Diary of a Minecraft Zombie book 8. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN
9781743818343
(Age: 7-9) The popular fan fiction series is presented as Zombie's
diary and in this junior novel, he has finished 7th grade and is
uncertain about being an eighth grader. The week before school
starts is challenging and of course, he is nervous and super
anxious. With Dad's Zombie Credit Card he shops up a storm choosing
a large number of fashionable items, unfortunately his father forgot
to mention the $30 limit. When the School Schedule arrives, Zombie
is in the Advanced Scare Class 201, now he can scare Minecraft
miners instead of villagers.
Each step of the way in preparation of the new school year proves
daunting, which elective to pick, Zombie Pig Farming or Modding
class. Even choosing school supplies is problematic, Mum says no to
the 100-pocket backpack, perfect for storing dried booger snacks, no
Voice Changing megaphone, just the basics for Zombie. Steve his
human friend gives him some great advice and his parents promise him
a ScareStation 465 if he receives all B grades.
School life proves to be challenging as Zombie recounts his daily
experiences in his journal with missed buses, shrinking uniforms,
and volunteer orientation and modding lessons. Humour, grossness,
body humour and plenty of Minecraft activities are just right for
the fans of this popular series.
Rhyllis Bignell
Storm whale by Sarah Brennan
Ill. by Jane Tanner. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760293642
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Whales, Environment, Storms,
Responsibility, Verse story. When three girls begin their walk into
town from their holiday shack, they come across a whale, stranded on
the beach. All day long the girls bucket water over the animal,
defying the storm and the rain pelting down over their heads. But
the whale is still there when they are forced back to the house, and
all night long the storm persist, tossing them into their dreams of
being out there with the lonely whale. Next morning a different day
appears, warm and sunlit, calm and soft. They run onto the beach in
their pyjamas, only to see piles of sea weed and debris from the
ocean floor, but no whale. Looking out to see they realise that he
has been freed by the storm and is now back where he belongs.
This charming story of a whale caught on the beach at high tide and
the girls' attempts to free it, will resonate with children as they
sympathise with the children's efforts to keep the whale alive. The
verse form adds another level of interest as readers will be
encouraged to predict the rhyming words, read it in poetic form, and
see how the illustrations match the words.
Tanner has created a breathtaking companion to the words, as we can
feel the wet and cold driving rain, sympathise with the whale as it
seems to watch what the girls are doing, be saddened when the girls
are forced back home, and feel with them through the night worrying
about the whale left on the beach. The images are full of meaning,
drawing the readers to put themselves in the girls' shoes, asking
themselves what they would have done. And the words about the whale
draw the reader to contemplate the life of a whale, far away in the
deep, where it is no longer a fugitive, harried and hunted.
Some readers will want to know more about the whale and why the
author has chosen some of the words she has used. A wonderful book
to read aloud and share, extolling the majesty of our environment
and the part we have to play in keeping it so.
Fran Knight
The great rabbit chase by Freya Blackwood
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781743811641
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Rabbits, Animals, Neighbours. When mum
goes shopping for gumboots and comes home with a large furry rabbit,
there can be only one name for him. The rabbit is clever at chewing
and scratching, but what he does best is escape. One day when he
escapes, mum is in the shower, and Norman is at the front door ready
to play, but Gumboot's owner has only one thing on her mind: to find
her rabbit.
There follows a very funny tale of a journey to seek and find the
rabbit and take him back home. We follow the trail as the trio
crosses the road, seeing John daydreaming with his stop sign and car
owners beeping their horns. As they follow the rabbit, others join
their escapade, a man in his business suit, a neighbour on her
walking frame, the stop sign man, a woman and her screaming baby in
its pram. Down the streets they go, until they come to a park, where
they all lie down for a rest, mum still in her towel from the
shower.
Children will have great fun looking at the array of people on their
road trip, wandering the streets and then the park looking for
Gumboot. Freya Blackwood cleverly includes small touches revealing
the personalities of the people involved. I love the business man
taking his shoes and socks off, and the two older people sitting
down for a chat under the tree.
Blackwood's pen, pencil and watercolour illustrations are just
wonderful, the cut out perspective of the rabbit's tunnel, and that
of the house and the maps on the endpapers, will encourage students
to look at the neighbourhood from a different angle. Their journey
is circular, with people who have joined the hunt going back to
their own places on the way home. This delightful story will be a
tremendous read aloud as the children follow the path taken by all
participants. A wonderful journey that all readers will enjoy.
