Reviews

The chalk rainbow by Deborah Kelly

Ill. by Gwynneth Jones. EK, 2017. ISBN 9781925335453
Zane is different to other kids - he lives in his own world with his own language, a need to line things up and has an inordinate fear of the colour black. Black food, black clothes, black anything - he won't go near it. Not the pedestrian crossing, the soft fall at the playground, not even his own driveway. So Zane is trapped on the front step unable to venture further, even when his dad yells at him. Until one day his sister starts to draw a chalk rainbow on the steps to cheer him up. Zane likes colour so he joins in. And then the magic begins...
Like so many children Zane is on the Autism Spectrum and while their issues might seem unreasonable and even be unfathomable to those around them, like Zane's fear of black frustrates and angers his father, nevertheless they are very real to the child. And because of the way their brain is wired they can't overcome those fears any more than we can expect them to change their hair colour or foot size, so it is up to us as adults to adapt our way of thinking and working so we can enable the child to manage the world better. It's about acknowledging their disorder and treating them with respect and dignity. If they can't change then we must. Through imagination and love, the rainbow bridges work for Zane's family and instead of being frustrated even his dad is able to free Zane from the prison walls of black.
Kids themselves are very accepting of others whatever their differences, but they don't always understand how their actions can help or hinder. Nearly every classroom has a child with ASD these days and while that child's issues might not be the colour black, using this book as a springboard to introduce how peers can help the ASD child have a better time at school would be a brilliant start towards total acceptance and understanding. Even if there is no ASD involved, using the imagination to make something like a chalk rainbow to take that next step into the unknown is a wonderful strategy.
An essential addition to the school library's collection and the home library of the siblings of an ASD child.
Barbara Braxton

The Eureka Key by Sarah L Thomson

Secrets of the Seven book 1. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781681190617
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. When middle school puzzle master Sam and history wiz Martina win a contest for a summer trip across the US, they discover they've been drafted into something vastly more extraordinary. Joining another kid on the trip, Theo, a descendant of George Washington himself, they must follow clues to find seven keys left behind by the Founding Fathers. Together the keys unlock Benjamin Franklin's greatest invention - a secret weapon intended to defend the country. Each key is hidden in a unique location around the U.S., protected with puzzles, riddles, and traps. This has kept the weapon safe . . . until now! Gideon Arnold, a dangerous descendant of the infamous Benedict Arnold, is on the chase.
Competition heats up between Arnold and his thugs and Sam and Martina to reach the artefacts first. Sam, Martina and Theo must use their problem solving skills to solve tricky puzzles, escape death and survive booby-traps. By the end of the series, they must be able to save the USA , uncovering many deep, dark secrets.
Readers will love trying to solve the clues themselves using deductive reasoning to escape and survive the high-stress situations the characters find themselves in. Will they be able to stay one step ahead of the baddies? The story is a fast paced, action thriller that is highly entertaining. It will appeal to students aged 11 and up who will eagerly await the release of each new book in the series of which will need to be read in order. It would make a great read aloud, particularly if studying American history as many of the clues are linked to this.
Kathryn Schumacher

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott

Court of Fives book 1. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016. ISBN 9780316364300
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Kate Elliott, an award winning fantasy author for adults has turned her hand to a young adult novel with exciting results. Court of Fives is a winner for readers who love fantasy and will also appeal to readers who enjoyed The hunger games, as the heroine in the story, Jessamy, trains for The Fives, a complicated athletic competition. Jessamy is one of four daughters, all with vividly described characteristics, with the author giving subtle references to Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.
Set in the land of Efea, similar to ancient Egypt, Jessamy lives in a stratified society. Her father, Captain Esladas, is a Patron from the conquering land of Saro, and an outstanding commander in the army but has chosen to live with an Efean woman, known as a Commoner. By law, he cannot marry her. The four daughters have to tread a fine line in their behaviour in this society bound by class and privilege. When her father's patron is killed he stands to lose everything, and is forced to renounce his family and marry into Patron royalty. Jes seizes the opportunity to train in The Fives and together with Kalliarkos, a Patron Prince, learns about the scheming politics of the royal family and they have to try and save her mother and sisters from a horrific death.
Written in the first person by Jessamy, the reader is carried into a whirlwind of dangerous sport and political intrigue. Jessamy is an intrepid but impetuous heroine, who has great intelligence and the ability to analyse not only the game plan of the Court of Fives, but what is happening around her.
I devoured this exciting novel in almost one sitting and am sure that it would appeal to both teens and adults alike.
Pat Pledger

Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott

Court of Fives book 2. Little, Brown and Company, 2017. ISBN 9780316344388
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. 2017 Locus Awards nominee. An exciting sequel to Court of fives by World Fantasy Award finalist Kate sees Jes now moving up the ladder as she competes in the The Fives, the difficult athletic contest that she loves. She goes to the countryside with Lord Gargaron's entourage, competing against others on the way and gaining good experience while earning enough to help her family. At the same time, she gets caught up in the political machinations that are happening in the country. An attack on her party finds Jes caught up in a battle and meeting up with Lord Kalliarkos once more.
In Poisoned Blade, Jes once more proves that not only is she an outstanding athlete, she has the capacity to think things through and to see the patterns in the events that surround her. She also has to prove herself as a warrior, taking on the enemy that is trying to slaughter the army her father leads.
This is a thrilling story with much to recommend it. Jes is a wonderful main character, her personality and bravery shine throughout the story. Her relationships with her family are complex and the reader gets to know her sisters better as they begin to take on important roles in the story. Her feelings for Kalliarkos remain strong even though it appears that this romance should be doomed because of her position as a Commoner.
Themes of class, race, belonging and power permeate the story and make it a fabulous read. It is however ideal to have read the first in the series, Court of Fives to gain the best understanding of the setting and plot.
Pat Pledger

Dr Karl's little book of dinos by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

Ill. by Russell Jeffery. Pan Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781925481242
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Dinosaurs. Filled with lots of details about dinosaurs as well as puzzles, quizzes and activities this is a wonderful book for the child who loves dinosaurs as well as a useful addition to a school or public library collection.
It is divided into 5 sections. 'Who am I?' gives details about Dr Karl, while 'Who are you?' gives the owner of the book the chance to fill out personal details about themselves, including drawing a picture of what they think they will look like in the future. In 'Dr Karl says', three facts are given about dinosaurs that he really wants the reader to know: 1. They had funny lungs. 2. They got wiped out by an asteroid and 3. Half a million cubic kilometres of cooled lava, also helped to kill them. The bulk of the book, 'Dyno Dynamos', is taken up with interesting dinosaur facts, drawings and sections for the reader to fill in, e.g. they are given instructions on how to draw a tyrannosauros rex and can also do word puzzles. Russell Jeffery's black and white illustrations are a boon, helping the reader understand what dinosaurs look like and aiding in the instructions for drawing.
This is a companion volume to Dr Karl's Little Book of Space and is equally as interesting and instructive.
Pat Pledger

Attack of the giant robot zombie mermaid by Matt Cosgrove

Ballad for a mad girl by Vikki Wakefield

Text, 2017. ISBN 9781925355291
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Death. Country towns. Thriller. One night walking across the pipe outside the town, risk-taking Grace has a moment of fear. She has done this many times before, holds the record for getting across, but this time she freezes, the headlights from the kids' cars seem to go off, and she is plunged into darkness after seeing the words Hannah Holt drawn on the underside of the pipe, and one of the Hearts boys must sidle across to help her get back. Hannah disappeared twenty years ago, and although people thought they knew who killed her, William Dean was never charged but killed himself a year later. Grace, the prankster, the girl who cries wolf, feels compelled to find out more about what happened to Hannah Holt and this course seems linked with her own grief for her mother, killed in a road accident two years before. Grace invents a way of getting inside the Holt house, but Mrs Holt suspects her motives, having plenty of oglers come to her door in the past.
So begins a tightly drawn story of compulsion, as Grace feels directed by the dead girl, but trying to tell her friends draws derision as they think it just another of Grace's pranks.
Her father and brother are concerned for her changed appearance and strange behaviour, but they are not coping either after the loss of Grace's mother and more recently, their farm.
This is a gripping read. We share Grace's friends' disbelief at Grace's motives, but are engrossed by the fervour of her attempts to find the truth.
Further complicated when Grace learns that her mother's death was not accidental, Grace must settle things with her friends before she can uncover some of the truths about life in this small town.
Convinced by a psychologist that she is depressed, Grace steels herself to ignore the dreams and voices she hears, but finding a piece from a cigarette packet in the pocket of William Dean's leather jacket sets her off on a different path.
This is a gripping thriller which takes the reader into Grace's mind, following clues that come from the dead girl, but it becomes clear that it is not Hannah directing her obsession. Her friends try to help but are distanced by her odd behavior and although they come to some sort of uneasy peace, the reader knows that Grace will learn to live without them. It is her family that is the mainstay of her existence and once she is able to expose the lie at the base of Hannah's disappearance, they can release the pain and guilt that hangs between them after Grace's mother's death.
I could not put this down, and reread sections after I had finished, so gripped was I about the path taken by Grace in solving the girls's disappearance. I could picture the landscapes so carefully created by Wakefield, walk through the houses with Grace and run over the paddocks to her ailing father.
The striking cover will impel young adults to choose it to read, and they will be stunned by the extraordinary thriller within.
Fran Knight

The tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond

Ill. by Alex T. Smith. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406358070
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. 'Bert Brown discovered the angel in his top pocket when he was driving his bus. Bert and Betty's friends think he's lovely. So do Nancy, Jack and Alice from Class 5K. But Acting Head Teacher Mrs Mole is not so sure. Nor is Professor Smellie. And the mysterious bloke who claims to be a school inspector. He is downright suspicious.'
Then there's big, lumbering Basher Malone. He does not like Angelino at all. In fact he just might be out to get him . . . (Publisher)
Strange things begin to happen to Bert and Betty, while at the same time Angelino fills the huge void left when their own son died, bringing happiness and love to the house once again.
This is a lighthearted book for those willing to believe in a little bit of magic. Imaginations can run wild and strong connections made to both the storyline and characters. I particularly love the illustrations of Angelino as it is not your stereotypical angel. Good and evil is questioned and you can not help but feel sympathetic to certain characters. It would make a beautiful read aloud for students aged 9 and up.
Kathryn Schumacher

Revolt against the Romans by Tony Bradman

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781472929327
Author, Tony Bradman has created a short read (115 pages) about a young Roman boy called Marcus. He has a complicated relationship with his father a high-ranking official within the Roman Civil Service. When Marcus is captured by Catuvellauni in Britannia, his father suggests that Marcus makes the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Despite the reputation the Britons have for being savages who tattoo themselves and take the heads of their enemies in battle, Marcus wins the trust and respect of the village and is adopted into a Briton family where he experiences the love and warmth he so craved.
But soon the Romans are on the march against the Britons and Marcus must face his old enemy in his father. Will he be recognised by his long-lost father? Who will Marcus support?
This is a fast-paced book, full of adventure, battle scenes and an interesting ending. Being a lover of historical fiction, I found this book left me wanting to google the period in history to learn more. Bradman has done a fantastic job of mixing fact with fiction to allow the characters to come alive throughout the book. It is difficult not to feel sympathetic towards Marcus and will him to victory. These will be a fantastic addition to read aloud if one is learning about ancient civilisations and an exciting carrot to dangle in front of reluctant readers.
I am hoping this will become a series.
Kathryn Schumacher

Watch out, snail! by Gay Hay and Margaret Talland

Starfish Bay Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781760360320
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Snails. New Zealand fauna and flora. Introduced species. Nocturnal animals. STEM. This tactile publication had me rushing to my books on New Zealand animals as I turned the pages. The Powilliphanta Snail only comes out at night, and being carnivorous spends its time finding food, while avoiding becoming food for other predators. The stunning images of night time in New Zealand's forests glow, and I had to check whether they were three dimensional, so arresting are the illustrations.
We watch the large snail (3.6 inches across, we are told in the informative page at the end) as it makes its way over branches, twigs and leaves across the forest floor.
It encounters several animals, a possum, hedgehog, rat and pig, all pests in New Zealand, introduced in the nineteenth century. It avoids being their meal, and finally finds what it is looking for, a worm which it slurps up, but other predators await our snail. Readers will call out to the snail to watch out as a weka stalks it throughout the story. Enticingly we see a beak, or an eye, a claw or leg, as it follows its prey.
Through this seemingly simple story, we see the snail and its habitat, learn more about introduced species, and see in the forest foliage other New Zealand indigenous animals. I found several and I am sure eagle-eyed younger readers will spy others. At the end is given a page of information about the snail, as well as a double page snail trail, showing where it can be found. This is a wonderful story, well told in spare, informative prose and matched with superb illustrations that draw the eye to the page over and over again.
Fran Knight

