Here we are: Notes for living on planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers
HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9780008266165
"Well, hello.
And welcome to this Planet.
We call it Earth.
Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you've only just
got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let's explore
what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to
people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your
journey. And you'll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just
remember to leave notes for everyone else. Some things about our
planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you've
just got to be kind."
Written for his baby son, Jeffers tries to offer an explanation of
this planet and how it works so that young Harland (and any other
little children) will be able to negotiate it successfully. Even
though this planet is a complex place, Jeffers manages to extract
its essential elements - there are basically two parts, the land and
the sea - and using direct narrative, his iconic illustrations and
simple labels he explores the concepts of the planet and the people
and animals who inhabit it. Huge ideas reduced to simple but
carefully chosen words that convey both explanation and advice.
"People come in many shapes, sizes and colours. We may all look
different, act differently and sound different... but don't
be fooled, we are all people."
Throughout there is the underlying message of choosing to be kind and
gentle to the land, its people and all its inhabitants, underpinned
by a quote from J.
M. Barrie; as part of the dedication page.
With so much emphasis on the environment in our school curricula
these days, this is the perfect book to create a child's awareness
of their surroundings beyond their immediate self. But there are so
many avenues that could be explored by posing questions such as "Is
there more land that sea?" or "If most of the land is at the top of
the planet, why doesn't the planet roll?" that could lead to
investigations by all ages. Here we are: Notes for living on planet Earth was the No. 1
New York Times Bestseller and voted No. TIME Best Book of the Year
for 2017. It's easy to see why. A must-have in your collection and
one to be recommended to teachers as the staple that underpins all
their lessons this year.
Barbara Braxton
Coco: The essential guide by Glenn Dakin
DK, 2017. ISBN 9780241288412
Hundreds of young people are going to 'Coco' the latest holiday
release from Disney Pixar, the story of a Miguel a young Mexican boy
who loves music even though it is banned in his family. On the eve
of Dia de
los Muertos, the night ancestors return to the Land of the
Living, a magical incident takes Miguel to the Land of the Dead
where he discovers a family secret that explains the ban.
While Miguel doesn't want to fight his family, music is his passion
and he needs to find a way to be able to express it in his home.
This new release from DK enables those young people to explore and
understand the movie more thoroughly as it introduces the settings
and the characters as it moves through the significant parts of the
plot. It even has a double-page spread which sets up Miguel's
dilemma - should he follow tradition or should he follow his heart?
One of the surefire ways to get young children to transition between
screen and print is to offer them resources that feature their
favourite screen characters so there is a feeling of familiarity and
connection already, and when those resources enrich and enhance the
screen experience as brilliantly as DK do, then they have to be
valuable. From the popular sugar skulls which decorate the endpapers
through to the vivid, full-colour illustrations, many using graphics
from the movie itself, through to the enticing layout, small
snippets of information in text accessible to the target audience
and a voice that talks directly to the reader, this is a book that
will extend the movie experience long after its 100 minutes on the
screen.
Common sense media offer a review
of this movie (and many others) so parents can determine if it is
suitable for their child.
Barbara Braxton
Forever Horatio: An actor's life by Edmund Pegge
Wakefield Press, 2017. ISBN 9781743054987
(Age: Adult) Despite obviously having leading man potential, Edmund
Pegge found a career for himself in being a supporting actor -
"forever Horatio, never Hamlet". However that career has been very
fulfilling and it was rare for him to be out of work. Forever
Horatio is Pegge's chronicle of all the amazing experiences,
and the interesting people and places he has been fortunate to
enjoy. Not everyone has to be the star - as Dame Judi Dench comments
"Where would the rest of us be without him?" Someone has to play the
other roles, and Pegge has clearly had a wonderful time in theatre,
in film, and in working with school students. Now he adds author to
his list of achievements. The book provides insight into behind the
scenes preparation, little anecdotes about famous actors and
directors, and much Aussie style self-deprecating humour.
Helen Eddy
Wilbur, Grace and Joe by Phil Cummings
Ill. by Amanda Graham. Little
Book Press, 2017. ISBN 9780994385284
Wilbur the dog is as much in love with the new twins Grace and Joe
as their parents. He becomes their furry, four-legged guardian angel
as he shares the exciting days and the sleepless nights as they grow
from newborns to toddlers with all that that entails.
