, chess, gangs, drugs, school
relationships, mental health. This book ends with the same words it
starts with. 'This is not a novel. It's a romance.' It is a story
about romance, one of fierce longing and desire to be with the one
you love. It is a modern day love story of two people with totally
different backgrounds and a typical 'star crossed lovers' feel to
it.
Tristan is an African American teenager living with his Aunt while
his father comes to terms with his mother's untimely death. Even
though he has lived with his Aunt for two years and has a tight
family bond with Marcus his street smart cousin, Tristan doesn't
feel like he belongs there. Marcus is confident and a con artist
with a posse who cling onto his every word. Tristan is a chess
wizard and academic and Marcus uses this to his advantage by setting
up matches between unsuspecting opponents and his cousin for cash.
Tristan isn't comfortable with this but doesn't feel he can stand up
to Marcus, and despite their close family bond, Tristan feels a
little intimidated by him.
Izzy's parents have moved Izzy and her twin brother Hull into a new
neighbourhood and new school, hoping for new experiences for their
family but things don't go quite as well as they had hoped. They are
a white family in a borough of predominantly mixed races and the
perception of them is of a rich white family living amongst the not
so fortunate. Hull is also a wiz at chess and an encounter with
Marcus and Tristan takes an unexpected turn.
Meanwhile Izzy and Tristan first meet in class and it is almost love
at first sight. Even after the incident involving her twin and
Tristan, Izzy isn't put from her attraction to him and a clandestine
relationship evolves. Unfortunately, Marcus also has his eye on Izzy
and the two of them decide against telling Marcus of their love.
Izzy's friend Brianna is secretly in love with Marcus and she tries
not to let it bother her that Marcus is in love with Izzy but as is
always the case with blind love, decisions can blur peoples
misguided intentions. Friends and family bonds are fractured, and
the reader is kept on their toes waiting to see what eventuates.
As the story evolves it becomes apparent that a critical incident is
imminent despite the couples' struggle to keep their relationship
going. Whilst it appears that some relationships are mending there
is still that underlying feeling of foreboding. The ending is
expected in some ways and surprising in others.
This would be a good comparative text for Romeo and Juliet.
I would give this book to 15+ readers
because of some of the language and themes (minimal).
Gerri Mills
Stargazer : A Step-by-step Guide to the Southern Night Sky - foreword by Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock
Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN: 9780143795575.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Themes: Astronomy, constellations, Milky Way.
This non-fiction guide book is a step by step guide to how stars are
divided into constellations, the motion of stars in the night sky,
the factors affecting conditions for stargazing and then a great
reference on finding specific southern sky constellations such as
the Southern Cross and astronomical objects such as galaxies and
nebulae. The reference is divided into 'routes' which guide the
viewer through star constellations and astronomical objects along a
path, explaining notable features and background information for
each, including their mythological roots. To conclude the book takes
a look at closer astronomical objects such as the moon and planets
and how to find them in the night sky.
This book would be a great companion for a budding star-gazer. It is
easy to follow and contains great information on many of the
constellations visible in the Southern Sky without overwhelming the
reader with detail. Its relevance to Australian skies, great
pictures and easy to follow 'routes' are a plus and I would
recommend to anyone as an introduction to the night sky.
Michael Pledger
The wonder of trees by Nicola Davies
Illus. by Lorna Scobie. Hodder Children's Books, 2019. ISBN:
9781444938197.
(Ages: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Trees, Animal habitats.
Nicola Davies is an English Zoologist and prolific writer of
children's books, including picture books, non-fiction and novels.
