Reviews

Show stopper! by Shamini Flint

Ill. by Sally Heinrich. The Susie K Diaries. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760523701.
(Age: 7-9) Recommended. Themes: Science. Performing arts. Life skills. Problem solving. Shamini Flint's The Susie K Diaries are an engaging series with a one of a kind protagonist. Show stopper is centred around the school talent show; Susie's over-the-top mother signs her up, much to her daughter's dismay. Susie is a problem-solver, analytical, she converses with George the class fish and likes playing with Bones the skeleton. Once again, this feisty girl needs to use her scientific skills, her creativity and resolve to stand up to her mother's demands.
Susie's mother is always looking out for her daughter to be the best she can be; however, she doesn't always understand her. Stories of her mother's difficult childhood don't help with Suzie's self-confidence. With her five step plan Susie decides to identify and analyse the problem, then find and test the solution, repeating this step if necessary. Literally, she thinks of locking the hall doors and throwing away the key or maybe a fire; no that won't work. Excitement builds at school, as everyone is busy practising and counting down the two weeks until the event. Susie tests out her skills; her singing scares the birds and sets the dogs howling. Dancing with George in his glass bowl is nearly a disaster, and dancing with a group leads to a pile-up of dancers on stage. Poor Susie K. Nothing seems to work and even her classmates, teachers and family aren't able to help. Suzie's 'Eureka' moment and surprising performance make a fabulous finale. Along the way, she's helped others with their confidence and proved herself to a supportive friend.
Sally Heinrich's fun cartoon sketches add liveliness to the humorous story, with Susie K's amusing expressions, her problems solved by drawing scientific diagrams and her disastrous attempts at other talents. Shamini Flint's The Susie K Files are just right to share with Year 2-4 classes, perfect for introducing problem solving skills, for creative writing and for teaching scientific strategies.
Rhyllis Bignell

Lost by Tracey Unthank

Little Steps Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781925545937.
(Ages: 3-6) Themes: Penguins. Antarctica. Homes. A young emperor penguin named Fluffy lives in Antarctica with his mum and dad. Fluffy loves to play hide and seek with his friends Angel and Jet. One stormy day Fluffy ignores his mum and dad's calls to come back to them and he gets lost in the wind and snow. When the storm clears he is picked up by a white-bellied sea eagle and carried far away. After many hours the eagle grows tired and drops Fluffy in very unfamiliar surroundings; he is staring at Uluru! Fluffy is determined to get home so he sets off, asking for help from the animals he finds along the way. Finally, a kind pelican flies Fluffy home to his grateful family and friends. 'And since then, Fluffy, Angel and Jet never wandered too far from their parents' side. Fluffy didn't want to get lost again'.
The painted illustrations are pleasing enough, with quite realistic animals and landscapes, and there is a didactic tone to the story, advising the young to listen to their parents.
Nicole Nelson

Lift-the-flap Engineering by Rose Hall

Ill. by Lee Cosgrove. Usborne, 2018. ISBN 9781474943659.
Highly recommended for your STEM collection. "Engineering is not just about engines. Engineering means designing, testing and making all kinds of useful things. To do this, engineers use mathematics, science, and - above all - their imaginations." Engineers work in teams to solve puzzles, whether the puzzle is big or small. They follow a series of steps including:

• asking questions to ensure they understand the problem
• imagining possible solutions by letting their brains go wild
• making detailed designs of their ideas
• making models to test their ideas
• having the final version built and checking it carefully.

Fairy stories for little children by Lorena Alvarez and Susanna Davidson

Usborne, 2018. ISBN 9781474951784.
This selection of five well-loved fairytales - Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and The Princess and the Pea - has been lovingly recreated in words and pictures to appeal to the young reader, either as a read-along or one who is verging on independence and knows the stories well enough to predict the text.
Fairytales never go out of fashion and there is always a new generation of children coming through to enjoy these age-old tales so a new, revamped version is just the thing for sharing with them. The illustrations in this edition are very modern although still retaining the charm of the past, making this a suitable book for those children who are older but who are learning English as another language, and who are expected to be au fait with these traditional tales. They may even have similar tales in their own language that they can compare and contrast these with. Cinderella, for example, has a version in many different cultures. Similarly, the stories could be used to compare other versions of the same story or even the movie versions so their appeal is not limited to just emerging readers.
Barbara Braxton

