Hachette Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780734417473
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Grief; Family; Violence; Small town
mentality; Alcoholism; Bullying; Suicide. Lucy is a dream walker . .
. just like her mother. But will it lead her to the same sad end?
Dream walking enables Lucy to enter the dreams of others, and in
doing so she gets a glimpse of the realities and experiences of the
people who knew her mother at the time of her death. As is the way
of dreams, this is a floating, ethereal reality, but it reveals some
confusing uncertainties about Lucy's life and community. The setting
of this book is heroic - a very small and struggling fishing
community in North Queensland. The residents battle to survive;
sometimes they battle each other and life has not dealt kindly with
many of them. Lucy has to overcome friendship issues, bullying, her
own grief, school expectations, an uncertain romantic interest and
helping her father make a meagre living and cope with his own loss
and grief. Despite her almost voiceless temperament, she does this
with incredible resilience.
The almost ethereal and mystical quality of dreams is also reflected
in Carless' writing style. The narrative floats, twists and turns.
Nothing is straightforward. In the same way that a tidal creek ebbs
and flows, and twists through its challenging environment, this book
leads the reader in a journey of discovery with an over-riding sense
of foreboding as the lingering pervasive atmosphere. It is an
interesting experience, but not one characterised by delight.
Perhaps the hopelessness of the struggling community is too raw an
experience to make this a joyful read. It is probably though worthy
to recommend as a book that a senior English student could analyse
for style and character and setting qualities rather than as a novel
to recommend for those that like to escape into a heart-warming
story.
Recommended for readers aged 15+.
Carolyn Hull
Wigglesbottom Primary: The toilet ghost by Pamela Butchart and Becka Moor
Wigglesbottom Primary book 1. Nosy Crow, 2014. ISBN
9780857634269
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. School. Junior novel. With three stories in
one book the emerging reader will have lots of fun with the
hilarious toilet ghost, a stinky shoe that can tell the future and
an itchy carpet.
Each of the stories is about 30 highly illustrated pages, with
medium sized print so that young readers will know that they have
moved on from the picture book format. The reader is introduced to
Miss Riley the teacher and the 15 class members as well as Mr Harris
the deputy headmaster, in a double page welcome. The personality of
each child comes out with the clever illustrations that are also
very funny as the story progresses. The toilet ghost is sure
to tickle the funny bones of readers as they imagine the boys
refusing to go to the toilet because of the ghost and the image of
Mr Harris in shorts after he was soaked.
More fun and games can be had in The stinky shoe of fortune
as children enjoy the pranks of Miles and his shoe while in The
curse of the itchy carpet, children will have fun with the
idea of a teacher with ants in her pants.
As well as gaining much enjoyment from the stories, children will
also be able to see the power of peer group pressure in persuading
everyone that things are happening in a certain, albeit humorous way.
Pat Pledger
Wigglesbottom Primary: The shark in the pool by Pamela Butchart and Becka Moor
Wigglesbottom Primary book 2. Nosy Crow, 2015. ISBN
9780857634818
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Humour. Three more stories of primary school
mayhem from the Red House Children's Book Award shortlisted author,
Pamela Butchart. This time the children are afraid that there is a
shark in the pool while they are having their swimming lessons. Then
Gavin is sure that he has found a dinosaur bone in the school garden
while the class members are convinced that the play parchute can
make them invisible.
This was just as funny as the first in the series The toilet
ghost, and will have children rolling in the aisle with the
antics of the class. Kids will gain an good idea of how rumours can
be spread and panic ensue as things happen in the pool in The
shark in the pool. Then everyone will be interested in the
idea of finding a dinosaur bone in the garden with Dinosaur
Bones and will thrill to the idea of a parachute making you
invisible in The parachute of invisibility.
All the stories are quite original and very funny with great twists
at the end. The illustrations are fabulous, especially the shark
with its enormous teeth and greatly add to the fun of the stories.
The poor teachers handle the mayhem very well and are
sympathetically portrayed.
A great book for the emerging reader, who will have lots of fun
reading this.
Pat Pledger
Beautiful mess by Claire Christian
Text Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925498547
(Age: Adolescent - Adult) Recommended. Winner of the Text Prize,
this is the story of Ava and Gideon, adolescents who live in their
own worlds because the outside world is not one with which they can
easily identify, or indeed like. Both struggle at school to cope
with the world that ignores those who need help and the intense
self-interest that defines so many people. Finding an honest friend
like themselves is a source of great comfort to each of them.
