Ill. by Barroux. Egmont, 2018. ISBN 9781405285261
(Age: Independent readers) Recommended. In the village of Le Pouget, in the
Languedoc region of south west France, Francis Cammaerts is resting
after the celebrations for his 90th birthday come to a close. As
dusk turns to dark and the church bell strikes midnight, he thinks
of those who have been a part of his journey to this ripe old age -
those who raised him, supported him and had so much to do with the
man he became. And from those reminiscences comes a story of
determination, danger, courage and heroism that would have gone
untold if not for Morpurgo's pen and Barroux's brush.
One of two sons born during the Great War, Francis grows up to be a
teacher while his brother Pieter is a burgeoning actor. But when
World War II breaks out, the brothers take very different paths.
Frances believes war is futile and barbaric, that people should not
descend to the level of the fascists and that only education and
pacifism are the "way forward for humanity". Pieter, however,
believes that pacifism will not stop Hitler, that the cruelty of
fascism had to be confronted and so he became a Sergeant Navigator
in the RAF. While he eventually went to join a bomber squadron in
Cornwall, Francis went to Lincolnshire to work on a farm having
justified his beliefs to a tribunal.
But when Pieter is killed returning from an air raid over France and
a bomb dropped by a German plane kills the family on the next farm
including including baby Bessie, Francis begins to rethink his
decision, particularly as he now has a wife and the birth of his own
child is imminent. He talks to Harry, his mentor from his teaching
days - a conversation that changes his life forever as it leads him
into the silent world of the secret agent working with the
Resistance in France . . .
As with Flamingo Boy, Morpurgo shines a light on the real
story of war and its impact on ordinary people by taking an unusual
perspective and telling the story through that. This is not a tale
of derring-do embellished with action scenes and special effects -
although it could be that in the hands of another - but a quiet tale
of remembrance and reflection, of the impact of the legacy of others
on a particular life, when that life itself has left its own legacy.
Morpurgo has said, "This book may read like fiction. But it is not.
That is because it does not need to be." It is the story of his own
uncles.
Generously illustrated using family photographs which are included
at the back of the book as well as biographical details of those who
had such a profound impact within the story, Morpurgo has produced a
work that not only tells yet another untold story of the war but one
which has shaped his life too.
One for independent readers wanting something different, compelling
and utterly readable.
Barbara Braxton
A boy called BAT by Elana K. Arnold
Ill. by Charles Santose. Walden Pond, 2018. ISBN 9780062445834
Highly recommended. Bixby Alexander Tam, known to those who know him
as BAT because of his initials, his love of animals and the way his
arms and hands flap when he gets excited, prefers life to be
logical, predictable, routine and without surprises. He's not good
with noise (so wears his sister Janie's earmuffs often), doesn't
like the mushy texture of some foods, is sensitive to the feel of
fabrics on his skin and finds it difficult to make eye contact and
hold casual conversations. Clearly, to even a non-teacher who
doesn't know the signs of being on the autism spectrum, this is a
little boy with special needs. But Bat is not unhappy or frustrated
- his mum, sister and teacher are sensitive to his needs, his peers
seem to accept him for who he is, and although his father, whom he
stays with "every-other-Friday" seems to struggle a little with his
non-sporty son, generally Bat is content and just gets on with
things. But when his mum, a vet, brings home a newborn skunk that
needs special care, Bat comes into his own, devoting his life to
caring for the kit and planning how he will be able to keep it and
care for it beyond the initial few weeks before the local wildlife
refuge can take over. He needs to show his mum that he is
responsible and committed enough, even contacting a skunk expert for
advice.
This is an engaging story that shows the reader the world through
Bat's eyes but which is not patronising, sentimental or emotional.
Bat's autism adds a different and interesting perspective to the
relationships between the characters but the concept of an
eight-year-old taking care of an orphaned animal and hoping to keep
it longer is a story that could be about any young person. I believe
that all children should be able to read about themselves in
stories, and those about autistic children are rare, so this one
which has such a solid, familiar storyline so every reader can
relate to it while learning about the world through unfamiliar eyes,
is a must-have.
