Reviews

Where is Grandma? by Peter Schossow

Gecko Press (NZ), 2017. ISBN 9781776571543
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Hospitals, Humour, Grandparents. This beautifully evocative picture book about a child trying to find his grandmother in a large busy hospital, is not only a wonderful tale of discovery, but it tells readers why a hospital exists and shows the range of people, staff and procedures that a hospital contains. Henry becomes lost when he goes inside the huge place while his nanny talks on the phone. He knocks on many doors, some of which he opens to talk to the person inside. He talks to a heart surgeon, sees a newborn baby, a woman with dementia, a man injured in a car accident, the worker in the basement and finally the security officer who takes him to Grandma's room.
Younger readers will want to see him reunited with Grandma as he weaves his way through corridors and lifts and lunch rooms, the maternity ward and surgery all on his own.
The gentle humour will appeal to a wide audience and many adults reading will have a giggle at the literary references within the text. First published in Germany with the title, Wo ist Oma, the book has been republished by Gecko Press in New Zealand and distributed by Scholastic.
The illustrations cover the double pages, showcasing large parts of the hospital, the view from the outside, the view from the corridor over an atrium, a few hints of the outside, the long corridors and intimate rooms. On each page we see another aspect of the hospital through Henry's eyes.
I love the range of people shown, from young to old, infirm and able bodied, staff and patients, a range of ethnic variations, all attesting to the diversity shown in our society and in particular, Germany.
Funny incidents occur: meeting his classmate with a bean up her nose, the woman in the lift thinking he is her son, George, the man concerned about his friends waiting for him, seeing Mr Munchberger surrounded by food. Henry decides that Grandma is in good hands after finding out so much about the working day in a hospital, and promises he will not get lost again.
At once a cautionary tale about running off from one's nanny, the story exposes young readers to the working life of a hospital and will encourage them to talk about going to these places with humour.
Fran Knight

Lintang and the Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss

Random House Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780143783435
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Lintang dreams of having adventures on the high seas. When a deadly mythie attacks the same day the infamous Captain Shafira visits her island, Lintang gets her chance, defending her village with a bravery that earns her a place on the pirate queen's ship. But they've barely left the island when Lintang discovers her best friend, Bayani, has stowed away. Telling Captain Shafira means betraying her friend, but keeping Bayani's secret risks everything . . . including their lives.
This is a fantastic read with unexpected twists and turns and the bravest pirate queen there ever was. This book combines a mythic pirate adventure where we meet a variety of vastly different characters who live in a fantasy world. Tamara Moss has done a wonderful job of introducing us to the strong Lintang and equally impressive Pirate Queen.
This book will quickly become popular with students from 11 and up. It is a book full of determination, grit and challenges. Friendship is a strong theme throughout the story and I predict it will continue to develop as the series continues.
Kathryn Schumacher

Little Lunch: Triple the Laughs by Danny Katz

Ill. by Mitch Vane. Black Dog Books, 2017. ISBN 9781921977398
(Age: 6+) Themes: School stories; Friendship; Food; Dress-up Day; Germs. Three stories, made into the successful ABC series Little Lunch, highlight the antics of kids at school. Little Lunch, or as some know it - 'Recess' - is a 15 minute interlude in every child's life when good things and woeful things can happen! The first story in this book tells the tale of the 'little, brown, smelly-wrap things' that appear in the lunchbox when Yaya takes over catering duties while Atticus' parents are away. In Atticus' mind, this is a disaster of gargantuan proportions. The second tale is based on the ubiquitous dress-up day, again another day in the school year fraught with unintended disaster. The final story, The Germblock reveals the problems associated with making a hasty call on a germ-riddled moment.
Each of these short stories is delightful, funny and revealing of the personalities of the school yard and the local customs or problems that can develop in a school context. Obviously as this is an enjoyable ABC television series, young readers will probably already have come to know these quirky personalities, and the book contains photographs of the young actors, as well as the eccentric drawings by Mitch Vane.
Young readers aged 6+ will connect with this easy to read book, but as the Television characters are in Year 6, older students will not be embarrassed to have this book in their reading collection for Silent Reading time (!), although it does take very little time to read. However, this may make a good book for those who might otherwise avoid reading.
Carolyn Hull