This title follows the same style as Davies and Scobie's 2017
publication The variety of life, which looked at the
incredible diversity of life within the animal kingdom. This title,
The wonder of trees, does a similar thing in celebrating the
incredible adaptability of trees, and explains how creatures,
including humans, rely on them. Lorna Scobie's watercolour
illustrations are beautiful, delicate and full of vibrant colour
from flowers, leaves and animal life and make the book deserving of
its large format. The author/illustrator combination work perfectly
as both Scobie and Davies work almost exclusively on projects
involving the natural world. This is equally accessible for a
five year old and a fourteen year old because of its short
paragraphs, large illustrations and its use of simple language,
despite containing some complex information. There is no contents or
index page but the book is clearly defined into sections with
headings running in bold down the side of each page. The first few
pages outline what trees are and how they evolved, including ancient
and now extinct trees. The next section deals with different parts
of trees, including close up illustrations of the teeny-tiny tubes
in wood and information about how root fungus allow trees to
communicate with each other. There are also close-ups of different
varieties of tree bark. There is then a section about how different
animals and plants use trees for habitats, food, transport and
safety. The next looks at specific habitats or communities of trees
(taiga forest, temperate woodlands, dry gum forests, cloud forests
and tropical rainforests) and the last looks at the relationship
between people and trees, both how we benefit from trees and how we
are destroying them. The book finishes by detailing how we can help
by planting trees in our backyard or community. A quite
comprehensive and easily accessible glossary is included at the
back. Each of the trees pictured within the book and many of the
animals, are named, both with common name and scientific name. This
is an incredibly comprehensive look at the world of trees, useful
for school projects but also just a beautiful book to peruse at
leisure. It is a true treat which will fascinate, educate and
inspire both young and old.
Nicole Nelson
Happy girl lucky by Holly Smale
Valentines book 1. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN 9780008254148. Happy girl lucky is an easy read for young girls who are
innocent and always try to see the best in everything.
Meet Hope Valentine, a fifteen year old girl who has the life of a
Barbie. Except she isn't allowed to be showed off to the public
until she is sixteen. Hope has 3 siblings Faith, Mercy and Max who
are all celebrities because they are a valentine.
In Hope's mind life is like a movie. Everything is edited to look
perfect. She looks past every bad thing. She is aways happy - it's
Hope's thing. After all she is happy girl lucky! She dreams of
finding the perfect boyfriend. Hope just can't wait to get out and
be revealed to the world.
One night her older brother Max sees Hope looking a bit down and
decides to sneak her into a party with lots of celebrities. Hope's
whole family is there. Hope sees her sisters arguing and decides to
eavesdrop on their conversation. She hears them calling her
insulting names and talking about a serious secret. As Hope sees
everything in a good light she doesn't want to hear a bit more of
it. So she leaves. As she is boarding the train, the doors close on
her! She is then pulled through the doors by the most gorgeous boy
she has ever seen. She sits with him on the train and they talk. She
is amazed. As he leaves Hope wishes she got an invite to meet him
again one day. Then a few seconds later he appears in front of Hope
once more.
Annabel W. (student)
Star Wars character encyclopedia by Simon Beecroft et al.
New edition. DK Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9780241386071.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Fans of the Star Wars sagas will welcome this
new edition of Star Wars character encyclopedia, with its
guide to approximately 218 characters, including the heroes, droids
and enemies of the galaxy. It includes new characters from Rogue
One: A Star Wars story, Star Wars: The last Jedi, and
Solo: A Star Wars story.
Arranged in alphabetical order, each character has a page of
attractive photographs and information about their affiliation,
appearance and what their skills are. There are stills from the
movies, and the photographs of the characters themselves are
beautifully produced and will thrill any reader who loves the
movies.
DK Publishing can be trusted to produce handsome, well bound and
interesting books and this is no exception. It contains a useful
contents page of all the characters found in the book and a
comprehensive index provides access to details about the characters
and their actions.
It is fun to dip into the book, looking for familiar and well-loved
characters, but fans will want to start at the beginning and read
until the end. It is a book that won't stay on the library or class
room shelf for very long.
Pat Pledger
Beyond the outback edited by Bronwyn Blake
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9780733642203.
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Blake has collected together amazing
stories from women of remote north-west Queensland, the outback
stations up near the Gulf of Carpentaria, women who have endured
hardship, isolation and adventure, and who have absolutely loved it!
These are women who have battled crocodiles, broken in wild horses,
fought off wild pigs, given birth alone, and saved lives in medical
emergencies.
The stories also include oral histories from Aboriginal women who
worked in the missions and the stations, living in harsh conditions,
but who would never want to leave their Country.
Despite the hardship there are many humorous swash-buckling
adventures that will make you laugh and read on. They seem like
tales from another era, but are probably still a true reflection of
life in the far outback, despite changes wrought by modern
communications.
