Ill. by Mandy Ord. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760630683
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Visual literacy, Homelessness,
Community, Social isolation. Bernard draws a boy in chalk on the
pavement outside a busy railway station in the city. People are
brushing past from all angles, hardly noticing the pavement artist
as he works. Heedless of what is happening, some of the crowd
eventually stop from looking at their mobile phones or drinking
their coffee, and watch the boy come to life. They crowd around,
taking snaps on their phones, eventually drifting off to their
destinations.
Bernard reminds the boy that life is ephemeral, but he does not
care, as life is wonderful
That night it begins to rain, and the chalk boy begins to fade.
Bernard hears his cry for help and covers him until morning, when he
will do one last picture.
This thought provoking scenario, full of reminders of the shortness
of life, of the necessity for people to connect, will draw in
readers as they see the implied criticism of our daily lives:
rushing from one place to another, neglectful of what is going on
around us, unable to see those in need in front of our eyes.
As the boy asks for help when it begins to rain, people walk over
him, one man taking a selfie with the railway station behind him,
others rugged up against the weather, intent on getting home, the
plight of the boy beneath their feet ignored.
Cartoonist and graphic comic writer, Ord has a visual freshness, a
darkly confident cartoon like style which will appeal to readers.
They will readily see the variety of people shown in her work,
appreciate the criticism of modern life and sympathise with the
street artist, whose work is ignored. Each page displays aspects of
modern life in a city, and readers will readily share what they see.
Award winning author of children's books, Margaret Wild often
surprises with her deeply felt stories of the way we are and this
will make every reader stop and take notice.
Fran Knight
Wish you were here by Michelle Blackbird
Vanguard Press, 2018. ISBN 9781784654320
(Age: 14 +) Highly recommended. Genre: Historical fiction, WW 2.
This is the story of two girls in the Netherlands caught up in World
War 2 and the German occupation. Michaela's story starts at the end
of the war. She begins her new life after being in hiding and faces
the challenges of freedom, school, and friendships. She struggles in
trying to understand about what really happened during the holocaust
as she begins her new life in freedom.
Hannie and her family were captured during the war and sent to a
concentration camp. Her story is touched on briefly as she faces the
horrors of the time. This is very challenging to the reader, and we
can feel the despair of Hannie and her family.
Two girls, two different pathways during the same war. This
compelling story not only gives you an understanding of the time but
shows us the strength the girls needed in facing the challenges
ahead of them.
I enjoyed this very moving story and readers who have loved the
"Diary of
Anne Frank" will find this a must read.
Links with "Diary of Anne Frank"
Rating 9/10
Debra Pepper
Losing the Girl by Marinaomi
Life on Earth Book 1. Graphic Universe, 2018. ISBN
9781512449105
(Age: older teens) Themes: Graphic novel, Relationships, pregnancy, friendship. Part one introduces us to Nigel
Jones, a likeable skateboarding boy living with his mum, dealing
with his parents' separation while trying to find a girlfriend. The
graphic style is simple and expressive, particularly
Nigel's hair. Small details like action indicators, unusual
perspectives and individual text types add depth and interest. Nigel
asks Emily for a date and she asks him if there is a serious side to
his joking around. They quickly get closer and he asks her if she is
a virgin. They discover they are both virgins and kiss. Part two is
from Emily's perspective. She confesses to her friend Paula that she
wants to lose her virginity to someone more memorable, like older
boy Brett Hathaway. The strong black and white graphic style comes
into its own at a party where Emily's increasing emotional
instability under the influence of alcohol and Brett Hathaway is
effectively expressed in how she is drawn. She does lose her
virginity and becomes pregnant. Older sisters and friends help
clarify her options but the emotional roller coaster is vividly
expressed. As the abortion approached Emily retreats more and more
into herself until she is a brief outline. Friendships are tested
and some harsh lessons are learnt. Part three is from Brett
Hathaway's point of view. Secretly in love with Joanna who wants to
be just friends he learns about Emily's abortion and goes to see
her. The softer grey washes are expressive, but not as engaging as
the previous styles. The Fourth section is from Paula Navarro's
perspective. Emily's not so attractive friend, draws her own
narrative in her own sketchy style. Scarred by her own abusive
relationship with Darren, she is unable to support Emily as she too
is attracted to Brett and her story is infused with guilt and
jealousy. The end is complex, incorporating colour for the first
time and returning to a thread about a missing student who may have
been abducted by aliens! "Losing the Girl" is a complex interweaving
of perspectives on the lives of ordinary suburban teens told through
their own relatable voices. We are led to feel their awkward moments
and mundane concerns interleaved with life changing decisions in a
sophisticated graphic presentation. Teens will find this appealing
though the sex and one incident of smoking drugs might preclude
younger readers. It will have wider appeal than graphic novel fans,
especially readers from non-English speaking backgrounds and less
literate students.