Remind me how this ends by Gabrielle Tozer

Angus and Robertson, 2017. ISBN 9781460751688
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Durnan is really a backwater now that Milo's girlfriend has moved 300kms away to University. Milo finished Yr 12 with plenty of options but he's stuck, working in the family bookstore. It doesn't look as if he's going anywhere fast. He's visited Sal once at her student share house but Milo seems to factor less and less in her hectic new life. Who should re-enter Milo's life after a 5 year absence? Layla Montgomery walks through the door of the bookstore. Her baggage is the unresolved grief of her mother's sudden death in Durnan and a drug-dealing boyfriend.
Their respective relationships begin to languish and the pair fall into a familiar friendship of text messaging and teasing. Plans go awry for them both and in the melee, is intimacy on the cards? Or is Milo merely a link to Layla's memories of her mother - in a happier time before her dad swept them out of town on the wave of his own grief.
Tozer's chapters alternate between Layla and Milo's perspectives because this is the classic friends becoming lovers plot. Yet Trent, Milo's brother, and Shirin, Layla's step-mother, are just two developed characters adding credibility, pathos and in Trent's case, more than a little humour. Remind me how this ends amongst a handful of themes, explores the dilemma of what comes after school. Thanks to Milo's gap year, we learn that it's OK to not have your whole future mapped out upon leaving school - not love - not life.
Deborah Robins

Rockabye Pirate by Timothy Knapman

Ill. by Ada Grey. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408849392
Rock-a-bye pirate, in the crow's nest
Mummy says bedtime, and Mummy knows best.
You've had your adventures, you've sailed the high seas,
So under the covers and go to sleep, please.
During the day, this little pirate has all sorts of pirate adventures doing all the things pirates do. But the life of a pirate isn't all swashbuckling, treasure-seeking and making enemies walk the plank - come nighttime they have to have their dinner, have a bath, wash their hair, get in the PJs and snuggle into bed to listen to a bedtime story. And this smart mummy knows this, turning her boy's bedtime routine into a pirate-centred lullaby to settle him down and lull him to sleep.
Author of other preschool-friendly stories such as All Aboard the Dinosaur Express, Knapman describes himself as a children's writer, lyricist and playwright and his way with words, their rhyme and rhythm certainly shines through in this latest offering. Sublimely illustrated so that even the wickedest pirates who ever set sail - Black-Bearded Brewster, Sea Dog McPhail, Cross-Eyed Delaney and Freddy the Fright - become just regular people who go home to their magnificent purpled-hair mum, there is everything that is familiar about pirates in this book as well as things that are not so it is scaled back to become a gentle bedtime story for even the toughest, most adventurous daytime seafarer.
Barbara Braxton

Shaozhen by Wai Chim

Through my eyes, natural disaster zones book 2. Allen And Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760113797
(Age: Year 4+) Highly recommended. This is a thought provoking account of the hardship a small village faced in the 2014 drought in Henan, China. Shaozhen has no intention of staying in his remote Henan village and becoming another poor farmer. He intends to finish school, and then, hopefully, work in a factory in one of the major cities, just like his father. But when Shaozhen returns home for the summer holidays, imagining days filled with nothing but playing basketball with his friends, he's in for a shock. The worst drought in over sixty years threatens the crops that the entire village relies on for income. The situation becomes so bad that Shaozhen's mother must join his father in a larger city to earn money with the threat of there being no harvest to generate an income. He is left behind to live with his grandmother. Shaozhen is soon faced with the harsh realities that accompany drought and spends a large part of his day finding alternative sources of water that must be carted by hand to provide them with enough water for drinking and cleaning, as they watch their crops wither away. When these sources dry up, the villages must travel to a nearby town and collect two buckets of water per family per day.
As the water situation becomes dire, Shaozhen realises he must come up with a plan. But will it be enough to save his family and friends and secure the future of his village?
I would highly recommend this book for Year 4 students and up. I can see it fitting into our unit on natural disasters and it would make a great read aloud. Just be aware that the last couple of chapters touch on AIDS. This book presents themes such as determination, village pride and perseverance.
I enjoyed the author's notes, timelines and glossary at the end of the book as I found I was left wanting to find out more about this drought. A fantastic addition to this series.
Kathryn Schumacher

