Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781408880500
(Age: 2+) Recommended. Board book. Bobo the Panda and all of his
friends are exploring the concept of opposites in this lift the flap
book. This is a simple story about opposites with great
illustrations. It explores the concepts of in and out, small
and big, down and up, slow and fast and loud and soft.
This book is a fun way to explore with Bobo and his friend's
opposites and see what they get up to.
The flaps in this book are a good size for small children to be able
to help with opening them.
I recommend this book to 2+.
Karen Colliver
A school day smile by Zanni Louise
Ill. by Gillian Flint. Tiggy and the magic paintbrush series.
Five Mile, 2018. ISBN 9781760680404
(Age: 5-6) Themes: First day at school. Friendship. It is Tiggy's
first day at school, and although she is very independent, she uses
her secret, magic paintbrush to paint on a confident smile.
Unfortunately it also means she is silent! Making friends and
communicating with your teacher is very hard with a 'painted' smile.
Eventually she works out how to solve this problem.
It is written simply, for early independent readers, with simple
cartoon style illustrations by Gillian Flint. This is not a chapter
book (more like a miniature picture book), but it has a fun and
appealing personality that will appeal to readers aged 5-6.
Carolyn Hull
Monash's masterpiece: The Battle of Le Hamel and the 93 minutes that changed the world by Peter FitzSimons
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780733640087
(Age: Senior secondary) Recommended. The name, Monash, is common in
parts of Australia, linked to a University, suburb and street names.
However, for the reader of this book, the importance of Sir John
Monash is brought to life by Peter FitzSimmons.
Almost 100 years ago, the World War I, Battle of Le Hamel,
encapsulated the imaginative thinking, meticulous planning and
outstanding leadership of the Australian commander, in what has been
described as the first modern battle. Infantry, tanks, artillery and
aircraft operated together as a coordinated force. Unlike other
battles of the war, for the first time each infantry battalion was
accompanied into battle with a tank, preceded by a careful artillery
barrage and supported with supplies by air drop. The results of the
93 minute battle were devastating for the enemy and Australian (and
American) losses were relatively low. Monash said: 'A perfected
modern battle plan is like nothing so much as a score for an
orchestral composition, where various arms and units are
instruments, and the tasks they perform are their respective musical
phrases'.
FitzSimmons writes with verve and passion about Monash and his men.
He scorns the commander's detractors and highlights the momentous
importance of the victory of the battle for ending the war, the
introduction of American soldiers, use of technology, importance of
planning, organisation and communication. The stories of ordinary
soldiers and their incredible bravery are also embedded in the
account.
The book is researched from a wide variety of sources and is
accompanied by excellent maps and photographs.
Paul Pledger
1918 by Libby Gleeson
Australia's Great War series. Scholastic. 2018. ISBN
9781743622513
(Age: 12+) Recommended. This is the last book in the Australia's
Great War series. Each book concentrates on a different year
and the series has had a variety of authors. 1918 written by
Libby Gleeson, concentrates on the final year of WW1, where it is
obvious that fatigue and the toll of war has had a deep effect on
the soldiers in the fields.
Based in the Western Front, Ned and his mates will be part of the
battle at Villers-Bretonneux. It is through Ned's eyes that we
experience the final months of battle. The conditions in the
trenches and the horrifying injuries and loss are described by Ned
who longs to return to his home in Australia. The great enthusiasm
that Ned experienced signing up to fight has been replaced by
fatigue and a hope to survive.
It is through correspondence between Ned and his family that we get
a glimpse of his former life on the farm at home and the impact the
war has on his family. There is obviously a larger issue between Ned
and his brother Jim who has had to stay behind. The mystery of why
Jim did not join up and Ned's guilt over his brother is slowly
revealed during the novel.
Lighter moments are when Ned and his friends are on leave and meet
young Australian nurses who have to cope with the bloodied and
disfigured men who continually pass through their care.
Although I have seen this novel recommended to 9 year olds and
older, I feel that this book would be more appropriate from 12 years
on.
I recommend this book to students in upper primary and high school.