Its sequel Bat and the Waiting Game is also available in
hardcover.
Barbara Braxton
Boy underwater by Adam Baron
HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9780008267018
(Age: Independent reader) Recommended. Cymbeline Igloo is nine years
old, is the third-best footballer in Year 4 (joint), second best at
roller-skating. Even though he has only one parent while his friends
have two or even four, he is fit, healthy and totally normal in
every way. Yet, despite living in Lewisham in south-east London he
has never been swimming. His mum has never taken him near a pool, a
lake, a river, the seaside - always brushing away his request with
seemingly plausible excuses.
So when his teacher says that the class will be starting swimming
lessons the following Monday, Cymbeline is somewhat daunted. He
doesn't even own a pair of swimmers! But encouraged by his best
friend Lance (named after the disgraced cyclist) and goaded by the
class bully Billy, he agrees to a race against Billy in the pool.
Naturally, things end very badly for Cymbeline, not the least of
which is losing the swimmers he found in his dad's things in the
attic, but it is the response of his mother who is called to the
pool that is the most startling of all.
As a result of this incident, she ends up in a psychiatric hospital
taking Cymbeline's beloved soft toy Mr Fluffy with her. And
Cymbeline is forced to stay with his rich Aunt Millie and Uncle
Chris , to whom he is a burden, and cousins Juniper and Clayton who
make it clear they want nothing to do with him. Totally alone, his
mother hospitalised and not well enough to see him, and no cuddly
toy to take to bed to comfort him, Cymbeline is bewildered and
scared but determined to find out what is wrong with his mum to have
had such an extreme reaction. Surely the world seeing his willy
isn't enough to provoke such a response. And why has she taken Mr
Fluffy? Befriended by super-smart Veronique and even Billy, who has
his own issues at home, Cymbeline is determined to get to the bottom
of things. And when he does, it becomes clear that adults really
should paint the whole picture when they tell a child something big,
not just the bits they think the child can handle. Sometimes honesty
can prevent a lot of heartache - the child isn't left to fill the
gaps with their own, often wild, imagination.
Written in the first-person in a voice that really echoes that of a
9-year-old boy, this is a story that will engage the independent
reader with a storyline that has some meat to it and is totally
credible. Even though it deals with some heavy-duty issues, this is
done with a light hand, humour and empathy, providing an insight
into the lives of some of the children in our care that we might not
always see. Families falling apart for whatever reason is a common
story, sadly, and it's not always the teacher, in this case Mrs
Phillips, who is the confidante. Many children, like Cymbeline, are
carrying unseen burdens.
For me, a quality novel is one that engages me to the end and I can
hear myself either reading it aloud to students or book-talking it.
Boy Underwater is indeed, one of those.
Barbara Braxton
Play this book by Jessica Young and Daniel Wiseman
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781681195063
Seven instruments sit alone on a stage - guitar, keyboard,
saxophone, trombone, drum, maracas and cymbals - waiting to be
played so there can be a show. But without the reader lending a
hand, there can be no band. And so how to play each instrument and
the sound it makes becomes the focus of this interactive book
featuring lots of different children introducing each instrument. By
the end of the story, all the instruments have been tested and are
brought together in a grand cacophony of sound appreciated by the
audience.
This is a wonderful opportunity to acquaint young readers with some
common musical instruments and the invitation for them to "play"
them will be irresistible. Interactive in a similar fashion to the
Herve Tullet books like Press Here, this one will engage
very young readers as they return to it again and again.
The importance of music in a child's life cannot be underestimated
and is encapsulated in this research
from the University of Canberra so Play this Book would be
an important addition to your early music teaching resources. A
natural follow-on would be Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf
supported by Energy
in the Air: Sounds of the Orchestra. To round out the
experience, Birdsong
by Ellie Sandall gives the children the opportunity to make their
own music by using their voices and their bodies!
As is proclaimed in another classic, "Let the wild rumpus start!"