Malala, my story of standing up for girls' rights by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick

Wren and Rook. ISBN 9781526361592.
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. Auto-biography. The extraordinary true story of the Pakistani girl who stood up for girls' rights to education and was shot by the Taliban is now available in a new publication for a younger audience, so that they too can learn about the young girl who refused to give in to terrorism and believed that truth must prevail.
Malala was fortunate to have a father who encouraged her independence of thought and her aspirations for education, allowing her to participate in a BBC website on the daily life of a girl in Pakistan under the rule of the Taliban, highlighting to the wider world the issue of girls' rights to education. Hoping to silence her, Taliban supporters stopped her school bus, and fired shots to her head. The ensuing airlift to medical services, first in Pakistan then to Britain as the seriousness of her injury became apparent, brought her once again to the attention of the world. When Malala's bravery is recognised with the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, the youngest person to ever receive it, it means that instead of being silenced Malala's message will continue to be heard.
This version of Malala's life is written simply with short chapters and large font. There are explainer boxes on some pages to explain topics such as the celebration of Ramadan, the shalwar kamiz clothing, the difference between an internally displaced person and a refugee, the Malala Fund charity etc. And simple black and white drawings by Joanie Stone further enhance understanding of the text. At the end there is also a glossary of terms, a guide to pronunciation of some words, and a timeline of significant events in Malala's life.
All in all, this is a very accessible book, and would make a worthwhile addition to every school library. The story of standing up for one's beliefs and refusing to give in to bullies, is one that will continue to be relevant to young readers.
Helen Eddy

How to raise your grown-ups by Lauren Child

Hubert Horatio, Book 1. HarperCollins Children's, 2018. ISBN 9780008264086.
'These stories are about the days when the Bobton-Trents had it cushy, very cushy indeed.' The Bobton-Trent seniors certainly know how to make the most of their extravagant wealth - socialising, doing things, buying things and generally being more than a little bit irresponsible. Luckily for them, their son Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent is an exceptionally intelligent, talented and sensible child. Unluckily for Hubert, this tends to mean that a lot of his spare time is spent steering his rather unruly set of grown-ups out of trouble. So oblivious are they, they don't realise that their lavish lifestyle means that their money has run out even when the Bobton-Trents and their guests sit at a bare dinner table, waiting for an hour and 22 minutes for the maid to serve them, unaware that the staff has left. They are also unaware of their only child's immense talents - he phones his parents at the age of one, reads at two and, when he tumbles into the pool at age three, discovers that he is "a natural swimmer" - and when their financial situation becomes clear to him, he tries ways to raise money through schemes like hosting board game sessions and opening the mansion up for tours, but all his schemes fail because his parents just spend the proceeds. It even becomes his decision to sell the mansion and downsize to an apartment!
Lauren Child brings her unique combination of story-telling, illustration and humour to this new series of books for the newly independent reader. Even though the message about money not necessarily being the happiness-bringer it is reputed to be may be lost on the target audience, nevertheless young readers will delight in the outrageous lifestyle and Hubert's constant vigilance and tactics to keep the family afloat. Those who are a little older might like to think about how income is derived and disbursed and the sorts of decisions that must be made.
With the second episode Alien beings due later this year, this is a series that will become very popular as the word spreads among your students.
Barbara Braxton