When Dimple met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Hodder and Stoughton 2017. ISBN 9781473667402
Recommended for middle to upper high school students. Arranged marriage. Romance. Indian culture. Identity. High achieving, second generation Indian Americans, Dimple Shah and Rishi Patel have both won positions at their choice of university; Dimple to study web design at Stanford and Rishi, engineering at MIT. Behind the scenes their parents have been matchmaking so when Dimple asks if she can go to an expensive summer school on web development they unexpectedly say yes, secretly knowing that Rishi Patel will enrol, allowing them to get to know each other. Dimple is certain of what she wants and has resisted all her mother's efforts for her to use traditional Indian makeup and dress fashionably to attract the Ideal Indian Husband, IIH, so when she arrives at the summer school and a stranger approaches her and says 'Hello future wife' she is appalled. Dimple is furious with her parents for the deception and she tells Rishi she wants a career not marriage, however they are partners in a competition to create an app during the summer school and Dimple agrees to work with Rishi to develop her idea. While working together Dimple discovers Rishi's talent for cartooning and can't understand how he can put it aside to follow his father's choice of engineering rather than develop his passion. Rishi loves tradition and stability and wants to do the right thing for his family. Alternating chapters from the point of view of Dimple and Rishi highlight the funny side of their situation and their unfolding romance. Both main characters embrace their rich Indian cultural backgrounds and readers can learn a lot about the challenges and rewards of blending them with modern western aspirations in a positive way. While the main characters are well drawn the minor characters are disappointing, particularly the stereotyped rich kids and the plot features web development and app design yet we learn nothing about the process they are supposed to be spending all their time on.
Overall it is funny and romantic with a rich cultural background and about pursuing your passion. It gives an alternative view to the stories about second generation immigrants desperately struggling to overcome stifling cultural expectations like in Helen Thurloe's Promising Azra.
Sue Speck

The Wayward Witch and the Feelings Monster by Sally Rippin

Polly and Buster series. Hardie Grant Egmont. ISBN 9781760129019
(Age: 7-9) Highly recommended. Theme: Witches, Monsters, Friendship, Resilience, Acceptance.
Standing up for a friend is being a hero, Polly. No matter who that friend might be. Witch or monster.
Polly the witch and Buster the feelings monster have a special friendship, even in a town where witches and monsters do not interact. Young witches attend the Academy, where they are educated in all area of witchcraft including how to make potions and spells. When young Polly has trouble reading her spell instruction book with disastrous consequences, she needs her special friend to help her and make her feel better. Buster the monster lives next door and they have a secret meeting spot in the tall tree at the end of the yard. When the big furry monster feels happy, he grows bigger, unfortunately sad situations and unkind words make him shrink. While Buster's family welcomes Polly into their home, feeding her delicious meals, Polly's older sister and mother find her wayward ways not up to the proper standard for witches.
When Buster's monster class and Polly's class of witches visit the museum at the same time, trouble looms. The young monster calls out a greeting to his best friend Polly; she ignores him completely trying to impress Malorie. the most popular witch in her class . Buster shrinks into the smallest, saddest monster and then even his classmates tease him. Malorie fabricates a story about Polly saving her from a horrible monster. As the problem escalates, Polly has to make some tough decisions about friendship, popularity and acceptance.
Sally Rippin's junior novel The Wayward Witch and the Feelings Monster is wonderfully written, richly rounded with description and emotion. Her fantasy world of witches and monsters is believably portrayed. The cast of characters with their quirks, faults and special qualities engage the reading audience. Buster's family is warm and comforting; they take in 'unloveable monsters who need love the most.' With the social and emotional themes of dealing with peer pressure, accepting differences and making good choices, this is a perfect novel for Middle Primary classes.
Rhyllis Bignell