Barbara Braxton
Sleep by Kate Prendergast
Old Barn Books, 2018. ISBN 9781910646229
(Ages: 3+) Recommended. Themes: Sleep, Dreaming, Night time. A
picture book telling younger readers about how animals sleep is a
lovely book to use at the end of the day to get children ready for
bed, a quiet time to relax with an information book before bed time.
Its soft illustrations showing a range of animals and how they sleep
will show younger children that they are part of the animal kingdom,
and like all others, need their sleep. Sleep is a natural part of
the activities of the day, and each animal has some sleep to
revitalise themselves. Each animal models sleeping behaviour, some
sleep in groups, some alone, and some for only a few minutes each
day. Most children will be aware of their pets sleep patterns and be
able to tell each other how long their dog or cat sleeps, and then
widen the conversation to include other animals they may know of.
The book allows for younger readers to share the information and
wonder at the facts given to them in boxes at the end of the book,
reiterating what has been seen in the brief lines and soft
illustrations already looked at.
This is a warm inviting look at animals and their sleep patterns,
hugely valuable to use at night to model sleep behaviour but will
also intrigue readers with the depth of information given in so few
words.
Fran Knight
Finch by Penny Matthews
Walker Books, 2018, ISBN 9781760650759
(Ages: 9-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Moving House, Country Life,
Birds, Individuality. Finch by Penny Matthews is a
beautifully written coming of age novel, weaving themes of
individuality, self-perception, family hardship, the rigours of
country life with an emotional environmental message. Her main
character Audrey's journey is poignant, sensitively portrayed and
her voice will resonate with readers stepping into their teenage
years, filled with uncertainty, questioning friendships and fitting
in with their peers.
Moving to a hobby farm in the country fills Audrey with dread, she
fears the unknown, a new school, making friends and settling into an
unfamiliar environment. Her father and younger sister's excitement
and acceptance of the change is at odds with her mother's feelings
and her own. Her mother had been the breadwinner in the city working
as a legal secretary and isn't excited by their tree change. Chloe
calls her older sister 'Nerd Girl'; she's quieter, more interested
in studying birds researching their scientific names and features
and caring for her pet finches, than all things girly.
Late at night Audrey observes a little dog moving through their
property, and no-one else notices him. She asks their old neighbour
Mavis about the mysterious dog but she has no knowledge of the small
animal. While Chloe loves the new school and quickly makes friends,
Audrey is more cautious. Her Year 7 teacher Mr Scardino welcomes
her; he shares her passion for natural sciences and humorously
encourages her to try fitting in to rural life.
While her school and home life have its ups and downs, Audrey's
forays into the surrounding bush brings her joy. She loves looking
for and identifying native birds, and this leads her to discover a
secret cave and a teenage boy who owns Snowy the dog. She finds a
connection with Finch, who loves nature and has made his home here
away from the dramas of life with his uncle.
When a heavy downpour floods the creek and cave, Audrey is worried
and she reveals her friend's secret home and raises the alarm. The
authorities unsuccessfully search for Finch and Snowy. Common
threads and conversations with Mavis unravel to reveal secret
connections. Through this difficult time, Audrey discovers an inner
core of strength and a previously unknown sense of purpose.
Penny Matthews Finch is a rich and rewarding story, filled
with hope, tinged with mystery and realistic characters that will
resonate with middle school readers. She captures the heart of rural
life, the reality of families struggling to find purpose and pulling
together when times are tough.
Rhyllis Bignell
The prince and the witch and the thief and the bears by Alastair Chisholm
Ill. by Jez Tuya. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406365139
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Witches, Bears, Bed time story,
Family, Bed time. Going to bed one night, Jamie is determined that
tonight's story will be different. No more reading from a book, but
a made-up story full of witches, and knights and bears and of course
a prince and a thief to make it all the more interesting. So Dad
decides, why not, and proceeds to make up a story, one that Jamies
interrupts often with a particular slant that he wants included.