This is a charming family story with a soft palette that emphasises
its gentleness and which families will relate to as a new baby
enters the world of a couple and their dog. A lovely bedtime story
for a young reader with a faithful dog who will want to know if
that's what their life was like too.
Barbara Braxton
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockheart
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN: 9781760295936
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Jule is a liar. A liar and a thief. She's
gotten by on her wits and her strength defies female stereotypes -
something she is incredibly proud of. She is a dangerous woman and
she loves it. Chance leads her to Imogen, but it is her own guile
which keeps her by the heiress's side, quickly becoming one of
Imogen's closest friends, so close that Imogen lends her the London
apartment, not to mention clothes, money, and . . . identification.
But Imogen's light doesn't shine on any one person for too long and
soon it becomes clear that Jule must go into hiding to avoid
Imogen's other friends, boyfriend, and even the boy, Paolo, who
knows her by Imogen's name. Just when everything was going perfectly
it begins to fall apart and Jule is once again forced to rely on her
own resourcefulness to keep herself and her new life safe.
Power is a strong theme throughout the novel, purporting the message
that women can be just as powerful as men. Jule's power comes from
her unexpected physical abilities and use of her intellect. However,
the novel also shows that power can corrupt as Jule will go to any
lengths to retain the power gained through Imogen's wealth - even if
it catches the attention of local detectives and alerts Forrest,
Imogen's ex, of the possibility she might still be alive.
I would recommend it for people twelve and up looking for an
exciting story with a strong female lead in the style of James Bond
or Jason Bourne.
Kayla Gaskell
Hark, it's me, Ruby Lee by Lisa Shanahan
Ill. by Binny. Lothian, 2017. ISBN 9780734416568
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Humour, Responsibility. When the
teacher, Mrs Majestic-Jones hands out the tasks or the week, Ruby
longs to be the messenger, after all she can say Hark, it's me, Ruby
Lee, very well, and often. But she is always overlooked, getting the
task of being the rubbish monitor instead. One day the messenger is
away and so Ruby gets the job, but in taking what appears to be a
simple message to the front office, Ruby gets waylaid by her
incredible imagination.
Avoiding the speckled forcklewockle, she forgets the message. So Mrs
Majestic-Jones, gives the message on a piece of paper, but Lucy
loses this too when she and George meet the Squinker, then the
teacher gives the message to George who accompanies Lucy but still
it gets waylaid when they run into the shlurgle. Lucy has the
position taken away.
But that very afternoon, a pigeon flies into the classroom, and Lucy
uses her skills to save the day, with funny results.
A warm hearted look at a child's eagerness to help, Lucy's attempts
to do the work stipulated by the teacher seem to end in disaster,
but in the end her skills are used to advantage. Readers will love
the way she uses her skills to save the day, and the position her
teacher gives her as a result will make the readers laugh out loud.
The irrepressible Ruby will worm her way into readers' hearts as she
tries so hard to be useful. They will readily recognise the school
setting and the pitfalls of an overexcited imagination causing
lapses in concentration, but even this flaw in Ruby's world makes
her a necessary part of the class makeup.
Fran Knight
Dinosaur dash by Mo Farah and Kes Gray
Ill. by Marta Kissi. Go, Mo, Go! series. Hodder, 2017. ISBN
9781444934014
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Running, Dinosaurs, Adventure. Mo Farah,
Britain's most successful long distance runner, has worked with
author, Kes Gray to produce a series of books called, Go, Mo,
Go! in which Mo and his four friends find themselves in some
difficulty, and only by running can fin their way out. In this the
first in the series, Dinosaur dash, Mo and Vern, Lily, Banjo
and Lyra, decide to run backwards. They hold each other's hands but
find that by running backwards, have run back in time, to the
dinosaur era. Each time they turn around, they are about to be
trampled or eaten, squashed or flown away by one of the dinosaurs.
Young children will love reading about the dinosaurs as part of the
story which subtly gives information about the dinosaurs' size,
abilities and food they eat. Each time the quintet is found by yet
another dinosaur, they must run to get away. But in finding
themselves atop a mountain feeling safe, the mountain comes alive,
spurting hot lava out of its top, making them run again, but this
time, back home.