Sue Speck
Being a princess is very hard work by Sarah KilBride
Ill. by Ada Grey. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781408881941
(Age: All ages) Highly
recommended. Themes: Self Esteem, Rhyming book. If you ever thought being a REAL Princess was loads of
fun, and even easy, then this funny rhyming picture book will set
you straight. Imagine sitting on a throne for hours, to practising
handshakes and waving at your subjects when all you feel like doing
is having a nap. Think of having no time to play, keeping all those
body noises inside and most definitely no nose picking. Tables
manners must be immaculate and no fussy eating allowed. Worse still
the dragons you might have to contend with, and the frogs just
waiting to be bestowed with a kiss. Having to look neat and
spotlessly clean always, which pretty much makes anything remotely
fun out of the question. Just being yourself, a REAL little girl,
moody, energetic, noisy and yes messy, of course, but also generous
and kind is so much better.
That's the opinion (anyway) of one would-be young princess's Mum and
Dad, who want their child to know that they love her for who and
what she is. The rhyming text is complimented with fabulous
illustrations with double spread pictures full of wonderful details,
many of them taken from traditional fairy tales, adding another
dimension for the reader to enjoy.
Perfect for young would-be princesses and parents that want to get
the message to their child to appreciate their "inner beauty" and
develop themselves in spite of any "quirky" traits they think they
may have.
Donna Isgar
A funny thing happened to Simon Sidebottom by P. Crumble and Dean Rankine
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781743810385
(Ages 8-12) Themes: Humour, Choose your own Adventure. A hilariously
gross laugh out loud, choose-your-own Adventure. Simon is having a
really bad day . . . a really, really, bad day! And thanks to you
it's going to become a whole lot worse.
Picture this . . . it's the final day of school holidays and all
Simon wants to do is enjoy his last hours of freedom. But . . .
Simon's Mum has other plans, which involve shopping for shoes,
accompanied by Simon's snotty faced little sister. When you see the
words, "Then a funny thing happened", that's your cue to choose
which super-embarrassing, mega-crazy adventure will happen to Simon
next.
Will he be trapped forever in a sea of sister baby snot?
Be attacked by a cranky cat called Mr. Fluffykins, and end up
experiencing mega wedgie pain?
Will he come off second best when he wrestles Tiny the Elephant?
Think gross jokes about bodily functions and dangerous stunts. YOU
CHOOSE.
"I laughed so hard I filled my nappy" - Simon's baby sister Snot
Face.
"Sorry about all the farting" - Tiny the Elephant.
This is a choose-your-own adventure with quirky fun images and crazy
humour. The font used in the book is fun and easy to read. There are
some unexpected twists throughout the story.
Donna Isgar
Dear Grandpa, Why? Reflections from Kokoda to Hiroshima by John L. Read
Wakefield Press, 2018. ISBN 9781743055762
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Non-fiction. The
cover shows John L. Read's grandfather Edward Mobsby and his wife
holding their year old twin daughters. It is this photograph that
sparks Read's curiosity as to what would make the father of adored
twin daughters sign up to fight a war in another country, flying
bomber aircraft over New Guinea jungle, and ultimately give his
life, shot down by the Japanese. Read's quest to understand the
motivation of the man in the photograph - obviously an elated and
proud father - leads him to retrace Mobs's steps and search out the
site of the plane wreckage and burial in New Guinea.
Read gradually comes to understand the gut-wrenching courage
required to fly the B52 planes repeatedly into enemy territory,
facing certain fire from the Japanese Zeros - and wants to know
whether the sacrifice was worth it. He is driven to research the
causes of the war in the Pacific, and questions whether we have
learnt from that time. We say 'Lest we forget' but it's not enough
just to remember the deaths and grieve, we want to make sure that we
don't repeat the same mistakes. Resource scarcity as a trigger for
war could easily occur again, and foreign aid has been cut despite
its significant role in reducing likelihood of regional conflict.
Australia seems set on a dangerous path.
In his quest for understanding, Read encounters a Japanese woman on
a similar undertaking, honouring her grandfather's death in the same
part of New Guinea. It is in Read's family's developing friendship
with Miyuki and the honest communication that they share that offers
the best hope for the future.
