Reviews

Mummy Fairy and me : Fairy in waiting by Sophie Kinsella

Penguin, 2018. ISBN 9780141377896
(Ages: 5 - 7) Recommended. Themes: Fairies. Humour. "Ella's family has a big secret - her Mummy is a fairy. She can do amazing spells with her computawand. Only, sometimes the spells go a bit wrong, and that's when Ella steps in to the rescue.
In this brand-new book of magical adventures, there are very naughty monkeys, a swimming pool filled with ice-cream, and the best birthday party ever - complete with giant cakes and fairy dust." (Publisher)
And after so much fun and adventure, will Ella get her wish and become a magical fairy, just like her Mum?
The magic and mayhem in this young chapter book make it a sweet and funny series for 5-7 year-old's. There are lots of messy adventures and parents who do silly things.
Donna Isgar

Melowy : The ice enchantment by Danielle Star

Ill. by Danielle Stern. Melowy series book 4. Scholastic, 2018, ISBN 9781338151800
(Age: 6-8) Themes: Unicorns, Fantasy, Friendship, Courage. In the Castle of Destiny hidden by a sea of clouds, Melowies, winged horses with gorgeous colourings, gather to be schooled in magic. Cleo, Electra, Maya, Cora and Selena wake to a beautiful morning eager to begin their classes in the Art of Powers. Cleo's destiny is unsure, she hasn't received her place in a realm yet: will she be a Winter, Spring, Day or Night? To find the nature of the young filly's power she needs to attend all the classes with her friends. This proves to be difficult for her, as she suffers sunburn in the Day Tower, tangles herself up in plants in the Spring Tower, and has candle problems in the Night Tower.
Cleo seeks advice from Theodora the friend who raised her after she was left on the castle steps as a baby. She needs encouragement to keep on with her lessons. Mysteries and problems abound, with a stolen magic book, a classmate casting a forbidden spell and problems in creating ice sculptures from the magic waterfall. Little by little, Cleo learns the power of friendship and patience.
Bright colours, pretty embellishments and beautiful creatures adorn the pages, making this junior novel sparkle. Danielle Star's magical fantasy series are just right for newly independent readers.
Rhyllis Bignell

Meet me at the intersection: Short stories edited by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina

Fremantle Press, 2018. ISBN 9781925591705
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: LGBTIQA+. Disabilities. Indigenous Australians. Cultures. Short stories. Meet me at the intersection is an collection of short stories by authors who write from the heart about issues that have personal meaning to them. These authors include those with a disability, are LGBTIQA+ or are Indigenous and are passionate about sharing their stories written from their point of view.
At the beginning of each story is a blurb about the author and the inspiration for their story, which is fantastic as it gives the reader an insight to how and why the author came to write this particular piece.
My favourite of the short stories was 'Harry Potter and the Disappearing Pages' by Olivia Muscat because of the Harry Potter connection. The author says right from the beginning that the character in the story is her and this connection seemed to personalise it for me.
Many of the stories are raw and brutally honest. There is no filter to what is written and they say exactly what they think. Sometimes this can be confronting but mostly you appreciate the honesty and frankness of the story. With some of the stories, I wondered what the point was but in hindsight, the point is really a snippet of a story that is waiting to be told.
The stories are quite diverse and it is refreshing to change pace at the beginning of each new story. The stories are not long and at times, they leave you wishing for more. Some are revelations and others make you think about topics not normally spoken about.
I would recommend this book to 14+ readers whose interest is in diversity amongst our population.
Gerri Mills