The ruin of kings by Jenn Lyons

Tor Publishing 2018. ISBN 9781509879496.
(Age: Adult) Fantasy. In a world with eight goods, magic, music, and plenty of brothels, Khirin's life changes forever when he robs the wrong house. Discovered as a long lost heir (and plenty else over the course of the novel), he must fight to have his voice heard and to save the city meanwhile escaping slavery and colluding with a dragon. With the games of a mimic, the darkest wizard the world has ever known, and danger in every shadow, it's a wonder Khirin's survived this long.
Lyons excels in her characterisation, making Khirin the type of character we all want to be - he's smart, calculating, and resourceful. He puts his shadow-dancer skills to good use meanwhile adapting to anything and everything Taja, Lady of Luck, throws his way.
It is hard to simply summarise this novel other than to say it is certainly a challenge. Familiar with epic fantasies and an avid reader both in and outside the genre, The ruin of kings is just one book I simply cannot finish. This isn't to say that it is bad or awful, more that it is convoluted and deliberately challenging to readers. Narration switches between first and third person retrospective on alternating chapters, each telling the story of Khirin, a minstrel's son come long lost prince, from different points in his timeline. There is enough content and world-building in The ruin of kings to have spanned multiple books comfortably, however, for me at least, this tornado of a plot isn't something I'd go out of my way for. Recommended for lovers of epic fantasy who are looking for a challenging read.
Kayla Gaskell

The wellness puzzle by Andrew Jobling

Rockpool Publishing, 2019. ISBN 9781925682816
(Age: Adult) Non-fiction. Ex-footballer and fitness professional, Andrew Jobling has drawn on his experience researching the essential criteria for a healthy life and has come up with 7 interlocking pieces to the puzzle, which he sets out in this easy to read book about 'Creating optimal well-being, one piece at a time'. His inspiration is his mother Sue who was able to turn her life around after being diagnosed with a secondary cancer and only given 2-3 years to live. She went on to enjoy a further 15 years of joy and fulfilment.
Learning the hard way, Jobling has experimented with different approaches, and now feels that he has the 7 key ingredients. He works through them one by one, using logic and examples to get the reader on side and committed. Each chapter has a summary of the main points, and key actions for the reader to embrace. The tone of the book is open and friendly, like talking to a mate, and the information can be easily absorbed. For people who have read the essential material before, and are still struggling with motivation, this book may provide a pathway to a happier, healthier life.
Helen Eddy

Cherries by Carrie Gallasch and Sara Acton

Little Hare, 2018. ISBN 9781760128593.
As soon as the blossoms appear on the cherry tree in Spring, the children are eager to pick the fruit. But, "It's not time yet." As the weeks pass and the cherries develop, the children indulge in all sorts of outdoor pastimes, but "it's not time yet." Until it is . . .
This is a joyful story of anticipation and family rituals as the extended family all take part in the waiting and the eating. Young children will delight in recognising events that are familiar to them as well as starting to understand the passage of time, a complex concept for little ones. The gentle words and pictures complement each other, just as they did in Stitches and stuffing and this has the potential to become a favourite.
Barbara Braxton

Katherine Johnson by Ebony Joy Wilkins

Ill. by Charlotte Ager. DK Life Stories. DK; Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN: 9780241358580.
(Age: 8 - 13) Highly recommended. Themes: Biography; Katherine Johnson; Mathematicians; Space; NASA; STEM; Discrimination. Katherine Johnson may not be well known to Australian readers, but her story has now been told in the movie Hidden Figures. This amazing Afro-American woman was born in the era of segregation in USA in 1918. Her family though were determined that their children would explore every opportunity for education and it was obvious from very early in Katherine's life that she had considerable talent with numbers. No human restriction was going to stand in the way of her inquiring mind and determination to let numbers and their ability to describe the world to be understood and communicated. Working eventually as a 'human computer' and Mathematical analyst within NASA, she defied both discrimination of her race and gender to become an elite force to be reckoned with, originally in the Academic world and eventually within NASA. During the incredible era of the Space Race and the first Moon Landing, it was Katherine's role to create mathematical certainty for the astronauts. At the age of 97, Katherine was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, an incredible honour for a long and incredible life. For someone who loves counting, she certainly has a lot of years of a rich life to count!
This is a book that should be read! Katherine Johnson is such an inspiring advocate for STEM learning and is also just an amazing person, not letting social obstructions be a barrier to learning and success. Her resilience and determination are also worthy of being shared with a younger generation. The presentation of this biography in the DK Life Stories series is simple with plenty of illustrations in a cartoon style, and with photographs dotted through the simple text. With some text boxes and bubbles explaining unfamiliar terms this is a book easily accessible for young readers and visually 'youthful'. The family tree and timeline of Katherine's life appears at the end of the biographical detail.
Carolyn Hull