Fran Knight
Ivy and the lonely raincloud by Katie Harnett
Flying Eye Books, 2017. ISBN 9781911171157
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Friendship, Rain, Flowers, Emotions. A
story of sharing, of coming together and appreciating each other's
skills, of complementary talents is shown through this charming tale
of a raincloud finding its place in the world. Initially saddened
because the sun has come out and dried up all the rain, forcing the
other rainclouds to disappear, the cloud goes searching for
companionship, someone who appreciates his rain. He looks in a
number of places, places he hopes to be appreciated, but they do not
want him. Meanwhile Ivy is cross that the sun has come out. The
sunshine has had a detrimental affect on her flowers so she is very
grumpy. The raincloud decides to rain on her plants and the two
become friends, one appreciating what the other has to offer. All is
well again for both parties.
A story about friendship, of finding someone compatible, and of
sharing skills will intrigue younger readers already following the
story through its vibrant illustrations. The girl's dark moods are
portrayed through her expressive eyes and stance and readers will
immediately respond to her feelings. This is a charming book from
Katie Harnett, and astute readers will recognise her distinctive
style from other books such as, Archie Snufflekins (2016)
and look forward to others from this new illustrator and now,
author.
Fran Knight
Pig the star by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781743812754
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Dogs, Stardom, Selfishness. Again, Pig
the Pug is showing his true colours in wanting stardom. He and his
long suffering friend, Trevor, the sausage dog, go to a studio for a
photo shoot. They dress up in a variety of costumes, until Pig
becomes convinced that he is the star, and pushes Trevor out of the
way. But the photographer zooms in on the cute little dog, causing
Pig the Pug to have a fit of despair, pushing things around until
the rocket falls on him, damaging more than his ego.
Once again, Blabey has a great deal of fun depicting the two dogs,
this time in various costumes that some children and more adults
will recognise. From Elvis to Marilyn, Tarzan to Mona Lisa, the
finery that covers the grand expanse of Pig the Pug and the long
cylindrical Trevor, will create lots of laughter from the readers.
The acrylic used with pen and pencil creates a bright and
uncluttered page, each one different from the other, the eye drawn
across the illustration to the rhyming lines. Readers will love
predicting the last word of each line, and working out what film
stars the two dogs are representing as they change their costumes. A
wholly fascinating and laugh out loud story, Pig the Pug is just as
selfish as ever. And readers everywhere will just adore him.
Fran Knight
Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp
Old Barn Books, 2017. ISBN 9781910646328
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Dogs, Therapy dogs, Reading,
Libraries. Madeline Finn does not like to read. She refuses to read
magazines, books and menus. And she especially hates reading out
loud. When she tries the others in her class snigger. They get stars
from the teacher for their reading, she gets a sticker which tells
her to keep trying. She is despondent. She really wants a star. One
day at the library, Mrs Dimple, the librarian takes her to meet
Bonnie, a dog who loves to hear people read. In a room with many
dogs listening to children read, Madeline finds that the dog does
not giggle when she makes a mistake, and puts its paws onto her lap
when she tries to read a word she does not understand. They learn to
get there together and with Bonnie's help she keeps going.
After a few weeks the teacher asks Madeline to read again and this
time she imagines that she is reading to Bonnie and after a hesitant
start, reads to the end of the page, receiving her star. She takes
it to the library to give to Bonnie and finds out why Bonnie was
missing last week at the library.
This charming story of finding your feet, of developing the strength
to do something that is difficult will thrill all readers. Bonnie
the library dog gives Madeline the confidence to carry on, her
simply being there overcomes Madeline's fears about reading.
The soft illustrations depict the dog and child beautifully,
supporting those children in the same predicament.
Part of the proceeds of the sale of this book goes to Pets as
Therapy, an organisation in the United Kingdom that supports
read2dogs. Go to http://www.petsastherapy.org
for more information.
Fran Knight
The Princess in Black and the mysterious playdate by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
Ill. by LeUyen Pham. The Princess in Black book 5.
Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN 9780763688264
(Age: 5-8) Highly recommended. My favourite princess is back and
this time she is having a playdate with Princess Sneezewort.
Unbeknowns to her a monster has followed her from the goats' field
and is terrorising the children who have pets in the park near
Princess Sneezewort's palace. When Princess Magnolia hears of the
threat she quickly dons her Princess in Black attire and goes to the
rescue. Princess Sneezewort follows the directions for becoming ' a
monster battling hero' and dressing herself in a disguise of
blankets, becomes the Princess in Blankets, and goes to the pets'
rescue as well.