Coming from families that are different, Ava and Gideon are able to
form a bond that gives each of them the support that the outside
world just cannot give. Ava cannot forget her friend whom she says
'didn't take a fall' but rather is 'dead', and is angered as to why
won't people say this! The fact that people won't face this truth,
and state the truth, consumes her and she feels alienated.
Gideon has two mums, and he is loved, but he is an adolescent, a
questioner and a deep thinker, scared of life and anxious about many
things, but not the love of his mums. He is able to express himself
well with few people but begins to be more open as his relationship
with Ava develops. Even though their relationship was supportive and
loving, her grief for her friend, Kelly, who suicided, is too
consuming and she feels unable to spend time with Gideon any more.
These complex intelligent young people speak to the world of the
angst of adolescence, of their fear of facing adulthood, of their
grief for lost friends, and of their anger at the world for its
unfairness. Christian's writing is compelling, her subjects topical,
her characters vivid, their lives touched by the maelstrom of
adolescence and their dawning awareness of the world. A beautifully
written novel, moving and truthful. A compelling read, suitable and
recommended for adolescent readers. Highly recommended for adults.
Elizabeth Bondar
How Lunchbox Jones saved me from robots, traitors and Missy the Cruel by Jennifer Brown
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781681194417
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. How Lunchbox Jones saved me from
robots, traitors and Missy the Cruel finds Luke stuck in the
robotics team. Sure, he likes computer games but he hasn't a clue
about robots. The rest of the team is a bit weird too. There are the
two Jacobs who look identical but aren't identical, Missy the Cruel
(she just makes Luke's life miserable) and there is also Lunchbox
Jones. Luke freezes every time he sees him and the rest of the
school seems scared of him too. As if year 7 isn't hard enough! Luke
is also angry at his older brother for joining the marines and no
matter what he says he can't get his grandfathers to accept he
doesn't play football. How Lunchbox Jones saved me from robots, traitors and Missy the
Cruel is an excellent interpretation of the trials and
tribulations of students in middle school. Readers will appreciate
Luke's family worries as well as the school issues he faces. Anyone
interested in robots will enjoy the robotics theme and if they have
read other middle school themed novels like Diary
of a wimpy kid then they will enjoy this too. The story
telling is descriptive and relative, exploring family, friendship
and school life.
Kylie Kempster
Making the grade by Cate Shearwater
Somersaults and Dreams bk 1. Egmont, 2015. ISBN 9781405268783
(Age: 9-12) Gymnastics. School life. Friends. Family.
Thirteen-year-old gymnast Ellie happily lives in Cornwall with her
ship-builder father, artist mother and younger sister Lucy. Her
dream however is to be an Olympic gymnast like her aunt. With help
from Fran, her local coach, Ellie wins a scholarship to the
prestigious London Gymnastics Academy. Ellie boards at
Head-Over-Heels House with the other out-of-town gymnasts. Twins
Nancy, Tam, and their mother Mandy, who looks after the house, make
Ellie feel welcome and help her settle in.
Ellie faces many challenges, she worries about her own gymnastics
skill levels and she hasn't taken her Grade 2 compulsory exam. Queen
bee Scarlett, another team member, delights in commenting on Ellie's
abilities, and she bullies her relentlessly. While Ellie is at the
Academy she searches for the truth about her Aunt Lizzie who fell
from the beam at the Olympics. This stopped the British team from
winning the gold medal and ended her sporting career.
Emma their coach is there to support and encourage the team to
strive for their best. 'Gymnastics will teach you discipline and
teamwork. It will give you courage and self-belief.' Ellie loves the
academy, developing her skills on the floor, balance beam and other
equipment. Surrounded by her friends, she loves the business of
school, sharing the house with her friends and finding time for
socialising.
When Ellie brings Tam and Nancy to her home in Cornwall, she
introduces them to boating activities, boat races and family fun.
Cate Shearwater's Making the grade focuses on finding your
secret ingredient, your life-balance with your training and
dedication. This is the first in the Somersaults and dreams
series is a great read for girls from 9-12 years of age.
