Reviews

Forest dark by Nicole Krauss

Curly tales: Short stories with a twist by Bill Condon

Ill. by Dave Atze. Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 9781925520590
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Proverbs. Animal stories. Humour. Think about these twisted proverbs and sayings - 'the whirlybird catches the worm' and 'curiosity chilled the cat'. Laugh aloud as you read Bill Condon's Curly tales: Short stories with a twist; these humorous animal stories are perfect for sharing with family, friends and classmates. Fun settings, silly situations, talking animals and crazy antics make up these creative twists on familiar wise mottos.
Arty Smartypants and his team of fifty nifty muscled mice outsmart bad to the bone Big Charlie the cat in 'Curiosity and the Cat'. There is a trail of tiny fish nibbles, one large smelly fish and an open freezer door all ready to trap the mean feline in this simple quirky story.
The 8.35 Labrador to the city is packed with fleas including dad Irving and sad little Fifi, who has read human stories about their boring lives. Dad cheers his daughter up with a special concert. After a fast ride in the city, they end up on the orchestra conductor's shoulder and Irving dances on her nose and she wildly waves the baton. A visit to watch the acrobats, jugglers, clowns and other Flea Circus acts cheers little Fifi up and Dad notices her change in mood. She is happy now and Irving ends with this wise proverb, 'the best things in life are flea!
Harry Hairybutt the gorilla tests his friend nerdy gorilla Egbert in the cautionary tale of 'a friend when kneed is a friend indeed!' Condon's ridiculous characters include: Winston and Clemmy Love, the not so typical senior citizen bunnies, Gerald the grasshopper who picnics on Luigi de Lion's back and orphaned Nifty Neville the giraffe being raised by Pip and Pete the Shetland ponies.
Curly tales: Short stories with a twist supports the Year 1-3 English Curriculum where students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment and create a range of imaginative stories based on Condon's tales. With large easy to read fonts of different sizes and styles and David Atze's funny cartoons this is just right for younger novel readers.
Rhyllis Bignell

Meerkat choir by Nicki Greenberg

Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760290795
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Meerkats. Choirs. Community. The choirmaster insists that only meerkats can be part of his choir, but he finds that this is harder than he thinks. The choir is all set to begin their practice when a tortoise asks to join in. He is told that this is a meerkat choir and so the tortoise leaves. Again with baton raised the choirmaster attempts to restart. This time a hedgehog asks to join and is told to go. Then an owl, a snake, a bat and a giraffe come asking to join. Each time the harassed choirmaster tells them no. He changes his notice to say the choir is full, but then a crocodile appears.
When the crocodile goes away the choir is at last ready, but the sound that comes from their mouths is so awful, that the choirmaster calls a halt. He takes his baton and his sign and leaves the meerkats. The choir hears some beautiful sounds coming from elsewhere and move off to see where it is coming from.
And join in.
This beautiful story of strength in numbers, of not being exclusive, of the joy in being together, will be loved by all who read it. The meerkats with their elongated bodies and surprised eyes are a delight and younger readers will be intrigued by the animals and their dilemma, because it parallels some of the interaction which goes on in their lives.
Greenberg's bold and lively illustrations will be especially endearing to the younger readers, able to recognise the animals and perhaps talk about where they can be found.
Fran Knight

Ava's big move by Mary Van Reyk

Surf Riders Club series. Lothian, 2017. ISBN 9780734417909
(Age: 10-14) Recommended. Ava's parents are following their dream and moving to the surf mad town of Beachcrest. They are going to open a cafe and give up their city jobs. This means Ava has to leave her school and her friends to start afresh in a new town.
Ava realises that the main focus in the town is surfing and she starts taking lessons at school. Other girls in the surf group are friendly and encourage her to practise with them. Gradually Ava begins to start a new life in the town, making friends and trying different experiences.
Friendship and dealing with change are two of the main themes of the book. Ava has to get to know a new circle of friends and eventually even enjoys the family's big move. She comes from a tight knit family and she finds she is even closer to her older brother after the move.
Ava's challenge is to pass the surf test with the rest of her friends so they can all go to the next level together. She learns not to give up and overcomes her fears of being dumped by a wave. There is a lot of information about surfing and the book is officially endorsed by Surfing Australia.
It is easy to believe in Ava and her friends as they share common problems and issues with young teenage girls.
This is Mary Van Reyk's first book and the second in the series is Bronte's big sister problem.
I think this book would appeal to both upper primary, lower secondary students as well as surfing enthusiasts.
There is a short YouTube clip showing Mary talking about her books here.
Recommended for 10 to 14 years olds.
Jane Moore