Easy to read, with an emphasis on running carefully added to the
plot and the added interest in the dinosaurs, this series will be
readily picked up by younger readers, particularly those who are
newly independent. They will feel at ease with the larger print,
different fonts underscoring the repeated words and phrases, the
many illustrations and readable amount of text on each page. At 70
pages long, this series is most accessible to newly confident
younger readers.
Fran Knight
Jek/Hyde by Amy Ross
Harlequin Teen, 2017. ISBN 9781489243768 Jek/Hyde is a modern retelling of the classic Stevenson novel
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Set in an
industrial town called London, the novel follows Lulu, a
seventeen-year-old who is worried about her best friend and crush,
Jek. Jek is insanely smart for the seventeen-year-old and because of
his mother's position at London Chem he has acquired enough
equipment to have a fully functioning lab of his own. As he grew
older his experiments became less and less family friendly and,
unknown to his mother, his interest in psychoactive drugs grew.
While Jek's science ensures he is a recluse this can be hard for
Lulu who has been pining for him since they were children.
But Jek isn't the only boy around and Lulu soon meets Hyde. He is
thrilling and dark. Completely anti-nice-guy. He's at all the London
Chem Brat parties but also seems to be a friend of Jek. Despite
their apparent friendship they are never seen together. After
catching Hyde emerging from Jek's place Lulu confronts Jek only to
find that, for once, this is not a subject they can talk about.
Hyde's mystery remains and when Jek disappears it's Hyde that Lulu
goes to to find him. But is she too late to save the boy she loves?
While this novel is a way to read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde in a modern setting its introduction of a love
triangle strips back the inner conflict of Jekyll and Hyde. While
the novel does touch on drug addiction it doesn't deal with it. I
wouldn't recommend other than as a more accessible version of the
original text.
Kayla Gaskell
I'll keep you safe by Peter May
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9781784294946
(Age: secondary - adult) Recommended. Themes: Crime fiction,
Scotland, Outer Hebrides, Harris Tweed, Weaving, Fashion industry.
In the midst of the most important sales fair for his product,
Ramish Tweed, Rory Macfarlane is killed, blown up in his car in the
streets of Paris, with his lover, Irina Vetrov. His wife, Neave who
has accompanied him to the fair, is mind numbingly shocked,
especially when she is questioned as a possible suspect. She is
eventually allowed to leave Paris and return home to the Isle of
Lewis with a child's coffin containing what is left of her husband
of ten years, the man who as a teen saved her life, promising to
always keep her safe.
Upon return, she must put the funeral arrangements in place while
dealing with her always bitter mother in law while an old school
friend, Seonag, initially offering comfort outstays her welcome
after slipping into her bed one night. Neave's parents have refused
to attend the funeral, harking back to an incident which took the
life of their younger son, while the arrival of Lieutenant Braque
from Paris stirs the pot even further, with simmering tensions
between the islanders forming a fascinating part of the mix.
With Braque working with Inspector Gunn on the island, trying to
piece together some of the disparate clues, Neave returns home to
her beautiful house, built by the couple intending to live out their
lives there. Remote, but high on cliffs overlooking the ocean near a
small bothy they built for walkers, the house is a stunning part of
the backdrop to this novel, and it is to this house that Neave
returns after the funeral, there to unknowingly confront the
murderer, a murderer who has already killed Lt Braque.
As with Peter May's other stories, particularly the Lewis
Trilogy and Coffin Road, the setting is tantamount to the
story, the cold and bleak islands of the Outer Hebrides, a metaphor
for the windswept, barren relationship between many of the
protagonists. Readers will get a feel for the weavers in their
crofts, looking back to a time when most crofts had a loom and the
noise of its working would fill the days.
This is a highly readable and enjoyable crime novel, set in the
bleak Hebridean landscape. Full of the sights and sounds of the
people and their customs, language and traditions, I'll keep you
safe is a story bound to further enhance the numbers of crime
fiction tourists now visiting Scotland's shores.
Fran Knight
Margaret and David : 5 stars by Sandy George et al.