The amazing adventures of Grover McBane rescue dog by Claire Garth

Ill. by Johannes Leak. Piccolo Nero, 2018. ISBN: 9781760641085.
(Ages 7-9) Recommended. Themes: Rescue Dogs, Working Dogs, Farms, Pets. On a bold yellow and red cover, Border Collie Grover welcomes junior readers into his world. All five engaging stories are included in The Amazing Adventures of Grover McBane Rescue Dog. Author Claire Garth has based her books on her experiences as the General Manager of the Sydney Dog and Cats Home and her own loveable rescue dog.
'Grover Finds a Home' begins with a hungry, lonely dog whose owner doesn't care for him, so he escapes on a stormy night. He's picked up by a local ranger and taken to the animal shelter. In the back of the van, he's comforted by Clara a greyhound, who's escaped from her home. Told from the dog's point of view, we learn of his feelings about the vet's check-up and his most hated thing, a bath. His new home at Cavendish Lane with his new family David and Annie McBane is a comforting and happy place, with lots of new sounds, smells and delicious food.
'Grover's New Friends' opens up our eyes to the fun of the park, a doggy paradise filled with exciting new activities and new pals to play with. Retired police dog Boris, and Hamish, the little black dog with bundles of energy, befriend Grover. Even Mr Tibbles the next-door cat welcomes Grover to the neighbourhood. He quickly learns to love car rides and spending days at the animal shelter where Annie works. Another happy ending occurs, when newly relinquished dog Peanut finds a forever home with twins Grace and Rachel.
The other three stories take Grover to the farm for some interesting encounters with tricky farm dogs and sheep and to the Grandparents' Home to help old Benji become their resident dog. Grover's Office Dog role comes with many responsibilities including helping young greyhound puppy Stretch with a plastered leg.
Garth's five stories are filled with fun experiences, warm feelings, humour, doggy insight and love. Each of Grover's adventures show why the dogs journey from the shelter. From young energetic puppies to elderly deaf dogs all find their forever homes.
The Amazing Adventures of Grover McBane Rescue Dog are perfect stories to read aloud to junior classes. Young animal lovers who will enjoy Johannes Leak's detailed sketches of all the different dogs and their fun experiences.
Rhyllis Bignell

The man with small hair by Jane Jolly and Andrew Joyner

Hardie Grant Egmont, 2018. ISBN: 9781742977584.
The man with small hair loves his small hair. He also loves his short pants, zing-a-ding boots and clickety-clackety beads. He cartwheels with joy and bursts into song when he wears them. But the man with small hair is the only person who wears his hair small, and no one else has colourful boots or musical beads either. He decides to hide the things that make him happy in order to blend in with the crowd. Until one day he looks in the mirror and doesn't recognise the man staring back at him.
Jane Jolly has written a particularly pertinent story about being brave and confident enough to walk to the beat of your own drum, rather than the tune that someone else is piping for you. Sadly, in a world that wants to celebrate individuality and relies on creativity and lateral thinking to solve its problems, conformity seems to be the name of the game and those who dare to be different are teased, bullied and shunned. So the man who prefers his hair short, and indeed loves it because he likes the feel of the prickly bristles and the funny shadows they make, hides behind disguises that make him seem like all the others on the outside, makes himself one of the crowd who move along in a grey flock, lacking the confidence to express who he really is.
Andrew Joyner's choice of a predominantly grey palette for the start of the story emphasises the monotonous, monochromatic world that the man inhabits underlining what a dismal place a one-look-fits-all environment can be But when the man lets his real self shine through, then there is a great burst of colour - as bright as his new found confidence. Not only does the story give the inner person permission to be themselves, but perhaps when they do they will inspire others to discard their masks and show the world their true colours. And even if it is a world of school uniforms there is always some how that we can let ourselves shine.
An excellent story to start off the mindfulness curriculum for the school year. Teaching notes are available.
Barbara Braxton

