Secret world of butterflies by Courtney Sina Meredith
Ill. by Giselle Clarkson. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760633608
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Butterflies. Nature.
Environment. Published to coincide with the exhibition 'Secret World
of Butterflies' at the Auckland War Memorial Museum (June 2018-May
2019) this stunning book full of colour and information is enough to
make people want to pack their bags and fly over the ditch if not
already there to take in the delights that this exhibition must
display.
Told in rhyming couplets, by Auckland poet, Courtney Sina Meredith,
information about butterflies is there on every page to read and
absorb. From large to small, from flying high to flying closer to
the ground, from how they see, to how we see them, to what they eat
and how they sleep, all is given in rhyming lines that beg to be
read out loud, and invite the readers to predict what word will
rhyme.
The stunning illustrations are luminous across each page, with
detailed drawings of these insects, drawn with accuracy and interest
sure to grab the attention of all who open the book. Wellington
based freelance illustrator, Giselle, produces a monthly comic as
well as illustrating various books and magazines.
I loved the way some pages replicated the display of butterflies in
an exhibition, spaced out on a board for everyone to see, while
others had full page spreads illustrating a scene in the natural
world, with others set in the built environment. I loved the pages
showing the camouflage used by some of these insects to stay alive
and I loved reading all the information given on the last three
pages.
This is a wholly fascinating book, sure to please younger readers
with an inquisitive eye and those who want to know more about
butterflies. Many will adore the little known facts presented:
butterflies drink crocodile tears or butterflies taste with their
feet, but all will look at the butterflies they see with renewed
interest after absorbing this book.
Fran Knight
The Bad Guys: Episode 7: Do-you-think-he-saurus?! by Aaron Blabey
The Bad Guys book 7, Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781760279493
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Do-you-think-he-saurus?! will
need no promotion to fans of the Bad Guys as they time travel
through space, landing on the exact spot they wanted, but at the
wrong time - 65 million years in the past.
Readers will cheer as the Bad Guys face a fierce dinosaur while they
try to repair their time machine and get back to earth in time to
save it from the evil alien.
Even though this book follows on from The
Bad Guys: Episode 6, new readers to the series will
quickly catch onto the characters and the plot and they will be
swept along laughing out loud at the antics of the dinosaur and the
Bad Guys. Blabey also has a little fun looking at the qualities of
leadership that will fascinate kids and the drawings of the
characters are a joy to examine.
To add to the reader's enjoyment is a pilot episode, "The glamorous
life of Dr Rupert Marmalade", at the back of the book and adults and
kids alike will have a laugh at the take-off of reality shows and
the huge ego of Dr Marmalade.
This is a series that will give any readers a lift as they laugh
along with Blabey's fabulous sense of humour and hilarious drawings.
Pat Pledger
Dogasaurus by Lucinda Gifford
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781743810712
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. In Dogasaurus, Molly finds an
egg in The Mysterious Ancient Forest next to her home. Molly is like
any curious child and takes the egg home. It hatches and now Molly
has a new pet. It is small and cute but Molly's new pet is a
dinosaur. What will happen as Rex the dinosaur - who acts like a dog
- grows and grows? Molly and Rex play games, he helps with the
chickens and he herds the animals. Rex might be gigantic and he
might make a lot of mess but Molly loves him. One day, Molly finds
Rex staring at The Mysterious Ancient Forest. They hear roaring from
inside the forest. Is the forest where Rex truly belongs? Dogasaurus is a beautiful story about a friendship between a
girl and her pet. The illustrations are gorgeous and colourful. They
help tell the story and would be great prompts for oral retelling in
the classroom. This story is also fun and the pictures portray that.
Dogasaurus is also a great story to help us say goodbye to
those we love. It is highly recommended for bedtime reading with
readers under 7 and for independent readers aged 7+. Dinosaur fans
as well as readers who love a good story about friendship will enjoy
this book.
Kylie Kempster
Jacob's toys: The big backyard adventure! by Claudia Woods
Harbour Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781922134943
First to flee were Ted and Dupree, then Tessa Turtle, Poncho and
Mousy Dundee. Not far behind was the smallest of all, the teeny tiny
reindeer that Jacob called Paul. Jacob tells his mother that he is
too old for soft toys and he wants to give them away. His mother
washes them and hangs them on the line to dry. But wild weather sets
the toys free and sends them on an exciting adventure across the
garden.