Survival skills handbook, series by Bear Grylls

Knots. ISBN: 9781783422982
Camping. ISBN 9781783422593
Maps and navigation. ISBN 9781783423002
Dangers and emergencies. ISBN 9781783422999
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Survival. Camping. Knots. Navigation. First Aid. Bear Grylls is the world famous survivalist, ex-military commando known for his extreme outdoor adventures on his television series and his work as Chief Scout for the UK Scout Association. Each of these factual Survival skills handbooks focuses on the knowledge, resources, tips and tricks to meet the challenges of living in the wilderness. These provide easy-to-read instructions, clear colourful diagrams and step-by-step guides presented with sturdy covers and elastic bookmarks. They are the perfect addition to a camping backpack, wrapped in a waterproof bag.
Knots is a comprehensive volume of all things rope-related, splicing, tripod lashing, attaching a dinghy to post with a pile-hitch and the more familiar knots used in camping. With an introduction about the knot's purpose, a tip from Bear Grylls and close-ups of each stage with labelled sections, this is a great book for campers, sailors and Scouts.
Camping discusses everything from tent types, making shelters, hunting knives (with an adult in charge), toileting and showering, to food preparation and fire making. He introduces this with an encouragement to enjoy these experiences with friends and family, and safety is an important part of his message. Healthy nutrition, personal hygiene and environmental awareness are also covered.
Maps and navigation looks at the essential skills needed to start an adventure in the wild. The diagrams illustrate the basic equipment required, to being prepared for the conditions, familiarisation with your location, journey and destination. The ability to read a contour map, use a compass, measure distance, even reading signs in nature are extremely beneficial skills to have.
Dangers and emergencies even includes an Australian section on snakes. Knowing how to set an emergency signal, fire cones, flares, even a jungle distress signal is included. Dangerous insects, arachnids, reptiles and mammals are shown with their specific patterns and colours. How to treat snakebite, escape from quicksand, purify water, test for edible plants and build a shelter are vital skills for young wilderness explorers.
Bear Grylls' Survival skills handbooks are excellent resources for everyone who enjoys life in the great outdoors.
Rhyllis Bignell

Blossom by Tamsin Janu

Scholastic Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781742991641
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Author Tamsin Janu has hit the jackpot again. After the success of Figgy in the world and Figgy and the President, we get to meet the extremely determined Lottie. Lottie was sent to live with her Uncle Bobby at the age of eight, following her mother's death. After being in and out of numerous foster homes while her mother was alive, Lottie craved for attention and love. Uncle Bobby did not have much and struggled with the challenges presented to him with the arrival of Lottie.
One morning a very excited Lottie awoke to find a lost little girl, Blossom, on Uncle Bobby's doorstep. With only her uncle for company, Lottie is extremely happy to now have found a new little sister. She proudly takes her to school and introduces her as her long-lost sister, much to the surprise of her friends. Blossom displays a few interesting characteristics including not being able to communicate with Lottie and being obsessed with a lonely flower that she refuses to part with. Things begin to fall apart when Blossom becomes sick and is taken away. A determined Lottie and a group of friends do everything in their power to rescue her.
An entertaining story for children nine and up that tackles isolation, family breakdown, a yearning for love and acceptance and determination.
Kathryn Schumacher

The very sleepy bear by Nick Bland

Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781743812549
(Ages: 3-7) Recommended. Rhyme. Hibernation. This much-loved bear is back in his sixth book and this time he is preparing for winter hibernation. He is just settling in for the long winter when Fox appears and convinces him that a bear like him, 'so big and strong and brave, a creature so magnificent... deserves a bigger cave'. Bear, admitting the cave is a little on the small side, follows Fox as he shows him new cave after new cave, each one more unsuitable than the last: a train tunnel, a tree hollow teeming with bats and a rock cave complete with ocean waves. On return to his own cosy cave, Bear finds sneaky Fox and all his friends have taken up residence there. He doesn't mind if they stay, he just wants to go to sleep. He does get the last word though... 'And by the way... I snore'. It may be the latest in a long series but it isn't any less pleasing, in fact this is one of the best. The fox character is sneaky and humorous and bear is perfectly unimpressed with everything that isn't a quiet place to sleep. Bland replicates the same fun and rhythmical writing style as the other Bear books. It also uses much of the same vocabulary and phrasing, making it a comfortable read for those familiar with the other titles. The illustrations, although they have been gradually evolving since The very cranky bear, are similarly familiar. Children will laugh out loud at this simple but very pleasing narrative, will delight in Bear's lack of enthusiasm, and will like the sneaky character of Fox, who is reminiscent of a dodgy car salesman trying his best to sell something that is far from ideal. Those who are already fans of the Bear series, as well as those who haven't yet been introduced, will enjoy this. A fun read aloud for all ages, which may even become the favourite Bear book.
Nicole Nelson