Dad starts off as all good bed time stories do, with "once upon a
time" but from there, Jamie interrupts with questions and
suggestions that Dad must include in his narrative. So the prince
rides to the rescue of the princess in the tower, put there by the
wicked witch. He must scale great cliffs with his horse on his back
to succeed where others might fail, he must free the girl, and as
the witch falls to her death, Jamie intercedes on her behalf and the
story is changed again.
Readers will laugh out loud at the story as it goes meandering along
with the changes that Jamie makes to make it more palatable, and
include all the characters he wants to hear about. Readers will
recognise many of the stock situations always fun in fairy tales but
laugh when they are reversed, making the tale one of a kind. Kids
will try this out for themselves, changing a tale well known into
something different and including more characters, and like Jamie
and his Dad, shelve some of them, in this case, the bears, for
another night.
A funny tale full of interest and enhanced with the hilarious
illustrations which flesh out the characters, enabling readers to
link the story to the images. And the slant given to the witch will
please many.
Fran Knight
The lost treasure by Cosentino and Jack Heath
The Mysterious World of Cosentino series book 3, Scholastic,
2018 ISBN 9781742994154
(Age: 7-9) Themes: Magicians, Adventure. Cosentino, the Grand
Illusionist returns in another entertaining story, filled with
magic, illusions, underwater adventure and daring escapes. Cos is
the master of illusions. He's about to be "tied up, sealed in a
glass ball and lowered into the ocean". Whilst the water pours in,
he will have to undo his shackles, escape from his straitjacket,
undo the padlocks, break out and swim to the surface.
Disaster strikes when the evil King of Diamonds activates his giant
magnet to search the sea for his lost treasure. Cos is sent tumbling
to the ocean floor trapped in his sealed glass ball. With the help
of secret lock-picks he rips his straitjacket and prepares to swim
to the surface. Meanwhile, Priscilla and Locki (the large padlock)
who are Cos's best friends contend with killer whales and the King's
giant magnet. Cos is given a magic underwater breathing device and
is able to use his special magic to rescue his trapped friends.
This undersea adventure is filled with plenty of magic, help from
new friend Captain Anchor, a chase by the King's submarine and
frantic help from Locki and Priscilla. The lost treasure
concludes with the secrets to the Magic Rope trick for budding
magicians to try.
Black, white and turquoise cartoon illustrations add drama to this
easy-to-read novel for ages 7-9.
Rhyllis Bignell
Wonders of the World by Isobel Otter
Ill. by Margaux Carpenter. Little Tiger, 2018. ISBN 9781848577251
The sub-title of this book is An interactive tour of marvels and
monuments and indeed, that it what it is from cover to cover
as it explores the wonders of both the ancient and the modern world.
More than 2000 years ago, Antipater of Sidon, a Greek writer
identified seven must-see sites of the small world around Greece
(world exploration was limited and the Mediterranean was seen as the
centre of a flat world) and these became known as the "Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World", still referred to in books and quiz shows as
such. However, in 2000 AD a new list was compiled from the popular
votes from a list of 200 man-made landmarks and these are considered
to be the seven wonders of the modern world.
All 14 are explored in this colourful, interactive lift-the-flap
book beginning with a world map showing their locations and whether
they are ancient or modern selections. Each has an illustration of
the building, an introduction to it and then several pertinent facts
that are often hidden under a flap or other device demanding
interaction.
While Australia has no entry in the man-made wonders, it does
feature in the list of natural wonders on the final endpapers, which
are presided over by a magnificent pop-up Paricutin Volcano, the
youngest volcano in the world.
As well as perhaps laying the seeds for future travel, this is one
of those books that groups of young boys love to pore over and
discuss, a behaviour that appears to be crucial to their reading
development as they seek to discover the wonderful and the weird and
out-do each other with their discoveries. It is worth having in your
collection for that alone!