What will become of the toys? Will they make it to their new home
safely? Will Jacob realise he will never be too old for his soft toy
friends? (Publisher)
This book has very interesting illustrations. They are a mixture of
real images and collage. The text is well written and the rhyming
will be a winner with children from an early age. I can see them
joining in or predicting the rhyming. Friendship and loyalty are
interwoven through the storyline and the look and find challenge at
the end of the book is a welcome addition.
Kathryn Schumacher
Unmasked: An inspirational story of triumph over adversity by Turia Pitt
Random House, 2018. Young Adult edition. ISBN 9780143790396
(Age: Young adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Resilience,
Adversity, Goal-setting, Physical injury. Turia Pitt tells her
inspirational story for young adults. There is no doubt her account
of surviving horrific burns and learning to live life with gratitude
despite the horrors of her experience will be inspiring and
challenging for young readers. The fierce competitive and dogged
resilience that has always marked her life is really put to the test
as she learns to put one foot in front of the other - either in
recovery or on an ultra-marathon. The love and support of her
partner in life, Michael, is also a story of strong, masculine
devotion that should be read by young men too. This is not just a
story for girls. As difficult as the circumstances that Turia has
faced, her advice for young readers is powerful and important, and
because of her experience will echo through the emptiness of a
self-centred culture.
Written mostly from Turia's perspective, she does however include
the voices of family and friends whose lives were also impacted by
the trauma of Turia's burns. Advice for surviving adversity and
difficulties in life is also given, with her perspective adding
power to these words.
Photo pages for reference are included in the centre of the book.
Carolyn Hull
Behold the beautiful dung beetle by Cheryl Bardoe
Ill. by Alan Marks. Charlesbridge, 2018, ISBN 9781580895552
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dung beetles, Dung, Insects.
All animals leave behind dung or faeces or poo (feces and poop in
this book published in the USA) and it needs cleaning up. The dung
beetle is onto the task almost immediately, sensing when some is
dropped and flying to the poo within fifteen seconds of it hitting
the ground. He needs to be fast, as many thousands of other dung
beetles are on their way as well. Once there, different dung beetles
do different things. Some bury it before others get there, some eat
it, some make tunnels taking the poo down with them where one egg is
left in each piece of dung, some roll the dung into a ball and roll
it away to a place where it can be buried and used to incubate an
egg.
The dung beetle therefore creates air pockets in the soil, aerating
it, as well as fertilising it. And the dung provides food for the
growing grub. No wonder the Ancient Egyptians saw them as symbols of
life and its renewal, calling them scarabs.
This is a fascinating little book with illustrations that
wonderfully complement the text, revealing exactly what the beetles
look like, what they do and how they operate. The last two pages
give information as text, with a glossary and bibliography.
This is an outstanding contribution to the area of simpler texts
about our natural world, produced energetically for beginning
readers. The idea of poo is a surefire winner, but the work of the
dung beetle will hold their attention, prompting children to look
more closely at the poo left around the place and be in awe of how
it is removed by this marvelous insect.
Fran Knight
Ellie Engineer by Jackson Pearce
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781681195193
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. "Ellie is an engineer. With a tool
belt strapped over her favorite skirt (who says you can't wear a
dress and have two kinds of screwdrivers handy, just in case?), she
invents and builds amazing creations in her backyard workshop.
Together with her best friend Kit, Ellie can make anything. As Kit's
birthday nears, Ellie doesn't know what gift to make until the girls
overhear Kit's mom talking about her present - the dog Kit always
wanted! Ellie plans to make an amazing doghouse, but her plans grow
so elaborate that she has to enlist help from the neighbor boys and
crafty girls, even though the two groups don't get along. Will Ellie
be able to pull off her biggest project yet? Illustrated with
Ellie's sketches and plans, and including backmasters with how-tos,
this is full of engineering fun!" (Publisher)
I have had "Ellie Engineer" highly recommended to me and I was not
disappointed. Ellie is a strong female character who enters a world
normally dominated by boys. She has all the traits we are trying to
foster in the youth of today - friendly, kind, creative and
inventive. Ellie is the perfect mix - although she likes to wear
dresses she also likes to be creative, inventive and wears a tool
belt ensuring she is always prepared. She is a risk taker and fully
understands that when you are inventing things failure is a common
occurrence by one must display persistence and keep going. She
ensures she keeps detailed notes and drawings documenting her
journey which are cleverly interspersed throughout the book. I would
recommend this book for students aged 8 and up. Themes touched on
include STEM, friendship and gender stereotypes.