Believe me by JP Delaney

Quercus, 2018. ISBN: 9781787472419.
(Age: Adult, 18+) Highly recommended. An enthralling and turbulent psychological thriller, JP Delaney's re-written and re-published version of his 2001 novel The Decoy grasps the reader's attention and interest and never relents. Claire Wright, a British drama student living in New York without a green card, begins work with a firm of divorce lawyers, acting as an easy pick-up in hotel bars in order to entrap unfaithful husbands. Usually excellent at her job, it is surprising when her newest target, Patrick Fogler, remains faithful to his wife. While Claire dismisses this as merely a rare decent husband, suspicions arise when his wife is murdered later that very night. Requested by the police to make use of her acting skills to lure a confession out of Patrick, the prime suspect in his wife's murder, Claire gets to work. But from the beginning, Claire has doubts about the part she is to play, and about whether Patrick really could be a murderer. As she progresses with the investigation, and wonders whether there could be more to this that she was told, she learns that she never really knows who she can trust, and that this might just be the deadliest role of her life.
JP Delaney provides a vivid and realistic world, with authentic characters that make the reader question just how complex human nature is. The storyline is engaging and keeps the reader on their toes and constantly re-evaluating the motives of each character. With each new twist and turn, the reader is sucked into Delaney's world, and eager to uncover the mystery it revolves around. Note: themes of violence, sex, murder, psychological torture, domestic violence, necrophilia, BDSM and crime. Not suitable for younger readers.
Daniella Chiarolli

A stack of alpacas by Matt Cosgrove

Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742998848.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Themes: Alpacas, Rules, Family, Verse. Younger readers will pick up this book with familiarity after reading the others in the series about alpacas, knowing that they are in for a treat, a fun verse story of mayhem, illustrated in a way that will make them laugh out loud, and knowing that the end will bring a twist that will keep them laughing a lot longer.
Cosgrove's distinctive alpaca with his bright eyes and upwardly pointing ears and soft eyes has a small problem. He loves to collect caps, and have lots of naps, but when his nephew, Drew along with two nieces, Reece and Roo come to stay, mayhem begins.
They want to play stack on Uncle Mack which results in his back being awfully sore; they flick their peas and eat lots of lollies, make lots of noise and are always crashing and splashing, they fight and whinge and despite Uncle Mack telling them about his rules, they show no sign of obeying them. There is only one way to go. Uncle Mack loses his stack.
After that the three small alpacas do all they can to repair their relationship with their uncle and do lots of things to apologise. And then comes the sting in the tail.
Cosgrove's wonderful rhymes combined with his detailed illustrations which never seem to sit still on the pages, will give willing listeners and readers a chance to laugh out loud, and at the same time learn about family relationships and how to keep your older relations happy. Macca's Christmas crackers, Macca the alpaca, and Alpacas with maracas are his recent books and a cute photo of Matt reading his story to two lovely alpacas can be seen at https://www.facebook.com/MattCosgroveBooks/
Fran Knight

The extraordinary life of Stephen Hawking by Kate Scott

Ill. by Esther Mols. Extraordinary lives series. Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780241373927.
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. Themes: Biography; Stephen Hawking; Scientists; Science; Cosmology. In a very unpretentious format, with simple language and naive illustrations, this biography of Stephen Hawking introduces this amazing man of Science to youthful readers. Explanations of his journey as a scientist and cosmologist, while coping with the difficulties of his diagnosis and life with MND, are described with side notes to explain any complex terms. Basic family history and Hawking's appearance or influence in popular media and film are also included. Obviously, the science of cosmology needs to be explained at a fundamental level for the target audience, and this is done well. Disability and the resilience of Stephen Hawking is described with sensitivity. A time line of his life completes the biography.
This series makes biography a great alternative to a fiction text for youthful readers. This is certainly easy enough for readers aged 7-10 to manage. The use of green text and illustrations also will appeal to the visual generation. The book also includes excerpts from two other biographies in the series: Malala Yousafzai and Michelle Obama. With more biographies planned to be released, this will be a great series to collect for school libraries or to add to a reading program.
Carolyn Hull