Kissed by the moon by Alison Lester

Penguin, 2013. ISBN 9780670076758
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Themes: Influences. Growing up. This beautiful book has been reissued as a board book, and will win hearts all over again with its wishes for the future of a new born child. Alison Lester, one of Australia's best known and loved author illustrators, is able to capture a parent's wish for their child to wonder at the world in which they have been born, to experience the community and the environment, to splash in the water, to experience the ocean, to hear the birds as they wake, to walk in the untamed forest, all the things experienced by the parent in their youth.
Each page opens the child's mind to the possibilities of what is around them, encouraging the parent to ensure that the child is exposed to all the good things of life.
Lester's soft watercolours draw the eye to the detail of the images she draws, as well as creating soft love-filled pages, underscored by the spare prose. Each page shows a different environment and season, covering aspects of the Australian climate, be it snow, spring produce, a sunny beach or the falling leaves of autumn. Every picture is filled with the safe secure arms of a parent, guiding the child to experience its surroundings. The subtle subtext of caring for the environment is there, in lines which assume the rivers, fish and oceans will still be there, and the forests as wild.
Lester's talents with many different art forms along with her ability to encapsulate meaning in a brief smattering of words, is enough for anyone to gasp at the depth of her work, for parents to smile with recognition and children to read for themselves the wonder of childhood.
Fran Knight

The honey factory by Jurgen Tautz and Diedrich Steen

Black Inc Books, 2018. ISBN 9781760640408
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Recommended. Non-fiction. The subtitle 'Inside the ingenious world of bees' describes exactly what this book is about - not so much a guide to beekeeping but a detailed exploration of what bees do and how their community works. And it is absolutely fascinating! Tautz and Steen reveal to us the workings of the intelligent bee superorganism - a community of individuals dependent on one another and working together to make a single breathing, living entity. Each bee has its role to play - the queen, the drones, the workers; there are nurse bees and field bees, guards, scouts and foragers. Tautz and Steen reveal to us how they communicate in the pitch darkness of the hive, how they regulate the temperature of the hive, how they communicate food sources with the waggle dance, and what leads them to swarm or move house.
The two authors make different contributions to the book - Steen is a long time beekeeper and Tautz is a renowned bee researcher. So the book is a combination of practical knowledge and scientific research, distinguished in the text by different fonts. It is possible for readers wanting a 'lighter' approach to just read the Steen contributions, whilst others may enjoy the insights offered by the experiments and studies that Tautz describes. There is a logical sequence to the book; however an index is available at the end for quick reference.
The last chapter describes the bees' struggle for survival - extinction remains a probability, and sadly the main threats are from human factors. Anyone reading this book must hope for greater understanding and appreciation of bees for it truly seems that they offer us an insight into an amazing community based on unconditional and mutual sharing, something that humans could only learn from.
Helen Eddy

Ruby's worry by Tom Percival

Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408892152
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Themes: Anxiety. Depression. Sharing. Friendship. Ruby's life is carefree and happy, but one day a worry finds her. At first it is a very small worry and can be hidden behind her, or even ignored. But as time goes on the worry increases in size, becoming a constant shadow next to her as she goes to bed at night, eats her breakfast and catches the bus to school. She tries to work at school, but the worry sits next to her, invading her thoughts. The worry gets bigger, staring at her over the breakfast table, sitting on the swing besides her. She realises that no-one else can see her worry, until one day she sees a young boy sitting in the park. He too has a worry and this time, Ruby can see his worry. He is sad and reflects just how she feels, so she sits down next to him and they talk about their worries. As they do this their worries become smaller, and lift from their shoulders. They are aware that by sharing their worries they become smaller, and Ruby knows that although her shadow is still there, much smaller than it was, she now has the skill to keep it under control.
This story, like Mr Huff (Anna Walker, 2015) is most useful at a time where mental ill health has become a problem amongst younger children. Children will instantly recognise the background to the story, many knowing someone who suffers from anxiety, and see that having a worry is not unusual and there are steps they can take to help themselves not be overwhelmed by the feeling.
Fran Knight

Uncle Shawn and Bill and the pajimminy-crimminy unusual adventure by A.L. Kennedy

Ill. by Gemma Correll. Walker Books Ltd, 2018. ISBN 9781406360509
(Ages: 6-9) Recommended. Themes: Friendship. Humour. Bonkers story of friendship, llamas and total evil.
Uncle Shawn and Bill are back, and so are the llamas. In a book that could stand alone or work as a sequel, they have settled into a happy life at their llama farm in Scotland with their new llama friends. But all is not right on the horizon as someone new to their village is stirring up trouble, and encouraging anything 'unusual' to be vilified and the perpetrators locked up...
This contains great hilarious posters, comic style illustrations and informative chapter headings evoking old Victorian novels. It is a very visual story, with plenty to read around the words themselves.
The theme of celebrating difference and not being afraid of who you are, is well covered by a vast number of different habits and hobbies of the people in Pandrumdroochit. They get involved in an exciting adventure as Bill and the llamas (as well as some other friends) work together to defeat the evil threatening them all.
The story is totally bonkers, but such good fun and has a lesson of friendship at its heart.
This is a great series, with lovely short chapters, lots of action and silliness and full of things to look at.
Donna Isgar