Kathryn Schumacher
Running on empty by Sonya Spreen Bates
Orca Sports series. Orca Book Publishers, 2018. ISBN
9781459816534
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Sport - Athletics, Family,
Overcoming difficulties. Leon experiences the worst outcome during
his High School 4 x 100metre relay event - the end of his sprint
career due to a mid-race accident. The turmoil of having his life
turned upside down because of his injury, results in family
difficulties and emotional distress. Nothing will ever be the same
again! A chance meeting at the Physiotherapy clinic with Casey, the
feisty, spirited and attractive teenager, changes his direction, and
potentially leads him towards a new way of living. But is her
direction healthy, or does her own struggle in life put Leon in
danger of some unwise choices? Can he run again, or should he just
give up?
This book takes the reader into the story of an American teenager on
the brink of College life, whose hopes for an Athletics scholarship
get crushed because of injury. Family relationships and disharmony
are addressed, as well as the generational dilemma of coping with a
grandparent on the brink of dementia. But essentially it is a story
of someone at the crossroads trying to deal with difficulty in their
life and to recover from disappointment, all within the context of
school athletics and sporting aspirations. Casey's problems are
intense, and we know there are major problems, but her power to
inspire Leon gives hope where there was none. Problems do not
disappear, but the future for the two teens will not be plain
sailing. This book will be appreciated by sports fans, but also by
others who understand the teenage predicaments that the characters
face.
Recommended for readers aged 13+.
Carolyn Hull
Topspin by Sonya Spreen Bates
Orca Sports series. Orca Book Publishers, 2013. ISBN 9781459803855
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Themes: Tennis, Sabotage, Competition. Kat
has made it to the Junior Tennis championship at Melbourne Park.
This is the chance she has always wanted but Miri, her Doubles
partner, seems to be up to something, and it seems to involve the
unwitting tennis player, Hamish - Miri's very likeable boyfriend.
The tension between Kat and Miri is growing and affecting Kat's
ability to perform on court in both her Singles game and her Doubles
contests. Kat decides she needs to figure out what is behind Miri's
growing secrecy and strange connection with the unpleasant
character, Dray. Kat's sleuthing uncovers a plot that could damage
Hamish's chance in the championship. Will this information put them
all in danger, and will she be able to protect Hamish from Dray's
sabotage?
This is an action book - action on the tennis court and in the
uncovering of the plot to sabotage a tennis player's success. It is
exciting and full of the language, strategy and interest of
competitive tennis for Junior participants. It is also a mystery and
adventure involving the young under 16 characters. This is the kind
of book that young sports lovers will love, because of the
past-paced and intriguing environment of competitive sport. The
action off court is also exciting and slightly cautionary, with
competitive tendencies sometimes making the participants quite
unpleasant in their desire to win.
Recommended for readers who love sport, aged 12+.
Carolyn Hull
Off the rim by Sonya Spreen Bates
Orca Sports series. Orca Book Publishers, 2015. ISBN
9781459808881
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Basketball, Cyberbullying, Mystery
Adventure. Dylan Lane is in his American school's basketball team
and they are on the brink of making the playoffs. This is their last
chance, with team members facing College and post-school career
choices. Basketball plays and training become very important, as
does improving the playing skills of Noah, the weakest link in the
team. Dylan's girlfriend Jenna is in the girls' team and they have
already made it to playoffs. Will Dylan's team fall short? Can Jenna
help? But this is not the only drama Jenna and Dylan face. For some
reason Jenna is being targeted with a string of texts and emails
that threaten her if she does not stay 'quiet'. And when these
threats become attempts at running Dylan and Jenna off the road it
is obvious that this is very serious. With Noah's help, eventually
they work towards unravelling the mystery . . . and play basketball for
all they are worth.
This is a book full of the drama of a sporting contest and a
life-or-death mystery with cyber threats. It is exciting and the
language of the basketball sporting contest will appeal to those
steeped in the sport. With characters on the edge of adult life,
this is probably suited to high school readership, but there will be
some younger readers who are basketball buffs who would also enjoy
the action. Set in the USA and written by a Canadian writer who is a
resident of South Australia, this book is a cross-cultural
experience, but young readers who are consumers of American culture
through movies will have no problem connecting with the story.