The story of Tutankhamun by Patricia Cleveland-Peck

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408876787
(Age 8+) The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun is one of the most celebrated events in the history of archaeology. It has intrigued Egyptologists and enthusiasts alike since 1922, when Howard Carter unearthed the young pharaoh's burial chamber and revealed its extraordinary treasures.
Patricia Cleveland-Peck has told the story of that discovery in three parts. Firstly, she has explained the family, beliefs, life and death of Tutankhamun. Secondly, she has focused on the moment when Carter entered the tomb, then described how the artefacts were documented before their relocation to Cairo. The author has also demystified the so-called curse. In the final section, Patricia Cleveland-Peck has explained how technologies unknown to Carter have thrown new light on the cause of the pharaoh's death, but failed to solve all the mysteries which surround him. Instead of reproducing photographs, Isabel Greenberg has illustrated the entire book with stylised drawings. The inclusion of speech bubbles and the occasional use of a handwriting font enable readers to experience the text as a combination of graphic nonfiction and conventional, information book. The narrative is readable but, in places, lacks fluency. Younger readers may find the font small but will delight in the colourful illustrations on every page. Although the book can be used as a source of information, it lacks an index and a reference list. The picture book format suggests that this is a book to be shared and enjoyed.
The story of Tutankhamun will attract readers who are fascinated by Ancient Egypt and its youngest pharaoh. It will also provide insights into the quest by archaeologists to find evidence that helps to explain the lives of those who lived in the past.
Elizabeth Bor

Sour heart by Jenny Zhang

(Age: Adult) This story consists of interweaving chapters about Chinese refugees and migrants struggling to make a new life in the U.S. It begins with a chapter about 'Sour girl' and the places her parents are forced to live - including a shared room with five mattresses on the floor with various other families on the other mattresses, and a blocked toilet that they use chopsticks to force the contents down the pipe. They are at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords and street gangs that steal their possessions. Life is so hard that eventually Sour girl's parents have to send her back to Shanghai to live with her grandmother until they can afford to care for her again. Family members are frequently separated, with people sent to different places around the world. And that breaking, reconnecting and breaking up of relationships again and again takes its toll on them all. Parents sacrifice and suffer, and children harden their hearts. This is set within the historical context of the Cultural Revolution in China where people were turned against each other. Some of the childhood cruelty and heartlessness of that time becomes hard to read at times.
The language of the book captures the continuous thought processes of children, often telling the story in one long rambling sentence as another thought adds another clause, twisting on and on; sentences can be a page long. We are drawn into the experience of each narrator, seeing things from each perspective, gradually working out how people connect together.
The families endure the hardships and do survive, and people manage to make a new life; thanks to their own determination and perseverance - qualities we read about again and again in refugee and migrant stories. The values of caring for family, working hard, and protecting memories, continue to hold strong despite the hardships and challenges.
Helen Eddy

Big box little box by Caryl Hart and Edward Underwood

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408872772
'Big box, little box...
My box, YOUR box!'
Cat loves boxes - all sorts of boxes - big, small, fat, thin, huge tiny... and in this romp in rhyme so many boxes are explored. But it is not just a collection of rhyming words or opposites, there is a story told in the clever choice of words and their accompanying pictures that early readers will be able to tell for themselves, delighting in their ability to read.
This is a great story to share with little ones because there is so much to share and talk about. If a fat cat sits on a little box, what will be the outcome? And if a box has a corner nibbled out of it, what might be inside?
And given the obvious answer, is this story about to end badly? Two word phrases, rhyme, bold pictures, humour, predictability that engages the reader - a perfect combination to take our youngest readers further into their love with reading.
Barbara Braxton

Alfie in the woods by Debi Gliori

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408872048
Alfie, the little rabbit with the big imagination, is back in a new adventure, this time walking through the woods. As he gathers woodland treasures and plays hide-and-seek he notices many of the little creatures and his mind morphs him into becoming each of them. Such a busy day - luckily Daddy is there to carry him and his treasures home.
Deb Gliori's distinctive illustrations bring the woods to life but with soft lines, textures and palettes, it does not become a place that is too scary for the littlest reader. It will encourage lots of imaginative and active play and then be perfect for drawing the curtains on the day as a bedtime story.
Barbara Braxton