Rhyllis Bignell
Grover, Stretch and the broken leg by Claire Garth
Ill. by Johannes Leak. Grover McBane Rescue Dog series. Bk 4. Piccolo
Nero, 2017. ISBN 9781863959452
Number 4 in the series, this story continues the adventures of
Grover McBane a Border Collie who was rescued by the Sydney Dogs and
Cats Home. Grover is a real character and was adopted by the author,
Claire Garth, who works at the animal shelter. This is explained in
the back of the book and is an important part of the stories because
the books highlight the work of shelters and the responsibilities of
caring pet owners.
Although the animals come to the shelter under sad and cruel
circumstances the endings are positive and the animals all find good
homes.
In this story, Grover meets Stretch, a young greyhound puppy with a
broken leg who has been dumped at the shelter. He is fostered by
Grover's owner Annie and Grover is expected to teach Stretch how to
behave and to keep him safe. This proves challenging as the young
Stretch is into all sorts of adventures and can't resist the chance
to follow anything interesting. His long lanky leg is in a cast and
this proves to be an issue as he often gets trapped in tight
situations. The overriding object of course, is to find Stretch a
'forever' home.
The stories are told from the perspectives of the animals and we. the
reader, can understand what they are saying and feeling. There are
some black and white illustrations and at the back of the book are
information pages on all of the cats and dogs featured. All money
from sales will help the rescue centre.
An interesting interview with Claire and Grover is available on Youtube.
This book is suitable for years 6 to 9 and I think will appeal
strongly to the students that enjoy animal stories.
Jane Moore
Under the same sky by Britta Teckentrup
Caterpillar Books, 2017. ISBN 9781848575868
'We live under the same sky, in lands near and far...
We live under the same sky, wherever we are.'
The dedication to this gentle, lullaby-like book is 'For a united
world'. Using the softest palette, the creatures of habitats around
the world, rhyming couplets and clever cutouts, Teckentrup
emphasises this message of inclusivity perfectly.
With so much angst and anxiety that is focusing on difference, we
are reminded that despite the diversity of how we look, where we
live and what we do, nevertheless we all share this planet and have
so many things in common especially our dreams.
Hopeful, reaffirming and the ideal discussion starter for children
to focus on how they are the same and how they can live together in
harmony.
Barbara Braxton
Feathers by Phil Cummings
Ill. by Phil Lesnie. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781760157357
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Feathers, Refugees, Connections,
Developing countries. Four feathers fall from the sandpiper as it
flies unimpeded to its new home across mountains, seas and deserts.
Each feather is found by a child: three hoping for a better
tomorrow, one realising just how lucky she is.
A boy sheltering in a village devastated by an earthquake puts the
feather to his face, another plucks the feather from the air,
tickling her brother's feet as they tramp in a line of refugees, a
third watches the feather made into a boat by their mother, floating
away in the floodwaters that have destroyed their house. Each
feather represents hope for a better future, and the last one,
picked up by Mia, a girl without any worries, is reminded by her
father just how lucky she is.
In spare, emotive prose Cummings captures the theme of
interconnectedness, of how we are all one world, a world which for
some is devastated by war or flood or earthquake leaving them to
live in heartbreak and need. The feathers of hope are dropped by a
bird which does not heed borders, it flies to its next home, a place
of warmth and safety, unhindered, a stark reminder of just how
detained some are in finding a place of refuge and peace.
Lessie's pencil and water colour illustrations add another layer of
connection, as his children, ragged and thin struggle against their
hostile backgrounds, until we get to Mia, healthy and happy, playing
at her home, laughing with her father. The contrast is arresting:
the single happy child playing on a swing with her father in a
bright carefree sun filled environment, set against the demolished
village after the earthquake, the submerged houses after a flood and
the lines of refugees moving away for their now unlivable city.
Readers cannot help but be touched by the contrast, reminding them
of footage seen daily on the news, of children left homeless by
things outside their control, of children without the luck that
keeps them safe.
Fran Knight
Teens : a story of Australian schoolgirls by Louise Mack
Angus and Robertson, 2017 (c1897). ISBN 9781460750797
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Lennie Leighton is leaving the governess she
shares with her younger sisters to attend school. She is full of
excitement and confidence, but has a false start when she receives
poor marks in an exam. Lennie goes on to edit the school magazine
and top the class in English and History. She also finds a best
friend in Mabel James, and the closeness of their friendship
contributes to the warmth and heart of this school girl story.