Filled with funny moments and humorous illustrations, this episode
shows that with a bit of help, anyone could be a hero. The
friendship portrayed between the two princess, both as their
ordinary selves and then as heroes, is heart warming. The two
friends have such fun playing dress-up slam and karaoke jam and
playhouse romp and snack-time stomp. When they vanquish the monster
it is time for a victory dance with the Goat Avenger and they slap
hands, they wiggle bums and say 'Callooo!'
This series of books come highly recommended. The characters are
well developed and most likeable and will appeal to a wide range of
children. The delightful drawings complement the warmth and charm of
the story, which is also action packed for readers who enjoy
adventure. Readers will have lots of fun searching for the monster
who is very adept at hiding.
I look forward to further exploits of the Princess in Black and her
trusty friends.
Pat Pledger
Can you find me? by Gordon Winch
Ill. by Patrick Shirvington. New Frontier Publishing, 2017. ISBN
9781925059793
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Environment, Camouflage, Australian animals.
Hidden within the pages are animals that readers will know about,
and try to find as they are camouflaged within the landscape. Each
double page follows the same pattern. Five lines of text describe a
little of the animal's habitat and behaviour, then it is up to the
reader to find the animal hidden there. Each five lines follows the
same format, making it easier for younger readers to predict what is
following and join in. The hidden animal will be a wonderful
exercise for younger readers at home or at school. They will see
what the animal is, what its habitat is and how it hides itself
within that habitat.
Soft water colour and pencil illustrations will find many admirers
amongst the target audience as they delve into the background of
each page and look hard to find the hidden animal.
At the end of the book is a double page reprising the animals to be
found within the pages, ensuring that readers will want to find out
more about these animals and their place in Australia's environment.
Fran Knight
What's up top by Marc Martin
Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143783886
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Curiosity, Humour, Rhyming story. With
vaguely subversive humour, the tale of what is at the top of the
ladder will have students guessing and making predictions all the
way through the book. The ladder is there, shown on the cover and
first page with the same question, What's up top? Children will make
guesses from the start, even without the ladder being shown again,
it is there in their minds.
But the book asks a question, is it a hat, or black and white cat?
as the rhyming lines begin, taking the reader on a journey of absurd
and not so absurd responses. But whatever the response, children
will laugh out loud at each page's answer and illustrations. An
array of possibilities is given to the readers: a boat or castle
with a moat, rain or a really fast train, or a hotel that looks like
a shell. Each unusual offering will give cause to laugh at the
absurd alternatives, and join in the fun of the story as it powers
along.
Illustrations cover one side of the page and often small details
make the eye move from one page to another, asking the reader to
foretell what may in store at the top of the ladder.
Towards the end of the book choices come thick and fast: the moon or
yellow balloon, somebody tall standing next to a wall, a group of
iguanas in purple pyjamas, as it continues its way to thinking about
what is at the top.
Children will by this stage be predicting the next rhyming word and
having a whale of a time, with a range of rhyming words, probably
vastly different from the ones offered, but this further create
interest and enthusiasm. By the end of the book, younger readers
will have been introduced to a range of things they may not have
known about as well as rhyme, and thinking about that fuzzy
question, what's up top?
Fran Knight
The scared book by Debra Tidball
Ill. by Kim Siew. Lothian, 2017. ISBN 9780734417503
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Fear, Monsters. This book is scared; scared
of the monsters that lie inside the pages, and the book's story
cannot be read, until all the monsters are gone.
So the reader is invited to get rid of the monster, and each funny
page depicts a different type of monster with a different method of
erasing them from the book.
Children will love the interactive nature of the book, the
instructions on how to rid the book of the monsters, and the ease
with which they can rid them.
Children are asked to scratch them away, then turning the page, to
rub them out. Further on they are asked to blow them away, then to
flick them away, to trample them with their fingers, to sake them
away and finally to to fan them away. Once the monsters are all
gone, then it is time to help the book relax, and the reader is
asked to massage the book by following the spiral around to its
centre. Only when all of this is done can the book then be relaxed
enough to tell the story.
This book gives a message to the readers, that fears and monsters
can be overcome, giving them techniques of making these fears go
away, as well as asking them to concentrate on something else.