Wakefield Press, 2017 ISBN 9781743055137
(Age: senior secondary to adult) Recommended. Theatre, Film,
Critics. When Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton first aired their
new show, The Movie Show on SBS in 1989, no one could have
predicted that the show, now called At the Movies would be
aired on the ABC, or that the presenters, now simply called
Margaret and David by the world of film, would be icons. But their
obsessive knowledge of film and all of its variety has made them
household names and people are now bereft at losing their insightful
comments and commentary about many of the new films released.
It is no surprise that the 2017 Don Dunstan Award, given at the
Adelaide Film Festival was awarded to Margaret and David for their
extraordinary achievement and promotion of the Australian film
culture.
In this book, tributes are penned by many of the bright stars within
our film industry: Fred Schepisi, Geoffrey Rush, Gillian Armstrong,
amongst the nineteen contributors. Each is an outstanding
recognition of the pair, variously thanked for their promotion,
advocacy, criticism and support of film and the host of people who
make up the industry. Adolfo Aranjuez appreciates their ability to
'temper gut-based reactions with critical ones', Sandra Levy gives
the inside story of how Margaret and Dvid came from SBS to ABC, Josh
Pomeranz gives a child's view of growing up with Margaret, Jay
Weatherill loves the 'radically different takes on the films', Cate
Shortland was enthused seeing a woman debating film and being heard.
And Sandy George's contribution of a longer essay encapsulates the
work Margaret and David have done within the whole film industry.
Each writer's contribution in this engrossing publication verablises
for us all why we love these two film critics, evaluating the
contribution made by Margaret and David with love and admiration.
At the end of the book is a list of all the films to which they
awarded five stars, the same number of stars given to them for their
outstanding careers.
For students of film this will be a valuable resource and for the
casual reader a look into how the film industry reveres these
people.
Fran Knight
Close to the flame: The life of Stuart Challender by Richard Davis
Wakefield Press, 2017. ISBN 9781743054567
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) As a child growing up in
Tasmania, Stuart Challender learnt the piano and the clarinet, but
it was composer and conductor Felix Gethen and his achievements with
the Tasmanian orchestra that inspired Challender and made him
determined to become a conductor himself. Studying first at the
Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, and eventually travelling to
Germany to follow his dream, he endured the privations of a poor
student abroad. But his steadfast determination saw him follow his
path to a career as a talented conductor who was able to draw
something extra from orchestras in Europe as well as Australia. On
his return to his homeland, he worked with Opera Australia and the
ABC Sydney Symphony, and became a champion of contemporary
Australian composers, often providing a launch for new compositions
alongside well known favourites.
Despite being diagnosed with AIDS, Challender kept his illness
secret from all but his closest friends and continued to work until
the last. When his illness was finally revealed in the news, he was
amazed and deeply touched by the wave of support from family and
friends and the general public.
Reading this book, readers gain insight into the life of someone
whose path was not easy, but who was determined to follow his dream,
from a small town in Tasmania to the orchestras of Europe and
America; the story of Challender's life can be an inspiration to
others who want to follow a different path.
Helen Eddy
A time of torment by John Connolly
A Charlie Parker Thriller. Hodder and Stoughton, 2016. ISBN
9781444751581
(Age: Adult) Themes: Horror/Thriller; Supernatural; Crime; Cults;
Evil. With a focus on a West Virginian Community-Cult called 'The
Cut', this intensely written Crime and Horror story reintroduces the
Private Investigator, Charlie Parker to another collection of evil
characters. In this case he is commissioned by a former prisoner to
uncover the truth that led this man to being incarcerated despite
his claims of innocence, and in the process uncovers horror that is
naked and malignant and driven by the force of the 'Dead King'.
Individual Cut characters with no redeeming qualities are driven to
perform macabre and violent actions that can only be described as
malevolent. With a shadowy and spectral influence over both the good
and extremely evil, this is a very different crime story, permeated
with the marks of supernatural power.
With apologies to those who have followed Charlie Parker before, I
initially did not warm to his dry, but driven focus and his
'rise-from-the-dead' history. He investigated, employing some
unscrupulous and disreputable sidekicks and equally questionable
methods to pursue the 'bad eggs' at the heart of the dreadful
action. Ultimately though, it becomes obvious that only Charlie
Parker can withstand the incredible influence of the evil tendrils
that have wormed their way through the community. The threats by Cut
members and the graphic violence that they perpetrate is awful and
not for the faint-hearted reader. This story, revealing the worst of
human behaviour, will genuinely turn your stomach and make every
noise at night a cause for concern as you wonder whether the power
of evil will win over truth and justice.