Jane Moore
Armistice by Ruth Starke
Ill. by David Kennett. Working Title Press, 2018. ISBN 9781921504914
Highly recommended. On Sunday, November 11 2018 at 11.00am the
world will stop and remember that after a long, gruelling, deadly
war that shaped both history and nations alike, the guns finally
stopped a century ago.
The centrepiece of the Australian commemoration at the Australian
War Memorial will be the installation of 62,000 knitted red
poppy flowers, each representing an Australian life lost during the
conflict. While those 62,000 voices have been silent for a century,
this new book, a companion to My
Gallipoli, brings together the voices of many who waited for
the inevitable outcome. From the Chief Allied Interpreter, soldiers
and civilians and even Corporal Adolf Hitler, lying wounded in a
military hospital, the events and the emotions are given a human
side rather than the stark words on the pages of history books or in
the mouths of modern dispassionate commentators.
While the guns were silenced on November 11, 1918, the talking
continued for seven months until the Treaty
of Versailles was finally signed on June 28, 1919 and the
reader learns not only of the changes that were made to the world
itself but also the conditions that meant that a second world war
was inevitable.
With endpapers that show the political changes that occurred in
Europe between 1914 and 1925, thumbnail sketches of those whose
voices have been quoted and comprehensive teachers'
notes available this is a remarkable book that will help our
students understand the significance of the time and its centenary.
It is a must-have in any collection relating to World War I.
Lest We Forget.
Barbara Braxton
Undercover by Mark Powers
Ill. by Tim Wesson. Spy toys book 3. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN
9781408870907
(Ages 7-9) Themes: Toys. Spies. Espionage. Undercover is an
action-adventure story in which a cast of misfit creatures, a doll,
a teddy bear and robot rabbit join forces and return to solve a new
dilemma. Overnight the entire Chimpwick's Chocolate factory has
disappeared, and the Department of Secret Affairs is called in to
help. Mysterious Auntie Roz calls on the assistance of Dan the
superstrong Snugaliffic Cuddlestar bear, Arabella the angry
Loadsasmiles Sunshine Doll (who doesn't like children) and Flax a
custom-made police robot rabbit to discover who is behind this
terrible situation.
Auntie Roz believes Paula Dimple a disgruntled ex-employee, now
working a science teacher, is the troublemaker. Dan, Arabella and
Flax are equipped with unique disguises, android bodysuits and sent
in to Water Shrew Lane Primary to investigate. Arabella's anger and
attitude lead her into some amusing confrontations. After school the
trio ride across the wasteland on rocket-powered bikes with the
Science Club kids to the Learnatorium, an abandoned museum. Here evil
Penelope Spume, leader of SIKBAG a secret society for brainy kids,
shares her diabolical plot to rid the world of four factories
responsible for children having fun instead of learning. Her special
teleporting device moves the Snaztacular Ultrafun Factory to the
Sahara, and has targeted the Bogey Cola a fizzy drink factory and a
kids' television studio.
Flying on an A4 hexi-silicone paper plane, Arabella and Dan fly off
to Paris to rescue their captured friend Flax held captive at a
secret SIKBAG location.
Tim Wesson's over-the-top comical illustrations compliment the
action and brings the strange characters to life. With plenty of
action, humour, ridiculous characters and crazy inventions, Mark
Power's Undercover is an easy to read novel for the newly
independent reader.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Dream Bird by Aleesah Darlinson
Ill. by Emma Middleton. Wombat Books, 2018. ISBN 9781925563337
Picture book. George was a day child - he loved to run and play in
the sunshine and light. But it was a different story at night time
when it was time to snuggle down and sleep. No matter what he did,
he could not sleep. Even following the suggestions of his family
like counting 100 sheep backwards and drinking hot milk did not
work.
Deciding to try something new, he crept into Gran's room but her bed
is cold without her cuddles to make it cosy. But as he slips
forlornly to the floor, she slips into the room and tells him a
story about a magical bird that will help him sleep and have the
nicest of dreams...
This is a most intriguing story, one that has many layers.