Parents and teachers alike will be able to use this book to
encourage children to express their fears, to recognise that they
are not the only ones who have fears, and see how they can be erased
from their lives with some simple techniques.
Illustrator Kim Siew is a Sydney based street artist and a look at
her website will intrigue younger readers about her work, as well as
understand the wonderful illustrations in this book.
Fran Knight
Koala by Claire Saxby
Ill. by Julie Vivas. Nature Storybook series. Walker Books,
2017. ISBN 9781925126396
(Age: 4-8) Highly recommended. Subjects: Koalas. Climb, little Koala, it's time to find your own way.
Claire Saxby's beautifully written Koala combines a lyrical
narrative with a factual account of the koala's life cycle and Julie
Vivas' evocative watercolour illustrations. This is a wonderful
addition to Walker's Nature Storybook series.
Little koala has grown and now he must leave his mother and find his
own way in the world. With a gentle push, he climbs away to find his
next meal. He faces many dangers: a thundering male koala challenges
him and pushes him off his tree and wild storms. Eucalyptus trees
with burnt bark from a bushfire prove hard to climb and he must
travel further away to find a new home. Scared by a poisonous snake
hiding in the bushes he hops hurriedly away. Eventually he finds a
perfect place for his new home.
Julie Vivas uses her soft water colours in natural tones to bring
little Koala's story to life. Her paintings capture the natural bush
settings and brilliantly portray little Koala's actions, movements
and character. The black of night contrasts with the koala's grey
spiky fur as he wakes from his sleep-curl to a thundering male
koala's roar. There is the desolate landscape of blackened trees and
the charred bark falling as he attempts to climb up.
Saxby's expressive phrases are perfect to read aloud. She captures
his journey poetically; 'koala startles from his sleep-curl' and 'he
listens to the ground-sounds'. She urges him on to find his new
environment with small exhortations, 'climb, little Koala,' move on,
little Koala,' and 'faster, little Koala, faster.' The informational
text is accurate and sparks interest, suitable for a wider range of
ages and reading abilities. Koala is an excellent resource
for Junior Primary classes writing Information Reports and for
research in Science as learners investigate living things, their
interdependence and interactions within ecosystems.
Rhyllis Bignell
Once upon a small rhinoceros by Meg McKinlay
Ill. by Leila Rudge. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925126709
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Rhinoceros, Animals, Bravery, Travel,
Independence, Taking a risk. The small rhinoceros wants something
more than her fellow animals. She watches the ships sail by with
huge interest, breathing in the sights, sounds and smells from
places far away. She asks the other rhinoceros why they don't feel
curious about what lies elsewhere, but they reply that they are very
happy with their lot, wallowing in the mud and grazing on the grass.
But she is still unhappy and one day builds a boat. The other
rhinoceros are appalled: she cannot build a boat, she cannot read a
map, she is sailing into danger. But still she goes, across the
seas, watching the fish and tasting the salty sea, seeing lands far
away, and meeting people of those lands. When she has seen all she
wants to see, she heads home and reports back what she has done. Her
friends are still just as interested in their grass and their mud,
and are equally dismissive of her travels and what she saw, but
another small rhinoceros asks her if she got lost. She tells her
that yes she did, and the other animal looks longingly at the sea
just as she did.
This beautifully crafted tale of taking a risk, of bravery, of not
going along with the crowd, will appeal to young readers. The
message is clear, that life is not about being the same as the rest,
but looking outward to see what is there.
Rudge's beautiful illustrations show a life jacketed rhinoceros
bravely going where no rhinoceros has been before on the front cover
and the excited look on her face will beg readers to look inside.
The watercolour and pencil illustrations are simply charming, giving
a personality to the young rhino, endearing her adventurous spirit
to the readers. Readers will thoroughly enjoy recognising the
countries to which she travels, spotting the iconic cultural
features of each, and matching the presents she brings back for her
friends to the places she visited. I know I did.