Barbara Braxton
Jake Atlas and the hunt for the feathered god by Rob Lloyd Jones
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406377712
(Age: 10+) Recommended. "Jake Atlas and his family are on the run,
hunted by international police while chasing the mysterious People
of the Snake to stop them from hiding the secret history of
humankind. But when the family's friend, Sami, is poisoned, the
People of the Snake force the Atlases to work for them in exchange
for a cure." (Publisher)
This is a great adventure novel - Indiana Jones for children. Once
you start reading you want to know what happens next. Jake seems to
find himself in trouble for not thinking on a number of occasions
throughout the book. He has to work with his twin sister Pan and his
parents to help save a friend of theirs. During the story Jake finds
out interesting things about his parents and the double life they
have been leading. Jake desperately wants to be part of that world;
treasure hunting seems so glamourous.
During the course of the book Jake starts to realise that his
actions affect the people around him and he starts to see that his
parents do have his best interests at heart.
This is a great adventure novel and would appeal to adventure loving
kids, particularly boys.
I recommend this novel to children 10+
Karen Colliver
The case of the missing marquess by Nancy Springer
An Enola Holmes mystery. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN
9781760637385
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Mystery. Sherlock Holmes.
Missing persons. Enola Holmes' mother has disappeared on her
birthday without word or clue. Her much older brothers (Mycroft and
Sherlock Holmes) attempt to ascertain where she has gone.
They put all their considerable resources to find her but cannot
solve the mystery between them. Sherlock Holmes returns to London to
continue his search, but his older brother decides that the solution
for Enola is to place her into a ladies' boarding school and all
that goes with this in the Victorian era. Enola is not pleased with
this solution and plans to escape to make her own life and find her
mother in her own way.
Enola travels to London where she puts her skills of deduction to
work to attempt to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance
and, along the way, solves the mystery of the kidnapping of the
young Viscount Tewksbury. The pace of the story speeds up as she
confronts murderous villains and then continues to elude her shrewd
(and famous) older brothers.
Enola's independent spirit doesn't fit into the Victorian era in
which she has been born and she develops into an independent
character fulfilling dreams and offering her deductive services to
others. The novel supports the discussion of women's rights and the
Suffragette movement in a similar way to the story in Mary
Poppins, not a major part of the story but enough to spur the
reader to find out more about the era. The book is written in first
person which adds to the tension and excitement. The description of
London in the 1880's is convincing and paints a picture of the
poverty of the ordinary people who lived in the streets at this
time.
This is a great start to an interesting series of books that will
appeal to a wide variety of children aged 10-14. There are plans in
place to make the books into a movie series.
Highly recommended for Upper Primary.
Gabrielle Anderson
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Ill. by Jim Kay. Harry Potter, book 1. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN
9781526602381.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy. Orphans. Wizards.
Magic. Good and evil. Harry Potter needs no introduction: the
enormous popularity of all the books as well as the films, has made
him into a household name. This is the first book in the series,
introducing Harry, the lonely orphan who has been forced to live in
a cupboard under the stairs by his unsympathetic aunt and uncle and
tells the story of his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry.
People revisiting the Harry Potter books will be entranced
with the beautiful illustrations by Jim Kay, the talented Kate
Greenaway Medal winner, in this paperback edition (the hardback
version came out in 2015). He has kept the familiar image that
everyone has of Harry Potter from the films, complete with glasses
and dark hair, but added much to his expressions and gestures.
Pictures dot the pages, some on a full page, set in dark tones, as
Harry and his friends fight the evil at Hogwarts. More colourful,
smaller drawings complement the narrative and give the reader a
picture of what is going on in the text. J.K.
Rowling has said: "Seeing Jim Kay's illustrations moved me
profoundly. I love his interpretation of Harry Potter's world, and I
feel honoured and grateful that he has lent his talent to it".
This illustrated edition in paperback is beautifully presented and
could become a collector's delight. As well as a book to be
treasured by older readers, I can see it being used as a read aloud,
introducing Harry Potter to the 7-8 year olds, who will be entranced
with both the story and the illustrations. Bloomsbury has a page with
information about J.K. Rowling, games, discussion guides and a Harry
Potter night.