Recommended for readers aged 13+ (especially those that love
basketball).
Carolyn Hull
Marvellous Mummy by Katie Poli and Giuseppe Poli
New Frontier, 2018. ISBN 9781925594188
(Age: All) Recommended. Mums can be funny and friendly and gentle
and strong . . . all in one day!
What an absolutely gorgeous book. The illustrations accompany a
simple story line that will appeal to a wide audience and be a big
hit around Mother's Day. It is interesting that it is not all sweet
and gooey and also talks about mummies that get grumpy, grumbly and
angry! Just shows that we are not always the perfect mother! This
will certainly resonate with lots of the children as they so much
enjoy sharing the good and the bad stories about their mums - often
without a filter. The text allows you to create great visualisations
of your own and it would be a fantastic activity to do with children
- just sharing the text and getting the children to create their own
images. A welcome addition to the collection and is suitable for
children of any ages.
Kathryn Schumacher
The all new must have Orange 430 by Michael Speechley
Penguin, 2018. ISBN 9780143788973
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Consumerism, Toys. Michael
Speechley's debut picture book "The All New Must Have Orange 430"
introduces young children to consumerism, it demonstrates that you
don't need to have the latest toy to have fun. In our world today,
we are bombarded with advertising, children covet the latest
electronic device, toy or fashion clothing. Speechley's message is
powerfully illustrated in dark, layered backgrounds with sepia toned
images featuring a moody mix of brown, grey, orange and white.
Harvey's desire for the all new ORANGE 430 is driven by marketing in
a magazine, the toy is on sale and of course they won't last at the
discounted price. He searches everywhere to come up with money and
finds some interesting things like false teeth, Lego and the remote
control as well. He passes billboards with interesting messages and
finally arrives at the small shop filled with other useless objects.
Harvey's expressions as he experiments with his new toy are
wonderful, amazement, surprise and contemplation, even LouLou the
cat seems scared of it. Taking his toy back proves frustrating and
along he rushes off to join a long queue of unhappy young customers
at the Useless Object International offices. The young boy asks the
other children and adults, 'could you do anything with your
objects?'
Tipping out the useless toys and playing with the boxes proves to be
a fun and happy time, hopscotch, box boat races and building box
towers. Harvey's message is potent, he's only going to save for
useful stuff from now on, much to the disgust of Mr Ripoff president
of the UIO factory. Even LouLou the cat finds a special use for the
Orange 430 box, it makes a comfy bed.
"The All New Must Have Orange 430" picture book provides an
important insight for families and for classes into the effects of
advertising and consumerism in our world. Take time to observe the
signs, the labels on the stuff in the background and discuss the
difference between needs and wants, the importance of financial
responsibility and the effects of advertising. Speechley's important
messages are equally relevant to children, teenagers and adults
living in today's society.
Rhyllis Bignell
Blue Window by Adina Rishe Gewirtz
Candlewick Books, 2018. ISBN 9780763660369
(Age: Older adolescents - Adults) This powerful novel, epic in
scope, presents an undiscovered world that seems to be both
predictably human and terrifyingly inhuman. Seeming to fall into a
new world through a blue glass window, five imaginative siblings
find themselves caught in an unexpected place where what they have
known as normal does not exist. Their aim is to escape but they
cannot understand how they have been caught in the new world, so the
possibility of leaving seems to be physically impossible.
This is a world of upheaval, violence and fear, a world where the
inhabitants are oppressed, bullied and subjugated to rules that
dominate their lives. They are largely unaware of a possibility of a
world that offers freedom, peace or love. We are aware that Gewirtz
subtly suggests changes in our world that mimic that of her
dystopian society, such as control of free thought, of liberal
education, or of equality and justice. Both disturbing and violent,
this world suggests that some of the present and past worlds that we
have known or inherited are the result of the potential for human
beings to allow those with power to overrule others to the extent
that all known freedoms cease to exist, and dominance, in all
aspects of life, to quash the spirit.
In this dystopian world, the inhabitants, strange-looking and with
quite different ideas about life, seem to follow many of the ways of
the children's own world, yet their world runs on different rules.
It ought to be terrifying but the children seem to find the strength
to analyse the way this world works and the strength to resist
further exploration, and to realize the power of their own
individual strength. The power of their minds to dream up a scenario
seems to be one avenue of enabling change, as they discover, and it
is this positive thinking that offers escape but, paradoxically,
alerts the inhabitants to their presence and endangers them.