The Fighting Stingrays by Simon Mitchell

Penguin Random House Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780143784104
(Age: Year 9+) Charlie, Masa and Alf are best mates living on idyllic Thursday Island. While they spend their childhood playing soldiers at war, they are also surrounded by the Aussie troops defending the Torres Strait. The lads are all counting the days until they can sign up for the Airforce like Biggles, their cult hero. One morning, news breaks that Japan has mounted a full scale attack on Australia's allies in both Pearl Harbor and The Philippines. Suddenly all of the Japanese Islanders (even those who have never lived off the island) are herded into a prison camp by Captain Maddox, who is both domineering and taking full advantage of his position. With the help of his mates, Masa escapes and spends a large part of the second half of the story living in makeshift shelter on the island and hiding from his enemies. However, Captain 'Maggots' isn't finished with him yet and starts hunting.
The main character's contrasting personalities are well established during the early part of the book. Charlie lives in the big house, his Father is the owner of Pearl Shell Company but the family unit has a sad history and is struggling. Alf has a tough life; his Dad is the local alcoholic who regularly beats him and his brother is in Darwin fighting the war. Masa is a Japanese Australia, whose Dad is the lead diver on one of Mr Napier's luggers. Captain Maddox, the young army captain, shows his prejudices towards the 'Japs' and becomes more and more fanatic as the story goes on.
The novel themes include how friendships are tested during war time and also how even strong relationships are influenced by the media of the day. With real historical events to draw on, including the stories of his Islander grandmother, the author uses the perspective of the teenagers to describe life amidst the Defense Force on alert for an impending attack. The author uses colloquialisms of the day as well, which would make for an interesting comparative task. The story itself was highly enjoyable and would be a great unit for Middle Years students.
Clare Thompson

Keeper of the Crystals: Eve and the Hidden Giant by Jess Black

Big Sky Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925594003
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Travelling in a giant's armpit and escaping a tsunami in a faraway land is just another day for Eve, Keeper of the Crystals. While bushwalking, Eve, her best friend Oscar and Eve's dragon companion Ingvar are blown about by a strong wind. They end up in the land of the giants where they meet Trotag. Trotag is a rogue giant and rogue giants are destroying the land. However, Trotag wants to be a creator giant but has never had the courage to approach the creator giants. Of course, Eve is a brave girl and as a crystal keeper and a keen adventurer she persuades Trotag to approach the other giants. Will the new friends be able to help stop the rogue giants? Will Trotag get a chance to join the creator giants?
Keeper of the Crystals: Eve and the Hidden Giant is a lovely tale with a strong female lead and a mythical theme. The story is descriptive and engaging. Readers will enjoy the adventures of Eve and Oscar. They will admire Eve's bravery and Oscar's happy-go-lucky attitude.
Readers will laugh at the idea of a giant riding a tree as a surfboard. The story also carries simple themes of friendship, listening to others and peaceful ways to solve conflict. It would be good for the Child Protection curriculum as teachers could use excerpts to discuss mixed feelings. This book is recommended for readers aged 9+.
Kylie Kempster

Lullaby and Goodnight by P. Crumble

Scholastic Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781760276331
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Lullaby and Goodnight is an Australian themed lullaby in picture format. It uses soft rhythmical language to gently soothe a baby or small child to sleep. The narrator speaks of their love holding tight, giving their heart and never wanting to be apart. On each page, readers will find an Australian animal and their baby. From a wombat to a koala, the illustrations are life-like and beautifully detailed.
This book will make a great gift for new parents or a child's first birthday. Parents and children will enjoy sharing the words of love while learning about Australian animals.
This story is highly recommended for readers aged 4+. There is also an accompanying CD with a recording of the lullaby sung by Australian actor and performer Miranda Tapsell.
Kylie Kempster

The Cull by Tony Park

Macmillan Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781743548455
(Age: Senior Fiction - not appropriate for students under 16.) Former mercenary Sonja Kurtz is hired by a billionaire business tycoon, Julia Clyde-Smith to head an elite squad whose goal is to take down Africa's poaching kingpins. While Sonja tries to stay under the radar, she is targeted by the underworld syndicate known as The Scorpions and begins to suspect that Julia's crusade has gone too far. The soldier realizes they're fighting a war on numerous fronts, against enemies both known and unknown.
Author Tony Park uses his experiences as a former army officer living in Africa, in his 14th novel. The subject of modern day wildlife wars makes for gripping reading. The Cull draws attention to the often violent battle residents of South Africa and surrounding countries are experiencing daily.
I have not read any of the previous novels and so found that a new reader has to piece together a puzzle of 'who's who'. The back stories of several of the main characters and their prior relationships are glossed over and as a result complex scenes between key characters can be a little confusing. The character development of Mario, for example, uses quite explicit violent sex scenes to demonstrate how he has a track record of losing control during battle. While the novel is a good read in itself, I would not be expecting to see this one in many senior fiction collections. However, I would recommend for a very mature student studying poaching warfare.
Clare Thompson