Recommended only for mature readers who can cope with Horror and
extreme violence.
Carolyn Hull
One, Two, Three, ROAR! Judy Moody and friends by Megan McDonald
Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN 9780763695767
(Age: 6-8) A bind up of three short stories, this book would appeal
to younger readers between the ages of 6-8. Each of these simple
tales focus on Judy Moody and her friends, Rocky, Amy and Jessica.
The first of the three stories, Jessica Finch in Pig Trouble
is about a young lady who loves pigs and is desperate to be given
one for her birthday. Children could easily relate to the concept of
birthday wishes. Secrets are kept, and friendships are tested but
the resolution is positive. Rocky Zang in the Amazing Mr Magic begins with Rocky being
keen to perform his magic tricks for an audience. Unfortunately,
things don't go quite according to plan and Rocky is disappointed
until, eventually, he manages to complete a trick which impresses
Judy and makes him feel happy. Amy Namey in Ace Reporter tells of a keen would be reporter
endeavouring to find a great scoop which would merit being a
front-page story. She shares her ideas with her friends and together
they try to uncover a newsworthy story. Not only does she come up
with a piece she deems fit for 'publication', she learns of a
similarity between she and her mother and this creates a good
bonding experience.
They are gentle and not at all challenging or threatening, providing
positive messages about friendship and tolerance and the fact that
different interests can unite people instead of dividing them.
Jo Schenkel
Aussies vs England: Game on by Mitchell Starc
Ill. by Philip Bunting. Mighty Mitchell series. Scholastic,
2017. ISBN 9781742763194
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Cricket. Humour. Sport. School. Mitchell
stares down the pitch at the incoming fast bowler. He has been told
by the captain that everything depends upon him and he gives it his
best shot. But the chanting of his name, Mitchell, is not from the
huge crowd he imagines in the stadium, but his next door neighbour,
Mr Nguyen who has again had a ball hit over his fence. Brought back
to reality, Mitchell retrieves his ball and faces his mum.
Full of humour, the story evolves with Mitchell at the centre of
this story, winning the readers with an easily read and absorbed
story while educating them about cricket.
Cricketer, Mitchell Starc has turned his hand at a new field, that
of writing for children with a series of children's books about
something he knows intimately, cricket.
The team, Wander Hill Wombats, is inclusive and each child is given
a page of information, just like the team members during television
coverage of cricket matches. Each practice reveals new words
associated with the game, within the work the children and their
coach do, ensuring the readers will learn these words and what they
mean with ease. Readers will learn of the importance of the coach
and his role, the importance of practice and team involvement, and
learn how to score.
When the Wombats must play another team, the Barkley Blues from the
Barkleyshire College, then tactics must be discussed and of course,
Mitchell saves the day.
This is a well written and presented story set within the rules and
customs of cricket, ensuring a younger generation will learn to love
the sport and be involved with a sound basis of cricket knowledge.
Fran Knight
Bloomsbury activity books
Bloomsbury, 2017. My first French words. ISBN 9781408876794 My first Spanish words. ISBN 9781408873700
(Age: 4-6) Sticker activity book. With bright bold illustrations,
thematic pages looking at the young child's world, these sticker
books are interesting educational tools for introducing a second
language or supporting the foundations of developing a mother
tongue. Initial introductions, sounding out the noun then finding
the corresponding sticker allows for interaction and vocalisation of
the new words. These learning opportunities make it fun to learn new
words. My first French words introduces transport, things in a
mother's handbag, clothes, things in the garden and animals
everywhere. After matching more than 200 stickers, to familiar
environments including the bathroom, school and bedroom there's time
to check their memory on the 'I knew my French words' pages. My first Spanish words is set out in a similar format, with lively
illustrations and large easy to peel colourful stickers. Familiar
topics include things that go, animals, animals everywhere and
numbers and counting.
These Bloomsbury Sticker Activity Books give the young reader a
chance to experience new vocabulary in a fun way.
Rhyllis Bignell