Funny Kid: Prank wars by Matt Stanton

Harper Collins, 2018. ISBN 9780733335990
(Ages: 8-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Humour. This is the third book in the Funny Kid book series. Max, otherwise known as 'funny kid' is determined to make his class mates laugh at his pranks and antics, at any cost. When Max's class embark on a school camping trip, he makes grand plans to humiliate Tyson, the new boy, by making him the centre of his gags. A prank war is on between the two boys, after Max finds himself at the unfortunate end of one of Tyson's master pranks.
While engaging in their prank war, Max, Tyson and their class mates grapple with mysterious lake monsters, makeshift toilets, a smuggled pet duck and plenty of gas inducing beans. A generous serve of ingenious pranks makes this one very unforgettable camping trip.
Prank Wars:

• Full of appealing toilet style humour.
• Targeted at 8-12 year old's.
• The illustrations are comic book style, with interesting speech bubbles.
• Hilarious and slapstick adventures of fun and frivolity.
• For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates and WeirDo.

Amazing Australian Women by Pamela Freeman and Sophie Beer

Lothian Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9780734418456
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: Women - Australia. The authors have chosen twelve Australian women from different backgrounds and time periods to feature in this brightly illustrated book. Some of them will be familiar to all Australians, for example Mary Reiby, convict and business woman who features on the $20 note, while others like Tarenore, an indigenous resistance fighter, may not be as well known. It is this mix of well-known and less well known women that make this book such a fascinating read.
It is a book that can be read from cover to cover, with the women arranged in chronological order, but it can also be perused by using the introduction and map of Australia at the beginning, and then skimming through the book either to find women from an Australian state or a woman whose work is unfamiliar to the reader. I knew some of the background of Mary Lee and Nellie Melba, but found more snippets of information that greatly added to my knowledge. I became engrossed in the story Tilly Aston, teacher writer and disability activist, while the scientist Ruby Payne-Scott and her work with radio telescopes will provide a great role model for girls who want to succeed in the science area. The information about each woman was succinct and interesting and the illustrations will appeal to the book's audience.
The back of the book has a section "More information", with links to websites including biographies and other details, e.g. Emily Kame Kngwarreye, has links to three websites displaying her art and a link to images of Emily from Trove.
The conclusion notes that it was hard to select just twelve women and that there are extraordinary women doing extraordinary things in every walk of life. And then challenges the reader to
"Ask yourself
What is my story going to be?
What will I do?
How will I change the world?"
This is a must have for every library and would be a perfect gift for any child interested in Australian history and achievements.
Pat Pledger

How I didn't straighten my hair (and other life lessons) by Angela May George

Omnibus Books, 2018. ISBN 9781742999555
(Age: Upper primary - lower secondary) Themes: bullying, friendships, Greek culture, family. Dora is trying to find "her thing" but, disappointingly for her Greek family, Greek dancing isn't for her. 17 year old sister Athena, is a born dancer, tall, slim and beautiful with the composure of an Ice Queen but her "thing" is ballet. She is not at all like 13 year old Dora, whose unmanageable frizzy hair and impulsive behaviour seem to rule her life. Dora loves her Greek culture, especially the food cooked by her grandparents; but it can also be embarrassing, like when her Yaya and Popou play loud music and dance in their garage. Ethan, a popular boy in Dora's year, lives next door to them and doesn't seem to mind, he also seems to like Dora which she finds difficult to believe as some girls in her group have said they are awarding her the trophy for the ugliest girl in their year. Dora is reluctant to tell her parents about the bullying as her dad lost his job and they have enough worries. Her sister tells her to follow the high school rules, which include keeping her head down and not talking about anyone else but things come to a head when Genevieve, the girl who has been bullying her, stomps on Dora's hand breaking it. In hospital Dora meets Lucy, a girl her age suffering from Juvenile Diabetes. Dora finds she has a talent for making friends and that she is ambidextrous so she goes back to school able to keep up with the work. However Genevieve's brother knocks Dora down and her parents are angry at the school's handling of the bullying and decide to change schools. The change turns out to be a good thing for both Dora, who is no longer fearful at school and makes some new friends, and for her sister, whose boyfriend attends the new school. Athena buys Dora's silence with the promise of a hair straightener but her loyalty is tested when their parents catch Athena secretly meeting her boyfriend. The incident shocks the family and Dora is caught in the middle. Loyalties to friends are also tested as Dora juggles her new friends (and her attractively straightened hair) and the need to keep in touch with old friends, especially Ethan. Things seem to work out in the end with family and most friendships intact. The novel is a bright and funny trip, with a 13 year old finding her place in the world; negotiating culture, family, friends and first relationships. Suitable for upper primary and lower secondary girls.
Sue Speck