It has been a very long time since I have read a book this old and I
thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the old worldy language and the
historical references to life in the 1880s. This book was the first
fiction title published by Angus and Robertson and was initially
released in 1897. It reminded me of Little Women and the
strong bonds that the girls formed during their teens. It is
interesting to note that many of the experiences the central
character, Lennie, encounters mirror the real life experiences of
the author, Louise Mack. She was in fact educated at home by her own
mother until she enrolled at Sydney Girls High School in 1885.
This is a delightful read about friendship, teen issues of the time,
family, differences and the importance of education. A must have for
a library collection to be added to the classics.
I would recommend it for 10 years of age and up.
Kathryn Schumacher
Super Moopers series by Fiona Harris
Ill. by Scott Edgar. Five Mile Press, 2017. Musical Markus book 1. ISBN 9781760406509 Nervous Nellie book 2. ISBN 9781760406493 Dramatic Dom book 3. ISBN 9781760406486 Giggling Gertie book 4. ISBN 9781760406516
(Age: 5-8) Highly recommended. Themes: Character Traits,
Self-esteem, Self-confidence, Personality. Super Moopers is
a bright and exciting new series from Sally Rippin Presents, written
by Fiona Harris and illustrated by Scott Edgar. Welcome to
Moopertown, an extraordinary place where everyone is unique, all
different sizes, shapes, colours and characters. There is a
similarity in style to Dr Seuss and his imaginary worlds - the Who's
of Whoville with the bright pops of colour, unusual settings and
quirky inhabitants. These four affirming stories introduce Musical
Markus, Nervous Nellie, Dramatic Dom and Giggling Gertie, Moopers
whose unique personality sometime gets them into trouble.
Markus loves to sing very loudly and he never stops. Unfortunately,
this is very annoying for other Moopers, who discourage him and ask
him to stop doing the one thing he loves. Fortunately, for Markus
someone needs his singing abilities.
Nervous Nellie loves the warm sun, tall Doopy trees and faffer birds
singing, but she is frightened of many things as well. Squishy
marshmallows, kites blowing on windy days and bubbles popping all
make her nervous. When a little Wixie chases her ball onto the road
in front of the racing milk cart, Nellie steps up to save the day.
Flamboyant purple Mooper, Dramatic Dom has been rehearsing forever
for his play. As he sets up the stage in the park, he notices an
alien spaceship land in a nearby tree. Dom convinces everyone that
the aliens have landed, when others ridicule him, Nellie stays to
offer some advice. Dom's new play shows he can rise above the
situation and turn his problems around.
Giggling Gertie laughs at everything, often at the most
inappropriate times. Her challenge is to remain calm during Lord
Hoity Toity's visit and not interrupt the scheduled performances. Super Moopers is a fabulous series celebrating diversity,
recognising that everyone has something inside that makes them
super. These are wonderful picture books for families and classes to
discuss wellbeing, building emotional resilience and developing
self-esteem.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Adventures of Pelle No-Tail by Gosta Knutsson
Translated by Stephanie Smee and Ann-Margrete Smee. Piccolo Nero,
2017. ISBN 9781863959247
(Age: 7-10) Recommended. Pelle No-Tail is a classic Swedish
story that has been translated into English for a new audience. The
Pelle stories have been a favourite since the late 1930's and tell
the story of little Pelle, a cat whose tail has been bitten off by a
rat. He finds his way into a car and leaves the farm to live with a
new family in the city.
Pelle has to deal with the city cats, bully Mans and his friends,
but he always seems to come out on top. Pelle gets to experience
Easter, Christmas and a summer holiday on a farm with his new
family. He travels in the car and on a train and meets a variety of
animals on the way.
Little Pelle's innocence and kindness endear him to both humans and
animals.
These ageless stories are simple yet entertaining and appealing.
There are a few black and white illustrations in the book and the
cover shows a jaunty Pelle admiring a medal he received from his
family.
Mother and daughter translators, Stephanie and Margrete Smee explain
at the beginning of the book, that they have translated the story
into English but have kept a few Swedish words in the text to ensure
that children understand Pelle's Swedish background.
Gosta Knutsson wrote 13 Pelle stories and 3 have been translated and
are available to purchase. Further Adventures of Pelle No-Tail
is Book no 2 and Pelle No-Tail Pulls Through Book no 3.