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

The Witchlands book 1. Pan Macmillan, 2016. ISBN 9781509825028
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. 2017 Locus Awards nominee. Safiya and Iseult are two young women with uncanny powers. Safi is a Truthwitch, who can tell when something is true. This power is very valuable and empires would do anything to have a Truthwitch as a servant. She keeps her talent hidden and trains with Iseult, whose true powers are unknown, even to herself. When they encounter a Bloodwitch, who can follow on the scent of blood, they must flee their home and go into hiding. At court, Safi meets Prince Merik, a Windwitch and danger faces all three when the elderly King decides that he will marry Safi. With the Bloodwitch, Aeduan following them closely, Safi and Iseult go on the run.
This is a story to keep the reader completely engrossed with the exploits of Safi and Iseult as they come into their powers and realise that they have a part to play in the fate of their countries. The friendship of these two Threadsisters sustains the story, which is very original and compelling. They lean on each other, using each other's skills to come up with solutions and face danger together. Prince Merik's character is complex and the slight romance between Safi and him will delight any romance lovers. The Bloodwitch is quite sinister, but Iseult seems to be able to come to grips with abilities, even as he hunts them relentlessly.
The first in the Witchlands series, Truthwitch will delight fantasy lovers with the friendship between its two main characters who can save themselves, the political machinations of court, swordplay and piracy as well as romance. There is a book trailer at the author's website, and a site for the series here.
Pat Pledger

Windwitch by Susan Dennard

The Witchlands book 2. Pan Macmillan, 2016. ISBN 9781447282310
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Windwitch continues the story this time giving more detail about Prince Merik, who is a Windwitch convinced that his sister is not looking after their kingdom. After his ship is blown up and he just escapes with very bad burns, he is ever more certain of her treason and travels to the capital determined to fight for the weak. Meanwhile, Safi has just managed to escape with her life with the Empress of Marstok when they are shipwrecked and Iseult begins the long journey trying to find her. She is able to broker a deal with the Bloodwitch Aeduan and together they follow her trail.
There are many twists and turns in this story, which was not as easy to read as Truthwitch, as it swings from one main character to another in differing chapters. However the reader gets to know the personalities, strengths and weaknesses of the four witches and the geography of the world that they are fighting for. The complex political and power struggles begin to make sense, although Dennard gives a few tantalising glimpses of new characters who are sure to be important.
There are many dangers to face and all four meet them bravely. The reader gets caught up with needing to see Safi and Iseult reunited and to learn how Prince Merik comes to term with the reality of his relations with his sister.
This is engrossing and complex fantasy writing and I can't wait for the next in the series.
There is a site for the book.
Pat Pledger

Olga and the smelly thing from nowhere by Elise Gravel

Harper Collins, 2017. ISBN 9780062351265
(Age: 7-9) Themes: Pets, Science Research. Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere is a notebook novel combining easy-to-read text with red, pink and black cartoon graphics. The protagonist Olga is an unusual quirky character, who wants to be an animal scientist; in fact, she prefers animals to humans. She takes her scientific role seriously, using an inquiry-based learning style, documenting her findings in her notebook. Many bathroom humour jokes, descriptions of bodily functions and cartoons of peeing and pooping add to the humour and silliness of this story.
When Olga discovers an unusual animal that looks a cross between an inflated hamster and a three-year-old's drawing of a potato, which smells really bad, she takes it home and hides it in her bedroom. In her observation notebook she records the creature's features, actions, noises 'meh' and 'dowdowdow' when panicked. Olga tries to discover what kind of animal it is by trying to take it into the library with the help of Ms. Swoop, the tattooed punk librarian. After an interesting encounter at the dog park, where they meet Chuck a small dog with a bladder problem, they visit Mr. Hoopah's corner store. He sells a unique assortment of products including nacho-scented toilet paper, cans of live flies and meatloaf nail polish. After experimenting with some very bizarre foods, Meh the Olgamus Ridiculus falls into a bowl of olives that is his favourite. There are mean girls who transform Meh after kidnapping him, plenty of scientific observations, olive recipes and a hunt for the missing pet involving a small dog and many pee breaks.
Elise Gravel's junior novel Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere is a fun story, with many bathroom humour jokes, descriptions of bodily functions and cartoons of peeing and pooping that add to the humour and silliness of this story.
Rhyllis Bignell