Princess Swashbuckle by Hollie Hughes

Ill. by Deborah Allwright. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408862803
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Princesses, Stereotypes, Adventure, Frogs, Family, Verse, Humour. All Princess Swashbuckle wants to do is be a pirate queen, to sail away on a pirate ship and be the ruler of the waves. But her parents want her to marry a frog and settle down. How can she marry Hubert who lives in a bog or Gerald who lives beneath a log? She packs her bag and steals away one night, boarding the Stinky Fish. Finding its crew is upset at seeing their captain swim for shore, she is the perfect replacement.
Together the princess and the crew have incredible adventures, sailing the seven seas, meeting a range of other people, helping out where they can. They teach a mouse to be brave, and show a snake how to make a cake, but once all their adventures are done, Princess Swashbuckle feels a little out of sorts. She writes to her parents and receives a reply which apologises for their insistence that she marry, and invite her back to Frogland. Without hesitation she makes her way back home, allowing her parents to retire while she takes over ruling the kingdom, albeit with a pirate flavour.
This charming story full of whimsy and humour, will appeal to younger readers, lapping up the allusions to fairy stories with a reversal of the usual roles, and parallels to frogs which they will perfectly understand.
The detailed illustrations attract the eyes drawing them into perusing the things in the background, referencing things that pirates do and adventures associated with this group of people. Readers will thrill at the kingdom's seawall, shaped like a dragon's body, or the watchful eye of the ship, or the pirate's flag. All good fun.
Fran Knight

Norman the Knight gets a fright! by Mark Sperring

Ill. by Ed Eaves. Bloomsbury, 2108. ISBN 9781408873991
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Knights, Dragons, Employment. When the four children and their cat apply for the job of helping Norman the Brave, a knight of renown, they are surprised at what he expects them to do. Their work involves darning his large pile of socks, ironing his pants, cleaning his armour and scrubbing him in the bath after fetching loads of hot water. They must then squeeze him into his armour, and use a hoist to lift him into his horse's saddle, after first catching the unresponsive animal. They are all ready to go to the Royal Parade, Norman looking very brave and shiny after all the efforts of his knaves, our four friends by contrast looking shabby and weary. At the parade the knights are set upon by a group of brigands and bandits, while trying to deal with a fire breathing dragon. Norman and the other knights cower in the background while the four knaves take charge, putting out the dragon's fire and seeing off the brigands and thieves.
Norman then puts his knaves further off side by bragging about his exploits at saving the day whereas the knaves know what really happened, making the readers laugh at the knight's duplicity. The work might not be the job for our four friends, and at the end of the story, another workplace seems to be before them, making sure the readers will want to see the next book when the four try out working with a magician.
Told in rhyming pairs of lines, readers will love predicting the rhyming word as each line is read, and be intrigued with some of the new words offered: knave, brigand, bandit, which they may not have come across before. There are hilarious illustrations with lots of detail to look at, funny faces and situations to laugh at, as well as a lesson to be discussed about humility, and information included giving readers an insight into the lives of knights and knaves during Medieval times.
Fran Knight

The afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

Harper Collins Publishers, 2017. ISBN 9781460754283
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. A heart-warming and emotional tale of the importance of generosity, family, love and compassion. When Holly Chase is visited on Christmas Eve by three spirits warning her of the imminent consequences of her selfish actions, she elects to ignore their advice, doing nothing to mend her ways. Six days later, she dies. Awakening in an office, Holly learns that she will be working for a top-secret company called 'Project Scrooge' to help other 'Scrooges' like her change their behaviour before it's too late. She is appointed to the position of the Ghost of Christmas Past and accepts this as her fate; forced to redeem herself through encouraging others to do what she could not - change for the better. Five years after her death, however, she is faced with a Scrooge that she feels a connection to: Ethan Winters III, a seventeen-year-old who is similarly spoilt, materialistic and grieving the loss of a parent. For the first time since her death, Holly finds that she has something to be hopeful for.
Through her authentic and genuine characters, beautiful writing style and valuable moral, New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand provides a sweet, unforgettable and thought-provoking novel that will touch the heart of its reader, and fill them with hope, happiness and gratitude. A book that is impossible to put down, and even harder to stop thinking about, "The Afterlife of Holly Chase" is not a novel to miss and is a wonderful read all year round.
Daniella Chiarolli (university student)

Finch by Penny Matthews

Walker Books, 2018, ISBN 9781760650759
(Ages: 9+) Highly recommended. Themes: Country towns, Family, Vineyards. When Audrey and her family move to a small wine growing community after dad lost his job in the city, everyone is put out. Audrey and her sister miss their friends and school back in the city, Mum cannot believe that her husband wants to try his hand at farming and Dad is all at sea worrying about his new workload.
Audrey has always been on the outer at school, her love of birds makes her a bit of a nerd in the eyes of the other girls, so when she meets a boy living in a cave near the edge of their property she cannot believe how easily she talks to him, and they share her interest in birds. He swears her to secrecy, having left his uncle's farm where he worked because he was abused, but when a flash flood occurs and Audrey thinks the cave may be under water, she must divulge her secret.
This story will carry along the reader, hooked in by the story of the boy in the cave, wanting to follow his relationship with Audrey and find out just who he is. Along the way information is given about birds, particularly the Emu wren, an endangered scrub bird, rarely seen.
Audrey is a captivating character. Readers will follow her exploits with interest, willing her to fit into her new community, but aware of the problems the family is facing. The people within that community are lovingly composed and developed - we feel we know Mavis and her brother: the teacher and other students at the school, the people at the gift shop. Readers will be drawn to the references to food and its place within the town, the CWA, SES volunteers and the shop owners. Readers will feel like they can walk down the main street with the girls, recognising places described within the book and feel comforted as is Audrey by its familiarity.
Fran Knight

Backyard by Amanda Braxton-Smith

Ill. by Lizzy Newcomb. Black Dog Books, 2018. ISBN 9781925381177
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Backyards, Insects, Animals, STEM, Discovery. What a feast can be found in one's own backyard, simply using the skill of observation. This wonderful book impels younger readers to do just that, as a sleepy child and her star gazing dog sit on the back verandah and simply watch. Amongst the fig, lilly pilly and large eucalypts trees animals come out at night to eat. The tawny frogmouth is watching for whatever flies past, the spider is weaving her web waiting for an insect, midges fly around only to be eaten by the honeyeaters, a bat swoops up a dragonfly, a possum takes the last of the dog food from its bowl.
The child and her dog observe each and every animal they can see, and eager eyes reading the book will follow the text noticing each animal mentioned and observing more in the undergrowth. Newcomb's acrylic illustrations show us the breadth of the backyard, surrounded by large trees, shrubs and pot plants. Children will love looking at the array of things, recognising things found in their own yard, eager to seek out what they can see when they get home.
This delightful book will encourage children to look more closely at what surrounds them, to be more aware of the living things in their own backyard, to see what shares their home.
The visual and word imagery will intrigue and delight readers as they roll the lines around, practising reading them out loud and peruse the pictures with care to find out what lurks beneath the leaves.
Artist Lizzy Newcomb also illustrated "My name is Lizzie Flynn", the story of a quilt made by convict women on their way to Australia, while Amanda Braxton-Smith has written several novels for Black Dog Books including "Plenty" one of my favourites for 2014.
Fran Knight