Fran Knight
There is no dragon in this story by Lou Carter
Ill. by Deborah Allwright. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408864906
(Ages: 4-7) Recommended. Fairy Tales. This is Lou Carter's first
picture book and her background in teaching has evidently helped her
create this engaging and clever story. Similarly to Nick Bland's The
Wrong Book, the reader is addressed directly, making them feel
a part of the story. 'This was supposed to be a story about a dragon
who captured a princess . . .' but Dragon has gone off in a huff ('I
will not capture any icky, frilly princesses today', he says) and
gone searching for a story where he gets to be the hero for once. He
traipses around fairy tale land, pleading with well-known characters
to be the hero in their stories. He offers to save the Gingerbread
Man from that Fox and to save the Second Little Pig from that Big
Bad Wolf. -No, no no, that's not how it goes. There is NO DRAGON in
this story- is the refrain. A fantastic picture map shows him being
turned away repeatedly, by Goldilocks, Hansel and Gretel, and Little
Red Riding Hood. NO! they all say. He is just trying his luck with
Jack when his bad timing sees him become part of the story, altering
its path and throwing fairy tale land into chaos. What everyone
really needs now is a dragon to be the hero! Can he summon up the
courage?
Young children will love identifying all the familiar fairy tale
characters depicted within the story. It may even encourage them to
revisit them or seek out those unfamiliar to them. The book could be
used to inspire creativity in storytelling as it shows how
introducing an unexpected character or event can change a story's
trajectory and how it isn't always necessary to follow a traditional
story pathway. It could even be used to discuss stereotypes and how
we can break free of them, both within the stories we tell and
within our own existence. Dragon is a fantastic character who is
easy to empathise with; he wears his heart on his sleeve, is full of
exuberance and determination, and is just a little crazy. The
illustrations are fantastic, particularly the dark pages showing the
fairy tale characters stumbling around and making a mess of their
stories. A great read aloud, especially for fairy tale fans.
Nicole Nelson
Patty Hits the Court by Patty Mills with Jared Thomas
Game Day: Book 1. Allen and Unwin. 2017. ISBN
9781760295103
(Age: 8-12) Patty Mills is an Australian Aboriginal basketball
player who now earns many millions playing for the San Antonio Spurs
in the USA. He comes from a basketball background with his parents
active in the sport in Canberra. Patty has also played basketball in
3 Olympics and currently represents the Australian Boomers. So Patty
is indeed a big player in the sport and this book is targeted at
children who are either starting in basketball or have been keen
players for awhile.
Young Patty is successful at several sports but he embarks on a new
game, basketball in this first book of the series. He must learn to
be a team player and understand that he will not be instantly
effective at something new.
Patty uses his Torres Strait Islander dance lessons to help him
understand movement and cooperation. He has to work with a bullying
team member and accept the ire of his team mates when he doesn't
work cooperatively. The team doesn't always win and the coach
encourages the players to learn from each game.
The book seems to finish rather abruptly but there are 2 other books
available in the series so the story will continue in these books.
Dr Jared Thomas co authored the book and there are black and white
illustrations by Nahum Ziersch scattered throughout the book.
The cover is brightly coloured and shows Patty and his friend Josie
playing basketball.
There are about 120 pages of easy to read text, so this book will
appeal to middle primary school children, aged 8 to 12 years old.
Jane Moore
A friend in the dark by Pascal Ruter
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406372601
(Age: 12+) The novel A Friend in the Dark is a sweet story that
makes its readers evaluate their prior knowledge of blindness and
becoming blind. Written in a way that makes you wonder about the
universe and all that is around you, A Friend in the Dark is
captivating and thoughtful. The story revolves around Victor who
lives with his dad (an antiques trader), and is a failure when it
comes to school and being social. He is good friends with a boy
called Haisam, and while Haisam (the Honourable) is a genius (who
plays chess every day with his father, and is believed to be all
powerful and all-knowing according to Victor), Victor, himself, does
what he can to scrape by and not cause trouble. This all changed one
day when a classmate starts to take notice of Victor, and he
suddenly (and as a surprise to everyone) gets a decent mark at
something he has no clue about, particularly, maths. Where did this
knowledge come from? Why is his classmate Marie taking much more
notice of him that she usually does? Maybe there's something deeper
going on here than a classmate taking pity on a peer who is dismal
in the academic setting . . .
The book A Friend in the Dark is written in a soft way that allows
readers to understand the mind and thoughts of Victor. The style of
writing, perspective, and themes in this book are like the preferred
writing style of John Green and his young adult novels; true love,
mystery, and a strong first-person perspective. This novel would be
well suited for teens and young adults (12+) because of the
character development, concepts, and themes. This book gave a
different light to some concepts and developments that others may
find relatable in life; whether it's school, social life, family
life, or even medical issues, this book is warm and easy to read
with its relaxed and characteristic narration style. A Friend in the
Dark is definitely a friend for those who love to get lost in a
fictional world.
Sarah Filkin