Because of you by Pip Harry

UQP, 2017. ISBN 9780702259777
(Age: 15+) Hope. Homelessness. LGBTIQ. Writing. Friendship. Relationships. Everyone has a story... and words can transform lives.
In this YA novel we meet Tiny, a homeless teen who is barely recognised or heard, except by her down and out (and often drunk) older companion, Zak. Her past choices have led her from love and family to destitution and the stench of a life of squalor and uncertainty, until Zak leads her to the Hope Lane Homeless Shelter. The other central character is Nola, who has her own struggles after her boyfriend ditches her because of her silence about her LGBTIQ parents. Nola is required to do school sanctioned Community Service, in order to meet HSC demands, and ends up at Hope Lane. These two teens are thrust together in the newly formed writing group led by Eddie, an intriguing assistant who has his own reasons for being there. At the writing group, the malodorous waft of the quirky attendees is an ever present indicator of their circumstances, but they all have a story to tell. Remarkably in this unusual environment there is opportunity for hope to grow, for relationships and friendships to develop and for both girls to find their place and their voice... and for a future to unfold.
Because of you demonstrates the power of a story to create empathy for those who don't fit... and will definitely open eyes to the plight of those who are homeless and extremely powerless. There are other issues touched on in the book - friendship dramas; school issues, particularly the school formal; teen pregnancy; death; forgiveness and lack of forgiveness; and psychological health. Although this seems an overwhelming number of topics or issues for one book, Pip Harry has knitted these deftly into a heart-warming story that is quite uplifting... and a little bit romantic. There is no didactic posture conveyed towards any of these issues, and teens will probably not notice that this gentle treatment of some weighty issues is unusual. The unfamiliar circumstances of Nola's LGBTIQ family and the impact of drugs and alcohol or mental health issues may mean that this book will not be suitable for every teen, and is probably not recommended for those under 15 or without an open perspective on complex life issues.
Carolyn Hull

Literature to support the Australian curriculum - Annotated lists of fiction and poetry Book 2 by Fran Knight and Pat Pledger

Koala by Claire Saxby

Ill. by Julie Vivas. Nature Storybooks. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925126396
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Australian animals, Koalas, Australian bush, Habitat. In the fork of a tree a young koala wakes. He goes to his mother, wanting to get back into the safety of her pouch but she repels him. He is abruptly turned out into the world and must now learn to survive on his own. We follow his story as he learns the necessary skills of self preservation: finding trees suitable for his needs, fending off humans and other dangers, avoiding the dangerous male koalas when they are searching for a mate, finding a tree not marked with another's scent. He has a lot to learn without his mother and the story takes the reader through his early achievements complimented with glorious watercolour illustrations showing children exactly how a koala looks and what its habitat is like.
This is not the koala usually presented to readers: this is one on his own, learning to avoid the danger of an aggressive male, a bushfire, snake and humans.
This story of a koala in the first few lone months, one in the series called Nature Storybooks, contains factual information. In a different font, the facts are given along the bottom of the pages, supplementing the story above. Each word in the book is factual, giving the readers not only an engaging story of survival, but knowledge about koalas and their habits, habitat and behaviour, and a brief index at the end is perfect for younger readers to learn how to make use of this tool. Preceding the index is a page of further information designed to intrigue and inform. Readers will be engaged making a note of all that they learn about koalas at the end of the reading session, and the book lends itself to being read out loud, as two children could take the two sections, the one with the story, the other with the facts.
And this story could lead children to ponder on the skills they would need to learn to make their way through childhood.
Fran Knight

A is for Australian animals: a factastic tour by Frane Lessac

Walker Books Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781925381009
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Factual picture book. Australian animals. This is a unique alphabet book that will enlighten and entertain any child or adult who reads it. Filled with Lessac's signature drawings the reader is given lots of information about each of the animals in the alphabet. In fact, as one peruses the book, it is very easy to forget that it is an alphabet book, and become immersed in the strange and in-depth facts that are given in bite size sections of one or two sentences spread among the beautiful illustrations.
Each of the letters in the alphabet is given a page and often there are a number of animals described and illustrated on the page. For example one double page spread has Cockatoo on one side and Crocodile on the other but both crocodiles and cockatoos are illustrated in a beautiful green river setting, with gum trees which house the cockatoos. There is even a crocodile trying to bite a bird with the information that Crocodiles can leap over two metres out of the water to catch their prey in the air.
At the front of the book is a large map of Australia showing where some of the animals, birds and reptiles live, with general information about what makes them unique. The last page show maps of animal distribution that gives the reader immediate information about where animals and birds featured in the book can be found. The illustrations are in deep blues, greens, browns and ochres reflecting the colours of the Australian landscape.
This would be an excellent addition to a library or classroom and would make an ideal gift for children.
Pat Pledger