The stand-out story for me was 'Gulf waters warrior', Riki Gunn's
account of the campaign to put an end to ghost nets - derelict nets
washing up on beaches, called ghost nets because they don't belong
to anyone but which still trap fish as though operated by a ghost.
The project included the Indigenous communities in the Gulf of
Carpentaria all working together to end the scourge of nets, finding
alternative ways to recycle the waste nets, as well as working with
the Indonesian government to put an end to foreign trawling in
Indonesian waters.
Bronwyn Blake, the editor, writes that she wanted to preserve the
histories of the region as well as give recognition to the abilities
of these outback women, including their ability to tell a story. I
am sure that all readers will find value in this unique and
fascinating collection.
Helen Eddy
In the bush I see by Kiara Honeychurch
Magabala Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781925360912.
(Ages: 0-3) Themes: Australian animals, Board book. This is another
title in the Young Art board book series by young Indigenous
Australian artists. Previous publications include At the
zoo I see and In the
city I see. Here, high-school student Honeychurch's
illustrations warmly and honestly depict Australian bush animals.
Each page contains a simple white background featuring a realistic
drawing of an animal, each with a pop of neon colour for visual
interest and to suggest the light thrown across them at different
times of the day. The text names the creature and describes their
movement or behaviour: a nosey hen, a screeching cockatoo, a swarm
of wasps, a waddling echidna, etc. The illustrations give a sense of
the movement described within the text, both within the drawing of
the individual creatures and the way they flow from page to page.
This is an ideal book to share with the very young as it introduces
new vocabulary (names of creatures, adjectives) and the short text
is perfect for limited attention spans. It is also a very impressive
debut for a promising young artist.
Nicole Nelson
The Honeyman and the Hunter by Neil Grant
Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760631871.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Themes: Culture; Family
relationships; Cross-cultural identity; Beliefs; Dreams and reality;
Indian Australians; Decisions and their consequences; Identity;
Death and dying. Neil Grant writes with great elegance and an
impressive light touch in this poignant and stirring story of a
teen, Rudra, who is coming to grips with his place in Australian
society and the world. Rudra is the son of Cord Solace, a hard
Aussie fisherman and Nayna Solace, his Indian wife. Nayna met Cord
while she was pursuing University study in Australia and her
relationship with Cord is now, ironically, frayed - the consequence
of his emotional abuse. Nayna is no longer treated as an intelligent
woman, and their financial circumstances are fraught. Family tension
is almost palpable and Rudra is also impacted by his father's
heavy-handed manner.
Rudra is trapped in a strange land where his appearance identifies
him as a 'foreigner', and yet he knows very little of his mother's
homeland. His best friend is an 'honest-as-the-day-is-long' Aussie
teenager, exploring surfing and speaking truths that always push
boundaries but never seem to offend. He also has an important
listening ear in his father's dirt-poor 'salt-of-the-earth'
deckhand. When Rudra's Indian grandmother (Didima) arrives, the
stories she tells of his Indian forbears weaves a connection to the
hidden story of his Australian ancestry with a mystical quality and
some dream-like and spiritual overtones. Her stay and the sadness
that follows, awakens the possibility of connecting to his Indian
heritage and eventually leads him to discover the cultural maelstrom
of West Bengal itself. This thrusts him into an adventure to restore
what has been damaged over generations, but the risks are high.
With Indian Honeymen on sunken islands, hunters who kill tigers and
the confronting nature of Indian society and cultural and spiritual
beliefs, flowing in and under the wash of the ocean and the capture
of ocean creatures in difficult circumstances, this is a book that
is so much more than a simple narrative. Metaphor and lyrical
language and the cross-cultural understanding of different cultures
and belief systems adds to the power and intensity of this book. And
yet it is essentially a story of the difficulty of growing into
one's own skin and knowing who you really are. On many levels this
is a story that should be savoured for readers who like to think! It
would make a brilliant book for Senior English students to study and
discuss, and it is wonderful to have a book for Indian Australians
to connect with. Teacher
notes are available.
Carolyn Hull
Three Billy Goats Gruff by Nick Bland
Classic Fairytales. Scholastic Australia, 2019. ISBN:
9781743815885.