Little Paws series by Jess Black

Ill. by Gabrielle Evans. Penguin Random House Australia, 2017.
Welcome Home, Harley. ISBN 9780143781776
Ringo's Road Trip. ISBN 9780143781813
Meg's Big Mystery. ISBN 9780143781790
Goldie Makes the Grade. ISBN 9780143781837
Guide Dogs Australia provide essential services to those with vision impairment as well as those who suffer other conditions through their Pets as Therapy program, relieve the isolation and loneliness of the elderly through Companion Dogs and are piloting Autism Assistance dogs for children so this new series which highlights the training of these dogs as well as helping to raise funds for that training is as much a community service as it is a really good read for those newly independent readers.
Each book focuses on the children in different families helping to train the dogs for their special jobs, taking on the responsibility of all aspects of what is involved, providing an engaging story as well as guidance for how the reader might train their own four-legged, tail- wagging friend. They also shed some insight into how life can be for those whose vision is impaired and the impact having some of the stress removed can have, maybe even encouraging them to become puppy-raisers themselves. So many refuse to do it because of the heartbreak of having to part with the dog, but there's a lesson to be learned in suffering a little to give someone else so much.
2017 celebrates 60 years since Guide Dogs Australia placed the first dog and the purchase of each book supports their work so that even more puppies can bring help and joy to others. But apart from that, each story is a good read and Miss Dog-Loving 6 who is on the cusp of being ready to read chapter books independently is going to love them. They will give her that little push she needs to make the leap!
Barbara Braxton

Goth Girl and the sinister symphony by Chris Riddell

Goth Girl book 4. Macmillan Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9781447277941
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Goth Girl is back in another fabulous adventure as her father, Lord Goth, holds a music festival, Gothstock, in the grounds of Ghastly-Gorm Hall. Ada is home for the school holidays with her friends Emily and William Cabbage and the three, together with Kingsley the chimney caretaker, Ruby the outer-pantry maid and Arthur Halford, the hobby horse groom, form the Attic Club, its purpose to report on unusual happenings in the house. Of course, they are all worried that there will be problems with Gothstock as Maltravers, the indoor gamekeeper and outdoor butler, is organising it and Ada is worried about her father, besieged by three young and very fashionable women, brought to the Hall by his mother. Then there is Shaun the faun who likes to sleep in wardrobes.
This continues on in the very witty and highly amusing narrative that will have adults in stitches and children hanging on to see what happens next. Not only are there literary and classical music allusions in this volume, Riddell has spattered references to contemporary celebrities, so the reader will giggle at the idea of Tailor Extremely Swift who looks after everyone's wardrobes and the band the Ladies of G.A.G.G.A, as well as recognising Donald and Moravia Ear-Trumpet!
The illustrations are gorgeous, Lord Goth is the dark brooding Regency hero, Ada is stunningly beautiful in her lovely clothes and there are many funny drawings that will have the reader laughing out loud. There is also a tiny wordless book at the back, Fable of a Faun by Shaun Tumnus, which is also beautifully illustrated in soft pastels.
This will appeal to children and adults alike, the children loving the characters, illustrations and adventures, while adults will adore the sly wit and humour.
Pat Pledger

Trouble and the exploding house by Cate Whittle

Ill. by Stephen Michael King. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781742990798
(Age: 6 - 8) Recommended. Dragons. Trouble and the exploding house concludes the amusing series about young Georgia, her family and their pet dragon, Trouble, who certainly lives up to his name. Each story introduces a big problem that Georgia faces head on and with courage, creativity and determination she sets out to solve it. Georgia and her family now live in their house on top of a mountain, thanks to Trouble's helpful ways. Unfortunately, the Man from the Government arrives after a difficult climb and informs the family about an issue. They now live in a wildlife park and have only two weeks to move before their home is blown up. It is up to Georgia to find a way to convince the officials that their house belongs up on the mountaintop and Trouble deserves to life in his roomy carpeted cave nearby. When the man from the Government returns with the Demolition Expert, everyone panics, Dad tries to appeal the decision but unfortunately, he is too late.
Bold Georgia decides to take action; she remembers last term's Science lessons about animals and their unique habitats and formulates a plan. With her family living in a tent in their old backyard, she begins a Save the Dragon Campaign. Her friends, family, school community and local townspeople rally behind her, signing petitions, making banners and a quilt. The media reports on the family's problems and Trouble the Dragon is filmed flying around his natural habitat, the mountain.
With wonderful and funny illustrations by Stephen Michael King and easy-to-read text, Trouble and the exploding house is just right for junior readers. Author Cate Whittle provides a recap at the beginning of each book so they can be read individually, or in order. Georgia is a brave and likeable protagonist and Trouble is an endearing but bothersome sidekick. She delights the reader with engaging dragon antics, plenty of picnics with potato chips and fizzy sarsaparilla and surrounds Georgia with her supportive friends and family.
Rhyllis Bignell