Pat Pledger
Me and my fear by Francesca Sanna
Flying Eye Books, 2018. ISBN 9781911171539
(Age: 6+) Themes: Fear. Anxiety. Friends. With mental ill-health an
issue for many children, a number of books promoting well being for
children have been released. In the past it has been rare to see a
character feeling anxious or depressed, and if they did exist in the
book, were a minor or secondary character. But now as the issue has
become more well known and recognised as a major concern amongst
younger people, there are more books around which encourage children
to talk about their fears, and see for themselves that they are not
alone. I wrote an article published in The Literature Base about
well being, and included a long list of books that will help
children reach out. (The Literature Base Volume 27, Number 3, August
2016) Me and my fear addresses the concern of keeping the fear
secret. In this book, the child is almost content with her fear,
illustrated as a small blob of white like a small animal that
sometimes cocoons the girl, sometimes almost smothers her. They do
everything together, the fear alienating her from her friends and
family. When she sits in the playground the fear tells her that no
one likes her, when she sits in the library the fear tells her he
doesn't like it here. She becomes more lonely but then a boy talks
to her and they begin to do things together, making the fear
smaller. The fear is still there but it is smaller and she realises
that many of the children have a fear as well.
A book to share with a class which will create much discussion.
Fran Knight
Here comes Stinkbug! by Tobhy Riddle
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760523527
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Insects. Environment. Stinkbug is a
little put out when his friends ask him not to stink as much as he
does. After all he is a stinkbug and that's what stinkbugs do. Slug,
ladybird, beetle and bumblebee all find his presence rather smelly
and ask the slug to suggest that stinkbug tries to curb his smell.
Stinkbug thinks long and hard about this, eventually asking the
Leopard Slug not to be so slimy. He responds that being slimy is
what he needs to get around. Stinkbug tries very hard not to be
smelly and it seems to be working because the spider becomes
friendly. But stinkbug becomes aware that perhaps the spider has
serious designs on eating him. This makes the stinkbug stink even
smellier, driving the spider away. So the use for his smell becomes
obvious to the reader. It is a defensive mechanism, designed to help
the stinkbug survive in a hostile environment.
Readers will love reading about the insects and particularly
stinkbug as they come to terms with why the stinkbug stinks. Readers
will see a range of insects and be able to discuss with older people
the reason these insects are designed as they are, perhaps using the
internet to find out the defensive mechanisms used by each of them.
Riddle has used watercolour, pencil and some collage to create his
visual effects of the insects glowing against large swathes of white
background. They stand out, enabling readers to see their
characteristics, perhaps checking them against a more detailed image
from the internet. Readers will wonder at the mechanism the insect
uses to deter his enemies, and laugh at the efforts of his friends
trying to change the way he is, asking them to ponder what makes me,
me and what they can do if someone asks them to change something
about them.
Fran Knight
LEGO Star Wars ideas book: More than 200 games, activities, and building ideas by DK Publishing
DK Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9780241314258
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Lego. Star Wars. Inventions. A
fantastic book to give as a gift to young Lego and Star Wars
aficionados or to have in a Maker Space, this LEGO Star Wars
ideas book will keep children occupied for many hours with the
over 200 ideas that it contains for using Lego bricks that they may
already own. The contents page contains all 200 activities and is
organised under the headings of "Recreate", "Expand", "Challenge",
and "Use it". There is a further double page spread that asks the
question "What will you do today?" And includes questions like "What
are you in the mood for?" and "How much time do you have?" and then
gives suggestions for what to make.
It follows the themes of "Rethink, Rebuild and Recycle", giving the
user lots of alternatives of things to make at differing levels of
difficulty. There are activities like building Han's
electrobinoculars, make a mosaic, recreate the Star Wars characters
and even make a pencil holder shaped like a Jedi. One I liked was
"Be a Lego Portrait Artist", which showed how to make Queen Amidala
and General Grievous.
The index is also handy, and a skim through this would give readers
ideas about individual things that they could make, for example, the
entry for Han Solo, gives the page numbers for a 8-bit figure,
electrobinoculars and lucky dice.
The book itself is a sturdy, colourful product, with a thick hard
cover and should stand up to some hard use. Each of the projects is
well illustrated with excellent photos which would give a lot of
guidance to the person making the selected building.
Pat Pledger