Certainly, on the surface, it celebrates the power of the bedtime
story as an essential part of the nighttime routine and it also
opens up discussions about the importance of sleep and the ways we
can help ourselves drift off. But what is Grandma's secret? Is she
alive? Did she die in her sleep making George scared that that will
happen to him? Is it her 'ghost' telling the story of the Dream
Bird?
The contrast in the illustrations between George the day child and
George the night child using the softest palette and increasingly
ethereal lines, the transition between the two parts of the story is
perfect, and even though Grandma is the youngest looking grandma on
the planet (probably appropriate given George's age), it all goes
towards making this another Darlinson delight that will entertain as
much as it intrigues.
Barbara Braxton
The poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2018. ISBN 9781405291460
(Age: Older teens) Highly recommended. Verse novel. The Poet X
is a novel which grabs a reader by the heart and transports them
into another world. Poet X takes us on an emotional, heart-rending
journey through a tumultuous time in her young life and every moment
of joy, agony and discovery, is powerfully communicated through her
unique mix of prose and poetry. The other players in her life are
finely drawn and authentically portrayed; Mami is truly formidable
and Twin, in contrast, is sensitive and loving; Ms Galiano is the
caring English teacher we all wish we had in our lives and Caridad
is the perfect friend, critical when it counts but supportive when
it's needed most. But best of all, Xiomara, affectionately dubbed
Poet X by the adoring Aman, is passionate, feisty and strong in the
face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles (her Mami), it's
impossible not to fall in love with her. Transfixed by the power and
magic of her words, the reader can only cheer her on as she strives
to find her voice and empathise with her very real, adolescent
struggles.
I loved this book. While at first I was apprehensive about its
'verse novel' nature, it wasn't long before I was totally hooked by
Elizabeth Acevedo's protagonist and her gorgeously articulated
story. Every page offered a new lyrical adventure and there were
times when my heart alternately burst with love or was gripped by
anxiety and shared pain. Acevedo's way with words is magical and
addictive. Teenage and adult readers alike will be mesmerised by the
power of the language and the desire to devour just one more
delicious page . . .
I would highly recommend this book to older teenage readers. It
shares its place with other 'coming-of-age' novels but for me was a
much more candid, intense and genuine portrayal of very real,
contemporary issues than some.
Jennifer Cross
My new best friend by Meredith Costain
Olivia's Secret Scribbles. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN
9781760277062
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. My New Best Friend is the
first story in a new series called Olivia's Secret Scribbles.
Olivia is excited. She has a brand new bedroom in the attic and she
is ecstatic that she got something before her older sister did - a
room with stairs. Olivia is an inventor and a detective. She has
also lost her best friend who has moved away and someone keeps on
sneaking into her room. Thankfully, Olivia's inventing skills are
pretty good and she comes up with a way to catch the thief. Olivia
also likes to write about her day in her diary and the story is told
through the entries she makes. Olivia is all ready for a new school
year despite her best friend not being there and has a great first
day. Another surprise is the new family next door has children and
the daughter is in Olivia's class. Matilda is friendly but a bit
mysterious. Why does Matilda lie about digging holes in her garden?
Does Olivia really want to be friends with a fibber? My New Best Friend is a lovely story about friendship and
independent young girls. Olivia's family is just like any other -
annoying brother and sister, a mum who helps you out - and Olivia is
like any other girl - independent, creative and imaginative. The
story moves quickly and is easy to read. The text and accompanying
images make it a fun read and will engage young girls who are
starting to read their first novel. The vocabulary is descriptive
and the diary style is great for encouraging readers to start their
own diary. This book is highly recommended for girls aged 7+.
Kylie Kempster
Feed by M. T. Anderson
Walker, 2018 (2002, 2012). ISBN 9781406345209
(Ages: 12+) Recommended. Themes: Dystopian fiction. Future. I
reviewed this book on its rerelease in 2012, and said: "about to be
released as a film, this republication of the award winning novel by
American author, M. T. Anderson, Feed will engage a new generation
of readers as they like me are amazed at the predictions shown in a
dystopian future written 10 years ago. Uncannily many of these are
now part and parcel of the Y Generation's lives. Feed, is a word
describing the constant marketing material pumped into their brains
through an implant inserted at birth. Some 'unlucky' ones have this
done later in life, and so Violet, who was home schooled and has odd
parents, is outside the usual thirst to be connected 24 hours a day.