A Monster Calls (film) book and screenplay by Patrick Ness

Focus Features, 2016, released in Australia 2017
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Fantasy, Monsters, Death, Cancer, Bullying, Acceptance. Conor (Lewis MacDougall) screams as he falls out of bed, clutching a hand slipping from his grasp. The clock shows 12.07 and he knows it is the old nightmare. His mum (Felicity Jones) is still asleep when he leaves for school the next morning, and he drags his feet knowing what waits. The bully is relentless, but it is Conor's invisibility which is most hurtful. No one speaks to him, and his teacher talks in a soft voice, offering help. But no one can.
Conor's mother has cancer and sleeps most of the time. When her mother (Sigourney Weaver) comes to stay, Conor does not welcome this bossy interfering woman. Conor becomes more angry when his absent father (Toby Kebbell) arrives from America, full of promises. But when he must live with his grandmother on Mum's return to hospital, his anger builds.
The only thing that knows how Conor feels is the monster who fills his room at night. The yew tree by the church, the same one his mother watches from the window, tells him three stories, each drawing Conor to seeing both his father and grandmother in a different light, and to admit to himself the truth of his mother's illness.
The book, first published in 2011, written by Patrick Ness after an idea sketched out by the late Siobahn O'Dowd, won the Kate Greenaway Medal for its illustrator, Jim Kay, and the Carnegie Medal. Now directed by J A Bayona (Orphanage and Impossible) the film radiates with repressed anger. Conor is unable to admit the truth. His anger manifests itself in smashing his grandmother's front room, and putting the bully into hospital.
Ness has written the screenplay for this film, concentrating on the four main characters and the monster, the yew tree, as it reaches into the dark recesses of the mind, coping with the imminent death of someone very close. The brooding presence of the yew tree, pulling up its roots and striding into Conor's bedroom is mesmerising, his fearsomeness tempered by his voice (Liam Neeson), at once solicitous and fatherly as he tells Conor the stories. The claustrophobic feel of the film, intensified by the acton restricted to four rooms, Conor's house, Grandmother's house, the school room and the hospital room, while going outside the chilling presence of the monster fills the screen. The viewer hardly breathes, intent on seeing what is behind the stories, and how Conor will accept it.
A highly emotive fantasy thriller about a boy's guilt at his mother's disease, the film has further developed the brooding atmosphere of the book, and would suit an audience of teens and adults.
Fran Knight

Tell it to the Dog, A Memoir of Sorts by Robert Power

Transit Lounge, 2017. ISBN 9780995359505
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. This remarkable collection of stories is often deeply emotionally disturbing, yet it is one of the most beautifully composed reflections on life that I have read. Subtitled a 'memoir of sorts', he includes mostly very short tales, his use of 'memoir' suggesting some degree of ownership.
Using poignant quotations from famous writers to begin each chapter, Power further subtitles each short reflection to reflect these words in the telling of the stories. Some stories appear to be his own, told by 'the boy' in the first person, some in the second person but about himself, and some about what he has observed. Power uses these distinct narrative forms, while always inferring a personal history. The separation of the narrator from himself, told in this way, seems to enable him to reveal the often dark side of the life he has lived, and thus explores his reflections on that life and on the lives of others. He infers the intimate details of those lives that he has observed, sparingly told at times, while at other times revealed in greater depth.
His skill in holding our attention through both the lighter and the deeply emotional stories is evident as he switches between holding us gently in the lighter tales then plunging us into the dramatic, dark stories. He appears to draw us into his own life in some stories, yet at other times he takes us briefly into the lives of others, in sad stories. He controls every narrative tightly, telling only the bare short story in some, keeping to a brief 10 lines. Deliberately varying the story-telling method, he creates some stories as told through personal observation, while others are told through impersonal observation, and some by reflection. At other times he composes a more regular, short but complex narrative. The presence of pain is a recurring theme, and violence is often subtly inferred, yet at other times it is brutally described.
Power's lyrical, captivating style seems to demand a recognition of the presence of troubling human emotions. He moves continents, time and theme, in revealing the sense of loss, hurt, and dislocation in the reality of the characters, be that of his own life or that of others. One of the reflections, 'In the Shadows', under the chapter heading that refers to 'happy families', that, he writes, according to George Bernard Shaw would suggest 'an earlier heaven', features a boy who states that he would 'scratch his face' to prove his statement, both shockingly suggesting that we might otherwise not believe his words and that the violence he endures is implied in the option of the self-harm!
Elizabeth Bondar