This compelling book is written from the heart, and easily draws the
reader in on the journey with Read seeking answers about his
grandfather's sacrifice. I recommend it to all readers, but
particularly students of World War II. It provides a personal
entry-point for understanding the events that led to the war in the
Pacific and raises many questions about what causes war and what we
should do in the future to prevent such terrible loss and waste of
life.
Helen Eddy
Tiger's roar by Alex Rance
Ill. by Shane McG. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760523916
(Ages 5+) Highly Recommended. Themes: Teamwork. Belief. A young
tiger finds himself unseated from his position at the top of the
jungle's tallest tree. He is totally devastated as he has also lost
his roar. Tiger is encouraged by his jungle animal friends to not
give up. He tries different approaches to regain his roar and claim
his spot back up the top of the tree. He practises howling like a
monkey, hopping like a rabbit and using his strength by pushing over
a tree like a rhino. But nothing he does seems to work. Finally,
some good advice from Silverback the Gorilla reminds Tiger that he
should not try to be someone he's not. Tiger needs to be himself and
use the talents that make him special, not the talents of his
friends. And it doesn't matter if he's not the King of the jungle,
as long as he's proud to be a tiger. But perhaps he will make it if
he keeps trying, and with a little help and team work from his
friends.
Inspired by the experience of his own football team, the Richmond
Tigers, working together to win the 2017 Premiership, author Alex
Rance has created an uplifting story about a tiger who learns from
others to be himself and the strength of working as a team. The
illustrations have a great sense of fun, a little quirky and each of
the characters very appealing. It emphasises teamwork and never
giving up. Good for teaching children to have perseverance and
believe in themselves.
Donna Isgar
Save the date by Mary Kay Andrews
St Martin's Press, 2018. ISBN 9781250190291
(Age: Older adolescents - Adult) Plunging us into the frenetic life
of the young woman who has chosen to be a wedding florist, whose
work begins with flowers and catapults into the full thing - the
flowers in the church (and often for the reception too), the flowers
carried by the bridal party, the decoration of the reception venue,
flowers for the bride and often advice for the bride, or sometimes
for the mother-of-the-bride, or even the groom, Mary Kay Andrews
sets up a protagonist who keeps up a pace that seems impossible to
imagine. This novel would be suitable for older adolescents and
indeed for adults intrigued by this particular world in the southern
states of the USA.
Cara Kryzik is on the rebound from an unsuccessful relationship, and
has started up her own shop to supply the luxurious floral
decorations expected for weddings, both commonly at the church and
in the wedding venue as decreed by the mores of society in the
southern US states. Her brief goes beyond the flowers that might be
carried by the bridal party, as she begins to create the
decorations, responding to the brides, for the whole ceremony and
reception, also advising on many other aspects of the wedding. The
costs are high, and not just in monetary terms, as so much is
expected by the brides, the mothers of the brides, the attendants
and indeed the family, and Kara is under enormous pressure for
almost every wedding, pre-wedding and post-wedding celebrations for
which she caters. However, the complexity of her life is extended
further as she deals with a broken marriage, a new lover, unhelpful
workers and a father who wants to run her life.
Fast-paced, like Kara's life, this novel takes us on a journey to
the southern United States, exploring the pressures exerted by the
families on the brides as well as the weight of the expectation of
perfection in every single aspect of the whole ceremony and
celebrations on that very special day. However, the underlying story
of Kara dominates, and we are drawn deeply into her family troubles,
her attempts to leave her old life behind to forge her way into a
new life, the dominating father and the element of trust that
concerns her deeply in her relationships.
Captivating and fast-paced, this delightful novel depicts southern
life so vibrantly, exploring both its expectations of family members
in their daily lives, and especially on such occasions as a wedding,
Andrews constructs a world, moreover, into which she draws us
deeply, exploring this world's complex pressures on young people to
meet and marry the right person, to display the family's success in
suitable fashion, and to impress the world around them with their
events. Its richly evocative atmosphere is the heart of this novel,
and is the core of its strength.
This novel would be suitable for adolescent readers, but would also
be a captivating story for all ages, particularly those who are
interested in the world of the southern United States, or those who
have not experienced the particular way of life that is depicted so
richly in this novel.
Elizabeth Bondar
Melowy and the song of the moon by Danielle Star
Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781338151763
(Age: 6-10) The Melowies are a select group of winged horses who are
born with a hidden symbol on their wings and a magical power. The 4
ancient islands of Aura are the homes of the Melowies. The Melowies
must leave their island homes and attend school at the Castle of
Destiny.
In this second book of the series, the 5 Melowies will be part of a
musical performance at the school.
This book has themes of friendship, self-confidence and jealousy.