I recommend this story to students aged 7 to 10 years old.
Jane Moore
Pelle No-Tail pulls through by Gosta Knutsson
Translated by Stephanie Smee and Ann-Margrete Smee. Piccolo Nero,
2017. ISBN 9781863959476
(Age: 6-8) Swedish author Gosta Knutsson wrote his series of twelve
books about the affable cat Pelle Svanslos between 1939 and 1972.
Pelle No-Tail is a friendly black and white cat whose tail was
bitten off by a rat when he as a kitten. Stephanie Smee and
Ann-Margrete Smee have translated Knutsson's anthropomorphic tales
for a new audience of young readers. Pelle No-Tail Pulls Through is the third book in the series,
here Pelle's nemesis Mans and his minions Bill and Bull repeatedly
try to trick and upset him. Mans organises a big Swing Fair for all
the neighbourhood cats, but all his tricks to embarrass Pelle
backfire and he ends up in a scuffle instead.
When Pelle's family get ready to take him on holiday to the
Bergslagen forest, where they can fish, relax and have fun Mans
warns Pelle about the fierce Bergslagen troll who lives in the
forest and likes to eat cats. Luckily, Pelle meets a local cat Sigge
who shows him around and quickly clears up the myth about the troll.
Each chapter is easy to read, there is fun and humour added as Mans
continuously tries to swindle and cause mischief to Pelle No-Tail.
Lovissa Lesse's sketches show the emotions both Pelle and Mans
experience. The use of Swedish phrases and locations add interest to
these junior chapter books, just right for a reader who enjoys
animal tales.
Rhyllis Bignell
The inaugural meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club by Sophie Green
Hachette Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780733636561
(Age: Older adolescents - adult) This may appear to be simply a
light-hearted read from the decorative cover, the title, and the
opening story. However, although there are many lighter elements,
the narrative reaches deeply into the personal lives of the
characters, exploring the dramatic changes that some face. The
narrative is imbued with a deep sense of overcoming hardship, yet
this is balanced by the humour, positive attitudes of many, and
indeed the happiness that some characters discover. Green's deft
management of the characters' personalities, quirks, interactions,
and ultimately, their choices is a strong element in the narrative.
She structures the story to enable us to see the pain, alienation,
anger, sadness, grief, loss and misfortune of her characters. Yet
she structures the narrative so that her characters are able to
recognise, ultimately, their own strengths, and the positive power
of forgiveness, acceptance, friendship and love.
The narrative is mostly set in the outback of the Northern
Territory, both in the town of Katherine and on the station that is
owned by one family, over the years of 1978 to 1981. Sophie Green
adds a list of pertinent events for each of these years, which
supports the responses and actions of the characters both for those
who would have lived through those years and those for whom this
would be the distant and unknown past. The books chosen are in one
sense secondary to the story but the responses of the members to
those books, and indeed their choices of books, are relevant to what
is happening in their lives and the club functions to enable the
individual members to become a group with a shared interest.
It is definitely a book that would appeal to both older adolescent
and adult readers, I would suggest, its focus being on coming to
terms with the vagaries of modern life, these elements so
dramatically emphasized in the vastness of the countryside in which
they live, its isolation and the challenging climate of this
northern part of outback Australia.
Elizabeth Bondar
Pretty girls don't eat by Winnie Salamon
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781925272772
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Pretty girls don't eat is a realistic
chain of events involving numerous real life debacles. Winter May, a
16 year-old fashion designer, has one dream and one dream only, to
pursue a long-awaited career in the fashion industry. While
fine-tuning her sewing skills, Winter comes across Mable's, a large
fashion shop designed for plus-sized girls to feel comfortable about
their weight. After landing a job, Winter started to think she
could lose a few kilos here and there, after all, it wouldn't hurt
to try, but she was wrong. The tables turn when she discovers that
she has a chance in pursuing her dream.
Winnie Salamon's book will leave its readers committed and involved
to changing today's perception of body image. The author has
carefully used her modern understanding of body image to create a
truly inspiring novel to raise awareness of the problem of eating
disorders. This book will entertain as well as educate nearly every
audience and will teach people to be themselves no matter what they
look like. Pretty girls don't eat will leave you inspired to
do more and change society's biased perception of body image.
Jasmine M. (student)