(Age:2-5) Recommended. Themes: Fairy tales, Problem solving, Humour,
Adventure. The classic and much loved Three Billy Goats Gruff
fairytale has been brought to life by Nick Bland's bold
illustrations. It is a joy to read the well known story and follow
the three clever billy goats Gruff as they decide to try the grass
that is greener on the other side of the bridge. But of course they
have to get past the ugly troll who lives under the bridge and wants
to eat them for his dinner.
This has always been a favourite of mine and one that is much loved
as a read aloud by toddlers and by young children. They will love to
repeat the 'Trip, Trap, Trip, Trap, Trip, Trap! ' refrain as the
billygoats go over the bridge and will really enjoy the fact that it
is the smallest goat who goes first and tricks the troll with his
cleverness.
The illustrations are in tones of greens, blues and yellows, and
bring the countryside to life. The expressions on the faces of the
goats and the trolls are priceless and will have readers smiling.
The troll, too, is not so scary that little people will be afraid
and the final scene when the big billygoat pushes the troll into the
stream is a hoot.
This will be a keeper for young children and I can see them
demanding to have it read again and again.
Pat Pledger
David Astle's 101 Weird Words (and 3 fakes) by David Astle
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN: 9781760633660.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. David Astle's bio at the back of the book
states that he 'loves words. Eats them. Dreams them.' This
non-fiction book is a fun journey into the world of words.
There were words that I knew and many more than the prescribed 3
that I wondered if they were fake.
Words such as farnarkle, lackadaisical and skulduggery will
challenge many students.
At least one page is dedicated to each word, with an added
pronunciation guide and a detailed description. There is often a
little riddle or joke thrown in at the end too.
Fun illustrations are scattered throughout the book to add to the
appeal of the book.
Many children would love to pour through this book and enjoy the
words but I think it would be a fun classroom activity to have a
word a week and see if the students can work out the word's meaning
and predict if it is one of the 3 hidden fakes.
David Astle kindly gives you the code to work out the 3 fakes at the
end of the book.
I recommend this book to 8 to 12 year olds.
Jane Moore
Melody Trumpet by Gabrielle Tozer
Angus and Robertson, 2019. ISBN: 9781460754979.
(Age: 8-12) Melody Trumpet comes from a famous musical family. Her
mother is a world-renowned singer and her father an exceptional
conductor. Both parents were extremely disappointed to find out that
their long-awaited child was a musical disaster. She can't sing or
play any instrument even after years of exclusive tutoring.
Melody's parents hide her away in shame and forbid her to mix with
any other children in case her talentless secret is revealed.
Mr and Mrs Trumpet are reminiscent of poor Matilda's parents in
Roald Dahl's famous book of the same name. They are cruel, uncaring
and completely self-obsessed.
Melody briefly escapes her parent's mansion to discover another
world and new friends. It is Melody's notebook that changes her life
and gives her a chance to discover her true talent.
Melody discovers how important friendship is and that money and fame
are unimportant without love and kindness. The novel also celebrates
discovering your special skill or talent and applauding differences.
Gabrielle Tozer's previous books have been written for young adults
and this is her first book for younger students.
This is a delightful, amusing story that will appeal to readers from
8 to 12 years old.
Jane Moore
Boys will be boys - Power, patriarchy and the toxic bonds of mateship by Clementine Ford
Allen and Unwin 2018. ISBN: 9781760632335.
(Age: Adults - senior secondary) Described on the book jacket as
'Fearless feminist heroine' Clementine Ford has followed up her
tirade about sexism Fight Like a Girl with an examination of
toxic masculinity. She reasons that as she is now the mother of a
boy she needs to ensure he grows up to be a supporter not a
perpetrator. The phenomenon in western culture of gender stereotypes
expressed from birth in blue for boys, pink for girls; active toys
for boys and domestic ones for girls is a 'manifestation of
capitalist ideals'. The reader is assured that if they conform 'you
are not a bad person but you are doing a bad thing' p15. Ford's
language is provocative and strident, she makes sweeping statements
and her assertions tend to be repetitive but the book is full of
examples, case studies and statistics which have the added relevance
of being from an Australian, and often South Australian perspective.