Selene has to overcome her fear of failure and is supported by her
friends to audition for the role of Moon, explaining the title
"Melowy and the song of the moon".
These small novels are about 80 pages long and are packed with
intensely coloured illustrations. Maps at the beginning of the novel
show all the island realms of Aura and each part of the Castle of
Destiny. There is also a fact sheet on the 5 Melowies, which helped
me distinguish each Melowy when I was reading the story.
The Melowies have the same friendship issues as middle primary aged
students and these books have instant appeal with their bright
colours and fantasy Pegasus characters.
The Melowies will appeal to students aged 6-10 years old.
Jane Moore
Melowy: Dreams come true by Danielle Star
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781338151749
(Ages 6-8) Theme: Fantasy. Short and quick to read. Magical Pegasi
go to a school for magical horses.
Aura, a 'magical land' that's 'in a distant galaxy' has four Island
realms (Winter, Spring, Day and Night) that are populated by Pegasi.
Some Pegasi are Melowies, marked with a hidden symbol on their wings
that indicate magical abilities. Melowies are summoned to school at
the 'Castle of Destiny' in the clouds. Frontmatter details these
realms, provides a map of the castle, and provides short profiles on
the five main characters.
The story opens on the day the new Melowies arrive - which also
happens to be the anniversary of Cleo's arrival day (the day she was
found mysteriously at the castle, origins unknown and no melowy
mark). The story centres on Cleo and Maya, a shy Pegasus from
Spring. During the entrance test, Cleo enters mistakenly, and Maya
asks her to stay and help, and she unsurprisingly ends up assisting
all the main characters.
The brightly coloured Pegasi have unicorn horns, highly decorative
wings, heavy eye make-up, and long flowing manes. There is not a
hint of subtlety about them. The epilogue's twist foreshadows a
threat to Aura.
Donna Isgar
The art of taxidermy by Sharon Kernot
Text Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781925603743
(Age: Middle secondary) Highly recommended. Themes: Taxidermy, Verse
novel, Eccentrics. I've been excited about reading "The Art of
Taxidermy" since I heard of its upcoming release. Sharon Kernot's
novel of lyric verse is an easy to consume, highly engaging piece
dealing with love, loss, and grief. Highly recommended for fans of
Steven Herrick's "The
Simple Gift".
Charlotte is a curious little girl who is obsessed with preserving
the dead, or rather, bringing that back to life. It all starts when
she and Annie, her best friend, find a dead gecko and fall in love
with it. Charlotte watches as it decays, but that is only the
beginning. An obsession with birds follows: black birds, corellas,
sparrows, galahs . . . She loves to examine the bodies and discover
how they work. These little dead things are precious. But there is
precious little she can do when Aunt Hilda destroys her collection,
telling her that girls shouldn't play with dead things. Aunt Hilda's
concern only grows as Charlotte becomes more and more experimental
having discovered the art of taxidermy. While her father thinks her
a scientist, Hilda is more prone to worrying that the obsession with
death is unhealthy, particularly for a girl whose mother and
siblings are dead.
The novel discusses grief as something omnipresent. Charlotte is
accompanied by Annie in many of the poems and continues to be long
after the reader realises that she must be dead. It is only when
Charlotte talks about Annie that she finally disappears. The family
is haunted by death having lost Charlotte's pregnant mother, sister,
and grandfather. Constantly looked down upon by her classmates due
to her family's German heritage, Charlotte remains very much an
outsider as she learns to cope with grief sustained in her early
childhood.
Kayla Gaskell
Cicada by Shaun Tan
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780734418630
(Age: all) Highly recommended. Themes: Cicadas, Employment,
Workplace, Bullying, Difference. Unappreciated, Cicada works in a
bleak office in a very tall building. He has worked there for
seventeen years without a break. He never makes mistakes, yet his co
workers taunt and bully him because he is different. His request for
a promotion is turned down, because he is not human. He is not
allowed in the staff rest rooms. He stays late to finish his work,
yet no one thanks him. When he retires he is told to clean his desk.
He has no home, no money and no place to be. He climbs to the top of
the building, desolate and ready to say goodbye. But here something
wonderful happens and Cicada is able to show all humans that he is
made of better stuff and does not have to spend his life in the
office building, but can fly off to greener pastures.
This scintillating story, full of hope and promise that will appeal
to all those who read it. It is multi-layered, at once ruminating on
the drudgery of modern work, of bullying in the workplace, of
prejudice against those who look different, with hints about
homelessness and hopelessness but also of looking forward and of
optimism, as Cicada breaks out, paralleling the fact that cicadas
can live underground for up to seventeen years before emerging.