It is she who when her implant begins to fail, see things
differently from the friendship group she has just formed and as an
outsider, pulls Titus along with her.
On the moon for an experience, the group is invaded by a virus which
makes their feeds malfunction. It is fascinating to see them all
cope without the feed, just as Generation Y today cannot cope
without their mobile phones and internet access. Anderson was
certainly right on target with his prophecies about the future, and
his darkly ironic story is most engaging. For an older spectator
like me, the images created along with the ideas of a whole society
simply being fed information, music, advertisements 24 hours a day
was alarming, but to many not so. Being 'tuned in' or wired, is
given a whole new level of meaning in this stunning book. Not only
advertisements and information, but a transference of texts rather
like emails is sent and received between the teenagers, allowing
them to chat to each other without a third person knowing. It is
incredibly unnerving, foretelling an appalling future.
An informative web
site gives further facts about the book and background
information as well as a discussion of its impact. The book won two
major awards in the US in 2003." And it has appeared on my desk for
a third time (2018) with comments on Walker Books' website showing
why it has been republished. It is reissued in paperback with an
appealing new cover, in conjunction with reissues of Thirsty
and Burger Wuss and with the publication of Landscape
With Invisible Hand. It is the winner of the L.A. Times Book
Award and a National Book Award Finalist, and is a classic of YA
dystopian literature, still relevant after 15 years. And it
certainly is. It still astounds me that this was written 15 years
ago.
Fran Knight
Dingo by Claire Saxby and Tannya Harricks
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781925381283
(Age: 4+) Recommended. This book is a combination of story and fact.
It can be read as the story or with the information intertwined into
the story. It is a lovely story about a night in the life of a
dingo.
Dingo wakes as dusk is falling, she needs to find food to feed her
pups. She stops to sniff, listen and look at the world around her to
determine where she can find food for her pack. She chooses the prey
that she is able to successfully catch on her own to take back to
her pups. The pups are still too young to go hunting with the pack
so they wait behind.
At the end of the story there is some further information about
dingoes.
I recommend this book for 4+.
Karen Colliver
The shepherd's hut by Tim Winton
Penguin, 2018. ISBN 9780143786115
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. The voice in this novel is Jaxie
Clackton. He is 17, ok maybe 15, and he is tough, and distrusting of
everybody. And he has reason - his father, regularly drunk, beats
him unconscious; his long-suffering mother has died; he has no
friends; he is the kid always in trouble at school. The only person
he cares about is his cousin Lee and she is far away from him. But
whilst Jaxie cares about Lee, he is also secretly scared that maybe
he's not good for her, he has the same temper as his father, he gets
into fights, maybe their relationship would become the same as his
parents, maybe it's in his blood.
A violent incident finds Jaxie suddenly alone, and there is nowhere
else to go, but head north, across country on foot, to find Lee.
Although he is tough, the country is tougher, and thirst, hunger and
exhaustion lead him to a confrontation with another outsider, Fintan
MacGillis, a man with a secret, condemned to living in complete
isolation in the bush. Jaxie knows enough to never let down his
guard, never trust, never give too much away. But need forces them
into an uneasy relationship.
It is easy to get caught up in this story, Jaxie's voice is so real,
so brutally honest, we know all his doubts and fears, and we are
drawn into his conflict. The pace carries relentlessly to its
terrible climax. The shepherd's hut is yet another brilliant novel by Tim
Winton; the characters are very real, you can hear their voices as
you read the words, and you want to know what is going to happen. No
hints about the ending, but it doesn't disappoint; you will be left
thinking about it all after you've finished the book.
Helen Eddy
Everless by Sara Holland
Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9781408353622
(Age: 12+) Jules and her father are poor, not of money, but of time.