'Boys are defined by how impressive they are while girls are defined
by how impressive they look', 'my job is to disrupt that dynamic,
not facilitate it' p24. The following chapters look at sharing of
domestic chores and child rearing; the imbalance of roles in movies
for women 'include a girl but make sure she won't be the main one'
p80; the insistence that not all men are perpetrators diluting the
debate about violence towards women; the double standards applied to
multiple sexual relationships for boys and girls; the phenomenon of
internet trolling and the torrent of abuse from the Men's Rights
Movement. She looks at the way the legal system takes gender into
account and in a chapter on the lack of women in leadership roles
she has a delicious quote from Tony Abbott about it being folly to
expect women to dominate or even approach equal representation p230.
There are worrying chapters on rape jokes and sentencing in rape
cases ending with twenty pages outlining cases of men who have been
accused or convicted of various crimes against women. The epilogue
is a sensitive and tentatively positive letter to her son and I
would have liked to have more positive suggestions and examples
throughout the book. I don't think, as the book jacket claims, this
book will answer the question 'how do I raise my son to respect
women and give them equal space in the world' but it will raise
awareness of the multiple ways we might fail. Suitable for adults
and senior students, details about rape and violence towards women
make it unsuitable for younger readers.
Sue Speck
How high the moon by Karyn Parsons
Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780241346891.
(Age: Secondary students and mature Year 7) Recommended. The book's
front cover immediately leaves the reader with no illusions about
the serious event that is to occur in the story. A torn newspaper
graphic announces that the novel was 'inspired by the tragic true
tale of George Stinney, the youngest ever American to be executed at
the age of fourteen . . . '
The newspaper is 'The South Carolina Times' and the date is 1944,
which gives background information about the setting and time. This
historical perspective may not be obvious to the young adult reader
but Karyn Parsons's story reveals the racism of Southern America
through the eyes of young black Americans.
Ella is the main character and it is her journey of self-discovery
that directs most of the plot. Ella lives in a loving extended
family with her grandparents and cousins. Her mother has moved to
the North to pursue a better life and Ella has no knowledge of her
father.
Surprisingly her mother sends for Ella to join her in Boston and at
first this seems exciting, but her mama's day job and busy night
life as an aspiring jazz singer means Ella is often alone. She
yearns for school and her past family life and her main focus is
trying to discover information about her dad.
This story is told from the perspective of several characters and is
an insight into the strong racial feelings of the times. Ella is
amazed by the differences between attitudes in the more liberal
North and racist Southern USA, especially the fragile, tenuous
existence of black people in her home state of South Carolina.
The title of the novel is an Ella Fitzgerald song and a link to the
jazz music of the time.
This is a wonderful story that deals with powerful issues. I would
recommend this story to secondary students and mature year 7's.
Here is a video
of the author talking about her novel.
Jane Moore
A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier
Tales of the Blackbone Witches book 1, Harper Voyager, 2018.
ISBN: 9781460756331.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Aurealis Awards Best Young Adult
novel shortlist 2018. Themes: Witches, Curses, Coming of age. When
Elodie is sent off to be a servant she doesn't dream that she would
be working for a witch. Desperate to leave a home where she is
belittled by her stepfather and used as a drudge, she travels to a
distant village where she finds Aleida, a young witch and
immediately sees that she is needed not only as a servant but as
someone who has Aleida's back. Aleida has been in a massive fight
with her mistress Gyssha Blackbone, who has made huge monsters that
ravage the countryside and who has cursed her. For Elodie, anything
is better than going home.
This is a fantasy tale that will quickly grip the reader's
attention. Elodie is an engaging heroine: sensible and pragmatic,
she is also compassionate and helpful. As the story progresses, the
reader knows that she will do everything she can to help Aleida foil
the wicked Gyssha, even though she finds it very difficult. Aleida
is a mysterious character and Spurrier cleverly unfolds her story
and other surprises along the way.
There is plenty of action for those who like adventure and the
descriptions of the ways that witchcraft is used gives an
interesting background to the world that Elodie and Aleida inhabit.
I really enjoyed reading this story and look forward to the sequel.
Although there was a touch of romance, it was Elodie's growth in
confidence and self esteem on escaping her past and the growing
friendship between Aleida and Elodie that made the story
interesting. A Curse of Ash and Embers is likely to appeal to fans of
stories about witches and warlocks like Tempests
and slaughter by Tamora Pierce and How
to hang a witch by Adriana Mather.
Pat Pledger