This novel is about the power of goodness, decency, kindness,
intelligence, and the capacity of the human spirit to overcome
extreme repression. It speaks of aspects of societies that our world
has known, but placing the children in one such world evokes both
our empathy and our fear of the power of thought and persuasion. I
found it disturbing and unsettling to read, with such young people,
unable to reach their own family and known world, plunged into such
a harsh and violent world. The characters, somewhat ingenuously,
appear to not realize the actual threat of that world, and their
strength of character, loyalty and love, appear to enable them to
find the means to flee.
Qualities such as persistence, kindness and decency are important in
the interactions of the children, both within their little group and
with the locals. Their return to their family home is a satisfying
ending, but plunging such young people into such a violent and
oppressive world evokes a disturbing response in the reader.
Beautifully written, this book is suitable for older adolescents or
adults.
Elizabeth Bondar
The Champion Charlies: The Mix-Up by Adrian Beck
Ill. by Adele K Thomas. Random House, 2018, ISBN 9780143791249
(Age: 6-9) Themes: Soccer, Sports. "The Champion Charlies" series
has been developed in partnership with Football Federation Australia
promoting teamwork and the enjoyment of the game.
When Principal Swift announces that football is cancelled twenty
minutes before the first training session starts, everyone is
shocked. Charles 'CJ" Jackson and Charlotte Alessi, captains of the
boys' and girls' teams can't believe this devastating news. Last
year, both teams had worked hard and won their grand finals, CJ and
Charlotte's photo had appeared in the local paper under the heading
'the Champion Charlies'.
What was the principal doing? The whole class discussed the dilemma
during Science with Mr Hyants (Highpants). They decide to start a
petition demanding that their favourite sport is reinstated. The
principal explains that several families have moved and there aren't
enough students left to make a boys' and a girls' squad; the only
solution is a mixed team.
Both Champion Charlies must get over their personal rivalries and
work together to help form a new Jindaberg Primary football team.
After Principal Swift and Highpants announce this new plan at the
Alessi house during a girls' team party, (which CJ has crashed) the
competition is on. CJ presumes he's the new captain planning
training sessions whilst Charlotte is determined she will be in
charge.
"The Mix-up" is full of excitement, games, humour and pranks, plenty
of football tips and family fun. With a coach who loves karaoke,
dads who love dancing and performing during half-time and an enemy
determined to stop the Jets from winning, this is a great story for
young sports fan. Adrian Beck's easy-to-read style, great characters
and Adele Thomas' humorous cartoons reinforce positive messages of
working together, active listening and valuing each other's skills
and abilities. A great start to a new series focused on sport and
sportsmanship.
Rhyllis Bignell
Seed Magic by Natalie McKinnon and Margaret Tolland
The Spider series, Starfish Bay, 2018, ISBN 9781760360313
(Age: 5-7) Themes: Plants - life cycle, Anxiety, Friendship. Natalie
McKinnon's story "Seed Magic" draws elements from the Aesop's fable
of the ant and the grasshopper. She is passionate about educating
young children, to develop understandings of where food comes from
and their relationships with the natural environment. Here, she
explores the rhythms of the seasons, the life cycle of plants and
the magical qualities of seeds.
In a quiet corner of the garden, shy Little Spider hides in her
comfy leaf, listening to the everyday sounds. She hears the peaceful
garden song, the tap drip-dripping and the owl family hooting.
However her peacefulness is disturbed by Anxious Ant's refrain
'hurry, scurry, worry-worry,' as he rushes about gathering his
stockpile of seeds. He counts each seed out aloud, determined to be
ready for winter. Wise Little Spider understands the importance
leaving seeds in the ground ready to germinate in Spring-time.
She offers to spin a silky warm scarf for the ant in exchange for
five seeds. This exchange leads to a special friendship as they
observe the seasonal changes brought by the warm Spring sunshine and
rain, watching these seeds sprouting, the plant growing and then
producing juicy fruit. Anxious Ant learns about seed magic.
McKinnon's modern fable has an ecological message, take only what
you need or the balance of nature is compromised. Her detailed
descriptive story is beautifully captured by Tolland's painted
garden scenes, with native New Zealand red blossoms and natural
tones. "Seed Magic" is suitable for Junior Primary Science classes
observing plants and their life cycles.
Rhyllis Bignell