In the world of Everless, payments are collected in the form of
time, which is siphoned through blood. Through alchemy, this time
and blood is bound to coins (the larger the coin, the more time is
captured). In this world, the rich experience both the luxuries of
wealth and time. The richer you are, the longer you live. To save
Jules' father from spending his blood, she desperately takes a job
in the city of Everless; a place of fuzzy and traumatic memories for
Jules surrounding the noble Gerling family's boys, Roan and Liam.
While working as a maid, Jules learns of the arrival of the Queen
(whom is known to be ancient, beautiful, and fearsome). From this
point on, nothing Jules knew will ever be the same. Both her past
and her future become unsteady, as she strives to understand the
unravelling world around her. In a land where money, time, and blood
are consumed, what more will Jules have to give to understand
herself, and the truth of the realm around her. Everless a powerful young adult novel about love, trust,
mystery, fantasy, and suspense. It is a story that doesn't fade from
the reader's mind after they've put it down. Sara Holland has truly
created a novel that engages the reader and captures their attention
as they experience the story unfold before them through the eyes and
mind of Jules. Jules is a unique and complex character who is the
centre of the novel and has solid historical emotions and
experiences, as well as strong connections with other story
characters. Holland has created a realistic character that has depth
to her thinking and actions.
Jules's experiences will connect with readers (12+) and keep them
engaged in a story that is full of unexpected developments. If the
story and characters weren't enough to keep a reader hooked, the
conclusion certainly is. Holland leaves the reader needing to know
more; the next instalment will surely be strongly awaited by readers
of Everless.
Sarah Filkin
Thunder Creek Ranch by Soya Spreen Bates
Orca Books Publishers, 2013. ISBN 9781459801127
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Thunder Creek Ranch is a short
story full of adventure. When Jake visits the neighbouring ranch,
even though he knows he shouldn't, a chain reaction of events
unfolds. Jake and his younger brother Tommy are visiting their
grandparents at Thunder Creek Ranch. Tommy is the annoying younger
brother and Jake is expected to take Tommy wherever he goes. They
are both expected to stick together and look out for each other.
When Jake sees another boy at the neighbouring ranch, he can't
resist heading over to see who it is. He leaves Tommy up a tree to
keep watch and meets Cory, the owner's grandson. A quad bike ride, a
chase, escaped cows and before the boys know it Tommy is lost and
Jake is panicking. The sudden storm complicates things and the boys
are about to discover why the ranch is called Thunder Creek. Thunder Creek Ranch is an easy to read story with themes of
adventure and listening to others. Jake has a great imagination and
while he might forget to follow the rules sometimes he never gives
up and always tries to do the right thing in the end. This short
novel would be great for young readers choosing their first novels
as well as for reluctant readers who prefer to avoid larger books.
The boys in the story are all under 12 years of age and it is highly
recommended for readers aged 8+.
Kylie Kempster
The 1,000 year old boy by Ross Welford
Harper Collins, 2017. ISBN 9780008256944
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Youth; History-fiction;
Friendship; Adventure. What if you never got old? What would you do
if you were stuck as an 11 year old for 1000 years? For Alfie this
is his life! The stories passed down through the ages of the people
who do not age, who seem to live forever, is it possible that there
is a truth behind the legends? For Alfie, surviving through history
as the result of an almost impossible elixir that prevents him from
aging, but not from dying, comes with a whole array of problems -
not the least of which is that everyone that he might be friends
with will get old and leave him where he is. The uncertainty of this
kind of existence comes to the fore when disaster strikes. Two new
potential friends discover his secret and the need to protect Alfie
from outside influences takes them into unknown territory. What
follows is a magnificent tale, with action, adventure and wonderful
characters, told in an exhilarating and yet compassionate way.
Friendship proves to be a powerful inspiration for change.
Ross Welford has written a book that is compelling and slightly
fanciful, but in a convincing way (suspending disbelief is
necessary, but plausibility is not necessary for enjoyment). This
will be a book that young readers aged 10-14 will certainly enjoy
and they will love the character Alfie, his quirky friends Aidan and
Roxy, and the complexities of life if you are perpetually 11 years
old. I could not put this book down, so expect to lose young readers
while they are engrossed in the adventure of agelessness.
Carolyn Hull