Tan's rich oil paintings reflect the muted colours of the dreary
work space, with Cicada's bright green just poking above his
partition.
Hints of Escher and Edward Hopper amongst others, can be spotted
within the pages, while the poem quoted on the publications page
adds another layer of meaning and interest to the story.
"Calm and serene
the sound of a cicada permeates the rock"
and Tan's clipped words reflect a minimalism which is deafening in
what it leaves out, each small stanza ending with "Tok Tok Tok"!
Each offering from Shaun Tan is breathtaking in its originality.
Fran Knight
The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408896884
(Age: 9+) Recommended. "When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore
Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet . . . Once in a
generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its
power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for
Fionn's grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step
down. Soon, a new Keeper will rise. But, deep underground, someone
has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island's
next champion rages, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on
rekindling an ancient war." (Publisher)
This will certainly be one that does not gather dust on the shelf.
It is a gorgeous read full of adventure with magic interwoven
throughout the story-line. It is also packed with a range of
emotions allowing you to go on a true roller coaster ride. The
relationship between Fionn, his grandfather and father supports
this. Fionn is a powerful character who immediately connects with
the reader and Arranmore Island is a place we all yearn to visit. It
is certainly a clever author that can write a book that will appeal
to the younger reader and also an adult audience. I would recommend
the book for readers 9 and up and for both girls and boys. It fits
into fantasy, adventure, family and a touch of mystery. I believe
this is part of a trilogy and I am sure many children will be left
hanging and waiting for the release of the second book. A must have
for the collection.
Kathryn Schumacher
Truthers by Geoffrey Girard
Carolrhoda Lab, 2017. ISBN 9781512427790
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Themes: Conspiracy; Terrorism - 9/11;
Truth and Lies; Foster children; Identity; Mental health. Katie's
Dad has been forced into a mental institution because he claims to
know something about the 9/11 terrorism plot that could imply there
was government complicity in what happened. Is he being silenced
because he has spoken out? Is his former service in Afghanistan in
some way involved? Conspiracy or truth? Is he just a victim of drug
use and PTSD because of his former service or does he really know
something that would upset the world's perception of what actually
happened on 9/11? Katie is plunged into the drama as she tries to
find a way to free her war-hero father from this 'imprisonment' that
seems to be more than just mental health treatment. Plunged into the
"Truthers" world (conspiracy theorists acting within cyberspace and
beyond, with hackers working to uncover hidden 'truths'), she
becomes twisted and challenged by what is truth for her father and
for her own personal history.
This is a brilliantly compelling and slightly disturbing story - but
one that you won't want to stop reading. The teenaged characters are
intelligent and very likeable (and there are hints of a blossoming
romance and 'coming-of-age' drama). The plot is begging to be made
into a movie script. This author has delved deeply into the
conspiracy world and has revealed the dilemma in the cyber-world of
determining truth and of hiding information. And for Katie, there is
added mystery about her own existence and identity.
Highly recommended for ages 16 - Adult readers.
Carolyn Hull
Fart Monster and Me: The crash landing by Tim Miller and Matt Stanton
ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733338922
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. "Fart Monster and Me: The crash
landing" is the first book in the new series by the amazing authors
Tim Miller and Matt Stanton. These two have come together to write
an absolutely hilarious book that will delight all the fart loving
readers out there.
Ben Dugan is the main character who lived a pretty normal life until
the Fart Monster accidentally crashed into his life. Then the task
at hand becomes how to get him back up to planet "Let 'er Rip". They
try all the fart inducing food possible but it just does not have
the same effect as that of the space cabbage! Ben's Mum and Dad are
unable to see Fart Monster so spend the whole book thinking that Ben
has eaten something . . . . . and would certainly not believe that
there is now a Fart Monster in their house.
This book is funny. It is full of toilet words like fart, butt, gas
and explode! All things that will put a smile on the face of anyone
reading it. I would say that it is aimed at readers aged 6 and up
and as stated by Matt Stanton in the dedication "For any kid who
hasn't decided if they like reading yet - this is for you". I
totally agree. The line spacing is wonderfully wide, the text is
clear and just challenging enough to keep children engaged. Readers
who are reluctant or just not interested will be sure to find
something in this book to enjoy and work with.
The chapters are all around 6 pages long and include lots of funny
illustrations to add to the story.
Overall I would recommend this book and series to readers who enjoy
funny stories, like toilet humour and maybe don't really enjoy
reading that much - I think this series could help to change that. 5
out of 5 from me!
Lauren Fountain
